HGGundam Build Fighters Try (Gundam Base exclusive line)

Petit'gguy Silver Spark and Placard

A pocket-sized chrome ball that turns a five-minute build into a genuine little event.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Petit'gguy Silver Spark and Placard · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this one a lot more than a mascot kit has any right to be liked.

It is not a mobile suit, it is a snap-fit desk ornament, but the chrome-silver plating on this particular Petit'gguy is the whole pitch and it delivers. Put it next to the standard-color releases in this line and the difference in shelf presence is obvious. For what it is (a Gundam Base exclusive novelty), it earns its price.

Best for: Gunpla fans who collect the Petit'gguy/Haro line, or anyone who wants a five-minute chrome-finish palate cleanser between bigger builds

The full review

What it is

This is one of the small round Petit'gguy figures Bandai sells at Gundam Base locations, built off the same egg-shaped body Haro and Beargguy variants share, but finished in a genuine metallic silver plating instead of the usual matte plastic. It comes with the little acrylic-style placard stand and two blank sticker sheets so you can write your own message under the figure. The build is over almost before it starts, snap-fit, no tools, no gate cleanup to speak of, and that is the point. It is a novelty piece, and as a novelty piece the chrome finish genuinely looks premium sitting on a shelf next to the plainer color variants.

The catch

The silver plating is reflective enough that it is a pain to photograph and it will show fingerprints and light scuffs more readily than matte plastic, so handle it with some care once it is together. There is basically no build content here, if you are looking for an engineering challenge or articulation to speak of, this kit has neither, it is a static mascot ball with stubby limbs. It was also a Gundam Base limited release, so depending on when and where you are buying, secondary market pricing can run well above the original retail tag.

Who it's for

If you already collect Petit'gguy or Haro variants, or you want a cheap, low-effort silver accent piece to sit on a display shelf next to your real builds, this is a fun and inexpensive way to get it, assuming you can find one at a reasonable price. Skip it if you are new to Gunpla and want your money going toward a kit with real articulation and part count, or if paying above retail for a limited-run mascot piece does not appeal to you. This is a treat-yourself extra, not a foundational kit.

The build story

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

There is no real build here in the traditional Gunpla sense. Parts snap together in a handful of steps with no visible gate stubs on the finished piece, and the whole thing is done in the time it takes to unbox a normal kit. It is built to be approachable for literally anyone, including someone who has never touched a runner before.

The entire value proposition is the plating. Where the standard-color Petit'gguy releases are molded in flat plastic, this one has an actual metallic silver finish that catches light and reads as a display piece rather than a toy. The placard accessory and blank stickers let you turn it into a small personalized sign, which is a nice touch for a gift or a con-badge style shelf piece.

Lore & trivia

01Petit'gguy is Bandai's chibi mascot line descended from the Haro and Beargguy designs, tied to the Gundam Build Fighters Try era of the Gundam meta series
02This Silver Spark (also sold under the name Silver Sparkle) and Placard version was a The Gundam Base limited exclusive release, first sold in August 2017
03The kit ships with two blank placard sticker sheets specifically so buyers can write their own custom message on the display stand