HGUniversal Century

Gundam & Zaku II Set (Gundam Breaker Original Color Ver.)

Two classic beginner molds wearing a costume swap only a video game would dream up.

MechaGrade Score

2.9/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2013

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2013

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a novelty item first and a model kit second, and I think that is exactly the right way to judge it.

Bandai took the old HGUC starter-set molds for the RX-78-2 and the mass production Zaku II and dressed the Zaku in Gundam's own white, blue, red, and yellow, which is a fun bit of in-universe cosplay tied to the original Gundam Breaker game. Underneath the paint job these are the same early 2000s beginner kits they have always been, so the engineering is not going to wow anyone. The reason to want this one is the color story, not the build.

Best for: Gundam Breaker fans and color-variant collectors who want the novelty, not builders chasing modern engineering

The full review

What it is

This set pairs the HGUC RX-78-2 Gundam with the HGUC mass production Zaku II, the same two kits Bandai has sold together in starter sets for years, except the Zaku is molded in Gundam's own palette instead of its usual green. It shipped as the model kit half of the Gundam Breaker PS Vita starter pack bundle in October 2013, so most copies out there arrived attached to a console, not a hobby shop shelf. Building it feels like meeting an old friend in a new outfit. The Gundam side is basically the familiar RX-78-2 you already know, snapping together fast and looking sharp in its correct colors with barely any stickers needed. The Zaku, on the other hand, is genuinely funny to build once it starts coming together in blue and white instead of Zeon green, and that novelty carried the whole session for me.

The catch

These are old molds. The RX-78-2 and Zaku here trace back to Bandai's early HGUC line, so the polycap joints are simple, the knees and elbows are single-hinge, and neither suit holds a deep dynamic pose the way a modern HG does. There is no action base included, so both figures rely on their own feet, and the Zaku especially tips over if you push articulation too far. Color separation on the recolored Zaku is decent for its era but still leans on a few small stickers for details like the sensor eye and warning markings. The bigger catch is availability. This was a bundle exclusive tied to a console, never sold on its own at retail, so tracking down a complete boxed copy today usually means paying collector prices for something that was a budget beginner kit at launch.

Who it's for

I would point this at people who already love the Gundam Breaker games or who collect novelty color variants and want a genuine piece of that game's launch history sitting on a shelf. If that describes you, the fun of building a blue Gundam-colored Zaku next to its normal-colored Gundam partner is worth chasing down. I would steer away anyone shopping for their best build experience or best value per dollar, because a current HG kit at a fraction of the secondary-market price will out-articulate and out-detail this pairing easily. Buy this one for what it represents, not for what it does on a shelf next to a modern kit.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

Both kits go together quickly with the kind of forgiving fit you expect from a beginner-tier mold, snap-fit polycap joints, minimal nub cleanup, and instructions clearly aimed at a first-time builder rather than an enthusiast. The Zaku's recolored runners are the highlight of the whole build, watching Zeon's classic silhouette come together in Gundam blue and white is a small but real thrill if you know the source material.

Neither suit brings modern articulation to the table. Expect single-axis knees and elbows, a limited waist twist, and shoulders that swing rather than truly rotate, so dynamic poses are mostly out of reach. Weapon loadout carries over from the standard starter set pairing, giving the Gundam its beam rifle and shield and the Zaku its machine gun and heat hawk, which is a reasonable accessory count for what these kits were originally priced at.

Lore & trivia

01This set was the model kit component of Bandai's PS Vita Gundam Breaker Starter Pack, a limited console bundle released in Japan on October 31, 2013 for 29,480 yen.
02The Zaku II is recolored into the RX-78-2 Gundam's own white, blue, red, and yellow scheme, a nod to the paint and part-swapping customization at the heart of the Gundam Breaker game.
03Both molds are the same HGUC RX-78-2 and mass production Zaku II kits Bandai has long paired together in its entry-level Gunpla Starter Set, first developed in the early 2000s.