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NYTF07: Bandai - Power Rangers Operation Overdrive

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8 comments posted
PR Jumbos

Easy solution then...release Jumbo Megazords in Japan! Hell, I'll pay the shipping if I have to, if it means I'll get some more jumbo ROBOTS. And who knows? Maybe they would even be received better in Japan than they were here.

"This must be settled the way nature intended....with a vicious, bloody fight!"
Onyx Blackman
Principal, Flatpoint High

NekroDave's picture
Posted by NekroDave on 15 February, 2007 - 18:14
Reasoning the unreasonable...

Hmm... I can easily believe that it is too late to change the toys as they are- production is already in full swing by now, and I suppose to re-tool in order to give us the modified versions of the original Gougou Vehicles from "Gougou Sentai Boukenger" (2006) would put them way behind in releases, not to mention be way too expensive to implement at this late stage. I think that they should hurry and create a line for modified Gougou Vehicles, but then call them "Special Edition" or something. Remember when the DX Gingaioh was released as a special-edition version of the Deluxe Galaxy Megazord years ago as a store exclusive? They could do the same thing here!
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As we can see here, Gougou Drill, Gougou Shovel, Gougou Mixer, and Gougou Crane have already been reinvented (as we can see here, already with heavy loss of function each) to work with the Deluxe DMM as seen by that second image above. Why are they releasing it as a separate set? Why not treat the four vehicles as an accessory set which can be added on to the DMM!? That would certainly make more sense and be cheaper than including a black-and-silver Dump Driver Zord repaint!

At this rate, I'm sure they won't remake the motorized DX DaiVoyager because of size and compatibillity issues, though they may still release a remake of the DX Siren Builder. here's my question: will Gougou Jet be remade to fit the DMM? And if so, will it be able to form the DaiTanken equivalent? (I'm guessing no to the latter...)
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I'm glad to hear that they have been meeting about this rather than just letting it fizzle out; I doubt that will happen any time soon!
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Josh, did they tell you why they did this to the Deluxe megazords this year instead of modifying them like they always have before?
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Ugh- Another repaint of the same old, boring semi-trailer truck playset that will never appear in the show!? They've used that same design for four years in a row- starting in 2003 with "Power Rangers Ninja Storm"! And the only time it appeared in the show was in the last two episodes of "Power Rangers Dino Thunder"!
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That Mega Mission Helmet sounds interesting- kinda like their responce to the tiny DX Bouken Driver interactive game set that works with your TV in Japan. May not fit my cranium, but I'd like to know a little more about it.
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I think there's a very good reason that there's a difference in the choices of the two markets, mecha VS. figures- BA doesn't give us a choice in what we get!
While I like that BA is acknowledging long-time fans and collectors with the 15 Red Rangers, couldn't they at least customize each one's mold instead of just changing paint apps? It's very obvious, but seeing as I won't be getting them, I suppose I have little room to comment let alone complain, huh?

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 15 February, 2007 - 23:05
When Bandai gives you lemons. make Remolds

Well the same thing happens with other lines.

With Transformers Energon Hasbro gave us the first Open face Prime since Primal and then they shifted gears half way through and gave us a closed face Prime like the Japanese version, but thats just a head on an already scale mold. And then Cybertron we got the 'giant' Starscream who had just as much (if that) detail as its much smaller, sharper form. And like this Megazord, The gigantic version only loses some of the detail and can't get out of its own way.

I think Bandai has no choice but to just do what they can with what they've done concerning the Megazord. they made the mold, now they've got no choice but to use it, scrapping it now would only hurt them. a Recall won't work because of the ones already sold, and the whole process of changing out for the imported version would only set the series' launch back. For what we know they made the US version more kid friendly but not collector friendly. Yeah the size makes it more appealing, but it loses the detail value seen with smaller molds. During the Mystic Force line they skipped out on the Wolf Knight Megazord and instead gave us the Megazord that only got a limited release in Japan, it makes for some nice US-Exclusive, but the Completists have to import. I think Operation Overdrive is one of those times where Bandai america wants to distinguish itself from Bandai Japan by having its own molds to run with. The whole scale up idea works with Jumbos but it hurts (See Starscream).
Now the whole figure thing has always been out of hand. I don't ever remember seeing any 'evil Ranger' toys with more than three to five points of articulation compared to all the ranger figures with more than the standard full body articulation. Now with sculpters taking a more comic book aesthetic approach, Rangers are getting rippled abs, busting biceps, and overly defined crotches. With the increase in quality, Bandai's got no choice but to rely on remolding the same bodies for every figure. Jakks Pacific has gotten by with the same process with their WWE figures even when they don't match up. Best example I know is Tazz (former ECW heavyweight, shaped like a bowling ball in real life) is molded on the exact same body used to make Vince McMahon (tall, heavy chested, broad shoulders).

Btw, Eva. You REALLY know your Sentai toys.

Bandai's been on thin Ice with me since the whole Gundam disaster (I think its safe to call it that). It hurt me, I mean hiking prices of the kits for box size, 80$ for the GP-02 locally compared to 45$ with shipping via importer. The change from 'domestic striping' to the ugly box jobs on some of the SEED kits, and need I say anything about the whole Battle Damaged MSIA line that ended it.

Gunpla Rob's picture
Posted by Gunpla Rob on 16 February, 2007 - 08:56
unsold=unloved

I don't know, it doesn't look to me like kids are going crazy for the Jumbo Rangers....

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"This must be settled the way nature intended....with a vicious, bloody fight!"
Onyx Blackman
Principal, Flatpoint High

NekroDave's picture
Posted by NekroDave on 1 March, 2007 - 16:28
Re: unsold=unloved

Oh- that's just funny! There's a whole stack of Deluxe Manticore Megazords bigger than that at TRUs near where I live...
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Hee hee hee hee... ^_^

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 1 March, 2007 - 19:37
DX Manticore Megazord

Did a search for "Manticore" to see if you had reviewed it and came back to this thread. I can see why there was a pretty big stack of them. It is on clearance at TRU for $11 so I figured I'd grab one. It's really quite lame and ugly. The legs are a big mess. Why would anyone even want a robot with the legs fused together like that? It looks terrible and doesn't have anywhere near the play value of other DX Megazords I've seen.

"This must be settled the way nature intended....with a vicious, bloody fight!"
Onyx Blackman
Principal, Flatpoint High

NekroDave's picture
Posted by NekroDave on 19 January, 2008 - 12:04
Yep. Well, that's why I'm

Yep. Well, that's why I'm not getting one- it's ugly and it don't do much! (You'll probably never see me covering one for CDX.)

Bandai has released other mecha before in the Super Sentai saga with the legs fused together. How popular they are I couldn't say, but this trend mostly stays with the larger carriers-

  • Turbo Builder (Kousoku Sentai TurboRanger, 1989)- the TurboRangers' base of operations. Could convert from a multi-level garage for their mecha into a rolling robot mecha- the first in Super Sentai to do so. In addition to being launched from here, the Super turbo Robo (see the review for the Turbo Rugger here) could combine with the Turbo Builder to form the Super Turbo Builder.
  • Max Magma (Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman, 1990)- while it could change into a giant robot which could roll around, and still stored all of the Fiveman's mecha, it could not merge with any of them to make a larger robot like the Turbo Builder could.
  • King Pyramider (Chouriki Sentai OhRanger, 1995)/Pyramidas The Carrier Zord (PR Zeo, 1996)- could merge with the OhRanger's mecha to form two different versions of the Buster OhRanger Robo. With the toys, the Choujuu Gattai OhBlocker could also combined inside with them to make an alternate version of the Buster OhRanger Robo, though it wasn't quite as good a fit, and this was never seen in the show.
  • VicTrailer (Battle Mode) (Gekisou Sentai CarRanger, 1996)/Artillatron- The Turbo Carrier (PR Turbo, 1997)- A rolling garage which could transport the CarRanger's VRV Fighters to the battle zone. (The toy version could also carry both the Ranger Vehicles and the Sirender.) Though it could transform, it was never seen entering combat, though it arms could separate to form the shoulder cannons for the Hisshou Gattai VRV Robo.
  • Kyodai Koseijuu Ginga Bitus (Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, 1998)/Zenith Carrierzord (PR Lost Galaxy, 1999)- a living space creatures that is converted into a machine. It serves as a mobile storage bay for the separated components of both the Kouseijuu GingaRhino and Kouseijuu GingaPhoenix.
  • V-Rex (Mirai Sentai TimeRanger, 2000)/Quantosaurus Rex (PR Time Force, 2001)- it could combine with TimeRobo Alpha to form the Riding Time Robo.
  • Chou Kyodai Kidou DekaBase Robo (Tokusou Sentai DekaRanger, 2004)/Delta Command Megazord (PR S.P.D., 2005)- a stationary base of operations, mobile rolling garage, and it forms a giant robot.
  • Densetsu Gasshin MagiLegend (Mahou Sentai MagiRanger, 2005)/Manticore Megazord (PR Mystic Force, 2006)
  • Chouzetsu Gougou Gattai DaiVoyager (Gougou Sentai Boukenger, 2006)/Battlefleet Megazord (PR Operation Overdrive, 2007)- not a carrier, but the first big mecha to separate into individual components. Can combine with the Gougou Gattai DaiBouken to form the Voyager DaiBouken.
  • Juuken Kyojin SaiDaiOh (Juuken Sentai GekiRanger, 2007)/(yet-to-be-named)- components of either the Juuken Gattai Geki Touja or Juuken Gattai Geki Fire, along with the Geki Wolf, can combine with it to form the SaiDai Geki Touja and SaiDai Geki Fire respectively.

There are also at least a dozen regular-sized mecha and combos which have fused legs. With some of these, it's obvious that separated legs would have been quite technically challenging to develop let alone sell at a reasonable price. For others- like the DaiVoyager- it's a real head scratcher!
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 19 January, 2008 - 17:25
i wasnt aware of it. wwe

i wasnt aware of it.
wwe smackdown tour

siacrasto's picture
Posted by siacrasto on 13 December, 2011 - 05:24