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Toys: White Dingo GM Sniper II

Posted on : 15-05-2011 | By : | In : Toys/Kits

Hardware: , ,

14

After a bit of a wait, we’ve finally got our hands on the limited release Robot Damashii toy for the White Dingo GM Sniper II, as originally seen in the Dreamcast game Rise from the Ashes. Whilst we’ve already reviewed the standard GM Sniper II toy, this variant is very much a gaming specific mobile suit. As such, whilst the toy is pretty much functionally identical, the context of it is something we wanted to cover in more detail. Especially, as the White Dingo team themselves in effect birthed a specific development studio within Bandai Namco games. Naturally, we’ve also included a variety of gameplay videos at the end of the review to give the toy some context.

Back in 1999 a new Gundam game was released on the then new Dreamcast. Entitled Rise from the Ashes, it was in first person and had the player boxed into a claustrophobic cockpit. Much like its Sega Saturn Blue Destiny lineage, the game didn’t feature any playable Gundam mobile suits. You were Feddy grunts on the frontline, tasked with taking back Australia from those pesky Zeeks in an array of pretty standard GM mobile suits.

The protagonist’s team was that of the White Dingos. An elite group of special forces mobile suit pilots given missions that required almost surgical precision. The player took on the role of the team’s commander, Pierce Rayer. Naturally, a silent but suitably stoic pilot. Over the course of the game, conspiracies were found and eventually a Zeon plot to escape the Earth too. In the last mission of the main game, the player was equipped with a top of the line RGM-79SP GM Sniper II. This time though in White Dingo colours.

The final mission had the player square off against a Zeon ace whilst destroying a multitude of HLV ships to thwart the Zeonic plan at reinforcing their compatriots in space. The game even had a nice nod to later events in Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory as one of the escaped HLV’s managed to make it to North Africa.

Rise from the Ashes was a game that engendered a very strong response from the fans. So much so that the team that made it went onto call themselves under the White Dingo moniker. As a rule, Team White Dingo was arguably the best at making a variety of Gundam games, annoyingly many of which have never been released outside of Japan. Subsequently, the White Dingo GM Sniper II has also gone on to be featured in a multitude of games since.

The latter is an important point as the Tactics Battle mode in the unfortunate Journey to Jaburo featured a specific White Dingo segment (with some nice animation to match). This in turn would prove out the theatre of war concept later seen in the far superior Lost War Chronicles. This toy then, is a lovely little nod to the mythos it represents. Whilst it’s sad that it was only released in limited quantities, the fact it was made at all warms our heart.

Toy: Robot Damashii White Dingo GM Sniper II
Price: 3,150 yen
Size/Weight: 19.5 x 15.2 x 5.6 cm / 160g

As with the standard figure, the lack of gimmicks are borne from the almost utilitarian design itself. It’s a very sturdy and well built figure that can hold a number of dynamic poses very convincingly. The paint job and sculpt are also exemplary, especially considering the relatively inexpensive asking price. Though, as this was a limited edition figure, expect to pay more if you want to get hold of one now.

Overall then this, like the previous figure, is a wonderful little toy made all the more brilliant for its connection to a lovely Dreamcast games that gives us all manner of fond memories.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXMmEs4Pdlg]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UfCb-6we40]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djfL4DS155I]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjNeF4Tt78I]

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Comments (14)

I would’ve liked it if the White Dingo figure shipped with weapons it could actually use in Rise from the Ashes (namely the heavy-hitting Proto Beam Rifle).

I think they went with the PS2 era load-out, as that’s the one which has ended up in arcade games like Senjou no Kizuna. They could have packaged more weapons though, as that would have been a nice touch. It’s still a lovely little toy though.

Sorry to interrupt, Cacophanus, but I’m not sure if you’ve heard the news of Mitsuki Nakamura’s passing. Just read it in shock–he was only 67.

The man has quite a legacy in terms of mecha-based shows….Gundam, Ideon, Speed Racer….his Mecaman studio also created art for the Gungriffon series.

The article can be found here:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-17/art-director-mitsuki-nakamura-passes-away

I picked up the first RD GM Sniper II figure.
I’ve still not picked this up yet, and I really should.

I saw a guy who custom-painted his standard RD GM Sniper II to match the White Dingo version. It was pretty decent, all things considered. If I find the link I’ll post it on here. That may be an alternative for you if you don’t want to fork over the money to get this limited-run figure.

However, I would very much like to have it myself.

It’s a nice thought, but I’d rather not ruin a perfectly good toy. Also makes owning the real one that much better.

While I never played RFTA or JTJ but I instantly fell in love with the GM SP2 when I saw the JTJ FMV included in the R1 08th MS Team DVD and when I found out it was designed by Yutaka Izubuchi (RX-78NT-1 and AV-98 Ingram designer) it further deepened my admiration of this Mobile Suit.

Thanks to this article I have both SP2s

Nice!

I am glad that the GM SP2 has been part of the Gundam canon (in terms of the White Dingo team). I did wish that GUNDAM 0079 for the Dreamcast had more missions using the Sniper II, but…it’s still a great game.

This toy looks great–might even try to get my hands on it.

I feel like I’m the only one who played the Wii title
MS Sensen.

It was a great game, basically a Wii version of Rise from the ashes, and blue destiny game minus the cockpit view screens and view, but it was in first person.

You could unlock the regular GM Sniper II (sorry no White Dingo variant).

Not only that, but many MS. VERY fun game.

sadly I can’t find many videos for this game, so this will have to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3eltyKIiHs

Lucky you. I do remember seeing pics of the game in issues of Gundam Ace magazine that I would pick up from time to time. It did look nice, and I’ve always wondered why it never made it over to the US. Other Gundam games have reached these shores, so why not MS Sensen?

On the other hand, you can unlock a GM Sniper II in Artdink’s Gundam Battle games for the PSP…unfortunately, as far as I’ve seen, no WD variant. But you can unlock the WD variants for the original GM.

I wrote a piece on it when it came out:

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/09/column_robotochan_mobile_suit.php

Excellent game. Made by Team White Dingo too!

Of all the games not to bring over, I think this one was the worst choice to keep solely to Japan.

I think sensen would have done pretty well as the game is. It’s very fun, very accessible lots of un-lockables, and a few missions routes (which tie into said un-lockables).

well… done well with a little effort into marketing.
It’s a shame bandai has given up on marketing Gundam within North America and Europe.

Gundam games now-a-days are a much better class of game than earlier PS2 titles like Journey to Jaburo, and Encounters in space… or that dreadful Gundam Seed title I have thankfully forgotten the name of.

Totally agree, it’s an FPS for godsake. It could have done pretty decently.

I have a copy of MS Sensen I’d avoided playing because I thought it was just a rail shooter. Sounds like I need to try it now once I get my Wii set up to play it. Or maybe I should play Rise from the Ashes again; I beat a burned copy years ago but after the ending it wouldn’t restart properly so I couldn’t try new game +.
It’s a shame none of the White Dingo MS made it into Gundam Senki Record 0081. If they had, I would have had to buy one in-game and the toy to go with it.

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