It's a giant robot -- it's a plane -- it's a plastic model! It's all of these and more; it's the 1/100 Master Grade S-Gundam, Bandai's latest marvel in "hand candy." It'll keep you busy for hours on end, long after you've built it!

Make no mistake, this ain't your 1980s type of Gundam kit. This baby comes with a 30-page book of parts and instructions, with detailed illustrations in black-and-white and colour. The "Parts List" section alone lists 14 plastic trees and two sets of polycaps for joints, plus the usual metal screws to be found in kits of this quality. Water-slide decals are included as well for accurate markings.

The kit is assembled in stages, with sections built separately; when completed, the sections combine to form the massive, powerful S-Gundam unit. A fold-out in the instruction book illustrates, step-by-step, how to transform the completed unit to separate the G-Attacker, G-Bomber, and G-Core for independent use. Colour photographs accompany the history and employment of the S-Gundam; a list of paint colours to use, should you choose to paint your kit, is also included with mixing instructions (though the pieces are molded in coloured plastic, you may wish to paint for a more "realistic" effect).

Keep one on your desk and play with it when your hands get bored!