HGUniversal Century

RX-79[G] Gundam vs. MS-06J Zaku II

Two mid-90s HG kits, one box, one classic ground war rematch.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 1996

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released1996

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is two kits for the price of one, and honestly that framing alone makes it worth talking about.

You get a full RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type and a full MS-06J Zaku II, both HG grade, both from 1996, and both still buildable straight out of the box today without feeling like a museum piece. The detail on each is well ahead of what I expect from a kit this old, though the articulation shows its age the moment you try to get either one into a dynamic pose.

Best for: 08th MS Team fans and Gunpla history buffs who want the Gundam and its Zeon rival built and shelved together in one go

The full review

What it is

This is a 1996 HG box that hands you the entire jungle-war rivalry from The 08th MS Team in one go, the RX-79[G] Ground Gundam and the MS-06J Zaku II, both 1/144 and both complete kits rather than one hero unit with a spare head. Builders consistently note the sculpted detail is a real step above the throwaway 1/144 kits of the era, closer to what you would expect from a small MG. I like that Bandai loaded both suits with a shared arsenal, eight weapons split between the two, so you are not just building statues, you are building a diorama's worth of gear in a single sitting.

The catch

Articulation is where the age catches up with you. The Zaku in particular is reported as sturdy but stiff, with very limited leg movement and ball joints at the thighs that only swivel a little. Knees bend to about 100 degrees, ankles barely tilt, and the waist just spins rather than actually posing. Some panel detail and most of the fine markings rely on stickers or your own paint and marker work rather than molded color, so out of the box both suits read a bit flat until you invest cleanup and detailing time. At 30 years old, expect old-school nub placement and less forgiving part fit than a modern HG.

Who it's for

Grab this if you are into The 08th MS Team specifically, or you collect Gunpla history and want to see where the HG line came from before the post-2000 HGUC overhaul. It is also a genuinely efficient way to get a matched Gundam and Zeon rival on the shelf together without buying two separate boxes. Skip it if you want confident battle poses out of the box, a modern HG's snap-tight parts, or full color separation without picking up markers, this kit rewards patience and a little extra work far more than it rewards convenience.

The build story

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

Both suits go together as classic mid-90s snap kits, so expect visible nub marks and gate placement that predates Bandai's more forgiving modern tooling. Neither suit is difficult to assemble, the part count stays approachable, but you will want side cutters and a sanding stick on hand if you care about clean seams, especially around the Zaku's rounded shoulder and head shapes.

The Gundam swings its arms on a peg-and-socket shoulder with 360 degree rotating elbows and swappable right hands, and its waist rotates fully, so it holds basic action poses better than the Zaku does. The real payoff is the shared weapon loadout, eight pieces between the two suits including the Gundam's back-mounted cargo container, which lets you stage an actual scene rather than two suits standing side by side.

Lore & trivia

01This kit depicts the RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type and MS-06J Zaku II from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, an OVA set during the One Year War's jungle campaigns in Southeast Asia.
02The MS-06J is a ground-optimized Zaku II variant, waterproofed and leg-adjusted for soft, wet terrain rather than the space combat its predecessors were built for.
03Released in April 1996, this two-suit box predates the HGUC line's 2000s overhaul, making it one of the earlier HG-grade kits Bandai put out.
04The RX-79[G] later got the full Master Grade treatment in 2000, a sign of how enduring the 08th MS Team's ground-war Gundam design turned out to be.