Helmet head prototype photo from necas instagram.

The front plate of the helmet didn't have that many rivets am I right?

I'm not seeing Micky B in the sculpt but paint could change that.

I'd much prefer a "Oh you want some too?!" gritted teeth Hudson than the one they've sculpted in the teaser pics.

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AKA: Simon

I agree. Helmet is cool, but not perfect. The ridges on the back lobster plate are a little wonky. As for the head sculpt, Even if they nailed the perfect, end all, be all screaming Michael Biehn headsculpt (which im not sure they did)....the screaming with his helmet on wasnt his thing! They should have done the 'cool, calm, collected' HELMET wearing hicks with the shotgun in series 1. The 2-pack could be the screaming, racal wearing, fighting Hicks. But its nothing some figure surgery and dremel/hacksaw can't fix. It will all work out in the end I guess.

And like you said, paint may change a LOT. It often does.

Front plate rivets definitely throw this way off. The lobster plate ridges are off as mentioned: one is curved when it should be straight, and the other three are too thick.

Getting really picky, but it looks like the neckline of the chest plate is sitting too low.

I hate it.

DIE NECA! DIE!!





Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

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Ahh that's why Hicks has no lamp, they used the same body.

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AKA: Simon

Where the hell did they get those rivets from? Makes it look kinda steampunk...

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

Review for them is up! http://www.figures.com/forums/news/3160 ... s-1-a.html

Pretty good review...I hope to scoop some up.

Dang, I know the aliens were big, were they really eight or nine feet tall?

And this is another minor detail, but did Hicks and Hhudson both have a wrist band on their right hand?

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

7-8 feet tall yeah, obviously the guys playing them weren't that tall.

Hicks had a white ribbed sweatband and Hudson had a green sweatband.

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AKA: Simon

An easy fix, thanks Reaper.

Yeah, the guys playing the aliens were dancers, and you don't see many dancers in the 7 foot+ area.

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

And let me state I'm not bashing these! NECA, if you happen to read this, I GREATLY appreciate the time and effort you guys have poured into these and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making these available.

I WILL be buying these.

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

I broke down and for the first time ever, "pre-ordered" something through an online retailer. After seeing the debacle that was the latest Neca Predator line (delays in overall shipping/supply, HUGE delays in local Toys R Us actually getting them, then being scooped by A-holes that patrol the Toys R Us's and buy up the entire cases), I figured it may cost a little more, but it will be drama free and shipped to my door with no hunting.

If it goes as smoothly as I hope, I'll be pre-ordering one of everything from this line. Then anything I stumble across in person I will assume is fate telling me it was meant to be, and I'll buy those as extras for customizing!

Can anyone confirm this?

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Haha!!

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AKA: Simon

LOL

The place I placed my 'pre-order' through just sent me a tracking#!!!!
Track# doesnt have any info associated with it yet...but surely this means they are inbound and soon to be in my grubby mits!

With the Neca Predator series 8s, the preorders started getting filled about 2-3 weeks before they showed up in actual stores. Hopefully its a little more streamlined this round, but one this is for sure; The time is near!!!

I'm really loving these figures!

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In Space No One Can Hear You Scream ...
Dave Xeno - missed but never forgotten......

Cant wait! Dying for my shipping confirmation.

Got mine today! I gotta say, first off: These are the finest 7" marines that have been made. There is no arguing that. They improve over the McFarlane in every way possible (as they should, being nearly a decade newer and all). I will continue to buy any and all releases in this line because they are very very very cool and long overdue.

But...some stuff really chaps my behind!
-Hunter/dark Green motion tracker and hand welder!? I dont expect Brown Bess, but they made the Pulse Rifles OD. They clearly had the insight and ability to run with the OD alternative. Why go odd ball? OD would have been so easy.

-Brown boots? Say whaaaaaat? Why? See above. Its not like they didnt have OD paint. Why go with a weird color?

-No helmets (I already complained about that marketing ploy enough I guess).

-No shoulder lamp for Hicks. I guess they figured 3 accessories each was the limit. Hudson got the Pulse, the tracker and the lamp. Hicks gets the Pulse, his shotgun, and his shotgun's 'sheath'.

-The Hudson's googley eye rumors are true!!! GAH! At least with mine. They arent as bad as the post a few up, but they are def a bit cartoony.

*EDIT: And those crazy loose belts. Kinda odd.


Despite the above: Still cool dammit! Glad I have them and the minor gripes can be easily fixed.

Pics of everything to follow as soon as I get a free minute to update!

I'll be getting my Hudson in person at a shop so I can pick the best looking, I've always done this with NECA and McFarlane stuff. Saves allot of annoyance

Looking forward to some pics of these in hand

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AKA: Simon

When are they out in the UK? Seeing lots of eBay listings for "pre orders" but i'd rather go to Forbidden Planet or something similar and pick em up

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Si vis pacem, para bellum
SFC Steve "Fireball" Parsons - A08/TQ1.0.52150E1
69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homers Heroes

Have look at the FP site for the date then go into the shop a week before, they normally have stuff in shops before they ship online orders.

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AKA: Simon

Alright, 'photo review' time! Don't mind me...just streaming random thoughts and observations...

The 'googly eyes' on Hudson are infinitely more visible with a camera flash. They arent so bad under normal natural light.



Articulation and posing is superb (once you 'crack' the stubborn joints that are stiff).

Its not "fair" to compare the McFarlane to the Neca figures, as Neca has had 9 years to learn and avoid the pitfalls of the McFarlane one. But...I have nothing else to compare these against, so here I go.

Weapons/gear
(McFarlane on top, Neca on bottom. )



As you'll see in a later photo, the McFarlane stuff is generally a larger scale (with the exception of the tracker and the comically small hand welder). The McFarlane one is a bulkier figure overall so the larger gear is not surprising. The scale is a bit different between them and proportions vary quite a bit.


(Neca Hicks has Hudson's lamp for the purposes of taking the pic for an 'apples to apples' comparison.)


Talk about extremes! Look at the hand welders!




And just ever so briefly going to touch on the Alien Warrior.

Neca newest on left, Neca's original Warrior in middle, and McFarlane's Warrior on the right.




New Neca vs. Old Neca


Paint can be a little sloppy on the new one. I am pretty positive they used the same body and head, just with different paint apps and of course new sculpting for the better joints on the limbs. Overall, I like the new one for sure, but its not like either the McFarlane or original sculpt from Neca were bad. Just different. The hive grows!


Overall they play pretty nice together despite their differences.