S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Drive Type Formula Gallery
 

For-For-For-Formula!

Kamen Rider Drive's penultimate form arrives in our latest gallery before the holidays commence! Today we're showcasing S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Drive Type Formula!


** I've basically taken 2 galleries here. Post #1 has an extensive look at this figure without decals applied, [/B] post #2 features the Trailer Cannon, & post #3 features the full figure with all decals applied.

Packaging
As with all previous Kamen Rider Drive releases, the only new thing to say about this packaging is that it feature a windowless box because it's a Tamashii Web Exclusive. So this is totally normal for web exclusives. In this case, just as with Heart, we get to see a lot more awesome box art because of it. Everything else is business as usual.

Main Figure
I'll start off by saying I never really understood the distaste that many people had for Drive Type Formula. To me it's an incredibly unique and fun design that takes the car theme to it's extreme, in a good way. The figuart down scales that fantastic design perfectly. And of course because it shares molding with the previous Drive releases it's an already excellent figure. So let's break it down.

For starters, aside from minor mold changes and color differences much of Type Formula's lower body is indentical to Type Speed & Proto-Drive. The first significant change is the new Formula readout on the Drive Driver As with all previous uses of this part the Driver can be removed and the readout can be swapped out.

The upper body of course features extensive new molding & remolding. Beginning with the arms we get the new "flipped" Shift Formula in the Drive Brace. Also new to the forearms are the Type Formula Tires. These smaller tires thankfully do no significantly hinder the arms posability. The Tire Koukan Formula figure, as well as the show prop, could exchange these tires in favor of other power ups but much like Proto-Drive this figure has not been designed for these Tires to be removable.

The most interesting new molding on this figure is the entire chest assembly. Basically the entire upper body is new. The chest has a rather large pair of spoiler wings modeled after an F1 car called the Power Gail Wing. This assembly can be removed exposing the flat chest beneath and also allows you to plug on one of the below listed accessories, an exposed Core Driviar-N. The shoulder pads greatly resemble car fenders and do hinge up, but not quite enough to give the arms quite the forward & back range they require. Don't get me wrong you can plenty of use out of the arms, but the combination of the tires, shoulders, & large breast plate make it difficult to get some poses out of this guy. On the back side Drive has the newly molded in X-Fan-Boost. Essentially a booster jet on his back with a spoiler. And finally we have a new remold of the standard Type Speed head. Formula's head features the same basic design of Type Sped with a new vent on top for aerodynamics and an epic pair of shades over his visor. The shades can be removed by the nature of their design but there's no real purpose to it.

As I'm sure everyone is wondering, yes this figure had an extensive decals sheet to deal with. I was pretty skeptical of having to apply ALL of the Shift Car sponsor logos myself too, I still firmly believe Bandai should have just done these as tampographs. I'd even have been willing to pair even more for that. But that being said, applying the decals was not difficult in the slightest. While the layout of the decal sheet itself and the instructions don't quite match up, it's not too hard to get everything where it goes. There's a certain margin of error I was willing to accept and I'm glad to say I never came close to it. I expected to ruin these decals and I didn't. If you use a fine point curved pair of tweezers as I did then applying these is a piece of cake. Oddly there are several totally unused decals on this sheet, a couple of Drive "R" symbols and the FULL readout that would go on the Trailer Cannon. The directions make no mention of these additional labels.

Accessories

1 - Shift Formula Car. Standard un-flipped version, the flipped one is in the Drive Brace already.

1 - Core Driviar-N. A swap out part for the chest. Not much point in it really without a figuarts version of the Pit Crew to do repairs on the suit as the only time this part was exposed in show meant Drive had been damaged.

2 - sets of hands. Just so Drive can actually hold the Trailer Cannon and the 2nd set just for expressive purposes.

1 - Trailer Cannon. Now this is a pretty great example of how S.H. Figuarts should strike the balance between functionality & accuracy. When not in use by Drive the Trailer Mode can be left on it's own as an oversized Shift Car. To become a handheld weapon you just need to pull down on the handle and lock it into place. However the Trailer Cannon can also replicate the Rider Shooting Full Throttle attack. To do this you can first remove the Shutter Gate Panel, its the sort of sight on top of the Cannon, a small peg for Shift Cars is there. Just plug on the one of you're choosing. This replicates how the real deal would physically load Shift Cars through a slot in the same place. You can also pull on the silver panel on the front of the cannon to full the entire Shift Container Barrel out, which itself has 2 Shift Car pegs on it. So you can mix & match Shifts as you please to recreate Drive's attacks.

I can't really think of anything else that Type Formula should have come with that it didn't. That's everything relevant to it, and while the hand selection is slim it's all you really need for this figure. It's got the perfect accessory loadout. I do wish the Pit Crew Shift Cars & tires (Sparner, Jacky, & Mantan) had been released but I doubt they would have been included with this. As is though I'm more than pleased.


Final Thoughts
Overall I'm ridiculously happy with how this figure turned out. Being what it is many people wrote this design off as goofy, cumbersome, and ultimately pointless as of Type Tridoron's debut in the series. But S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Drive Type Formula, labels and all, is an exceptionally nice release that includes everything you could need for this form.

Nice Drive!

Part 2!

- Trailer Cannon Modes

Post 3!

- FULLY applied decals!

I hate just about everything about this design. That being said, Bandai did a very good job converting it into a plastic figure, minus the stickers. At the very least, he looks nice with the other Drive Types.

Holy crap, I forgot this thing was even coming out! And while I'm not a fan of the suit as a whole, you did a fantastic job with this gallery Den-O! Cracking work!

I've always had bad luck with putting on labels, but boy do they bring detail to this figure....and even on its own it always looked so cool to me.

That hasn't changed at all. Drive Formula is a nice looking form and if I'm allowed to be so bold it looks better than the sea of red that is Type Trideron.

I hate figuart stickers. I just got Blade and I after over a month have yet to try to put on the stickers for fear of messing them up and the whole thing looking like garbage.

Yeah this i why I just got the TK Version, despite it not being as mobile and the tires being larger than normal I still prefer it.

If only because I dread stickers, I really, really dread stickers. Especially smaller ones. It's why I always dread Gunpla ever so slightly, because of the tiny eyes.

That being said, Type Formula still makes a good looking figure.

i wished the decals was preapply. the effect parts with the figure makes the Drive formula figure really spark. i can totally see bandai making this in a model kit form.

He looks amazing next to Kachidoki arms. Both not quite ultimate forms that look better than their successors and gun wielders

Man your backdrop is looking sharp in this gallery Den-O! Some of your best so far I think. Great gallery and a great looking figure.

Drive type formula would be a pain to put all of those sticks on

favorite drive form right there

So glad he has stickers so we can keep him plain out of the box

Fantastic gallery, definitely one of your best. What did you use for the backdrop? It looks really great.

As for the figure itself, it looks good. I love the helmet and color scheme, but the torso is just too bulky for my taste, I much prefer sleeker designs. For what they were going for though I think it works really well, unfortunately it just doesn't mesh with my personal preferences.

I'm pretty neutral to the stickers. It's not a dealbreaker for me, but they still should have been tampographed.

I love the designs from Drive. This is so ridiculous but it works so well. I can't even begin to imagine putting on those decals.

I dont have much issue with the Drive designs unlike some others, but this as a figure is really hurt by the stickers.

I'm still not sure why the decided to go that way, but it's a big detriment to me.

If I ever see him for less than 5000Y I'm going for him, no doubt. I love the form for all its flaws, and it's bar none my favorite form of Drive.

Plus it functions like freaking Metal Sonic.

Oh wow, stickers I never expected to see them used to such a degree, but it is pretty nice to have the option.

I liked Formula in the show, it's a fun form, the spoiler feels huge in plastic, but it's not a big deal and still looks like a great toy.

I'mma be straight and say I am not a fan of the design. The racecar motif is overbearing, the size of the armor is just too silly, and the new head just doesn't look good. It's kind of clear why people don't like it :lol
The stickers is a terrible choice because if you don't have steady hand, there is no set of tweezers out there that will help. It was a poor choice that I desperately hope they don't ever make again.
The weapon doesn't really look anything special since it's a bit too blocky, and the blue and yellow color scheme just doesn't fit.

Really, beyond the sticker decision, there's nothing wrong with the figure, and it does replicate the design from Drive, but that doesn't change that the design itself is just ugly.

Obviously you have a much steadier hand than me :lol
But I am a fan of this design. It was well-designed and nicely used in the show, and the blue looks great.

This looks like a good design for a Drive figure. I didn't get far enough into the series to see this on screen but might have to change that.

I've warmed up to this design, not a lot, but enough. It definitely looks like a good figure, but I never warmed up to the form enough to actually order the thing...the sticker situation didn't help much. He actually looks equally good without them, so if I ever happen to buy him, it's gonna be a tough decision...

Man I want this guy so bad, both for himsef and to have a Trailer cannon for type Tridoron. But I'm so scared of those stickers. I guess I'll see how much he bothers me stickerless when I end up getting him.

I think I understand the sticker choice, since there are people who feel strongly that the logos ruin the design. (I'm in that camp. I think the figure looks much better without, and I'm glad we got galleries featuring both.)

What this review has clarified for me is that Type Formula has a really surprising potential for display options. Not just the stickers, but also the chest accessories AND the sunglasses can be swapped out. If you hated the glasses or the chest thing or the logos, you can display the figure completely without, and he looks pretty sweet.

I think I actually prefer (the modified version of ) Type Formula to Type Tridoron, much the same way I preferred Kachidoki Arms to Kiwami Arms.

As always, nice drive!
*tootle-ootle HONK HONK*

Never had a figure come with decals that wasn't a model id be curious to see how they hold up. Either way this guy looks awesome.

Formula's figuart looks quite nice.

The only detriment to it are those damn stickers/Why couldn't they be tampographs?

If I get this thing, I'll wait to find a cheap one on Mandarake or Yahoo Japan.

I'm really surprised we haven't seen a picture of this figure next to Occulus Max Sphinx.

Is it okay if I mark this post as a Non-Entry? I don't really need the prizes, and I don't want to take chances away from others.

Excellent gallery as always, Den-O. Your pictures are great at showcasing the full potential of each figure. :thumb:

I got Type Formula recently and I have a couple questions:
-How durable do the stickers feel? I'm considering applying them, but I'm not sure how they'll hold up in the long run. How strong do they adhere to the figure?
-Does your figure have issues holding the Trailer Cannon? Mine's a bit loose, but I suppose that may just be a QC problem.

Also, the tires can be removed, but I advise against doing so, as they're now a bit loose, and aren't listed as removable in the directions.

Again, amazing photography and gallery as usual. :thumb:

I know people say its bulky but I personally liked this form more than his final form.

As stated in the Tridoron gallery, I'm not a big fan of Drive. But this is the one suit I liked. The tires don't potentially interfere with movement. I like it.

As I said in my Proto-Drive review, in relation to tires, it's pretty clear that their removal is not intentional on Formula. If they came off on yours that's cool, but as with my Proto-Drive it feels like I'd have to apply enough force to break them to even remove them.

The decals seem very durable to me at least. Enough so that you can apply a great deal of force and really get them down along the detail lines where you apply them. Like on the spoiler or on the chest wing.

No issues with mine holding the cannon though. It does so pretty much perfectly.

The design of Formula grew on me, after it's first appearance, and I really dug the decals. But man, those stickers...I'm so bad with decals...

Tyler formula is my favorite drive type. His looks are amazing and his cannon looks great. I honestly don't like the double tires thing since only like one tire koukan shift car has 2 tires. Overall, Inreally like formula and if Inhad the money I would defenetley get him.

I'm not one for stickers myself as my fine motor skills aren't very, well, fine. Makes for an interesting figure to own anyway, if one has the inclination and skill to work with the decals.

I was on the fence about Type Formula until I saw it on screen. This figure is a wonderful representation of the show. I love that the sponsor stickers are the different shift cars.

Never been a fan of this form, but as always your photos make the figure look pretty cool. :D

MAN I want this one so bad! I'm not sure its worth the exclusive price tag though. The color pallet is so damn enticing!

The torso design is a bit much but that's just a design thing not the figure. As usual the Drive figures use the updated/Ryuki type bodies making for really nice looking figures.

Woah! That sticker sheet is nuts! I didn't know he had that many.