HGUniversal Century

RX-78-01[N] Gundam Local Type (Rollout Color)

A gold-plated prototype with the best-articulated skeleton in the whole HGUC-era Origin line.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

[N] Gundam Local Type (Rollout Color) · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit more than its obscure name suggests I should.

It takes the already well-regarded Local Type mold and puts it in a loud gold and grey rollout scheme that actually earns its gimmick, this is the paint job Federation techs used to spot stress fractures on a test unit, and it reads as exactly that on the shelf. The engineering underneath is the real story, this thing moves better than most kits with the HGUC nameplate from the same era. If you can find one, it is a genuinely satisfying build, not just a color variant cash grab.

Best for: Origin-era completionists and articulation hounds who want a test-unit Gundam that actually poses like one

The full review

What it is

This is the P-Bandai rollout colorway of the RX-78-01[N] Local Type, a prototype ground and aquatic test unit from the Gundam: The Origin manga, done up in the gold and grey scheme test pilots used to flag stress and damage before the suit ever saw real combat. Under the paint job it is the same mold that built a reputation for having some of the best articulation in the whole HGUC-adjacent Origin lineup, a proper ball-jointed head, double-jointed elbows and knees, and a poseable skirt that actually lets you get dynamic stances out of a budget-tier kit. Building it felt less like assembling a background suit and more like handling a kit that the designers genuinely cared about.

The catch

The darker grey runners have some genuinely rough nubs, especially around the feet, and you will want a hobby knife plus some sanding sticks on hand rather than just clippers. A couple of builders flag a visible seam line on the head that panel lining does not fully hide. This kit also carries an unusually high decal count for its class, tetron seal markings covering a lot of the gold panels, so budget real time for application if you want the stress-test aesthetic to read clean rather than sloppy. Being a P-Bandai exclusive rollout colorway means it was never a retail-shelf kit, so pricing and availability now run well above what the plastic itself would justify.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the Local Type sculpt or you collect the weirder corners of the Origin timeline and want a test-mule Gundam with real shelf presence instead of another RX-78-2 repaint. The articulation alone makes it worth the cleanup work for anyone who poses their kits rather than just displaying them standing at attention. Skip it if you want a clean out-of-box build with minimal decal work, or if you are not already invested enough in Origin lore to care about a prototype variant, a standard-colored Local Type or a mainline HG will get you similar engineering for less hassle and less secondary-market hunting.

What works

Ball-jointed head plus double-jointed elbows and knees give it noticeably better pose range than typical kits in its price class
The gold rollout scheme is a genuine design choice tied to the lore, not just a random palette swap, and it looks striking finished
Backpack adapters let the machine gun and shield mount for storage, a nice touch of practical accessory design

Worth knowing

Dark grey runners have heavy nubs and gate marks around the feet that need real sanding, not just a quick clip
Unusually high decal count for the line, which is a lot of tetron seal application if you want the finished look to read clean
P-Bandai exclusive status means it is hard to find now and typically costs more than the build itself would justify

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The lighter gold and cream runners clip up clean, but the darker grey parts, particularly around the feet, have thick nubs that leave visible marks if you just clip and move on. Plan for sanding sticks. A couple of builders also note a seam line across the head that panel lining alone does not erase, so a light coat of primer or careful seam work helps there.

Where this kit earns its reputation is articulation. The ball-jointed head, double-jointed elbows and knees, and a poseable skirt let it hit deeper action stances than most kits wearing an HG badge from this era. Accessories cover a machine gun, beam sabers, manipulator hands including a trigger-finger option, and adapters that let the shield and gun mount to the backpack for storage, a small but appreciated bit of thoughtful design for a kit built around field-test realism.

Lore & trivia

01The RX-78-01[N] Local Type is a ground and aquatic environmental test variant of Dr. Tem Ray's RX-78 program, built to gather data that later fed into both the RX-78-2 Gundam and the RX-79[G] Ground Type.
02The gold and grey rollout colorway was an in-universe choice, Federation engineers used the bright scheme to make stress fractures and damage easier to spot on a suit that existed purely for testing.
03This rollout color version was a Bandai Hobby Online Shop (P-Bandai) exclusive release, distinct from the standard-colored retail HGGTO version of the same Local Type mold.
04The suit's hydrojet-equipped backpack and dust-covered joints tie directly into its role as a precursor to the later Gundam Ground Type seen in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.