This re-release is is still a Friend Shop Limited edition, but this time includes different faces

When the original Kuro was released, it was a relatively quiet affair. It was a Revoltech Friend Shop Exclusive, and not many retailers carried it.

If you were looking for one you now have a second chance with the re-release of the Revoltech Kuro (Alternate Face Version)

Kuro means "Black" in Japanese.

As if you couldn't guess already, Kuro comes from Sony’s Japanese PS3 game, Doko Demo Issyo (どこでもいっしょ). Kuro is a simple cat, with no accessories except for a stand.

This is not a straight reissue. Like the Toro reissue, Kuro comes with 4 completely new facial expressions. It is otherwise almost the same toy as the Toro. The shape of the body and head is the same, the only difference being the color and the tail.

Do you like Kuro? if so, You can get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

You can get yours at HobbyLink Japan

The Konami Great Impact Model Gurren Lagann is Konami’s first (that I know of) foray into the world of high-end diecast toys. It was only a matter of time really, seeing the success of similar lines by Bandai, Takara, Yamato and CM’s. I’m happy to report that this thing is awesome.

The Konami Great Impact Model Gurren Lagann is Konami’s first (that I know of) foray into the world of high-end diecast toys. It was only a matter of time really, seeing the success of similar lines by Bandai, Takara, Yamato and CM’s. I’m happy to report that this thing is awesome. Gurren Lagann WAS available from HobbyLink Japan, but as of writing this article, is sold out.

Gurren Lagann comes from the anime series Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (天元突破グレンラガン,). The series was created by legendary animation studio GAINAX (aka the people behind Evangelion) and ran on TV Tokyo for 27 episodes in 2007.

The series is very good, and I suggest you check it out. Wikipedia gives a good description of the series, but what I will tell you is this – Gurren Lagann is actually two separate robots that combine into one.

Lagann is a small Gunman (robot) that becomes the head of Gurren Lagann. He is found buried deep in the earth by Simon, a digger from Giha Village. Gurren is a Gunman that was originally owned by the enemy Beastmen. Simon’s “Brother” Kamina steals the Gunman and takes it for his own. The two combine in battle in order to overcome the enemy Gunmen, and make the combined form, Gurren Lagann, their own.

I know what you are thinking here, but no, Gurren Lagann does not transform.

Skip to the video review

Gurren Lagann comes packaged in a huge heavy-duty cardboard box with a flip-up lid. Inside the lid is a nice Styrofoam tray with each part neatly displayed. Gurren Lagann comes ready to go right out of the box.

The toy is heavy, and features lots of metal parts. Articulation on this thing is insane, with double-jointed elbows and knees, and possibly the most poseable feet ever. Check out the video to see what we are talking about, but its really great. The legs use a neat system of collapsible panels on the backs of the knees to allow for greater movement, and the elbows feature a neat pull out joint system.

At the hips there are 4 pieces of moveable skirt armor – the front and pack pivot out, while the sides move in all directions. These skirt parts are probably the only poor thing about this toy. Extreme poses can cause the skirts to pop out, but the good news is that they pop back in. Still, a stronger connection would have made this unnecessary.

Gurren Lagann’s torso has a huge range of motion. There is of course a waist joint, but in addition there is a joint in the upper chest that can move any which way. The chest is a giant face, and the joint takes advantage of the jaw placement. The jaw too is moveable. This whole chest unit is metal. It’s breathtaking. Gurren Lagann’s sunglasses can clip on to the chest and are made out of translucent plastic.

Gurren Lagann uses the sunglasses as a weapon, so Konami included not one but two additional sets to be used as weapons. These cannot be attached to the chest, and are a little bigger.

The head has a few ball joints that allow it to shift forward and back as well as the usual range of motion.

Another place where this toy really excels is the arms. The whole shoulder assembly is diecast with a section that moves forward and backward near the chest. Then there is the diecast ball joint at the shoulder and the previously mentioned elbows. Several sets of hands are included and they are easily swapped.

Included with the figure is a large Gurren Wing that can be attached to the back of the figure. This gives an impressive wingspan to an already impressive figure. The wings are all plastic and are actually collapsible. To attach the wings, you simply remove a metal panel on the back of the figure and connect the wings.

If you have watched the show, you will notice that drills play a prominent role in the series, in both the literal and metaphoric sense. I’m not sure what role these accessories play in the show, but included are what seems like dozens of small plastic drill bits that attach all over the figure. There are four different size bits, and each has a specific place, so make sure you read the manual for placement. These things are SHARP, and are made out of hard plastic. Most drill bits just plug in, but there are a few exceptions. The long drills on the arms require an additional cover piece that goes over the holes in the arms, and the drill that goes into the forehead requires some “modification” (at least on mine it did). It looks like paint filled the hole on mine, so I just had to clear it out with a thumbtack. The great thing is, that even with all the drill bits attached, Gurren Lagann is still fully poseable.

Another place where the drill metaphor comes into place is in an included accessory. A 1:1 scale key to operate Gurren is included, and is in the shape of a translucent gold drill. The handle to this key is solid metal, and it includes a holder.

An accessory called the Gurren House is included that is used to hold all the small drill bits when not in use. It has a removable cover, and requires a small amount of assembly.

Finally, included is a stand. This stand comes with two different display arms – one for standing and one for flying. The stand attaches to a hole in the rear of the figure, under the armor. It’s a solid, tight fit. There is also a small part that can clip onto either stand that can hold the wings. The back of the stand has a compartment that can hold the remainder of the accessories.

I really really love this toy. The build quality, engineering, and accessories are top notch. So where did Konami get this ability to produce high-end gokin? My theory is that they didn’t.  I think Konami subcontracted this toy out to Max Factory. Everything about this reminds me of their Max Gokin Godannar toy. The build, the finish, the stand, hell even the packaging is identical! The two just seem too similar to not be related somehow. Not that that’s bad though, it is a quality piece, regardless of who made it.

 As you can probably tell, I can’t recommend this toy enough. It is just so cool on so many levels, and is one of the rare toys that I think is worth the high price tag. Unfortunately, these things are selling like crazy and are already sold out at places like HobbyLink Japan (where I got mine). Be diligent in your search, and hopefully you will find one.

Video Review (now in HD!)

Gurren Lagann OP

Heck if I know what "GN-U" stands for, but let me tell ya, as someone who's not particularly fond of modern gokin "collectibles" of classic Japanese super robots, Yamato's "The 'GN-U' Hagane" Groizer-X is a pleasant surprise.

Groizer X is a super robot cartoon that aired in Japan before I was born. It featured your classic 70's alien invasion story involving a kidnapped scientist forced to build them the ultimate super weapon. His daughter manages to steal this "weapon" and escape with it to Japan, where she and her hero pal battle the monster of the week for the next 36 episodes.

The show was never brought to the States, yet from the first time I laid eyes on the Nakajima diecast toys of the robot, I was in love with Groizer. The design is part of robot maestro, Nagai Go's official pantheon. Much like Nagai's Getter robots, Groizer features an "impossible" transformation involving a gigantic bomber aircraft with a robot head metamorphing into a robot. What's impossible about it, of course, is that it's nothing like your typical modern Transformer. Transformers features moving parts that retain their dimensions and just rearrange themselves realistically to make a different overall shape. Nope. Groizer's bomber wings "morph" into the robot's arms, while the aft fuselage splits into the legs. Yeah. Well, if you're a fan of any of these shows, you're no stranger to suspension of disbelief; I haven't seen whole episodes of the cartoon, but I'm guessing that the transformation's one of the easiest parts of the show to swallow!

So why am I in love with this robot? Well, he's blue, he's weird-looking, and he's got a pretty groovy head with antennae. Yep, that's pretty much all I need!

Sure, the transformation is...different...but I can dig it. Besides, unlike actual Transformers, Groizer's transformation isn't really a major concern in any of the previous toys (except for Nakajima's elusive magnetic Groizer, which, as it turns out, is quite similar in spirit to the toy we're reviewing today!). The other popular Nakajima diecasts simply come static in either mode: Groizer X, the bomber, and Groizer Robo, the robot. And they're gorgeous. Their proportions are chunky, their colors are striking. Shooty missiles and fists. The toys are rugged and simple. Everything you love about old-school diecast, they have.

Now, along comes Yamato with their new GN-U line. Like I said, I have no idea what GN-U stands for, but making sense of all their offerings is stroke-inducing. Okay, so the "GN-U Hagane" line is high-end, semi-parts-swapping super robots, including this Groizer and the upcoming Danguard Ace(!). Now, this line is NOT to be confused with the "GN-U Gou" line, which is all-plastic, high-end, and heavily-parts-swapping...like Braiger. Lastly, there's the "GN-U Dou" line, which is all-PVC, non-transforming action figures, including the upcoming Braiger and Dancougar.

Anyway, those who know me know that I'm not particularly fond of modern gokin. I categorize most modern high-end super robot offerings as "collectibles", rather than as actual toys. They often come with scads of tiny, delicate accessories to recreate any scene from the cartoon, and they usually favor cartoon-accurate looks and super-poseability over imaginative play value. For the most part, they are fragile collectors' items for adults to put on shelves...and certainly not meant for children's sandboxes.

Somehow, by design or dumb luck, Yamato has crossed back over to the fun side of things with their "Groizer-X" (note the hyphen). With this toy, they've managed to create something that's simple, durable, and imaginative...and yet, satisfying to collectors, with anime-accurate sculpting, absurd poseability, and lots of detailed accessories.

But let's start from the top: the packaging:

The box is big. Probably quite a bit bigger than it really needs to be...but there's a reason for it that we'll get to later. As you can see above, the front flap of the box lifts up to reveal a window showing Groizer-X (bomber mode). When you pull everything out of the box, you get two flimsy, clear plastic trays containing the surprisingly simple toy, the instruction booklet, and full-color papercraft materials(!).

The first tray includes the main wings for Groizer's bomber mode, the aft fuselage (that you need to plug the stabilizers into), and the accessories baggies (containing, among other things, the G-Jet, G-Shark, and G-Tank). The second tray has parts for robot mode--arms, abdomen/legs, extra hands, and the stand and landing gear for bomber mode.

There's actually not a whole lot to say about the toy, itself...and I consider that a good thing. On one hand, I don't have as much time to spend playing with toys these days, but on the other, I just simply appreciate a toy that doesn't require a lot of book-keeping and busy-work to entertain me. With this toy, I can just let my imagination go with a genuinely cool, solid toy.

So, let's get started with Groizer-X, the bomber:

First off, it's worth mentioning the stand. It's a very simple affair requiring the arm to be plugged into the base. Near the top of the arm, where it connects to Groizer, there is a pivot joint that allows the bomber to be displayed at different angles. Very basic, but I like it because it's secure, it's stable, and it gets the job done.

Now...the good stuff. As you can see, the bomber looks pretty damn good:

The main wings are each one solid piece of plastic. They're well painted with a nice glossy sheen, but they're pretty light. Add to that the aft fuselage being almost all-plastic, you actually have a very lightweight toy. Initial reports of this toy clocked the diecast at only 30%. Well, that's probably true...for bomber mode. But really--what does this thing do? Is a lot of heft an actual requirement for this mode?

The stand is somewhat light ABS plastic and the pivot joint where it plugs into Groizer-X would really suffer if it were any heavier. Sure, Yamato could beef it up, but I just don't see the need...

The bomber doesn't feature too many gimmicks. One nice touch is removable landing gear. A panel pops out of the chest for the nose gear to fit into. Two panels in the aft section recess to allow the aft gear to plug into. The chassis the wheels are attached to are ball-jointed, which is a nice touch I guess. While the wheels don't actually roll, you can at least display the gear in different positions...plus, they can conform to uneven surfaces. Yeah, not a lot to write home about.

The one feature I kinda dig is the "Flying Torpedo" accessories. Yeah, I know it's been compared to sperm and other funny biological entities I can't really talk about here...but it's pretty cool. Basically, that big door on Groizer's chest opens and has an attachment rail. You get the Torpedo warhead, the whole Flying Torpedo, and an exhaust trail to which the Torpedo can attach. All of these can attach to the rail to simulate different stages of firing:

Okay, yeah, I guess it's a bit of superfluous accessory, like the ones I mentioned that normally annoy me about most modern gokin. Truth is, as fun as it was to photograph, stuff like the landing gear and Flying Torpedo bits are going right back in the box. The bomber and the stand are all I care about.

Before we leave the bomber and move onto the robot, let's just take a comparison of Yamato's Groizer-X bomber and Nakajima's bomber:

Not too shabby, but Yamato's version could definitely have benefitted from missiles or some other kind of spring-loaded shooty gimmick.

Now, on to the robot...

The "transformation" is pretty simple. There's a quick, intuitive rearranging of the chest piece that places the head properly atop the shoulders instead of severely tilted back for bomber mode. Then, you just pull out the wings and the aft fuselage and replace them with the robot arms and legs. Done.

Remember that report of 30% diecast? Forget about it. Besides the chest piece being nearly all diecast, now you have the shoulders and upper arms, and the lower legs and feet...all diecast. This is a substantial toy that really does benefit from the added heft. Unlike the bomber, Groizer Robo is all finger-candy. Sturdy, ridiculously-articulated with strong detents in most of the joints, simple...fun.

Simply gorgeous. It's tall (at just under 8 inches) and has just the right amount of weight and distribution of it. This figure is stable and isn't going to fall off your shelf, let alone disappoint your diecast addiction!

One thing I found really nice is the antennae. They're made of some sort of super-flexible, but super-tough plastic. No matter how you bend them, they're not going to snap off. Great stuff...durability is appreciated.

Gimmicks? What you see is what you get. Accessories? Well...he's got open hands. I love it!

Again, sure, I wouldn't have minded seeing shooting fists or some neat features like that. So how does the Yamato stack up against the Nakajima?

The last major thing about this toy I want to talk about is something I alluded to earlier: the box the toy comes in actually combines with the included papercraft bits to form the landing strip from Groizer's Akane-Jima island base!!

This is cool beyond words...and the irony of it all is that I haven't even assembled it! :P

Honestly, I'm probably not going to get around to it either. This is one of those things where putting together the base is half the fun. Papercraft projects, clearly reminiscent of Japan's tradition of origami, are fun and while not particularly challenging in their modern full-color, pre-printed, perforated form, still take some time to do right.

That's time I don't really have. And more to the point...where am I gonna put this thing!?

This is one huge beast! Now, back when I was a kid, I would have gone ape crap over this thing. Back in those days, I didn't get many toys, so I simply had a lot of time to appreciate the few I had. As such, something like this woulda been perfect. I would have lovingly put together the base and staged all sorts of cool sorties and and invasions!

Then again, when I was a kid, there was pretty much no way in hell my mother would've sprung for a $158 toy!!

Well, such is life. The good news is that our man, Pony has come through with his typical curmudgeon-style review (if you can read it)...complete with gorgeous pics. Please check it out here.

So that pretty much wraps it up. Good, solid toy. Simple and enjoyable. Unfortunately, at a pricetag of over $150 (though you should be able to find them closer to $140 right now in the aftermarket), it'll ultimately come down to folks' love for the character/design as the deciding factor. If it had retailed for around $100, this toy would be an absolute no-brainer.

I'll leave you with my 3-minute teaser review on Youtube:

Thanks for reading! Play hard!

Does your toy collection suffer from too many robots? Too many manly blocks of zinc with firing fists and missiles? Have we got the toy for you. The Revoltech Jun is just the thing to get in touch with your feminine side.

Does your toy collection suffer from too many robots? Too many manly blocks of zinc with firing fists and missiles? Have we got the toy for you. The Revoltech Jun is just the thing to get in touch with your feminine side.

Jun is yet another character from Sony’s Japanese PS3 game, Doko Demo Issyo (どこでもいっしょ). Jun is a Rabbit who loves curry, noodles, MTV and Karaoke.

Jun is the self-proclaimed Master of Love.

This cute pink bunny comes loaded with accessories. There are three extra faces that can be swapped out for a variety of expressions.

Jun is all set for Karaoke with a microphone and a mug of beer.

The next day she can relax with sushi and green tea. Each piece of sushi is removable and can be attached to the arms.

Included with Jun are new arms for Toro so that he can join in on the fun.

But look out, Toro is a mean drunk!

The usual Revoltech quality applies here, and like the other figures with swappable faces, it can be difficult to get the face off. This is my favorite of all the Doko Demo Issyo – it’s just so stupidly cute.

You can get Jun as well as all your other Revoltech at HobbyLink Japan.

Revoltech Jun at HobbyLink Japan

Revoltech Suzuki comes from the Japanese video game "Doko Demo Issyo", which means "Everywhere Together"

What we have here is the Revoltech Suzuki (ジュン) from Doko Demo Issho (どこでもいっしょ), a popular Japanese Playstation and PSP game. Doko Demo Issyo roughly translates to “Everywhere Together” It’s an everyday life RPG based around the lives of the cute characters within. Revoltech Suzuki arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan.

To get an idea of the madness that is Doko Demo Issyo, check this out:

http://www.dokodemoissyo.com/psp/indexf.html

Suzuki is a robot that goes to class with Toro, Kuro and Jun (among others). He was born September 13, 2006, making him a Virgo. His favorite things are Pottery and he is a Qualified Ship Boiler Engineer. Suzuki is a serious robot, a student of philosophy and fan of music.

Check out Suzuki in action:

The four faces of Suzuki represent his different moods and are “Normal”, “Smile”, “Vacancy” and “Frenzy”.

This is kind of an interesting Revoltech release that I think benefits greatly from knowing the source material. I had no idea what these Doko Demo Issyo toys were all about until I translated half a dozen Japanese web pages. I don’t know that the American market will latch on to these other than for the curiosity factor (or for Revoltech Completists).

Suzuki comes with a few accessories, including a book and pointing wand that attach to the claw hands via pegs. The dual drill missile arms used in Frenzy mode require the arms to be replaced after the elbow, and were designed espescially for this release by the Doko Demo Issyo staff!

The stand is purple, and comes with the logo printed on it. Suzuki can stand on the stand itself, or can be attached at the back with the connecting arm.

It’s well done, as usual, and very out-there as far as design goes. If this is your bag you won’t be disappointed. You can get your Revoltech Suzuki at HobbyLink Japan!

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.

The latest big Soul of Chogokin has arrived ! Godmars is here, and he is fantastic.

The latest big Soul of Chogokin has arrived ! Godmars is here, and he is fantastic.

The program "Rokushin Gattai God Marz" (aka Six Gods Combination God Mars or 六神合体ゴッドマーズ) debuted on the NTV network on October 2nd, 1981 and ran for 64 episodes until December 24, 1982. The Titular Robot was named Godmars – a giant robot made up of six smaller robots. Other than that, I got ‘nuthin.

Godmars was never broadcast in the west, so American audiences wouldn’t know of this character’s existence if it weren’t for it being part of the Godaikin line of toys in the 80s. Godaikin toys were repackaged Bandai toys that were assembled from a wide variety of sources. The GB-68 Popy DX Chogokin Godmars was sold under the line in mainstream outlets such as Child World and Toys R Us without any frame of reference.

The series wasn’t hugely popular and it is remembered more for the fantastic toys spawned from the show than the actual show itself. As Bandai’s Soul of Chogokin line progresses, it has to dig into the second tier characters. But this allows the designers to do a little more I think, because people are less concerned about the character and the accuracy than they are about if it is a cool, well-engineered toy.

I’m happy to say that Godmars is a great toy on many levels. Where the original Chogokin had a great transformation there was a lot to be said about what happened to the extra bits, or “kibble” that hung off the back. Bandai took this opportunity to right the wrongs made so long ago. This toy is a great homage to the classic Chogokin and is available at BetaToys.com

The box is very different from your average SOC. The big, bold title of the robot is spelled out in giant chrome letters, with all the characters flying in from space. Open the box and you get a styrofoam tray with an old-school insert, identifying each of the robots. Even more, lift off that tray to find that the Styrofoam has been embossed with the name and logo of the toy. That is awesome.

Each part of Godmars comes wrapped in plastic, and each unit is self-contained. No assembly is needed, and Godmars is ready to go right out of the box.

Godmars is made up of six robots.

Gaia is the core of the robot, and it hides inside the chest of Sphinx. It is microman sized, and is fantastically poseable. He comes with no accessories other than a set of variant hands. The lower legs and feet are metal.

Sphinx makes up the torso of Godmars. As a stand-alone robot, he is blocky and inarticulate. The head can turn, the arms have a decent range of motion, and the legs can swivel at the calf. The front and rear panels are metal. Sphinx also has a set of variant hands.

Uranus is the white arm of Godmars. This robot is really nicely done, with good articulation and metal content. Bandai did some great things with this toy in regards to hiding the arms so that it looked smooth from all sides.

Titan is the green arm of Godmars, and although he looks different, he transforms exactly the same as Uranus.

Shin is the black robot and makes up the right foot of Godmars. This is one heavy bot, with feet of solid metal. In robot mode his articulation is limited, but he is light years ahead of what was done with the old Chogokin version.

Ra is the blue robot and becomes the left foot of Godmars. This toy has the same transformation as Shin.

Assembling Godmars is as easy as it gets. Each robot folds up neatly with little fuss and no parts swapping. The arms of the smaller robots are hidden in a mechanism similar to Gold Lightan – each arm is collapsed and folded in to the torso, hidden inside. Once assembled, you’ve got a solid, fun toy that feels like it could have been made in 1982. The only thing that spoils the sense of nostalgia is the lack of firing fists.

Godmars has one weapon – the gigantic “Mars Flash” sword. The sword can be held in the existing articulated hands, or in the variant “sword holding” hand. Also included are two larger closed fists. Honestly, the hands that come stored inside the arms are good enough – the other fists are just clutter to be lost.

But wait, there is more. What SOC toy would be complete without all kinds of other accessories that are easily lost?

First off there are three small jets that can combine into one larger jet.

Cosmo Crusher 1 is a long slim gray jet.

Cosmo Crusher 2 is a stubby jet

Cosmo Crusher 3 is a microscopic ship that hides in the underside of Cosmo Crusher 1.

The two larger ships can combine to form the Cosmo Crusher. The toy is all plastic and has a cool transformation mechanism, but it doesn’t feel like it goes with the toy, and will probably remain in the box.

Godmars also comes with what looks like a large stone sarcophagus. You can place part of the display stand inside to pose the Gaia robot. Each of the Godmars robots rests in a hidden place, such as inside a statue or under the sea. It would have been cool if a container for each robot was provided as was shown at Tamashii Nation.

Lastly, A small stand is included, with pegs on the base for holding the hands. The stand has two parts that can be used for various displays. You can attach both parts to create a cradle for the sword, or you can attach the stand to the back of Gaia to replicate a flying mode.

As far as quality control goes, Godmars is mostly perfect. The door on top of Uranus (the white robot) does not like to stay flush with the body, and there are a few small paint issues in the inside of the arms of Shin (the black robot). Design-wise, the toy is great, although I find the legs a little long.

I would recommend Godmars, and you can get him at Betatoys.com. I think he is worth the money, and I feel that you get what you paid for with this one, bucking the trend with similarly priced “gokin” toys.

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