This set is a gamble on the part of Lego: that kids & collectors would buy a set based on the obscure, hard-to-see, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo it makes in the Special-Edition version of Episode IV.

Video review included!

The Sentinel is an FTL-capable heavy landing craft built by Sienar Fleet Systems and Cygnus Spaceworks for the navies of the Galactic Empire. Incorporating similar features to its smaller cousin, the Lambda-class light personnel shuttle, it has an expanded cargo capacity that allows it to hold a number of single-seat All-Terrain Personal Transports (AT-PT), or several military-grade speeder bikes. But it also has use as a troop transport- carrying six squadrons of Stormtroopers directly to the front lines. Unlike the Lambda-class shuttle, however, the Sentinel has thicker armor, more powerful shields, and spots a wide array of weapons for both ground and air-assaults- eight forward laser cannons, two retractable heavy rapid-fire blaster cannon turrets under the nose, two concussion missile launchers (with four rounds each), and a dorsally-mounted ion cannon turret! With a command crew of two, and three gunnery officers, this allows it to also be use for military actions other than hauling cargo & troops to the front lines, and between Imperial starships.

The Sentinel was first seen in the off-screen “Shadows of the Empire” multimedia series (books, graphic novels, video games, models, toys, etc.) during the late ‘90s which bridged the gap between the Star Wars films “...The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “...Return of the Jedi” (1983). But when the Special Edition version of “...A New Hope” was re-released back into theaters twenty years later in 1997, the Sentinel made its first and only on-screen cameo- taking off from a Tatooine desert after dispatching a squadron of Imperial Sandtroopers looking for a pair of Rebel Alliance droids which escaped the capture of the Corellian CR90 corvette, Tantive-IV.

Landing Mode

This set is a gamble on the part of Lego: that kids & collectors would buy a set based on the obscure, hard-to-see, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo it makes in the Special-Edition version of Episode IV. It’s a bit squatter, but it fits the general shapes, functions, and appearance of the Sentinel-class assault shuttle. The cockpit section is tilted downwards like the Lambda-class shuttle [aka Imperial Shuttle (Set #7166)], but the hinge it’s attached to in back is different, so it unintentionally tilts up and down. A single all-black Imperial Pilot can beseated in front of the tilting controls inside by removing the transparent canopy piece. Oddly, though the Sentinel does have windscreens, they are very narrow, but here the cockpit is fully exposed with no printed hull designs like the Imperial Shuttle set’s canopy did. The paired retractable Blast Cannon Turrets are located under the nose, but they do not move. Continuing back, on the front of the cargo mid-section are four of the eight retractable Laser Cannons located behind the cockpit by small transparent-neon yellow cones. On the inner side of these are the Missile Launchers (which I’ll get into detail later). Along the bottom of the cargo section are two blocky footpads that hold the set off of the ground; these do not move, but you can remove them easily enough if you wish. Above the cargo section is the tall vertical stabilizer. Also obviously inspired by the one on the Lambda-class shuttle, this one is shaped differently- with a large chunk taken out of the back-lower half. Along the back corners of the cargo section are two small red levers) that activate another feature [that I’ll be getting into later]. The back engineering section contains the gear system to move the wings up-and-down, and has an assembly in back to represent the wide sub-light ion engine array. Like the Imperial Shuttle set, the Imperial Landing Craft has three small non-functional orange anti-collision lights along the front tips of the tail and wings.

To gain quick access to the bomb and missile launchers, the top roof panels (x3 per side) of the cargo section can be lifted upwards on both sides to reveal the interior!

From underneath, you can see two red Technic levers on both the front and back of the cargo section. When you pull both of these away, you can then lift the cockpit, tail, & engineering sections away to reveal the cargo section! Very cool idea, and it allows you to replace things inside easier without bumping into everything else along the way! (The cockpit/tail/engineering half doesn’t balance very easily on its own upright, so you’ll have to just tilt the nose up, and fold the red levers in, and then carefully set it down.) Though the larger cargo loading ramps are not available on the Imperial Landing Craft set, they are still implied by the indents on the outside walls of the cargo section. The interior of the cargo section is taken up mostly by space for the two missile launchers & their trigger assemblies, and just enough room for the two Stormtrooper gunners (they just sit wedged in on the floor between the bomb & missile launchers), two commanding Sandtroopers (they sit on two blue minifig seats), and the minifigs’ four hand-held weapons. The bomb launcher(s) takes up the back wall. The minifig blasters sit upside-down in holes to save space, and so that they won’t go anywhere. The four transparent-orange/-neon yellow bombs simply sit in open troughs along that back wall. The retractable ion cannon is not represented in this set.

Transition to Flight Mode

Unlike the earlier Imperial Shuttle set which had wings which ratcheted down/up manually by hand, the wings on the Imperial Landing Craft are tied into a gear system triggered by a small knob beneath the engineering section. Twisting counter-clockwise lowers the wings, while twisting clockwise retracts them. It takes about eight turns to make the wings reach their respective position(s), so be patient.

Unlike most Lego Star Wars sets with large movable sections, however, this set does not have a stop point or a bumper to prevent the wings from unfolding farther than they are supposed to, so you have to just guess where they stop, and then leave the knob alone. (I set the wings at about 135°.) This means that, even though it doesn’t do this in the Special Edition version of Episode IV or “Shadows of the Empire”, the wings on the Imperial Landing Craft can be twisted around 180° if you wish.

Flight Mode

Again, because the Sentinel-class assault shuttle is more stretched out on all axis, the Imperial Landing Craft set seems a bit on the chubby side. The wings are not totally flat; instead being layered in order for Lego to keep them both thin and long. The engineering section is completely exposed from both the top and bottom, so you can easily see the mechanism in there in either mode. Something to keep in mind as you’re flying the Imperial Landing Craft around- don’t turn it upside-down, or else the bombs inside will fall out of their troughs! I will also say that the set cannot support itself on any of the flight surfaces- tail and wings- or they will break off. But while a lot of the surface detail is also missing, it makes up for it in features- mostly in the form of its weapons...

I’m gonna say this right off: do not touch the forward laser cannons unless ya wanna shoot something! That’s just a habit you’re gonna have to get into. Pushing inwards on either of the longer laser cannons will fire the associated spring-powered missile launcher. These things have a pretty good range (5’ on a flat surface) and an even better kick. The warheads of each of the two missiles provided are soft hollow rubber, so they cushion the impact a bit... but that doesn’t then give you the excuse to then go shoot someone or something with them! The bomb launcher system is quite simple to use, and pain-free- simply press upwards on the two small red levers on the back of the cargo section, and then the bombs will fall out of little chutes on the back. You can also drop just from one side if you wish, but since each trough inside the cargo section is designed to hold only two bombs, each side will only drop that many.

There is one new part in here that I’ve never seen before, and two of them are provided with the set. They’re half visible on the back of the cargo section, just behind the red levers. They’re flat 1x2 Technic plates, but they’re composed entirely of black rubber! These act as little springs which reset the troughs inside the bomb wall inside the cargo section- when pressed down, the bombs fall out, and then when you let go, the rubber parts reset automatically so the bombs can be repositioned inside without immediately falling out again. Interesting idea!

Minifigs

Lego Set #7659 comes with five minifigs- a black Imperial Pilot, two standard Stormtroopers, and two Sandtroopers. The four ‘troopers have printed details on their helmets, and on the front & back of their torso parts. What separates the standard Stormtroopers from the Sandtroopers is the small soft fabric covers they have over their right shoulders; these orange & black items match those seen in “...A New Hope”, though they lack the associated cooling backpack units. The two orange shoulder pads come in a small cardboard box, and are printed flat- to get them to curve, you place the two holes over the neck of each minifig. All of the ‘Troopers’ inner minifig heads are straight black with no detailing. The black helmet of the Imperial Pilot minifig is just a different-colored version of a Stormtrooper helmet; only the circular Imperial Navy’s logos are added for detail. The pilot’s front torso detail is also different from the other 'Troopers', but he has no printing on the back of his torso piece. Two minifig blast rifles, and two smaller blasters are provided for the ‘Troopers. (I think the smaller ones are actually designed to be used as Han Solo’s blaster!)

As an update to the Imperial Shuttle set from the late ‘90s (it came out before Episode-I did), this one absolutely rocks! The biggest thing for me was that it had the mechanism which allowed you to turn the wings around by turning a knob rather than having to ratchet each one manually up-&-down. The only bad part to this, however, is that they don’t stop the wings for you; you have to make a judgment call each time, and so that was a bit of a let-down. But dropping bombs, and firing- not one, but two- hidden spring-powered missiles was fantastic! (Do you know how often Lego incorporates two spring-powered launchers into their sets-? Not very often, I can tell ya that! So this was a real treat.) I also thought it great that, not only could you access the cargo section through risible doors on top, but you could actually separate the cargo section altogether! While it would have been nice to have four Sandtroopers, I thought that it was a nice balance to mix it up with two regular Stormtroopers. And then you got a separate all-black Imperial Pilot. Yeah- they seriously down-scaled this set from what it would have been (the assault shuttle is supposed to carry 54 Stormtroopers at once), but what we got was pretty cool too. Things to change: add bumpers for the wings so they don’t drop down farther than they’re supposed to, maybe beef-up the neck a little bit to give it more substance, and add some painted detail to the canopy so it’s more opaque that clear. The Imperial Landing Craft is an awesome Lego set, so I highly recommend getting it!

While the V-19 made its on-screen debut in the made-for-TV cartoon mini-series “Clone Wars” just before “Revenge of the Sith” premiered in theaters in 2005, it makes its feature film debut in the all-CGI “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.

Video review included!

The V-19 Torrent is a single-seat starfighter designed and built by the Republic in the early months of the Clone Wars. Meant to fill in gaps in anti-fighter & anti-vehicle roles, it needed to be both fast and maneuverable. Its two large main wings and vertical stabilizer are filled with strong repulsorlifts, which makes ideal as a V-TOL craft to place in remote bases. Its wings & tail were also designed to fold up vertically above the main body together in order to save space on the hangar deck of Venator-class Star Destroyers, which could carry at least 192 of these. While the two main engines placed directly between the main hull and the wings provide more than enough power, a smaller secondary engine was built into the vertical stabilizer to give it an edge in dogfights in an atmosphere. The V-19 is armed with two wing-mounted laser blasters, and a pair of missile launchers.

The V-19 is, what I consider, a pinnacle design in the Lego “Star Wars” line. Very simple to play with, yet providing a good time in building and admiring, and it also remains faithful to the source material. While the V-19 made its on-screen debut in the made-for-TV cartoon miniseries “Clone Wars” (2003-05) just before “Revenge of the Sith” premiered in theaters in 2005, it makes its feature film debut in the all-CGI “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. One of the largest inspirations for the V-19 comes from the real United States-built F4U Corsair which fought in the skies during World War II. The F4U- a carrier-based heavy Navy fighter- had wings which could be retracted backwards when it was not flying, allowing many more to be packed into the limited space of a carrier than other earlier aircraft, and a trend which would continue into many modern-day designs.

Landing Mode

The three large wing surfaces- one actually being a vertical stabilizer- rest suspended above the main chassis. This is, of course, very reminiscent of the [chronologically-]later Theta-class shuttle, and Lambda-class shuttle [aka Imperial Shuttle (Set #7166)]. Each main engine is nothing but circular segments joined together from within, and then mounted to the inner wing surface. I recognize at least one of the largest solid black parts used in there as the engine nacelles seen in recent Lego City-themed jet aircraft [such as the small Airplane Mechanic (#7901) accessory set]. And inside each engine is the longest Technic rod I have ever seen- a white #16! This runs the majority of the length, starting at the intakes on the front. (I don’t know if the #16 rod has appeared before this, but it’s crazy-long! And when assembling it, you have to be sure you don’t put too much pressure on it, lest is snap in half- and I’m pretty sure something shorter would not work in its place!) The exhaust nozzles are both capped off with a single small transparent-blue dish. Beneath each wing hangs a single flick-powered missile launcher. (In the “Clone Wars” miniseries, the missile launchers were located in the space between the fuselage and main engines, but obviously that wouldn’t have been workable here.) When you press on the black tab in back, the short rod pushes forward, and the projectile shoots out depending on how hard you press. Four projectiles can be made, though the set can carry only two at a time; one under each wing in the launcher(s). When in landing mode, the V-19 rests on two landing gear assemblies. Because of how top-heavy the toy is, the landing gear intentionally & noticeably tilt it forward a degree-or-two, which allows it to rest comfortably without tipping over in any direction. (In the miniseries, the V-19 had three small landing pads.) Because of the mechanisms that move everything around, the mid-wing spacing between the fuselage and the main engines are completely exposed. The cockpit canopy can slide open by pulling gently on two small tabs projecting from the nose. This is perhaps the most obvious deviation from the film version of the V-19- the nose is pronged; whereas here, it is flat. Inside the cockpit is just enough room for the Clone Trooper pilot provided. The control panel is the same one used for previous Rebel Alliance spacecraft- notably the X-Wing Fighter (Set #6212).

. . .

If you wish to store the V-19 set, but don’t have the vertical room to spare, the wings and tail can be separated from their rotation joints (though this is not in the instructions, obviously)

Transition to Flight Mode

To operate the mechanism, the heavier tail is used as the lever upon which everything works; the wings and landing gear are tied into it rather than the other way around. To prevent the entire works from unintentionally activating in Landing Mode, a small swiveling catch lever is located at the base of the tail in back- when turned 90° to either side, the tail will not move. (A clever and simple solution!)

The tail is leaned backwards to activate the transition mechanism. At the same time that the tail and wings are moving, the landing gear will swing back and upwards closer to the mid-wing section between the fuselage and engines- so you have three parts moving all at the same time!

Because of the weight of the wings & tail, and the ease with which they would suddenly flop downwards, Lego incorporated a safety mechanism to prevent this- two air-compression pistons, located above the landing gear in the mid-wing sections. These forcibly slow the tail from dropping suddenly. Besides, once moved past a certain angle backwards, gravity takes over and pulls the tail downwards the full 180° anyways. This is a safety feature that really only applies to switching into Flight Mode, so even though you’ll still feel the resistance as the tail is pushed back upwards, it won’t fight you nearly as much.

Now, if you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’ need no stinkin’ safety feature!”, and you disconnect the pistons so that the tail just drops all on its own, you should think again. The tail really whips around- so much so that when it reaches the end of the line, with enough force the tail will fly straight off! Plus, you have no control over it and/or reaction time, and you may pinch yourself! If you want to hold the tail all the way down, then that’s your choice, but I would strongly recommend that you do not remove the pistons.

(Obviously, with enough use, the rubber plungers inside the pistons will eventually wear out, and this feature will become less-and-less reliable.)

Flight Mode

(The black stands made of Legos that you see are MOC, and are not included with this set!)

In this form, the V-19- for lack of a better word- blossoms out to unexpected proportions! The wingspan zooms out to 19” (48cm), but this measurement is false in a way... Though the wings are correctly hanging down diagonally, they are actually being pulled down by gravity. The flexibility in the wing joints are just enough that they can bend down like that, but- with the wings disconnected- the joints actually hang on their own directly horizontal. (So, if you were to turn the set upside down, the wings would then hang horizontally because their weight, once more, would be dragging them downwards.) So don’t be deceived- it is because of their weight that the wings hang down like that, not because the joints position them like that! The other thing is that, unlike in Landing Mode, the tail does not lock into place; it just hangs there. The landing gear retract up and backward, but do not disappear from sight entirely like their animated and film counterparts do.

In this form, a few new features make themselves more easily apparent- notably the wingtip-mounted laser blasters, and the tail-mounted secondary engine. The latter does not have much substance to it compared to the main engines above it, except for intake and exhaust nozzles- again with a small transparent-blue dish for the glowing exhaust. The air-compression pistons are also easier to see up close, and the cockpit can be accessed easier.

One thing that I must stress is that the V-19 cannot possibly support its own weight in Flight Mode- the wings are too flexible, and the main engine nozzles are too fragile with just that one Technic rod in there to hold all those segments together; both could break if too much weight is put on them. And even though the retracted landing gear can still move a little bit, they are not meant to be pushed around, so just leave them alone.

Lego Set #7674 comes with a Clone Trooper pilot (identifiable by the yellow marking on his helmet), and a single blaster rifle (which has appeared in many “Star Wars” sets before). Beneath the helmet is the clone’s real flesh-toned face (though no replacement hair piece is provided). It’s actually kinda creepy how close his face is to the clone’s genetic donor- the intergalactic bounty hunter Jango Fett (actor Temuera Morrison). The helmet is also notable for having all of the colored highlights being printed on, instead of having a black head piece underneath to provide the black visor as has been the tradition up until now.

One new feature must be pointed out here that I have never seen before, and that is the double-printed torso. Since the creation of the modern Lego minifig decades ago, they now always have some kind of printed pattern on their the front of their torso part; leaving the back the original plain coloring of the plastic. I don’t know how widespread this is throughout the Lego System yet, but this Clone Trooper definitely has a printed pattern on his back which recreates the back of the character(s) from the film! Quite a historical achievement for the Lego System, eh?

I don’t get a Lego set unless I look at it and say “Wow” a moment later. I also haven’t seen “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” yet. Yet in both cases, I was immediately drawn to this set upon first glance. It didn’t have a lot of accessories or extra needless minifigs & droids, or a display stand, and really it doesn’t need any of those. Whereas in the past with fighters with large movable sections, you had to do them one at a time, or there might be a lever you had to twist or push to make that feature work. Not here. You just trip the safety catch, and the whole thing deploys all by itself (provided it’s upright, of course). The other thing is that the ship itself- despite its source material!- really looks like it comes from the Star Wars universe, and that to me is equally important. It has those traits of the [future] X-Wing, B-Wing and A-Wing Fighters, but it’s not a Rebel ship either. But then placing the tail underneath the fuselage means that this is a very advanced ship. My only beef comes from how pathetically-weak the missile launchers are (they fall out at the earliest possible conveniences!), and that the main engines are unnerving in how fragile they are despite their outward appearance. I was also a bit disappointed that the wings are pulled down to that angle by gravity rather than shifting via the internal gears to that position. (But I’m sure MOC-ists are already working on the problem...) I was also expecting springs of some kind in those pistons rather than rubber seals that will eventually wear out [knowing how rubber in Lego sets gets beaten up very easily]. Am I disappointed that the nose was solid as opposed to having to prongs? Ch-- I’m not that concerned about authenticity! The sliding canopy was pretty cool too despite it being the only manual feature in the entire set!

One piece of advice: when you’re happily flying your V-19 Torrent through the hallways, be careful that you don’t clip a door frame with the wings!

We got back to some old-school action with the mecha in the “Hurricanger” line while other facets of the series dazzled us with their quirky ingenuity.

Video review included!

The manufacturer's recommended age limit for these toys are 6 years; but Supervision by a Responsible Adult is suggested.

In 2002, the secret Hayate Way Ninja Academy which teaches the ancient Japanese martial arts of ninjutsu is attacked by the ruthless alien Uchuu Ningun Jakanja. Lead by the anthropomorphized insect Master Tao Zanto and his five Dark Spear generals, they capture all of the students and Academy’s buildings, and hide them inside their centipede-covered asteroid base. Only three less-than-average students from Hayate Way (who skipped their morning lessons that day) survive the initial attack. Transported to a secret underground chamber by the daughter of the academy’s masterful director (who transformed himself into a hamster to avoid capture!), the three students are given wrist-mounted Hurricane Gyros which will enable them to use the Shinobi Suits and weapons of the legendary Hurricanger. While each is trained in one of the three specialized techniques taught at the Academy- air, water, and land- they must hide in the local population to avoid detection, and work together to prevent the Jakanja from taking over Earth... as the Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger!

Sets from the Shinobi Machine line required for these transformations:

DX Ninpuu Gattai Senpuujin (Chogokin GD-42)

DX Ikazuchi Gattai Gouraijin (Chogokin GD-43)

Karakuri Ball Set #03 - Furai-Maru

DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin

-and, optionally, from the Power Animals line from “Hyakujuu Sentai GaoRanger” (2001):

DX Hyakujuu Gattai GaoKing (Chogokin GD-21) and PA-01 Gao Elephant

Tenku Busou Tenku-Senpuujin

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Ninpuu Gattai Senpuujin
• DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin

In Episode 25- “Phantoms, and a Schoolgirl”, the Jakanja monster Vampiyan has gone from initially being flee-size, to human-size, and is now battling the Senpuujin at giant size. He uses his soul-draining ability- which earlier accidentally resurrected Kouta’s long-dead grandmother as a young high school girl- to drain the Senpuujin of its own power, leaving it at only about half power, so that even using the hammer-shaped Goat Crusher weapon has little impact. Kouta, with his younger grandmother beside him in the cockpit, says that it is their responsibility as Hurricanger to defend both those who have come before and those in the future. Encouraged by his words, the mysterious Tenku Ninja Shurikenger suddenly appears in his recently-revealed Hishou Henkei Tenkujin, and asks Nanami (Hurricane Blue) if he can take her place. Even though confused, she disengages her Hurricane Dolphin mecha, and the Tenkujin slides into the empty position, forming the Tenku-Senpuujin. Utilizing the high-powered torque of both the new right arm and the Maned Hurricane feature from the left arm, the Tenku-Senpuujin fires the Dynamite Tornado, obliterating the giant Jakanja nuisance. (Unfortunately, with the destruction of the monster, this also makes Kouta’s grandmother fade back into death.)

The Tenku-Senpuujin (back) is very lopsided with the Tenkujin hanging off the right side. You can tell that that shoulder joint is only just able to keep the new right arm up because most of the weight is on one side of it. But, there is a reason this combination is called the ‘Heavenly Whirlwind-god’... The zip cord from the DX Senpuujin can be inserted into the left arm, and the rotor motor on the DX Tenkujin wound up; then both can be activated at the same time in the same way they’re used for the Dynamite Tornado finisher! (However, since they’re not linked, the smaller rotors on the Tenkujin’s feet/cannon barrels do not turn... unless you move them at the same time.)

Tenku Busou Tenku-Gouraijin

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Ikazuchi Gattai Gouraijin
• DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin

In Episode 26- “Bow & Arrow, and Sea Bathing”, the Jakanja monster Chupid is shooting arrows that make humans instantly and uncontrollably fall in love with the first thing they see- even inanimate objects like statues, construction equipment, & garbage bins- to the absolute exclusion of everything else around them! He even unintentionally shoots both Isshuu (Kuwaga Ranger) and Shurikenger, and the first thing they see is... Nanami! As they both vie for her affections unaware of the love spell’s influence on them, they finally come to blows in their jealousy. As Chupid moves in to destroy them, both Kuwaga Ranger and Shurikenger willingly act as human shields for Nanami. As all three fall, Kuwaga Ranger stands once more, absorbing shot after shot in the name of misplaced love until the other rangers arrive to help. And finally he destroys Chupid by himself; this cancels out the love spell on all affected by it.

. . .

With a Copy Giant appearing to assume the form of Chupid, and Nanami unable to fight due to injuries, only the Gouraijin and Tenkujin are summoned to battle. Though there is still a playful rivalry between Kuwaga Ranger and Shurikenger now, they can’t quite seem to be able to best each other. And so, Shurikenger proposes that they work together- he lands the Tenkujin on top of the Gouraijin, thus forming the Tenku-Gouraijin. In this formation it has access to the large rotor blades sitting on its back, which allows it to fly. Additionally, the Double Horn Cutter is held in the right hand, freeing up the paired machine cannons from Gouraijin’s chest. And these cannons can operate independently, or in concert with the Tenku-Gouraijin’s new larger shoulder cannons to unleash the Thunder Blast Cannon finisher.

The Tenku-Gouraijin (back) is even more-so heavier than just the die-cast metal-laden DX Gouraijin, and that’s saying something. Even the combination seems on the verge of falling under its own increased mass & center of gravity- most of the Tenkujin sits on the back, while just the legs hang over (but do not touch) the shoulders. But Bandai was wise to this, and included in the DX Tenkujin set is a small set of light gray ABS pads that clip onto the bottom of Gouraijin’s heels; these tilt the Tenku-Gouraijin forward fractionally (you really can’t tell the difference unless you measure it out), but enough to balance it better. To make room for the Tenkujin’s legs, the Double Horn Cutter normally stored on the chest of the Gouraijin needs to be removed, and the cannons on either side snapped to a horizontal position. Now, poseability is affected here a bit. Ordinarily, the Gouraijin’s arms can pivot up-and-down with no problem, but with the Tenkujin hanging on, the tops of the arms tend to smack into the latter’s rotor blades. This is a problem because the Tenku-Gouraijin is designed to fly using that main rotor. While it only just clears the long horn on its head (and we’re talking not even two millimeters here!), the same cannot be said of the claws on the upper arms. So the arms must be raised to 45° so that those rotors can spin freely. (And even then, it might occasionally bump into the horn on the head.) However- if you raise them to 90°, the wrists bump into the shoulder cannons, and they can’t snap into position this way! And let us not even talk about how difficult it is now to pick up the combined mass...

Hyakujuu Gattai Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Ninpuu Gattai Senpuujin
• DX Ikazuchi Gattai Gouraijin
• Karakuri Ball Set #03 - Furai-Maru
• DX Hyakujuu Gattai GaoKing
• PA-01 Gao Elephant

In the direct-to-video movie “Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger VS GaoRanger”, Chuubozu- brother of the-late Second Spear general Chuuzubo- steals the G-Phones from the retired GaoRanger, and then imprisons them; though Sae Taiga (Gao White) manages to escape. Chuubozu then gives the G-Phones to the other five Jakanja generals, which allows them to turn into GaoRanger and attack the unawares Hurricanger! But Sae is able to intervene, and tell the totem Power Animals that they are supporting false GaoRanger, and to withdraw their power from the G-Phones. After the Hurricanger and Sae retreat, she tells them what is going on, and with the help of lone wolf Gao Silver, they rescue the real GaoRanger, and then the ten rangers engage in a large battle against both the Jakanja forces and Orgu villains Tsuetsue & Yabaiba. Even though they used both the Victory Gadget and Hyakujuuken on Chuubozu, he survives and makes himself grow, also summoning three previously-destroyed Jakanja monsters at the same time! The Gao King Sword and Shield, Gao Hunter, and the six Shinobi Machines are summoned to the battle. Chuubozu uses his space ninja powers to resurrect the spirit of his dead brother Chuuzubo to get an advantage, but the Gourai-Senpuujin is formed, and he is once again quickly eliminated.

. . .

In a rage, Chuubozu fires on the group, and severely damages them all, but the Gourai-Senpuujin remains standing despite the loss of its right arm. When Gao Red starts to call for Gao Muscle Striker to be formed, Gao Lion makes a different suggestion. Instead, the six GaoRanger join the Hurricanger in their cockpits, and together they use the power of Gao Tiger, Gao Shark, and Gao Elephant to make the Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield. This new cross hyakujuu gattai combination allows for a special finisher, the Furai Hyakujuu Slash.

Let’s face it: the Ryuuhachouetsu Furai Gattai Gourai-Senpuujin is an awesome sight. It’s big, it’s bulky, and it’s heavy; all fine, fine qualities in a Super Sentai robo in the right combination(s). But I think that the whole point of the Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield (back) is so that it could use the Sword and Shield part. Unfortunately, this means that the only two limbs from the Power Animals (aka PA) line that could grip the Gao Elephant were Gao Tiger and Gao Shark, which- in the grand scheme of things- were not really standout or exceptional compared to other limb-swapping PAs. And so this is one of those combos in toy form that just don’t end well. All PA sets are smaller than their Shinobi Machine counterparts the following year, and so to swap them, you would need the largest limbs from the former- say, PA-02 Gao Giraffe and PA-06 Gao Dias- in order to match up better. This- this... is just unspeakably bad.

Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Ninpuu Gattai Senpuujin
• DX Ikazuchi Gattai Gouraijin
• Karakuri Ball Set #03 - Furai-Maru
• DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin

After two of the monsters are destroyed, Hurricane Red says that the Power Animals will soon overpower the Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield, and tear it apart, which Gao Red agrees with. But then, to prevent the Gourai-Senpuujin from remaining at a disadvantage with the loss of its right arm, Shurikenger suggests a new combination using the Tenkujin as a replacement right arm. This creates the six-part Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin. And with a mighty battle cry from the twelve assembled rangers, the Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin- along with the assisting powers from the six totem Power Animals- annihilates Chuubozu with the unique Final Thunder Hurricane blast.

The Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin (back) may be a bit of a mouthful, but ya can’t argue with the results too much. That’s the Tenku-Senpuujin, but with a Gourai- in the middle.

[SFX: sting]

(*bows*) Thank you, thank you. I’ll be in my trailer.

Compared to the special Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield combo above, this one makes a little more sense since it keeps it within the Shinobi Machine family. It is also notable that not only is this the only time that both the Hurricane Dolphin and Tenkujin appear in the same combo, but it is one of three seven-part combinations in the Shinobi Machine line (including the tiny Furai-Maru):

• Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin (7, including Furai-Maru)
• Revolver Gourai-Senpuujin (7, including Furai-Maru)
• Revolver Tenrai-Senpuujin (7, including Tri-Condor)

But if you wanna be really picky, the record [out of continuity] is actually found with the previous Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield-

1. Hurricane hawk
2. Hurricane Dolphin
3. Hurricane Lion
4. Gourai Beetle
5. Gourai Stag
6. Furai-Maru (Karakuri Balls #07 & 08)
7. Gao Shark
8. Gao Tiger
9. Gao Elephant

-a record that would not be challenged until 2007 in "Gougou Sentai Boukenger"; when the Chou Gougou Gattai Super DaiBouken officially appeared with nine parts, and then was broken a few episodes later by the Kyuukyoku Gougou Gattai Ultimate DaiBouken with ten. But I digress. The Tenku Gourai-Senpuujin really is just a larger version of the Tenku-Senpuujin, so there’s not really much to say here. You can try to recreate the Final Thunder Hurricane move, but you’ll be hard-pressed to get that chest wheel to spin (aka the Gourai-Senpuujin’s Rolling Thunder Hurricane finisher) for any length of time when you also spin the rotor on the right arm at the same time (the Tenku-Senpuujin’s Dynamite Tornado finisher).

Perhaps unintentionally, this review shows more the diversity of the Tenkujin than anything else (even though the Gingachouetsu Sanjin Gattai Tenrai-Senpuujin is not highlighted here). In 2001, “GaoRanger” brought forth limb-swapping, which had been done before, but never to that scale. After that craziness had passed, we got back to some old-school action with the mecha in the “Hurricanger” line while other facets of the series dazzled us with their quirky ingenuity. (A ninja who plays baseball, but is also a master of disguise???) While the Karakuri Balls provide a collecting gimmick while being fun on their own at times, another example of the flexibility of this line must lay in Bandai’s decision to make the Shinobi Machines compatible with the Power Animals from the previous year, thus inviting new levels of play with things like the Gourai-Senpuujin Sword and Shield... (*cough*). This cross-compatibility would be used in the following year with the super-evolved dinosaurs from “Bakuryuu Sentai AbaRanger” (2003), and then two more lines beyond that. (Whether-or-not people liked this in Japan, I cannot say since I do not know; I can only speak for myself on that issue.) A lot of love and hard planning went into the Shinobi Machine series of DX toys, and it shows- from heavy die-cast metal, to a dolphin that becomes a shoulder cannon. And even though some things may stick out at odd angles, we appreciate them all the more because they work well not only by themselves, but especially with each other.

The MantanGun is the standard sidearm of the first five Go-Onger. In order to power a MantanGun, an Engine Soul must be inserted into it; without the living cartridge, it remains inert.

Includes video review!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

. . .

The Self-Henkeijuu MantanGun is the standard sidearm of the five Go-On Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Black. In order to power a MantanGun, an Engine Soul must be inserted into it; without the living cartridge, it remains inert. “Mantan” is a slang term equivalent in Japan for “Fill ‘er up”. It has two modes of operation- Gun Mode and Rod Mode.

Gun Mode (opposite side) is how the MantanGun is stored on the clip-on holster on the Go-Ongers’ 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 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. The grip is completely solid with no moving parts, and features a fake silver-painted squeeze handle resembling a dispenser’s activation lever, and a PVC fitting on the bottom where a fuel feed tube would attach. However, a smaller functional black trigger is placed on the immobile silver lever. Directly above the grip but part of the overall handle design is a shiny molded Go-Onger 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 silver. On the left side is a transparent-blue dome which exposes the interior of the toy; on the right side, the dome is opaque with rounded slots, and is then painted light blue.

. . .

Typically in this form, the Engine Souls used to power a MantanGun are inserted. Just behind and below the dispenser nozzle is a small black lever. When pressed backwards, a black ABS cartridge holding frame springs out & around 135° from the top. (Be careful when you flip that thing around that you don’t have any fingers in there between the holder and the grip- it can hurt ya!) While any Engine Soul from the “Go-Onger” line can be inserted, Engine Buson’s (see below) is provided with the set. The Engine Soul will only fit in one direction- with the label facing left, and its own three activation buttons facing forward. Then the holding frame can be pressed back in by you until it locks in place. This is why that dome on the left side is transparent- it allows you to see the Engine Soul within, and which one it is.

Pulling the black trigger will activate the independent sound effects within whatever Engine Soul has been inserted into the toy, and you will be able to see its red LED shine through the left side.

The two steps for transforming the MantanGun from Gun Mode into Rod 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 silver lever 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 silver lever as the grip comes around.
• Grabbing the end of the nozzle, pull forward away from the main section, and two cylindrical sections will telescope out 3 ½” (9cm) for a total length [up to the spill guard] of 6” (15.2cm). Both cylinders are independent of each other, and snap in place on their own when both extended and retracted.

Switching between Gun Mode and Rod Mode also switches the set of special effects that will be emitted from the Engine Soul within when the trigger is squeezed (see below). The character-specific effects will sound in Gun Mode, while the generic effects will sound in Rod Mode. However, unlike some of the DX-sized Engines (sold separately), both activation buttons on the Engine Soul itself cannot be pressed at the same time by using this toy.

Rod Mode (opposite side) is not a sword-like weapon, but rather a long inflexible baton or nightstick. The main section is now positioned upside down diagonally to the grip. The transparent-blue dome which reveals the Engine Soul within is now on the right side, with the slotted dome switched to the left. While the Engine Soul is still fully accessible, if the holding frame is opened up, it will flip downwards. However, because it does flip down, the frame was built with a small spring catch which prevents the Engine Soul from being ejected.

The common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Self Henkeiju MantanGun set comes with Buson’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its blue ABS casing, the stylized “2”, and the phrases “ES” & “02” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Buson’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size.

Buson’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Hisao Egawa. (He returns for a third time to Super Sentai here- previous voices being a one-time role in 2001’s “Hyakujuu Sentai GaoRanger” and a lead villain in 2005’s “Mahou Sentai MagiRanger”- but he is better known for more-numerous anime, OVA, and video game performances. He also serves as a dubbing voice for several American & British TV series.) He says, in Japanese:

• Bus-on!
• On-On!
• [???]
• [???]

Like all being from Machine World, Buson tends to repeat part of his name after almost every sentence. So when he says “On-On!”, that is actually is the last syllable from his name, and Mr. Egawa says it in a way so it sounds like the revving of a motorcycle or other gas-fueled motor.

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a laser blast. Now, if you place Buson’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

When you switch the MantanGun to Rod Mode, you can then access Buson’s alternate/generic effects:

• Go-On!
• On-On!

This time, however, instead of a laser blast, you hear the sound of a sword clashing. But it is still Buson speaking.

Buson also has another single hidden effect:

• [???]

Unfortunately, this can only be accessed by activating both of the Engine Soul’s buttons at the same time- something that cannot be accomplished with either the MantanGun, or Engine Buson himself. Ordinarily, you could use a paper clip or some-such small pointed object to depress both outside buttons along the bottom of the Engine Soul. However, there are several Engine Gattai Series sets that you can use- Engine Birca, Engine Gunpherd, and Engine Carrigator at least- where you can press both activation buttons at the same time.

. . .

Buson’s Engine Soul, because it is sold with the MantanGun, must serve two masters- this set, and Engine Buson himself from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh set. While most of the other Engine Soul cartridges are customized with sound effects preceding their spoken lines that fit their character, Buson’s has the laser blast and sword clash sounds preceding his lines that are customized for the MantanGun since it does not have any electronic feature of its own. This is why, when you put Buson’s Engine Soul into the toy from the DX Engine-Oh, the sound effects seem to be misplaced or incorrect for the character.

On the other side of that coin, because the MantanGun can accept any Engine Soul put into it, any other Engine Soul inserted would have preceding-sound effects that don’t match it. In the series, since the MantanGun is used by the first five Go-Onger only, this means that it fits in continuity that the Engine Souls from Speedor, Buson, Bear RV, Birca, and Gunpherd would be placed within it. So, you would get their preceding character-based effects instead of those in Buson’s which are customized specifically for the MantanGun.

(If you don’t understand what I just said here, then watch the video below, and I’ll show you there what I mean.)

The Power Rangers’ version of the MantanGun has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. Lately, Bandai America has become notorious for not releasing the standard Ranger sidearm in their original forms, but instead creating brand new toys with fewer functions and removed electronics which are frequently made of soft foam for safe play. (Well maybe, if parents supervised their kids more closely with weapon-shaped toys, we wouldn’t have these stupid laws banning their sale! But I digress…) However, I have a good feeling that this one might make it over intact because of its simplistic construction and use, albeit with a few change in paint apps, and whatever the do with the equivalent-Engine Soul cartridges. Oh, and they might remove the spring-loaded holding frame.

My only gripe with this set is that because of my adult-sized hands, my fingers almost become crushed in the grip, so I have to wiggle to get them in there. Even just another half-inch would’ve done fine! Otherwise, its simple design, aesthetics, and function won me over, not to mention its striking and hilarious resemblance to a gas pump dispenser! Yeah, having a baton as a weapon seems a bit odd, but it’s a nice change from seeing daggers & swords all the time in almost all previous Super Sentai series. The transformation to Rod Mode was also different- no flipping parts, only sliding or twisting. It was a nice touch to be able to see the provided Engine Soul stored within the main section. While Buson’s Engine Soul suffers a little in order to accommodate this toy as far as those preceding effects go, I think it was an interesting twist to have a removable electronics package that could be swapped out for another; thus allowing role-players to select which Go-Onger they’d like to be without having to make heavy modifications or their own versions. For someone else who doesn’t like this toy, they would still be forced to get it in order to obtain Buson’s Engine Soul for use in the DX Engine-Oh set. But, I liked this toy, so I highly recommend getting the Self Henkeijuu MantanGun!

There was a time in Super Sentai where six components was a rare thing to see- something that only appeared on special occasions, and usually only in the latter half of a series since it was the most powerful of combinations; supplanted only by super-rare seven-component gattai. But nowadays, you see these limb-swapping-friendly six-part gattai at the drop of a hat- this one only ten episodes in.

Video review included!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Sets required for this combination:

DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh

Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca

Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator

See the Engine-Oh G6's debut on YouTube here!

For some time now since the Go-Onger gained an ally in the powerful and legendary Engine Carrigator, the intelligent and resourceful Ren (Go-On Blue) has become aware that Gaiarc may soon be sending more powerful Banki monsters against them. To counteract this, he begins to work with Bomper secretly in their off-time to modify the six Engines. Meanwhile, in Grand Prix 10- “Starting Alright”, the Gaiarc Ministers had use of information sent to them by the former Lens Banki regarding all of the Go-Onger’s known attacks and weapons. And so they collaborate together to create the special hybrid-pollution Kagami Banki, which can both mirror and repel all of their attacks. By the time the mirror-inspired Kagami Banki first attacks, Ren has already completed modifications to Speedor, Buson, and Bear RV, but needs Hanto (Go-On Green) and Gunpei (Go-On Black) to help him accelerate the modifications to the other three Engines. In the meantime, Engine-Oh (with only Go-On Red and Yellow piloting) will engage Kagami Banki even though he can match them move for move. With time approaching the ten-minute mark when Engine-Oh will begin to fatally rust and need to separate, the other three Go-Onger, Birca, Gunpherd, and Carrigator arrive to lighten the load. Then using Carrigator’s special ability to combine, the six Engines merge together to form Engine-Oh G6.

G6 Formation! Engine Gattai!

Though surprised that his current knowledge of their attacks isn’t working here, Kagami Banki tries to copy this new formation, but Engine-Oh G6 shatters the replicating mirror on the monster’s chest, rendering him defenseless. Together in their shared cockpit for the first time inside the head, the Go-Onger change their control columns into Handle Blasters, insert new Blaster Souls into them, and then use the combined power of all six Engines to destroy Kagami Banki with the G6 Grand Prix.

“Engine-Oh G6: Tune up!”

Engine–Oh G6 (back) is the first super combination in “Go-Onger”, massing six Engines at once. There was a time in Super Sentai where six components was a rare thing to see- something that only appeared on special occasions, and usually only in the latter half of a series since it was the most powerful of combinations; supplanted only by super-rare seven-component gattai. But nowadays, you see these limb-swapping-friendly six-part gattai at the drop of a hat- this one only ten episodes in. But I digress... As I mentioned in an earlier review, we didn’t seen Birca and Gunpherd in the same Engine-Oh combination until now. (Yeah, you can combine them in toy form, but they haven’t done it yet in the series; supposedly Carrigator’s presence in this combo allows this.) Both shoulders are in their Engine busou form now so that Birca and Gunpherd can attach at the same time. A new face for Engine-Oh G6 appears in the form of a broad mask, with four new gold-painted exhaust pipes on either side- the same part is used for Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh ’s helmet. The biggest change, however, are the huge, long feet, composed of the two halves of Carrigator. The use of the clips on the bottom of the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh’s feet now becomes apparent, as does the reason why the panels on Carrigator’s back open up. Recall that I mentioned a very small wheel under Carrigator that didn’t seem to serve any use? Here it and a fold-over clip on the other foot form a pair of small heels, but they are there just to prevent Engine-Oh G6 from rolling all over the place with those 15 wheels under there. The only other thing I can point out is that the V Shield is removed from Engine-Oh G6’s back; why, I don’t know since it’s not in the way. (The Go-On Sword remains stored in the left leg.)

Poseability is in the shoulders and those twisting elbow joints that I gush over so much; nothing better than what Engine-Oh usually has. Of course, since Engine-Oh’s head can’t turn, Engine-Oh G6’s head can’t either. Oh, and Carrigator’s head can still open and close. And, of course, all six Engine Souls and their activations buttons can still be accessed.

Ehh... not much to add here. I know the DX Engine line of toys is supposed to be simple, but this seems to push it. It’s just another limb-swap. My biggest problem is with those huge, Sideshow Bob-inspired feet. In the show, obviously, they have to be shorter for the guy in the stunt suit to walk around in, but it’s just plain ridiculous here! I suppose rolling around on skates is supposed to be a feature, but I don’t find it all that interesting. I think that Carrigator could have been redesigned to somehow wrap around Engine-Oh’s legs as bit while preserving his head from being hidden or disassembled. I obviously can’t say go out and get the Engine Gattai Engine-Oh G6 because all of its parts are sold separately, but I think that the separate components and their different combinations are better than this. Like I said with the Engine-Oh, it doesn’t drop the 32-year-old Super Sentai mecha bar, but this combination doesn’t raise it much, if at all, either.