7-Year-Old Named Winner of National Sweepstakes Shopping Spree One Week Before His Birthday; Loads Up On Action Figures, Aliens and More to Share with Local Charity

7-Year-Old Named Winner of National Sweepstakes Shopping Spree One Week Before His Birthday; Loads Up On Action Figures, Aliens and More to Share with Local Charity

Seven-year old Michael Mize of Angier, NC will celebrate his birthday early with a dream gift come true – a shopping spree at Toys“R”Us Cary – after winning first prize in the Ben 10 Alien Creation Sweepstakes from Bandai America Incorporated.

Not only will Michael enjoy this out of this world shopping spree – but so will members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County. Bandai America Incorporated will donate $500 in Ben 10 Alien Force toys as an early holiday surprise to the members of the local center. Valeska Wittek from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County will be on-site to accept.

Michael is one of more than 5,000 kids who have already invaded www.bandai.com since the start of the Ben 10 Alien Creation Sweepstakes on October 19. Great prizes are still up for grabs, including video games, toys, and a Grand Prize trip to New York to be Bandai’s Kid Reporter at Toy Fair 2010. Kids ages 6-14 can visit www.bandai.com until December 1, 2009 to enter the sweepstakes and receive a coupon for $2.50 off Ben 10: Alien Force toys, or download a mail-in offer for an exclusive Ben 10 action figure with a $20 purchase of Ben 10 products. The Grand Prize winner will be drawn on December 15, 2009.

New episodes from the Ben 10 Alien Force television show debut on Cartoon Network on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Shaider for the USA!

As far as I can tell, Star Searchers was Bandai’s attempt to market Toei’s Metal Heroes to an American audience. Zeric is clearly Space Sheriff Shaider, although I’m not sure of the original toy mold.

Zeric is larger than the standard Popy size, measuring 7.5 inches high. If the back of the box is to be believed, a similar model of Sharivan was also released in America.

Zeric is a great figure, mostly plastic but with a substantial heft provided by the diecast rear leg components. The rest of the toy is executed in sharply detailed chromium, in blue and silver.

Zeric’s primary gimmick is a light/sound feature, activated by a switch on his back. His eyes and chest pulse along with a throbbing laser noise.

For a light/sound figure, Zeric is surprisingly articulated, with movement at his neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

The fit and finish is pure Popy. This is a quality toy.

Zeric comes with two accessories, a sword and a gun. The gun fits nicely in its holster.

Given the dearth of Metal Hero product in the US, I recommend picking up any Star Searchers product you can get ahold of.

Whether battling rogue robots or fighting off evil aliens, Bandai America has the action-packed gifts for boys that stretch the dollars of value conscious shoppers this holiday season. The dynamic lineup of Power Ranger and Ben 10 role-play, vehicle and play-set offerings will inspire kids to create their own out of this world adventures well into the new year.

Whether battling rogue robots or fighting off evil aliens, Bandai America has the action-packed gifts for boys that stretch the dollars of value conscious shoppers this holiday season. The dynamic lineup of Power Ranger and Ben 10 role-play, vehicle and play-set offerings will inspire kids to create their own out of this world adventures well into the new year.

Rev up your merry collection of morphers and get ready for Morphin’ time with the hottest multi-hued heroes and toys from the Power Rangers RPM series:

· Deluxe Formula Megazords - $24.99 - By combining the three deluxe RPM Zords included in each set, kids can create the turbo-charged Megazords as seen on the TV show. Collect and combine all four Spring and Fall Formula Megazords (sold separately) to create an exclusive RPM Ultrazord!

· Racing Performance Cycle & Figure - $12.99 – Play out all the RPM adventures with this Cycle and Figure! Transform cycle to cruising Chopper mode for the Ranger to stand on. Create battlized Power Rangers figures and vehicles by collecting and combining with the entire Auxiliary Trax System – Guardian Figures ($9.99) and Formula Transporters ($19.99) (sold separately).

‘Tis the season to give an out of this world gift with toys from Ben 10 Alien Force :

· Alien Creation Challenge $24.99 - Kids can test their alien design skills with the Alien Creation Challenge play set. Kids race against a timer as they piece together alien torsos and limbs to recreate figures based on alien combo cards. If time runs out, the tray pops up along with all the alien pieces. Keep the challenge going by adding additional figures to the play set and creating additional alien combo cards online. The play set includes three alien figures and 10 alien combo cards, as well as a special key to unlock figures.

· Alien Creation Chamber Figures $6.99 - This award nominated line lets fans mix and match their favorite aliens to create over a million unique alien creatures. There are over 20+ characters to collect!

· Ultimate Omnitrix $19.99 - Use the mini translucent figure to unlock alien sounds. The Omnitrix comes with an alien card and has lights.

· Alien Creation Transporter $14.99 - Lets kids create thousands of unique alien figures with a slide of the shell .

BANDAI AMERICA POWERS UP LIKE IT’S 1993; BRINGS BACK MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS IN NEW TOY LINE

Fans and Families Can Celebrate Pop Culture Phenomenon with “Power Up Video Challenge” Contest; Over $11,000 In Cash Prizes Up For Grabs

(Cypress, CA – October 1, 2009) Go! Go! Get your Power Morphers - it’s Morphin’ time! Bandai America will bring the best-selling Power Rangers toy line back to its intergalactic, prehistoric roots with the “five teenagers with attitude” that started it all in a new collection of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers toys. The inaugural and most recognizable of 15 Power Rangers themes, this powered up Mighty Morphin line will feature both fresh and nostalgic play and collection experiences. Including action figures, vehicles, Megazords and role-play items aligned with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series premiering Saturday mornings January, 2010 on ABC Kids; the highly anticipated toys will begin to arrive at retail by the end of this year.

As the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers took over the air waves - and your brain waves - in 1993 they made an unforgettable impact on pop culture. Showing that heroes come in every color, teamwork conquers all, and girls really can rule (unfortunately for good and evil), they took entertainment and play-time by storm. With three TV seasons, a motion picture and thousands of toys, the Power Rangers have spent 17 straight years in the top ten best-selling boys’ action figure brands in the US according to The NPD Group.

“The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers captivated the country in 1993, and many kids who played with the toys now have children of their own,” said Tim Wills Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, of Bandai America Incorporated, “Families can experience their ‘morphin’ time’ once again as a whole new generation of kids are introduced to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers toys.”

“I’m tickled pink to have had the opportunity to be a part of this juggernaut children’s action series and brand,” says Paul Schrier, former Mighty Morphin actor and director, “The good-natured humor and strong messages of teamwork and friendship really hit home with audiences everywhere and I can’t wait to see what’s next from this fountain of heroic action!”

To kick off the refreshed toy line, fans and families will get ready to battle not only for the salvation of the universe, but also for $11,000 in cash prizes in Bandai America’s “Power Up Video Challenge” contest. Consumers will be challenged to view a Power Rangers “cliffhanger video” online or at one of more than 2,000 movie theatres in the U.S., and then submit their own unique ending in a mini-movie or story-board at Bandai.com. Selected by both peers and a judging panel, the winning video and story-board entries will receive $10,000 and $1,000 in cash prizes respectively. Participants learn more and enter to win between October 1 and December 15 at www.Bandai.com.

About Bandai America Incorporated

A leader in introducing Japanese toy trends to the United States, Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., an entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan. Global interests encompass six strategic business units: toys and hobby (toys, models, apparel and sundries), amusement facilities, game content (home and arcade console gaming), network (mobile phone and PC content), visual and music content (including home entertainment), and an affiliated business group. Bandai America is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children’s toys and entertainment today, including Power Rangers™, Ben 10™, Dragon Ball Z® , Harumika, and Tamagotchi®. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California and information is available at www.Bandai.com and you can follow us on Twitter @BandaiAmerica.

Two words come to mind when I see an Advent Cycle: racing bullet. By that I mean it is silver and rounded like a bullet and the reclined seat inside emphasizes its speed, but that is imbued in a high-tech racing motorcycle.

Video review included!

This toy appears here courtesy of Bandai America.

. . .

Ventara is an alternate dimension that exists behind all mirrors. For everything that exists on Earth, there is a copy of it on Ventara as well, and more. The alien General Xaviax invaded Ventara and began a war to conquer it. To defend themselves, the Ventarans created twelve armored superheroes, the Kamen Riders, who use individual Advent Deck cards to command powerful Contract Beasts for attack and defense. Xaviax defeated all but one of the Kamen Riders and stole their Advent Decks, eventually conquering Ventara as well. Unfortunately, because the Ventaran Riders had all been defeated & Vented (banished forever into the Advent Void), Xaviax had to find the genetic equivalents on Earth since the Advent Decks were DNA-locked. Finding specific humans on Earth, Xaviax disguises himself as a different person each time, and tricks them into serving him. One Advent Deck, however, fell into the hands of a young man on Earth whom Xaviax did not choose, named Kit Taylor. Working together with Len, the mysterious original Kamen Rider Wing Knight, Kit reluctantly uses his own Advent Deck to become Kamen Rider Dragon Knight in order to find his disappeared father, and stop General Xaviax and the ten other corrupted & selfish Kamen Riders from conquering Earth.

. . .

“Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” is based on the original TV series, “Kamen Rider Ryuki” (仮面ライダー龍騎, "Masked Rider Dragon-knight"), which aired in 2002 as part of the long running Kamen Rider franchise in Japan. It is produced by newcomer Adness Entertainment, Ltd. in close association with Ishimori Production, Inc. and Toei Company, Ldt. [both of which make the original tokusatsu franchise].

Even though Bandai is making the toys for “…Dragon Knight”, they are all completely new remolds from those that they originally released during “…Ryuki”, and so they will all differ in size, features, and materials from their Japanese counterparts.

Kit Taylor first appeared in Episode 1- “Search for the Dragon”, and is one of the two lead protagonists of the series. His father disappeared when he was 17yrs old, and he was placed into foster care. During this short time, he had several run-ins with the law for minor crimes. Always, he saw visions of his father, urging him not to fear “the dragon”. When he turned 18, Kit found an Advent Deck sitting in his father’s old apartment. This brought him to the attention of Len, the last-surviving Kamen Rider from Ventara who tried to take the Advent Deck from him. As they struggled, they fell into a mirror. While Len transformed into Kamen Rider Wing Knight, Kit- still possessing his Advent Deck- was changed into a non-contracted/blank-form Kamen Rider. They both arrived on Ventara after traveling safely through the Advent Void, and eventually were confronted by a red flying dragon.

In Episode 2- “Contract with the Dragon”, after they escaped the dragon on Ventara, they returned to Earth, though Len still urgently wanted Kit’s Advent Deck. After becoming separated, Kit was attacked alone at his apartment by the same dragon- originally a Contract Beast called Dragredder. Kit formed a new contract with Dragredder, thus becoming the new Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, and pulling him reluctantly into the struggle against General Xaviax and his corrupted Kamen Riders.

As the red & silver-colored Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, Kit draws on the power of his Contract Monster- a fast and powerful flying dragon called Dragredder. Some of his Advent Card attacks include Sword Vent and Guard Vent, which use pieces of Dragredder to form melee-type weapons for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. To activate his Advent Deck cards, he slides them into the Dragvisor card scanner always mounted to his lower left arm.

Kit Taylor is played by actor Stephen Lunsford.

Advent Cycles are partially-enclosed vehicles which transport a Kamen Rider safely through the Advent Void between Earth and Ventara once they have made a Contract with a Contract Beast. They can carry only one occupant at a time, and can be easily driven on roads in both worlds. They are not designed for combat and carry no armament, but provide limited forward &back protection within their donut-like chassis. Once a Kamen Rider arrives at their destination, the curved windscreen and reclined driver’s seat will gently rise upwards for easier disembarkation. To ensure further safety, the Advent Cycles feature locking bolts which attach to mounting points on a Kamen Rider’s back and Advent Belt.

If a Kamen Rider becomes advanced enough, they can learn to transform their personal Earth-based motorcycle into an Advent Void-traversing vehicle as well without having to use an Advent Cycle.

Two words come to mind when I see an Advent Cycle: racing bullet. (Yes- I did get that term from the 2008 Super Sentai series, “Engine Sentai Go-Onger”, but it just felt like an apt description...) By that I mean it is silver and rounded like a bullet and the reclined seat inside emphasizes its speed, but that is imbued in a high-tech racing motorcycle. There is no real bumper to speak of on the front wheel, but the chassis is wrapped around it rather than from above like you would ordinarily expect. The back wheel is completely hidden beneath the back-half, and is only visible when you turn the toy over. The back wheel, unlike the front one, is very wide, and this allows the Advent Cycle to rest upright on its own without a kick stand or completely falling over even with a 4” figure placed inside. A set of four rectangular exhaust nozzles along with small tech details are on either side of the back-half. Inside, the black PVC control column is sufficiently detailed with a blank display panel and braking levers. The footrests have lined grips molded in, and there is a thick drive-shaft column running from beneath the handlebars to under the seat. The rounded windscreen itself is darkened translucent ABS.

All silver, yellow, and red on the Advent Cycle itself is painted on, as the toy was molded completely in black plastic.

. . .

For movable features, there are only two. The first is, obviously, the two wheels, which let it glide easily across any hard flat surface. The other is the windscreen, which snaps shut, but will rest comfortably with friction in the upwards position. Unfortunately, neither the canopy nor driver’s seat move in synchronicity like they do in the series.

The original Japanese version in “Kamen Rider Ryuki”, the DX Ride Shooter, was far larger (12”-long) and featured die-cast metal. It had a spring-loaded canopy which, when triggered, then popped the seat upwards.

Though not a feature in the show, three separate transparent-yellow ABS flowing-energy effects are provided on a tree that need to be cut off, and they can be optionally attached to the sides and back. [By the way, these are the exact same effects which are used on the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight with Dragon Cycle (#33952) and Kamen Rider Wing Knight with Wing Cycle (#33953) sets.]

Though called "Kamen Rider Blank Knight" on the packaging and in promotional materials, this is simply Kamen Rider Dragon Knight in his [thus-unnamed] pre-Contract form. He is weaker in this state, but can still access his Advent Deck. When he used the Sword Vent card, a basic katana appeared which was not very strong against even basic Mirror Monsters. It is not until Episode 2, when Kit makes a Contract with Dragredder that his suit changes to red, and gains its dragon-like decorations, including the evolved Dragvisor on his left arm.

While a Kamen Rider Blank Knight figure (#33906) was made, the one provided here is specifically made to fit into the Advent Cycle, and so has some significant differences:

• The head is made of translucent ABS, with a window in the back (see below for the reason why).
• The new PVC-only arms are redesigned to have the fists opened and turned at an angle so that they can only grip the handles on the Advent Cycle’s handlebars. While still poseable at the shoulders in the same way, the hands are not molded as a single piece with the rest of the arm.
• New legs have been designed as a single PVC piece. They are posed specifically with the knees bent almost 90-degrees, and the thighs pointed slightly outwards. Therefore, he cannot stand on his own, but will fit more comfortably into the Advent Cycle.

While the coloring and decoration are slightly different between Dragon Knight and his pre-Contract form, the molds between this version of the figure and the one used for the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight with Dragon Cycle set is more-or-less the same.

. . .

Here is why Bandai made a unique altered version of the Kamen Rider Blank Knight figure…

On the Advent Cycle, just behind the windscreen’s mounting on top, is a black square button. When this specific Blank Knight figure (and no other 4” figure made to-date) is placed in the seat, the button can be pushed, and a red LED in the headrest of the seat will shine brightly through the translucent back of the figure’s head… lighting-up his veiled red eyes!

If you watch the show, the only time that Dragon Knight’s eyes glow is when he is seated in the Advent Cycle; that is why this feature is in the Advent Cycle set only. Unfortunately, even though you can awkwardly place other 4” figures [such as Kamen Rider Torque (#33904), as seen here] into the Advent Cycle’s seat- the thighs are shaped differently from the provided Blank Knight’s- they cannot have their visors glow because the back of their heads are not translucent. (Besides, no other Kamen Rider has visible eyes other than Dragon Knight. I don’t know why that is, other than that he is the hero of the show.)

Ironically, though all other 4” Kamen Rider figures have holes on both sides of their Advent Belts, the Advent Cycle offers no attachment levers or posts to fit into them; the Blank Knight’s belt has no holes at all!

All “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” toys carry a unique Advent Deck card related to the character they are packaged with. Then, when you purchase the electronic Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Dragvisor role-playing set (#33971, sold separately), you can take the Advent Cards and insert them into it to create one of 15 unique sound effects!

For this set, you get a Survive Advent Card, which--

Well… truthfully, I don’t know what it does. As of the time this review is being written, I haven’t seen this specific Advent Card used yet. It does not seem to be linked to any Kamen Rider in particular, but since it is provided with Dragon Knight in his pre-Contract form, I suspect it may belong to him.

(When I get the Dragvisor, I will demonstrate the Survive Advent Card then.)

I gotta say this- I am almost immediately reminded of the Light Cycles from the cult-classic American film, “Tron” (1980), when I see this high-tech motorcycle, even though it only vaguely resembles the early-CGI vehicle. That image is certainly enforced by the trans-yellow effects along the sides and back! (If the effects had been a spring-out feature, I might have balked because they were built-in and would have always been visible.) The toy keeps its balance so well that you can’t intentionally lean it to either side, or pose it in a wheelie position. And the LED is bright enough that, when activated, it will actually shine through some of the paint apps on the figure’s head! As with all other “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” sets released thus-far, the level of detailing is quite good despite the overall size of the toys! One thing that bugs me, though, is how the vehicle interacts with other figures. I get the distinct impressions that it was specifically made to accept only the provided Blank Knight figure, and that’s it… which should absolutely not have been the case at all! I have to fight with my Kamen Rider Torque figure to get him in there; most-notably with the thighs not spreading to accommodate the lower torso. Most- if not all- Kamen Rider figures should be about the same shape and size, and this toy should have been able to accept most of them without too much of a fuss. Additionally, while it’s nice that the canopy cover can pop off if too much pressure is applied, because of its shape it hangs kinda loosely; annoying, but not discouraging. While having a movable seat would have been cool, I can see how that might have hampered getting figures in-and-out of there. But, the LED through the back of the figure’s head was a nice touch. (Now, if only some of the other figures’ eyes could also light up, it would have been less of a problem with just this one.) Overall, the Kamen Rider Blank Knight with Advent Cycle set is a good one, with few-to-no problems. I recommend getting one… or two for displaying some of your other Kamen Riders at the same time.

Gold Ranger? I was never a huge fan of ZEO, but this is a cool figure.

Power ranger figures have never been known or their articulation, detail or collectability. In fact, most collectors seem to ignore them in general. Since their debut in 1993, The actual Power ranger figures have been aimed squarely at kids, forgoing accuracy for play value. This is fine for kids, but collectors have never really pursued them.

Then a funny thing happened at Bandai America a few years ago. Someone in a board meeting must have realized that there is an untapped collector market, and slowly, quietly, Bandai rolled out the 15th anniversary red ranger series. Unfortunately, the line was terribly misguided, as these figures were ridiculously over-muscled, like some crazy he-man offspring.

I'm not sure what became of the line, but apparently Bandai America learned their lesson. With the release of the Jungle Fury action figures, Bandai began packing in chase "Super Legends" figures, two per case, of classic Power Rangers characters.

I'm glad to say that they ALMOST got it right. The Super Legends are really good figures, but they fall just short of being "great" figures.

On the plus side, these figures have excellent, realistic proportions. The Gold Ranger features removable armor, a club like weapon, and a very detailed, unique sculpt. The articulation is very good compared to the usual MMPR figure, but it misses some key points of articulation.

For example, the arms are articulated at the shoulder, elbow and wrist, but there is no swivel joint at the bicep. The legs have fantastic ball joints at the hips, and then a great swivel joint just below that in addition to the knee articulation. But there's no articulation at the ankles, and in an even more glaring omission, no waist joint.

Still, these are minor gripes - the Gold Ranger and the other Super Legends figures are the best Power Rangers figures to date.

What Eva Unit 4A reviewed was the DX Drive Max Megazord and he already complained on how crapped up it was even before he noticed and saw the mayhem that Bandai America (BOA) caused after the Drive Max set. You would say I got tricked as well and so I got this piece of contraption that now seduces me to buy the other one to complete my set.

Alright so, Eva Unit 4A reviewed was the DX Drive Max Megazord and he already complained on how crapped up it was even before he noticed and saw the mayhem that Bandai America (BOA) caused after the Drive Max set. You would say I got tricked as well and so I got this piece of contraption that now seduces me to buy the other one to complete my set.

What was I babbling about? Well, it’s of course the DX Dual Drive Megazord set with the Sonic Streaker (Gou Gou Jet). Bandai initially released a crap piece entitled DualDrive Megazord with only 2 working auxiliary zords/vehicles, which are the Drill and the Shovel. That set came with 2 dummy pieces of Mixer and Crane which I despise a lot and of course a corrected Gou Gou Dump but was completely black in colour.

I initially thought that the DualDrive (later renamed Super Drive Max Megazord) is not a set required for all of my formations and stuffs but what a great mistake I made. Without proper research I went and bought this set, the Dual Drive that seeming and looked like it had all 5 of the working auxiliary pieces.

By just looking from the box and from the above photo, you will have a wrong impression thinking that this set is actually complete by itself. If you’re thinking so, look again as only 3 of the 5 auxiliary zords are in this set. The working pieces are the Jet, the Crane and the Mixer and they obviously made dummy pieces for the Drill and Shovel.

Behold the dummy sets of the Drill and Shovel that has no wheels. At first I was thinking to myself that the Japanese version wouldn’t be this crap and later I noticed that the real Drill and Shovel are in the earlier set (with the Black Dump). This seemed to be a marketing gimmick to tell us something like this [I am making this up]:

“For you collectors out there, if you want a complete set of the Drive Max series, you are now required to buy 3. Due to all of your rants and complaints, we had to release the one with the Sonic Streaker but since we already have stocks around that come with the Drill and the Shovel Drivers, we’re not including these 2 in the later set. Have Fun!”

That was what I think BOA was telling us collectors to do. However not, let us get to the bottom of this. Behold, the Jet can be separated into pieces and look, the cannon on the wing tips are coloured in chrome instead of gray of the Japanese Version. The emergency cockpit part (a.k.a. Ultrazord’s head) has the press to launch mechanism removed and replaced with the electronic light and sound gimmick which I said earlier. The button is right at the top, after the flipping joints to reveal Dual Drive’s face. The electronic can only be activated automatically in Dual Drive formation. Forming the Ultrazord needs you to manually press the button.

So, when you combine all 5 of these vehicles you get the real deal Dual Drive Megazord. Happy? Not even a bit. This set actually completely neglected Super Drive Max Megazord formation as the Super one was not seen anywhere in either of the Drive Max, the Super Drive Max or this one. But if you just glance through the front and the back [hyperlink photo Dual Drive Back], you’ll jump to the conclusion that this is decent. Aside from its size being actually bigger than our regular Japanese Dai Tanken, this one looks the same.

The above piece is the hook piece given in this set linked up with the Crane and yes, that’s the only hook piece for the Crane in this set. I’ll explain its uses later. This piece is actually made up of strange rubbery plastic which I think might break if you would exert too much pressure on it. Mine already has marks because of its uses and because it doesn’t stay very well and needs me to constantly press it back to place.

Alright so when you have this set and the Drive Max Megazord, you get to form the Drive Max Ultrazord [Ultimate Daibouken] which looks bigger. However, if you look at this Ultrazord, you will begin to wonder that BOA might only be creating the 3 sets just to have them displayed in Ultrazord mode. Why would I say that? That’s because it looks quite decent in Ultrazord mode. Of course, functions are completely gone but physical appearance still gets a pass from me.

As I am praising this, there are some downfalls in this set. Remember the parts of Sonic Streaker we’ve seen above? Notice something missing? Yeah, the 2 long black pipe gears that can grab an auxiliary vehicle are missing. They really didn’t include these pieces at all and that’s why need the red hook piece for Ultimate formation. You see, the black piece in the original Ultimate Daibouken adds on to the silver grill so that the Gyro has proper slots to fit. Because they didn’t include the gears, you don’t use the silver grill to form Ultimate Daibouken but instead you just need the red piece (shown above) to link the Gyro to the mid section of the main body.

Well guys, these are what I got for the Japanese version so I am having them placed side by side for you guys to see and compare the sizes. See how big the Cement Driver is compared to the Gou Gou Mixer? I am saying it’s more than 5 centimeters longer but the functions are GONE! In this case size actually doesn’t really matter. It’s even more obvious when you prepare them to combine.

The crane was also larger but as you can see, the details on the Gou Gou Crane are obviously much more superior to the Crane Driver in almost every aspect. No extendable crane arms and no strings to play with. BOA really did this too economically. It seems that almost both the colours are different.

Oh well, to end this I would say that this piece is not to be a standalone piece at all. You obviously need at least 2 sets to make a combination that can be displayed decently. So, in order for you collectors out there who don’t have access to Boukenger stuffs, here is a small listing of combinations you can do with combinations from different sets.

Drive Max + Super Drive Max = Drive Max Drill Driver, Drive Max Shovel Driver, Incomplete Super Drive Max

Drive Max + Dual Drive = Drive Max Drill Driver (not working), Drive Max Shovel Driver (not working), Drive Max Cement Driver, Drive Max Crane Driver, Ultrazord

Drive Max + Dual Drive + Super Drive Max = All good combinations.

Yeah, that’s the thing to it and finally a picture of papa feet and mama feet of the completed Ultrazord. Enjoy!

Los Angeles (July 8, 2009) – The hit live action series Kamen Rider Dragon Knight will hold a special panel presentation and screening at San Diego Comic-Con International set for Sunday, July 26 from 2:45 to 3:45pm at Room 6DE. There will also be an autograph session on the same day from 1-2pm in the autograph area of the convention center. Airing Saturdays at 10:30am on The CW4Kids, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight quickly moved to the top tier of new kids’ series, attracting solid audiences as well as positive reviews from leading online and traditional media.

Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Rides Into San Diego Comic-Con International With

Special Panel Presentation And Screening

Kamen Rider TV Producer To Make Major Announcement Regarding The Series

For Immediate Release:

Los Angeles (July 8, 2009) – The hit live action series Kamen Rider Dragon Knight will hold a special panel presentation and screening at San Diego Comic-Con International set for Sunday, July 26 from 2:45 to 3:45pm at Room 6DE. There will also be an autograph session on the same day from 1-2pm in the autograph area of the convention center. Airing Saturdays at 10:30am on The CW4Kids, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight quickly moved to the top tier of new kids’ series, attracting solid audiences as well as positive reviews from leading online and traditional media.

The Kamen Rider Comic-Con presentation kicks off with never-before-seen footage from upcoming Kamen Rider Dragon Knight episodes, followed by a panel session featuring stars Stephen Lunsford (Kit/Kamen Rider Dragon Knight), Matt Mullins (Len/Kamen Rider Wing Knight), Yvonne Arias (Maya), Scott Bailey (JTC/Kamen Rider Strike), William O’Leary (General Xaviax) and members of the series’ award-winning creative team including directors Steve and Mike Wang. The event closes with an audience Q&A and a raffle drawing awarding 200 Bandai bags including action figures from the eagerly anticipated Kamen Rider toy line and Kamen Rider packs that include a backpack, cap, and t-shirt. All in attendance will be able to take home a Comic-Con exclusive Kamen Rider Dragon Knight poster. In addition, Riders Dragon Knight and Wing Knight will make a special appearance in full Kamen Rider gear for photo ops. Fans will also have the chance to meet the cast and get signed “Advent Card” photo cards and Comic-Con exclusive posters during an autograph session with the cast taking place from 1-2pm in the autograph area of the convention.

Produced by leading Japanese entertainment studio Adness Entertainment, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight follows the heroic adventures of teenager Kit Taylor, who discovers a mysterious deck of Advent Cards that grant him the power to transform into an ancient armored warrior called a Kamen Rider. He joins his comrade, Kamen Rider Wing Knight, to battle the alien renegade warlord, General Xaviax, and his army in both the real world and an alternate reality called Ventara, or the Mirror World.

Whereas the toy representing the original Japanese character, Kamen Rider Zolda (Russian for “soldier” or “mercenary”), may have been better articulated, for a redesign this one isn’t too bad.

This toy appears here courtesy of Bandai America.

. . .

Ventara is an alternate dimension that exists behind all mirrors. For everything that exists on Earth, there is a copy of it on Ventara as well, and more. The alien General Xaviax invaded Ventara and began a war to conquer it. To defend themselves, the Ventarans created twelve armored superheroes, the Kamen Riders, who use individual Advent Deck cards to command powerful Contract Beasts for attack and defense. Xaviax defeated all but one of the Kamen Riders and stole their Advent Decks, eventually conquering Ventara as well. Unfortunately, because the Ventaran Riders had all been defeated & Vented (banished forever into the Advent Void), Xaviax had to find the genetic equivalents on Earth since the Advent Decks were DNA-locked. Finding specific humans on Earth, Xaviax disguises himself as a different person each time, and tricks them into serving him. One Advent Deck, however, fell into the hands of a young man on Earth whom Xaviax did not choose, named Kit Taylor. Working together with Len, the mysterious original Kamen Rider Wing Knight, Kit reluctantly uses his own Advent Deck to become Kamen Rider Dragon Knight in order to find his disappeared father, and stop General Xaviax and the ten other corrupted & selfish Kamen Riders from conquering Earth.

. . .

“Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” is based on the original TV series, “Kamen Rider Ryuki” (仮面ライダー龍騎, literally "Masked Rider Dragon-knight"), which aired in 2002 as part of the long running Kamen Rider franchise in Japan. It is produced by newcomer Adness Entertainment, Ltd. in close association with Ishimori Production, Inc. and Toei Company, Ldt. [both of which make the original tokusatsu franchise].

Even though Bandai is making the toys for “…Dragon Knight”, they are all completely new remolds from those that they originally released during “…Ryuki”, and so they will all differ in size, features, and materials from their Japanese counterparts.

Drew Lansing first appeared in Episode 4- “A Rider's Challenge”, but is formally introduced in Epsiode 5- "The Power of Two". He is a con-artist on Earth who was recruited by Xaviax to convert other Riders for him. Because he was under threat for his crimes on Earth, Xaviax held that against him to insure his loyalty. If Drew served faithfully, he would become a general in Xaviax’s army after he had conquered Earth. One of his first assignments was to trick newcomer Kit Taylor into thinking that the last surviving Ventaran, Kamen Rider Wing Knight, was actually the enemy of Earth, and that Xaviax was in fact trying to help them all.

As the green & silver-colored Kamen Rider Torque, Drew draws on the power of his Contract Monster- a slow but heavily armed minotaur called Magnugiga. Some of his Advent Card attacks include Launch Vent and Shoot Vent, which use pieces of Magnugiga to form larger-sized projectile weapons for Kamen Rider Torque. To activate his Advent Deck cards, he slides them into his hand-held Magnuvisor blaster gun.

Drew Lansing is played by actor Christopher Foley.

This figure is 4” tall, and is composed of green, silver, & black ABS plastic with minor amounts of PVC plastic. The key to all of the Kamen Riders’ powers, the Advent Deck, is located faithfully on the front of his silver belt, with Torque’s uniquely-identifying golden minotaur head on it. As with all Ventaran-built Kamen Riders, Torque has several circular mounting points across his armor at his shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and knees. What is nice, though, is that the paint apps do not end half-way around the figure- he has silver and black appearing on the back of his torso, lower legs & arms, and remains as faithful as possible to the appearance of Torque on-screen. While his green suit is form-fitting, there are lines of wrinkles & light armored straps, which add to the texture of the surface details as much as his silver armor does. Like all Kamen Riders, his eyes are hidden behind a narrow grille visor. Torque’s helmet specifically has more mechanical features like a chin guard, gears & bolts, and four small & narrow antennae, giving him a more utilitarian- almost militaristic- look than most of the other Kamen Riders. Surprisingly, the figure’s proportions are reasonably accurate, with perhaps only the front of his chest and his shoulder guards being a bit off, but those are very minor complaints.

Kamen Rider Torque’s personalized Advent Card reader is his tiny PVC Magnuvisor blaster gun. Though it obviously cannot open up because of its small size, it is sufficiently detailed. He can attach it only to his right hip, but can hold it in both hands easily.

. . .

For a 4” figure, Kamen Rider Torque is sufficiently poseable. Free-turning single-axis joints are in his shoulders, wrists, and knees, and there are dual-axis joints in the hips only. Despite being on a ball-and-socket joint, his head can only look side-to-side, with no up-and-down motion. The shoulder armor pads are designed to detach if too much pressure is applied to them and will easily snap back in place. I was surprised that there were no waist and elbow joints (the elbows are slightly bent forward), or dual-axis shoulders, but this is fair enough for a figure this size.

All “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” toys carry a unique Advent Card related to the character they are packaged with. Then, when you purchase the electronic Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Dragvisor role-playing set (#33971, sold separately), you can take the Advent Cards and insert them into it to create one of 15 unique sound effects!

For this set, you get Kamen Rider Torque’s Shoot Vent Advent Card, which deals out 3000 points of damage to any Kamen Rider or Mirror Monster in its path. To use the Shoot Vent card, Torque removes it from his Advent Belt and places it into his Magnuvisor gun. This commands his Contract Beast, Magnugiga, to separate his lower legs to become giant shoulder cannons for Torque which fire huge energy blasts.

(Regretfully though understandably, they did not make a full-sized version of Torque’s Magnuvisor gun, only Dragon Knight’s Dragvisor. So, when I get the Dragvisor, I will demonstrate the Shoot Vent card then.)

The biggest hindrances to posing are in the arms for their lack of outward shoulder movement & poseable elbow, and a swiveling hip joint to turn the legs/feet for more dynamic posing. And yet, they gave him twisting wrists… But, for its size, this is still a good action figure, and can be easily placed along with other collectible 4” characters shown on the packaging- Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, Kamen Rider Wing Knight, Kamen Rider Incisor, and Kamen Rider Camo.

For this figure specifically, the head always seems to be looking slightly up… which is annoying because it’s on a ball-and-socket joint! I suppose that Bandai chose the 4”-format because it allowed them to put greater surface detail into them than a 6” figure could. (Oh, BTW, there are already 6”-versions of only Dragon Knight and Wing Knight with spring-action transformations.) A larger figure would be more to my taste as a collector, but the details on this one makes its rather [proportionately] high price understandable. That alone, in my opinion, makes this figure superior in some ways to Bandai’s more-frequently-seen and older Power Rangers franchise, which is often cluttered with low-grade figures that aren’t seen on-screen or have unappealing features. However, since “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” is appealing to a slightly older audience than the 4-6yrs range that Power Rangers regularly aims for, the craftsmanship and attention to detail becomes more important in the long-run than action features. (Notice that even the Magnuvisor and Advent Belt are painted rather than being left the blank silver of the plastic, yay!) Whereas the toy representing the original Japanese character, Kamen Rider Zolda (Russian for “soldier” or “mercenary”), may have been better articulated, for a redesign this one isn’t too bad. Therefore, I am giving the 4” Kamen Rider Torque action figure a good recommendation.

"POWER PUNCH! NOW KICK! AGAIN-! POWER PUNCH! NOW KICK!"

Oh, my god...

Video review included!

This toy appears here courtesy of Bandai America.

. . .

Three years ago, a dangerous artificial intelligence known as the Venjix virus assaulted Earth’s computers, and shut down all forms of electronic communication, radio & TV broadcasts. Then Venjix proceeded to build an army of human-like robots with which to corral and enslave humanity. Regretfully we lost the war, and Venjix conquered the world. But on the central-eastern edge of Africa, the domed city of Corinth was created and serves as the last safe-haven for any human who can make it within its protective shield. Venjix, however, is ever-watchful of Corinth, and has built strong barriers around the city to prevent more humans from making it safely there… assuming that anyone can find the city to begin with! Whenever a survivor comes to the city, the shield must be lowered and then recharged, and during these times, Venjix sends infiltration units to cause havoc and destroy the city. But fortunately, a new team has been developed by the mysterious-yet-influential Dr. K which can successfully defend the city- the Power Rangers! Armed with powerful Engine Cells, the Rangers can summon both a unique arsenal of weapons & armored suits, and giant Zord Attack Vehicles which stand many stories tall and can create a giant humanoid robot form called a Megazord! Will they be enough to defend Corinth from the terror of Venjix?

. . .

Nitro Blasters are the standard sidearm for Ranger Operators Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, & Black, which clips conveniently to the right side of their belts when not in use. Unless the Engine Cells- which also power the giant Zord Attack Vehicles- is placed inside of them, they cannot be used. Each Nitro Blaster has a second mode of operation, called Nitro Sword.

Blaster Mode

This is how it is stored on the clip-on holster on the Ranger Operators’ belts. In this form, it strongly resembles a gas pump dispenser, which fits in with the vehicle theme that the heroes have in the series. The day-glo orange nozzle is the gun barrel, and has features like fake bendable ribbed sections and a spill-prevention guard; these all, of course, being ABS & PVC plastic as opposed to metal & rubber. (Because of US toy regulations concerning ‘realistic’ gun-shaped toys, the barrel must be this stand-out coloring as opposed to the silver-and-black seen on the show.) The grip is completely solid with no moving parts, and features an On/Off switch fitting on the bottom where a fuel feed tube would attach. However, a smaller functional black trigger is still featured inside the grip. Directly above the grip but part of the overall handle design is a silver-painted molded PR-RPM logo in a notched protrusion on the left side only; this is the mounting point for the belt-mounted holster. The large main section of the toy is molded in black ABS, but is then painted red, white, and blue. On both sides are blue domes which- in the series- expose the Engine Cell in use; however here, they are painted over.

. . .

Typically in this form, the Engine Cells used to power a Nitro Blaster are inserted. Just above the top of the grip is a triangular protrusion. When pulled backwards, a black ABS cartridge holding frame manually swings out from the top. While any Engine Cell from the “PR-RPM” line can be inserted, the Wolf Cruiser Zord Attack Vehicle’s (see below) is provided with the set. The Engine Cell will only fit in sideways, but not pointed up-or-down. Then the holding frame can be pressed back in by you until it locks in place.

Under the grip is a small black switch with three positions. When turned on and you pull the black trigger, it will activate the sound effects within the toy.

The two steps for transforming the Nitro Blaster from Blaster Mode into Sword Mode are very simple, and they can be changed in any order you wish (i.e. they’re not linked together internally):

• There is a small spring-resistant black switch on the left side of the main section that needs to be pushed forward. As you do this, the entire grip free-rotates around diagonally 180°. To lock it in place, simply release the black switch as the grip comes around.
• Under the orange barrel is a gray spring-resistant lever that needs to be pressed. This will free-up the front of the barrel. Then, while pressing the lever, point the barrel downwards, and it will extend itself in three additional sections due to gravity. All of the orange ABS cylinders are independent of each other, and slip in place via friction when extended. To retract them, simply press on the gray lever again, and then press inwards to collapse them down.

Sword Mode

Despite its naming, it is not a sword-like weapon, but rather a long inflexible baton or nightstick... which, on the toy, comes out as a day-glo orange telescoping shaft. (Whereas in the series, the ‘blade’ is light gray and black.) The main section is now positioned upside down diagonally to the grip. The Engine Cell is still fully accessible, in this form, above the black grip.

Almost all “Power Rangers RPM” role-playing and transforming-Zord sets include a unique thin Engine Cell chip. They are very simple ABS accessories that have a decal on one side which has a unique number and coloring to help identify each one. Some Engine Cells are used just for morphing, some for weapons, and others to power the Zords. In the footage of the series, though, the Engine Cell(s) seem much thicker… The one provided with the Nitro Blaster is specifically the Wolf Cruiser’s Engine Cell.

On the bottom of the grip is a small round protrusion with the On/Off switch. It has three positions- “C”, “OFF”, and “ON”.

When switching to C[ommand] Mode, and pressing the trigger, you will hear a male voice say:

• Rangers! Come in, Power Rangers! This is an urgent call!
• We’ve picked-up intense activity along the Arctic Ridge.
• Use extreme caution; this is an advanced mission.
• POWER RANGERS TRAINING: ACTIVATE (mechanical monotone voice)
• Power Punch... now Kick! Again! Power Punch... now Kick!
• That was a close call, Power Rangers.
• I’m glad you’re on the team, young Ranger.

The sound clips will always play in that order. However, you can switch to the next clip by squeezing the trigger immediately rather than waiting for the current clip to end.

Alternatively, when you switch to the ON position, and then squeeze the trigger, you’ll hear a single blaster sound. But when in Sword Mode, you’ll hear metal clash once.

. . .

Now, there’s a surprising trick to the electronic feature that actually goes beyond simply switching the switch on the bottom- something like a ‘security system’. If there is no Engine Cell placed inside... then the trigger can’t be squeezed! While the On/Off switch merely turns the batteries on or off, it has no impact on activating the sounds themselves, which is delegated to the aforementioned trigger.

However, there is a way around it, a way to cheat your way around the locking mechanism, if you wish. Just in case you lose the provided Engine Cell, behind the PR-RPM logo on the left side is a triangular button cleverly molded into the silver-painted plastic. If you press inwards on it, then you can squeeze the trigger without needing an Engine Cell in place first. To re-lock the trigger, there’s a tab on the triangular button which lets you pull it out again, making the toy ‘safe’ again.

For those of you wondering what the differences are between the Nitro Blaster from “Power Rangers RPM”, and its original Japanese counterpart, the Self Henkeiju MantanGun from “Engine Sentai Go-Onger”, it’s a mix-up...

In short, they are two completely different toys. But, surprisingly, they have similarities in how they function. While the Rangers’ standard sidearm- and most role-playing sets- are usually completely different in order to make them cheaper to produce (and thus, to buy), they usually lack functions, movement, materials, or other details from their Japanese counterparts. In this case, the biggest changes were to the-

• Light-and-sound feature: The MantanGun uses removable Engine Soul cartridges all have unique built-in sound effects, whereas the Americanized Engine Cells are tiny discs with no electronics and the toy they are placed into has the electronic feature. Indeed, how to place an Engine Soul/Cell into the toy(s) is different as well. Whereas the MantanGun has a spring-powered frame that flips out on its own from the top of the toy, you have to manually pull out the Nitro Blaster’s frame from above the grip; this is to prevent [fragile] American kids from pinching their fingers. (On top of the latter, there is a non-moving red projection which mimics the moving one on top of the MantanGun!)
  • Oh, yeah- the MantanGun didn’t have a “Command Mode” switch for additional sound effects.
• Barrel: Other than the required day-glo orange, the Nitro Blaster’s barrel extends like a telescope in three sections, and has a large lock on the bottom which must be pulled out of the way. Whereas on the MantanGun, the two-section barrel is dull-silver & black, and can be freely extended/retracted, and snaps into place on its own.
  • The Nitro Sword’s ‘blade’ makes it about 4” longer total than the MantanGun’s Rod Mode. However, in Nitro Blaster and Gun Mode, they are about the same size.
• Grip: Whereas the MantanGun intentionally mimics a gas pump dispenser, the Nitro Blaster- though appearing the same- is downplayed as such. Therefore, as a gas dispenser does, the MantanGun has a large silver handle in the middle of the grip, though it did not move. As was a frequent complaint, the silver lever on the Japanese toy left little room for fingers to slide in. Therefore, the grip on the Nitro Blaster had the lever removed.

Okay, I’ll get this out of the way right now- the day-glo orange doesn't exactly kill me, but it is very distracting. And that stupid lock underneath too. No matter how hard I flick my wrist with the MantanGun, I can’t get it to fly open on its own; it stays solidly in place. Why, then, did Bandai Creation feel the need to have an external lock on the toy when an internal one would have been fine? Granted, the whole telescoping lightsaber-like blade is a cool feature, and the barrel does more-or-less look physically like the ones in the show. Next, having built-in sound effects was good, but that Command Mode is painful- just painful!- to listen to. I can only imagine kids across America getting grounded for a week for giving their kid sister a Power Punch and Kick! because their toy told them to. This thing will be returned to the store for that very reason faster than you can say “That was a close call, Power Rangers”. And then Bandai America wonders why parents don’t buy them Power Rangers toys to begin with! Oh, and this is my favorite part right here: they create this great little gimmick which requires you to insert an Engine Cell into it in order to pull the trigger... and then turn around and ruin it by having that cheat button on the side! Clearly they don’t expect you to hang on to those tiny Engine Cell chips for long, but still want you to be able to heard it audibly pat you on the back for giving your sister a Power Punch and Kick!. Ugh- baka... So, basically the only plus side of getting this toy over the MantanGun is the telescoping blade, and that there’s more room for your fat collector’s fingers to fit ‘round the grip. Oh, and you get the Wolf Cruiser’s Engine Cell for use on the Deluxe-sized transforming Valve-Max Megazord set. Beyond that, the Nitro Blaster is “meh”.