Hey Look, It's Zelda!

Wait, he's not named Zelda?  Then why did they call the game that?!

Huh huh huuuuhh....seriously though, click on in to check out the 4 inch World of Nintendo LINK.  That's right.  FOUR.  INCH.

What is this?  Is it finally time to make toys of all my favorite video game characters from my childhood (and consecutively everyone's childhoods afterward, because these games keep coming out).  If it IS that time, then where's my Contra toys?  And Bubble Bobble?  And a fully equipped R-Type ship with lights and sounds and perfectly in scale with 4 inch figures HAHAHA YEEAH, that would be awesome!

No need to get greedy, though.  In the list of "characters that should have had full action figures by now", Link has got to be pretty high up there.  He has had figures....but some were arguable as "action" figures, and others were just okay.  One way or another; all previous Link figures were either limited in movement or pre-posed in an awkward position.  Where were our full on action figures?

Well, first, there's the recent Figma Skyward Sword Link, who should be our focus for comparison.  He's around 60 to 80 dollars, though.  I'm not gona argue against a high-end collectible, but hey....if you're looking for something around the eight dollar range....

Here you go!  Right off the bat, if you check out the link to the Figma version....well, it's obvious that was their focus in terms of sculpting.  They are both based on Link from Skyward Sword, but even the articulation points line up!

The knees are hidden in a similar way, and you can see his elbow joints are kinda similar to the Figma joint (in a way).

They did kinda miss a cool point here, though.  You can see the back of the hat is separate, but they made it so that it can't turn.  No idea why.  It could have added to poses, making his hat look like it was blowing in the wind, and the back of his hat wouldn't bump into his sword sheath all the time.

Minor quibble, though!  Here's why this one might be a good choice over the Figma version:

That's a nice range!  Especially for the price and size.  They even gave him sideways wrist movement, though I feel like it's a little superfluous.  There aren't a lot of poses where his wrists need to bend like that.

They also hid his torso twist in the same place as the Figma figure, though there isn't a whole lot of forward and backward movement.  You'll see that his arms move outward, as well!

Pretty much the only big drawback in this version (compared to the Figma) is that the legs are pretty restricted by the skirt.  They DO give you a lot of range in the ankles, though!

The little ball joint gives you some great range, and it allows for him to stay flat-footed in some wider stances.

This is about how far you can get with his skirt the way it is.  If you're not particular about your figures, you can do what I did:

Yeah, it's a little ugly, but it opens up his leg movement quite a bit!

And his feet can accommodate it as well!  As you can see, they're flat on the ground.

The skirt cuts were a no-brainer, for me, but you're not missing much by not cutting him.  He's still got a good basic range, and in fact, makes a fantastic action figure for kids as-is (not to mention, if you're just displaying him, he's already got what he needs).

Speaking of what he needs: How about the Sword of Evil's Bane?  The Master Sword!  This is naturally Link's main blade to strive for, though I would like to see him with some basic swords at some point as well.  Not gona complain about a Master Sword, though!

It fits nice 'n tight inside its sheath and right on his back.

If you compare it to the Figma, it's missing some paint apps, but what do you want for eight bucks?  It's still pretty dang crisp for the price, and looks great.  The only drawback is that it's a little thick, and his hat - like I said earlier - runs into it when you turn his head.

Most importantly: He holds it!  Yeah, it's something every toy should be able to do, but you'd be surprised with how many figures - nice, expensive figures - can't hold a simple accessory.  It's not the tightest grip if you're swingin' him around, but it won't fly out of his hands, and that's what matters.

There's on more item to talk about, and, given the front of the package, you can see that it's a SECRET ACCESSORY!  Oh, I wonder what it could be!

It's a shield!  Comes in a little treasure chest.  I love secret accessories, but...come on, man.  This is a mandatory accessory, not some secret where we won't know what it is!  We KNEW what it was because he didn't have his Hylian Shield!  Anyone buying a figure of Link is gona ask where that is, if you don't see it in the package.

Not really complaining, but I would have liked an actual secret accessory.  The shield should have been in there normally, and the chest should have had some sorta little extra, like a bottle or a bomb, or maybe the hammer or hookshot (even if it doesn't extend).  Maybe other figures will add some interesting items!

Back on task: The shield is exactly what you'd expect, and is nicely painted.

It's a bit of a bitch to put on, but a little work will get it over the hand.  You've just got to push the fingers through the handle.

He holds it well, but his left arm is loose, for some reason.  I think it's a fluke on my particular figure, though.

Alright, last pic is a little boring, but I was trying for a classic overhead perspective.

If you couldn't tell: I love this figure!  He's everything I would have wanted back in the day, and covers what I'm looking for nowadays, too.  He moves well, moved even better if you make a little modification, and holds up to being a collectible OR a toy.  If you see it and love The Legend of Zelda - GRAB IT.

Plus: Who wouldn't want Link to fight G.I. Joes?  Anyone?  Just me?

He may not be in perfect scale, or match the design....or the general universe.  Or anything.  HEY, I love mixing toylines, okay?  Link is RIPE for mixing, because he...well, he doesn't have anything to fight yet!  So just about anything fantasy-like works!

This is your Link!  Ya know, if you don't wana drop big bucks.  He pretty much performs the same, AND you don't have to worry about breaking him!  Also he's tiny, so you don't have to look far for a large figure for him to fight.  The advantages are through the roof!  If you like The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros, Link, or just Nintendo, then you've gotta get this figure.

On a final note: If you're wondering where that little bomb came from:

It's from this little gashapon figure of one of the Links from Four Swords.  Each color came with a different item, and Red came with a bomb.  Also: when you turn the head, his eyes move back and forth.

ALSO HE'S SMILING.  A lot.

I don't trust him.