Yatter Wan (Wan-Wan being an Onomatopoeia for a dog “bark”) is a large, sentient, dog-shaped mecha originally designed as a rescue device. It now battles the Dorombo gang in their quest to obtain the Skull Rings. The two main characters of Yatterman – Gan-chan and Ai-chan, hang onto the side of Yatter-Wan when in transit.

HD video review included

Yatterman is a classic cartoon from the 70s that has been re-imagined twice in recent years. First, there was the re-launched animated series in 2008 and then the live action movie in 2009. While the live action move is a radical shift from the classic designs, the 2008 animated series retains the look of the original. It is from this remake that the subject of today’s review originates.

The mecha designs in Yatterman are childlike and fun, each a mechanical mish-mash between zoo animal and mecha. The vintage gokin of these toys are instant fun classics, but their cute design makes them not for everyone’s tastes.

Yatter Wan (Wan-Wan being an Onomatopoeia for a dog “bark”) is a large, sentient, dog-shaped mecha originally designed as a rescue device. It now battles the Dorombo gang in their quest to obtain the Skull Rings. The two main characters of Yatterman – Gan-chan and Ai-chan, hang onto the side of Yatter-Wan when in transit.

If this all seems kind of silly – it is. It’s a modern-day Wacky Races, combined with Pokemon. Due to the child-like nature of the show, the merchandise related to the 2008 remake is very much targeted to kids, which is a very good thing.

TakaraTomy’s DX Yatter-Wan is the first in a series of DX toys that are compatible with other toys from the Yatterman series. The common gimmick that binds all these toys together are these small figures called Bikkuri-Dokkiri Mecha. The small figures can be bought in sets and used with any of the vehicles and playsets in the line.

Yatter-Wan is big, about 10 inches tall and is made out of sturdy durable plastic. Very little assembly is required out of the box, and the toy needs no batteries or decals.

So what does it DO?

The main gimmick here is the interaction with the Bikkuri-Dokkiri Mecha. To use this play feature, first the mecha must be loaded into the back of the Yatter-Wan by an opening door on its back.

The Mecha are small rubber figures that attach to a base with a metal ball in the middle. The ball enables the base to roll across the floor, and provide some weight. In this case three rubber Mecha and bases are provided but others can be purchased separately.

One the Mecha is loaded, you then turn the center section forward about 90 degrees and then open the mouth and extend the launch ramp. The attached ramp is kind of small, so a larger ramp is included that just snaps on to the existing one.

With a firm grip, pull the tail down and you will hear a cranking noise. Pull a few more times and eventually the Bikkuri-Dokkiri Mecha will launch down the ramp and zoom across the floor, one after another.

Video Review

It’s pretty fun and ingenious, but on its own, that’s all it does. Kids will launch them over and over, but adult collectors will want more.

To get more, of course, you have to buy more. TakaraTomy released PVC figures of Gan-chan and Ai-chan pre-posed to hang off of the sides of Yatter-Wan – of course these are sold separately. In addition, the Yatter-Wan can combine with the DX Yatter Pelican to create an even bigger mech. Unfortunately I don’t have the Yatter Pelican but I will soon change that.

The TakaraTomy DX Yatter-Wan is a fun toy, and it looks great. As a display piece it’s a great tribute to the classic design and as a toy its fun to play with. What more could you ask for?

Bonus vid: an actual japanese kid playing with the DX Yatter-Wan

3 releases are scheduled for late January from Takara-Tomy's Zoids line. They are as follows:

ZOIDS RCZ Crimson Horn ¥5,250

ZOID ANIME 10th EDITION Iron Kong ¥6,825

ZOID RCZ Tiger Gods ¥3,780

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Giant Fish Robot thing is somehow strangely appealing!

Due out tomorrow 11/20/08 for 7,140yen.

YM-DX03 Yattaman DX Ankou. Look at all the gimmicks!

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From TakaraTomy, due 12/08

From TakaraTomy, due 12/08 for 4,200 yen.

Also, due 01/09 - ZOIDS RCZ Crimson Horn

New Zoids out 11/08 - ZOIDS RCZ-6 GURANTULA

New Zoids out 11/08 - ZOIDS RCZ-6 GURANTULA 2,940 yen.

An unholy union... what have they done?

In one way this should come as no surprise. TakaraTomy has been taking transformers into some odd territory. Kiss players? Hasbro's Star Wars Transformers, and now ... Mickey Mouse.

Due Feb 09 for 3,800 yen.

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This kind of toy belongs on your shelf. I keep mine in vehicle mode. The children lust after it, and I hit them away with sticks and I shout "away children, this is not for you!"

It's that cool.

I have a confession to make. This is my first Binaltech. Indeed, I had some Alternators, but never an original JP version. What a fool I was.

Was there always this much metal in the Binaltech? This toy makes me want to sell all my alternators and go out and replace them with the Binaltech version.

BT-22 Convoy feat. Dodge Ram SRT-10 is the latest Binaltech figure from TakaraTomy. It's basically the same as Alternators Optimus Prime, but this time its all METAL.

Convoy comes courtesy of Anime-Export.com

Lets start off with Vehicle mode.

Convoy is a Dodge Ram SRT-10 Pickup truck. It's a heavy duty machine with a dodge viper engine in it. To say this thing hauls ass would be an understatement. So it is a fitting truck form for Convoy.

Most of the outer covering is metal. The only exceptions are the roof and part of the hood. The wheels are rubber and the front wheels turn in tandem.

The doors open as well as the hood and tailgate. It is here where I experience my first displeasure with the toy. The door falls off. Nothing is broken, it just does not stay. It is best to leave it off for transformation.

The door being off provides a good look into the detail inside the vehicle. Each gauge is meticulously detailed.

Transformation is an enjoyable experience. The metal provides satisfactory tactile experience. Things go clank and clang. Things go click and clack.

Watch the video. Then return.

In vehicle mode, Convoy looks impressive. His legs are largely metal, and articulation is sufficient. The hip joints are rather loose. It is unfortunate. A blight on an otherwise stellar design.

Well, that and the door.

The engine of the Dodge can transform into a small weapon. Hardly a fitting weapon for an autobot commander. The peg on the handle fits into the hole in the palm of the hand.

The head rotates, the arms move. The doors get in the way a bit. Convoy looks great from the front, but from the back it is a jumbled mess. Best not to look at it from that angle.

They say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The whole of convoy is metal, heavy, clanking, rubber tires, intricate yet detailed. The door kind of sucks, but when taken into consideration against the rest of convoy, it is a minor annoyance.

This kind of toy belongs on your shelf. I keep mine in vehicle mode. The children lust after it, and I hit them away with sticks and I shout "away children, this is not for you!"

It's that cool.

Should you want to partake in the cool that is the BT-22 Convoy feat. Dodge Ram SRT-10, you can order yours at Anime-Export.com
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This 1/6 scale space invaders video game table is actually a bank that electronically counts yen.

How awesome is this? What I wouldn't give for a line of 1/6 scale replica arcade machines.

This 1/6 scale space invaders video game table is actually a bank that electronically counts yen.

The table takes 100 yen coins, and can take up to 80 of them. Each time a 100 yen coin is inserted the LCD lights up and counts the number of coins inside. Brilliant!

From TakaraTomy - due March 2009 for 5,500 yen.

Size: W 200 * H 105 * D 95 mm

GENX CORE is a 1/6 scale body type used by TakaraTomy for high-end figures.

GENX CORE is a 1/6 scale body type used by TakaraTomy for high-end figures. This figure is I THINK the armor design used in Kerberos & Tachiguishi. I could be wrong though, please correct me if that is the case.

This figure is about 12" tall and likely to be SUPER limited. due 02/09 for 20,790yen.