Author: Ray Mcgill
I know this is a video game website, and I assume all of you come here for the podcasts, reviews, and articles about major game releases. While video games no doubt make up large parts of our lives, having at least a few hobbies is healthy and conducive to living a fun, good life. So I am here in front of you today to ask, besides video games, what other hobbies do you have? Something timeless like stamp collecting? Something more modern? I am writing this with an invitation for comments; I want to know your other-than-video game hobbies. To help jump-start the conversation, I'll share one of my hobbies that doesn’t involve a controller.
Gunpla: I have long been a fan of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam. I was a child in something like 1995 when Mobile Suit Gundam Wing first came to America, and I was instantly hooked. Since I was a toddler, I have always been a fan of robots, and this was no different. However, it wasn’t until about three years ago that I took the next step in my Gundam fandom: I started building the models. Now, these models, or “Gunpla” (A portmanteau of Gundam Plastic), have been around for decades, long before I even picked up my first one. To be honest, though, I am glad I waited. I have seen models from the 1980s and even the 1990s, and they are not nearly as good as what comes out today. The color separation is...sometimes non-existent, the models cannot move well, and they just often look cheap. By comparison, the cheap, “High-Grade” (HG) standard has become frankly amazing in the last few years, seeing very show-accurate portrayals of current and past mobile suits that are easy and fun to put together.
“the cheap, “High-Grade” (HG) standard has become frankly amazing in the last few years, seeing very show-accurate portrayals of current and past mobile suits that are easy and fun to put together.”
For anyone interested in exploring this hobby, there are four mainline grades for this hobby. HG is what I would call the normal entry-point. The models are excellent, colored well with no painting, and move with a good range of motion. A step above those are the “Real-Grade” (RG) and “Master-Grade” (MG) levels. I would put them at equal complexity because while the MG’s usually feature more articulation and gimmicks, the RG models are smaller, so they require a steady hand to put together well. Both HG and RG models are 1/144 scale, and the MG’s are 1/100 scale. Lastly, for those with a lot of money, time, and room in their home, there are “Perfect-Grade” (PG) models. These 1/60 scale models are loaded with extra things like LED lighting capabilities and extreme poseability. They are large, however, and I have never taken the time out to build one. Maybe one day. Past those grades, you can find other grades, like the new “Entry-Grade” (EG), that is meant for younger people and require no tools like hobby nippers. My then-7-year-old niece managed to put together the EG RX-78-2 Gundam easily, and it came out great. There are also chibi models, usually known as SD, or now Cross Silhouette (CS) models. I love these types, they look cute, are generally cheap, and are fun to build.
It’s worth noting that Gundam isn’t the only property that gets this robot model treatment. Tons of anime robots find themselves in model form, and if you look hard enough, you can find such characters as Ultraman, Mazinger, and Kamen Rider. There are even Transformers models, which do not have a vehicle mode; they but have very nice looking robot modes, made by Flame Toys.
So besides video games, what do you like to do for fun? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or wherever you see this article!