When NECA renewed their license with Toho ahead of the release of Godzilla: The King of the Monsters, it gave them a bit of extra freedom with the license. One of the biggest changes was that they were no longer required to use the Bandai style guide for their packaging. The first few years of releases all featured the same exact packaging. New Godzilla figures are being released in flapped window boxes, featuring poster artwork from the corresponding films. NECA is also re-releasing many of their older Godzilla figures in with completely updated packaging. Those reissues include Godzilla figures from Godzilla (1954), Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Godzilla vs Space Godzilla (1994), and Godzilla vs Destroyah (1995).
Our friends at NECA have sent along the figures for us to check out. After the jump, you can find a quick review and photo gallery for the figures.
NECA Godzilla 1954, 1994, 1995, and 2001 Boxed Re-Releases
Outside of the new packaging, most of these figures appear to be near identical to their previous releases. There are some minor adjustments here and there though. The new boxes are gorgeous, featuring some of the great art that has been used for the Godzilla films throughout the years. Each figure also includes an all-new diorama backdrop, which I’ve used for each of the figures photos below. The 1954 Godzilla also includes an atomic breath effect piece now.
After handling these figures for the photo shoot, I did notice some initial differences. For starters, the joints on these are much tighter than any of their first releases. This is especially true for the Burning Godzilla, whose figure feels much more solid, with better connections in the neck joints. I didn’t see anything noticeably different in the paint apps or figure sculpts. While I know some have had issue with sculpt accuracy on the older figures, it’s not something that bothers me all that much since the initial release of these figures. I’m happy with the way they look. I also didn’t run into any quality control issues on the reissues. For a more detailed review of each figure, check out my previous photo shoots for them:
- NECA Godzilla 1954 Figure – Toyark Photo Shoot
- NECA Godzilla 1994 – Godzilla vs Space Godzilla Photo Shoot
- NECA’s 1995 Burning Godzilla Toyark Photo Shoot
- NECA Atomic Blast Godzilla 2001 Figure – Toyark Photo Shoot
These box releases are ideal for fans who are relatively new to NECA’s Godzilla releases. Fans who like to display the NECA flapped window boxes should be pleased as well, as the iconic posters used on the boxes make for great display pieces. Below, you can find some select photos for each figure. The full slate of new photos can be seen after that.