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- ZW01 Wild Liger Review

Number of Parts: 69 Batteries: x1 AAA Price: 3,000 Yen Size: Medium

Wild Liger is the first kit of the Zoids Wild series, and one of the most iconic characters of the story. It sets the stage for what to expect from every Zoid thereafter, from the skeletal design, to the transparent caps used on some and the motorized mechanics. It's a great introduction, and one of the easier builds.

Although the Liger shares some similarities to earlier models, it's a very unique design. I was especially fond of the new mane design. The kit, like all other Wild kits, is very solid. You aren't likely to break this guy, but I feel that it has more loose parts than the other Wild kits I've built. While messing around for review photos I kept accidentally knocking off the blue radiator fins of the legs, and the mane claws (the gold pieces) as well. They'll stay in there just fine for the motorized gimmicks, but it's very easy to knock them loose. It's not a "secure" grip like the peg pieces.

I also found it to be very difficult to seal the head pieces correctly. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but it felt like no matter where or how hard I pushed they would never quite come together at both ends. Even if they were in a good place, I could visibly watch them separate. It's an aggravation, and consistent between the Wild Liger, 2 Gurens, and Evil armor that I've built.

Clear Caps:
Most "good guy" Zoids of Zoids Wild use translucent caps. These are normally of beautiful clarity, but it is sadly one of the let downs for Wild Liger. Its transparent caps are almost the texture (including white 'scrapes') of hard candy. They never quite look clean, and the cloudyness looks dull compared to later kits, which have gorgeous transparent caps. Like other kits, Wild Liger contains 2 spare caps.

- Gallery

- Bone Form

Every Wild Zoid starts with a basic skeleton, with the gimmick of "excavating" the kits and adding their armor later. This is a cool approach for Zoids, and it allows some Zoids to share frames without looking like a simple cut and paste job. They all look like their own, unique creature.

Wild Liger's bone form is a generic cat type. The black frame is super sparkly, with visibly multi-colored flecks in the plastic. The Liger also makes use of translucent red caps. The bone form honestly looks better without the white and blue parts, and they are completely removable if you prefer it that way.

- Motorized Features

Motorized Features:
    - Walking
    - Jaw opens and closes
    - Shoulder cap spins
    - Ribs move forwards and backwards
    - Wild Blast: Mane claws flip forward, then swing up and down

    Another thing I'd like to talk about are the motorized features. It's awesome that the on/off switch is hidden under this white piece of armor. I wish more Zoids would do this. The jaw chomping is also an intuitive design. If you've built a liger from the NJR period you may recall how annoying it was to build the head, then having to balance multiple internal parts in just the right position to attach the other head piece. Instead of using a complicated design, Wild Liger's chest armor presses against the back of its skull, pushing the mouth open. It's quite a clever design choice.

- Gimmicks

- Pilot

All Zoids Wild kits have a pilot figure. The use of transparent plastic is a nice touch, since it makes them less intrusive on the design. If you don't like the idea of people riding Zoids, you can simply leave them off. For Wild Liger, if the pilot gets in the way, make sure that both the saddle and the pilot are pushed down all the way. His hands might be caught on the blue armor, for example.

- Mane Pieces

The mane pieces are wobbly, allowing the Liger to move freely while motorized. They can tuck in close to the body or fan out for a "puffed up" appearance. The hinges are very loose, however. I think this is more for mobility than a "feature".

- Head Movement

The head moves up and down. If you push it down, the Mane Claws flip forward. This is sort of neat, since it could allow you to play with the Wild Blast gimmicks while the Zoid is off. However, the blades won't stay backwards unless you push the head all the way up.

- Tail

The tail moves up and down on a hinge. It's not a part of the motorized features, but the hook on the end is a cool design. I do wish it were longer.

- Wild Blast

Wild Liger's Wild Blast is the "King of Claw"! Sometime during the walk cycle the blades will snap forward and begin moving up and down in a clawing motion. You can turn the Liger off to move the claws back into position, where they attach to a black clip. This feature can also be controlled by moving the head down, which causes the claws to swing forward again.