Review: Jada Toys Wave 3 (Helmetless Mega Man, Wood Man, Bubble Man)

Jada Toys returns with its third Mega Man wave, this time featuring larger deluxe figures. Wave 3 includes Helmetless Mega Man, Wood Man, and Bubble Man. Mega Man is similar to earlier releases but comes packed with more accessories, while Wood Man and Bubble Man are oversized figures loaded with extras. Of course, the bigger scale also means a higher price tag.

That just leaves the question: is this wave worth getting, or is this one to skip?

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Massive!

Both Wood Man and Bubble Man come in appropriately large boxes. I was genuinely surprised by how big they are in person. The boxes are roughly the size of two standard Mega Man figure boxes, so that’s worth considering if you keep packaging or prefer to display them sealed.

"This is the power of nature!"

First up, we've got the big trunk himself, Wood Man. Right out of the box, you'll notice that the likeness is absolutely spot-on. Wood Man always was a pretty goofy-looking guy with just a bit of a cool factor. The sculpt hits all the right notes.

While he does look like a man wearing a tree and rocking some sick green eyeshadow, that's exactly what he is supposed to be! Jada made sure to follow the concept art carefully, making sure to sculpt and detail the vent backpack thing on his back. For such a large and rotund figure, his articulation meets the standard of his Jada forbearers. Nothing on him that moves is hindered by the sculpt, so have fun bringing his battle to life! 

"When it comes to defeating Mega Man, I'm stumped."

Wood Man includes his formidable Leaf Shield and a stand to hold it up. Even though the Leaf Shield isn't big enough to completely circle Wood Man, it is perfect for when he launches it as a projectile. This, along with his alternate head, was made to match Wood Man's Rockman Complete Works art. Since all four leaves couldn't be on their own, Jada made the brilliant decision to make the connection look like tree sap. It ties everything together while making it appear as-if the leaves are constantly in motion.

-W- GET EQUIPPED WITH LEAF SHIELD

Even though it isn't a perfect match, you can make your Hyper Bomb Mega Man into Leaf Shield Mega Man if you really want to. You just need enough sense & skill to pull it off. Get your weapons ready!

"The sea will swallow you!!"

That leads us to our next figure: Bubble Man. Once again, we have a perfect match for the concept art, down to the smallest details. Bubble Man has roughly the same body-type as Wood Man, so the articulation is more-or-less the same, meaning you should be able to get him into any pose you think would suit him. The only real difference here is the feet, or flippers in this case. While they are appropriately big and silly, they are sturdy and are just as strong as those of his wooden brother.

Is it Bubble Lead or Bubble Lead?

Along with his alternate head referencing the Rockman Complete Works art, Bubble Man also includes the notorious Bubble Lead. There really isn't much that can be done with a bubble to make it interesting, though credit to Jada for making the color resemble the color used in the official art of Mega Man wielding the weapon.

"The name's Bubble Man and I got somethin' to say..."

Using the included accessories, you can make the rarely-if-ever seen Bubble Man with two hands...there's just something about this that feels so wrong. I actually don't think this has ever been in any of the games. Maybe it happens in a small scene from Super Adventure Rockman or something.

"I'll do all I can to save mankind..."

That just leaves us with our anchor figure for the wave: Helmetless Mega Man. He's basically the same as Mega Man in previous waves, but with different heads and a Met to keep him company. There's nothing wrong with this figure, but there just isn't much to say on the figure itself that we haven't said in previous reviews, so instead, let's focus on what else is included in the box.

The Mystery of Dr. Wily

The helmetless head is pretty good-looking. The paint on the hair seems to have a brushed finish, making it look more like hair than just having a flat black coloring. With this head, Mega Man looks determined and ready to take on Dr. Wily after his sudden reappearance.

Wave 1 on the left, Wave 3 on the right.

For those Mega Man helmet enjoyers, fear not! This figure also includes an alternate head that showcases Mega Man's helmet and a nice happy face. If you look closely, you can see that the printing on the eyes is the much higher quality style used in Wave 2 with Hyper Bomb Mega Man. I'm happy to see that sticking around, because the difference is really wild when you notice it. And speaking of noticing things, doesn't that face look a bit familiar?

1-UP

This head makes for a perfect 1-UP accessory! Jada knew exactly what they were doing with this one. This is the perfect way to add in a multi-functional accessory that also works as an alternate head, it's genius! And, as seen above, Mega Man also includes a blast accessory with a stand.

"Nice to Met you."

Mega Man also includes a Met. It is a fun accessory that can do a bit more than just stand there. The helmet can swivel or just be removed altogether, letting you display it as-if the Met is in hiding. The feet also offer a bit of articulation, allowing for a little bit of pose variety.

Accessorize!

Finally, here are all the accessories together. Wood Man includes his Leaf Shield, two heads, and two sets of hands. Bubble Man includes his Bubble Lead, two heads, two sets of hands, and a Buster. Lastly, Mega Man includes two heads, a Met, two sets of hands, a Buster, and a blast effect (not pictured, oops!).

Wave 3

I'd say that the price jump for the larger figures is definitely worth it. However, for Mega Man, that's really a closer call. The quality of the figure is higher than the Wave 1 Mega Man, and the included heads are really striking.

The gang's all here

That does it for the Jada Wave 3 review. If you decide to get these, which I would fully recommend, be sure to get them at BigBadToyStore using our link so they know we sent ya! There's currently no word on the Wave 4 and 5 pre-orders, but when those go live, we'll be sure to let you know.