The hideous Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater statue is why I have rules for collectors' editions

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Not all Collector Editions are made equal

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of the Aiba Pop-up Parade figure by Good Smile Company with the AI The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative Collector's Edition box in the background.
(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

The Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater statue has reminded me why I have one steadfast rule when it comes to collector's editions of games - if a company that's known for their statues and figures isn't involved, I ain't buying.

Unless the statues and figures of my favorite PS5 game characters are from existing catalogues I'm already well-acquainted with, like Good Smile Company, I avoid them at all costs, and my bank account has never been happier.

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The horrendous paint job on Naked Snake, which was brought to my attention by the words of Scott McCrae, really does look pretty "jank." In all honesty, it looks like something I'd produce if anyone were to trust me with Warhammer and some paint pots, not the quality found on a $200 Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater statue.

These low-quality statues are sadly not new to collectors' editions by any means. Earlier this year, my partner unloaded £169.99 on the Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Collector's Edition and was excited to see the statue of Broly battling it out with Ultra Instinct Goku in person.

However, instead of a well-sculpted interpretation of his favorite characters, one that figure brands like Banpresto have been getting spot-on for years, he was instead greeted with one that looked similar to the bootleg figures cluttering up the search results of eBay. I have display cases full of Dragon Ball figures, but it's been relegated to a box somewhere in my house, likely never to be seen again.

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of a close-up of Broly from the Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Collector's Edition.

(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

I've been a bit luckier. In recent years, one of my best gaming purchases was the AI Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative Collector's Edition for the Nintendo Switch, which features an exclusive 170mm PVC figure of Aiba, my favorite character from the series. It was advertised as a Good Smile Company Pop-up Parade figure, a line I knew all too well, so I wasn't disappointed.

The depiction of Aiba was adorable, and she looked exactly how she appears in the game. The base was a little lackluster, as it's just an all black hexagon, but that's pretty standard for Pop-up Parade figures of its size. More importantly, no paint was out of line, and as you can see from the images, her face is absent of any Naked Snake statue jank.

Right now, the AI Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative Collector's Edition is marked up at $182.82 at Amazon however, it actually launched for $119.99, which feels entirely justifiable. Typically, Good Smile figures of its size retail for around $49.99 at launch, and when you take into consideration the $59.99 MSRP of the Switch game, that already adds up to the $100 mark. Grabbing the collector's edition was also the only way to purchase the Aiba statue to date, which made it all the more of a must-have for my collection.

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of the Aiba Pop-up Parade figure by Good Smile Company sitting in-front of the Nintendo Switch collector's edition box.

(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

Good Smile Company has been producing figures and merchandise since May 2001, with the first Parade figure released back in 2019. In those 6 years, I've accumulated my fair share of Pop-Up Parades, from the standard size (which you can expect with collector edition games) up to the XL size - all of them have been just as high-quality as the last.

The sculpt and paint job quality are always on point. To this day, I still go out of my way to pre-order Pop-up Parade figures, despite becoming less of a fan of Good Smile's Nendoroid and other lines over the years. I only hope more studios opt for Good Smile quality figures with their collector's editions in the future.

Good Smile isn't the only brand ensuring collector's edition statues and figures are high in quality. Banpresto is also a name you can rely on, which in the past has produced chibi figures for the Tales of Zestiria Collector's Edition back during the PS4 era. Both brands are more known for their anime-inspired products, but can be a reassurance of quality nonetheless.

Of course, my golden rule of avoiding statues unless made by proper figure brands has its exceptions. The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector's Edition launched on June 26, 2025 with a 15-inch statue of the Magellan Man, a creepy tar monster originally shown off in the game's early trailers - and it turned out to be pretty detailed.

This is thanks to artist Yoji Shinkawa, known for his work, coincidentally, on the Metal Gear Solid series. Game director Kojima stated on X (Twitter) at the time that Shinkawa went as far as to visit the factory where these statues were being produced to keep a watchful eye over the mass production. The end result was a stunning statue that looks like a piece of art in its own right.

I didn't grab for myself as I've yet to finish the first game, but Reddit user ofeliedeceai showed off its "extremely high quality." Judging from the photos alone, I can't argue against that.

Death Stranding 2 Collector's Edition Magellan Man

(Image credit: Hideo Kojima)
Still want the SF6 Collector's Edition?

Official product image of the box for the Street Fighter 6 Collector's Edition of the PlayStation 5.

(Image credit: Capcom)

For just $99.95 at Amazon you can grab two high-quality Pop-up Parade figures of Luke and Kimberly from Street Fighter 6, a sticker set, an art book, a copy of the PS5 game, and the 1 Ultimate Pass which includes all Year 1 Character Pass digital in-game content.

If you're incredibly excited by an upcoming game and want to take the risk of a collector's edition statue, by all means, go for it. In the end, if even Snake's janky face makes you happy, then that's all that matters.

I've been collecting statues and figures since 2001, and you can bet I own some questionable ones with faces only an obsessed nerd like myself can love. However, I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing as much research as you can to ensure you've got your money's worth.

Remember, you can always wait a few months and grab these game statues when they inevitably end up on eBay. Or better yet, follow my advice and just pre-order ones that have statues produced by well-known figure and merchandising brands. Your bank account and game merchandise shelf will thank you later.

Love collecting gaming toys and merch? Check out the best Lego sets, which include sets based on everything from Super Mario to Animal Crossing.

Rosalie Newcombe
Rosalie Newcombe
Hardware Editor

Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.

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