In its US incarnation, Spectron is part of the Power Force line and is manufactured by Zima out of Hong Kong. The toy is manufactured under license from Takara. The toys actually came from a Japanese Tokuatsu show called Cyber Police Cybercop (電脳警察サイバーコップ). This show ran from 1988 - 1989 and was produced by Toho. The toy's original name is "Cyber Bit Series - Mercury Bit (サイバービット シリーズ マーキュリービット)"

In 1994 I was in an awkward period of transition. I really paid no attention to toys, or what was going on with the toy scene. I knew my kid brothers were into Power Rangers, and I knew they were Japanese, but I really didn't pay any attention to them. I was living on my own now, out of college, working 2 jobs and dealing with insane girlfriends; I had no time for toys.

I do remember seeing these toys in KayBee toy stores, specifically in the mall. I remember thinking how cool they looked, and I may have even gotten one for one of my brothers. But that was it.

5 years later I got back into toy collecting, and I was in that weird phase of just buying giant junk lots off of ebay just to bulk up my collection. Somehow I ended up with one of these, missing all the accessories.It was a neat figure, but as I got more serious about collecting, a lot of the "junk" got tossed and sold in lots on ebay (again!), this toy among them.

This year, I got a box from CollectionDX contributor Uplandmod. He had a box of "Junk" from his childhood, and wanted to know if I wanted it. Hell yeah I did. It was full of treasure, and it kept me occupied for weeks. Most of it was candy toys and erasers, but included in the box was a complete Spectron figure with box. I finally have the chance to take a look at this thing with all its accessories. Now I am kicking myself for passing these up when they were on the shelves.

In its US incarnation, Spectron is part of the Power Force line and is manufactured by Zima out of Hong Kong. The toy is manufactured under license from Takara .

The toys actually came from a Japanese Tokuatsu show called Cyber Police Cybercop (電脳警察サイバーコップ). This show ran from 1988 - 1989 and was produced by Toho. The toy's original name is "Cyber Bit Series - Mercury Bit (サイバービット シリーズ マーキュリービット)"

In Cyber Police Cybercop, the team are a member of the Zero Section Armed Constable (ZAC). The US version of the toy keeps the logo but changes it to Zero Section Armored Police (ZAC).

Spectron is 9" high and features 23 points of articulation.The toy is insanely articulated and the quality of the construction is awesome. The fact that these sold for only $10 is incredible. Spectron's body is made of ABS and PVC with diecast plates on the forearms. Several of the body plates on the figure are removable.

Spectron carries his weaponry in a black briefcase. Inside, 2 parts rest in a red plastic holder. The weapon is called the Lacerator, and consists of a giant hand-held blade. The weapon is designed to be integrated with the arm by lifting up the diecast panel on the arm and sliding the weapon under. Once connected, the weapon becomes part of the figure.

As great as these toys were, the show was terrible.

Cyber Police Cybercop was about a team of armored police, each with a different speciality. Inside Mercury Bit is a man named Osamu Saionzi - an expert grappler. The Mercury Bit suit has Superior high-speed mobility, but its armor is weak in the rear. The show never made it to the US, and by watching the video clip you can understand why. The production values are terrible, and even in the US tokuatsu frenzy of the 90s (Power Rangers, Masked Rider, Beetleborgs, VR Troopers) nobody would touch it.

Still, its a great toy, if you can find one, pick it up.

This was the 90s, when the concept of political correctness began to creep into our daily lives, and began to ruin the things we love.

Megatron. As a Tank. It all started here.

This was the 90s, when the concept of political correctness began to creep into our daily lives, and began to ruin the things we love.

Kids couldn’t play with realistic guns anymore, each gun had to have a neon tip at first, but then guns didn’t even look like guns anymore.

Transformers G2 was supposed to be a renaissance of sorts. Hasbro / Kenner began to re-release the G1 Transformers in new, updated paint schemes with added weapons and play value. Not only did the G2 Optimus Prime have a black trailer, but it also had an electronic voice box and it shot missiles. Most of the G1 cars and even some Decepticons were re-released. But in this era of Political Correctness, there was no way that Hasbro could re-release Megatron as a realistic looking gun. So Hasbro went back to the drawing board (apparently without Takara), and created a new version of Megatron.

Megatron was now a tank. Now, I can buy that. It’s powerful, it still has a large cannon. A realistic looking tank that transformed would look great. But Hasbro had to go one further. They made Megatron a NEON GREEN AND PURPLE tank. With stickers all over it that said such witty phrases as “Eat This Autobots” and “Big Stick”. It is a classic example of the faux-extreme design that executives in a board room thought kids would really relate to. Hell, I’m surprised Megatron isn’t wearing sunglasses and Bermuda shorts at this point.

The toy itself is really mediocre. In tank mode, it looks alright if you can get past the color scheme. The treads don’t actually move; instead there are wheels on the bottom. The turret does not turn, but the barrel does go up and down. Megatron’s tiny gun and a missile assembly (not shown) fit on the top.

Transformation is easy enough; straightforward and very American. It reminds me of those cheapo American Transformers you could find at Osco Drug in the 80s. In robot mode, Megatron is a brick. The legs don’t move, the head doesn’t turn - you basically just get a little movement in the arms.

Megatron’s one redeeming value is in his gimmicks. Most notable is the giant cannon which actually fires missiles a good distance. You lift the cover of the cannon, insert the missile, pull back to cock the cannon and the press a button to fire. Megatron makes electronic firing noises when launched. The missile goes surprisingly far. Megatron also includes a small gun that can fit in either hand. When you have a giant purple cannon on your shoulder, do you really need this pea-shooter?

Megatron also features 5 electronic sounds that are actived by pushing down on the plate where his head is, in either tank or robot mode.

Unless you are a die-hard Transformer fan, skip this one.

Guitardo was one of the original villian toys made for the first series of Power Rangers.

The toy was only sold in the US.

Guitardo came window boxed, and included a double bladed staff (not shown).

These toys don't get much respect in the US, but these are full blooded vinyl kaiju. Vinyl monsters from a Japanese show! These can be had at yard sales and flea markets for cheap!
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Take one turtle the size of a cow, and combine it with a special green crystal. Then, allow for two seconds so the combination can grow to gigantic proportions. Result: a transformable robot with thick green armor, plenty of energy, a set of powerful cannons, and the height of a 20-storey building.

Take one turtle the size of a cow, and combine it with a special green crystal. Then, allow for two seconds so the combination can grow to gigantic proportions. Result: a transformable robot with thick green armor, plenty of energy, a set of powerful cannons, and the height of a 20-storey building. Interdimensional being Zordon gave the Power Rangers access to Tor the Shuttle Zord to increase the capabilities of their already-amazing Thunderzord arsenal.

Tor the Shuttle Zord is the final link in the Thunderzord transformation system. Included in the set is the main body, two large cannon arrays, a tree of gold-plated plastic parts, a tree of dull gold plastic parts, a pair of yellow plastic horns for Tor's head, a tree of small transparent red plastic domes, a large sheet of decals, and a page of black-&-white instructions in English only. The pieces on the trees needed to be removed with care so that there were no sharp points from where they were attached. The two Side Cannons snap into position on either side of Tor's body, and the various pieces from the trees are placed all over the toy. The head and neck is retracted into the body, and needed to be pulled out. Once that's done, the final ornamental pieces can be added.

Tor has two modes of operation:

• Shuttle Mode - In this form, Tor is a giant turtle with a hollow green shell, and a pair of enormous cannons to either side. There are wheels on the bottom of its feet, so it can roll easily along a hard, flat surface; although, hard wood surfaces may suffer due to the groves in the plastic wheels. The light gray mouth is poseable, and the head features a yellow plastic horn. Fortunately, Bandai provided a spare horn incase the first slips out (which it tends to after a while).
• Warrior Mode - In this form, Tor is rotated up onto the flat section of its back, the head is retracted into the body with the turtle's beak rotating to become the robot's face, and the large cannons to either side extending fingers.

The light-&-sound feature is fully functional in either mode, and is accessed below the red transparent dome. Pressing either button will create either the sound of Tor roaring, or the sound of a cannon blasting; both accompanied by the flashing light inside the red dome. The sounds are quite loud, and last about 1 second each. The flashing effect is increased with the use of silver-plated plastic "mirror" around the red dome, which reflects the light better.

The fun part about Tor is how it can interact with the other Thunderzords in the system.

In the upright Warrior Mode, two large doors can be hinged open, and then either the Deluxe Red Dragon Thunderzord (sold separately) or Deluxe White Tigerzord (sold separately), can be placed inside, both also in Warrior Mode. Unfortunately, because of the molding process used, the Red Dragon Thunderzord does not stand very well on its own, and tends to fall over inside.

In the quadruped Shuttle Mode, Tor is a little less forgiving. The doors can still be opened, but only the White Tigerzord, in its Tiger Mode, can fit inside. And, even then, the tail sword, and several of the red shoulder domes need to be removed. Fitting the White Tigerzord inside is tricky at best, and takes some work, regardless of what the instructions may say. It's a tight fit, and it immobilizes the White Tigerzord except for its mouth and its own light-&-sound feature.

Fitting the White Tigerzord inside Tor is the first step in completing the greatest Thunderzord assembly. The next step requires taking the Deluxe Thunderzord Assault Team (sold separately) and combining it with the Red Dragon Thunderzord to form the Thunder Megazord's Sled Mode. Finally, the Thunder Megazord is placed on top of Tor, fitting into groves on the top of the shuttle Zord. This completes the transformation into the all-powerful Thunder Ultrazord!

The Thunder Ultrazord is a dead weight. At almost 15 pounds, there is little else to do but roll it along a hard floor, and press the light-&-sound buttons. If you do try to lift it, be aware that the Thunder Megazord is not directly connected to the top of Tor, and it will fall off! The only interesting thing I find about this combo is that the hole in the Thunder Megazord's sled platform allows the light from below to shine through between the Red Dragon Thunderzord's legs. The White Tigerzord is completely cut-off, and serves merely as ballast to keep the Thunder Ultrazord from being too top-heavy.

For those of you wondering what the differences are between the Deluxe Tor the Shuttle Zord from "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", and its original Japanese counterpart, DX Dai Mugen, from "Gosei Sentai DaiRanger" they are few, but noticeable:

• As is typical of all of the DX Super Sentai transforming mecha coming over from Japan at that time, Bandai America heavily modified all of the decal designs so that Dai Mugen would fit into the "PR" saga better as Tor. (There was nothing on the decals to suggest that they needed to be changed because of this, in my opinion.)
• The plastic was darkened a little to a forest green on Tor, as opposed to Dai Mugen's rather normal plain green.

As far as I know, all materials, sounds, and molding remained the same between the two estranged cousins. And since only the small red eyes were painted, there was no change there.

This toy is rather dependent on the others in the system to bring out its good points. It is a carrier Zord, after all, and fits few other roles well. Articulation is severely limited to the door hinges, joints at the shoulders on the large light gray arms, the lower half of Tor's neck and its mouth, and partially on the back feet. The lights-&-sound adds points, but not by much. All in all, he's OK, and he is well suited to his role.

As for the Thunderzord system in general, I seem to have lost some of my interest for it in the years since they aired in 1994, though some - like the Red Dragon Thunderzord and White Tigerzord- will remain close to me.

Three (3) AA batteries (not included) are required to operate the electronic light-&-sound feature, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

The Thunderzord Assault Team comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger.

Thanks to Eva_Unit_4A for the background information on this toy.

The Thunderzord Assault Team comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger. The original show ran from 1993-1994, while the US version ran from 1994-1995. The original Japanese toy was part of a boxed set called Dairenoh Five Star Combination DX.

The toy came with the following accessories:

• Lion Thunderzord
• Unicorn Thunderzord
• Griffin Thunderzord
• Firebird Thunderzord
• 5 colored mini figurines
• 5 colored power crystals
• Platform
• Handle
• 4 Rollers
• Tail for Firebird
• Helmet
• Sticker sheet
• Instructions

Early versions of this toy came with a shiny gold Firebird Thunderzord tail, later versions had a softer gold plastic version. Also worth noting is that the power crystals were a Bandai America addition, and were not included with the Japanese release.

Each Zord has a small area where one of the mini figures can stand. All the Zords attach to the base, which can roll on the ground via wheels on the bottom, or you can simulate flying by holding the handle on the back. There are 2 holes in the platform for the Red Dragonzord to stand on, but he does not clip in at all. Actually, none of the Zords, save for the Firebird Thunderzord, actually snap in or are secured to the base in any way, so take care when moving it.

The individual components of the Thunderzord Assault Team can combine with the Red Thunderzord to become the Thunder Megazord. The Thunder Megazord features a trident like weapon made from the Red Thunderzord's Staff and the Firebird's tail, as well as a chrome Thunder Saber that slides into a scabbard attached to its waist. The combined form is HUGE. You can open the dome on the chest of the Thunder Megazord and insert the 5 minifigs into the grooves to act as pilots. It is almost impossible to get all 5 of them in.

You can also combine the Thunderzord Assault Team with the White Tigerzord to form the Megatigerzord. The White Tigerzord actually came with a plate and feet for the Firebird Thunderzord that enabled the Megatigerzord to use the Firebird Thunderzord as a weapon. This mode is one of my favorite Megazord modes. It is just insane.

To add another layer of insanity to the mix, you can combine the Red Dragonzord, the Thunderzord Assault Team, the White Tigerzord and Tor the Shuttlezord to form the ultimate Zord, the Thunder Ultrazord.

There are several differences between the US and Japanese version of this toy.

• The stickers have been modified to tie in with the Power Rangers "Look"
• The Lion Thunderzord has significant paint differences, mostly in the green face
• The Unicorn and Griffon Thunderzords have black tabs in the back, instead of the gray used on the Original
• The tab on the back of the handle is gray on the Original, and Black on the US version.
• The mini figures on the US version are all just remolds of the Red Ranger from ZyuRanger.
• The US version came with Power Crystals, the Japanese version did not.
• The Japanese toys were packaged as part of a box set with the Red Dragonzord, and not sold separately.

Note that the toy used on the box is a mix of the Japanese and US versions.

The White Tigerzord comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger.

Thanks to EVA_Unit_4A for the background information on this toy.

The White Tigerzord comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger. The original show ran from 1993-1994, while the US version ran from 1994-1995. The original Japanese name for this toy is Won Tiger.

The toy came packaged with numerous accessories, including:

• White Tigerzord
• White Ranger figure
• Breastplate and sword for White Ranger
• Small White Ranger figurine
• Power Crystal
• Power Coin
• Sword
• Instruction Sheet
• Sticker Sheet
• 7 clear red domes
• Baseplate for Firebird Thunderzord
• Legs for Firebird Thunderzord

Early versions of this toy came with a shiny gold plastic sword, wheras later releases had a dull gold flexible sword. It is also interesting to note that due to the popularity of the show at this time, the Japanese release could be found in many smaller US stores, bearing a sticker in English. The demand was so great the stores were importing the Japanese version.

There are a few differences between the Japanese and US version. The main difference is that the Japanese version did not include a large size White Ranger or power coin. The power coin can be used with the morpher from Season 1. Stickers are also substantially different between the US and Japanese versions. The plastic used on the US release is bright white, where the Japanese release was flecked with grey specks. Also, the clear red domes are stamped with Kanji on the Japanese version. The sword on all japanese versions was shiny gold, as opposed to only very early releases of the US version. The rest had the dull gold soft plastic sword.

In Tiger mode, the White Tigerzord features an articulated jaw and moveable front and rear legs. The sword becomes the tail of the Tigerzord in this mode.

In Megazord mode, the White Tigerzord is a big durable brick of a robot. It features light and sound action in both modes. Lights and sound are activated by pressing one of two buttons on top of the White Tigerzord's head. The White Tigerzord requires 2 AA batteries.

Included in the set are legs and a baseplate for the Firebird Thunderzord, sold as part of the Thunderzord Assault Team. You can combine the White Tigerzord and Thunderzord Assault Team to form the Mega-Tigerzord. You can also combine the Red Dragon Thunderzord, The Thunderzord Assault Team, Tor the Shuttle Zord and the White Tigerzord to create the Thunder Ultrazord.

The amount of engineering and creativity that went into these toys is unbelievable. you can have literally hours of fun transforming and combining the various modes. It is no surprise that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were THE toy to have in 94.

The Red Dragon Thunderzord comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger.

First of all, Thanks to EVA_Unit_4A for the background information on this toy.

The Red Dragon Thunderzord comes from Series 2 of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the domestic version of the Japanese Super Sentai show, Five Star Task Force Dairanger. The original show ran from 1993-1994, while the US version ran from 1994-1995. The original Japanese name for this toy is Ryuseioh Spirit Beast, and was packaged as part of the Ryuseioh Five Star Combination DX set.

Included in the box is:

• Red Dragon Thunderzord body
• Staff
• Tail piece
• Head piece
• Power Crystal (not shown)
• Small figurine (not shown)
• Instruction sheet (not shown)
• Sticker sheet (not shown)

The Power Crystal is an addition to the US release not found in the Japanese version. The only other difference between this release and the import is a slightly different sticker sheet. Lightning bolts were added to tie the toy in to the previous Power Rangers toys. For a good look at the unmolested Japanese version, click here. The small figurine of the Red Ranger that can be set on the Red Dragon Thunderzord was included in the original version, but because English audiences never saw the "DaiRanger" suits except for the White Ranger's, the US versions feature differently-colored versions of the original Red Ranger from ZyuRanger".

The Red Dragon Thunderzord can transform from Dragon mode to Warrior mode. In Dragon mode, the Red Dragon Thunderzord has articulated claws, jaw, neck and tail. Either the Power Crystal or miniature red ranger can be mounted on the head of the dragon. Transformation is simple, and things move into place with satisfying clicks. The toy is solid, and ready for play. In Warrior mode, the Red Dragon Thunderzord can hold a staff in his hands.

As with other Power Ranger Megazords, The Red Dragon Thunderzord can combine with other zords to create even more powerful combinations.

First, The Red Dragon Thunderzord Can combine with the Thunderzord Assault Team and become the Thunder Megazord. It can also ride on the back of the Thunderzord Assault Team when in Sled mode. This combination can also ride on top of Tor the Shuttlezord, creating the Thunder Ultrazord.

This Godzilla was released by Trendmasters as part of its Godzilla Wars Line. The toy featured a light and sound feature that is motion activated. Turn the switch on his back on, and then wave your hand in front of him.

Godzilla is about 10 inches tall, made out of ABS and vinyl, and is articulated at the head, shoulders, legs and tail.

Not a bad likeness of Godzilla from an american toy company. It was released in both "King of the monsters" and "Godzilla Wars" packaging.

Gobarian is based off of the Go Nagai character Govarian. This particular character seems to be very popular in Korea, even though it remained obscure in Japan.

This toy is about 7" tall, and made out of a soft type of plastic. I think it is the same material they use to make Jumbos (polyethylene), but i'm not sure. The firing fists and feet come from Bioman and the torso comes from Danguard Ace, but the rest appears to be an original design. The wings fold back and are removeable.

This toy embodies Korean robot toy design: The crazy colors, the obvious copyright infringement, and the fantastic packaging.

One thing I love about the Korean toy companies is that they have no fear. They think nothing of taking two unreleated properties, say MachineRobo, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and making a crazy mixed up toy.

With this toy, the Hyung Dae Tong Sang Co. has taken some Fiveman figures, a dunebuggy, and a random unreleated VHS casette and combined them into this cool box set.

First of all, were there Six Fiveman figures? The figures themselves actually appear to be from Goggle V. The motorcycle might come from Liveman, but i'm not sure. The whole set is a mess. The VHS tape seems to be an animated baseball program. It's like the toy companies just put a whole bunch of toys together in a blender and spit these sets out.

The figures themselves are all plastic, and reasonably well made. They all come with small weapons, hidden behind the VHS tape in a baggie. Five figures can be mounted on pegs in the Fivecar. The car is pretty well made. The motorcycle is all plastic with rubber wheels. You can try to mount any figure to the cycle, but the handlebars are too soft to get a grip on and support any weight.