Series: Super Deformed (SD)
Title: ZGMF-X56S/α Force Impulse Gundam
Release Date: 06/2005
Suggested Price: ¥ 1500
No. of Parts: 79 + polycaps + foil stickers
Plastic colors: white, blue, red, yellow, black, light blue
Gimmicks: beam rifle, shield, Core Splendor, Force Silhouette pack, beam saber, stand
Contributor: John Yp
Date: January 3, 2006
The SD ZGMF-X56S/α Force Impulse Gundam is one of the latest SD Gundam model kits up to date. The SD Impulse sports some new features, along with coming back with old ones. It is not labeled if the Impulse is part of the SD G Generation Neo line or it is of its own, but that doesn’t really matter too much anyway. Now, let’s get into the review!
The SD Impulse’s head is very accurate and is built nicely. Like the newer SD model kits, the Impulse’s head is connected to the torso by a polycap. The V-Fin’s V is built from two separate pieces, allowing it not require a sticker to be placed on like the SD Freedom and Strike Gundam. There are two light blue stickers that can be placed in the front and back monitors on the top of the head. Overall, the head is pretty much the same as the other new kits.
The torso on this kit is almost exactly similar to the Freedom and Strike’s building design. The top part of the torso is colored in blue and has two yellow vent pieces that attach to the chest. There is a light blue sticker in the shape of a U that is placed on the front. Color is required for the V on the chest, which should be yellow. It can sometimes be a pain to get the body into the waist, so that’s one thing that is crappy about it.
The SD Impulse’s waist is accurate like the head, but requires some painting. It comes in pure white plastic, but there are two light blue stickers for the bottom parts of the waist. The beam rifle can attach to the back of the waist like the SD Freedom's by a little thin block. The waist has one polycap on the mid bottom, which allows it stick into the stand that comes along with this kit. It’s a pretty decent and plain waist, can’t really say anything awesome about it.
Unlike the non-SD Impulse Gundams, this one lacks the combination system which makes the Impulse famous. That sucks eh? However, even without the combination system, it has a type of different combination that it can do. The Core Splendor can attach to the back of the chest. Once attached, it now looks like a complete Impulse Gundam torso. I can understand how it would be pretty hard to make a combination for a SD Impulse, so the no points taken off of the rating. To conclude on the torso, it’s built fairly well and looks fantastic.
Interesting arms the SD Impulse Gundam has. The shoulder pad is basically like a block and not really spiking out like the Freedoms, so it is accurate in design. There is some neat design marks indented on the shoulders alone. Sadly, the shoulder pad is entirely blue, but there are white and light blue stickers to fill in the missing colors. The arm design is almost the same as every other newer line of the SD Gundam model kits. White and has holes for shields. However, the hands for the Impulse are connected to the arm by boll socket polycaps. This is one of the best things to happen to SD Gundam models. Now that the hand is connected by ball n’ socket, it can rotate really nicely and it won’t get lose and start spinning out of control on its own when you start playing around with it too much. The arms slip into the shoulder pad horizontally and have to be aligned with the hole in it to fit straight into the torso. This new style of arms must absolutely spread into the newer SD Gundam model kits.
The legs have good detail, but are one-sided like almost all SD Gundams with actual legs. It’s quite disappointing, but oh well, you can’t have everything in an SD kit. Anyway, the foot is nicely packed together, so it shouldn’t separate into pieces. The foot does not have the bending feature like the SD Strike’s end of the foot. Overall, the legs are pretty much average in general.
Beam rifle- Thin and long with some good detail. It required a bit of red paint for the two mini squares on it and some white for the little targeting circle that sticks out. It attaches to the back of the waist fairly nicely, but it is pretty much the same as the other SD SEED model kits.
Shield- Comes in pure black and has a yellow piece that attaches on for the cross design. There are two stickers that are colored in white and red that can be stuck onto the top and bottom parts of the shield. They aren’t the prettiest pieces of stickers you could ask for, so I suggest you paint the shield as best as you can instead. There are two different handles on the shield, one for attaching to the side of the arm and one for the Impulse to hold. The shield does not have the retracting ability like it should have, but you can’t really expect too much from a SD. On another note, if you put the Impulse in the right pose, you can make it put its beam rifle into the shield’s hole.
Beam saber- Just like the other SD Gundam beam sabers, long and pure white.
Force Silhouette- Comes mainly in black, but has red pieces for the bottom wings. There are some large red shiny stickers that can be used to cover the lack of red on the wings. Two un-beamed beam sabers can be put in the pack as well, but they can’t hold a beam. The Core Splendor can attach to the Force pack with an extra little piece. The Force pack attaches to the torso, not to the Core Splendor when wanting to attach to the Impulse.
Core Splendor- Comes in multiple pieces and has two forms. One form is just the normal jet-like mode. It is pure white, except for the top part. The front cockpit for the Core Splendor can eject and attach to another bottom piece of a Core Splendor that has folded wings and fits into the Impulse’s back. It’s fairly confusing the Core Splendor, but it is pretty neat when you actually try it out. On another note, it can attach to the stand. The Core Splendor is an excellent feature to the SD Impulse, especially if you ignore that it is only pure white.
Stand- The last gimmick to the Impulse is that it comes with a black stand. The stand is another feature that makes the Impulse unique, that’s what I love about this kit. I can’t really say too much more about it; it’s a stand, that’s it.
Wow, that was one long review; I’ll plan to shorten any other reviews that I make ever in the future. Anyway, The SD Impulse is now one of the favorite model kits! I suggest getting this SD if you really like the SEED universe. Also, you could even try to create a scene of where the SD Force Impulse Gundam is stabbing the Freedom with the sword. Since there isn’t a Sword Impulse yet, you could always improvise with either trying to use a HG one or SD Sword Strike’s. Either way, it would be an awesome thing to make. Let’s hope that Bandai makes more SD Gundam SEED DESTINY suits because, this one rocks.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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