S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Para-DX Perfect Knockout Gamer Level 99 Gallery

"Max Dai Henshin!"

The Genius Gamer M or rather, the Bugster Parad whom'd given Emu those skills for years would eventually become Kamen Rider Para-DX. Using the Gashat Gear Dual he could alternate between two powerful Level 50 forms. In an attempt to stay relevant in Emu's life and surpass him, Parad would even go so far as to have himself be reprogrammed by Maximum Mighty X. This procedure allowed him to finally use a Gamer Driver like a human, in doing so giving him access to his most powerful form. Now we look at this pinnacle of strength & skill in our gallery of S.H. Figuarts Kamen rider Para-DX Perfect Knockout Gamer Level 99!

Packaging
As with previous releases, Para-DX Level 99's box is themed very similarly to the rest of the line. With it's bright, loud, packaging it's right at home with the rest of the Ex-Aid lineup. With no packaging window as all web exclusives are these days. As with the others the colors really pop and I like the character portrait on the front. And I'm always down for red/blue two-tone. That's about all there is to say on this one once again.

Main Figure
I'll be honest, it took me a long time to really care for Parad's Level 99 form in show. The design just did not work for me for some time. It felt very at odds with itself in my mind. But as the show continued it really became easier for me to digest the suit and I eventually really grew to like it overall. The figure won me over straight out of the box thanks to this.

Para-DX Level 99 has a really strong and powerful sculpt that definitely showcases it's high level nature. This is a form that commands attention. And thanks to the 3-piece poseable skirt armor the figure can assume some really nice wide angled stances that are filled out a bit from these parts. Something about them helps contribute to the overall look of the figure and really bulks the lower body up quite nicely. Even if the legs themselves are still basically the Ex-Aid ones we've come to know so well, minor flaws and all, the whole package really works. And I absolutely LOVE the engraved puzzle piece design on the skirt. It's just top notch gorgeous as is the section on his abs.

As with previous releases, the Gamer Driver is as always my favorite thing about these figures. This entire device is really intricately detailed for something at this scale. The Driver handle can still flip shut. Changes to this release include a new read out on the driver that pairs with this form. I'd never noticed before but it seems that the image is of Para-DX's Perfect Puzzle form. There's also the addition of the "dummy" Gashat Gear Dual, which is removable and compatible with all Gamer Drivers and double slotted Gashacon weapons. You can insert it into any other Gamer Driver with two open slots, much in the same way as Mighty Brothers XX or Snipe Level 50. At this scale I'm really impressed by the artwork on the front of the Gashat Gear Dual, it's a really good representation of the real deal. The Gashat Holster to the left of the Driver is empty.

The upper body of the figure has a lot going on. Particularly on Parad's back. This is where the large Dial representing the Gashat Gear Dual sits. While pretty large this part doesn't detract from the design or hinder Parad's articulation. The chest detailing on the figure is also quite nice. As most always seems to be the case for Ex-Aid Riders, Para-DX has a nice crisp clear Rider Gauge in his chest as well. Honestly there's just a ton of great detailing on this fella. There's a lot of ornate engraving style details on the armor. The puzzle pieces I mentioned above are the best, but I love the sort of gold engraving done on the legs arms and shoulder pads. The shoulder pads while I'm on them, are a bit of a bother. The keep the figure from fully lifting his arms up perpendicular to the body. You can always rotate the shoulders back and angle things out as you need, but I'm always bothered when figures can't fully extend their arms out to the sides.

That brings us to head, where the biggest fault of this release lies. Unfortunately the head was manufactured pretty inaccurately. The eyes within the visor are a bit misshapen compared to the actual show prop, but the bigger issue is their placement. They're supposed to touch the top edge of the visor and come down from there. Instead the eyes are almost centered within the visor. The look is both very off-putting and rather disappointing. The paint work on the rest of the helmet is brilliant but the issue with the eyes is just so irksome that it's difficult to enjoy it beyond that. The flared out alternating "hair" is very well done and definitely makes Para-DX seem just a 'tad' bit like a Yu-Gi-Oh character.

Accessories
Para-DX comes with pretty much all he really could. Even if it feels a bit on the lite side.

3 - Sets of hands. 2 splayed open hands, two more relaxed open hands, and two weapon holding hands. Nothing unique to speak of but enough hands to get the job done in most cases.

1 - Gashacon Parabladegun. This strange two form weapon has never felt like nearly as intuitive of a design as the Gashacon Breaker to me. And it feels just a bit awkward in toy form as well. It's detailed quite nicely so it at least looks good in that respect. But I almost do feel it's a little over-sized, maybe? The grip is just a hint too thick as well. It doesn't fit quite as well in Parad's hand as I'd like. To switch between the Ax & Gun modes you just rotate the blade back and forth. It's a little bit loose though. There's also a slot to accommodate any double sized Gashat to replicate a Critical Finish.

I would really really hope that at some point in the future, an accurate head would be included with another Ex-Aid figuart, in much the same way that the original Accel figuart eventually got a new head with Booster. Para-DX's head is just kind of unforgivably off and we need a replacement for it ASAP. Toss it in with Perfect Puzzle or Knockout Fighter when and if those come out. Something like that.

Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the pervasive issues with the head on this release, and my gripes about the arms are minimal. It's not my favorite of Parad's costumes, but I like it in figure form quite well. If the head issue is ever rectified, I'll be very pleased with how this release will have turned out. Para-DX Level 99 is another welcome addition to your Ex-Aid collection and I eagerly wait and hope for Parad's Level 50 forms next.

Part 2
- Parabladegun
- Group Shots
- Two Parads are better than One
- Build Up?

Yeah that's kinda jarring seeing the eyes like that

It really seems like Tamashii had some trouble with the Ex-Aid designs, most of them always looked a bit off to me, some more than others.

They're still beautiful figures, but I've seen them do better in terms of accuracy.

I also don’t particularly care for this design but it has been used in some of the most awesome fight scenes from the show, so I do like it for that alone.

The figure looks almost perfect, but those eyes... Not Tamashii Nation's finest work.

This suit is too beautiful, the knob on the back is a bit weird but still

This figure looks incredible. One of my favourite suits from the show, I hope I'll eventually be able to find it for a better price than it is now

My favorite of Parad's forms, but the issues with the head are a bit disappointing.

You could probably toss this dude like a dart at a wall and expect him to stick

Huh, as an outside observer who still hasn't seen the show, Parad's suits were some of the few I actually liked, this one being no exception. Those puzzle pieces all up and down the suit area really cool and well done. Sucks to hear about the head inaccuracies though, I can see how those would really be a bother.