[Alen Yen's ToyboxDX]


    12.3.00-- 12.9.00
RUMBLE INDEX

12.9.00: Gotta Getta GARADA

First, the bad news: Diamond won't be carrying either the original or the black recolored [Gucci!] version of the everyone's favorite villanous Jumbo Machine, Garada K7.

But dry those tears, kiddies: we Americans are going to be getting a Garada all our very own! Yep, an OLD-SCHOOL COLOR VERSION GARADA! Designed to mimic the sickly, ghastly color scheme of the original Popy Garada K7, the Previews Exclusive Garada K7 won't be available retail anywhere except the good ol' US of A. That's right: this time, the JAPANESE are going to have to import the thing for a sick markup instead of us! KARMIC BOOMERANG!

How do you get one, you ask? Simple! Just click on this link to their Comic Shop Locator Service. Input your zip code, find the comic shop nearest you, and begin hounding them to order the Garada you so richly deserve through Previews magazine. It'll be solicited as a "featured item" in the January issue, will retail for $120, and will ship in April 2001.

At any rate, this marks the first USA-version Jumbo to hit shelves since the Shogun Warriors. Unlike the Shoguns, however, the Previews Garada is an exact physical duplicate of the Japanese version -- even the box will be the same, save for a small "exclusive" sticker. The only difference will be the color. (Too bad the thing STILL won't be able to hold the damn sickles in its hands, but hey, what can ya do.) Enjoy!
-- Matt
12.7.00: You, Too, Can Be a "Japanese Toy Expert"

In case you haven't noticed, we've dusted off the creaky old TBDX Glossary and brought it up to date. And we promise to keep doing so.

Worry no longer, casual TBDX readers, because now you'll be able to sling words like "Yonezawa" and "Henkei" at your afternoon tea parties and croquet matches. And all you old-schoolers might find the revamped glossary a nice refresher as well. Especially if you find yourselves asking "what's up with today's snot-nosed kids and their damn MSiAs and Kadou Senshis?"
-- TBDX Rumble Crew
12.7.00: Look! New MSiAs! Finally!

Hot off the presses, folks, in the order of their upcoming release dates. Take a gander at Char's Gelgoog (due at the end of January), the dashing Hyaku Shiki (February), and the oh-so-threatening Guntank (March).
-- Matt & Yappy
12.7.00: Titanic Nit-Picking

Surprise! There are actually three versions of the MSiA Gundam Mark II Titans Version available. And what are they? What's the big difference? They all have different numbers on their shoulders! 01, 02, and 03. We're not talking about a sticker sheet, here -- we're talking about three different toys.

The MSiA Guncannon was sold similarly-- two versions with different chest serial numbers, and one without a chest number. Re-colors are getting boring. Maybe re-numbers will be the next big trend!
-- Darren
12.7.00: Sympathy for the Devil

My first impression of Devil Wing Shin Getter is it's really great. The wings are much bigger that the normal version's. I believe I don't have to mention the diecast content, which is the best part of this toy. I did indeed have some difficulty in putting on the wings. The wings fall off easily due to their size. You have to be careful with his arms-- the three plastic sharp points will break if not handled well.

I don't have a UV light, so I can't test out the effect under it. But the small posters that come with it show what it looks like under a UV light. This version comes with both weapons, making it worth more that the normal version. Like the normal version, the poseability of this toy is limited.

Overall this makes a great toy.
-- KL Chew
12.6.00: When You Wish Upon a Medicom

Medicom's second quarter 2001 release schedule proves without a doubt that Medicom has positioned itself as a major player in the Japanese toy world:

Due in April are products of Medicom's biggest but strangest licensing deal: Disney vinyls. Soon you'll be able to pit Tinkerbell against Baragon in a battle to the death. Tink stands at a height of 16cm, Sid (from Toy Story) at 22cm, and Oogie Boogie at 28cm. All will retail for Y2800.

In Kubrick news, The Bruce Lee set will be released in March with costumes from Fists of Fury, Enter the Dragon, and Game of Death. Note that licensing issues prevent the infamous jumpsuit from being as yellow as it should be. Mazinger Kubrick set C will include Koji Kabuto, "power-up" Mazinger, and Doublas M2. Both sets are due in March at Y1980.

Due to the success of Kanegon, Medicom's Ultra Q pre-painted soft vinyl kit series continues with Semi Ningen (Cicada Man) and Ragon. Standing at 30cm and running for Y4800, they'll be available in May.

Perhaps the swankiest 12" Real Action Heroes to come down the line in a while, Metaldar and his archnemesis Topgunder will unfortunately only be available via mail-order through the company's Collector's Club. Medicom will be taking orders on these until the end of February, and the actual toys will be shipped out by late May. They'll cost Y12000 each.

The newly announced Henshin Cyborg-ish Retro Action Hero line will also be mail-order-only. First up are Medicom's original creations, Sharkman and Cyclovillian. The pair is due on April 30th for Y7800 each.
-- Yappy
12.6.00: Look! New MSiAs!

Well, we were supposed to have actual product shots of the upcoming MSiA Gelgoog, Hyaku Shiki and Guntank up on Monday. But our top-secret Bandai spy (let's just call him "Malt") forgot to send them. And forgot to send them Tuesday. And today...

Undaunted, our crack team of toy researchers has recreated images of these toys using existing data and advanced 4th dimensional Calculus. Click on that logo and enjoy!
-- TBDX Rumble Crew
12.6.00: Devil Wings Your Way

Miracle House's Shin Getta One Devil Wing Edition is now shipping. You may recall this version of the figure includes both Getta Scythe and Tomahawk Lancer weapons, as well as glow-in-the-dark features.
-- Darren
12.6.00: Crack of Sunrise

At the end of December, Bandai will release the second set of Super Robot Chronicle Sunrise Retsuden Gashapon EX PVC figurines. This set includes A-Toll V from L-Gaim, Gairam from Panzer World Galient, Neofam and Vifam from Round Vernian Vifam, and Darren's favorite, Tryder G-7. If you missed the first set, it came with Xabungle, Greimkaiser and Layzner from Blue Comet SPT Layzner, Dragonar, and Daiojah. Whew... what a bunch of silly words I just typed...
-- Yappy
12.5.00: S, M, L, DX

In our ongoing campaign to humiliate all those silly enough to accidently send in their picture -- we proudly announce the delivery of Josh Bernard/ Cybertoyz' ToyboxDX Logo T-Shirts! There's nothing better than proclaiming your obscene toy lust to the world! They look great, Josh!

You can find more ToyboxDX merchandize in our STUFF section.
-- TBDX Rumble Crew
12.4.00: Psycho Gokin

Banpresto immortalizes Space Adventure Cobra, Buichi "Butch" Terasawa's classic of camp n' kink, with the release of four diecast hover vehicles (well, technically two different vehicles with four different figures). These should be available later this month.

Everyone's favorite prize toy company will also drop a new line of transforming Digimon for the holidays. These fellas turn into egg-like "Digimentals." No. Really. This is valid news. They're like "Soul of Tamagoras"-- those popular Bandai egg transformers from the early 80s, remember? You don't? Ummm... uhhh....
-- Yappy
12.4.00: Ready For Your Next FIX?

Check out Katoki Hajime's line art for the next entry in Bandai's FIX line: Perfect Gundam. Sad to say, even Katoki's revisionism can't make one of Ohkawara's silliest designs look imposing.

While you're still giggling, take a gander at a larger, clearer shot of the Full Armor Gundam toy.
-- Yappy & Matt
12.3.00: GWiA?!

Well, we were going to run a story about Bandai's new Gear Warrior Dendoh "in Action"-ish Meteor File figures. All we had was a single, grainy prototype pic which seemed fine at the time... until D-Kei dropped full color final toy pics on his site. Check out Dendoh, Oger, and the nifty Data Weapons.

D-Kei remarks that the figures, while poseable, lack much hip articulation. Unfortunately, the full, animal versions of the Weapons will only be available in this smaller scale. The large-sized Data Weapons that attach to the motorized Gear Warriors only come as disembodied heads.

Update 12.4.00 - Dendoh is packaged with 3 Data Weapons: Unicorn Drill, Leo Circle, and Gattling Boar. Oger comes with Bull Horn, Dragon Flare, and Viper Whip.
-- Yappy
12.3.00: Big Scale Pimpin'

The gokin-phile community's been salivating over the impending release of the Soul of Popynica Yamato for months... but when we announced its Y19800 price, we were slammed with wails of "Damn! Bandai's trying to gouge us!" Frankly, that price is justifiable. Here's what you get for your hard-earned two bills:
  1. Pop-out wings. Natch.
  2. Movable "insertion bolt" for the Wave Motion Gun.
  3. Two types of "rocket anchors" with metal chains.
  4. Third bridge hatch opens.
  5. "Faux launch-action" chimney missiles.
  6. Engine hatch opens revealing a spinning "fly-wheel."
  7. The first and second cannon turrets rotate with a dial set in the right observation deck.
  8. Aft hatch opens for space fighter storage.
  9. Space fighters you ask? The Yamato comes with a scale Cosmo Zero, a Cosmo Tiger II and a Black Tiger. Not only that, you also get a separate "Cosmo Cleaner D" model kit.
  10. Makes seven electronic sounds at the touch of a button. It's wired!
  11. Light-up Wave Motion Gun, engine, captain's chambers, 1st and 2nd bridges, and aft launch port. Wowzers!
  12. An "abundance of die-cast metal." No surprise there. But that's a whopping 425mm of gokin-- 16.5", baby! That's why it's officially called "BIG SCALE Soul of Popynica."
  13. And last but not least, a nifty display stand. Yay.
Stop player-hating and start saving those pennies for the end of March.
-- Matt & Yappy
12.3.00: L-Gaim Diecast

Four 7cm-tall diecast L-Gaim crane game figurines are heading for shelves. They are "highly detailed", have a "weighty" feel, and project an image of "heavy metal". How's that for marketing? They'll sell for 500 yen each.
-- Darren
12.3.00: Toycom Denied?

With Toycom's annoucement that their Macross Plus Valks may not be shipping until 2002, many American dealers have cancelled their pre-orders. This is bad news indeed for fans and dealers alike. It would seem ongoing legal issues between Harmony Gold and Toycom are putting the brakes on the sale of this wonderful diecast Valkyrie in the US. The soap opera drags ever on.

Yamato, the Japanese producer of the toy has had good success selling the YF-19, the first offering in the line, in Japan. The toy is currently in its third version, twice retooled due to quality issues, now reported to be an excellent product.
-- Darren
12.3.00: Reborn: GFGv2

Kotobukiya's recalled Souzetsu Gokin ("Heroic" Gokin) Gaofighgar is prepped for a mid-December re-release. You might remember Recce's report of the original cut of this figure, which had hopelessly loose jointwork. The figure was voluntarily recalled by Kotobukiya to correct this problem.

Note: This is NOT Kotobukiya's transforming Gaofighgar resin kit.
-- Darren


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