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| Info / News / Editorials about Bandai's giant Sentai robots |
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First off, I love transforming robots period. Brand means little to me. Just because SABAN wants to wrap a stupid show around some decent Sentai doesn't mean we have to "throw the baby out with the bath water". There are some nice gestalt robots featured in the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger series.
Say what you want about the show (pro or con), but it's undeniable that SOME of the multi-stage combining robots are quite impressive.
It seems consistant that last-year's Bandai Sentai show becomes our next-year new MMPR series.
When the toys are sold in American Markets, the price drops in half!
For example the Lost Galaxy Megazord retails in Japan at about $90 (in USD equvalent).
Here, it sells for $39.99. And the Japanese retail isn't even including shipping to get it
to America (add another $20 probably).
Most toys do sell for less when marketed in America than Japan. However, in the case of MMPRs. The Deluxe Megazords in Japan have metal parts. When adapted for the American market, they are simply an assemblage of plastic (screws would be the only metal).
Still, I'm in it for the robot, not necessarily the metal. Bottom line is that I will wait for the US release.
| Power Rangers: Hyperspace Rescue (Go Go Five) |
27-OCT-99
I've been watching these Bandai toys come out from their Sentai series GoGo Five (V).
(not to be confused with Goggle V.)
The main red robot, "Victory Robo", is rather unremarkable but I really like trains.
Their "Grand Liner" robot is excellent.
I have the Gashapon (candy/toy) version. Each box has a car molded in black plastic
and comes with colorful stickers. You need all 5 boxes (one of each of course)
to assemble Grandliner. They retail at 200yen. I got them for $4 each at a grocery
store in JapanTown, SF, California. Ack, that's 1/2 of getting the real one!
Well, at least when it comes out in the US.
See LinerBoy!
LinerBoy combines with Victory Robo!
Victory Robo breaks down into vehicles that can be stored in Grand Liner.
"Liner Boy" is decent. He even combines with Victory Robo.
This makes getting Victory Robo worth while.
Victory Robo is about $60 in US dollars, Grandliner, about $80. I think
Liner Boy is very inexpensive at $20 or $30. But now that they will be marketed in
the US (and all the metal sucked out of them). Expect the robots to be at the normal
Power Ranger Price Points of $29.99 and $39.99.
If anyone has any information or news relevant to the Deluxe Megazords,
contact me.
17-Aug-2000
OK, I haven't refreshed this page in a while. But that doesn't mean nothing has happened. This Saturday, Season 2 of Light Speed Rescue debuts. The show is still as stupid as ever but the mechs are OK. As of late, I have the original Rescue Megazord (Victory Robo), SuperTrain Megazord (Grandliner), and the Max Solarzord (LinerBoy). As soon as I run to a Toys'R Us, I'll probably get one of those Trans-Armor cycles where the bike becomes the figures armor (I loved Megazone 23, Bubble Gum Crisis, and Genesis Climber Mospeada for their armor bikes).
The new Time Rangers toys (check out Cool Japanese Toys news) look pretty cool. I like how the 5 space ships can combine in two different formations for two different Megazords! Also, the mysterious Time Shadow ship/zord looks very good. It has a flying wing design like the B-2 Stealth Bomber and a ring-wing aleron unit (seen concept planes with this years back in Popular Mechanics). The Time Shadow can combine with the normal Zords. It looks like it can combine with the Lightspeed Omega Megazord (GoGo V Victory Mars) as well. Hmmm... Oh, the Omega Megazord has not appeared on the US show yet AND I'm guessing at the name.
| Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy (Gingaman) |
28-OCT-99
You can barely make out the Yen Retail.
The Yen is the last four digits above the UPC label. It says 4680.
That means it's 4680 yen.
Both the DX Stratoforce Megazord (seen at right) and the
DX Centaurus Megazord
sell here for about 26.99 -- just about half of what you would pay in Japan.
I've seen on Japanese pages, the DX Gingaman (Lost Galaxy Deluxe Megazord) for 9600 yen. And here it retails for $39.99. Better than half!
21-OCT-99
EToys.com has the DX Stratoforce and DX Centarus Megazords
at retail ($29.99).
But Amazon.com has them in at each $26.99!
| Power Rangers: Re-issues of older Deluxe Megazords |
Both retailers now sell the reissued DX Ninja Megazord + DX Falconzord (2-pack).
In this case, the best price is at etoys ($39.99), not amazon.com ($49.99).
At our local Toys 'R Us, they had millions of Deluxe Super Zeo Megazords for $39.99.
Sales have taken this item down to $19.99
Perhaps all of the Megazords will come back.
Maybe not if Fox Kids cancelled the re-runs (OTO).
17-Aug-2000
Thru E-Bay, I've been collecting a lot of old Zords averaging $10 per Zord (so for
the Ultra MegaThunderzord, $10 for the Thunderzord, $10 for the Tigerzord, and $10 for Tor).
The only combining Zord I don't have is the Turbo Megazord (have the Turbo Rescue Megazord).
I think I have all the rest. Various conditions of course, none are perfect or always
having all their parts. Still, $10 each is much better than the $30-$50 range they
originally retailed for.
©1999 Mark Wong
