Having already reviewed Fire Dagwon, Power Dagwon, Lian and Gunkid from Sonokong re-issue of Brave Command Dagwon series toys. I figured I would give you a short, mostly pictorial review of what all the figures together transform into..... Get ready for Super Fire Dagwon!

Having already reviewed all the figures in the picture below, Fire Dagwon, Power Dagwon, Lian and Gunkid from Sonokong re-issue of Brave Command Dagwon series toys. I figured I would give you a short, mostly pictorial review of what all the figures together transform into..... Get ready for Super Fire Dagwon!

Please check out the video below. The actual toy transformation is very close to the video.

Here is the impressively huge Super Fire Dagwon standing nearly 15" tall! Not only is the figure tall, it is very heavy, at a little over 3 lbs of quality plastic.

You may recognize Super Fire Dagwons headpiece as the chest piece from Power Dagwon. This is an example of what I really like about the design of Brave Series toys, almost all parts have a place and purpose when transforming.

Articulation of this figure is very good considering its blocky design. Articulation can be found in the shoulders, elbows and the hands can rotate, Oh and lets not forget the articulation in the massive crane arm. Even though this figure does have decent movement, for the most part it is what I would consider a "static pose" figure, due to its size and weight.

The final combination of Super Fire Dagwon with Lian and Gunkid is really "busy" as you can see below. I don't think that he would be able to battle too well in this mode...LOL. He is very overloaded in this mode and weighs in at a staggering 5.5 lbs!

I feel that Super Fire Dagwon is possibly one of the best of all the combined Brave Series Robots. Well, maybe the second best.... I really like Great Goldran but I'll cover that later. If you dig this figure as much as I do, please check out Big Bad Toy Store to get your own!

I know I have been reviewing alot of SonoKong/Takara Brave Series toys as of lately, and I have many more to do. Some of you may ask, so what are you going to review after the Brave Series figures are all covered? Well, I am glad you asked this question........

I know I have been reviewing alot of Brave Series toys as of lately, and I have many more to do. Some of you may ask, so what are you going to review after the Brave Series figures are all covered? Well, I am glad you asked this question. I am going to give you a sorta pre-review of the next toy line that I am going to bring you. The toy line I am speaking of is Eldran.

To sum this up, Eldran is the toy line launched by Takara Tomy after the Brave Series franchise was already well established. Some of the more well know characters from this series are Raijin Oh and God Raijin Oh which JoshB just reviewed.

Today I will be reviewing Go-Saurer from the anime Nekketsu Saikyo Go-Saurer. Go-Saurer is the main mecha character that is made from the combination of 3 mecha dinosaurs, Mach Ptera, Land Stego and Thunder Brachio. These 3 mecha dinosaurs can also form Saurer Jet, which is basically a transportation mode that has some defensive capabilities.

The sample for today's review was provided graciously by our friend Jeff Stein over at High End Transformers. Please check them out or just click on the Ebay link at the bottom of the page for a direct link to the item reviewed today.

To start off with, Go-Saurer comes to you in a beautifully illustrated, heavy corrugated cardboard box shown below. Even though this toy is Takara/Tomy, the box is very similar to the packaging used by Sonokong in the past Brave Series re-issues I have reviewed. The only real difference is that the flimsy plastic inside tray is replaced with an even cheaper feeling flimsier cardboard insert.

I will begin now showing you the 3 mecha dinosaurs that make up Go-Saurer. The photo below shows all the components that make up Go-Saurer in their dinosaur alternate mode. From left to right is Land Stego (red dino), Mach Ptera (blue dino), and Thunder Brachio (white dino). Each figure is comprised of quality ABS plastic as well as flexible PVC. The construction is light but very sturdy allowing years of play.

First up, Mach Ptera, the blue mecha pterodactyl that makes up Go-Saurer's arms and wings when in robot mode. Mach Ptera is the largest of the 3 mecha dinos with a wingspan of nearly 17 inches! The figure has articulation in the wings, legs, and neck. Notice the light blue clear plastic pilots cockpit. You can almost make out a pilots seat.

Moving along we have Land Stego, which is the red mecha stegosaurus that makes up the head and torso of Go-Saurer. This part of the team has very little articulation with only minor movement is the legs and adjustable lasers mounts on its tail. As with Mach Ptera above, Land Stego also features a light blue clear plastic pilots cockpit canopy.

Lastly, we have Thunder Thunder Brachio, which is the white mecha brachiosaurus that makes up the legs of Go-Saurer.. Thunder Brachio features articulation in its legs and tail as well as the jaw and the cannons mounted on it back. Like the rest of the team above, it has the visible cockpit canopy.

Before I get into this group of mecha dinos ultimate form I want to show you the very cool alternate Saurer Jet mode. In this mode, all the parts come together to make the impressive jet you see below. In this mode Land Stego's tail becomes the front fuselage and cockpit but all other components remain in the same place they would be in the ultimate form of Go-Saurer. Notice how this mode has a very Gundam like appearance. It reminds me of Gundam Wing or a Gundam Wave Rider.

Finally, all these above dino's can combine to make the very impressive Go-Saurer! As you can see below, Go-Saurer includes a sword and a shield. You may notice that the shield is made from the back of Land Stego.

In this mode Go-Saurer stands approximately 10 inches from head to toe and features articulation in the wings, shoulders, elbows, and oddly enough in the knees. Go-Saurer is able to have the wings opened or closed. I prefer them closed. I think its just looks more proportioned that way.

As you can see, Go-Saurer is able to wield the included sword and shield for battle. Again you may note that the color scheme of this figure looks very Gundam-ish with the combo of the red, white, blue and yellow. On a side note, this is a re-issue, the original figure had gold chome in place of the yellow parts.

In conclusion, I feel that Go-Saurer is a great toy and I am very happy to display it with it's other Brave Series brethren. The figure is fun and is well made, these factors are 2 of the most important things to me when I evaluate any toy. The only thing that I would wish to change about this figure is possibly adding a firing gimmick and maybe a little more articulation. Even without those extra gimmicks, the figure still remains fun, making it a must have for a Brave Series fan like myself.

In the spirit of this month being Halloween......Pure evil has rolled into CollectionDX, and its name is Christine! Wow, that sorta rhymes.....

Pure evil has rolled into CollectionDX, and it`s name is Christine.

OK fans it's almost Halloween and I wanted to bring you readers something a little different than the usual monsters or robots we cover. Since most robot collectors love toys made out of die-cast or as you robot guys say, chogokins. I thought to myself...What would be more perfect than the mechanical monstrosity like Christine done in die-cast?

Before I get to the actual toy. I would like you to check out the trailer below, so you can get a feel for the car. For those who have never seen the movie, you may be scouring your local Walmart looking for a copy.

A 1958 Plymouth Fury is the star of the movie "Christine". Nothing in movie history can compare to one of the scariest automobile`s to ever kill and maim on the big screen. I know what you may be thinking.... C'mon, "The Car" cant even touch Christine! Could Stephen King have come up with a more fitting car to use, then a Plymouth Fury? Fury means to be angry, intense, violent. How perfect!

I am going to omit the details of what exactly happens (for those who have not seen the movie). The car Christine, comes to be it`s evil self on the assembly line in 1957 as a 1958 model Plymouth Fury sport. She came equipped with a 350 c.i. Golden Commando engine, This engine was a powerhouse for the time. With dual 4 barrel carburetors, dual exhaust and backed up to a heavy duty Torqueflite automatic 3 speed transmission. Lets just say that this car could lay down some major rubber for such a large vehicle.

Christine was originally purchased by Roland Lebay in 1957. Due to Roland's death, his brother George is left with the burden of trying to sell this monster. Luckily, George is approached by a young nerd named Arnie Cunningham. Arnie want`s to buy the car and fix it up. During the process of fixing Christine there begins a evil obsession between Arnie and Christine.

Any one who wishes harm upon Arnie, like Buddy Repperton and his gang, will pay with there life. Like being crushed to death or run over buy a burning Christine. I love when Christine wants to punish people. First the windows go black and then the 4 headlight`s blaze like hell`s fury (forgive the pun).

During the shooting for this movie they had around 26 cars, 16 were used, 8 were for parts. the cars used were mostly Plymouth Savoys and Belvederes, of the 26 cars used, 3 cars have survived and the rest are scrap.

Any one who has seen the movie has to admit that one of the most awesome scenes happened when Arnie found his car after Repperton and his gang destroyed it inside Darnell's garage.......... So Arnie shows up at Darnell's garage after hours and finds out his car is demolished right down to the engines air cleaners being crushed. He is totally distraught. He begins to walk away and hears metal un-wrinkling and looks back at the car to see the engine is in perfect shape. He then stands there with a smile on his face and says "okay show me". Headlights blaze and Christine begins the transformation back to new and beautiful. I love this scene! Check it out below.

Enough about the movie, lets get down to the 1/18 scale die-cast Christine I have in front of me.

Christine is manufactured by Ertl, and made out of die cast metal, plastic, PVC, and synthetic rubber. Christine Weighs in at a hefty 2.9 lbs! Man, this car is heavy and very well built!

I'm very pleased with the chrome trim that adorns the car. I also love the quality of the paintwork. The color red really goes nice with the chrome trim and white roof.

Christine is highly detailed and loaded with features like the blacked out windows the car gets in evil mode. Other features are a opening hood that reveals the 350 golden commando engine in high detail, opening doors, allowing viewing of the detailed interior with working steering and moving bench seat. Also the trunk opens up to show a spare tire and accurate trunk lining (sorry, not shown in pics).

This car looks great from any angle, even the undercarriage is very accurate.

Last but not least the headlights light up and look sick!!!

So, in conclusion, Anyone who loves the movie Christine, or is a gear head should really have this car. Trust me, It really makes a great addition to any collection. Just picture Christine next to a Takara 1/18 Strikedog. Who would you bet on?

The large scale Gundam Exia represents what I feel is a sorely under appreciated area of Gundam plastic models.

I've had a rather long love affair with Gundam plastic kits (Gunpla). I've been building them since I was a wee lad but I've never been that good at it. I've built everything from the old glue and paint kits to modern Perfect Grade kits. Sometimes I like to keep it simple, and here's where Bandai's 1/60 scale High Grade Gundam Exia comes in. The notion of a High Grade level kit of this size is nothing new. This was done starting with Victory Gundam way back in 1993 and continued through G Gundam and Gundam Wing. Unfortunately, these models reflected the High Grades kits of the time. The amazing engineering present in current models just wasn't there. Everything was crude and full of obnoxious balljoints that could never hold a pose at 1/144th scale let alone 1/60th scale. Fast forward to the SEED era, where a few years of High Grade Universal Century kits and better Perfect Grade kits have yielded many improvements to the design process of large Gunpla. As such, Bandai revived the line of 1/60 scale High Grade kits with the release of a Strike Gundam and Freedom Gundam. While I do enjoy a good Perfect Grade kit, there's something inviting about building these big High Grades. They are very much made for beginners and experienced builders alike with full color manuals and many hidden seam lines. I love the Gundam Exia, so this kit was a definite buy for me.

This Exia is big. Really big, like you may think your Master Grade Nu Gundam is big but that's just peanuts compared to Exia. Easily a foot tall, Exia looks ready for battle right after assembly. The kit consists of 16 parts trees and is very similar to a typical modern High Grade 1/100 kit. One nice thing about a kit this size is that most of the large areas are made from separate parts so little detail painting is required. The GN Particle transmission cables (those lilac panels) are made from a rubbery material that slides between the arm and leg parts. My kit has not been painted in any way.

One area that could have benefited from a few extra parts would be the shield portion of the GN Sword. It has a few gray pieces that could have cast as separate parts, however the size of the kit makes painting them easy. The blade itself is missing some light gray details and there are no stickers provided for these details.

One thing I appricate about this kit over the HCM Pro toy is how easy it is to outfit Exia with all of its weapons. The arm weapons plug in very smoothly and the GN Long and Short Blades are attached via two extension pieces that plug into the hips. You have to simply move the white hip caps and replace them with the mounting parts. The mounting parts may also accept the white hip caps to complete the illusion of extending mounts. These mounts can rotate a full 360 degrees so as not to impede leg articulation when the blades are attached. The GN Drive cone on the back uses a combination of clear parts and green stickers to replicate the GN Particle generation effect.

The details for the chest are provided by a set of paper stickers sandwiched under a clear cap. Each of the GN Capacitors found on Exia's knees and elbows have this same decal setup. Exia's shoulders have a compound joint which allow the figure to shrug its shoulders up and down as well as swing them back and forth a bit. Sadly, Exia's waist joint is a simple peg and hole joint but it serves the figure well enough. In fact, Exia has very few balljoints. There is one in each ankle, two for the hips, two for the wrists, and one for the neck. The rest of the joints are all peg and hole style, which generally last a lot longer than polycap balljoints.

This kit is large enough to feature a simple opening cockpit gimmick complete with a miniature Setsuna F. Seiei. The kit's fingers can open and close with the index finger being separate from the other three.

As a large scale High Grade kit, Exia is simple and fun to pose.

At 1/60th scale, the GN Sword is about the size of a dinner knife.

The kit's joints are nice and stiff. Exia can even hold its massive blade parallel to the ground. The kit is also very stable even when hefting its massive blade.

"My name is Setsuna F. Seiei. You killed my comrades, prepare to die."

When the GN Sword can't cut it (its a dull blade sadly), Exia can reach for its twin GN Blades.

Each of Exia's weapons have two slots which plug into rectangular pegs in each palm. The kit's fingers are stiff enough to hold its weapons without these pegs.

After the GN Blades, comes Exia's four GN Beam Sabers. One is mounted on the back of each shoulder pauldron.

Exia comes with two full sized beam blades and two dagger sized blades. These are interchangeable among the four saber hilts.

Exia often uses its aft mounted blades as throwing knives. These are mounted on double hinged joints for easy access in battle.

Up close you can see the stick detail for the wrist mounted GN Vulcans. The sticker does an alright job, but again the size of this kit makes painting these little details so much easier.

Fresh off the assembly line, the large Exia kit compares well with its smaller toy counterpart in terms of detail.

At 1/60th scale, Exia is a true diplomat to other robots of this size. It is always forging alliances...

... and making friendships.

At the end of the day, the big Exia is just good simple fun. Sure a Perfect Grade kit will give you unparalleled detail, but there's something to be said about straightforward High Grade. My only lament is during Bandai's initial preview of Gundam 00 merchandise they had mock-ups of all four first season Gundams in 1/60th scale. What an awesome sight it would have been to have all four Gundams in this size. Regardless, Bandai's 1/60th scale Gundam Exia is a great kit for newbies and experienced modelers alike.

Exia, Setsuna F. Seiei: eliminating the enemy!

At of the end of my mini HCM Pro Gundam 00 countdown we find the Gundam Exia. Said to be the symbol of the entire series, Exia represents a blend of the familiar Gundam motif with a unique styling and some awesome weapons. This palm-sized figure is ready to lead your own group of tiny Gundams!

The Exia figure meets all standards for an HCM Pro toy. It is small, highly detailed, and sturdy. Being the first Gundam 00 figure in the HCM Pro line, Exia is fortunate enough to have had no further developments in terms of weapons so everything it has ever used in the show is present on this toy.

Exia is known as the Gundam with Seven Swords. From the rear you can clearly see its four beam sabers, one long sword, one short sword, and Exia's signature GN Sword or as I like to call it, the giant switchblade. The beam sabers are easy enough to plug in and remove but the small swords take some extra parts. Exia is meant to have a pair of mounting points on its hip that extend out to holster the swords. On this figure Bandai went with two sets of out thigh pieces, one with the mounts extended and one with the mounts retracted. I would suggest plugging the swords into the mount before attach the thigh parts to the leg as it can be difficult to do so with the thigh part already attached.

When not in use, the GN Sword has a small beam gun under the hilt.

As you can see, the figure has no problems hefting its gigantic blade over its head. The GN Sword is secured via a forearm bracket and the handle of the beam gun which are connected together with the shield structure on the exterior of the blade. Once its attached, the GN Sword is rock solid.

Both the handle and forearm bracket are meant to allow the GN Sword to tilt upward for a little more finesse. Exercise some caution when moving the gun handle. The Exia I received had a defective handle that was fixed in place. I had to wait for a replacement because the handle almost broke off when I tried to move it. The Exia itself is a well articulated figure, featuring all the standard joints plus a few extras like extending shoulder blocks and hinged toes.

One complaint I do have about the accessories is that Exia only comes with one saber in sword mode and one in dagger mode. Why couldn't they just include at least two of each? I suppose if you own Exia, they expect that you are just going to buy the other three Gundams so you should have no shortage of beam sabers.

Exia's twin swords are both nicely detailed weapons and fit snugly in the figure's hands.

I must admit I wasn't too sure how to pose Exia with its twin blades.

Probably the most notable inclusion in this set is the special display base. Looking very much like a K'Nex set, this base comes with several connector pieces and extension bars to allow you to display your HCM Pro figures as if they were flying. The level of foresight on Bandai's part is amazing since while not all HCM Pros can use this stand, a large number of first run figures are compatible. These include the RX-78-2 Gundam, the Zaku IIs, the Gelgoogs, and many others. Strangely, Gundam Dynames is not compatible with this stand.

Together the four Gundams make an impressive display. The main stand coupled with the parts from Kyrios allow the Gundams to huddle together, each doing what they do best. At the end of this journey, if you're a fan of Gundam 00 or if you like HCM Pro figures in general, these guys are the way to go.

Created in loving memory of Katie Johnson, Hasbro and Lucasfilm are proud to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation

I love Star Wars, but my favorite thing about the movies and toys is the little astromech, R2-D2. I grab one every time I come across a new version or color scheme. That being said, I came across this pink astromech at Josh's house and it is by far my favorite.

I love this one because of the meaning behind it. I picked up its packaging and this is what it read...

R2-KT was created in 2005 to honor Katie Johnson, a very special little girl who tragically passed away from brain cancer on August 9, 2005 at the age of seven.

Her Father, Albin Johnson, is the founder of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming fan club that performs charity work around the world. Katie had a special wish: to visit Walt Disney World.

Through the generosity of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Katie's wish was granted.Then one more special dream came true. Katie's sister, Allie, was inspired one day while watching Attack of the Clones, in which R2-D2 watches over the sleeping Padme. Allie thought how great it would be if Artoo could watch over Katie as she underwent treatment, and for the droid to be named "KT" after her sister. The R2 Builder's Club made Allie's idea a reality by creating a unique R2 unit especially for Katie. The 501st Legion approached Hasbro with the idea of producing a figure to commemorate R2-KT.

This inspired Hasbro and Lucasfilm to help make more wishes come true for children like Katie. Hasbro and Lucasfilm together are donating $100,000 in Katie's memory to the Make-A-Wish Foundations of South Carolina and San Diego.

Dynames, Lockon Stratos: Sniping the target!

Gundam Dynames is easily the most straightforward of the four Gundams in Gundam 00. Piloted by the expert marksman, Lockon Stratos, it uses a simple beam sniper rifle to peg targets hundreds of kilometers away. Likewise the HCM Pro Dynames is an equally straightforward toy. While it doesn't have all of Dynames's gear, this toy is sturdy and well articulated.

The basic gimmick of Dynames is a set of movable mounting points which can used to attach either its sniper rifle or one of its many shield parts. The rifle itself requires a small adapter piece in order to fit on the shoulder mount, however this piece is so unobtrusive you'll end up just leaving it on.

This figure also comes with Dynames signature shroud. These parts fold over the front of Dynames for defense. They are made of three hinged panels and do not impede the figure's motion. In the series, these are controlled by Lockon's copilot the orange Haro.

In addition to the usual set of optional hands, Dynames come with an optional head to represent the hidden scope under its V-fun. The rifle also comes with two foregrip; one extended and one folded.

Dynames is the most flexible of the the first season Gundams. With its double jointed knees and extra wide feet, Dynames is super stable.

Dynames's rifle also comes with two bipods, both folded and extended. One complaint I do have is that the figure's neck is not flexible enough to have Dynames peering through the scope while prone. Also notice the twin butt thrusters. They are simply threaded on a pair of pegs sticking out of Dynames's rear and can pivot up and down. There is also an unlit beam saber attach to each thruster. The toy comes with one long saber and one short saber. Unfortunately the toy omits the Gundam's akimbo pistols.

Overall Dynames is another winner in the HCM Pro line. Despite the omission of some accessories, Dynames still feels complete just with its sniper rifle. One thing I have noticed is Dynames is downright cheap. Very few stores are selling it as its original price so if you're looking for a cheap thrill with Lockon Stratos, get this toy.

While I may be biased as far as the look of the classic prop, they have very faithfully recreated it to exacting detail, and delivers a great product without breaking anyone’s wallet, and that is impressive!

Video review included!

This toy requires three Triple-A (AAA) batteries and two LR44 batteries to operate the electronic lights-and-sound feature. The AAAs fit into the lower panel of the tricorder, behind a false display on the left side; while the two LR44s fit into the back of the smaller Science Scanner unit.

In the 23rd Century, humanity has become peaceful with itself (eliminating or changing many sicknesses, breaking down political & social barriers, and dissolving conflicting cultures & religion), healed the Earth of its artificially-created wounds, and is now a major race among many extraterrestrial alien civilizations in an intergalactic organization known as the United Federation of Planets. The Federation has an armada of peaceful exploration & colonization starships, space stations, and star bases under the authority of Starfleet Command, which are manned by multi-species crews of the best and brightest.

Starfleet’s flagship, the U.S.S. Enterprise, is a Constitution-class starship currently dispatched on a five year-long solitary mission of deep-space exploration, under the command of Captain James Kirk.

Tricorders are a standard-issue, hand-held multi-use sensor unit regularly used by Starfleet personnel when they are separated from a starship or star base since the early 22nd Century. They provide multi-spectral imaging, measurements on electromagnetic fields & radiation, temperature, long-range motion, geological features & motion, and can detect the life signs of various types of beings, all across several kilometers. For close-range, detailed scanning, a smaller sensor pod can be removed from the lower compartment and passed over the surface in question. To protect the interior instruments and displays from casual damage and wear, tricorders are designed to be compact and covered with small access panels. A convenient shoulder strap is also provided to free-up the user’s hands when not in use.

A portable multi-function sensor which can be held in one hand- even by standards in the early 21st Century- remains an elusive accomplishment. Several companies have tried to make real tricorders that read light, infrared, and other non-invasive effects, but the use of such compact and advanced technology is expensive, and difficult to design & maintain. Typically what happens is that while one sensor may be of use, the others may not. And, certainly, active sensors (where the sensor projects something, like sound or light, to get a reading) are even more difficult to integrate. And so for now, the tricorder (back) remains only a work of science-fiction. But, as we all know, technology is growing by leaps and bounds every day, and so it is only a matter of time before practical hand-held multi-sensor units truly become marketable…

The toy is composed entirely of ABS, with an adjustable-length false-leather strap, and a solid foam grip around the base of the smaller Science Scanner unit. The Science Tricorder replicates in minute and fine detail every aspect of the original prop, and even extrapolates a little on how it functions!

The exterior has a false off-black leather texture, with several featured lines of painted metallic silver along the exterior. The two panel grips are also silver-painted plastic. The strap is ¾”-wide and 50”-long. Both side panels can be removed, and the strap shortened as you wish. With me being 6’ 3”-tall, the top of it hangs just above my navel when it’s extended to full length. It is also long enough that it can be positioned under-the-arm if you wish like they did in the series.

. . .

There are three basic functional sections: the top display and controls, the middle library access section, and the bottom storage compartment.

The top section flips up and backwards 90-degrees to reveal the display screen and control buttons. The display window at left features a single static local-vicinity sensor readout. In this case, it shows the location of the Landing Party (the user and two other individuals), an “Unknown Energy Source”, an “Indeterminate Life form”, and six positively-identified “Life forms”. Along the right side of the screen are environmental status indicators: “Class-M” (i.e. a planet which humans can exist on without need of life-support equipment), a “3.6km” total scanning range, a local temperature of 68°F (odd, considering they always use the metric systems of measurement in “Star Trek”, which would be degrees listed in Celsius), ultraviolet radiation (“low”), and O2 Level (oxygen, “normal”). To the right of the display screen (from the top-down) is the speaker grille, three LED lights, and three push buttons.

The middle section is covered by a panel which flips downwards. To the left are immovable library data discs, while to the right is a circular display that features a moiré pattern. Other than the panel, there are no interactive parts in the middle section.

The bottom section has a larger panel that also flips downwards. There are silver-painted arms on either side of it which intentionally restrict how far the panel opens to less than 45-degrees. However, their grip along the insides is not tight, and you can easily override them to open the panel further. To the left, disguised as a dual cache of more immovable library data discs, is the battery compartment. To the right is a compartment in which to store the Science Scanner. (Unfortunately, the Scanner is not secured in its compartment, and can easily rattle about!)

The Science Scanner (opposite side) is 2 1/2” tall and 1” in diameter. Black foam is wrapped around the back half for an easier grip. There is a black On/Off switch along one side of the silver cylinder.

The electronic display and LEDs will immediately turn on once the top section has been flipped upwards 90-degrees. When they turn on, a short audible chirp will come from the speaker. It will also chirp when the center & left buttons are pressed, and when the lid is closed again. (Does it chirp in the series? Not this frequently, but usually when a button was pushed.)

Inside the battery compartment is a toggle switch which has three positions: Try Me, Off, and Play. It is important to remember to switch it to the Play selection or else the full electronic features won’t activate! But, you are not required to turn it Off; you can close the top lid and everything will shut down. (The Off switch is so that you can display it opened without the lights coming on.)

The Science Tricorder has three sets of effects, all activated from the top section. If no action is taken by you, the center orange LED will blink on and off on its own, with the two blue LEDs remaining constant. Two orange LEDs will always shine behind the sensor display screen no matter what buttons you push. The tricorder will turn all of its lights off automatically after three minutes if you don’t press any of the buttons.

If you push the left button, all three LEDs will turn on in sequence, from left-to-right regularly. This means it is ready for you to close the top section’s lid. When the lid is raised in this mode, the left blue LED will blink with the syllables of the voice, while the orange one blinks normally, and the right blue one stays constant. When you close the lid in this mode, you will get two different reactions:

• It will chirp an alert. When you open the lid, it will chirp again in acknowledgement, and then you will hear the voice of Mr. Spock say, “Captain, tricorder picking very faint life readings approximately 700 meters from here.”
• You will hear the crackle of static. When you open the lid, you will hear Spock first say, “It’s locked onto my tricorder!” Then, you will hear an energy weapon firing and an explosion, followed by Spock remarking, “Very ingenious- they’ve fed-back my own impulses and built up an overload.”

These two effects will always repeat in this order, never repeating until the other has played. You can disable this feature by pressing the button under the blinking blue light again.

. . .

For this next feature, you need both the top section and center panel opened. (This is the typical configuration, by the ways, when it is in use.) Now, if you push the center button, the orange and blue LEDs will alternate on and off the whole time, you will hear the tricorder making a continuous scanning sound, and the moiré pattern in the circular display will activate. All of this will continue until you press the center button again to turn it off.

. . .

If you push the right button, you will hear the voice of Spock say all of the following phrases, the right LED blinking along with the syllables:

• “Captain- impulses that direction. Very weak, possibly a survivor.”
• “Getting another life reading, Captain: azimuth 93°, range 1-5-7-0 yards.” (Is it 157 yards? Or 15.7 yards? He doesn’t specify with a decimal, but… why is he using standard measurements again? One of many inconsistencies with TOS, I assure you.)
• “An alien metal of some kind, an alloy resistant to probe.”
• “Seems to be some disturbance coming from that cave.”
• “How strange… Readings indicate a life-form in the vicinity, apparently human.” [This is also heard in Try Me mode.]
• “Impossible to calculate, we lack data to analyze.”

Now, I don’t know why they don’t mention this in the instructions, but if you keep holding down the right button during a phrase, a second will kick in almost immediately. When that happens you can let go, and all of the phrases will play once automatically, in the order listed above.

The Science Scanner operates independently- it will not affect the Science Tricorder, and vice versa. It does not make any sounds, but when you turn it on, three LEDs (red, green, and blue) will flicker for one second each, followed by three combos of two colors (orange, turquoise, and purple) for one second each, and then quickly flash for three seconds together.

In the interests of fair judgment, I must confess this up front- this was an impulse [power?] buy. I was aware of it while looking up some of the other Star Trek toys that Diamond Select Toys had on their site, but wasn’t really intent on getting one. (I am planning to get a few Enterprises, and one of the TOS phasers.) And while other tricorders in later series were more flashy (literally and figuratively), the black box purse approach from the late-1960s didn’t do it as much for me. However, I am now aware of DST’s reputation for its fine workmanship first-hand (that was never in question as I got this). If it had been the Classic Medical Tricorder (which looks and acts more-or-less the same as this one, but has distinct differences) on the shelf as opposed to this one, I would probably have gone for it as well; either way, I wouldn’t have cared. (I may end up getting the other just for me to compare/contrast in a CDX review!) While obviously more complex compared to the TOS Communicator, it delivers just as powerful a presentation. One of the little details I found, well- fascinating (no pun intended), was that not only did the display screen have rounded corners like a ‘602 TV screen, but the transparent window itself also bulged outwards like the cathode-ray tube TVs of that time! The LEDs behind the screen weren’t as powerful as the ones above the buttons (don’t look directly at them in the dark, seriously- they hurt your eyes!), but you can still see what it is showing. The sounds are also very clear… though listening to that scanning sound makes my ears ring after a few moments! I also suspect that DST sped-up the audio clips of Spock a bit- actor Leonard Nimoy has a deeper voice, but compared to watching the show online or on TV, they seem higher-pitched than one would expect even though it is him saying the lines. The Science Scanner is simple to operate, but I love how they incorporated multiple lights activating at the same times for different colors. (I just wish it didn’t rattle around so much when you simply pick the toy up…) While I wish one-or-two of the library data discs could have been removable, I could see how they might get lost, and would have no real value as far as interaction with this or other TOS toys. While the ‘latch’ on the lower panel is appreciated, it becomes flimsy, but that’s because it allows you to get your hand in there to take out the Scanner and replace the batters easier. Admittedly, I was surprised that, in the toy markets in 21st-century America, they would actually include a false-leather strap that doesn’t pop-off without removing the lock first! So it is no small wonder that the box says this toy is for ages 14-and-up compared to other DST products. While I may be biased as far as the look of the classic prop (which was handled directly by DST’s designers in creating the molds for this replica!), they have very faithfully recreated the Classic Science Tricorder to exacting detail, and delivers a great product without breaking anyone’s wallet, and that is impressive!

Kyrios, Allelujah Haptism: I have control.

The third member of the Gundam 00 team is the requisite transforming Gundam called Kyrios. The dual nature of the Gundam is reflected in the dual personalities of its pilot. The mysterious Allelujah Haptism hides a darker side that makes him the ultimate super soldier. Towards the end of the series, the character and mobile suit became so entwined that it made even skeptics of the design real fans, myself included.

Kyrios, like the other first seasons Gundams of 00 all share a similar aesthetic as they all share a central chest orb (GN Drive) with gray cables connecting each limb to the torso. These cables are represented by gray bars on the arms and legs. My Kyrios unfortunately has a defect on the right thigh. Other than that the paint apps are typical HCM Pro quality. Everything is sharp with little to no overspray or globbing.

Kyrios is a peculiar design to say the least. Its most obvious feature is its sheer depth. Thanks to its large wings, tail, and nose portions, you really wouldn't want to hug Kyrios.

Despite its numerous protrusions, Kyrios is well articulated. It has a full range of movement in its hips and shoulders and even has doubled jointed knees and elbows. The upper torso is mounted on a balljoint although out of the box its snapped down into its fixed position for flight mode. Kyrios comes equipped with one beam machine gun and two beam sabers although I don't recall them ever being used. It even comes with two unlit sabers for storage in the rear skirt armor. Now I have not detached these parts from the runner because on a 1/200 scale toy these are about the size of a grain of rice.

Kyrios's most visible accessory is its shield. This simply snaps onto the back of the arm and it fixed in place.

When Allelujah shifts to his alter ego, Hallelujah (the "H" is important) this defensive tool becomes a wicked claw. In the middle of the claw is a removable spike.

During combat, Hallelujah would run headlong into enemy formations in order to grab and impale his foes. The claw itself can rotate and hinge upward.

This way Kyrios stores its gun for fighter mode has always been weird. You have to attach this bracket to the right arm and detach the gun's handle. This is how its done in the show so I guess I can't complain too much. It's strangely toyetic.

Conversion to fighter mode is fairly easy and almost entirely self contained. You do have to remove the shield spike as there was no room for it to retract on a toy of this size. For the most part, Kyrios makes a pretty sleek space fighter. The included stand is for fighter mode only and can only display the figure horizontally. It doesn't have any built in weapons so it mostly relies on its beam machine gun. Often times during the show it was seen with a large weapons container used for carrying missiles and bombs. I'm not entirely sure why this was omitted from the toy, but I guess Bandai did not want include a hollow plastic box that's as big at the toy itself.

Kyrios's fighter mode has a nice and aggressive look, even from the front. I like the false green window and retractable antenna.

Kyrios looks absolutely ridiculous from the bottom. The sad thing is this is exactly how it looks in the show. Poor Kyrios looks very unhappy like that.

Overall the HCM Pro Kyrios is another real winner. If you're looking for a desktop defender or yet another entry in your HCM Pro army, Kyrios is a great toy right out of the box. My only real complaint is the price, 3000 yen MSRP. Kyrios is just a little too bare bones to really justify that price even with the transformation. I got this toy on sale and I'm quite satisfied with it.

This is one of the very few toys that depict G1 Ultra Magnus when he's not wearing his battle armour. And it's really nice, too.

Ultra Magnus is one of those popular robots, who often appears in the Transformers universe, but, to chagrin of many fans, as a direct redeco of Optimus Prime aka. Convoy. And so he did in the Revoltech line, being a Friendly Shop exclusive. Yes, he's just a repaint. But to do him justice, this is one of the best representations of this character I've ever seen.

Ultra Magnus is often represented as Optimus Prime's twin brother, which gives Hasbro a good excuse to exploit this albino Transformer. Thankfully, this time he is exploited by Kaiyodo, with great results.

There are many armourless toys of this character, but they just don't feel like Generation 1 Ultra Magnus, which this toy depicts. This one not only does, but also is based on his comic appeareance. In the show Magnus never took off his battle suit so that kids don't mistake him for Prime. However, Dreamwave's G1 comics were intended for older fans who had no problem in differing the two.

Ultra Magnus takes a major part in War and Piece story arc in which Earth based TFs return to Cybertron only to find it ruled by Shockwave, Magnus being one of his law enforcers. At one stage of the story, Magnus disagrees with Shockwave on how to handle the Earth Autobots, so Shockwave supposedly beats him to death and leaves to kill Prime. UM survives the encounter at the cost of his armour being destroyed and when he appears to aid Optimus later on, it is revealed that he dons a white copy of Prime's body. And exactly this form of Magnus is represented by this Revoltech.

What can I say, I'm not a great fan of Pat Lee's Transformers, but they fit in the Revoltech line perfectly. Magnus just looks fabulous, he's sharp and definitely has some character. He almost looks alive. Even if this design doesn't immediately suggest his comic persona is capable of actually transforming into a trailer cab, it has some very cool details which make it somewhat more realistic (if you can say so about Lee's way of drawing robots)

And now to show you how big he is (sorry, I didn't have Yotsuba when I took the pictures yet), my Nokia 6120c...yes, that's armoured Ultra Magnus on the screen ^^

I find it quite interesting that this is one of the very few Revoltech that have their arms designed to be bent a bit outwards without the ability to squeeze them any closer to the torso. It's not a tragedy, but this may prove a bit unhandy when trying to do some poses where our Autobot is supposed to hold his hands and arms as close to each other as possible. Also noteworthy, the head and neck are double jointed so they can imitate movements of pidgeon's head :P

Legs are shown just so you can see the nice details applied there. And, they are designed to work with the base of Revoltech stand, if you ever happen to have a spare one.

I must say, I'm quite impressed by the Revoltech joints and how hard it is to tell where the separate pieces begin.

Magnus comes with some accessories, which include an Ion Rifle with rotating handle, and 4 extra hands, which include a pointing hand, an opened one, one to hold the rifle...and some weird looking one.

With his design and accessories, Ultra Magnus can achieve various cool looking poses.

“Um, if I can propose something, let's just blow this planet to tiny little bits and forget about the whole war thing, ok?”

If I didn't knew better, I could almost swear he's trying to copy one of Sailor Moon's poses...

Ok, I think the weird hand thingie needs some explaining. Many Revoltech accessories are designed to interact with other toys from the line, and this one isn't exception. What you want to do is you plug the hand from one side to Magnus and to Prime on the other end, so that they can shake hands like brothers sometimes do. I was almost sorry I didn't have Convoy while taking these pictures (they're about a year old ^^)

Some of you could probably see this coming. They both are action figures and yet they are so different that I recently lost any reason to compare them as toys competing for your wallet's insides. Still, they look good next to each other on the shelf.

When I was preparing these pictures I wasn't interested in full-time collecting of Revoltech and so the piece you see here was borrowed from a friend collector. However, now that I actually began collecting them I wish I had this toy, I just find so much more unique and interesting then Convoy. A word of advice, should you spot this guy somewhere, don't hesitate and get him, there's no way you'll regret it.