NECA Toys latest Crash Bandicoot figure offering is the Ultra Deluxe Crash Bandicoot With Aku Aku Mask, which includes three new head sculpts all with unique facial expressions as seen in the classic 1990’s Playstation video game. In the game, the Aku Aku Mask is a witch doctor spirit who now lives in the mask and guides Crash and his friends to defeat the forces of evil.
Thank you to NECA Toys for providing their Ultra Deluxe Crash Bandicoot With Aku Aku Mask Figure for review.
Availability: June 2019
Crash Bandicoot with Aku Aku Mask is packaged in a window box with artwork from the game on the front, sides and back. Also on the back are images of other Crash versions that are also available in this line, which are also shown in the gallery.
This version of Crash Bandicoot comes with three unique facial expressions given to three different head sculpts, which each was seen at some point in the classic game. The figure is mostly a reused sculpt from his first release, which has now been used with each new version of Crash offered. For this figure, the selling point here is the Aku Aku Mask from the game, which can attach to his nose, and is also compatible with each version of Crash offered. The mask is nicely sculpted and given a great likeness as seen in the game. This includes multi-color features on top that are a soft plastic with sculpted textures, nicely done facial details, and some great sculpting of the wood that is part of the face, and eye brows. The back of it has a hole that is meant for Crash’s nose to plug into and hold it into place. The bottom of the mask has green leaves with a black wash over it, sculpted lines and grooves.
The primary differences in the face is the direction and size of the eye balls and where they are facing, and each head is given a new mouth expression that is the same to what has previously been offered. This includes a closed mouth with the white teeth showing, open mouth with the white teeth, and a half open mouth with the tongue and a part of the teeth showing. The head sculpts keep the articulated eye brows and all of the great sculpting and textures on the face are all reused.
Crash Bandicoot comes packed with sculpted textures on the fur that also gives it a realistic feel to it and less cartoony than fans are used too. The chest, top of his head and the ears have the most of the sculpted texture while the arms, legs and the face have less. The chest includes a belly button hole sculpted inward, and stands out as that is painted in a light brown, while that part of the chest is yellow. Sculpted over his legs are two shades of blue pants, with a white string tied in a knot on top, and his legs are only visible between the gap from his pants to his socks and shoes. The shoes also include a textured are painted mostly in purple, black, white and red trim and white shoe laces. There are also gloves over his hands that has the look and painted to look like leather, which is a nice touch. Most of the fur is painted in a brown and orange wash and has a great likeness to the video game. While the sculpt’s fur has textures that makes him look realistic, the deco keeps him looking cartoony.
Crash Bandicoot’s articulation includes a ball jointed neck, ball jointed torso, ball hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ball jointed hips, hinged legs, and ball jointed ankles.
Overall, Crash Bandicoot with Aku Aku Mask is an excellent figure and we love the amount of detail and sculpt that NECA Toys put into this release. What should pull you into buying this box set is the Aku Aku Mask, which helps round out another version of Crash seen in every one of his video games. This is definitely a great figure that fans need to check out.
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