HGUniversal Century

RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.G30th B-Mark × Yoshida × Porter × Gunpla Special Package Ver.

The reliable G30th sculpt dressed up in a bag-maker's collab box, and the kit inside earns the attention on its own.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

RX-78-2 Gundam · 1/144 · 2011

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2011

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the same solid Ver.G30th RX-78-2 that's been a value pick for over a decade, just wrapped in a special Porter x Yoshida collaboration package.

I like the kit itself more than I expected to going in. It's not flashy engineering, but it's an honest, satisfying little build with a design language pulled straight from the 1/1 scale statue, and that alone gives it more shelf presence than its price band suggests.

Best for: Gundam franchise collectors and G30th completionists who want the specific collab packaging, plus anyone who wants a clean, easy, sub-two-hour build of the classic RX-78-2

The full review

What it is

The Ver.G30th mold was Bandai's 30th anniversary reboot of the original RX-78-2 HG, designed to echo the 1/1 scale Gundam statue that went up in Japan, and this release packages that same kit inside special art tied to a Porter and Yoshida bag-brand tie-in. Take the sleeve off and it's a straightforward, no-nonsense build: simple runners, easy gate placement, and a shape that reads far more mechanical and grounded than the toylike HGs that came before it. I went in expecting a forgettable reissue and came out liking how confidently the sculpt sells the classic silhouette. It's not trying to reinvent the RX-78-2, it's trying to get the proportions and the panel work right, and it does.

The catch

The articulation is the honest limitation here. Arms and legs are single-jointed, so you get roughly 90 to 120 degrees at the knee and elbow rather than the deep bend later Revive-era kits allow, and the torso doesn't crunch forward or back the way modern HGs do. Stickers are minimal (mostly eyes, head camera, and neck), which is a plus for build cleanliness, but the tradeoff is you won't get painted-in color depth beyond what's molded. And because this is fundamentally a rebadged G30th kit, the collab premium is paying for the packaging and B-Mark branding, not extra plastic, parts, or engineering over a standard release.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you're chasing the Porter x Yoshida packaging specifically, or if you just want a cheap, quick, well-proportioned RX-78-2 and don't mind single-hinge joints instead of double-jointed knees and elbows. It's a great weekend build for someone easing into the hobby or wanting a panel-lining project, since the surface detail rewards a wash more than the pose range rewards a display case. If dynamic action poses are the priority, skip straight to the Revive-era HG RX-78-2 or an RG, both of which outclass the G30th's range of motion. But for the classic look done cleanly and cheaply, the G30th sculpt still holds up.

The build story

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

Gate placement is friendly and the runner count is low, so this goes together fast with minimal cleanup. It's a good candidate for a first panel-lining project since the surface detail is deliberate rather than an afterthought, and the sparse stickers mean you're not fighting foil placement across the whole body.

The standout here is the pose-ability of the torso, which handles ab-crunch style bends smoothly despite the simple joint engineering, giving the upper body more life than the stiffer arms and legs suggest. The shield can mount to the backpack once the hardpoint is switched, and the beam rifle's foregrip and sensor swing left or right for a bit of extra weapon presentation, all reasonable value for an HG at this price point.

Lore & trivia

01The Ver.G30th line was released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series.
02The G30th sculpt was designed to reflect the proportions of the 1/1 scale RX-78-2 Gundam statue built in Japan rather than the classic anime-accurate chibi HG shape.
03This particular release packages the standard Ver.G30th kit inside special artwork tied to a collaboration with bag brands Porter and Yoshida, part of a wave of B-Mark branded Gunpla special packages.