HGGundam Build Fighters

Universe Booster (Red Ver.)

A cheap, event-only recolor of the coolest backpack in the franchise, missing one piece and worth grabbing anyway.

MechaGrade Score

3.2/5

Universe Booster (Red Ver.) · 1/144 · 2015

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2015

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit for what it is, a fun little add-on, but I will not pretend it is a real standalone build.

The Universe Booster is Sei Iori's beam-cannon backpack for Star Build Strike Gundam, the unit that splits off and flies solo, and this Red Ver. is the World Hobby Fair 2015 Winter exclusive recolor of it. It is the same option-parts set as the regular retail release with a different color scheme and one part missing. If you already know that going in, it is a satisfying half hour of clipping and posing for almost nothing in yen.

Best for: Build Fighters fans who already own a Star Build Strike kit and want the event-exclusive color variant of its signature backpack

The full review

What it is

This is the Universe Booster, the backpack unit Sei Iori built for Star Build Strike Gundam that carries two beam cannons and detaches to fly as its own fighter. The Red Ver. is not a new mold, it is the World Hobby Fair 2015 Winter giveaway recolor of the same HGBF Universe Booster Plavsky Power Gate set, handed out at the event for around 600 yen. Building it is quick and genuinely satisfying, the fighter-to-backpack transformation clicks together cleanly and the articulated pole arms on the effect parts let you angle the beam cannons and Plavsky particle effects into a real dynamic pose rather than a stiff static display.

The catch

The big one: this Red Ver. release is missing the Absorb Shield piece that the standard retail Universe Booster includes, so out of the box it is a slightly less complete kit than the version anyone can just buy off a shelf. It was only ever distributed at World Hobby Fair 2015 Winter and aimed at elementary and junior high attendees, so secondhand copies are the only way in now and prices reflect the scarcity, not the plastic. On its own this is not a mobile suit, it is a backpack and effect-parts set, so if you want a complete robot on your shelf you need a Star Build Strike (or another compatible HG kit) to plug it into.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already build Gundam Build Fighters kits, own or plan to own a Star Build Strike Gundam, and want the novelty of the event-exclusive colorway sitting next to your standard-color Universe Booster. It is also a nice quick weekend build if you just want articulated effect parts to dress up other HG kits, since the booster attaches to plenty of compatible 1/144 kits beyond its home suit. Skip it if you are looking for your first kit or a self-contained model, this will not give you a finished robot by itself, and skip it if the missing Absorb Shield and event-only sourcing bother you, the standard retail Universe Booster gets you the same core experience complete and easier to find.

The build story

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

This is a small option-parts kit rather than a full figure, so the build is short, mostly clean snaps with light sticker work for the surface markings. Gate placement is unobtrusive on the booster shell itself, and the fighter-mode to backpack-mode conversion is the highlight of the whole process, it folds and locks together in a way that feels like real engineering packed into a small accessory.

The standout is the effect parts set, the clear pole arms holding the beam cannon and Plavsky particle pieces are properly articulated and let you build a genuinely dynamic display rather than a static add-on. Color separation on the Red Ver. comes from the molded plastic itself in its new scheme, though this exclusive omits the Absorb Shield piece that ships with the standard Universe Booster Plavsky Power Gate release, so compatibility and completeness lean slightly toward the regular retail kit if you want everything in the box.

Lore & trivia

01The Universe Booster is the backpack Sei Iori built for Star Build Strike Gundam, carrying two beam cannons and able to detach and operate as its own fighter craft.
02Star Build Strike Gundam, GAT-X105B/ST, first appeared in the final episode of Gundam Build Fighters, built by Sei Iori and piloted in battle by Reiji.
03This Red Ver. colorway was a World Hobby Fair 2015 Winter exclusive distributed on site to elementary and junior high attendees for about 600 yen, bundled with a Gunpla Builders Guide Book.
04Unlike the standard retail Universe Booster Plavsky Power Gate set, this exclusive version does not include the Absorb Shield part.