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Gougou Gattai- The Gougou Vehicles Assembled!

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7 comments posted
US Overdrive Messed Up Mechas

Firstly, I had to agree with Eva on the crapped-up Megazords that Bandai America designed. Completely crap with very flimsy and fragile plastics. I'd bet that falling to the ground for a few times might break a few pieces. Anyway, I am here to give you guys (who hasn't really known about it yet) some insights of how different the Japanese versions of the Gou Gou Gattai compared to the US crappy versions of the Max-Zords.

First up, for the Japanese sets, we have them at standard DX scale where almost all of the released mechas are at this size +- a CM or two. However, due to an out of this world excuse of giving more play value to the US customers, BOA said they'd make the Megazords bigger and add some electronic features. What happened to them then? Obviously, they failed big time and even bigger then previous years.

For you guys who already know, the Japanese sets have the DX DaiBouken bought in a set and the auxiliary mechs in separate pieces. We would have expected that BOA would just throw in a boxset with all 5 of the 6 - 10 Gou Gou Vehicles in a set prolly called Dual Drive Megazord. They did, but much to their disappointment, they released the second set called DualDrive Megazord that only has 2 of the 5 working auxiliary pieces, namely the Drill and the Shovel. Even more frustrating is you get another big Gou Gou Dump in Black. This set came with a grill bar piece that should have been present in the DX DriveMax Megazord (the Japanese had it) but it wasn't in nor it is compatible with the original Red Dump from the DriveMax Megazord set. Talk about a waste of mold and resources (I am betting that they prolly realised that they missed the grill part and had to include it somewhere in a rush because that piece is a vital piece for the Super Dai Bouken formation). This set also comes with Super Dai Bouken's head. Oh yeah, they altered the heads too. In actual, the heads are not heads but just helmets. However, in order to incorporate electronic sound and light gimmicks, the heads are totally removable and so, one set has one full head. The second had Super's head but did not come with a working Crane and Mixer.

So, after much complaints and disputes, finally at almost the end of the series, came a second Dual Drive set which seemed to have all 5 of the auxiliary mechs. Yes, I said it seemed because it actually didn't. You see, in order to make sure that the excess stocks for the earlier DualDrive (renamed Super Drive Max after this one came), BOA had to do some magic tricks to make that one sell. Thus what happened was, BOA only included 3 out of 5 working auxiliary pieces in the second Dual Drive Megazord set. They are the Jet, the Mixer and the Crane. See? In order to make a perfect set, you need to buy the previous set that has the working Drill and Shovel. Frustrating eh? Not so soon as more to come.

The second Dual Drive set came with a hook piece for the crane specially designed for Ultrazord formation (Ultimate Daibouken). This is because BOA left an important part out from the Jet which acts as an added support for the Grill to house the Gyro. So it's either the Grill or this red rubbery piece. But wait, even if I don't buy the earlier DualDrive, I can still make Super Drive Max right? NO WAY!

Reason #1 - You didn't get a head for Super Drive Max if you don't buy the earlier set
Reason #2 - The Grill is an important element and shouldn't be left out and makes the mid section looks empty if you miss it

Now, how different are the functions on the US versions compared to the Japanese versions? I only have the DriveMax, the Dual Drive with Jet, Gou Gou Mixer and Gou Gou Crane so I can evaluate based on that.

The foldable arm of the Gou Gou Marine was completely removed from the US set making it look weird when you form Super or Ultimate Daibouken. The Gou Gou Sword is not separable into the two component parts.

Mixer and Crane were the worst hit. Looking at my Gou Gou Mixer and Crane sets I got after I got the Dual Drive, I noticed that they really did a misjustice on the 2. In benefit of those who doesn't know about the sizes of the Japanese Mixer and Crane, the Crane is actually longer in vehicle mode but the Mixer is expandable (refer to Eva's Mixer review for details) to match the size of the Crane during combination. BOA obviously did not study the details clearly and made a big error there. They made the Mixer in the scale of after expendable and cannot be retracted even in vehicle mode but the injustice was on the Crane. Thinking that the Crane is still longer than the Mixer, they made the Crane even longer and when you form the Ultimate or Super formations, it shows a big deal of a difference. Furthermore, the Crane does not extend even in the black bars area and of course, no strings are even present. The Mixer cannot open its barrel and there are no spinning functions using a small gear at the back and the side of the barrel.

The Jet's function of firing the emergency pod (refer again to Eva's Gou Gou Jet review for details) has been replaced with a Light and Sound function present in every set of the Drive Megazords.

I don't know about the Drill and the Shovel in the earlier DualDrive set but from what I saw, the Drill still has the function of drill turning while rolling and the Shovel can rotate its body 360 degrees and the claws are openable.

That's it for now. Correct me if I am wrong in this and btw, very good review here by Eva. Last but not least, do note that the Drive Megazords are not compatible with the Battlefleet Megazord due to size problems and no Flashpoint Megazord was released.

redracer2004's picture
Posted by redracer2004 on 25 July, 2009 - 06:23
Very in-depth information!

Very in-depth information! I like, I like!

Dude- since you have them, you should totally, like, write a review up for them with pictures! Ya got a digital camera...?

Yeah- BoA in 2007 was full of suckiness... QQ
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 25 July, 2009 - 11:51
Request on review

I was planning to but not quite yet because I don't have that first DualDrive Megazord Set (renamed Super Drive Max Megazord) and because of that, I am not able to perform some of the proper formations, particularly Super DaiBouken lookalike. I am waiting to pick the Super Drive Max set so I can make a total review of this guy in depth. However, if we do compare the prices to pick 3 sets of Drive Megazords and the 6 Gou Gou Gattai sets, the Drive Megazord sets are obviously cheaper. In addition to that, if you have both to compare (or seeing online pictures), only the looks of the DriveMax Ultrazord (even without working Drill and Shovel) are presentable. The DriveMax itself looks under-detailed while DualDrive (even the DaiTanken itself) looks pretty ugly.

I hope I can get the Super Drive Max set ASAP to start checking them since I am after a full set. Hopefully, I get it and do a full review on the Drive Megazords set. Btw, would you recommend me getting the US version Battlefleet Megazord?

redracer2004's picture
Posted by redracer2004 on 26 July, 2009 - 07:51
Re: Request on review

"Btw, would you recommend me getting the US version Battlefleet Megazord?"

Neg. These days, I wouldn't even recommend getting the DX DaiVoyager! It's an expensive block of plastic (US$110.00) with a boring-if-functional electronic gimmick, and it doesn't fit at all with the theme previously established in the Gougou Vehicles line- construction & exploration.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 26 July, 2009 - 10:59
Thanks

Thanks for informing me that. Btw, any ideas on how Shinken-Oh and DaiTenkuu stands like? I was hoping to see a review of that before buying.

redracer2004's picture
Posted by redracer2004 on 27 July, 2009 - 03:26
Frustratingly, all of my

Frustratingly, all of my Shinkenger reviews are on hold until I can get HobbyLink Japan to start sending me stuff- they've been back-ordered for months now! Same thing happened last year with Jumbwhale, and I didn't get to him until a few months ago... in 2009!

HLJ is my primary source year-round for Super Sentai materials, so unless you guys can urge them to get me the toys sooner, or find a cheaper alternative that sells all of the DX-sized mecha each year... =/

. . .

I will say, however, that the DX Shinken-Oh is pretty awesome... despite being $80! So, the price hurts a bit, but it's pretty kewl.
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CollectionDX Staff

EVA_Unit_4A's picture
Posted by EVA_Unit_4A on 27 July, 2009 - 04:17
Shinken-Oh

I feel Shinken-Oh is a bit overpriced due to the lack of any electronics within the set. All it does is having 3 modes to play which I think doesn't fit the price yet. Maybe the materials might make some differences.The same bet was on the DX Kyouretsu-Oh I bought at 1/2 the original yen price. However, even at 1/2 original yen price, I'd feel overpaid. I can't understand till now why this set is so expensive. Maybe Bandai wants us to pick this one up to make DX Engine-Oh G-12. Bah, I already got it, so here I come all of the other Engines. Btw, I might make a review of some Go-Onger stuffs like the DX Rocket Booster and the DX Wing Trigger. Just got them locally so am planning to share what I think of them.

redracer2004's picture
Posted by redracer2004 on 27 July, 2009 - 10:39