Review: Halo 3 Cortana Base (with Figure)
You know, I don't think I've ever actually played any version of Halo.
I'm from a slightly older school of geek: I like toys better than pixels, movies more than cinema scenes, and dice more than controllers. That said, I've got nothing but respect for my technologically-inclined brethren: I've sat transfixed while friends have managed near unbelievable feats of digital geekery. Things have come a long way since my parents bought me a ColecoVision. I guess I just didn't evolve with the times.
At any rate, it seems that kids today aren't satisfied with R.O.B. anymore. Apparently, they want a more... grown up helper.
That brings up to Cortana, a character I know nothing about (beside the obvious) from a game I've never played.
Before you ask: no, I don't have a thing for blue, translucent girls. In fact, Cortana's going in the spare parts drawer. I bought this for the display stand.
And that's going to make this review a bit... backwards. Here's the thing: regardless how this is marketed, if you're not a fan of Halo, Cortana is far less interesting than her base. Between the two, she feels more like the accessory.
So that's how I'm going to review this.
This was made by McFarlane Toys. I found it for five bucks at FAO Schwartz about a week before it became a subsidiary of Toys R Us. If you keep your eyes open, you'll probably find her kicking around the clearance section of a toy store near you.
I'm from a slightly older school of geek: I like toys better than pixels, movies more than cinema scenes, and dice more than controllers. That said, I've got nothing but respect for my technologically-inclined brethren: I've sat transfixed while friends have managed near unbelievable feats of digital geekery. Things have come a long way since my parents bought me a ColecoVision. I guess I just didn't evolve with the times.
At any rate, it seems that kids today aren't satisfied with R.O.B. anymore. Apparently, they want a more... grown up helper.
That brings up to Cortana, a character I know nothing about (beside the obvious) from a game I've never played.
Before you ask: no, I don't have a thing for blue, translucent girls. In fact, Cortana's going in the spare parts drawer. I bought this for the display stand.
And that's going to make this review a bit... backwards. Here's the thing: regardless how this is marketed, if you're not a fan of Halo, Cortana is far less interesting than her base. Between the two, she feels more like the accessory.
So that's how I'm going to review this.
This was made by McFarlane Toys. I found it for five bucks at FAO Schwartz about a week before it became a subsidiary of Toys R Us. If you keep your eyes open, you'll probably find her kicking around the clearance section of a toy store near you.
Appearance: 7
Keep in mind, this is the score for the base, not the figure. If I have one complaint for both, however, it's size. These aren't large toys, and that makes them feel a bit unimpressive.
The base has a nice, weathered look around the edges. The paintwork is simple, yet effective, and I'm pretty happy with it.
Strictly from an appearance standpoint, the three lights are noticeable when off. I suppose this is technically an appearance issue, but I'm not complaining: I'll have some VERY nice things to say about those lights later.
In case you were wondering, the switch and battery cover are on the bottom of the base, so they don't hurt the appearance.
I'm going with a seven, because... well... I haven't got anything else to go with.
The base has a nice, weathered look around the edges. The paintwork is simple, yet effective, and I'm pretty happy with it.
Strictly from an appearance standpoint, the three lights are noticeable when off. I suppose this is technically an appearance issue, but I'm not complaining: I'll have some VERY nice things to say about those lights later.
In case you were wondering, the switch and battery cover are on the bottom of the base, so they don't hurt the appearance.
I'm going with a seven, because... well... I haven't got anything else to go with.
Packaging and Extras: ----
The packaging does a good job showing off the figure, I suppose:
Now, onto the "accessory".
First, I want to mention that the pictures make Cortana look better than she does in person. The camera catches the impressive work done on the eyes, but, to be honest, that work's kind of wasted. Here's the thing: this is a toy that, oddly enough, seems to work better in two dimensions than three.
First, I want to mention that the pictures make Cortana look better than she does in person. The camera catches the impressive work done on the eyes, but, to be honest, that work's kind of wasted. Here's the thing: this is a toy that, oddly enough, seems to work better in two dimensions than three.
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In person, the detailing on the eyes kind of vanishes, while the lack of detailing on the body becomes more apparent. The bits of digital data which form her clothes really need to be better defined to work. What's more, the molding lines are apparent through the translucent figure.
In addition, Cortana is entirely unarticulated. While I appreciate that joints can disproportionately hinder the appearance on see through figures, I feel like the mold lines make that point moot. Still, this is a nice sculpt. I'm not familiar with the game, so I've got nothing to compare it to. I can't reward her with any points, though, because the base needs to come with something. If she'd had a few points of articulation, maybe I could have given her something. But then, if she'd been articulated, I don't think I could have downgraded her to an accessory.... |
Play and Display: +1
The first thing I want to make clear is this: that bonus point was not given because lights were included. Given the scale and lack of any articulation on the figure, I consider it essential that the base do something.
No, I'm not giving this a bonus point for lighting up. I'm giving this a point for lighting up WELL.
Let me make sure I'm understood: this is BRIGHT. You don't need a dark room to see it: this is perfectly visible in a well-lit environment. Those three LED's are practically miniature spotlights.
Like I said from the start, I bought this for the base, not the figure. This is a versatile, interesting accessory which can be used with countless figures or items.
Here are a few modest suggestions. If you've got some six or seven inch Star Trek figures, this will work as a transporter. Have you got a clear ghost floating around? This will bring them to life. I've got about a dozen photos at the end of the review to demonstrate this thing's versatility: be sure to take a look.
It's incredibly effective at displaying figures of various scales: I was able to position everything from two inch Superhero Squad figures to DC Universe Classics toys naturally.
In addition, this can turn an unused accessory into something cool. I have a small, plastic Batman symbol - originally intended as a sort of base for a die cast plane - that looks absolutely beautiful on this.
No, I'm not giving this a bonus point for lighting up. I'm giving this a point for lighting up WELL.
Let me make sure I'm understood: this is BRIGHT. You don't need a dark room to see it: this is perfectly visible in a well-lit environment. Those three LED's are practically miniature spotlights.
Like I said from the start, I bought this for the base, not the figure. This is a versatile, interesting accessory which can be used with countless figures or items.
Here are a few modest suggestions. If you've got some six or seven inch Star Trek figures, this will work as a transporter. Have you got a clear ghost floating around? This will bring them to life. I've got about a dozen photos at the end of the review to demonstrate this thing's versatility: be sure to take a look.
It's incredibly effective at displaying figures of various scales: I was able to position everything from two inch Superhero Squad figures to DC Universe Classics toys naturally.
In addition, this can turn an unused accessory into something cool. I have a small, plastic Batman symbol - originally intended as a sort of base for a die cast plane - that looks absolutely beautiful on this.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 8/10
Originally, I saw this going for between twelve and fourteen bucks. If you're a fan of the game and the character, you might have considered that worth the cash. But I'm less than impressed with the size of the figure and lack of articulation.
When I found this going for five bucks, I had to grab it. If you can find it for eight, I'd still recommend it. This is an amazing display base.
Now, because there haven't been a lot of pictures, here are a few more....
When I found this going for five bucks, I had to grab it. If you can find it for eight, I'd still recommend it. This is an amazing display base.
Now, because there haven't been a lot of pictures, here are a few more....
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Don't forget to stop by The Middle Room for movie reviews and discussions about various topics related to geeks. And, what the heck? Here are some more pictures:
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