Bandai gives Gundam liscence to Starz Media, and announces broadcast on Sci-Fi Channel.

Bandai Visual America has formally announced that the first season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 will begin broadcasting on the Sci-Fi Channel starting in November, earlier than the DVD release of the series slated for late 08 and early 09. In addition, Bandai's official homepage for the series: http://gundam00.bandai-ent.com/index.php has posted an English language trailer and the cast list for the four main Gundam Meisters.

The cast list includes:
Setsuna F. Seiei - Brad Swaile
Lockon Stratos - Alex Zahara
Allelujah Haptism - Richard Ian Cox
Tieria Erde - Sam Vincent

Robo Racer is what a Transformer would look like if they’d cross over with Power Rangers

Coming from space, the Blue Centurion arrived on earth with a message about an alliance of all evil in the universe. However, before he could give this message to the rangers, he was caught by the bad guys and the message was erased. But the Blue Centurion didn’t come to Earth alone… He brought his mighty zord, Robo Racer with him! For more information about Power Rangers: Turbo, click here.

Robo Racer is what a Transformer would look like if they’d cross over with Power Rangers. In vehicle mode, the patrol car just looks like one, with no trace of the robot inside. It’s actually a pretty nice car and rather show accurate. The light and sounds are activated by pressing the Centurion’s symbol on the roof.

Once transformed, Robo Racer is a nice little bot, standing approximately 8 inches tall. The lights and sounds are still there, activated by pressing the same button. He features the usual points of articulation for a DX power ranger Toy (the arms move up and down), waist joint and also has “elbows” joints, so to speak. Also, the helmet can be put back to show the eyes. The arsenal coming with that little guy is pretty impressive: a gun, two blades, a shield and handcuffs!

If you’re wondering the differences between the Robo Racer and his original Japanese counterpart Sirender, prepare for a pretty shocking one: all the die cast parts were replace by dull grey plastic parts! Also, Sirender came with Signalman (Blue Centurion’s counterpart) Signal Whistle. The good news is that every sticker has been kept.

Honestly, I think that this little guy deserves more attention than he got. I mean, many people will go crazy over a Turbo or Rescue Megazord, but won’t even give him a look. Sad mistake, cause this is one pretty good toy!

It is the same toy as the original Japanese DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin, but about $30 cheaper!

Includes Video review!

The secret Wind Ninja Academy near Blue Bay Harbor, CA has been attacked in an unprovoked strike by the evil Lothor and his army of space ninjas! Though the administrator Sensei Watanabe put up a gallant fight, he was unable to prevent the school from being destroyed, all of its students and teachers from being kidnapped & held within Lothor’s orbiting insect-like asteroid base, and himself from being forcibly transformed into a guinea pig! The only hope of victory and justice now lies in the hands of three less-than-average students from the Academy who were fortunate to escape capture because they skipped their lessons that day. With his son, Cameron, providing the technical expertise & know-how behind the scenes, Sensei instructs the students in how to become the Earth’s greatest defenders- the legendary Wind Power Rangers!

The illusion-creating monster Madtropolis has drained the Wind and Thunder Rangers of their powers, leaving them severely weakened and nearly defenseless. In a desperate plan, Cam- against his guinea pig father’s wishes- uses the risky Scroll of Time to travel into the past to seek out a new power. There, he encounters his father- a young man named Kanoi who is just a student in the Wind Ninja Academy himself- and his mother for the first time in his life (having died shortly after Cam was born). Both do not recognize him because he comes from the future. But Cam also learns of the existence of Kanoi’s twin brother, a dark figure named Kiya who likes to use his ninja skills to play dirty tricks on the other students. With time running out for Cam, he discovers that the amulet that his future-mother is wearing seems to contain mystical powers that someone in the future is fated to own. When Kiya tries to steal it for himself and frames Cam, the time traveler is held before the administration of the Academy. Kanoi learns of this and exposes Kiya as the real culprit, and then Kiya engages Cam in a fight for revenge. During this time, the Samurai Amulet finally expresses its hidden power, allowing Cam to get the upper hand. Seeing Kiya for what he really is, the administration banishes Kiya into space forever. But as the ex-student is being thrown into the air, he swears revenge on them all, and announces that he is changing his name to that of the ancient warrior of evil... Lothor! Returning to 2003, Cam then uses the powers of the Samurai Morpher amulet to become the Green Samurai Ranger, additionally gaining access to the agile and versatile Samurai Star Megazord.

. . .

The term “Lightning” in the name does not carry over into the series. Bandai America put it in there to imply that the Deluxe version of the Samurai Star Megazord is in a made-up class similar to the Deluxe Storm Lightning Megazord, which does appear with that name in the series. The Storm Lightning Megazord is a reduced-armored version of the Storm Megazord, and thus is thinner than expected, so by adding the term “lightning” to this toy (since it is also smaller/thinner than expected), this is an attempt to put it into a special Deluxe-class sub-category. The Deluxe Ninjakon repaint also is considered a “Lightning”-type Megazord, but it is not listed specifically. The way these three Deluxe “Lightning”-class sets were released is so that you can obtain more than one Power Sphere at a time. (That’s BA’s marketing strategists for ya...)

The Samurai Star Chopper (back) is the first real helicopter Zord to appear in a Power Rangers series, and it mixes that up with a touch of falcon. (The Aero Rescue-3 Rescuezord from “PR Lightspeed Rescue” (2000) may have been the first V-TOL-capable Zord, but it used jet engines for flight, not the rotors of a ‘copter, ‘kay?) Around and below the cockpit are a beak & eyes, and on either side are small talon-like shapes. Behind the nose section on either side are paired sets of laser cannons (nine per). Because of different TV regulations here in the US, the original Japanese footage of the Samurai Star Chopper was modified to shoot lasers, as opposed to the original's missile launchers. Above are the large rotor blades, each with an angled red tip. The rotor assembly may be thicker than need-be, but that’s because it incorporates a button & latch system within (which I’ll get into later). Stretching out behind are two long booms ending in paired turbofan engines for forward motion. Beneath the nose and turbofans are small landing wheels; the front two able to retract.

Other than the landing gear, the two red turbofans in back can spin freely, and are actually slightly tilted individually to the point that they actually spin if you blow on them! But the larger feature is the main rotor. The rotor tips are PVC and they are also jointed, so if it hits something, they’ll fold backwards a bit to prevent/reduce damage to themselves or anything else. The rotor can spin freely counter-clockwise. However, if you turn it clockwise, an internal spring mechanism inside the chassis of the Samurai Star Chopper will begin to wind up. And then when it clicks loudly, you can press the gold-painted button at the center of the rotor, and it’ll spin all by itself for a few moments!

(With mine, I’ve found that the rotor mechanism can be rather troublesome when you want to use that wind-up feature. To understand what I mean, please watch the video at the end of this review.)

The Samurai Star Megazord (back) seems a little disjointed in this form, but there are a few reasons for this. In the series, the megazord can remove the rotor from its torso, and then throw it like a giant boomerang or shuriken [aka a ‘throwing star’]. (Unlike the series, however, the Deluxe toy is not designed to grip the rotor; it’s too heavy.) The head has a black and gold visor not unlike the one on Green Ranger’s own helmet. (That giant cowlick sticking out of its forehead is strictly used as filler for when the chest armor is in place. I know it looks bad, but...what can ya do?) Without the chest armor/rotor in place, additional stars can be seen on its torso and on the shoulder armor. The arms snap at every 45º all the way around. However, because of how it transforms, the arms can also point outwards a bit, and when pointed forwards, they can also point inwards a little; mostly due to how it transforms. In the series, the gauntlet-like forearm shields can be used at melee-range for both cutting & blocking. Even though the legs always angle away from each other because of spring joints in the hips, the ankles also have joints that allow them to lock in a certain position in order to let them lay flat on the ground. (Great!) Yeah- there is a knee joint, but that’s only used for later combinations with other sets, and it only just balances when one is bent.

With the main rotor/giant shuriken/chest armor removed, you have full access to the arms’ range of motion. However, once it goes back on, you can only twist them backwards and side-to-side. (If, like me, you find this entirely unacceptable and even kinda old school, you can carefully nudge the armor one-way-or-the-other and slip an arm up one notch. However, to do this, you have to also adjust the light gray arms that connect the chest armor to that jester’s hat it has...)

Like the Deluxe Storm Power Megazord and Deluxe Thunder Power Megazord before it, each hand on the Deluxe Samurai Star Lightning Megazord can also open and close to accept most of the weapons found in Power Spheres. The hands will easily accept-

• Power Sphere #02 - Ram Hammer
• Power Sphere #09 - (not named or released in the PRNS line)
• Power Sphere #10 - Bee Spinner
• Power Sphere #12 - (not named or released in the PRNS line)

To accommodate the others that clip on, there is a tab on the outside of either forearm shield which can then accept-

• Power Sphere #06 - Lion Laser
• Power Sphere #11 - Sting Blaster

One thing that is different, though, is that since the Samurai Star Megazord is smaller than either the Storm Megazord or Thunder Megazord, it cannot deploy Power Spheres from an internal compartment. (In the series, when summoned, Power Spheres materialize out of thin air from between its hands... kinda like this.)

For those of you wondering what the differences are between the DX Samurai Star Lightning Megazord from “Power Rangers Ninja Storm” (2003), and its original Japanese counterpart- the DX Hishou Henkei Tenkujin from “Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger” (2002)- there are few, but noticeable:

• The Tenkujin originally came with Karakuri Ball #10- Spin Bee, but it was not included in the Samurai Star Megazord. However, it is included in the Special Edition DX Storm Lighting Megazord set, and is renamed Power Sphere #10- Bee Spinner. (Power Sphere #09- Sting Blaster is also included in that set.)
• Karakuri Ball Set #03- Tri-Condor, originally sold as a separate set in Japan, is included in this set; now called the Ninja Firebird. However, the individual Balls have no names, unlike their Japanese counterparts.
• The arm-attachment joint on the back of the Megazord has not been painted silver, and retains the normal plastic’s green color.

Other than that attachment joint on the back not being painted silver, and accessory weapons aside, the Samurai Star Megazord is perfectly identical to the Tenkujin! Even though there is considerate amounts of die-cast metal in the DX Ninpuu Gattai Senpuujin (Chogokin #GD-42) and DX Ikazuchi Gattai Gouraijin (Chogokin #GD-43) but not in their PRNS-counterparts (Deluxe Storm Power Megazord and Deluxe Thunder Power Megazord, respectively), there was no die-cast metal included in the DX Tenkujin, so there is also none in the Samurai Star Megazord.

This is a toy that has a lot asked of it, so going in, you kinda expect that some sacrifices will need to be made. The torso is very short and barely large enough to accommodate the rotor-spinning feature and the limbs’ joint points; even the head is spun in half when in vehicle mode to make room. (I also thought that weird forehead projection could also have been shorter. Bleech!) Since Shurikenger (the sixth Hurricanger, aka the Green Samurai Ranger) was a lighthearted master of disguise but equally a very-skilled fighter, it would make a little bit of sense for the Tenkujin to have that pointed jester’s hat, and then have an ridiculously-huge shuriken that it could throw around. But during the Americanization process which changes a Super Sentai series into a season of Power Rangers, most of that meaning gets lost, so it ends up just looking strange here. But what is universally understood and agreed upon is that it is really annoying when you put shoulder joints on a toy, and then promptly can’t use them because that toy gets in the way of itself! It is nice, however, that it can accept a good share of the Power Sphere weapons. But, again, that chest armor just gets in the way so you can’t pose with any of them! Additionally, the hands are hard to work because of the position of those forearm shields wrapped around them. In Chopper mode, I found the joints for the two front wheels really hard to turn, almost breaking fingernails on them when they suddenly snap! But my biggest gripe is how that rotor system frequently- umm... ‘misfires’. Now whether this is a problem with the Japanese version, or just mine by chance, I don’t know. (To see what I mean by that, you’ll just have to watch the video review below to find out!) By itself it’s a little clumsy, but you can see the aesthetics trying to push their way through the toy. But its greatest value lies in when you put it together with the other Deluxe-sized Megazords in the line. Additionally, it is the same toy as the original Japanese DX Tenkujin, but about $30 cheaper! And so, I recommend getting the Deluxe Samurai Star Lighting Megazord; it is definitely worth it.

The three Power Spheres included in this set that make up the Ninja Firebird are reviewed separately here also on CollectionDX!

[Author’s Note: I will be covering the Hurricane Megazord - or rather the original Japanese version from “Hurricanger”, the Gingachouetsu Sanjin Gattai Tenrai-Senpuujin (trnslt: “Galactic-transcendental Three-god Combination Tenrai-Senpuujin”) – at a later time.]

I found this to be a nice alternative to the much more expensive DX Megazords.

The Transforming Beast Master Megazord hails from the current Power Rangers show, "Jungle Fury" and consists of 5 Zords combined into one Megazord. The 5 Zords are:

This forms the torso and right leg.

This forms the head.

This forms the right arm.

This forms the left arm.

This forms the left leg and sword.

The completed Megazord has a nice, simple look to it. In fact, I was attracted to it for this very reason. It almost had a mini (11 inches tall) Jumbo Megazord sort of look to it. I really like that both the arms are made from the same mold. It gives it a nice symmetry.

Combining the 5 Zords into the full robot is simple. The legs on each of the feline Zords simply fold up and the bat is just turned around. Rotate the hind legs of the elephant 45 degrees to form the robots thighs, then take it's head off and re-attach it to the right leg. The head of the shark is then removed and there's a connector in it's mouth to attach to the left leg. It looks like it's biting it. Then, just connect the Puma, Leopard and Bat Zords to form the arms and head. The remaining part of the shark can be held in either hand to form a sword. You are supposed to snap the front legs of the elephant off in Megazord mode, but I just leave them on. Otherwise, I'd probably just lose them.

The face plate of the robot can slide up and down so when you transform it from Bat Zord to Megazord you'll want to slide it up to reveal the face.

You get a pretty decent amount of play value for your $20 on this one. Separately sold Power Ranger figures can ride on some of the Zords and use the others as weapons, and you can open the chest of the Megazord to store a figure inside. Be careful when opening this compartment though, as mine has a tendency to pop right off if too much force is used. It doesn't break, but just comes off the hinge. Apparently you can also mix and match parts with other transforming Megazords, as well as add a Jungle Fury Cycle (also sold separately) to the arm as a sort of power up feature.

The only problem I have with any of that is that in order to store a figure inside, the legs of this Megazord have to be hollow and there is no covering to hide that in the interior of the legs.

And while it's not a huge deal, I'm not sure why they decided to add these little pegs to the back of the left foot. You would think it is to help the robot stand up correctly, but in fact it seems to just make it lean forward. Then you have to bend it back again at the hips to straighten it out. A minor detail, but the sort of thing that annoys me.

In comparing it to pics of the prototype, you'll also notice that the finished product lacks some of the paint detail on the arms and the colors seem to be a bit duller.

Promotional Image

So, should you pick this up? Well, I think it's a decent toy for cheap money. If you should find yourself jonesing for a toy fix and you happen to be at your local WalMart or Target or whatever you've got, you could certainly do worse. If nothing else, I think it's a great alternative for someone like myself who wouldn't mind adding a dash of sentai to add some variety to my collection, but isn't interested in it enough to drop $50 on a full on DX Megazord.

Even though there are cockpit windscreens featured on each of the five jets, they operate together under the singular consciousness of the Phoenix Galactabeast, and are never seen being boarded by any Ranger or the Magna Defender.

The Earth-built colony vessel Terra Venture is humanity’s first attempt to reach the stars. But in the midst of this glorious adventure, on the distant planet of Mirinoi, its people are being terrorized by the evil Scorpious and his minions. Several humans from Terra Venture are pulled through a wormhole to the besieged planet, and there they, a museum mechanic, and one of the natives of Mirinoi successfully remove the five legendary Quasar Sabers from their stone thrones. In their attempt to escape on the famous but worn-out Astro Megaship, one of their own is lost, and Scorpious orders Mirinoi turned into stone as punishment, and then turns his wrath on the peaceful colony vessel. The four human owners of the Quasar Sabers and the younger brother of the fallen soldier manage to unlock the power of the bladed relics in order to become protectors of Terra Venture- the Galaxy Power Rangers!

A new villain, Deviot, brings to Scorpious a plan to defeat the Rangers. All he needs is the sacrifice of two of them, so he captures Blue and Green, and forces them to fight each other- drawing power from their attacks to power up his remote controller. And then once it is at full capacity, he infuses that power into his dark Zenith Carrierzord and the two Megazords within- the Stratoforce and the Centaurus. But when the Rangers confront these new giants, the Galactabeasts which form the Galaxy Megazord and Defender Torozord unexpectedly refuse to fight! Forced to withdraw, the Rangers go back to the mysterious book that the GSA on-board Terra Venture is trying to translate. A breakthrough reveals the discovery that the Centaurus, Stratoforce, and Zenith Carrierzord are actually three more Galactabeasts from a war 3000 years ago, which Deviot found and then transformed into Megazords under his control. Armed with this new info, they beg with the converted Galactabeasts to remember who they really are and turn on their evil master. The three sentient Megazords remember and then align themselves with the Galaxy Rangers.

. . .

The Stratoforce Megazord is made up of five components. But even though there are cockpit windscreens featured on each jet, they operate together under the singular consciousness of the Phoenix Galactabeast, and are never seen being boarded by any Ranger or the Magna Defender. Therefore, it does not fight simply because it is ordered to, but because it chooses to fight; which is generally true of all the Galactabeasts.

S1 Zord

S2 Zord

S3 Zord

S4 Zord

S5 Zord

We never see the five separate S-Zords battle as individual components in the series even though they are stored & launched separately from inside the Zenith Carrierzord. Therefore, one can only guess as to what each component is capable of based solely on looks and how it transforms. (Ironically, this also stands for its original Japanese counterpart from the Super Sentai saga as well…) However, they all share a few features, such as non-poseable landing gear, rocket nozzles & wings of various sizes, and silver-painted windscreens.

The Stratoforce Megazord (back)- like the Deluxe Red Dragon Thunderzord long before it (from 1994’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” season 2)- is an unusually fit and trim-looking Megazord, which thus gives it a very agile fighting style in addition to extended flight capabilities. The head of the Megazord actually features a PVC mask which is removed to reveal its true unarmored head beneath for when it transforms. (Why this is, I have no idea. But it is never shown fighting without the mask on.) The arms have ratcheting joints at the shoulders which snap at every 45º. As an interesting note, the ABS fists can actually twist around at the wrists, allowing for more posing options later on. The legs, as I said earlier, are much thinner than anything before. The narrowing black feet actually look like string-less slippers as opposed to blocky boots! And the top of the front of both feet are covered with panels which fold over when transforming them back to vehicle mode. The knees snap-twist around at every 60º, but the legs aren’t far apart enough to do anything useful; additionally, twisting either leg easily upsets the Stratoforce Megazord’s balance and he’ll fall flat on his face. (Or rather, flat on his chest...) When changing it back into vehicle mode, the mask can be stored on the back of the S3 Zord; the Megazord’s sword, however, is simply put aside.

The Megazord has two weapon features. The first is a blue PVC sword which is gently pointed like a “V”, and has a handle on one side which can be gripped by either fist (though traditionally in the right). This is where those wrist joints come in handy because of the limited poseability of the arms otherwise. The other is a little more old-school, and is actually a key part of the transformation of the S-1 Zord! Behind the shoulder joint on both upper arms are recessed buttons which, when depressed, will spring-launch the entire lower arm/fist assemblies like missiles! Only when attached as arms will they fire; if the buttons are pressed in vehicle mode, they will not shoot out because the springs are actually inside the black ABS rocket nozzles. (All you need to watch for when converting them to Megazord Mode is the orientation of the fists, and that will clue you in to which way they point.)

For those of you wondering what the differences are between the Deluxe Stratoforce Megazord from “Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy” (1999), and its Japanese counterpart, the Chogokin GD-14 DX Kouseijuu GingaPhoenix from “Seijuu Sentai Gingaman” (1998), it’s actually a rather pleasant surprise:

• On the Stratoforce Megazord, all of the windscreens on the separate flyers were painted silver; they were painted black on the GingaWing 1 (S1 Zord), GingaWing 2 (S2 Zord), and GingaWing 3 (S3 Zord). However, no paint was used on the cockpits for GingaWing 4 (S4 Zord) & GingaWing 5 (S5 Zord) since the plastic coloring was already black.

Amazingly, the Stratoforce Megazord’s single change highlighted something that the DX GingaPhoenix did not! And here’s the interesting part: on-screen in both series, all of the cockpit windows are a rust-brown in color. Otherwise all decals, the few paint applications on the mask & inner head, plastic coloring, functions, molds, and materials are identical!

. . .

I was really disappointed with the designs of the mecha seen in “PRLG”. While a few of the earliest mecha in Super Sentai did not merge with each other (mostly because the tokusatsu sub-genre was still finding its feet in the early 80s), since then only “Gingaman” has had five-part mecha that also do not merge together with accessory or secondary mecha. Being a relatively-big PR fan at that time (though I dislike “PRLG” in general), it was a big let-down, and since then this lack of transforming has not reoccurred. The only exception was this blue and dark gray Megazord which kinda ran off in its own direction:

• it was not commanded directly by any Ranger
• all five vehicles were designed to fly
• none of the vehicles has an identifying number, shape, or color
• all five vehicles were commanded by a single intelligence as opposed to five separate ones
• in Megazord Mode it had a very thin and agile appearance which was breakthrough

The proportions of the toy in Megazord Mode are also not wacky; I’d even go as far as to say only the shoulders are slightly farther apart than on a normal-sized human, and that’s it! There’s a bunch of little things to worry about when changing it rather than a couple of big things, which also is rather a bit of a precursor to a few later lines. And everything works together very well. The Seijuu [trnsltn: “Star-beast”] transformable toys in the “Gingaman” line were all notable for having very generous amounts of die-cast metal in them after several years-worth of all-plastic, but the GingaPhoenix and its cousin Chogokin #GD-13 DX Kouseijuu GingaRhino (aka Deluxe Centaurus Megazord) had far less. In fact, only the shoulder levers and hip joints- both only for transformation- here use die-cast metal… which was also imported over by Bandai America. (Yay!) The spring-powered lower arms also shoot a fair distance rather than just falling out of the launcher like they did on the Deluxe Mega Voyager from “Power Rangers in Space” (1998); the fact that the arms shoot out like that is a just plain nice throwback in my opinion, and is a feature that would be seen less-and-less as the years progressed. And the nice thing here is, BA actually did a good job by having it so closely match its Japanese counterpart. If it hadn’t, I would have gone with the DX GingaPhoenix. But I didn’t. My only complaints are that you can’t tell which leg part is which so you just have to remember it, and the gold metallic finish on the chest chips off kinda easily. And so, the Deluxe Stratoforce Megazord is a very good alternative since it was cheaper, but looks, works, and feels exactly the same. Highly recommended!

The official whipping boy of Jumbo Machinder collectors, this toy is probably better than you've heard. Video inside!

Although there were previous Jumbos that were from Sentai shows, the Jumbo Astro Megazord is the first one to be released in the United States and bear the name of the Power Rangers. It was released in 1998 in support of the "Power Rangers In Space" series. It's an interesting piece because unlike the subsequent Jumbos released in the US, this toy actually has a transformation gimmick like the DX version. The method is different here though and requires a small amount of parts swapping, but the end result actually looks pretty cool. It's certainly better than many of the vintage "transforming" Jumbos, which often just lay down to transform. My only real gripe with the vehicle mode is that the feet don't connect in anyway. As a result, the nose of the ship doesn't line up quite right.

This toy was not very popular among Jumbo collectors. There are probably a few reasons for that. First, it isn't a full sized Jumbo. It measures only 18" tall. Secondly, many people didn't like the design of the robot itself, particularly in comparison to the old school super robot aesthetic that most Jumbo collectors know and love, although I think they'd prefer this to the later designs with all the animal parts.

Another problem with this toy is the feet. To allow for the transformation to vehicle mode, the feet need to rotate down. Where the toy fails is that there is nothing really holding the feet on the toy. They just slide sideways onto a peg, and more often than not, slide right back off again. This also causes the toy to lean just a tiny bit forward, too. Lastly, I can't help but think there is just a little bit of Power Ranger hating going on, too. As popular as the show was with kids when this came out, I seem to remember just as much hate for it from adults. I know I couldn't even stand to hear the name back then. I just can't help but think that if toys like this were on the shelves at about $20 a pop now, they would get more respect than this did at the time of it's release. Many collectors disrespect it by spelling "Astro" with an extra "s" and I think they are giving it a bum rap.

In addition to transforming, the Jumbo Astro Megazord comes with a sword and shield that can be placed in the hands. The head turns and the arms move up and down. Simple like all Jumbos.

Although this toy was released initially in the United States, the overstock was later shipped back to Japan and sold there. Everything was exactly the same, except that the box had a gold foil sticker slapped onto the lower right corner with Japanese writing on it.

US box

Japanese box

Additionally, it seems that this toy was released in Korea, too. I've only seen the box for that release, but judging by that, it looks like the exact same toy. However this time a whole new box design was created and the show was called "Mega Rangers".

While I can't say I love this toy, I do think it's better than it's generally given credit for. And it really makes me wish that Bandai had gone ahead and followed through on their plans to release a second toy in the line. The Jumbo Mega Voyager sadly never made it past the prototype stage. It's a shame too since it looks like it might have been an even better toy.

Although the transformation is simple, I've recently been given a video camera so I figured I'd join the fray and do a quick video to show you how it's done. In the process, I actually managed to break the knob on one of the arms. And here I was thinking that polyethylene was practically indestructible.

This set is known as the Astro Galactic Megazord to differentiate it from the original Deluxe Astro Megazord released the previous year from “Power Rangers in Space” (1997), but in-series during “PR Lost Galaxy”, it is still referred to as just the Astro Megaship.

The Earth-built colony vessel Terra Venture is humanity’s first attempt to reach the stars. But in the midst of this glorious adventure, on the distant planet of Mirinoi, its people are being terrorized by the evil Scorpious and his minions. Several humans from Terra Venture are pulled through a wormhole to the besieged planet, and there they, a museum mechanic, and one of the natives of Mirinoi successfully remove the five legendary Quasar Sabers from their stone thrones. In their attempt to escape on the famous but worn-out Astro Megaship, one of their own is lost, and Scorpious orders Mirinoi turned into stone as punishment, and then turns his wrath on the peaceful colony vessel. The four human owners of the Quasar Sabers and the younger brother of the fallen soldier manage to unlock the power of the bladed relics in order to become protectors of Terra Venture- the Galaxy Power Rangers!

The Astro Megaship was once a powerful space vessel. It could travel between stars in the blink of an eye, and it fought against many foes both above and on the surface of planets, so its metal was proven many times over. But after the end of the climactic battle against the Alliance of Evil which threatened to crush the entire Universe at one time, the Astro Megaship was finally worn out after its gallant duty was finished. The ship- and her onboard computer personality known as DECA- was retired with high honors on Earth, and delegated to become a planet-side museum so that future generations could marvel at her and learn the value of dedication, courage, and teamwork. But when a desperate GSA officer from Terra Venture tried to commandeer the ship in order to save his teammates on a distant planet, the Megaship’s sole mechanic begrudgingly stepped in to fly the rescue mission. After saving all but one of the stranded Galaxy Power Rangers from Mirinoi, the Astro Megaship docked with the colony vessel, and then became their secret private transport as Terra Venture crossed the stars. Unfortunately, the Megaship’s previous owners- the Space Power Rangers- had chosen to remove key components before she became a museum, so the vessel was no longer capable of transforming into the Astro Megazord until their return.

. . .

This set is known as the Astro Galactic Megazord to differentiate it from the original Deluxe Astro Megazord released the previous year from “Power Rangers in Space” (1997), but in-series during “PR Lost Galaxy”, it is still referred to as just the Astro Megaship. (I will do the same here. I’m not gonna type that whole repetitive name out every single frickin’ time unless there is a difference to be pointed out; no way!)

• Astro Mega Shuttle (back)- While it is not seen in “PRLG”, it still forms the head of the Astro Megazord.
• Astro Megaship (back)- The larger of the two halves, Megaship is a sturdy design that features several hangar & storage bays throughout its hull, and has a highly sophisticated computer system with a limited female-sounding artificial intelligence of its own, known as DECA. While it operates mostly in habitable regions of the universe, it can easily travel into deep space, or make landfall, with only a crew of five. The Astro Megaship forms the torso, arms, and legs of the Astro Megazord.

In flight mode, the Megaship is a compacted flying saucer shape, with two red diagonal stabilizers on top of the engine housing (though in both series, they’re really vertical), a set of cargo & access bays hanging beneath which also serve as landing pods, and a pair of twin energy cannons to either side of the bridge. The turrets can spin a full 360º, but the twin barrels cannot pitch up or down. When not in use, the Mega Shuttle is stored inside a large bay inside the split section of the nose; the only sign of its presence being the small V-tail stabilizer projecting above the hull. The hull detail is quite impressive and well executed. To simulate flight, you can either hold it in your hand, or roll it along a smooth flat surface using the four wheels on the bottom of the landing pods.

Unlike the original 1997 set, the Astro Galactic Megazord had the light-and-sound feature removed, which helped to reduce the cost of the toy by about $10. In order to remove the feature:

• The large transparent-red “M” on the chest is the same, but the two trigger buttons inside of it are replaced with non-moving parts to fill the gaps.
• While the battery compartment door remains the same along its back, the part immediately below it where the On/Off switch used to be has been replaced with another which eliminates & covers that switch, but otherwise they are identical.
• The hidden switch at the back of its neck- which would activate the F/X when attaching the Mega Shuttle to the torso- has obviously been removed as well.

Aside from coloring (which I’ll address later), these constitute all of the changes between the original Astro Megazord set and the Astro Galactic Megazord.

Very well proportioned compared with many of its own kind, the Astro Galactic Megazord (back) is well detailed and solid. The joints are nice and tight, and the decals don’t take away or distract from the overall look. The arms rotate 360º at the shoulders, and snap at every 30º. The legs, while not really designed for action poses, can be moved into some interesting if limited positions for a look of flying through space. The two small engines for the Mega Shuttle hang off the top of the shoulders and act as the main propulsion for the megazord. The only paint apps on the entire toy are the face of the megazord, and the cockpit of the Mega Shuttle. My only complaint might be that there was no joint at the elbows or shoulders; I can accept what they did with the legs.

. . .

For accessories, the toy has three: the Astro Megazord Saber, Astro Megazord Shield, and Astro Megazord Blaster. The Saber is a soft, very light gray PVC weapon about 5 inches long. The black plastic Astro Megazord Shield is actually the belly of the Megaship, but split down the middle horizontally, and rotated in half. There is a small PVC handle for the Shield that the megazord can hold in either hand, though it’s preferred in the left. The Blaster is actually the booster assembly for the Mega Shuttle, with a PVC handle and cannon barrel folded out. As an added bonus, the Blaster can separate into its three different components, and attach to the Megaship as extra armament. The two small turrets the Megaship uses are not used on the megazord, but are still capable of spinning all the way around. So, if you want to take a cheap shot at your enemy one day...

The Deluxe Astro Galactic Megazord is a repaint of the Deluxe Astro Megazord; which in-turn is a re-release of the original Japanese toy, the DX Denji Gattai Galaxy Mega from “Denji Sentai MegaRanger” (1996). In general, aside from the differences addressed above physically between the Astro Megazord, the biggest difference here is the coloring used. Instead, for the Astro Galactic Megazord, all blue and silver plastic was swapped for black and gold respectively. All red, white, and light gray parts remain the same. The Megazord now features red eyes instead of yellow, and a gold-painted face instead of silver. The cockpit windows of the Mega Shuttle were also changed from brown to gold. The decals, also, have been updated. While retaining the same filling patterns and detail lines, again a simple color swap was made- silver for gold. The only exception on the decals is that the- shall I say- small rectangular belt-buckle decal was changed from bronze to black- the only modification made other than the gold swap. There are two decals on the outsides of the ankles that were originally blue that also swapped for black.

This also means that since the Deluxe Astro Galactic Megazord is the same as the Deluxe Astro Megazord, it is fully compatible with the Deluxe Delta Megazord also from "PRiS", which means you can make an alternate-colored version of the Astro-Delta Megazord.

Y’all remember that episode of the original “Star Trek” series from the late ‘60s, where some of the crew from the U.S.S. Enterprise were accidentally transported into a parallel universe in which their counterparts were the complete opposite of them in both appearance and personality? Well, this set represents what a mirror version of the Astro Megazord might look like- black for terror & death, gold for opulence, arrogance, & wealth, and red for blood. On the other hand, this set is rather unique to the PR franchise- it is a US-exclusive release! Many times in Japan, Bandai has released special black-and-gold repaints of certain DX sets from certain Super Sentai series, but almost none of them ever made over to American shores under the PR trademark. There were super-rare black-and-gold releases of the Deluxe Galaxy Megazord (minus all the metal parts of course).and the first Deluxe Megazord from 1993, in the US. However, this is the first US-exclusive repaint as well as the first US-exclusive black-and-gold Deluxe repaint (and so far the only of both). And usually with any of these black-and-gold repaints in Japan the price of the toy nearly doubles, but in this case it actually dropped about $10 due to the removal of the electronics. And so, with the exception of those missing F/X (which I really don’t think is a loss), the Deluxe Astro Galactic Megazord remains a winning toy, if you can find it anymore.

If Bandai still made them like this, I would still collect Sentai.

I'm not going to even try to describe what the series was about. For that, check wikipedia.

What I can tell you though is that this figure is very cool, and one of my favorite releases from Wild Force / Gaoranger. The Deluxe Animus Megazord is based off of the Deluxe Wild Force Megazord. While the design is similar, very few of the parts are actually the same.

The Deluxe Animus Megazord consists of five power animals:

Saw-Shark

This shark features wheels on the bottom, a moveable jaw, fins, and a detachable tail.

Lion

The lion appears to be the same as the one used in the Deluxe Wild Force Megazord, aside from different coloring.

Condor

The condor features a new head and tail unit, redecorated wings, and metal feet.

Bison

The Bison is similar to the Bull used on the Wild Force Megazord, with different detailing, coloring, and different horns.

Leopard

The Leopard is similar to the tiger used on the Wild Force Megazord, with different coloring.

The combination is similar to that of the Wild Force Megazord, with a few notable exceptions.

On the chest of the Animus Megazord, the wings point upward and outward.

The horns on the head become a kind of bow weapon that can be held in the mouth of the Leopard.

Once again, this release retains all the metal of the DX Chogokin version. This is one heavy bot. If Bandai still made them this way today, I would still be a Sentai Fan.

So, what's different in this release from the Japanese release? The only thing I can see is that the gold metal shoulder plates are re-used from older US zords and not the ones that come with the Japanese version, which also has paint detail. Thats about it as far as I know, but perhaps purists will correct me.

Bandai sends word of a week of Ben 10 Exclusives

Bandai sends word of a week of Ben 10 Exclusives:

"Hello Friends,
We hope you're excited for the all new Ben 10: Alien Force series! We wanted to fill you in on a special week of Ben 10 programming on Cartoon Network, leading up to the Alien Force premiere on Friday, April 18 at 8 pm.

* April 13 - Ben 10 marathon
* April 14 at 8 pm - Ben 10 special featuring the results of the ultimate Ben 10 fan challenge
* April 15 at 8 pm - Cartoon Network will air a previously unseen episode of Ben 10
* April 16 at 8 pm - Enhanced version of the animated movie Ben 10: The Secret of the Omnitrix
* April 17 at 8 pm - Ben 10: Race Against Time live-action movie

And don't forget, toys from the original Ben 10 series are available in stores now. Complete your original Ben 10 collection now while toys are still available!

Cheers,
Your Friends at Bandai America"

As New Dragon Ball Z Action Figures Debut, Fans Will Soon be Able to Battle with Cards From All Three Dragon Ball Sagas for the First Time Ever

As New Dragon Ball Z Action Figures Debut, Fans Will Soon be Able to Battle with Cards From All Three Dragon Ball Sagas for the First Time Ever

(CYPRESS, CA – MARCH 18, 2008) – With the return of original toy manufacturer Bandai America Inc. to the Dragon Ball Z franchise, fans can further celebrate with the highly anticipated debut of an all-new Dragon Ball collectible card game this Summer from Bandai Collectible Games. For the first time ever, characters from all three action-packed Dragon Ball sagas will be incorporated, as well as exclusive and dynamic artwork. Goku fever is sure to reach an all-time high, particularly since Bandai America has new Dragon Ball Z action figures hitting retail this month.

“Bandai’s Dragon Ball card game has already seen huge success throughout Asia and Europe, and we’re finally thrilled to introduce our new CCG to North America, along with a lineup of action figures and other toys throughout the year,” said Danny Satyapan, director of Bandai America’s cards division. “Fans everywhere have definitely been responding to the stunning new Dragon Ball images that are exclusive to our cards, and our game system has been getting rave reviews from U.S. players.”

The Dragon Ball franchise consists of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, and is one of the most successful anime properties of all time. It was born in Japan as a manga comic by the famed artist, Akira Toriyama (who also helped to create the new Blue Dragon property, another Bandai America toy line launching Fall 2008). The Dragon Ball Z saga first arrived in the U.S. in 1996 and continues to air to this day on Cartoon Network.

The Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game features a game system similar to Bandai America’s hit Naruto CCG, which has been a huge success among fans. As a result, the Dragon Ball card game is sure to appeal and be familiar to the legions of Naruto enthusiasts. The compatibility of these two CCGs will undoubtedly result in incredible card game battles between these two very popular licenses.

The Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game fuses the exciting action from all three sagas by allowing players to battle against their opponents with their favorite characters like Goku and Vegeta. Debuting July 18th, the “Warriors Return” Starter Decks have a SRP of $8.99 and Booster Packs retail for $3.99. Bandai America is supporting the game with a strong organized play program that will reward tournament participation at conventions and hobby retailers with promotional Dragon Ball Z cards, game mats and other exclusive prizing. For more information about Bandai’s Collectible Games, log onto www.BandaiCG.com.

To celebrate its much-anticipated return, Bandai America recently launched two action figure assortments – the 2.5” Ultimate Spark Figures and 4.5” Real Works figures – to satisfy the existing demand for toys among adult fans. Both offer highly-stylized and Japanese-inspired packaging. For the Fall, Bandai is unveiling three action figures featuring new sculpts, as well as role-play toys sure to appeal to younger fans. The company is a consistent leader in the action figure and role-play categories, given its 16 year success with Power Rangers, as well as with hot new boys’ brand Ben 10.

About Bandai America Inc.

A leader in introducing Japanese toy trends to the United States, Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., an entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan. Global interests encompass six strategic business units: toys and hobby (toys, models, apparel and sundries), amusement facilities, game content (home and arcade console gaming), network (mobile phone and PC content), visual and music content (including home entertainment), and an affiliated business group. Bandai America is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children’s toys and entertainment today, including Power Rangers, Ben 10TM, Dragon Ball Z®, Digimon, Blue DragonTM and Tamagotchi®. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California and information is available at www.Bandai.com.

About Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

With headquarters in Tokyo and sales offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Paris, Toei Animation (Jasdaq: 4816) ranks amongst the world’s most prolific animation production studios. Toei Animation’s operations include animation de