The Energon Pub

[Jelze Bunnycat]

You mean Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger?

It's a cops vs. robbers series this year, but it's more than that.

Instead of images, I'll do you one better and post some videos demonstrating the first few toys:

Transformation Device
Double Transformation Gun: VS Changer

If you want both red Mecha, you'll have to purchase two gun, effectively "Choose your side"

DX Mecha / Collectibles
DialFighters (Yellow and blue, Lupinranger)


Those employ a dial gimmick akin to one on a safe. Just turning left, right, left is enough for the proper sounds.

Trigger Machines (green and pink, Patoranger)


Those employ a trigger gimmick.

Roleplay
LupinSword


Just a sword and capture claw in one. NO electronics, hence why this video is so short.

PatoMegaBo


A Megaphone and Baton in one.

No video of the big mecha LupinKaiser and PatKaiser yet, as the central component called the GoodStriker hasn't been released yet. That mech, like the gun, is shared between the two teams.

[william-james88]

Thanks!

[ZeroWolf]

Further more, there's a rumor that the US license has been picked up by none other than Hasbro

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

It's not a rumour anymore....it's confrimed
http://comicbook.com/powerrangers/2018/02/16/fans-react-power-rangers-logo-hasbro-news/

[Roadbuster]

Hopefully Hasbro can be better to Power Rangers than Ban Dai has been in the past few years. Their toys have been garbage compared to older lines.

[william-james88]

Hopefully Hasbro can be better to Power Rangers than Ban Dai has been in the past few years. Their toys have been garbage compared to older lines.

Thats because the Bandai Japan designs themselves have been pretty crap too.

[Sabrblade]

It's official. Hasbro has now monopolized nearly the entire American toy robot market.

The only franchise left that now comes closest being considered competition is the current Voltron toyline, which, let's face it, is still too much into its infancy of success to stand up to Hasbro's now TWO long-lasting powerhouse robot toy brands.

[ZeroWolf]

Hopefully Hasbro can be better to Power Rangers than Ban Dai has been in the past few years. Their toys have been garbage compared to older lines.

Thats because the Bandai Japan designs themselves have been pretty crap too.

Plex haven't been doing so well in designs as of late, I saw the designs for the train themed sentai and they were, well, rubbish. They lacked cohesion and were just a mess of colours.

[King Kuuga]

Double Transformation Gun: VS Changer

If you want both red Mecha, you'll have to purchase two gun, effectively "Choose your side"

No you don't, both Red Dial Fighter and Trigger Machine #1 are sold individually so you don't have to double dip. The easiest way to get all the mecha this season without repeating any is to buy the VS Changer of your choice, the two corresponding team's individual zords, and then the opposite team's Megazord when that comes out in March. But if you're impatient, you can buy the VS changer, the two individual zords from that team, the three individual zords from the opposing team, and Good Striker on its own when it releases.

Hopefully Hasbro can be better to Power Rangers than Ban Dai has been in the past few years. Their toys have been garbage compared to older lines.

Thats because the Bandai Japan designs themselves have been pretty crap too.

Plex haven't been doing so well in designs as of late, I saw the designs for the train themed sentai and they were, well, rubbish. They lacked cohesion and were just a mess of colours.

How do you figure? They're almost completely one color.

It goes with their rainbow theme, and facilitates the color-switching gimmick.

Now if you mean the mecha, maybe I could see where you're coming from but even then....

[ZeroWolf]

Yeah I meant the mecha, more specifically the ultra configuration.

In other news looks like we're going back to go busters for the next season of power rangers (called beast morphers)

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Double Transformation Gun: VS Changer

If you want both red Mecha, you'll have to purchase two gun, effectively "Choose your side"

No you don't, both Red Dial Fighter and Trigger Machine #1 are sold individually so you don't have to double dip. The easiest way to get all the mecha this season without repeating any is to buy the VS Changer of your choice, the two corresponding team's individual zords, and then the opposite team's Megazord when that comes out in March. But if you're impatient, you can buy the VS changer, the two individual zords from that team, the three individual zords from the opposing team, and Good Striker on its own when it releases.

I see, I stand corrected then

In other news looks like we're going back to go busters for the next season of power rangers (called beast morphers)

Headed by HASBRO no less. I wonder how they'll handle the Zords.

[Acesmcgee]

So, I know that the full scale toys are bricks with arms, and then I saw that Lion Ha-Oh in Toys R' Us recently and found a full brick house. I thought my Fort Max box was big, damn box is about a third my height and I'm about 6'5". Have any of you tried out the Mini-pla stuff for the sentai/rangers yet? If not, I got the Megazord and Dragonzord semi-recently and they are fun to put together and extemely fun to play and pose about. They've got actual joints! But yeah, if you haven't messed with them yet, and you have the funds, it is worthwhile in my opinion.

[Emerje]

Big News! Apparently Hasbro wasn't content with just licensing Power Rangers, they're now currently buying the entire franchise from Saban putting Power Rangers on the same level as Transformers with them. Can't wait to see what they plan to do with full creative freedom and the possibility of Transformers crossovers. Any crossovers may or may not put them at odds with Takara Tomy since any figures would possibly have to be Hasbro-only unless they're uniquely Hasbro designs and not Bandai's.

But then again the name Power Rangers doesn't belong to Bandai Japan so Takara Tomy might be able to use Bandai's designs under the Power Rangers name. That's how Good Smile Company was able to make Kamen Rider Dragon Knight figma a while back in Japan alongside Bandai and their S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Ryuki figures. Same character designs, but the name differences were enough for them to basically make the same figures.



Emerje

[ZeroWolf]

This is definitely interesting news and I can't help but wonder what will happen with the pr comics if they'll be pulled from boom studios once the licence is up for renewal, which would be a shame as they've done really good things so far.

[Acesmcgee]

So, I began to collect the mini-pla zords recently and want to get all of the lupin/patranger zords for the line, is there a good site to go for purchasing that stuff besides Amazon or Ebay? (So far have the two beginning zords so far and they were fun to make and play with)

[King Kuuga]

So, I began to collect the mini-pla zords recently and want to get all of the lupin/patranger zords for the line, is there a good site to go for purchasing that stuff besides Amazon or Ebay? (So far have the two beginning zords so far and they were fun to make and play with)

Amiami: http://slist.amiami.com/top/search/list ... pagemax=40
Hobby Link Japan: https://hlj.com/search/go?w=Mini-pla
1999: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_ ... Pla+sentai

[Acesmcgee]

Thanks for posting the links, it is very appreciated.

[Emerje]

Super Mini-Pla Ninja Gattai Muteki Shogun/Shogun Megazord! Ordered so quickly, it looks amazing. Gotta love all of that extra articulation! I have the original American figure (I need to remove the yellowing), it's one of my favorite Megazords so I'm super excited about this one!

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Can't wait!

Emerje

[ZeroWolf]

They've been hitting it outta the park with the mini pla line lately, I would be more stoked but I've been unable to secure the gaogaigar one

[Acesmcgee]

How much did that run you for Emerje? I've really gotten into the mini-pla after doing the super for zyuger and have started getting them as I can, about to purchase series three fr the newest senpai series, which my daughter and I split. She builds cops and i do the thief's heh.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

The Super Mini-Pla Muteki Shogun and the Kakure Daishogun & Tsubasamaru set are up for pre-order:

Muteki Shogun
Kakura Daishogun & Tsubasamaru set

A word of warning tho: the Super Minipla toys are not shy of switching out parts between modes. That's most evident with the GGG Chouryujin duo. The regular Minipla limit that to the heads, and even that is rarely done.

[Emerje]

I should have guessed they'd be doing the Ninja Megazord as well. I mostly want it for the Falconzord to go with the Shogun Megazord. That set isn't listed on Japanese stores yet, but I guess it will be soon.

I think these two Megazords should be able to change without part swapping judging from some of the incorporated parts, if you look closely you can even see the built in Megazord elbow joints on the smaller Zords.

Emerje

[Emerje]

So what do you think the chances are of Hasbro showing something off at SDCC? They should at least have some art for us right?

Emerje

[ZeroWolf]

You mean for the toyline starting with the new series? I still would have thought it was easier just importing the toyline from Japan and just repacking them...I know Bandai america nipped that in the bud a long while back but not much was gained by doing it (not to the consumer anyway)

[william-james88]

You mean for the toyline starting with the new series? I still would have thought it was easier just importing the toyline from Japan and just repacking them...I know Bandai america nipped that in the bud a long while back but not much was gained by doing it (not to the consumer anyway)

A lot was gained by the consumer in terms of much cheaper prices for Zords in general along with more villain figures which were not made by Bandai Japan

[ZeroWolf]

Looking at the UK prices I don't think they are much cheaper, the villian point is good though as I was unaware of that. Though I would argue for better quality than price