It still feels like a complete surprise that Streets of Rage 4 not only came out but is also very good. A troubling development period combined with a franchise gone from the zeitgeist for over twenty years feels like a recipe for disaster. And yet, Streets of Rage 4 is a complete banger. If that isn’t a glowing endorsement of the game’s quality then how about this one: You too can own a $90 action figure made in the image of one of the game’s main characters. This Axel Stone figure is ready and raring to fight, complete with multiple heads, weapons, and angsty poses. After all, bad video games don’t get figures. Right? Totally.
Revealed yesterday by gaming sales watchdog Wario64, the pre-order for the Axel Stone figure is now up and available on Amazon, as well as other fine purveyors of expensive plastic. If you’re the type to question why and how a toy might cost 90 whole dollars, let’s run down the features and inclusions. According to the store page, Axel features three interchanging head sculpts, five pairs of hands, two special move effects, five weapons from in-game, and a partridge in a pear tree, I assume. The fun thing about figures of this type–and why they’re so expensive– is its poseable nature. While a clear, plastic stand is usually involved, figures such as these or the popular Figma style feature a ton of limb articulation and customizability, meaning that you can bend Axel any which way you want.
Um. I promise that it wasn’t supposed to sound dirty.
Honestly, the figure is pretty cool. The articulated heads capture Axel’s gruffness in a really great way and the selection of weapons and special effect attachments make for a complete package. The only thing that’s missing is my voice crying out in agony because I’ve dropped a 60+ hit combo thanks to one of those kickboxer guys flying through the air at the worst possible time.
The figure release date is set for November 15, 2020. So get out there, pre-order some plastic, and prepare to set up a gnarly figure diorama.
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