Metroid Database.com

True 3D: Volume 3

A photo review of the First 4 Figures Zero Suit Samus!

Text and Photos by silvernite8 (Guest Editor)
Additional Formatting by Infinity's End
06.28.10

Height: 24cm or 9.5 inches
SRP:    $99.99 (non-exclusive one)
        $134.99 (F4F website exclusive one)

Availability: In Stock from First4Figures and numerous online retailers

It's a very rare and much needed statue of Samus Aran without her signature Chozo Power Suit. Paint and detailing on the statue itself is very well done though there are some very minor detailing flaws, mainly the black lines on the Zero Suit.

Anyways onto the packaging:

It comes extremely well packaged. And depending on with version you purchased you either get a light blue box or purple box with the words exclusive written on it. (more on non-exclusive vs. light-up exclusive later)

There is really no way the statue can be damaged while in transit since everything fits into place very well in the packaging. Plus, Samus is a single piece statue with a base so that helps with the no damage during transit. A few comments on the boxart- the exclusive boxart pics and regular statue pics differ slightly with the exclusive showing off a light up base.

It should be noted that there is a spelling error on the box. The word "forth" is written instead of the word "fourth" the number (4th). I just thought that was kinda funny. And yes, the misspelled word is on the Exclusive and Non-Exclusive box.

Onto the statue itself:
First, the base: Its simple, circular, and extreme heavy. There is a solid hole for the peg to put Samus onto the base. The base is the only difference between the exclusive and non-exclusive versions of the statue.

Samus does fit very firmly into place on the stand. There is no wobbling with the statue on the base. This holds true for the exclusive light-up base as well. Personally, I love the stance of Samus in this statue. It's a very fierce pose of Samus while still showing off her softer side.

Coloring and detailing of the statue is very well done. The light bluish paint has a little metallic look to it giving the statue more color. The details are just amazing and what you expect from First4Figures. The pink patterns on the Zero Suit are very well done and faithful to the game. I know some people were unhappy about Samus' face, but comparing it to the only other Zero Suit Samus figure (Yujin's ZZS figure), F4F did a good job on the face. It's not perfect but it's not bad. What I didn't like was the way the black detail lines were painted on. I felt that those detail lines could have been done much more professionally. The paint could have been done more smooth, but that's just me being very picky.

Finally, the F4F exclusive Vs. Non-Exclusive:
The only difference between the two versions is that the F4F exclusive ZZS statue comes with a very beautiful light-up base. The Zero Suit Symbol is what is on the light-up base. Other than the base, the statues are identical.

The Question here is probably- is it worth it to purchase the exclusive one over non-exclusive. My answer is NO. It is not worth the extra $35 just for the light-up base. It's not worth it because the base really does not add all that much to the statue. Most important, how often do you intend to light up the base? I purchased the Phazon Suit Samus and only used the light up function a total of 4 times. Once to check that it worked, twice to show it off to people and to take pics of the statue, and once more for the heck of it. Since then, I haven't light up the statue. I'll probably only use the light-up base a few times with Zero Suit and never touch it again. Since the exclusive version is just a light-up base, it probably better to get the cheaper regular version if you are just looking for a very nice but expensive statue of Samus in her Zero Suit form.

However, if you are a true collector, you should probably get the much more rare exclusive version since its only limited to 250 pieces worldwide vs. the regular version is limited to a much higher 2,500 pieces. Only the diehard Metroid fans should consider buying both ver. But for everyone else, regular version if you just want a statue of Samus, and exclusive version for the collectors.

And some more pics of the statue:

I guess because this is a review, people are expecting to see numbers.

Sculpt/ Pose: 10/10 - No flaws in the way the statue is put together since its all one piece + base. I really like the fierce pose of Samus

Paint/ details: 8/10 - Paint color is faithful and accurate. Detail is spot on. Just those black detail lines on Samus made me give it a lower score

Size: 10/10 - its not bad for the price you pay

Packaging and Box: 10/10 - It comes in a beautiful blue or purple box and well protected in its packaging. I'm not a prick and not gonna take points off for the misspelled word.

Price: 9/10 (regular version) - It's a solid price for a high quality statue. You really do get what you paid for. Those who want a cheaper statue, you're not gonna be get this exceptional quality for a statue of lesser price.
7/10 (exclusive version)- It's a little pricey for the exclusive version since you're only paying $35 extra for a light-up base

Some comparison pics:

Statue and MP2:Echoes game

F4F ZZS and Yujin ZZS

How it compares to the Joyride Samus Figure

Finally, how it compares to the Samus Suit Statues (Gravity suit was used but Varia and Phazon suit are all the same sculpt as Gravity suit)

Just for Fun- Statue Care:
I purchase cases for all my F4F Metroid Statues. My Varia, Gravity, and Phazon suit samus all have individual glass cases protecting them. For Zero Suit I went the cheap route. I purchase an acrylic diecast model car display case (1/18 scale model) for ZZS. Even though its acrylic plastic, it does the job well for protecting and keeping the statue dust free.

Note: the pics show the non-exclusive version of the statue, though both versions are the same.

On behalf of the MDb, I would like to thank silvernite8 for allowing us to publish his review. --IE