For the 30th Anniversary of Aliens, the team from NECA has given their fans plenty of surprises to celebrate the milestone. Among the biggest surprises was the reveal of a Rebecca “Newt” Jordan 7″ Scale Figure as a San Diego Comic-Con 2016 Exclusive. While the figure was a welcome addition to the Aliens line up, many were disappointed that the oft requested figure was an exclusive, not even available to order online. As Fall came, NECA had one more Ace up their sleeve, and announced that a new 2-pack would hit before the end of the year, giving fans a chance to own Newt at a fraction of the cost of trying to get the exclusive in the aftermarket. The NECA Aliens 30th Anniversary Rescuing Newt 2-Pack features Ellen Ripley and Newt and is based on the iconic poster for the Aliens film (which acts as the box art for this set. To complete the look, NECA created a new head sculpt for Ripley and completely repainted both figures to more closely match the poster. Thanks to Toyark sponsor Dorkside Toys, we were able to share our own gallery for this release. Read on to check out the photos and our review.
Related Dorkside Toys Links: Aliens Rescuing Newt 2-Pack, NECA Hick & Hudson Set, All NECA Aliens
NECA Aliens 30th Anniversary Rescuing Newt 2-Pack
Pros
- Nice overall package
- Great chance to get Newt
- Includes a surprise accessory for Newt
- Flame effects piece for Ripley
- Newt looks even better than the SDCC version
- The new paint deco turned out really well on Ripley
Cons
- The open mouth for Ripley
- Ripley’s right hand pops off too easily
Overall
The packaging for the Rescuing Newt set is fantastic, and will prove hard to pass up for those who missed out on either of the figure. Using the iconic Aliens poster for the front of the box, the package will be easily recognized on toy shelves. The packaging is a flapped window box, similar to their Ultimate figure. A 30th Anniversary sticker is used here as well. The back of the box features a few photos of the figures and a bit of info. Inside, both figures sit in a plastic tray, held in by a few twist ties. Ripley includes her pulse rifle and flamethrower weapon and a flame effect. Newt has a surprise accessory included, which is the Casey Doll head. A nice diorama backdrop is included as well.
The figures included in this set are very similar to the previously released versions of Ellen Ripley and Newt. Instead of going into depth about everything, you can check out those reviews for the basics. With this, you get a chance at Newt and a modified version if Ripley. The Ripley figure includes an all new head sculpt based on her look on the poster, as well as an updated paint deco. For the most part, the head sculpt looks good, except for the mouth. Open mouths are very tough to pull off on figures of this size. The white paint over top of the bright red inner mouth gives it a bit of an unnatural look. The rest of the head sculpt is actually an improvement over the previously released version. From the sides, the head sculpt looks almost perfect. The shape of the jaw, the eyes and the hair all look more in line with Sigourney Weavers likeness. The shine overlay in the hair is especially impressive, as it really does give her the appearance of wet hair. The new paint apps are also a great touch, giving Ripley a very sweaty and dirt covered look. Effects pieces are always welcome, and the flame effect here works perfectly with the flamethrower. It fits snugly onto the front and holds in place well. The weight of the gun, though, seems to be a bit much at times for Ripley’s right hand, which I had a hard time keeping on throughout the shoot.
Newt features the same sculpt used in the SDCC version, with no noticeable modeling changes. the main differences are in the paints used. There are some color shifts in the sweater, which is a bit more red compared the the SDCC version. Newt has a more dirt covered look throughout, with thicker paint on the overalls, sweater and hair. Special note should be made that the paint apps on the face were much better than the SDCC version I reviewed. The color felt more natural, especially in the eyes and lips, bringing out the likeness and really making this feel complete. To round out the release, a Casey doll head was a surprise addition to the package.
In the end, if you missed out on Ripley and/or Newt, then this is a very easy package to recommend. They are both excellent figures with good sculpts and plenty of articulation. If you have one of the previous versions of Ripley, you could easily swap out the head sculpts to give the figure an “Ultimate” feel. I recommend picking up a Rico Frost figure to be able to give Newt a helmet she can wear. Check out some highlight photos below and the full gallery after that.
CompaniesNECA
CharactersEllen RipleyNewt
Scale7 Inch