Last year when I reviewed my Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius figure I bemoaned the fact that I was never able to purchase the companion piece to it, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga. After the review I made it a priority to locate what I though was the last Spiral Zone figure I needed to complete my collection.

Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga

Last year when I reviewed my Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius figure I bemoaned the fact that I was never able to purchase the companion piece to it, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga. After the review I made it a priority to locate what I though was the last Spiral Zone figure I needed to complete my collection. One was eventually listed on Yahoo Auctions Japan and $80.00 less in my account I am now able to review one of the rarest items in the Spiral Zone collection.

Gemini Saga was one of three Saint Seiya figures that were manufactured using the 36-point articulation Systeminjection figures as used in Bandai’s SF Spiral Zone action figure line. I had only seen one once when I was a kid at Pony Toy Go Round in Los Angeles Little Tokyo district and it has always haunted me since, as I was never able to purchase one for my collection.

There are a few first with this figure. First off it is the only SZ figure that features a supernatural appeal to it as the figures face is molded in blue, the eyes are red and the hair is grey. Second it is the only Spiral Zone set that includes two uniforms: The Gemini armor and the Pope armor.

The best part about purchasing this set was that it was in NOS condition and had never been put together before so all the parts were verified and included. Accordingly one would think that the parts would be in perfect condition but after years of the parts rubbing together in the box some of the once beautiful chrome has rubbed off in the raised areas of the armor. Bandai asks you to paint the parts that need to be painted such as the figures under-suit and fists and the many armor highlights and the beads and spikes on the Pope armor. Many of the raised parts are to be repainted but since I do not paint any of my Spiral Zone figures those defects will stay exposed.

As stated before while the SZ Kamen Ride Black was pure toy and the Spiral Zone line proper was the fine line between toy and model kit the SZ Saint Seiya figures were pure model kit. The packing is typical of model kit packaging with a lid top and no artwork on the underside of the box. The artwork on the top of the box is beautifully rendered and there is one clear window showing the Gemini Saga figure.

The Gemini Saga figure needs to be assembled but due to the age of the figure I did it very carefully as old plastic becomes brittle. I suggest picking up a good set of sprue cutters from a local hobby shop so one could get a clean cut of the parts from the sprue.

The parts are molded in three colors, black, Chrome Gold and Chrome Red. The molding is excellent and all the minor details of the armor are included, the best features are the Gargoyle on the Pope headdress and the evil and good twins likeness on the Gemini helmet. The set also comes with two real cloth capes for the armor sets that attach to the back. This Gemini set is actually easier to review if I split it into four parts: The Gemini figure, The Pope, The Gemini armor and the Statue.

The Gemini figure is perhaps one of my favorite Spiral Zone figures. The sculpt is great and captures the evil twin of the Gemini Saga character and definitely stands out among all the Spiral Zone figures. The blue face, grey hair and red eyes demand attention on the shelf. The figure features all the above average features of Spiral Zone figures including moveable fingers and 36-point articulation.

The Gemini Armor is much more complex that the Sagittarius armor to apply to the figure. The real cloth cape is a nice touch. Sadly the Gold chrome has faded over the years so it does not shine like it once did. I especially love the helmet. While the Sagittarius helmet is just a headband with wings this is a full on helmet that needs to be assembles around the head and it looks great. The only fit that was not easy was the leg armor and the boot armor to the figure. There just does not seem to be enough area to go around for both parts at the same place and it feels like you are going to break the parts when you apply them both at the same time and there is a very visible gap between the parts and no articulation.

The Pope armor is what really makes this figure work. After being somewhat let down by the Gemini Armor the Pope Armor is just top notch. The red chrome was beautifully done and the parts were crisp and well sculpted. The Pope’s helmet sculpt just left me speechless, there is nothing like it in the entire Spiral Zone universe and the helmet something that demands to be looked at. The Gargoyle and its wings is one of the best examples of the Saint Seiya armor design and helmets fits snug on the figures head. Together with the white robe and the long spikes of the shoulder armor this uniform really takes the place as one of the best Spiral Zone sets.

Finally I always thought the Gemini Armor Statue was one of the evilest looking statue of the all Saint Seiya statues. It looks like a weird two faced, four-legged spider with these inhumanly long limbs. The SZ satutes captures all the weirdness and most importantly it stays together quite well unlike the SZ Sagittarius statue.

The only feature I am let down with is how the gold chrome had faded over the years. This is a good example of just because a toy is NOS does not mean its perfect example of a toy. This set had never been touched but time can still get to an item and do it in.

Finally, the day after I received this figure set from Japan I had the thought if there was one other Spiral Zone Saint Seiya figure that was produced besides Sagittarius and Gemini it would have been Pegasus as he was the lead character of the series. I got to talking with a fellow Spiral Zone collector and he informed me with photographic evidence that was indeed a Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Pegasus figure manufactured by Bandai. He stated that the standard figure was molded with silver chrome but a premium figure was also manufactured with Gold Chrome as well. A Spiral Zone Pegasus is definitely a rare figure and I hope to locate one to review on Collection DX.

I am happy I was finally able to pick up Gemini, an item I was never was able to purchase as kid, and include it in my collection. The Pope armor more than takes this one over the top and it has a lot of presence on the shelf even next to other Spiral Zone armor sets. If you are a hardcore Saint Seiya and Spiral Zone collector this set is definitely worth picking up but generally due to high cost, rarity and better examples of this character on the market I would pass this one up.

©2009 article and photos by Leonardo Flores and Collection DX

If there is one item in both the Bandai and Tonka Spiral Zone lines that is remembered by even the most passive toy collector, it is the iconic Act 10: Monoseed. The sheer audacity of the one wheeled designed assault motorcycle along with Bandai’s beautiful multi-media engineering and high craftsmanship resulted in Monoseed being one of the few Spiral Zone acquisitions by non SZ collectors.

Spiral Zone Act 10: Monoseed type III

Bandai was somewhat ahead of its time when they released their SF Spiral Zone figures and accessories back in 1985. The Spiral Zone toys themselves were a fine combination of model kit details and toy mobility and were a definite forunner of Bandai’s High Grade and Master Grade model kit series that are currently being produced today.

Unfortunately it was a huge let down for collectors when the SZ line was killed just after two years of production, with only 12 “Acts” released. Although it appears that Bandai was gearing up to release a quick attack assault jeep called Fat Lynx, only one SZ vehicle was ever released, the one wheeled assault motorcycle called Act 10: Monoseed type III.

If there is one item in both the Bandai and Tonka Spiral Zone lines that is remembered by even the most passive toy collector, it is the iconic Act 10: Monoseed. The sheer audacity of the one wheeled designed assault motorcycle along with Bandai’s beautiful multi-media engineering and high craftsmanship resulted in Monoseed being one of the few Spiral Zone acquisitions by non SZ collectors.

I picked up my Monoseed back in the late 1980’s at Pony Toy Go Round in LA’s Little Tokyo district for $45.00. Due to the still high demand for Monoseed these days, expect to pay between $100-$250 for an example.

Act 10: Monoseed comes with: 1X preassembled Monoseed Motorcycle, 1X Cowl, 2x file cards, 2x springs, 2x wire antana, 1x sticker sheet, 1x rubber hose, 1x black sprue, 1x green sprue, 1x grey sprue, 2x handles, 2x mirrors, 1x instructions. No name plate is included with Monoseed.

Monoseed’s options include: Optional Jet Pack, maintenance Stand. Some of the Monoseed statistics was that it was produced in 2003 with a 1200cc engine with 10,000 rpms. Fuel is both gas and liquid hydrogen when using its jet pack. Maximum speed is 280km on open road and has a specialized analog bio-computer onboard. Armament include 2x 50 cal liquid cooled guns with 17mm Ceramic/Kevlar/ anti-laser armor.

As previously stated, Monoseed is a fine line between toy and model kit which results in some assembly being required. I suggest a good sprue cutter tool to cut the parts off the sprue and give yourself about three hours build time. It is not a difficult item to build up but a couple of the hydraulic hoses need tweezers to attach to their pegs that are buried in the frame.

The stickers sheets comes with various call numbers and stenciling for the bike but as the box art suggest you can repaint and airbrush Monoseed to represent the three colors styles from the other extra protect suits. The sticker sheet comes with side art for those various versions. Although the green is a different shade, Monoseed is colored for Act 1: Bull Solid.

Once assembled Monoseed is a sight to behold. The tire is good high quality rubber that after 20 years still holds up very well. The shock system is made up of cast metal parts and a real spring shock system. The entire cowling and various paneling are completely removable down to the frame for maintenance. Real rubber hosing attaches to all the throttle and breaking systems. I also love the details on the dial screen that is enclosed by a clear plastic cover.

Due to the many various parts, some of the components do have a tendency to fall off the bike, these parts can easily be glued in place, although it has been my policy with all the Spiral Zone toys to not glue any of the parts on so I can put them back into the packaging.

The figure posed on the bike look great although I believe Act 3: Sentinel Bear armor most likely will not fit on the bike due to its bulky armor.

One great feature about Monoseed that has never been documented online is the how you can attach Bull Solid’s and Hyper Boxer’s specific equipment and weapons to Monoseed's back rest for an intergraded look. Bandai’s engineers took some time out to design Monoseed’s backrest to accommodate those parts down to a place to attach Hyper Boxer’s backpack hoses and its 7mm cannon. In fact there are some clips that are unused and I am curious if they were designed for other protect suits that were never released. Because of Bandai has not suggested how the equipment and weapons attach to the bike in the instructions, feel free to comment if I missed an attachment to the backrest as I would like to have that mystery solved.

Unlike Tonka’s “Zone Rider” bike which features a squared off wheel for balance, Monoseed features a rounded tire that can easily tip the bike over. A front stand is included that can lean the bike towards the front of the bike when not in action, but most importantly a black maintence stand is included to display the bike in ride mode.

But hold on! Just when you think a one wheeled assault combat motorcycle is more than enough for combat duty a detailed optional Jet pack is included to attach to your Monoseed motorcycle so your figures can buzz the Spiral Zone battlefields. The jet pack system is an over the top feature for Monoseed but is so well designed and integrated into Monoseed design itself, it is a nice addition to the set. The jet pack system attaches to the side cowls, front stand and backrest and features moveable wing surfaces and all the components are attached together by two metal springs. According the beautiful box art, Monoseed is pictured flying quite high with these jet packs thus making it a formable weapon in combat.

Besides the jet pack components, what is the believability of such a vehicle to exist in the real world? A few years ago a young inventor and motorcycle enthusiasts wanted to create a zero emissions electric motorcycle. The result was the Monoseed looking working prototype “Uno.” Although the Uno is actually two large wheels that are close together side by side, one cannot help but think of Monoseed in the Uno side profile. I do not know if the Uno will be mass-produced but it is a great looking bike.

Monoseed is the crowning achievement in the entire Spiral Zone line and if there is one item that is a must own for any toy collector, Monoseed is the best example of the innovations and imagination of the Spiral Zone collection. An assault jeep called Fat Lynx was designed and prototyped for release in 1/12 scale for the Spiral Zone figures but it never made its way into production only seeing the light of day as a very rare premium mail order only model kit and a gashapon accessory. Like the rest of the Spiral Zone toys there was so much potential in the line but it was quickly cut short when the line was discontinued in 1987. Sadly Monoseed would be the only vehicle released, but what a release it is!

©2008 Article and Pictures by Leonardo Flores and Collection DX.

Reissued and re-colored releases of previously manufactured toys have always been a blessing and a curse for collectors. Some re-releases could be very creative and well thought out while others releases can be a blatant cash out for the manufacture without any thought to the quality of the toy line.

Spiral Zone Act 5: Hyper Boxer Parapsychic "Razorback"

In 1986 Bandai released four extra protect suits for their SF Spiral Zone action figure line. Unlike the first three sets which featured a protect suit and a SZ figure, these basic sets included the protect suits and armor only. These were essential re-colored armor and cloth sets of Act: 1 Bull Solid and Act 2: Hyper Boxer. Unfortunately Bandai chose not to recolor and release Act 3: Sentinel Bear.

Reissued and re-colored releases of previously manufactured toys have always been a blessing and a curse for collectors. Some re-releases could be very creative and well thought out while others releases can be a blatant cash out for the manufacture without any thought to the quality of the toy line. The prices of casting molds for the injection machines are quite expensive and receiving the most from the investment can justify the re-colored projects in the eyes of the manufacture. No toy manufacture is immune to this, Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, Bandai, Takara etc have done this at one time or another with their respected toy lines.

As is, Spiral Zone was a small line to begin with, with only 12 releases total with four of the Acts re-colored from the first two releases, Act 1: Bull Solid and Act 2: Hyper Boxer. I believe Bandai was marginally successful with the re-colored extra protect suits. Not only was the price point an issue as one could spent $5.00 more and get a deluxe protect suit and figure set but generally they were not as aesthetic pleasing as the deluxe sets.

Act 5: Hyper Boxer “Parapsychic” is the first of two and the least attractive of Hyper Boxer re-colored sets. Although the black armor looks great I do not know why Bandai decided to give Act 5 a silver threaded lame suit with orange paint highlights. It completely dismisses the military overtones of the Spiral Zone line. The orange trim could look good but it visually clashes with the silver of the suit. It is simply just a mess of colors.

The only reason why I do like the set is that I never had one back the 80’s and it is somewhat of a mystery set as I never seen one in person until I received this one from Japan a few months ago. One other feature that I do like is the stencil stickers that come with call numbers for the side of the leg armor. It is great to finally have a representation of Act 5 a in my display case, but otherwise it is weakest representation of the protect suits colors in the Spiral Zone line.

If Bandai had given this set a black real cloth uniform with white trim on the helmet and call numbers It would be a definite standout protect suit like the all black Act 4: Bull Solid “Parapsychic”. Yutaka’s Action Figure Series “Ninja” not only comes with a original 1985 Spiral Zone body that can be used for Act 5 but also a black uniform that could be used to replace the silver uniform for this set. Picture above is Act 5 with Act 3 Sentinel Bears black uniform.

As is, I do not suggest this set for the casual Spiral Zone fan due to its rarity and the fact that it does not entirely represent aesthetic pleasing quality of the rest of the Spiral Zone line.

© 2008 article and photos Leonardo Flores ModCineaste & Collection DX.

The first of the two Bandai’s 1986 SF Spiral Zone optional backpack units was Act 8: Personal Floater. Nearly 25 years later Personal Floater is still one of the easiest items to locate inexpensively in mint sealed in the box condition.

Act 8: Personal Floater

The first of the two Bandai’s 1986 SF Spiral Zone optional backpack units was Act 8: Personal Floater. Nearly 25 years later Personal Floater is still one of the easiest items to locate inexpensively in mint sealed in the box condition.

Act 8: Personal Floater includes: 1X Preassembled floater backpack, 3X green sprue, 1X Black sprue, 1x plastic wire, 2x preassembled Floater fans, 2x screws, 1x decal sheet, 2x screen mesh, 1x instructions, and 1x file card.

The box is small compared to the other Spiral Zone releases but still has some of the great features found on Spiral Zone packaging. The two display windows feature the preassembled floater backpack and the mesh screen parts, screws and floater fans. The back of the box features another beautiful painting of Act 1: Bull Solid in flight with the Personal Floater with the backdrop of another abandoned skyscraper and a lighting filled purple and orange sky.

According to the file card Personal Floater was first used in 2005 with a maximum flight distance of 250km and hovering height of 6000m. There are no weapon systems on Personal Floater and although PF can be used with all the Spiral Zone figures it is colored for Act 1: Bull Solid.

The core of the Personal Floater is already preassembled for the collector but take about three hours out to build up PF not because it is difficult to build but many of the parts are extremely fragile and I highly suggest purchasing sprue cutters from a local hobby shop to get a clean cut of the parts of the sprue. A small crosshead screwdriver is also needed to assemble the toy in three places.

One of the best features of the PF is the screen mesh that is used in the cavity of the PF fan, which looks great in scale with the figures. They are inserted into the fans and are firmly held in place with screws. The jet nozzle fans are also some of the most intricate looking pieces of PF but also the most fragile parts and are easily broken. Great care is needed in putting the parts on the nozzle.

Also the Handle (Part 7) should be taken off if you are going to put the parts back in the box as the Styrofoam does not have an opening for the part and is easily broken in the tray. The PF direction handle also comes with a plastic wire that attaches to the bottom of the handle, which is a great detail in scale.

Although PF is a great looking accessory for the Spiral Zone figures I never really liked the look of the backpack on the figure, as it sits to high on the back and looks to top heavy and unrealistic. It really looks quite boring with backpack on the figure just standing there and I always liked the look of the figure holding the PF from the carrying handle. Considering the availability of aftermarket anime figure action stands I think it would look great in flight mode as action seams to be missing when the figure is just displayed with the backpack on.

Act 8: Personal Floater is still the easiest Spiral Zone item to locate. They are always on Yahoo Japan and I just recently just purchased an NOS sealed PF floater for $10.00, $5.00 less than for I what I purchased my original PF for back in 1986! It is a quick pick up for the Spiral Zone collection and with a good anime display action stand it has the potential to be a standout figure and accessory set in the display case.

© 2008 Photos & Article by Leonardo Flores ModCineaste & Collection DX.

Where as the Spiral Zone Kamen Rider Black was pure toy and The SFG Spiral Zone line proper was a fine balance between toy and model kit, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius and Gemini were pure model kit.

Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius

Where as the Spiral Zone Kamen Rider Black was pure toy and The SFG Spiral Zone line proper was a fine balance between toy and model kit, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius and Gemini were pure model kit.

From a line of figures that is already obscure to begin with I introduce to you one of the three rarest items in the entire Spiral Zone line, Saint Seiya Sagittarius. I believe Bandai was headed in the right direction when they began to manufacture other character properties using the Spiral Zone’s 36-point articulation Systeminjection figures. 1987 was the third and last year of Spiral Zone production and it was in that year they would introduce to the market three non SFG Spiral Zone figures using the Spiral Zone bodies as the center of the deluxe figure release.

For all I know Bandai only released these three non Spiral Zone deluxe figure sets, but I would not be surprised if we discover more figures of other character properties produced. If I had not seen these when they were originally released in 1987 I would not have even known they existed, as there is still little or no Internet or published information on these figures.

I had always wondered why only Sagittarius and Gemini were released by Bandai in this form but after reading another Collection DX review of the excellent Saint Cloth Myth Sagittarius Aiolos I now understand both Gemini and Sagittarius characters were the main exciting incident characters of the Saint Seiya TV show. I also believe that by Bandai releasing the two Gold Saints chrome gold figures first, it would make a very attractive stand out toy.

Typically, being a Japanese toy collector in the 1980’s we had a lot of great toys available to us but the anime themselves were still quite elusive and expensive to the average American kid. I always admired the look of Saint Seiya armor but other than the armor being made of metal, I never liked the look of the figures that were released at the time as they were completely out of proportion and had the Super Sentai toy curse of the female figures used the same bodies as the males.

So when Sagittarius and Gemini were released with the more accurate and attractive Spiral Zone figures I had to purchase one. Unfortunately I never was able to purchase Gemini, as for some strange reason was nearly double the price of Sagittarius with Sagittarius being priced at $25.00 and Gemini priced at $45.00. Years later I still have not seen one for sale but the sad part is I had Gemini in my hands and to this day I wonder what lucky kid in Los Angeles owns it and will it ever make it into my possession again?

Gemini was a great looking figure and the only Spiral Zone figure released with supernatural appeal, as his head was molded in purple/blue with eyes painted only as white. If you know of a Spiral Zone Gemini offered for sale please feel free to email me at Uplandmod@hotmail.com, it would be much appreciated!

Sagittarius includes: 1X 36 point Systeminjection figure (8 parts to be assembled), 3x screws, 2x pivot washers, 3x Gold plated Chrome sprue, 1x black sprue, 1x instruction sheet.

Unlike the other Spiral Zone releases Sagittarius was released in a model kit style box with a full color lid with two clear windows exposing the chrome parts and Spiral Zone figure. The bottom part of the box is plain cardboard which is a complete let down as Spiral Zone boxes rear artwork is always one of the best selling points of the line. But the cover artwork is well done with Sagittarius in a fighting stance in front of a Greek ruins afloat in space with Gemini glaring down on him.

Before assembling Sagittarius I suggest purchasing a good set of sprue cutters from a hobby shop to get a nice clean cut of the parts off the sprue. Keep in mind that the Sag armor is molded in gold chrome and accordingly the plastic used in molding chrome is a bit harder and brittle than regular plastic found in toys and model kits. A small sized Phillips crosshead screwdriver is also needed to assemble the Spiral Zone figure. Give yourself about a three-hour build time to cut the parts off the sprue and assemble Sagittarius.

For many reasons, as stated previously, Sagittarius is pure model kit. Bandai asks the builder to many things that were not previously asked to do on the other Spiral Zone releases. First off Bandai asks the builder to not only assemble the figure but to paint the figure as well. Spiral Zone figures always came in real cloth uniforms but the Sagittarius figure red under suit needs to be painted onto the figure and the hands need to be painted gold. Normally a second set of “gloved” hands would included molded in the color that was needed and can be switched out with “flesh” hands.

Instead of a second separate sprue being included with the darker bronze colored armor parts of the headdress, skirt armor, heel wings, arrow and bow, Bandai asks you to paint those parts with clear dark yellow. Years ago I wisely made the right decision to not paint any of the parts and it is not an issue if you do not decide to paint Sagittarius as it is still a great looking figure when not painted.

Once the parts are cut off the sprue assembling the armor to the figure is very quick. Be careful not to break off any of the pins into the female side of the armor parts. All the parts hold on well to the figure except the shoulder armor and heel wingtips. They could prove bothersome when trying to display the figure. The gold chrome still looks bright 21 years later and have not flaked off the plastic or faded.

The weapons include a bow and arrow, with the arrow being an extremely fragile part. It is best to keep it in a safe place of the figure holder when not on display. When it comes to Spiral Zone figures 36-point mobility, the ease of display comes down if the owner decides how much they want to loosen the figure as they are quite stiff when one first open the package. Figure mobility is based on that issue, which could pose a problem if you want to display Sag in the arrow firing position and the figure is still stiff.

As stated before with the other character likenesses such as Kamen Rider Black and Yutaka’s Chirico Cuvie Spiral Zone style figure, I like it when Bandai sculpted licensed characters as Spiral Zone Figures and Sagittarius is no exception. Sagittarius sculpt is a great likeness of the character and is about the only feature that I think is superior to the otherwise better produced and current Saint Cloth Myth s Sagittarius figure. An odd feature to note is the two small bumps on the side of the head that the headdress attach to, which is not featured on any of the other Spiral Zone figures.

Most of the build time is spent on building the centaur figure, which I believe is the weakest part of this release. One of the tenants of a Spiral Zone figure is that the set should not need any type of glue to assemble the figure or armor. Although the centaur figure itself is easily built it is completely loose and falls apart quite easily. Putting the armor on is a disaster as the figure quite simply falls apart or the parts fall off the figure. To take the photo for this review was a nightmare just to balance the figure just right and even then I still think I did not get the shot I wanted.

The centaur has no mobility what so ever. One suggestion is to glue the centaur together and I believe it should hold up quite well but as a Spiral Zone release I do not think I should have to do that. I also do not believe the figure represents the strength of the centaur personality adequately. On the positive the figure looks awesome when one puts the headdress on the black centaur figure as it has a cool and creepy look to it.

The great mystery of the Gemini and Sagittarius releases is were there more Saint Seiya Spiral Zone figures released as the box states it is kit “15”? Or is it a continuation of other basic Saint Seiya model kits that were released at the time? Could it be a continuation of the Spiral Zone Acts 1-12 with Kamen Rider Black being kit 13, Gemini kit 14 and Sagittarius being the last kit with 15? But that is based on if Gemini is kit 14 which I do not know at the moment. Regardless I find the “15” quite cryptic.

The pendulum swings wild on this one. If you are a hardcore Saint Seiya collector it is a definite pick up for the collection for its odd historical footnote and extreme rarity involved with the piece. If you are looking for great representation of this figure I guide you to the current Saint Cloth Myth release of this figure that is currently being produced. The new Saint Seiya releases are brilliant in design and look great on the display shelf. Unlike the regular Spiral Zone figures, SZ Sagittarius has been out classed by the current Saint Cloth Myth release of this character. Besides only two figures were released as Spiral Zone figures while new Saint Seiya figures have been going strong, with new releases every few months.

As for the Spiral Zone collector it is a must own as it is another great Spiral Zone Systeminjection figure that needs to be included in the SZ collection. In terms of practicality it is not the best release of the line, but the pure charisma of this released cannot be denied. The iconic history of Sagittarius in the Saint Seiya canon, the beautiful gold plated armor and a great Spiral zone figure should be more than a few reasons to locate this deluxe figure set for the collection.
©2008 Leonardo Flores “ModCineaste” and Collection DX.

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.

Act 6: Bull Solid “Machinehead” was the second and last recolor of Bull Solid. I bought my Machinehead armor from Pony Toy Go Round back in the late 1980’s for $20.00.

Spiral Zone Act 6: Bull Solid “Machinehead”

From a line toys and accessories that are already difficult to locate, SF Spiral Zone’s four protect suits extra uniform sets are the hardest pieces of the line to locate. The extra protect suits were designated Act 4 through Act 7, two of them recolor of Act 1: Bull Solid and the other two, a recolor of Act 2: Hyper Boxer. No recolor armor was made of Act 3: Sentinel Bear.

Act 6: Bull Solid “Machinehead” was the second and last recolor of Bull Solid. I bought my Machinehead armor from Pony Toy Go Round back in the late 1980’s for $20.00. There was some odd issues when it came to Bandai pricing the extra uniforms. I would assume that most kids and collectors would bypass the $20.00 uniform sets and purchase the deluxe sets that come with an action figure for $25.00. An extra figure sold for $15.00 meaning purchasing an extra figure and extra protector suit set would cost $35.00. The extra protect suit sets were also not as attractive as the regular sets, two of sets being released with a silver threaded uniform, although I think the silver suit works well for Machinehead.

The Spiral Zone package consist of:

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

If you have read my Act 1: Bull Solid review, the Machinehead set has the same issues as Bull Solid as it is simply a recolor minus the Spiral Zone figure. I like the color match of navy blue armor and the silver real cloth suit. In fact I believe Machinehead might even be a Navy version of the Army Bull Solid uniform as its logo is an armored lobster and the colors might work for a maritime soldier.

Unlike the silkscreen painted logos on Act 1: Bull Solid, Machinehead comes with a set a stickers to apply to the armor and backpack, I suggest cutting them out with a fine X-acto blade so no clear film is shown. Over the years the stickers have come loose, so I would suggest not applying them to the figure’s armor. I do like the Machinehead logo on the backpack.

I am only missing three of the twelve Spiral Zone Acts and the three Acts that I am missing are the extra uniform Protect suit sets. Because of the unusual price point the extra protect suit sets had, I do not believe many were sold and every set that I have seen for sale is always missing important pieces, perhaps pirated for parts to make one complete set. Extreme caution and a sharp eye is needed when picking one of these sets up and always double check with references before purchasing one.

© 2008 Leonardo Flores “Modcineaste” & 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”