Perfect for soft vinyl or Ultra monsters fans

It started on a very rainy day.

That day, a friend of mine called me and said that he had some toys at very low price that he want to sell. When office hours ended, I stormed through the rain (literally) to meet my friend and his toys. Turns out they were soft vinyl Ultra Monsters. When he told me that they’re only 50 cents a piece, I snagged a whole lot of them. Now, I’m going to review my favorite of the bunch. Everybody’s favorite Spaceman, Baltan Seijin.

They Toy is bagged with a header card. The header itself had a lot of pictures of Ultraman foes. Nothing really special. It’s just meant to be opened I guess.

They toy itself is made of soft vinyl. Almost like today’s soft vinyl figures, only it’s a bit softer, probably due to the age of the toy. But after all these years, it pretty much stands the test of time.

The sculpt is very crisp, considering its age (although it is 1995 release, its based on the 1983 molding). His face is perfectly sculpted right to the, eh, limbs in his face. Anyhow, it’s Baltan we all love to see. The paint itself is probably the best bits. It’s very clean with very little paint slop, and on some parts it’s being weathered. Very-very cool. I forgot if it is show accurate, but I think it is.

The toy is 6 inches tall. Considering the material it is very light.

It has limited poseability. Only his hands, wrists and waist moves, so it’s just your basic soft vinyl figure. But, soft vinyl is not famous for their range of movement, right? Limited as it is, Baltan still can do the standard action pose.

I’ve got nothing to say anymore. This is good quality, cheap toy but it is getting hard to find in these days. Baltan Seijin is perfect for soft vinyl or Ultra monster fans.

Summer of 1995 Brought with it the Power Rangers Movie. During that time, toys from Season 3 got repackaged as "Movie Edition" toys.

The evil Lord Zedd, and his unusual wife Rita Repulsa, scheme to take over Earth by releasing a powerful villain from a hidden lair to destroy the Power Rangers. Unfortunately, they bit off more than they could chew, and after destroying the Ranger’s Command Center, the slimy Ivan Ooze turns his attention on Rita & Zedd, entrapping them inside a snow globe! Their powers lost and their mentor’s life hanging in the balance, the powerless Rangers make a desperate attempt to reach the distant world Phaedos, where they might be able to find a new power to counter the diabolical Ivan Ooze. Upon their arrival, they are confronted by many dangers in their quest to find the Great Power, including befriending the ancient-yet-beautiful female warrior Dulcea. Meanwhile, Ivan has hypnotized all the parents of Angel Grove, California to dig up his own two powerful Ectomorphicon Titans; leaving all the children helpless to watch. After passing several combat trials, the six Rangers reach and receive the Great Power, and then return to Earth. They arrive just in time to see the two Ectomorphicons wreaking havoc on downtown Angel Grove. The Power Rangers summon their new Ninja Zords from the sky, and separate to deals with the two evil Zords. When one of them is destroyed, Ivan implants himself directly into the surviving Ectomorphicon, and forces the Rangers to combine their Ninja Zords to become the Ninja Megazord. After pursuing him into space, he is destroyed by a nearby comet, and the Rangers return victorious to save Zordon from death.

The plotline from “MMPR-TM” is based loosely on the debut for the third season of the television series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”, but they have no continuity between each other even though they both involve a quest for the Great Power, Ninja Zords, and the same cast from the previous year. The Ninja Megazord and the various Ninja Zords from the movie were not stunt suits or models used on a set but computer-generated (CGI) figures only, as were the evil Ectomorphicons. As such, it had very little resemblance to the practical models used in the series. So, even though this is the Movie Edition of the Falcon Ninjazord, it is no different from the regular Deluxe version that was seen in the TV series.

(Film summary provided by EVA_Unit_4A.)

Summer of 1995 Brought with it the Power Rangers Movie. During that time, toys from Season 3 got repackaged as "Movie Edition" toys. The robots from both the TV show and movie came from the sentai series “Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (忍者戦隊カクレンジャー)”

If you want to learn more about this robot, and its role in MMPRS3, you should check out their Wikipedia entry – they know more about it than I do. What I can speak with authority about is the toy.

The Deluxe Movie Edition Ninja Megazord was released in the summer of 1995 to coincide with the release of the Power Rangers Movie. These toys were identical to the toys released for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Series 3, which were released earlier in the year.

On its own, the Ninja Falconzord does not have a lot of play value. This large bird has moveable wings, claws, head and jaw. The real value of this toy is in the way that it combines with the Deluxe Ninja Megazord and the Deluxe Shogun Megazord.

When combined to the Ninja Megazord via pegs on the back, it Becomes the Ninja Mega-Falconzord. The Falconzord also combines with the Shogun Megazord to become the Shogun Mega-Falconzord.

The original Japanese release of this toy, the DX Tsubasamaru (DX ツバサマル) featured battery operated lights and sounds. The switches have been eliminated for the US release, but the battery compartment remains.

The Deluxe Ninja Megazord consists of 5 separate Ninja Zords that combine to form the giant robot. Each of the Ninja Zords is simple in its design and construction. This toy clearly aims for a younger demographic

Back in the fall of 1995, the last thing I was interested in was Power Rangers. It was all about college, girls and having a good time. My brothers however were in the prime demographic for Power Rangers at the time (8 and 5 years old respectively). I did watch the shows occasionally, as they did feature cool giant robots smashing through cities. But as to the stories – you got me. To me, I think this era was a very unappealing time in the PR franchise. It was very silly, and I think the mecha designs are kid of lame.

Of course, the mecha designs are of no fault of the US studio, Saban. All of the robots come from the sentai series “Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (忍者戦隊カクレンジャー)” This series, the 18th super sentai series, served as the basis for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 3.

If you want to learn more about this robot, and its role in MMPRS3, you should check out their Wikipedia entry – they know more about it than I do. What I can speak with authority about is the toy.

The Deluxe Ninja Megazord consists of 5 separate Ninja Zords that combine to form the giant robot. Each of the Ninja Zords is simple in its design and construction. This toy clearly aims for a younger demographic.

The 5 Ninja Zords are:

Ape Ninjazord – This Zord looks like an ape in red samurai armor. It features double swords that can be held in his hands or attached to the back. The Ape Zord becomes the right arm of the Megazord.

Crane Ninjazord – This is the smallest Zord, and becomes the head of the Ninja Megazord - it really doesn’t do much of anything.

Bear Ninjazord - This black and yellow bear becomes the upper torso of the Megazord. The legs have limited motion, and the jaw opens and closes. The bear features a chrome bit that fits in its mouth.

Wolf Ninjazord – As the left arm, this is probably the simplest Zord of the bunch. The legs move back and forth, the tail moves, and the jaw opens. But its basically a solid piece of blue plastic with legs.

Frog Ninjazord – making up 50% of the mass of the Megazord, the Frog Zord is also the most interesting. This cool Zord becomes the lower torso and legs of the Megazord. It features giant rear legs that can be put in a few different positions.

Transformation of this guy is maybe the easiest of all the Megazords. Literally, you just have to flip up the legs in each Zord and snap them together. This is a really basic toy.

In Megazord mode, the Ninja Megazord has little articulation, and no weapons. The right hand has the Ape Punch and the left hand has the Wolf Punch.

On its own it is an unremarkable toy. The only saving grace of the toy is that it combines with the Deluxe Falconzord to form the Ninja Mega-Falconzord.

Like most Bandai America releases, this toy is somewhat different from its Japanese counterpart, the DX Goshin Gattai Kakure Dai Shougun. The following are the most obvious changes:

1. Bandai America changed the color details on the Crane Zord from red to pink, most likely to be in sync with the pink ranger on the show.
2. The Ape Zord had its gold chrome weapons changed to a dull gold plastic.
3. The leg stickers on the Frog Zord have been changed by adding the Power Rangers lightning bolt logos.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another mystery reveals itself..

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another mystery reveals itself..

I was at a flea market a few weeks ago, scrounging around for hidden treasures as usual. I came across one booth that had a lot of transformers, old magazines and comics, and much to my surprise – a few Japanese toys. There were a few Ultra Kaiju, some SD gundam kits, and this guy – Brassgun. The guy said he was a friend of Mike Z from Day-Old Antiques from back in the day. He mostly dealt in records, but occasionally he would get some toys from Mike. Once, Mike had a flood in the basement, and he got a bunch of toys from him for cheap.

Now, I know nothing about this toy, but to come across an undiscovered toy at a flea market, with a guy who used to know Mike Z, well.. I had to buy it.

Brassgun (ブラスガン) was made by Bandai in 1995 as part of a line called Gunball (ガンボール).  Gunball existed only as a toy line - as far as I know there was no TV show or anime for it. In fact, the copyright on the toys is ©PLEX, not Bandai, so it appears it is an original PLEX design, marketed by Bandai. There were only 5 toys released in the line so I am assuming it did not do too well.

The toy consists of a solid metal ball and several magnetic limbs that attach to it. The main armor is one piece that grips the ball with rings on each side. You can then attach the arms and legs anywhere via magnetic attachment points. Brassgun also has an alternate dragon mode made by rearranging the parts. Included is one weapon, a gun that looks very similar to a trumpet.

This is a neat little toy, and its design is very similar to some of the Gold Lightan toys. Seeing this glint of gold at the flea market was like finding the proverbial hidden treasure. I wonder what other surprises are out there…

Not many toys have gone through as many versions as the Exo Squad Robotech toys.

The mold for this toy first appeared as part of the Macross series in Japan. Originally by Takatoku Toys, the "Destroid Defender Macross Series Collection No. 3" was part of a whole line of 1:144 mecha from Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

It's next lease on life occured when Matchbox imported the toys to be a part of the Robotech line. The Matchbox versions were almost identitical, with only copyright changes. (The molds were now owned by bandai). These Toys were released in two color schemes. A grey "Tactical" version and a tan "Civil Defense" version.

In 1995, Playmates got the rights to use the old Robotech toys as part of their Exo Squad line. They re-released these small mecha toys on blister cards at a very low price point. Playmates also released both tan and grey versions of this toy. These battloids had all the metal removed, making a lighter, cheaper product. Still, the toys weren't bad. the molds were OK, and they still came with a sticker sheet. For $3 at the time, you couldn't go wrong. These all went on clearance at KB toys in the late 90s and could be had for under a dollar each.

One noticeable change made to the Playmates version is in the arms. They turned the dual cannons 90 degrees so that they are side-by-side instead of in front of each other. Playmates also added a small bit of plastic between the cannons for support. (Thanks to Zor Master)

Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

The bootlegs are remarkably good. The plastic is a little flimsier, and there are some sprue marks, but the toy is essentially the same. The sticker quality is a little poor as well. This is actually really nice, and looks almost identical to the original. The alignment of the printing on the pink and white chest sticker is a little off.

Each Valkyrie can transform into 3 modes - Gerwalk, Battroid and Fighter. Gerwalk mode is kind of flimsy, but I don't know if that's the bootleggers' fault, or a problem with the original design.

So how do you tell the difference between the original and the bootleg? We the most obvious thing is the box. The Bandai logo has been replaced with the face of the pilot, and some of the text on the box is in Chinese. Check out the picture of the original at Macrossworld for comparison. if you're looking at a loose toy, look for sprue marks on the legs, and poor stickers. The bootleg has no © information on it as well.

Bandai later reissued two of the Macross 7 Valkyries in 2001, Including this one.
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Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

2 more bootleg valkyries to go!

Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

The bootlegs are remarkably good. The plastic is a little flimsier, and there are some sprue marks, but the toy is essentially the same. The sticker quality is a little poor as well. This is actually really nice, and looks almost identical to the original. The alignment of the printing on the pink and white chest sticker is a little off.

Each Valkyrie can transform into 3 modes - Gerwalk, Battroid and Fighter. Gerwalk mode is kind of flimsy, but I don't know if that's the bootleggers' fault, or a problem with the original design.

So how do you tell the difference between the original and the bootleg? We the most obvious thing is the box. The Bandai logo has been replaced with the face of the pilot, and some of the text on the box is in Chinese. Check out the picture of the original at Macrossworld for comparison. if you're looking at a loose toy, look for sprue marks on the legs, and poor stickers. The bootleg has no © information on it as well.

Bandai later reissued two of the Macross 7 Valkyries in 2001, but not this one. The original of this is now getting hard to find, so the bootleg is a good substitute.
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Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

The bootlegs are remarkably good. The plastic is a little flimsier, and there are some sprue marks, but the toy is essentially the same. The sticker quality is a little poor as well. The stickers on the Fire Valkyrie tend to pop up as the adhesive is weak. I had a problem with my Fire valkyrie where the fists were actually reversed! It was easily resolved with a screwdriver and some patience.

Each Valkyrie can transform into 3 modes - Gerwalk, Battroid and Fighter. Gerwalk mode is kind of flimsy, but I don't know if that's the bootleggers' fault, or a problem with the original design.

So how do you tell the difference between the original and the bootleg? We the most obvious thing is the box. The Bandai logo has been replaced with the face of the pilot, and some of the text on the box is in Chinese. Check out the picture of the original at Macrossworld for comparison. if you're looking at a loose toy, look for sprue marks on the legs, and poor stickers. The bootleg has no © information on it as well.

Bandai later reissued two of the Macross 7 Valkyries in 2001, one of which being the Fire Valkyrie. It's pretty common, so don't pay a lot for this one.

*editors note - the toy shown here was panel lined by the author.

Back in 1995, Bandai released 4 Valkyries from their Macross 7 series. They were a stark contrast from the vintage Macross Valkyries, being mostly plastic with limited articulation. Their simple design made for easy bootlegging, and it wasn't long until the Chinese bootlegs appeared on ebay.

The bootlegs are remarkably good. The plastic is a little flimsier, and there are some sprue marks, but the toy is essentially the same. The sticker quality is a little poor as well. The shoulder stickers on the Blazer Valkyrie tend to pop up as the adhesive is weak.

Each Valkyrie can transform into 3 modes - Gerwalk, Battroid and Fighter. Gerwalk mode is kind of flimsy, but I don't know if that's the bootleggers fault, or a problem with the original design.

So how do you tell the difference between the original and the bootleg? We the most obvious thing is the box. The Bandai logo has been replaced with the face of the pilot, and some of the text on the box is in Chinese. Check out the picture of the original at Macrossworld for comparison. if you're looking at a loose toy, look for sprue marks on the legs, and poor stickers. The bootleg has no © information on it as well.

Bandai later reissued two of the Macross 7 Valkyries in 2001, but the Blazer Valkyrie was not one of them, making the bootleg an easy way to get this toy without paying a ton of money.

One of my favorite shows in the 80s was the Mighty Orbots. It was about these 5 robots, Tor, Crunch, Bo, Boo, and Bort. They were led by the Orbots commander Rob, and his sidekick, Ohno.

One of my favorite shows in the 80s was the Mighty Orbots. It was about these 5 robots, Tor, Crunch, Bo, Boo, and Bort. They were led by the Orbots commander Rob, and his sidekick, Ohno.

The 5 Orbots could combine to form the Mighty Orbot, a giant robot, to fight the forces of Umbra. The show ran for only one year in the USA, and that season was later shown in Japan, and presumably Korea.

I loved that show, but I was always bummed that there never was a toy of the Mighty Orbot. There is a prototype picture of a modified Popy DX Godmarz done up to look like the Mighty Orbot, but a production toy was never released.

For years, I had given up on there ever being a toy of this cool robot. Then one day earlier this year, I spotted a post on Robot-Japan. Alex posted a picture of a Korean version Mighty Orbot toy. My heart raced! I had to have it.

Alex sent me the toy, and now it holds a special place in my collection.

It is not a very good toy, first of all. It feels like a pre-assembled model kit. The toy is hollow abs plastic, and comes in a plastic bag, stuffed inside a box. The chest of my toy had accidentally separated in two, leaving it in pieces in the bag, but it snapped back together without any problem. The toy comes with a sword, but I don't think there ever was one in the show. It doesn't matter though, because it exists. There is an Orbot toy.

I doubt this toy is licensed, but it appears to be the only Orbot toy ever made. They name on the box is actually "Obot", but it's pretty clear who it is supposed to be.

For more information on the Mighty Orbots cartoon, check this link out:
http://well-of-souls.com/orbots/index.html