PGUniversal CenturyTop pick

RX-78-2 Gundam + Weapons (Animation Color Ver.)

The original 1998 PG frame, dressed in cartoon-bright colors and handed every weapon it ever carried on screen.

MechaGrade Score

4.6/5

RX-78-2 Gundam · 1/60 · 2006

GradePG

Scale1/60

Released2006

Runnersn/a

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

This is the definitive way to own the kit that started the Perfect Grade line.

It takes the 1998 RX-78-2 engineering, still one of the most complete internal frames Bandai ever put in a 1/60 box, and pairs it with the beam rifle, hyper bazooka, beam saber, shield, and Core Fighter all molded in the flat animation colors instead of the original's grittier realistic scheme. I think that one change does more than it should. It makes the finished kit look like it walked straight off the show rather than out of a plastic model catalog.

Best for: Gundam die-hards and PG collectors who want the classic RX-78-2 frame with the full weapons loadout and screen-accurate colors instead of the 1998 kit's semi-realistic paint scheme

The full review

What it is

At its core this is still the 1998 PG RX-78-2, around 626 parts on 23 runners, with a real skeletal frame under every panel, opening maintenance hatches, LED eyes off a watch battery, and hydraulic-style pistons that slide when you move the joints. What this release adds is the full weapons set (beam rifle, hyper bazooka, beam saber, shield with the classic mounting) and, more importantly, animation-accurate colors across the whole kit instead of the original's more muted, realistic tones. Building it, you feel the difference immediately. Every hatch you pop open reveals a frame that actually looks engineered, not just filled in for show, and the bright primary colors make the whole thing read as the Gundam from the show rather than a diorama piece.

The catch

This was a 2006 Gunpla EXPO event exclusive, so finding one today means secondhand or auction prices, often well above what a standard PG runs, and you should expect used-market variability in completeness and box condition. It is also still a 1998-era engineering base, so panel lines are shallower than modern kits and a good amount of the fine detail (the figurines molded into some panels, certain markings) leans on stickers or aftermarket paint and panel lining to really pop. At 626 parts and this level of internal complexity, it is a genuine multi-session build, not a weekend project, and the sheer bulk of runners means gate cleanup adds up fast.

Who it's for

If you already know you love PG-scale building and want the RX-78-2 that essentially defined the format, with every weapon it should have and the colors matching the anime, this is worth hunting down. It rewards patience, careful sprue cleanup, and a willingness to panel-line and touch up stickers to get the best result. It is not a good first kit or a good first Perfect Grade if you are not sure you enjoy long, detail-heavy builds. Someone newer to Gunpla is much better served starting with an HG or RG RX-78-2 and working up to this once they know they want the full PG commitment, ideally after trying the more affordable standard-color 1998 PG release first if the EXPO version proves too hard to source.

What works

Full weapons set (beam rifle, hyper bazooka, beam saber, shield) included with the frame, so nothing is missing from the loadout
Animation-accurate colors make the finished model look like the show's Gundam instead of the original release's more muted, realistic palette
The 1998 internal frame is still genuinely impressive: opening hatches, piston-style joint detail, LED eyes, and a docking Core Fighter

Worth knowing

Event-exclusive from 2006, so it is a secondhand hunt at premium prices rather than something you can just order new
Some panel detail and markings still lean on stickers, and shallower 1998-era panel lines benefit from aftermarket paneling and paint
A long, part-heavy build (600+ parts) that demands real time investment, not a quick project

Sold? Grab it.

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The build story

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

The build follows the same instruction logic as the original 1998 PG: you build the skeletal frame first, joint by joint, then layer armor over it, so you are constantly seeing the engineering before you ever cover it up. Gate placement is dated compared to modern kits, nubs are a bit more visible on some smaller frame parts, and with 23 runners in the box you will want to sort and stage pieces rather than dig through everything at once. It is a satisfying build precisely because it makes you slow down. Popping open a shoulder or thigh hatch to check the frame underneath never really gets old.

Where this version earns its keep is articulation and completeness. The elbows and knees are double-jointed, the hip block swings and rotates independently of the legs, and the fingers on each hand are individually articulated enough to actually grip the beam rifle or saber properly rather than just holding a fixed pose. With the full weapons complement in hand, the Core Fighter docking into the torso, and the frame detail visible through every hatch, the part count and price genuinely translate into a display piece with more going on than almost any 1/144 or 1/100 kit can match.

Lore & trivia

01The base PG RX-78-2 was Bandai's second-ever Perfect Grade release, following the PG Eva-01 in 1997, and it set the template every later PG has been measured against.
02This Animation Color Ver. plus weapons bundle was a Gunpla EXPO 2006 (Ikebukuro) event exclusive, held August 23 to 30, 2006, which is why it never got a general retail release.
03The original PG RX-78-2 frame includes 29 opening hatches and 66 points of articulation, and its head lights up using a CR1220 watch battery and a small switch on the back.