Toys WANTED: Popy Jumbo Machinder Combattler V

Always wanted a set of these over-sized plastic robots to line up in the kitchen, being very high priced and highly sought after, it's gonna awhile for me to find them all.. This is post is for my viewing pleasure.....I don't even have 1 Jumbo.....how I wish....Santa.....
Pictured is POPYs Jumbo Machinder Combattler V.

Translation from catalog: Super Magnetic Robo Combattler, fighting against the invasion of Earth by the Armored Tank Corps led by the Great General Garuda. Combattler V, the super robot of justice created by the combination of five battle machines. Now, let's play with the cool action-packed Jumbo Machinder Combattler V!

(Little caption by kid) "You can store your Popinika in his back!" "Attach the caterpillar treads from his back to the stomach, and change into the Battle-Tank!"

After Popy's success with the Jumbo Machinder series, several other Japanese companies, including Takatoku, Nakajima, and Clover began producing large-size plastic robot toys as well. Several of the Jumbo Machinders were retooled for sale in the USA in the late 1970s as Shogun Warriors.

Hasbro G1 commerative Decepticon Pirancon

Finally, a sale that was worth the wait, actually, I didn't know there was a sale, what a surprise, 20% off retail price, so it's $79.90 SGD less twenty.... thats sweet but I wasn't planning to get anything not when you're going on a date.....yeah, not too fret, there's always plan B.

Plan B was to pay for the toy, leave it at the bag counter and collect it the next day....viola!! problem solved

Ok, on to the toy, now right here, we have a Hasbro G1 commemorative Decepticon Piranacon set a reissue of the 1988 Generation 1 release. The box is a clear window design with dreamwave art on one side (I do dig the art alot) and the whole seacon team on the other.

Unlike the previous posts, usually showing the individual robots first than the combined form, for this post, it's gonna be vice versa, since Piranacon is packed in his gestault form in the packaging.

Piranacon is made up of 6 smaller robots, 5 to form the combined robot mode and the extra 1 more robot can be transformed into a gun. Pictured below, all Seacons in gun mode.

All seacons can transform into gun mode and fully interchangeable with each other. Due to that fact, many had rumored that Piranacon is a Combiner cum target master due to the fact that the gun transforms.

First up is Snaptrap, the leader and biggest Seacon, forms the main body of Piranacon. Snaptrap transforms into a ferocious turtle with cannons on it's shell. With only arm and elbow articulations, relatively common in all generation 1 figures.

Next up, one of faves, Overbite aka Jawbreaker which transforms into a mutant shark, which in fact looks damn cool to me.

Overbite in Gun mode

Seawing transform into a giant mutant manta ray.

Seawing in Gun mode.

Skalor transforms to a mutant fish-like monster.

Skalor in Gun mode.

Nautilator transforms into a insect like mutant crab.

Nautilator in Gun mode.

Lastly, Tentakil transforms into a squid-like monster.

Tentikil in gun mode.

This is a nice set, one flaw is that some of the pegs of the guns are to small hence are too loose and easily fall off. Not much major changes compared to the original except some colour differences and stickers. To me, I kinda feel that the plastic is inferior to the original release, maybe it's just me.

HG Bandai gachapon Chodenji Robo Combattler V

What's better than 1 gachapon, yup, you guessed it, 5 gachapons (wait is it gashapon? oh well), in other words, getting a complete set of this Combattler V Gachapon set. This set also includes a clear black set. Just in case, you guys, don't know what Im talking about, gachapon's are toy dispensing machines which  randomly dispenses toys, so you won't know what you're getting till you buy em. Yup, it's all about luck, my man....

From the classic vintage robot animation created by Sunrise.
Combattler V is made out of 5 vehicles.

Battle Jet becomes the head of Combattler V and is smallest vehicle.

Battle Crasher forms the chest and arms. Wings and landing gears are removed when in robot mode.

Battle Tank becomes the torso. The antenna move up and down. The claws are very hard to get in and out and most of the time.

Battle Marine forms the legs of Combattler V.

Battle Craft forms the feet with pegs to push out the drills.













All the vehicles combine to form combined vehicle mode or also known as Grand Dasher mode. The arms are supposed to be turned upwards being the lazy guy that I am, I just left it straight.

The accesories that came with this set shown below.

And of cos, the combined robot mode. Combattler V has basic articulation but fails to make any dynamic poses. In robot mode, Combattler V stands roughly 6 inches tall and still looks good in any chogokin collection.

Picture together with Combattler V, the clear black version.

Overall, I do love the set, the only thing I don't like are the extra parts that has to be taken out due to transformation. Storage is kinda a hassle and some parts are really small and easily lost.

The other bad news is the clear black version has really brittle plastic which tends to break easily after 2 or 3 transformations, I super glued mine back into robot-form and left it as it is ever since.

DC Retro action Superheroes Wave 4 Martian Manhunter

Yeah, wave 4 of the DC retro action are out, the wave includes Shazam, Black Adam, Darkseid and everybody's fave martian, Martian Manhunter , though the toystores don't have the other figures yet, only Martian Manhunter so here's the martian!!

MM comes with the new and improved body which doesn't hunch back when u pose him. Same articulation as the wave 3 figures. Minor flaws, the capes a real thin fabric and doesn't stay in place, the red bits seems to be the same fabric that will flake off in time, other then that, he's still one of my faves in Justice league.

Seriously, I have no idea how to pose him, but one major thing I digged about the figure was the head sculpt, the stagnant expression on the face grow on me....

I really dig that Mattel really did MM in his classic style but I guess what's really lacking was accesories, like maybe a interchangable hands or his martian head, retro is cool but I think fans also wanted an updated version. Mattel did try to follow close to the original mego line, well, too much retro-ness will kill us!!

All in all, the set is real neat to display on card or out, hopefully Mattel keeps them coming

Or else all of us fans will be looking like this.......

Bandai Super Robot Chogokin God Reideen

Though there were 3 incarnations of Reideen, the original vintage 1970’s Brave Raideen, which I watch during my childhood days, the 1993’s God Reideen, was one I loved but was too caught up in other stuff at that era and thus I didn't have a chance to owe the Bandai version of God Reideen.
And for the 2007's Neo Reideen, I couldn't be bothered, the anime makes me sleep..

Not to fret,  this year, Bandai's SRC ( Super Robot Chogokin ) series re-released another God Reideen for our collective glory!!!

The box art is sweet though a openable (is there such a word?!) flap to view the toy would be alot sweeter, hey, i'm not complaining just a suggestion, anyways, more pictures less words....

Even though the size doesn't impress me, the design was slick, still mantaining the classic Reideen's Eygptian design, colour scheme was really grand, silver and gold, though the box art made it seem as though it was gold and white. The major attraction to me, was that God Reideen was transformable, given the size, my thoughts was it was static figure, much like Yamato GNU dou figures.

The lower legs and chest area are made of diecast parts, the rest is plastic and painted, the articulation is rather good with all basic joints, arms, elbows, knees, waist, wrists but due to the design of the armor, movement is limited, so there's not much dynamic poses this Reideen can make, he still looks damn good in any display unless you collect Coke bottles.

God Reideen's accesories includes 2 open fists, 2 closed fists, 2 fists to hold his bow and his weapons, a full sized bow and arrow, a anime accurate smaller version bow, a shield and a opened shield. Kinda disappointed as there was no stand included to display Reideen in flight or to display in God bird mode though the back has a peg hole for the Tamashii stand (which is not included).

God Reideen still can do some decent poses, if you want, the shoulder armor and head piece is removeable (the removeable head piece is transformation purposes) and you could have poses without the armor though he look kinda naked...

Transformation is simple, only bad news is there's a need to interchange parts, mainly the headpiece. Another bad news, is there's no pegs to lock things into place, mainly the arms, the legs has a small peg that doesn't do much, making the god bird mode kinda flimsy but it still looks cool if you don't play with it and wave it around.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with SRC God Reideen, it could have been better but the effort was there, if you're a reideen fan, this is definitely another version to have in your collection.