By Cacophanus from Mecha Damashii
Chogokin Monster Hunter G Class Transformation Liolaeus by Bandai (Available From HobbyLink Japan – HLJ.com)
One of the most successful gaming franchises of the last decade has to be that of Monster Hunter, a co-op multiplayer game where you hunt monsters and a series that has sold over 32 million copies worldwide. To help commemorate the 10th anniversary for the series Bandai has graced us with a very interesting toy: that of the Chogokin Monster Hunter G Class Transformation Liolaeus. If the name “Liolaeus” doesn’t ring any bells that’s because in the English versions it’s called the Rathalos and if you know your Monster Hunter, that’s a bit of a big deal.
While this toys is ostensibly meant to highlight the 10th anniversary for the series, it’s also clear that it ties in nicely with the recent release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, a game that forced Nintendo to effectively redesign the 3DS to add another analogue stick. It’s also been doing very well since its Western release in the middle of February this year, not only in terms of reviews but also sales.
To help give a bit of context, in Monster Hunter you hunt very large and scary monsters in order to kill them. This in turn allows you to fashion armor and weapons from their corpses. One of the most fearsome monsters in the series is the Rathalos, a rather mean wyvern. So this toy is very much meant to show not only the origin of the armor but also Bandai’s engineering prowess.
It’s also designed by Hajime Katoki and it’s clear he’s a big fan of the series. For some reason, Japanese mecha designers go a bit crazy over Monster Hunter; it’s their catnip. With rumors of Mamoru Nagano playing the games constantly, it is no surprise that Katoki is a player.
In that regard the whole point of this toy is to have one of the players transform into a Rathalos. Except it’s not a traditional “player,” really, as Katoki has very much mechanized the design. It’s also filled with diecast and with the complexity of the transformation, that’s hardly surprising.
So enjoy Bandai’s ode to Monster Hunter. It’s a rather cool toy indeed.
Anyway, keep an eye out for the full review as that will be posted soon!
