Tuesday 20 October 2020

Toybox REVIEW: Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat 3 Classic Sub-Zero

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Release Date: February 2020
RRP: $70

Hong Kong-based manufacturer Storm Collectibles have created quite a name for themselves over the past few years with their range of action figures, particularly in the realm of video games in which they specialise. Their repertoire includes the likes of Street Fighter, Tekken, Darkstalkers, King of Fighters and more, but there’s one franchise particularly that they’ve set the standard for - Mortal Kombat. Focussing on the classic era of the overly bloody fighting game, Storm Collectibles have released a range of characters from the first three games in the series. Among these is their Mortal Kombat 3 classic Sub-Zero, based on the original masked version of the iconic Lin Kuei ice ninja. The classic variant of Sub-Zero appeared in the expanded Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 version (as well as Mortal Kombat Trilogy), alongside his younger brother who has held the mantle since Mortal Kombat 2. The classic Sub-Zero’s identity within the game’s narrative is presented as a mystery (the original Sub-Zero having become Noob Saibot by this point in the timeline), but the truth is to many players it didn’t really matter - all they saw and wanted was an updated version of the classic and instantly more recognisable iteration.

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Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat 3 classic Sub-Zero comes in some nicely designed but fairly nondescript packaging, with the front of the box mainly consisting of the window to see the figure inside. It does however include the Mortal Kombat logo and half-profile of Sub-Zero, as well the listing the figure’s scale and a warning that it’s for collectors aged 17 and up. That same half-profile is repeated on one side of the box, whereas the other features a full-size image of the figure together with the Storm Collectibles logo. The back of the box has a number of images showing off the figure’s detail, articulation and accessories, along with a short character bio. However fans of the series will immediately notice that the bio is actually for the Sub-Zero that appeared in Mortal Kombat 2 onwards (Kuai Liang) rather than the original version from the first game this is supposed to be (Bi-Han). It’s a little strange since Storm Collectibles haven’t released any version of the Kuai Liang Sub-Zero yet (although a prototype has shown off), but with how confusing the Sub-Zeros can get in Mortal Kombat 3/Trilogy that might explain the mix up. Inside, the figure and accessories are neatly laid out on a moulded plastic tray in front of a fancy backing card proudly displaying the Mortal Kombat logo.

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As the Mortal Kombat series went on in time it’s understandable that the palette-swapped ninjas became more and more distinct from one another, but for myself and I’m sure many other fans who played these games through the 90s this is the kind of look you picture when you think of Sub-Zero. Storm Collectible’ classic Sub-Zero is a straight repaint of their Mortal Kombat 3 Scorpion figure, just as it should be. The only changes are the darker skin tone, and replacing the yellow uniform with Sub-Zero’s iconic light blue threads. The mask is removable to reveal a slightly moulded skull mouth (painted black), which is irrelevant to this figure but proof that next to nothing has been changed between this and Scorpion. It’s Mortal Kombat 3 classic Sub-Zero through and through, where simplicity is what makes the design works so well. Given his greater prominence in the game some might prefer his original game look, but as an avid player of Mortal Kombat Trilogy this is definitely my preferred Sub-Zero (not to mention I find the blue on Storm’s original game figure a touch too dark). The details might be simple but Storm Collectibles’ have followed the design to the letter, resulting in a near-perfect representation of the character. The figure is a mixture of both hard and rubbery plastic, the latter not only making up the blue sections of the outfit but also the top half of the undersuit as well.

While this may be a 1/12 scale figure it’s worth noting that these figures do not scale particularly well with S.H. Figuarts, Marvel Legends or other similar lines. Storm Collectibles are playing by their own rulebook, and not only are these figures slightly taller than their aforementioned lines but they’re far stockier as well. They haven’t skimped on any of that muscle detailing, and when that bulk is taken into account as well they absolutely tower over other lines. It suits the characters perfectly, and also does a pretty good job of encouraging you to pick up more than one as well.

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But despite the size difference the articulation of the figure is very similar to that of other 1/12 scale collector lines, albeit with a few slight differences brought about by its construction. Altogether Sub-Zero features the following;
- Ball jointed head, torso, waist and wrists 
- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles 
- Butterfly shoulders/pecs
- Double hinge elbows and knees
- Single hinge toe sections 
While that rubbery plastic does an incredible job of giving Sub-Zero a near seamless sculpt (you can barely see the torso cut, and the waist joint is hidden entirely), it does mean that there’s a fair bit of resistance going on in that torso area. While you can get some movement out of the joints you can feel the blue pieces holding their shape against it, resulting in near-invisible but at the same time limited articulation. The same thing also applies to the shoulders where the costume hangs over them, but you can push those parts out of the way a bit to make posing a little easier. Everything else on this figure works like a treat though, which particular praise going to those wrist joints. They don’t just move seamlessly, but the hands are connected to thick pegs that don’t have any chance of breaking. Sub-Zero’s beefy biceps mean you can’t get quite as much bend out of the lower part of the elbow but both halves of the knees work together to provide a satisfying bend, and then the ankle joints also have great sideward motion to provide balance in those wide-legged poses. Above all the articulation on this figure feels sturdy, which goes hand in hand with that thick design/sculpt.

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On top of being unrelentingly brutal Mortal Kombat is popular for its range of special attacks, so a good range of accessories is absolutely essential. This version of Sub-Zero comes with nine different swappable hands (closed fists, attacked posed, knife-hands, accessory holding and an additional poking right hand) and two different ice effect pieces representing his ice blast and ground freeze attacks. Both are extremely hefty effect pieces, moulded in translucent blue/white plastic and featuring a number of different parts that need to be put together. The ice blast consists of a large circular piece, which can be used on its own or have five additional icicle pieces added on to give it a proper “blast effect”. It’s a very impressive piece, but unfortunately rather difficult to connect to the hands properly. Rather than design it with hands fixed into the main body of ice, the “posed” hands are instead meant to clip directly into designated grooves. However the grooves aren’t especially deep so it doesn’t take much for the hands to fall out, with the lower slot (for the right hand) being especially cumbersome. It takes a fair bit of trial and error to properly work out, but I found attaching the left hand to the ice before fixing it to the wrist works best. I still had repeated trouble getting the hands to sit exactly as they should, but it didn’t stop the piece looking suitably badass when attached.

Meanwhile the ground freeze piece is much easier to work with, but still requires some prior assembly. Here multiple longer ice pieces connect to the base, and then at the top a smaller circular piece that creates the illusion of a longer blast piece. Unlike the standard ice blast the beginning of the attack doesn’t fit onto Sub-Zero, and instead you just need to pose the hands around it suitably. It’s a big piece that needs a fair bit of room to display, but again it looks fantastic. The box has a pose of Sub Zero launching himself to do the attack which looks particularly good, but given the size of these figures you might need something a bit heftier than a standard 6” figure stand to make it work.

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Of course it wouldn’t be a real Mortal Kombat figure without a healthy bit of gore to go with it, and that’s another area that Storm Collectibles have covered perfectly. Also included here are two different blood splatter effects - one that connects to the figure’s foot for a kick attack and another to simulate Sub-Zero poking his opponent’s eyes out. In-package this piece is fitted to the additional right hand, but it is removable so could feasibly be used with other figures. Both pieces are a nice shade of translucent red and suitably over the top, but the eye-poking piece really takes it to another level with the gouged-out eyes bursting from it. The piece de resistance though is Sub-Zero’s infamous spine rip fatality, one of the most infamous (and controversial) moves from the original game. In Mortal Kombat 3 and Trilogy the rip itself was actually censored, potentially as a reference to the ESRB the move (and Mortal Kombat itself) had helped create. The piece is a detailed spinal cord with skull attached, which is not only moveable on a ball joint but also has a hinged jaw as well. It’s bloody, textured and overall looks absolutely fantastic. It’s an undeniably cool piece that has plenty of potential with other figures as well. As far as getting all of Sub-Zero’s most well-known moves covered in one release, Storm Collectibles absolutely nailed it.

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This has been a toy line I’ve been looking to dip my toes into for some time now, and Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat 3 classic Sub-Zero certainly didn’t disappoint. Between the brilliant sculpt and great range of accessories, this is a definitive Sub-Zero figure through and through - perfectly capturing the character as I most fondly remember him from childhood. While it is a shame that it doesn’t quite fit in other 1/12 scale toys the way I might have hoped, that’s no slight on the figure itself and it was actually extremely refreshing to try out a line I was unfamiliar with. McFarlane Toys may have the modern era of Mortal Kombat covered at a lower price point but for fans of the classic era these figures are definitely not to be missed out on. MK3 Scorpion is already on my wish list, and if there’s ever a Reptile made out of this mould I’ll be down for that too. Sure it’s just the same figure in three different colours, but when the figure is this good it’s very hard to say no.

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