S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50 Gallery

"50th Tactic."

Kamen Rider Snipe arrive's in his highest level yet! Utilizing the powerful Gashat Gear Dual Beta, Taiga (Or Hiro) can access the Power of Level 50 and take on an entirely new level of Bugsters. While his allies would gain powers to far surpass him, Taiga would successfully use this Level 50 configuration throughout the back half of the series, all the way to the end, managing to keep up with his peers and win just as many battles. Taiga's sheer willpower, and his past failures, really seem to allow him to push beyond his limits at every turn. Finally that raw determination has been given figure form with S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50!

Packaging
In the same vein as previous releases, Snipe Level 50'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. That's about all there is to say on this one once again.

Main Figure
As with Snipe Level 5, most of Level 50's body is reused from the Level 2 release. The Level 2 Ex-Aid riders themselves all share a great many number of parts as is. Each suit has it's own unique detailing and colors, but at a basic level they feature the same mold. Sporty type shoes, the bike shorts look, the driver, the chest plate. You see what I mean. This release of Snipe is still as lavishly detailed as the first two outings, but it also adds a great deal of armaments to the design.

The Ex-Aid body type has been a solidly built one since it's inception. A few flaws here and there (ankle range and stability for one) haven't been hugely detrimental to this line but irksome from release to release, Snipe Level 50 seems to suffer least from them. Oddly the thigh swivels seem pretty loose on this one for me though. If you pick up Snipe by the leg be prepared for him to fully spin upside down in your hand. That being said these legs are identical to the level two release. The changes start at the waist line.

As with previous releases, the Gamer Driver is still my favorite thing about the mold. This entire device is really intricately detailed for something at this scale. The Driver handle can still flip shut. The functionality it features still astounds me. Changes to this release include a new "dummy" Gashat Gear Dual Beta, which is removable as you can see in the final image of the gallery. You can insert it into any other Gamer Driver with two open slots, much in the same way as Mighty Brothers XX. The Gashat Holster to the left of the Driver is empty unlike the Level 5 release, so any other single dummy Gashats can be used in conjunction with it or the Critical slot if so desired.

Focusing on the arms, each of them now has a massive new piece of equipment. Each hand has been replaced by a halve of a the Simulation Gamer support robot summoned by the Gashat Gear Dual Beta. These battleship halves are upside down in that the landing deck of the ship is on the back side of "fist" and they do get flipped and swapped for his Critical Fire attack. By far the coolest feature of these parts are the tiny to scale Fighter Jets sculpted onto the landing deck. As well as the expert paint apps on the ships bridge. Now these things can be cumbersome and make it difficult to make use of the wrist joints and they can even impact the elbows. But they are far more functional than I would have ever thought at first glance. The shoulder pads (as well as the poorly executed cape assembly) have also been replaced this go around with new twin barrel independent ship cannons on top, and rotating turrets on the side. The turrets can spin 180 degrees and the ship cannons on top of the shoulders can similarly spin completely around and each barrel can move up or down independently. An unexpected but very welcome bit of articulation.

Another new addition to this figure is the hefty battleship based chest plate which replaces the Rider Gauge chest display. I'm a bit disappointed that the detailing on it is just a label, and I fully expect to damage it at some point, but it looks nice enough. On the back of the figure, a new back plate has been added which fully covers the deactivated Level 1 Snipe's face. I guess I never noticed it in show before now, but it just seems odd to me that it's even there. Oh well. Finally that brings us to the first new molding that's been added to Snipe's head over the course of these 3 releases. In place of some of the more tactical looking gear that was previously on the forehead is now a really well sculpted naval uniform style hat. Fitting for a ship captain or fleet commander. The paint work's a bit spotty on mine but I just love the idea of it so much that it's forgivable.

While the new components on the arms do wind up limiting certain aspects of the figure, the freeing up we get from the loss of the cape balances that out. Honestly this is the most dynamic Snipe figuart we've gotten yet and I really love & am surprised by it.

Accessories
This is the one big area where this figure comes up short. A mere single accessory is included. an adapter bar used to attach the two ship halves together for Bang Bang Critical Fire. Underneath each of the battleship halves that Snipe has, in place of regular hands, are actually normal wrists ball joints and all. So if you want to you can even attach normal hands from either of the other two Snipe releases to allow him to hold the Gashcaon Magnum or just be generally expressive. In any case the included bar snaps onto these same ball joints and provides a brace for the ship halves to reconnect for a Critical Fire. It makes for a very snug fit, so much so that the instructions warn of paint rubbing off. So much so that's it's frustratingly difficult to even line the two halves up simultaneously to make use of this part. Once done the effect is satisfying though, I just wish it was executed better. Snipe's arms can't quite come across his chest the way they need to in order to do this easily, but if you work with them a little it's doable.

The bigger issue is that this is an incredibly bare bones release. And I get it. Taiga didn't use any other weapons when in this form, he didn't even use normal hands at any point while using Level 50. But come on. At webshop prices something should have been included to sweeten the deal. An effect part or two, a Gashat, just something else other than just an adapter bar. It just feels like such a missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts
I'm honestly a bit surprised. I'd assumed I'd like this figure, because really it was an excellent design in show. But I expected it to be even more limited in movement than the previous two releases. But the pleasant surprise of Snipe Level 50 being the same or better than his predecessors has really worked in it's favor with me. While far from a perfect release, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50 really is the best of the Snipe Figuarts. And given that it's likely to be the last one this character receives, I'm really quite pleased with it.

Part 2
- VS GenM
- Bang Bang Critical Fire
- Kamen Rider Snipe(s)

Oof, that glorious design really translated well imo

This design is absolutely bonkers, and the figure here is just the same. Looks like it could be a little top heavy, stand pretty necessary for this one?

I love this form. It's so silly and dumb looking in a good way.

The figure isn't something I'd like to own but it's nice to hear that it works well even with all the battleship kibble.

You really went all out with the pictures Den-O, the one that has like five different effect-pieces in there looks bonkers!

You can see pretty clearly from the shots I included it only needs a stand like any other figuart would, for poses that aren't possible for a toy to maintain without one. It's standing and posing just fine in a number of my images with stands. It's a little top heavy, but no more limited by it than any other figure.

the most ridicolusly awesome suit of the show
great shots too

It really should've come with some non-dummy Gashats. Taiga of all characters should have a few to steal from other Riders.

And seeing as it's so lite on accessories as is, this would have really helped beef him up some.

I like how this figure is still flexible in spite of all that stuff on his arms and shoulders.