Series: GamePro Presents 2, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

Craftsmanship: 8.7 out of 10

- Bendy limbs are a plus/minus

- Excellent likeness

- Looks great on display base

- Stands easily on his own

- Great paint job

Playability: 8.0 out of 10

- Nose could succumb to rough play

- Overuse of bendy limbs could result in tragedy

- Good size for play with other action figures

- Head is easy to put back on

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Shadow (Sonic the Hedgehog) by Joyride Studios

shadow

Shadow, while a relatively new character to the Sonic the Hedgehog bestiary, gets the plastic treatment.

Like Sonic, Shadow stands about 5” tall and comes with a display base that adds about 1” to that height. The base (not pictured) is a section of track that fans will

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recognize from the latest Sonic games. Shadow’s feet peg onto the base to make him rock-solid for display. Without the base, he stands easily. This is owed to his “unarticulated” nature. I put unarticulated in quotes because both his arms and legs are bendy.

I have a love/hate opinion of bendy limbs.

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Love because they can allow some poses that just aren’t possible with conventional joints. Hate because often they don’t hold their positions and overuse tends to break the wires, which can then break through the rubber. In Shadow’s case, the bendy limbs hold their positions very well (for the most part) and so far, no broken wires. The articulation in this case works well enough to shape him into running positions. If you’re looking for conventional articulation the only place you’ll find it is his neck.

At first I was extremely apprehensive about popping his head off during the play test. My fears were unfounded. Although his head does come off with a bit of pressure, it easily pops back into place.

Joyride has done a good job capturing Shadow’s attitude and character with the sculpt and paint job. Just look at him. The nubby nose, the half smirk, the crazy (rubber) hair, the oversized shoes, and big-gloved hands are all highlighted by the great combination of colors. With a signature character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, one misstep or flaw comes
instantly to attention. Whether from profile or viewed from the front, there’s no doubting who you’re looking at. (Especially when the base has “Shadow” written across it in big letters.) Everything is right-on – right down to the angry red eyes.

It’s not often that I let my young son play with my toys, but Shadow (and Sonic) is a special case and (if it weren’t for our dog’s habit of chewing on anything not nailed down) I might be confident enough to actually let him play with Shadow by himself. (Though the package recommends Ages 8+ and “Not recommended for children under 3.”) His nose certainly looks like it could be ripped off but so far it has stayed firmly planted on his face. Shadow’s size also makes him (almost) compatible with a lot of other action figures. Like for example, the Simpsons, which are about the same size. Shadow can’t hold Simpson accessories but acting out interesting scenarios is very fun. And he's completely compatible with Sonic.

If you’re into collecting videogame action figures, you can do no wrong with Shadow. He’s got everything you want: good likeness, great paint and sculpt, and a strong display base.

- Omni
(February 24, 2003)