The design of Spiral Zone's Act 2: Hyper Boxer has grown on me over the years, mostly due to the fantastic colors the armor was molded in, the lime green combat suit and the protect suits odd features and detailed weapon accessories.

Spiral Zone Act 2: Hyper Boxer

The second SFG Spiral Zone deluxe figure protect suit set to be released by Bandai in 1985 was Act 2: Hyper Boxer. Compared to the other protect suits, Act 1: Bull Solid and Act 3: Sentinel Bear, Hyper Boxer was the medium weight armor and weapon set of the Spiral Zone line.

I originally bought Hyper Boxer new from Pony Toy Go Round back in the late 1980’s for $25.00. According to the product box, Hyper Boxer was produced for combat in the then future date of 2002 AD.

The design of Act 2: Hyper Boxer has grown on me over the years, mostly due to the fantastic colors the armor was molded in, the lime green combat suit and the protect suits odd features and detailed weapon accessories.

Act 1: Hyper Boxer package includes the following: 1x Systeminjection 36 Point articulation figure, 1x Helmet, 2x chest armor, 1x belt armor, 2x shin armor, 1xgenerator backpack, 1x real cloth suit, 2x rubber boots, 2x file cards, 1x instructions, 1x grey vinyl sprue, 2x rubber bands, 2x gloved hands, 1x clear visor, 1x headphones, 1x backpack parts sprue, 2x shoulder armor, 4x arm armor, 1x buckle, 2x shoulder armor pins, 1x weapons armor sprue, 1x black parts sprue, 1x rubber hose, 1x antenna, 1x display name.

As with most all of the Spiral Zone box art, I admire the Autumn green and brown colors of the splinter camouflage on the box and the impressive oil painting on the back of the box of a squad of HB on patrol under a foreboding green smoked sky near some abandoned skyscrapers.

As the entire Spiral Zone action figure line was a balance between model kit and toy, one should take about two hours of build time out to assemble the armor parts and fitting them to the figure. I suggest purchasing a good set of sprue cutters from a local hobby shop for getting a good clean cut of the parts off the sprue.

As stated before there are some great features that are included with the HB set. First off HB includes two weapons, a sub-machine type Laser Hand gun and a well detailed M50 40mm Grenade Launcher. The Grenade Launcher seems to be the weapon of choice for HB combatants as the HB squad on the back of the box is featured carrying only Grenade Launchers. I really love the look of the Grenade Launcher as it is one of the most impressive pieces of artillery in the entire Spiral Zone line and looks great when any of the figures are displayed with it.

Perhaps because of complaints from customers who bought Bull Solid, many of the connecting belts and other fragile parts were redesigned to be less prone to breakage for HB. For example the fragile easily broken antenna that was included on Hyper Boxers helmet were replaced with soft rubber parts for HB’s helmet parts. Also the belt connectors on the protect armor were redesigned using a pin system that puts less stress on the armor’s plastic loops. This is great when your taking the figure apart and putting it back into the box, as I am always extremely stressed out when taking Bull Solid apart but with HB I have no worries.

Two of the most rememorable features most collectors remember about HB are the leg armor shields and shoulder armor. The leg armor humorously reminds collectors of armored leg warmers. On the whole, with the black kneepad protectors, the leg armor looks good with the over all concept of the figure. Remember to double check if the two black kneepads are included with the set as they are most always missing when I see them up for auction. The large football pads style shoulder armor also builds up the look of the figure, the best feature being the left armor pad has two rubber hoses that attach to the backpack for nice integrated armor and backpack look.

Some more armor features include four parts of armor that snap on the upper and lower arm with the nice touch of a trench knife being fitted to the one of the pads. But keep in mind they have a tendency to come off the arm and in my opinion the only feature that could be bothersome when displaying the figure.

The fine paint details of both the chest armor and helmet look great and like all the other Spiral Zone releases the helmet features a thin clear lens that looks in scale and gives the figure that extra little detail that I love about the entire Spiral Zone line. Headphones are included to help keep the helmet snug to the head but are not needed unlike the Bull Solid figure.

While Bull Solid was predominately two colors of grey and Olive Green, the color spectrum of HB is made up of black, grey, lime green, dark green and silver, making for a very subtle but colorful figure. The color spectrum of Spiral Zone figures would reach its zenith with Act 3: Sentinel Bear, but HB is a fantastic effort.

The 36-point articulations Systeminjection figure included with HB is another remarkable face sculpt with its youthful anime looking face and fashionable Brit-pop haircut. Like all the other Spiral zone sets, HB comes with grey plastic molded hands to simulate grey gloves, that can be attached when the flesh colored hands are removed. The hands also feature the famous Spiral Zone moveable trigger finger, so it can grasp the gun correctly.

The backpack is surprisley smaller and compact when compared to both Bull Solid and Sentinel Bear. I like the small details of the simulated cloth and zipper WWII style pouch on the backpack and the stretched sprue plastic radio antenna that is included with the set.

Overall I think Hyper Boxer is one of the most even and well though out protect suit design in the entire Spiral Zone line and these days expect to pay between $60 and $120 for a Hyper Boxer figure. It is a great looking figure when assembled and displayed and does not have all the breakage points that Bull Solid is known for. Another legendary release from Bandai’s SFG Spiral Zone line that is a must for the Spiral Zone collection.

© 2008 Leonardo Flores ModCineaste and Collection DX.

Bandai’s SFG Spiral Zone released only three optional weapon sets for their Spiral Zone deluxe figure sets and optional Coating Armor sets. Acts 8, 9 & 10 would be allocated for those releases.

Spiral Zone: Act 9 Bazooka Pack

Bandai’s SFG Spiral Zone released only three optional weapon sets for their Spiral Zone deluxe figure sets and optional Coating Armor sets. Acts 8, 9 & 10 would be allocated for those releases. They are:

Act 8: Personal Floater
Act 9: Bazooka Pack
Act 10: Type Scout III Monoseed

Act 9: Optional Backpack Unit Bazooka Pack was a “Monopole Accelerative Rail Gun / Missile Launcher” that was developed in 2005 that fired a 70mm round. The entire unit carried 20 rounds total with four being carried in the breech and the other 16 in the backpack storage area (as stated on the box). Although all the Spiral Zone figures can use this backpack, it is colored for Act 1: Bull Solid of dark OD green.

Typical of all the Spiral Zone release the front of the box has clear windows that display some of the parts and the other side of the box illustrates a beautiful painting of Bull Solid in action with the Bazooka Pack.

The small box contains: 2x green sprue, 1x preassembled back pack, 1x barrel, 2x metal springs, 1x rubber hose, 1x thin plastic wire,1x red wire, 1x sticker sheet, 1x instruction sheet, 1x file card.

I bought this toy from a dealer for $15.00 at the San Diego Comic Convention back in 1987 and it had already been assembled. This purchase was also my last Spiral Zone toy purchase for many years until I bough an Act 12: Figure Type II (Brown) from Ebay about two years ago.

Assembly of Bazooka Pack is almost pure model kit with some nice added touches that take it to Spiral Zone levels. I suggest buying a good pair of sprue cutters to cuts the parts off the sprue. Some of the great features are metal spring tubing that connects the gun to the backpack and the twisted red wire that is very simply assembled but very effective in scale. I also love the antenna that comes from the top of the unit.

The Gun also has some nice features as well such as moveable handles for better positioning the Spiral Zone figure with it. When the Bazooka is not in use it can be folded in half and fit neatly into the backpack unit. The bazooka is held to the backpack with a folding arm from the backpack.

My only problem with this backpack is how the gun tends to fall apart in the middle when you are folding it in half. That can fixed with a couple of drops of glue, but I elected to keep together without glue.

Later a very cute looking Gashapon version of Bazooka was released that also fitted on a small Gashapon Spiral Zone figure that could be placed on the figures hand and being able to fit into a backpack that also connected to the Spiral Zone Gashapon figure.

This is one of my favorite Spiral Zone releases, as it looks great when displayed with a Spiral Zone figure. It is an impressive looking gun when deployed and I like to think that one of the parts on the side of the Bazooka is a small machine gun, which gives it even some more play value. I do not see the Bazooka Pack for sale that often on either Ebay or Yahoo Japan Auctions, in fact the last one I saw for sale was the one I bought back in 1987 that I used for this review. A great toy definitely worth picking up for the Spiral Zone collection!

© 2008 Leonardo Flores & DX Collection.

After releasing four SFG Spiral Zone extra Coating Type uniforms without figures, it would be expected that Bandai would release basic figures to go along with their coating armor sets. Spiral Zone Act 11 Figure Type 1 (White Man) and Act 12 Figure Type II (Brown) would fulfill those expectations.

Spiral Zone Act 11: Figure Type 1 (White)

After releasing four SFG Spiral Zone extra Coating Type uniforms without figures, it would be expected that Bandai would release basic figures to go along with their coating armor sets. Spiral Zone Act 11 Figure Type 1 (White Man) and Act 12 Figure Type II (Brown) would fulfill those expectations.

Leonardo Flores (MonCinesate)

Two Spiral Zone figures were created to be paired with one of the four Coating Type extra armor uniform sets. While the other three figures looked Japanese in their face sculpts, Bandai choose to release two figures with an African ethnicity and European ethnicity.

Spiral Zone Act 12: Type II Brown

SFG Bandai’s Spiral Zone toys can be split into four categories:

Deluxe Figure Kits (Acts 1-3)
Coating optional Clothing sets (Act 4-7),
Vehicles & Optional Backpacks (Acts 8-10)
Super Real Action Figures (Acts 11 & 12)

This review will focus on one of the two optional figures and last Spiral Zone release Act 12: Figure Type 2 (Brown).

Leonardo Flores “Modcineaste”

Special Forces Group Spiral Zone was a very short released series of action figures and equipment manufactured by Bandai in 1/12 scale in 1985. Not many pieces were released with only 12 releases, which were numbered on each box as “Acts”, with Bull Solid as Act 1.

Act 1: Bull Solid

Special Forces Group Spiral Zone was a very short released series of action figures and equipment manufactured by Bandai in 1/12 scale in 1985. The figures were only produced for a couple years and were quite expensive for their day and now rare and highly sought after Japanese toy today. When GI Joe figures went for 2.95 each Spiral Zone figures were $25.00 and in 1986 that was a lot of money. Not many pieces were released with only 12 releases, which were numbered on each box as “Acts”, with Bull Solid as Act 1. Spiral Zone was one of the first hi-brow toys that were geared towards adult collectors rather than children.

The Spiral Zone package consist of:

1X Systeminjection action figure, 1x helmet, 2x arm pads, 2x armor plates, 1X Real cloth suit, 2X rubber boots, 3X sprue (1x vinyl, 1x silver, 1x green), 1x backpack, 1x rubber hose, 2X grey replacement hands, 1X clear vinyl, 1X belt buckle, 4X rubber bands, 1x instructions, 2X file cards.

Building Spiral Zone figures is very straightforward. Although following the instructions should produce a great end product, I believe since Bull Solid was the first release there are a couple of engineering problems that if you are not careful you can break some weaker points of the figure.

My friends little brother also attacked my Bull Solid when I was in school one afternoon and broke off the head, this was finally repaired a few years ago with Yutaka’s own Spiral Zone body reissues which Ninja uses the exact same molds as the original Spiral Zone figures of the 1980’s.

© 2008 Leonardo Flores “Modcineaste”

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Many Macross, Mospeada, Southern Cross, and Robotech collectors have mixed feelings about the non Bandai and Takatoku Robotech toys produced by Matchbox, specifically its 3 3.4 scale figures and their accessories.

Many Macross, Mospeada, Southern Cross, and Robotech collectors have mixed feelings about the non Bandai and Takatoku Robotech toys produced by Matchbox, specifically its 3 3.4 scale figures and their accessories.

The more difficult figures to locate are Scott Bernard, Roy Fokker, Lunk, Rook Bartley, Mirya in black, large Miriya and Lynn Minmei. A special note must go out the Lynn Minmei figure as it is the Holy Grail of the line as only a handful were made and were extremely rare to locate even back in the 1980’s.

The Matchbox’s Scott Bernard figures is one of more difficult figures to locate and never seem to appear on pegs at the department stores. I managed to locate the figure through the Sears catalog around 1986. Sears known for having exclusive toys only available through their catalog must have got the only catch of the Scott Bernard figures. Scott was available through mail order in a set of three figures along with Rand and Corg for $15.00. Even though it was available in their catalog I was rightly concerned that the figure would be substituted for unavailability or the order cancelled all together as another company from New York The Robot Store had done to me around the same time with some of the other Robotech action figures. Two weeks later arriving at my door was a set of three Robotech figures and in that package was one Scott Bernard. There was no special packaging just an envelope in mail that had the three figures on their respected cards.

Being a huge GI Joe 3 3.4 scale figures fan, the Matchbox line had so much potential but delivered so poorly. For whatever reason a second series of figures were never produced which was unfortunate. With Scott, Lunk, Rook and Rand produced only two more figures, Lancer and Annie, needed to be produced to create the main cast of the series. And trust me at the time I dreamed about those figure releases often. It is a shame that Hasbro or Kenner did not produce this line, as I am sure they would have handled the line better.

Matchbox’s Scott Bernard represents the worst of their Robotech line with unavailbity and a lack of basic knowledge of the subject. Trying to locate all 22 of Matchbox’s Robotech 3 3.4 line of action figures is quite a daring feat due to the extreme rarity of a handful of figures not to mentioning trying to locate an original Matchbox Minmei as opposed to the recent Harmony Gold reissues from a few years back. Unless you are trying to make a run for the Matchbox Robotech series or you are a Mospeada completest, or you come across the figure for cheap at the marketplace I would pass on this one. And I am sure you already have.

Leonardo Flores “ModCineaste”

CDX's first ever plush doll review! Oh, the HORROR!!!

Released in 1985 by the Traveler Trading company, this is actually a pretty cool doll for a plush toy. The overall presentation is quite nice looking. While the everything else is traditional plush, the head on Dracula is made of soft vinyl. While it doesn't represent the Bela Lugosi portrayal of Dracula, in many ways I actually like this toys appearance a great deal more. It really captures the classic vampire look. The fangs are apparent and the pointy ears and slicked back black hair scream "vampire", but it's the eyes I really like. Wide with bloodlust and a nice colorful blend of red, white and blue, the overall effect looks fantastic.

I also really like Dracula's cape, with the classic black exterior and red interior. The way the collar points up around the face is also nice.

Still, I probably would not have bought a plush doll if I didn't think it would display well with other toys. But because of the unique packaging for this doll, I think it will look great. The doll comes in a "coffin" box with a clear cellophane window on the front through which you can clearly see the doll. Each side of the box features two "handles" as part of the artwork. You can't actually grab them, they are just printed on for decoration. There is also some wonderful artwork on a flap on the back side of the box, showing Dracula leading a pack of bats with the words "Drac Bat" written in dripping blood red lettering.

One last gimmick that is included is a glossy sheet of paper containing Dracula's "death certificate". There are some rather silly answers to some of the fields, such as "Self employed vampire" for occupation.

The doll stands about 18" tall and looks surprisingly good displayed in his coffin. I normally wouldn't recommend a plush doll, but this one is pretty cool.

Help solve the mystery of Construction Robo Barudam!

This one has been giving me a hard time - I cannot, for the life of me figure out who made it.

The toy is "Gokin Robo Construction Corps. Barudam (合金ロボ【改造軍団～バルダム】)"

Whether Barudam is the toy line, the show or the name of the toy, I do not know. There are four different designs in the line, and each of those may have been made in a different color. The toy features a diecast frame with attachable bits or armor.

There is no manufacturer on the box. There is a small KS logo on the back, which could stand for "Kawai Shokai" or "Kato Seisakusho 加藤製作所". The first being an active hobby company, the latter being a heavy equipment manufacturer. Although this seems like an odd choice, Kato Seisakusho did appear to produce small toys of some of their construction machines, and this toy is labled "Construction Corps", so who knows?

Another theory is that the toy is associated with the toy company Aoshima. Construction Corps Barudam is mentioned in both Aoshima Model kit books:

• 超絶プラモ道―懐かしのオリジナルSFプラモデル大全 (ホビージャック (2000-05)) (単行本（ソフトカバー）)
• 超絶プラモ道〈2〉アオシマプラモの世界 (単行本)

In Aoshima's corporate history they mention a partnership with Kawai Shokai, which continues to this day.

Another clue on the box lies in the copyright - ©Koma. Who or what Koma is I have not been able to figure out.

Regardless of the toy's origins, it's a neat little figure and would feel right at home alongside your dougram mecha.

Barudam consists of a diecast body with plastic add on parts. The toy comes with one set of armor applied, and two more sets come on sprues. You can mix and match the armor to your hearts content. Barudam is about 2.5 inches tall.

Good luck finding one.

At the time it seems that everybody was manufacturing or bootlegging Fang of the Sun Dougram figures in 1985. Revell was releasing Dougram 1/48 and 1/72 scale under the Robotech Defenders monikers and Dougram action figures were available at big chain toy stores even though America didn’t even have the luxury of the cartoon series on TV. That’s just the way it was.

At the time it seems that everybody was manufacturing or bootlegging Fang of the Sun Dougram figures in 1985. Revell was releasing Dougram 1/48 and 1/72 scale under the Robotech Defenders monikers and Dougram action figures were available at big chain toy stores even though America didn’t even have the luxury of the cartoon series on TV. That’s just the way it was.

One of the more fun and affordable releases for the average 13 year old were a set of six multicolored one inch tall figures known as “Space Puzzle Fighters”. But if you have a sharp eye you will recognize three of the Puzzlers as Dougram, Roundfacer, & Crabgunner. These were available through local candy shops and mobile ice cream vendors for what I can remember 25¢ each.

Space Puzzle Fighters bagged packages includes: 1x paper header, 1x square one color sheets that shows the six assembled Space Puzzler Fighters, 1x colored sprue and 1x Smarties candy roll to be devoured by the kids. Space puzzle Fighters were manufactured in the five colors of pink, blue, purple, green and orange.

What was so great about these was simply the affordability of Space Puzzle Fighters. With just a few dollars you could assemble a huge army of these toys. Also, the fact that they easily came apart and reassembled, one could assemble custom figures in various colors and configurations.

Although three of the SPF were from Dougram the other three figures, to the best of my knowledge, were generic robots. My favorite release is the Chogokin style faceless pink robot with the footless Astro Boy legs and pirate sword and shield. I would love to have that one in DX garde!

Sure they are bootlegs but to this Chogokin collector the Space Puzzle Fighters still bring back many fond memories of the early days.

Leonardo Flores “Uplandmod”

A very recent aquisition of mine... But being a massive Robotech nerd, you could easily ask, what took ya so long!?

First off, if you want to check out more super-dimensional action, be sure to check out Atom's great review of Wave's 1/5000 DYRL-version Macross! Afterall, we have him to thank--at least in part--for this review. The recent release of Wave's Macross and Atom's subsequent review actually inspired me to pick up this 1985 US release of Matchbox's "Robotech SDF-1 Battle Fortress", a repackaging of the 1984 Japanese release of Takatoku's 1/3000 "Storm Attacker Construction" Macross toy.

Funny how toy collecting works sometimes. Toys, even vintage ones, that are extremely ubiquitous tend to fly right under my radar, no matter how cool they really are. ...For instance, it took me forever to get a Zinclon Mekanda Robo, any one of the umpteen releases of the diecast Lion Voltron, and even a Matchbox Vehicle Voltron. For me, Matchbox's fully-transformable SDF-1 had been the same way.

...Until I read Atom's review and the desire kicked in! ;)

Okay, let me just start by saying that I'm not going to go into gory detail about how big a Robotech nerd I am because of how the early '90's Eternity Robotech comics got me into anime. I'm not going to go into "which one's better": Robotech or Macross (or even Macross TV versus DYRL). I'm not going to go into why Carl Macek should or shouldn't be lynched. We've all been there... And no one should care.

Let's stick to the toy, shall we?

First off, the outer packaging was clearly redesigned by Matchbox, who distributed the toy in the States under the "Robotech" monicker [and check out this cool robot-japan thread for pics of the Takatoku version, including its box]. It's neat to notice that Revell, Inc. is recognized as the "Robotech" trademark owner on the box, as well as Harmony Gold and Tatsunoko being mentioned as copyright holders. The box measures 17" x 9" x 4" and features a door/lid that opens to reveals the toy inside. Under the door, cellophane-covered holes show the toy in "Battle" mode.

Outer box lid. Note the heart-breaking Kay Bee clearance price tag!

Underneath the lid. "3 Exciting Versions"!? How can ya go wrong???

Though the outer cardboard box is obviously very different from the Takatoku release, the styrofoam tray within is identical.

Styro tray. Mmmm...

Once you break out the toy, it's all play from there! This toy is simple, rugged, and fun. It takes less than a minute to transform and you sure won't need to consult the "Operating Manual" (which consists of a lone double-sided sheet!), you won't need any tools, and you don't have to be ginger with it. This is a children's toy, folks.

First, let's take a look at "Cruiser" mode. The craft measures 15" long. It's gorgeous.

Now, one of the first things you may notice is that there seem to be two holes at the tips of the Main Gun. Unfortunately, I've never handled the original Takatoku version, but I assume that these are for firing missiles--though I can't seem to find where the buttons would be. In fact, there are no spring-loaded mechanisms found in the Matchbox release at all, and the toy doesn't come with any missiles. I assume these features were gutted to conform to US toy safety standards. Further, there seem to be flip-up launchers near the aft of the ship. Similarly, there are no actual firing mechanisms present in the Matchbox version--though they're cruelly mentioned on the back of the "Operating Manual".

Gutted launchers? Boo.

There seems to be some storage spaces in cruiser mode, as well. There is a very tiny one just aft of the bridge (though I forgot to photograph this!) and a larger one in front of the bridge. I just assume they're for storing extra missiles. Or drugs.

Ya put your wee--*ahem*...sorry. I just tell people that's where the city goes! ;)

Next is the landing gear. Wait...what??? "Landing gear"? Really? For a gigantic spaceship that holds a city in its belly? Well, this is just for convenience. Without the gear, you wouldn't really be able to put the thing down in Cruiser mode!

Landing gear detail.

Cruiser resting on its gear.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot else to Cruiser mode. It just looks great and is fun to fly around the room (hmmm...this is a recurring theme for me, isn't it? maybe we should add "fly-ability around the room" as a toy category...)

One thing to be aware of on these older toys is the elbow joints. They can tend to sag a bit. This is most apparent in Cruiser mode when looking from the side. The super carriers, Prometheus and Daedalus, tend to droop a tiny bit, as you can see here:

Droopy Prometheus.

Droopy Daedalus...but also note the "Bandai" stamping on the feet/thrusters...

...Honestly, I wish I could tell ya more about the history of this toy. I'm aware that Bandai bought the molds for the Matsushiro/Takatoku 1/55 Valk, but I wasn't aware they'd done so with this 1/3000 Macross toy until I just recently saw the stamp. So what's the deal? Did Bandai ever release their own transformable Macross? If anyone has any knowledge about this, please post a comment (Ginrai, I'm looking at you).

[*EDIT*: Ginrai did update us with a little history lesson! Check out the comments below. Also, while we're at it, for more history on the 1/55 Valkyrie, see Ginrai's Missing Link article reposted by yours truly on TBDX]

So, anyway, on to "Battle" mode. Again, very simple transformation. This is the classic SDF-1, with the impressive Main Gun elevated vertically and the inhabitants of Macross City safely tucked away inside.

Yep, not a whole lot going on here other than big, plasticy robot action. The figure is pretty great. It looks good, has nice surface detail (molded and from the numerous decals), and has good-nuff poseability.

One thing that's kinda neat is the ability to remove the super carriers. They simply pop on and off pegs at the elbows. This adds some neat play value and helps fire up the ol' imagination--giving you some sense of how truly enormous this thing's supposed to be.

Super carriers' attachment pegs.

They look pretty cool alongside Cruiser mode, too.

Lastly, we have "Attack" mode. All it really is is the Main Gun elevated onto the shoulders and pointed forward, and a curious step I never noticed in the cartoon when they fired the Main Gun: the thrusters on either side of the upper chest splay outward a tiny bit. This, in turn, makes the Main Gun's pylons appear angled outward. Who knows if it's "canon" or not...but it looks cool!

Take that, you pesky Zentraedi!

Again, that's pretty much all there is to it! Simple. Fun. Rugged. That equals a classic toy to me. I'm not going to debate which Macross toy is better: this or the Wave. Everybody collects for different reasons, and these two offerings appeal to very different collecting aethetics. Just be happy we have a choice!