Originally released back in 2011, a classic model kit of Nineball from the first Armored Core will be released next June.
Nineball was the final boss you faced in the original Armored Core on the PlayStation. A mysterious and potent AC piloted by Hustler One, it turned out that it was in fact run as part of the Raven’s Nest’s AI, with no real human pilot to speak of.
You also didn’t just fight one Nineball, you fought two, at least in the first Armored Core. In the third Armored Core game, Master of Arena, you fought three Nineballs and then Nineball Seraph, a rather scary adversary that could transform and kill you very quickly.
This iteration of Nineball, as well as Nineball Seraph, turned up in Armored Core 2 Another Age on the PlayStation 2 and they were just as formidable as in the original PlayStation games. The term Ninebreaker was also part of the story in Armored Core 2, as it referred to those that had actually bested the original Nineball in combat.
This in turn was used as a title for a later Armored Core game called, you guessed it, Armored Core Ninebreaker, where you faced an even more terrifying version of Nineball at the end of the game.
As such, Nineball is a pretty big deal in Armored Core lore, and this kit, which I reviewed when it was originally released, is arguably one of the best versions of the design to date.
While the various Armored Core kits by Kotobukiya require more paint and glue compared to their Bandai counterparts, this particular kit looks just great assembled and unpainted. Especially as the Nineball emblem on the left shoulder is already painted onto the part.
Released by Kotobukiya, this Nineball kit will cost you 6,600 yen (or around $44) and will be released in June of next year. Pre-orders are now open and you can pick this kit up from places such as HobbyLink Japan.
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