Latest news with #Kotobukiya
Forbes
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Steel Haze From ‘Armored Core VI' Gets A New Model Kit This December
One of the more memorable characters in Armored Core VI was Rusty, the player's 'buddy', and his initial ride of choice gets a new model kit this December. Now, we already had the initial build of Steel Haze get the 30MM model kit treatment a while back, and the updated version of Steel Haze towards the end of the game was recently given a very nice Robot Damashii toy. However, Kotobukiya has a long and storied history with the Armored Core series and has been making model kits of notable designs from these games for decades. This is where this model kit comes in, as Kotobukiya is handling this new Steel Haze release. Priced at 17,050 yen (or around $116 at the current exchange rate), it's a pricey kit, but it looks to be quite special. This is because it is part of the new Variable Infinity Overed Scale, or VIOS, line, and much bigger as a result. To explain, the original and main line for previous Armored Core kits from Kotobukiya was the standard Variable Infinity series of kits. I bought a few over the years, and they've all been very nicely done. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This new line, though, offers bigger kits with greater detailing. For something like the initial Steel Haze design, this makes a lot of sense, as Steel Haze is a fast-moving AC and has very delicate-looking limbs. Now, at the normal Variable Infinity scale, these parts would be understandably small and fragile, so this new scale, in theory, affords greater strength, while still maintaining the level of detail from the games. This is where the previous and smaller 30MM kit from Bandai Spirits was more limited, and hopefully, where Kotobukiya can really shine. Released this December, you can pre-order this upcoming Steel Haze kit from places such as HobbyLink Japan. In the meantime, check out the video below to see the first time you meet your 'buddy' in Armored Core VI. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Noblesse Oblige From ‘Armored Core 4' Will Be Getting An Epic Toy
Noblesse Oblige as shown in the 2005 'Project Force' trailer. Following the release of the Decoction Models Supplice toy a while back, Kotobukiya is planning on making a similar toy for Noblesse Oblige. Yes, I know it's called a 'Decoction Models' but these are in fact very high-end toys, with a great deal of die-cast used in their construction. I picked up the Supplice toy and it is an astonishing piece, with an impeccable sculpt and very fine detailing. Not to mention a wide array of articulation and light gimmicks. While Supplice was literally used on the cover art for Armored Core 4, the origins of Noblesse Oblige go back even further. In fact, before Armored Core 4 was even announced, the mecha appeared in a trailer for a game called Project Force (shown below). FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This eventually became known as Armored Core 4, but Noblesse Oblige was the iconic mecha used in those trailers, along with its wing-like EC-O307AB laser cannons. In the original Armored Core 4, Noblesse Oblige was piloted by Leonhardt, but in Armored Core For Answer, the mecha was piloted by Gerald Gendlin. The latter version from Armored Core For Answer (shown below) handled and played a bit differently over its Armored Core 4 counterpart, not least because the laser cannons fired orange beams rather than white ones. In any case, the fact that Kotobukiya has picked another major design from both Armored Core 4 and Armored Core For Answer is great news, but the price point will likely be pretty high. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
