Micro Heritage

Bandai Full-Action Series - Beta Midget 1.0

Astro Midget

Beta Midget Series

Version 1.0
Beta Midget

Salamander

Sylph

Gnome

Jacket

Burn JF-001

Crusta JV-001

Torque JB-001

Version 1.5

Alternate Colors of 1.0

Version 2.0
Beta Midget

Salamander Type 2

Undine

Early Type 

Jacket

Alahabaki JA-001

Orb JE-001

Thrust II - JBS-001

Version 2.5

Alternate Colors of 2.0

Version 3.0

Beta Midget

Female Salamander

Female Undine

Female Gnome

Undine Type2

Larvae

Jacket

Glitter

Arabesque

Geode

Beta Midget Box Set

Beta Midget Official Book

Early Type

Larvae

Salamander

The Beta Midgets

Bandai released the first Beta Midget gashapon (capsule) toys in April of 2002. The first series which would later became known as Version 1.0 consisted of six different toys - three Beta Midget figures and three armored Jackets.  There were also black version chase figures known as the "Mystery Figures".  Version 1.0 included three characters - Salamander, Sylph and Gnome which represented three of the four basic elements - fire, wind, earth and water. Salamander is fire, Sylph is wind and Gnome is earth.  The fourth element water is Undine was released later with Version 2.0 series.  Each Beta Midget figure also came with weapons made from PVC (that match their Jackets colors)  Unfortunately Beta Midget figures from Version 1.0 suffered from plastic defect that caused the hip joints to crack and collectors were left with broken figures that could not be repaired (due to the type of plastic used).

Midgets & Jackets

Beta Midget 1.0 Mystery Figures

Mystery Sylph

Sylph

Gnome

Clockwise - Burn, Crusta and Torque

The Jackets

Beside the three figures, Version 1.0 came with three armored "Jackets". The Jackets parts formed armored for the figures.  However when not in used by the Beta Midgets, the Jackets formed into vehicles using the "frames".  The three Jackets included in Version 1.0 were Burn, Crusta and Torque.  Each Jacket was design for each of the three Beta Midget but they can be fully interchanged and combined to form different vehicles and even armored using the 2.5mm ports and pegs system.  Beta Midget debuted with much success, the figures were well design and very much a tribute to Microman legacy.  Since much of the first series figures suffered from the defective plastic, Bandai released version 1.5 which featured the same toys but with alternate colors and corrected the problem with the crack sockets.