Let's Discuss: The Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series #80 Ralph "Nunchuk" Badducci Action Figure

Was out on a date day with Mrs. ToyBox and came across this at a GameStop. I was actually surprised because they had 6 copies of Ralph on the peg. This is the first time I've stumbled across him in the wild. So, naturally, I had to add Ralph "Nunchuk" Badducci to the collection!

U.S. Army Sergeant Ralph Baducci was born in Brooklyn, New York, and eventually made his way to Denver, where he was trained in the martial arts with the Blind Master. He later moved to San Francisco and enrolled in the Arashikage Martial Arts Academy. He caught the eye of Storm Shadow, who then continued the training begun by the Blind Master.

Years later, Storm Shadow recruited Nunchuk for the G.I. Joe team's Ninja Force. On Ninja Force's first mission, Nunchuk and his teammates Dojo and Tj'bang fought Cobra Night Creepers in Beirut while helping Destro to avoid assassins hired by Cobra Commander. Continuing their protection of Destro, the Ninja Force and other Joes traveled to the Silent Castle in Trans-Carpathia, where they fought Cobra Vipers and a group of Red Ninjas.

It was the Ninja Force who discovered Firefly's connection to the Arashikage ninjas when the mercenary appeared in command of the Red Ninjas. The team later helped liberate the Cobra-controlled town of Millville from Cobra, fighting a band of Night Creepers. Shortly before the G.I. Joe team was shut down, Nunchuk and the Ninja Force opened up a martial arts training school on the site of the Soft Master's restaurant where Nunchuk's teammate Dojo had been trained many years before. The school was free to the underpriviledged young people living in the neighborhood. In the years after the Joe team was disbanded, helped Snake-Eyes train young Sean Collins (aka Kamakura) as a ninja apprentice.

(Credit to Comic Vine)

Accessories: 9/10

Nunchuk comes loaded with an impressive array of accessories that are sure to please any action figure enthusiast. With two katana-style swords, two pairs of nunchakus, a combat knife, and a pair of tekagi-shuko combat claws, there's no shortage of weaponry for him to wield in battle. Each accessory is finely detailed and crafted with care, adding to the overall play value and display options for collectors. I put the nunchakus on his belt and forgot to remove them for the photo above, so you'll see them in the shots below.

Appearance: 8/10

Nunchuk's appearance is striking and captures the essence of his character from the G.I. Joe universe. The sculpting is well-defined, with muscular proportions and dynamic posing that exude strength and agility. The paint applications are clean and precise, with subtle shading and detailing that enhance the overall aesthetic appeal. Personally, I've always been a big fan of "tiger stripe" camo and his costume uses that effect very well.The attention to detail in his outfit and accessories further elevates his appearance, making him a standout addition to any collection. I think that I would have liked a bit more silver accents, on his combat knife blade, and maybe the chains on his nunchakus. I get that the claws would be a matte black so as not to give his position away during night ops... but the blades of his swords are both silver, so perhaps the claws might also have been. The bandana ties are also, technically, an accessory as they do detach from the back of the figure. I had some issues with mine popping out fairly easily, but nothing that a dot of glue couldn't remedy.

Articulation: 7/10

Nunchuk features multiple points of articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, providing flexibility and poseability that allows for expressive and lifelike movement. There are limitations on the figure. His head, because of the costume design, can turn side to side, but has some difficulty looking down and up. I also noticed the neck joint is fairly limited. The shoulders aren't able to hit a good T pose because the shoulder pads get in the way and his harness also reduces the butterfly ability. Admittedly, right out of the package, I did have some stuck joints, which needed warmed up. His knees and elbows were frozen, and I was a bit concerned at first. I also noticed that his waist twist is very tight, even though the floating belt is designed to sit above and not hinder it. Mine has a tendency to sit lower and make waist torsion difficult. I also noticed that the dagger sheath tends to sit just a bit low, making putting his sword in the left scabbard a bit of a chore as well. Aside from those issues, he does have decent abdomen crunch, can hit wide splits, and has decent knee and elbow range. The ankle articulation is solid as well, allowing great hinge and pivot range. Whether he's wielding his swords in a fierce battle stance or executing acrobatic maneuvers with his nunchaku, Nunchuk's articulation ensures that collectors can create dynamic scenes limited only by their imagination.

Affordability: 8/10

Considering the quality and quantity of accessories included, as well as the attention to detail in sculpting and articulation, Nunchuk offers good value for the price. I found mine at a GameStop for the standard retail price of $24.99 and can't really complain about it. The fact that Hasbro can pack so many accessories into the Joe line but doesn't with Legends and prices them the same just blows my mind. I guess when you own the franchise rights, you can put whatever you want in the figures.

Overall, the Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series #80 Ralph "Nunchuk" Badducci action figure impresses on all fronts, from its extensive array of accessories to its finely sculpted appearance. Boosting the articulation would have elevated the score, but even so, he earns a solid:

8 out of 10 ToyBoxes

At the standard retail, the figure offers great value for collectors and fans alike, making it a standout addition to any G.I. Joe collection. Whether you're recreating epic battles or displaying him proudly on your shelf, Nunchuk is sure to be a highlight of your action figure lineup. Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!