Shogun UltraZord

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 1.4

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Bandai, 1995

When you talk about long-running sci-fi shows, everybody mentions Star Trek, Dr Who, X-Files, and others. But one show that many people neglect is not just one of the longest-running sci-fi shows but one of the longest running television shows with a total of sixteen seasons that ran back-to-back. The show? Power Rangers.

Oh, true, most of the seasons were only tenuously linked, with the primary story arc ending with Power Rangers in Space. But sixteen seasons is not a trivial accomplishment, especially for a sci-fi show and doubly-especially for a kid’s show. Power Rangers has survived with the best of them and become the brand most synonymous with the genre. With the arguable exception of Voltron, Power Rangers is the face of teen-team-mecha shows and its legacy is proving to be quite enduring.

Background

To understand this toy, you need to understand the nature of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Not in the sense of it being about a group of teens with attitude, or that its got way more spandex than it should. What needs to be understood is the hierarchy of mecha in the show. You’ve got the individual mecha (called ‘Zords’), piloted by each Power Ranger. The (usually) five combine to form the Megazord. The Megazord combines with the Sixth Ranger’s Zord and the rarely-seen Seventh Zord (who pretty much never has a Ranger) to form the Ultrazord. The Ultrazord is the veritable big gun in the Power Rangers’ arsenal. In the case of the Shogun Ultrazord, you have the combination of the Shogun Megazord (made up of the individual Shogun Zords), the White Falcon Zord (actually a holdover from the earlier team of Zords, the Ninja Zords), and Titanus (a holdover from the first team of Zords, the Dino Zords).

It’s those last two Zords that are important with this toy because this was a rare glimpse at something the mecha show/toy field needs to embrace; interchangeability. Within the Power Ranger shows/toy lines, it wasn’t unusual at all to have various combinations of Zords. In the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (MMPR), the Dino Zords combined to form the Megazord, or could combine with the Dragonzord to form the Dragonzord Battlemode. The Dragonzord could also combine with the Megazord to give you the Mega Dragonzord. And then Titanus entered into the picture and, well, yeah. But once the Thunderzords entered into the picture (the replacements for the Dinozords and the precursor to the Ninja Zords), all your Dinozords were effectively useless. Narratively, this was explained with the destruction of the Dinozords, but from a toy standpoint, this kind of sucked.

The same thing occurred when the Thunderzords were replaced with the Ninja Zords. They all just kind of went away. But when the Ninja Zords were replaced by the Shogun Zords, the White Falcon Zord stuck around. Moreover, with both the Ninja Zords and the Shogun Zords, Titanus (who hadn’t been destroyed with the Dino Zords) returned to complete the Ultrazord forms.

Logistically, many of these problems trace back to either the narrative or, more often, the fact that MMPR was a single show while the Japanese footage (which was almost all the mecha footage) was derived from different and generally unrelated shows. But it still leaves behind this brief period were toys from one line (MMPR in the case of Titanus and the Ninja Zords in the case of the Falcon Zord) were useable in the current line (the Shogun Zords). It would have been beyond words to express how unbelievably awesome it would be if every new mecha line could combine with the previous line…or all the previous lines. Imagine if the Dinozords and the Thunderzords could combine into one big-ass fourteen-mech behemoth. Hell, chase the dream and imagine if EVERY Power Ranger toy line could combine. With at least a minimum of six zords per line and sixteen seasons, you’d be looking at a mech composed of no less than NINETY-SIX robots. Just gazing upon that thing’s majesty could single-handedly bring about world peace. I understand that no toy engineer in their right mind would want to design it, and narratively explaining that would be a nightmare beyond words. And that doesn’t even address the fact that the toy probably couldn’t actually even move. But still! That thing would be the very face of toy heaven. Power Rangers skirted with this idea ever-so-brief with the Shogun Ultrazord and hopefully, it’s an idea that will return in order to realize the dream.

　

Appearance – 4 out of 5

The Power Ranger toys aren’t without their problems, but one area they never fail to excel at is their appearance. The toys just LOOK cool and the mecha is the belle of the ball. The Shogun Ultrazord is visually imposing and it has the perfect amount of detail to keep the eye engaged without looking too busy. The toy looks shot-for-shot like the figure in the show, which is surprisingly hard to find in mecha toy lines.

Breaking down the toy a bit, the individual parts look just as good. The Shogun Megazord, the Shogun Zords, the White Falcon Zord, Titanus, they all look every bit the part of their show’s counterparts.

Construction – 3 out of 5

This toy is pretty well put-together and is relatively solid. Unfortunately, one of the principal elements that I praise is also one of its major flaws. The quality of Titanus’ construction is noticeably higher than that of the Falcon Zord, and both are better put together and more solid than the Shogun Megazord. Even still, individual elements of each toy are disappointing. Titanus’ body and neck are beautifully constructed and very sturdy, while the legs and guns/tail are almost laughable. The Shogun Zords are right on the cusp of feeling cheap with their hollow torsos and arms, being saved almost solely by the texture and detail found on each figure. The Falcon Zord is the only element that is consistent in its quality, and even then it’s only above-average.

Movement – 2 out of 5

And this is where the figure really shows its weakness. Combiner mecha traditionally aren’t the most mobile of toys, but this one is really pushing the boundaries between being a toy and simply a statue. The individual Shogun Zords have relatively mobile shoulder joints and the Yellow, Black, and Red Shogun Zords also have rotating arms, but that’s it (and that’s as much connected to the transformation sequence as anything else). The Shogun Megazord has no moving parts aside from the strict rotation of the shoulders. Titanus has no movements beyond those connected to the battery-powered forward-only locomotion. The Falcon Zord has shoulder joints for the wings, a neck and beak joint (it’s opening mouth is actually kind of cool), hip joints, and claw joints. Unfortunately, none of this is particularly impressive or does much to make the Falcon Zord memorably articulate. As for the Shogun Ultrazord, forget about it. Shogun Megazord’s arms go up and down and Titanus can roll forward. That’s it. While this is in keeping with the concept from the show (as that’s about all it), it’s still abysmally low.

Extras – 2 out of 5

Scoring the extras was a little hard because this toy had some great extras…they just weren’t very well made. Each Shogun Zord came with a little weapon that, when combined, became a shield and staff weapon for the Shogun Megazord. It was a cool idea, except the execution was a bit week. All the weapons are a bit flimsy and only the shield has any coloring other than the same generic red. The Shogun Megazord also came with a pretty awesome sword…except it’s almost too flimsy to stay straight. Titanus came with a handful of additional parts, but none of which are of note but most of which had a place to be put on Titanus (with the exception of a pair of sleds used to pull the Dinozord Megazord in Tank mode). The Falcon Zord came with no bonus features.

Packaging – 3 out of 5

Yet again, the different toys have different packaging styles, making this a bit tricky to score. All three toys came in packages that clearly explained the basic story and the individual mechs to the uninitiated. Only Titanus came with anything extra, though, namely a small card that could be cut out that matched the cards from the other toys in the original MMPR Dinozords line (a trend discontinued by the time the Falcon Zord and the Shogun Megazord arrived on the scene).

　

Overall – 3 out of 5

I felt a little let down when tallying up the scores with this toy because I was certain it would rank higher. I really want to give it a Four, but the truth is that no matter how awesome a concept, if it doesn’t execute well, it’s largely for naught. And that was the case with the Shogun UltraZord. The Shogun Megazord’s…average and Titanus and the Falcon Zord aren’t that much better. Ultimately, it really was the lack of movement and mobility that killed this toy. Conceptually, it should have scored much higher. But then, maybe that’s not too off-the-mark. For a lot of people, the Power Rangers have long been a legacy of almosts and could’ve-beens. But this toy is fun to play with and has a lot of elements that, were they to be realized more successfully, would have made it legendary in its awesomeness. Maybe next time around.

Omega Supreme

The Big Boy Returns

Hasbro Transformers Cybertron Line, 2003

When you talk about the Transformers, there are a few big players that need to be mentioned. Not big in the popular sense like Optimus Prime or Starscream, but big in a more literal sense. Some of the Transformers are physically gigantic. Some of the names that would come along include the walking cities of Fortress Maximus, Triptycon, Scorpinok, and Metroplex. And then of course, there's the planet-god Unicron. But if you go back to the beginning, there was one name that appeared before all the others. The original 'Big Kid On The Block', whose name struck fear in all Decepticons; Omega Supreme.

Background

Omega Supreme occupies an interesting place in the Transfomers mythos because he's often depicted as a victim of the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. In the original series, he was a semi-derranged psychopath hell-bent on revenge. Even dressed up to be safe for US cartoons, it doesn't take a lot to realize that this Autobot suffered from a variety of mental illness as a result of the war with the Decepticons. Remember, he ATTACKED Optimus Prime in order to get as his percieved enemy. Prime managed to talk him down, but he was prepared to let San Franciso be destroyed just so he could get as his sworn enemies, the Constructicons. Even in the most recent incarnation of the show, Transformers Animated, Omega Supreme was the ship that upon which Optimus Prime and the others traveled to Earth. He was actually a sentient being, but was so mentally devastated by the war that he willing chose to be put into coma so as not to have to deal with the horrors of the on-going conflict. This is most tragic when you realize that Omega Supreme is almost always obscenely powerful, to the tune of being the commander of the elite Omega Guardian robots (at least in the original series). This juxtaposition of unbridled power and unhealing wounds, especially mental and emotional wounds, has only helped to add to this character's enduring appeal.

Outside the mythos of the Transformers, the original Omega Supreme toy is one of the most sought-after because it's almost impossible to find in completion. Made up of a billion-gazillion tiny pieces, almost all of which were integral for the robot's integrity, most of the toys live on as half-completed forms that can't fully transform. Fortunately, when it was announced that there would be a new Omega Supreme toy for the Transformers Cybertron line, fans were understandably psyche.

　

Appearance – 4 out of 5

This is a well-made toy that looks not only like the Transformers Cybertron incarnation (upon which it is based), but also harkons back to the original character from the Generation One series. This makes the toy very appealing to fans of Cybertron, the original series, or just the franchise in general. There's visually quite a lot going on with this toy, but it works together into a very harmonious display, with the colors and textures balancing rather than clashing. It would have scored higher except that for a toy this size, a bit more variety and depth of texture would have been nice to see.

Construction – 5 out of 5

This is a very rugged and sturdy toy that is damn-near impossible to break. Every facet of the toy that moves is designed to disengage and snap back into place rather than break irrepairably. The toy has a dozen subtle moving parts, some of which move in tandem and they all work beautifully. A grat example is the trio of turrets on the left shoulder and arm of the toy. The turret on the arm never fails to sync up with the turrets on the shoulder when the toy is in vehicle mode, a level of care and forethought that is almost unprecedented.

Movement – 5 out of 5

The toy is extremly mobile with lots of joints and posing potential.

Extras – 2 out of 5

The toy comes with two missiles that load into a missile launcher (on the left shoulder) and a figure that becomes the head. Unfortunately, that is all. There are no additional features, no added weapons or bonus options, nothing. Given the character's tremendous size and power in the narrative, this isn't too unbecoming, but it still would have been nice to have a few additional clip-on features or something.

Packaging – 4 out of 5

The packaging is pretty standard for Hasbro, which means it's above-average for the toy industry. There's an ID card that can be cut out that gives stats and a character overview, a crash course in the series story, depictions of the toy in robot and vehicle mode, and a clear plastic view of the toy itself. Nothing too remarkable, but everything done and done well.

Overall – 4 out of 5

I'm almost ready to give this toy a Five rating, but the lack of a meaningful vehicle form is what held it back. The toy transforms into two trains that can link into one super-train that, while cool, don't really do anything. There are no features in the vehicle form that aren't available in the robot form, which means that few people will be inclined to transform the robot. This is probably for the best as the transformation process is exceptionally simple and not compelling at all. Odds are, you'll simply leave this toy in robot form, which kind of defeats the purpose of it being a Transformer. But other wise, that's perfectly fine because the robot form is frickin' awesome.

War Machine

War Machine

The Return of the Simply Awesome

Hasbro Iron Man 2 Toy Line, 2009

Like many people, I loved the Iron Man movies. As a comic book fan, I have to confess a general ambivalence to Tony Stark and his alter-ego as ole Shell Head, but the movies definitely showed me a side of the character that I wasn’t familiar with. I think that speaks volumes as to just how successful the movies were, that not only were the entertaining and fun, but they enticed a casual-yet-established comic book fan into going back and reading up on this classic character.

Background

War Machine is the player 2 of the Iron Man universe. Originally a combat suit of armor Tony Stark built for himself, he handed it off to his cohort and friend James Rhodes (in Iron Man 2, Rhodes uses the Mark II Iron Man armor to knock some sense into Tony and then refashions it with the help of the US military). War Machine/Rhody isn’t exactly a sidekick to Iron Man, at least not in the classic Robin-to-Batman sort of way. Rhody is a well-developed character who is more Stark’s friend and even partner than merely his lackey.

Iron Man storyline aside, its worth noting that the Marvel Comics toy department has a long and established history with action figures, going back into the 70s. It wasn’t until the Secret Wars figures in the 80s came along that they began to establish themselves as something unique from the common fare. Each iteration of the Marvel toys has gotten better and better (with only a few stumbles along the way) and has generally been at or near the cutting edge of action figures. The Iron Man 2 characters are a fantastic example of this with figures that are mobile, sturdy, and worth the very reasonable asking price.

Appearance – 4 out of 5

This is a lovely toy, no two ways about it. It’s beautifully detailed, well-sculpted, and is visually engaging without being overly busy. The toy very effectively captures the character from the movie, while also staying true to the concepts from the comic book. About the only way you could make the toy more visually appealing would be to make it out of metal or if they eyes glowed, but even then, that would only do so much to elevate this fantastic-looking figure.

Construction – 4 out of 5

War Machine, like the other figures in the line, is made of a sturdy plastic (especially for a 5-inch figure). The joints feel very solid and the figure itself is well-balanced so as to strike a near-mythical balance between durability and playability.

Movement – 3 out of 5

I wanted to give War Machine a Four here, but there are a few tiny problems with this otherwise fantastically mobile figure. For starters, the shoulder armor inhibits arm movement. This isn’t too big of a deal as the armor pieces lift up, but it is a bit strange. Also, the hip joints are quite bizarre, being not quite ball joints. While the legs re still perfectly mobile for most uses, don’t expect to position War Machine doing any high kicks without expending some effort.

Extras – 4 out of 5

War Machine doesn’t come with much, but does come with a fairly standard fare. He comes with a standing platform, two ‘special effects’ attachments for his guns (which are mobile on his back), and three cards that fit into the stand.

Now, I have to say a little bit about the cards. Two of the cards are transparent, with each of the three showing parts of the War Machine figure. It’s only when all three are laid down on top of one another that you can clearly see the whole figure. This. Is. Awesome. Can you imagine mixing and matching different sets of cards, just to see what the different armors would look like? I appreciate that this isn’t a tangible extra like an additional gun that can clip on or whatever, but this is still really cool! And it’s because of this innovative extra that the score is bumped up to Four.

Packaging – 3 out of 5

I really like the packaging of this toy, but it’s nothing out-of-this-world. The plastic wrap shows you the figure and the name and numbers on the front give you an idea of how to tell which is which. On the back is an individualized picture and write-up on the figure that is both a story summary and an outline for just who this character is. There are also a few other toys, just to whet your appetite for what other fan there is to be had in the line.

　

Overall – 5 out of 5

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t expecting this toy to be THAT cool, but after opening the package and playing with the toy, I have to say that it really is just a lot of fun. The toy is well-made, very engaging both visually and tactilely and can be posed a million different ways. The toy is just fun to play with, and with a whole line of these figures, along with the pretty reasonable asking price (I paid under seven dollars for mine), and the innovative cards, and this toy really is the kind of thing many of us love to play with.

Halo Armor Pack

Missed It By That Much

McFarlane Toys, 2009

I figure we’ve spent enough time in the past, so this week, I wanted to review a fairly recent toy. I saw the Halo toys at my local Target and they really piqued my curiosity. I’m not a big fan of McFarlane toys because, despite how impressive they look, they rarely are more than semi-mobile statues. You can’t really play with them, which to me defeats the purpose of a toy. Still these looked good and they appeared to be quite mobile so I decided to invest in a package and see what was up.

Background

Halo is a first-person shooter video game that’s available on computers and the assorted XBox consoles. The story revolves around an elite soldier called Master Chief trying to stop an alien race from destroying humanity. This is set against the backdrop of a Starship Troopers-esque military campaign (and I mean the book, not the movie) where everybody seems to have a somewhat different form of mechanized armor. The game itself was revered upon its release for the story, the music, and all the various elements coming together to create a really solid and wonderful gaming experience, one that would become the hallmark of the newest generation of gaming.

Appearance – 5 out of 5

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that the boys and girls at McFarlane toys know how to make a good-look product. Their toys have become the standard by which – at the very least appearance-wise – all others are measured and this toy does not disappoint. It is a work of art, beautifully representing four different armor forms (as the armor pack comes with a base figure and several different heads, shoulder guards, and chest plates which can all be switched out). There’s a lot going on visually with these toys and the details are perfectly done. There’s great texture and while the paint job isn’t completely flawless, it is still beautiful. And even where the tiniest bit of paint goes outside the line, it only seems to accentuate the figure’s look and appeal.

Construction – 2 out of 5

And this is where an otherwise fantastic toy begins to fall apart…literally. The action figure is made from some pretty cheap plastic. Not only is the toy very light in the hand but the plastic breaks incredibly easily. After playing with the figure for only about five minutes after opening the box, one of the guns had broken as had a shoulder joint (the reason for the goofy posture of the figure in the picture is because the left arm would fall off in any other orientation). This is especially bad for the heads because they have to be yanked off the neck joint with some none-too-trivial effort and the new head has to be rammed into place, pretty much spelling the death of the toy sooner rather than later.

Movement – 4 out of 5

My chief complaint with McFarlane toys definitely got blown out of the water by this figure. There is an array of joints (closing in on 30) that give this figure an incredibly wide range of posing possibilities. Some of the joints don’t move very intuitively (I’m looking at you, hip joints), but all in all, this is an absolutely incredibly possible figure that can take just about any posture you want.

Extras – 4 out of 5

Being a pack, this figure comes with three additional sets of shoulder armor, chest plate, and helmet/head (representing different armors from the game). It also comes with four guns and a grenade, making this one guy an assault force right out of the pack.

Packaging – 3 out of 5

The packaging excels in some areas and disappoints in others. The lack of any kind of explanation as to the story or who the characters (or, in this case, the different armor types) is really a loss. I’m pretty into video games and military hardware and I’m not too sure I could guess as to what CQB or ODST armors are supposed to be. At the same time, it is nice that the box is open and spacious, giving the customer a clear view of what all comes in the box. On the back is a display of other figures in the line, though it’s not complete by any stretch.

For those familiar with the machinima series Red vs Blue, you’ll probably check out these figures in the hopes of finding some Sarge, Grif, or other characters from the series. Sadly, without some paint and some patience, that won’t be happening. But what is really cool and worth taking note of is that those responsible for these toys knew where their bread was buttered and specifically had a double-pack on the back called the ‘Red vs Blue Team Slayer Pack’. Likewise, that the two figures shown on the back are in red and blue armor is not lost on this nerd.

　

Overall – 3 out of 5

This would be a damn fine – nay, legendary – toy if it was just a little bit more rugged. A lot of shortcomings can be overlooked for a toy this mobile and looks this nice. But given how quickly the accessories and the figure itself started to break, and how fragile aspects of the toy feel (I hate switching out helmets because I know it’s only a matter of very short time before one of them breaks), this toy really disappoints. If you have an action figure that you’re afraid to pick up and play with for fear that it will break in your grip, the entire experience is undermined. I wish for all the world to give this toy a four or even a five, but the toy’s just too damn fragile.

Leader-1

The Plastic Man of Mecha Fandom

Bandai Go-Bots, 1983

Since I reviewed Cy-Kill last week, I thought I should finish out my review of the Go-Bot toys by taking a look at the leader of the good guys (‘the Guardians’), Leader-1. In doing so, I’ll be comparing a very different kind of toy which I think needs to be addressed right off the bat.

A lot of toy lines have multiple versions of the same figure. For as much as we all love Hasbro, they all but invented the repaint-&-reissue trick to get consumers to buy essentially the same toy nine gazillion times. What the Go-Bots did differently was they made two versions of the same character; a large six-inch version (like the Cy-Kill figure reviewed last week) and a smaller three-inch version (like this week’s review of Leader-1). The fact that the figures transformed pretty much identically and they were dead-ringers for one another was really pretty brilliant and it’s a tactic that a lot of toy companies – Hasbro included – would later adopt.

Another element that’s worth noting is about the Go-Bots deviation from Transformers’ progression. As the Generation One Transformers line went along, more fantastic designs were incorporated (this is especially true after the 1986 movie). Vehicles looked less and less believable and reflected more and more the high science fiction the show had become. The Go-Bots went the opposite direction, with the vehicle modes looking more and more realistic. While I’m reviewing figures from the initial release, it is worth noting about the Go-Bots in general that as the toy line continued, the vehicle forms looked more and more realistic, to the point of being almost models of real vehicles. A friend of mine made a comparison between the two of being the Go-Bots were to the Transformers what Megadeth is to Metallica. Non-metal fans may not get that reference, but those familiar with the two bands may find that comparison to be shockingly astute.

Background

For those of you not familiar with Leader-1, he’s kind of the David Hasselhoff to Optimus Prime’s William Shatner (a watered-down, poor man’s version). He filled a very similar role as Prime, except he transformed into a fighter jet rather than a cargo truck. Leader-1 was depicted as a bit more aggressive and action hero-esque. Had the franchise survived, it might have been interesting to see how Leader-1 would have evolved in later incarnations.

Appearance – 4 out of 5

Except for the fact that Leader-1 has some weird pentagon for a mouth, this toy looks very much like the character from the cartoon. While it’s always nice to see the proportions and general appearance of a character preserved in the toy form, it’s especially remarkable – and thus praiseworthy – when it’s found on the smaller figures.

Construction – 4 out of 5

Just like Cy-Kill from last week, this figure is part metal and part plastic. The body itself is made of steel, while the joints and corresponding limbs are made of plastic. This makes a toy this small feel especially sturdy in one’s hand, while the weight distribution feels authentic (after all, were robots real, it’s likely their weight would be centered in their torsos).

Movement – 3 out of 5

I think giving this toy a rating of 3 in this category is being a bit generous, I keep reminding myself that this is a three-inch figure. Toys of this size and ilk are not known for their mobility to begin with. With the exception of movements related directly to transformation, the Leader-1 figure has shoulder joints that not only rotate, but allow for some limited later movement, giving the character some pretty decent arm mobility. Unfortunately, nothing else about the figure moves.

Extras – 1 out of 5

The figure comes with no extras, but this isn’t that abnormal given that it’s a three-inch figure.

Packaging – 2 out of 5

I scoured the Internet, trying to find a picture of the Leader-1 figure in the packaging so I could refresh my memory on what the packaging looked like, but alas I was unsuccessful. In the interest of fairness, I’m giving this the same default I afforded the Cy-Kill figure last week.

Overall – 3 out of 5

It may seem a little odd that Cy-Kill got a two, while Leader-1 got a three, but a six-inch figure needs to be held to higher standards then its three-inch counterpart. Many of the elements that made the Cy-Kill figure subpar made the Leader-1 figure stand out. It’s kind of like how you expect more from a movie in theaters than you do from a movie on television. The three-inch Go-Bot figures were simply better toys because their attributes were befitting their size and role as toys, whereas the six-inch figures quite simply needed to up their game.