Halo Toy Review: Mattel Halo 6 inch figure Series 2 Spartan Tanaka

Technical Specifications:
Articulation:
• Ball Joint Neck
• Ball Joint Shoulders
• Swivel Biceps
• Hinge/Swivel Elbows
• Hinge/Swivel Wrists
• Ball Joint Torso
• Ball Joint Hips
• Swivel Thighs
• Double Hinged Knees
• Ball Joint Ankles
Accessories: DMR, Magnum, Build-a-Figure Grunt Ultra Head piece
Additional Contents: Instruction Manual
Cost: $18-20 (US)
Availability: Mass Retail I got mine from Kmart.

On with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

Spartan Tanaka is seen through a window with some of her armor removed and holding her DMR. The Build-A-Figure Grunt Ultra Head is in plain view. This is a departure from the series previously. The build-a-figure pieces had always been obscured by graphics on the front of the box. The back shows all of the contents, as well as the other figures in Series 2. It also shows the corresponding parts for the Build-A-Figure Grunt.
Seen left to right on the back for the figures in series 2 are:
ODST Buck, Spartan Tanaka, Elite Warrior, Master Chief (a direct repackage from series 1, but now with the new Grunt build-a-figure piece), Promethean Officer, Atriox (also a direct repackage, but with the Grunt build-a-figure piece).

NOTE: There were two other figures shown to be in this wave. A Red Spartan Achilles and an Orange Spartan Mark VI.

Along with these, there were yet two MORE figures shown in earlier press releases, however, the quality of the picture is low. Below is the best quality I’ve been able to find thus far. A Promethean with a Binary Rifle and a Spartan EOD.

Again, apologies for the small pic there. It’s the best I could get…so far.

ADDENDUM 11/30/18! I now have a better pic of the Black and Orange Spartan seen above. It’s an EOD, not a Recruit as I had mistakingly posted before. Plus, it comes with an extra CQB helmet!

As well, I can now CONFIRM the EOD/CQB, Achilles and Orange Spartan Mark VI are being released! No official word yet on if the Promethean Warrior shown in the tiny pic will be released.
/Addendum 

Moving on…
Here’s the plastic tray with the figure, armor parts and accessories along with the instruction manual. The instruction manual is usually sitting behind the yellow cardboard insert (seen through the window above). Be sure to look there to find it.

As with the other Spartan figures from Mattel’s 6 inch line, all armor is removable! Instead of showing the figure’s armor parts removed as I have done previously, I’ve elected to show the instruction sheet instead.

The articulation of the figure is fantastic! You can put the figure into a LOT poses. You’ll see some more poses later in the article. Once again, Mattel deserves Kudos for not reusing a male spartan body and instead making a female body for Tanaka! 

Each figure from series 2 includes a Build-a-Figure piece of the Grunt Ultra. Tanaka as you see, comes with the head. What a strange helmet, huh? LOL

As for accessories, there are two plastic pins (as seen in the small plastic bag below). These can be used to secure the DMR onto Tanaka’s back, while the Magnum to her thigh armor. Each figure has these pins for similar usage. 

A closer shot showing some of the great detail in the paint application and sculpt of the armor and figure. Mattel really nailed it here. All the blue piping and red striping along with the emblems. Great work!

Tanaka in orthogonal views. Be sure to click on this pic to see a larger size of it for all of the detail!

The pic below shows (on left), the holes for attachment on the back and thigh, while at right, the DMR and Magnum attached.

The Magnum is easily held by Tanaka’s right hand.

As too is the DMR, using both hands to secure it properly. I think this is a powerful pose!

Evaluation
Sculpt: Excellent 10 of 10 medals!
Articulation: This figure has articulation that now fairly standard for Mattel Halo figures. Superb! 10 out of 10 medals
Paint Application: The red pinstripes standout. As do the blue piping. I like the two-toned colors of the armor and undersuit. 9.5 of 10 medals
Accessories: The figure set includes a DMR and a Magnum. 9 out of 10 medals
Playability: Lots of posing possibilities. What you’ve seen in the article is only a very small sampling of poses this figure can accomplish. 10 of 10 medals
Overall: 48.5 medals out of a total 50 medals.

Do I recommend this product? Absolutely! She’s a member of the Fireteam Osiris for one. The Technician Mjolnir armor that Tanaka wears is new to Halo. I think it looks great and fits in very well with armor from across all of the Halo titles.

If you have any questions about this figure that I didn’t cover in the review, please do not hesitate to ask me. Either reply below or e-mail me at [email protected]

If this review gives you an informed decision on whether to purchase the toy or not, please consider a small donation (50 cents) to the blog.You can donate via PayPal to [email protected]. Or just click the paypal link at the right on the main page of the site.  It’s much appreciated and helps ensure that HFFL stays registered/active on the internet. Thank You.

-Sal

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About Sal

I’ve got tons of experience with Halo gaming and collecting. I feel I have something to offer to the greater Halo fan community. Posts along the way will be about tips and tricks in the games as well as collecting and many more Halo related things. I’ll also repost interesting articles from the official site, Halowaypoint.com, or from fellow Halo fan sites. As I continue this blog, I hope to help gamers who want advice on the games, as well as any collectors with regards to where to find collectibles as well as deals, coupons and so on. You can also follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/HaloFanForLife or Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/halofanforlife11. Welcome to my blog and I hope you’ll come back again and again. -Sal