Infinite Lance Gigan [Godziburst]

@robfromzonebase Infinite Spear Gigan [Godziburst] #zonebase #godzilla #godziburst #kaiju #monsters ♬ MELANCHOLIA - KNIFE BRIDE

Gigan is basically Toho taking something completely batshit crazy and making it super awesome.

Originally in the Showa era, he looked like something out of a hallucination. A mixture of chicken, robot, and dragon... with hook hands and a saw in his belly.

Then this ridiculous thing absolutely kicked the shit out of Godzilla.

Gigan is a force to be reckoned with!

After some off appearances in Zone Fighter and various other media, Gigan returned in the insanely awesome Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004. Now upgraded with a sleeker body and FREAKING CHAINSAWS!

Gigan later got another upgrade in TV Magazine in 2007 with Armed Gigan, now sporting armor, a dual-hooked hand, and another hand with DUAL GATTLING GUNS!

Basically, how much more dangerous can they make Gigan?

Hold Toho's beer. Any day now they'll make him a politician.

Then he'll endanger EVERYONE'S LIVES!

There have been other Gigan developments like Gigan Rex, but I'll stop there because it's the ones I've been talking about that influence today's post the most.

A Godziburst figure of Gigan, reimagined as...

INFINITE LANCE GIGAN!

Actually, this is a repaint of a prior Godziburst Gigan figure from Japan named Gatling Gigan, which combined the look of Final Wars Gigan with the Gatling guns from Armed Gigan in a wonderful black and green deco.

Infinite Lance Gigan is a repaint and remold of that Gigan, with a MUCH larger right Gatling gun arm and now including a lance that can plug into his left arm's Gatling gun.

Because why not?

Infinite Lance Gigan also sports a new red and gold deco that looks amazing and is pretty similar to Gigan Rex, whom I feel is the inspiration for the new colors.

This is a damn fine figure of Gigan on its own as well. There's several points of articulation, and the smaller scale just makes him so satisfying. Like other Godziburst toys, you can mix and match his parts to make the freak even freakier.

And honestly, what more could you want from Gigan?

I clearly adore this toy and Gigan in general. His appearance in Final Wars has always been one of my go-to awesome moments in Godzilla movies.

Final Wars gets a bit of a bad name for being so... nuts, but I love it.

Admittedly, having an appreciation of Japanese cyberpunk helps, as the film is absolutely in the vein of movies like Zeiram, The Guyver, and Mechanical Violator HaKaider while somehow still being a love letter to Godzilla and the works of Toho.

Infinite Lance Gigan is definitely the monster spirit of “kill everything,” and I just want to hug it.

Godzilla (Ice Cream with Sprinkles) [Godzilla Scramble]

@robfromzonebase Godzilla (ice cream with sprinkles) [Godzilla Scramble] #zonebase #godzilla #godzillascramble #blindbox #kaiju ♬ Halloween - Siouxsie And The Banshees

It's well past time that I've started talking about the Godzilla Scramble toys here on the Base.

Godzilla Scramble is a cool blind-box gacha line by Bandai utilizing their Godzilla Monster Egg toys in fun color variations. Series 1 is out now, and I've gotten a few of them and want to get them all!

These are great.

The color variations remind me of art vinyl sofubi and various pop art pieces, while I just love transforming egg toys. Not to mention, Bandai.

You say Bandai, I'm in.

Today we're looking at the Ice Cream Godzilla, or as I insist on calling him, Ice Cream with Sprinkles, because he has sprinkles and I love that extra detail.

Despite not normally liking sprinkles on my ice cream.

I initially thought he was supposed to be a cupcake thanks to those sprinkles, which is probably why I focus on them so much.

I'm neurodivergent. Work with me.

The mold used is the standard Godzilla from the Egg Monsters series, and I've talked about that a few times before here, so pardon me while I focus on the spectacular deco today.

Now, it's easy to just glance at this toy and write him off as just pink with sprinkles painted on his chest.

Which, frankly, would have still been awesome.

However, there are little swirls of colors floating around that add to the look and frankly just look nice. Godzilla is basically a living nuclear reaction, so he's going to melt that ice cream, and that's what happened to some of those sprinkles.

Those little swirls of color...

We've all made that mistake of adding sprinkles to our ice cream only to regret biting into the little shards of hard asshole particles floating around. Some people like the added texture. I prefer to enjoy my food.

My point is, those sprinkles tend to leave little swirls of color in your ice cream, and those little swirls of color look fabulous on this design.

Not to be left out is the slightly darker and metallic shade of pink used on his dorsal fins. I've seen multiple kaiju fans refer to those as sploots, which kinda fits on an ice cream-themed kaiju.

It just occurred to me that egg mode looks kinda like a scoop of ice cream.

That's probably unintentional, but I'm going with it.

The other color versions in Godzilla Scramble are fun too, and I plan to go more into those in time. This is a fun little blind-box series to collect that's pretty creative with some of the color versions and right up my egg-robot-loving alley.

I do hope future series utilize more monsters from Toho's catalog. Bandai has made plenty of them into Egg Monsters, so it's probably a safe bet.

White Tiger Thunderzord [Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition]

@robfromzonebase White Tigerzors [Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition] #zonebase #mightymorphinpowerrangers #powerrangers #zords #megazord ♬ Running like a Tiger - Damian Hamada's Creatures

It's fall, and that means it's time for Playmates Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition Season 2 to start!

As many of you know, I was really fond of the Season 1 Zords, and I'm looking forward to completing that set once the Dragonzord ships next year. Fortunately, there's no weird stipulation with Season 2, and the entire set of Zords is available at standard retail.

The Thunder Megazord was always my preferred Megazord, and it's nice to see him getting the Re-Ignition treatment. I know some folks vastly prefer the nicer, higher-end options, but I really like these because they're just fun, big-ass robot toys that are not only easily available... but also fairly cheap.

At $20 each from my local Walmart, they're not a bad way to build a big-ass Megazord. Not to mention, it's fun to acquire them week by week and slowly assemble the team.

These figures are developed by Playmates themselves by their Hong Kong team—the group that made their Voltron sets that I was a big fan of—and they're heavily based on the original Zords. As a result, they have a nice, satisfying old-school Bandai feel to them.

Not to mention, they're nice and large. Like a Jumbo Shogun Warrior.

I'm starting my look at Season 2 with what has to be my all-time favorite Zord, the White Tiger Thunderzord.

Super Sentai fans know him as Mythical Qi Beast Won Tiger from Gosei Sentai Dairanger, though I mainly associate him with MMPR since I haven't watched nearly as much Dairanger as I have Zyuranger.

When I was younger, I had assumed he was meant to resemble a sphinx, but instead he's based on the Byakko from Chinese mythology. That's something I was fairly ignorant of as a kid, despite being surrounded by its imagery quite often thanks to my hometown having a largely mixed population.

When the tiger transforms into Warrior Mode, it's intended to resemble ancient warrior statues, something I've always thought looked cool. Another thing I like is the white base color with the black, red, and gold accent colors. It just looks so sharp, and with that classic Bandai design, it looks awesome.

In Warrior Mode, the tiger's head becomes his chest, which is a design style many transforming robots have used, but once again, that classic Bandai look gives it a charm all its own.

Like the other Re-Ignition toys, it feels like a giant Gobot... which, if history had gone another way, the originals might have ended up as.

This is a really satisfying toy thanks to its larger size and chonky design. Being intended to homage the original, it's fairly simple... and that's not a bad thing.

Transformation... whoops, I meant morphing from tiger to warrior... isn't complex at all. The tail is his scimitar, and the whole package just comes together nicely.

Of course, you can attach the other Thunderzords and form the White Tiger Thunder Megazord, which we'll get to once all the members are acquired.

For now, however, let me just bask in a new toy of one of my favorite designs.

Formula Type 3 Kiryu [Godziburst]

@robfromzonebase Formula Type 3 Kiryu [Godziburst] #zonebase #godzilla #godziburst #kaiju #monsters ♬ SPECTRAL__WITNESS - ZANKYO://ERROR

One of the many things that draws me to Godziburst is the wild colors they put the kaiju in. It's not a new idea, sofubi and other toys have been doing it forever, but it's still awesome and I love seeing it. When it comes to MechaGodzilla, I can't get enough. When it's Kiryu, that goes quadruple billion.

Like many other kaiju fans, Kiryu strikes an emotional chord with me that's stuck all these years. He's also freaking awesome looking, so when they put him in alternate colors, it's usually pretty great. That's the case with Formula Type 3 Kiryu from Godziburst.

Admittedly, he's got a more muted color scheme than some of the other figures in the initial US wave. He's black gunmetal and blue with gold armor, which is intended to invoke racing imagery.

Personally, I can't look at him without thinking about 90s movies like Zeiram, Mechanical Violator Hakaider, or The Guyver.

I suppose the armor could also be compared to the Gold Ranger from Power Rangers Zeo or King Ranger from Chouriki Sentai Ohranger. Pick your poison.

Kiryu is a wonderfully articulated figure, like most of the Godziburst gang. His armor can be used in a variety of ways or combined with armor from other Godziburst figures to come up with something unique. It's a fun little modular system that encourages you to experiment with the figures and see what ridiculous combinations you can come up with.

Though his armor does present the only problem I actually have with this toy.

Not the armor itself, but... getting it to connect to Kiryu.

You see, these toys are made from a softer plastic that I find really satisfying, but that also makes Kiryu's armor connection nearly impossible to use. You'll notice in the post video that there's a plug that's just not connected. It kept falling out. It was frustrating, but it didn't ruin the toy for me. I really just wanted the Kiryu figure, and I wasn't too fussed about the armor.

Though I suppose I should try plugging that armor into some of the other Godziburst figures just to see if the problem is with Kiryu or the armor itself.

Man, how many times have I said "armor" today?

Plasma SpaceGodzilla [Godziburst]

@robfromzonebase Plasma Space Godzilla [Godziburst] #zonebase #godzilla #godziburst #kaiju #monsters ♬ VENGEANT - Uz:ME

I was overjoyed when Bandai announced they would begin selling Godziburst toys here in the States. The toys have been available in Japan since last year, but thanks to various issues, certain imports are a little more affordable than others. Thankfully, they're now as close as my local GameStop and Target, both of which are only a short drive away.

Godziburst is a fun new expression of Toho's classic kaiju as small action figures in fun colors with unique add-on armor. The armor can be used on other kaiju as well as combined with each other, and the kaiju themselves have parts that can be swapped around, allowing you to create all sorts of custom designs. They're also super cheap, with a base price of $9.99 at Target and GameStop, putting them in roughly the same category as Transformers Cyberverse. Fun, imaginative, and affordable. What's not to love?

Clearly, these are right up my alley, and you can expect to see me talking about them a lot here on the site. I mean... they're literally made of Zone Base DNA.

To my knowledge, there isn't an ongoing fiction behind Godziburst, which is something I'd love to be wrong about. If you've read something about one and know otherwise, please let me know. I don't have a Patreon or ads, so I don't mind being corrected. Currently, the closest thing to any fiction I've seen is this blurb on the back of the packaging:

"GODZIBURST, the place where battles no one has ever seen unfold..."

That tells me Godziburst is a physical place of some sort, and I love the idea that there's possibly an entire town. There's a mayor of Godziburst. There's apparently a Walmart. Honestly, the basis of the line just being monsters fighting is pretty much on par for anything Godzilla.

Here's a pink and teal Godzilla with enormous cannons beating a completely translucent Gigan with weed whackers until his brains hang out of his ears.

Honestly, I was joking when I wrote that last bit... but it's also completely on brand for Godziburst, and now I want those toys.

The first toy we're looking at is Plasma SpaceGodzilla because... I like SpaceGodzilla.

Plasma SpaceGodzilla is colored in a brilliant purple that's much brighter than he's normally colored in, with vibrant gold and... a pretty pearl color on his feet. He's got pretty feets!

Painted-on lightning detail is a recurring theme with these Godziburst toys, and they've done it particularly cleverly with this one. In the post video, I have his accessories attached, so you can't see this, but his left shoulder crystal is unpainted. This is obviously for budget reasons, and the shoulder lightning covers it anyway. However, the right one is painted with that vibrant gold, and the lightning detail spreads out from it, giving a little visual story to the deco that I love so very much.

OMG, this line is awesome.

SpaceGodzilla is actually fairly articulated, and that's something that has stood out to me. Godziburst toys have a surprisingly decent range of movement for small, inexpensive figures. SpaceGodzilla's accessories are these large energy lightning effects that attach to his shoulder crystals, making for a much more dramatic-looking monster.

With that lightning spreading across his chest, he's clearly radiating all that energy and preparing to strike. This is a rather dramatic amount of energy to radiate off of someone, clearly giving him the look of a big attack that's about to happen. It looks great.

SpaceGodzilla is an absolute pleasure and the ideal introduction to what will be ongoing Godziburst coverage here on the site. Not only is he pure kaiju bliss, but he's also one of the more simple figures in the assortment, allowing me to introduce the line without writing an entire novel as a post.

DOUBLE TROUBLE!

In case my abundant excitement wasn't clear, I am overjoyed with Godziburst. These little monster toys are awesome.

If I were on stage, I'd drop the mic... assuming I didn't pay for it. Because microphones are expensive...

UNLIKE GODZIBURST TOYS!

Ultra-Spooky Tiga! (4kids edition)

Oh no! There's a witch causing problems for children on Halloween! What do we do! SEND IN ULTRAMAN! It's Halloween and the GUTS team suspects a monster. The team investigates (in costumes, it's Halloween... duh) and soon discovers a witch handing out lollipops to children. Trick or Treat? It's a TRICK! The witch is stealing the children's dreams and converting them into energy! Good thing Ultraman Tiga is here to save Halloween!

Originally Posted 9/16/2022 *now with the 4kids version of the episode*

Sound the Omegahorn

Ever since Toei retired Super Sentai and replaced it with Project R.E.D, I've been meaning to check out the new shows. The initiative launched with Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, bringing back the Metal Hero series that I grew to appreciate thanks to shows like V.R. Troopers and Big Bad Beetleborgs. Of course, RoboCop was my gateway into all of this when I was a kid.

Unfortunately, the Project R.E.D series haven't been simulcast here in the States like some of the other recent Japanese shows, so I still haven't had the chance to watch the new Gavan series. I really freaking want to.

Thankfully, the newest Project R.E.D series, Kakuseihunter Omegahorn, has started airing, and as of this writing I've managed to catch the first few episodes.

I love it.

One of the things that originally drew me into tokusatsu was my love of Godzilla and monsters in general, and Omegahorn delivers plenty of that. The series takes those classic monster battles and mixes them with ideas that remind me of Monster Hunter, Pokémon, and Digimon, creating a premise that's immediately fun.

The setting itself feels like it was lifted straight out of an anime or video game. Modern technology exists alongside fantasy elements, giving the world a really unique atmosphere that's pulled off surprisingly well in live action. One thing I especially appreciate is that the show doesn't spend forever explaining itself. It simply throws you into the world and trusts you to keep up. Honestly, I never found myself confused. Everything clicks together naturally, and I think most viewers could jump in blind and understand what's going on pretty quickly.

The main character, Shout, is a treasure hunter who stumbles into the world of the Hunters, warriors who seek out powerful Horned Beasts and battle them against one another. The loser of each fight has to surrender their monster to the winner. The Horned Beasts themselves are stored inside little capsules called Egogear, which... wouldn't you know it... are toys you can collect.

Naturally.

Shout soon meets Enkaku, the ancient king of the Horned Beasts, who dubs him Captain Omegahorn and accompanies him in a human form until battle begins. Shout's armored form has a silhouette that reminds me of a classic Red Ranger while still it's own unique design, and I absolutely love the look. The other Hunters are fun as well, each with their own personalities and visual styles. Some are clearly heroic, others not so much, though it'll be interesting to see where the lines are ultimately drawn as the series continues.

The battles themselves are especially entertaining. Sometimes a Horned Beast possesses its Hunter, granting them new abilities, while other times the monsters simply fight each other in full-on giant kaiju battles. One thing I'm really enjoying is the blend of CGI with traditional suit acting. I don't mind computer effects at all, but there's still something magical about seeing foam suits and puppets beating the crap out of each other.

So far, I'm having an absolute blast with Omegahorn, and I really hope it keeps up the momentum. It's legitimately great.

Rodan's Right Wing

I've mentioned before that Shogun Warriors was something of a foundational toy line for me. While I was far too young to fully appreciate the toys at the time, I absolutely loved the ones I had. I had no clue who Dragun or Poseidon were, but those little Shogun Warriors figures went on more adventures than I could ever count.

Towering over them all, however, were Shogun Warriors Godzilla and Rodan. These enormous toys seemed practically to scale with my other action figures, and to a little kid they felt absolutely gigantic.

Admittedly, this is one of those memories that pops into my head several times a year and probably means a lot more to me than it would to most people.

Most people know that the Shogun Warriors toys were based on molds originally produced by Bandai/Popy in Japan. Godzilla and Rodan were released under the "World's Greatest Monsters" sub-line as an expansion of the series. Godzilla was a modified version of an existing Japanese release, but Rodan was an original creation made specifically for the American line. Between that and the toy's rather fragile construction, an original Rodan commands a small fortune today.

Back then, though...

He was just my giant Rodan.

Rodan stood about 13½ inches tall with an incredible 38-inch wingspan.

Yes...

His wingspan was roughly my height.

His big play feature was those massive flapping wings. You'd grip him by the holes in his back—almost like holding a bowling ball—and shake him up and down to make his wings flap.

I'm sure that was a very pleasant breeze for everyone else in the house during summer vacation.

Unfortunately, that wing mechanism relied on rubber bands inside the body that were known to break over time. Even worse, those huge rigid plastic wings had a tendency to crack under their own weight.

Mine did.

Rodan's right wing developed a crack that ran about three-quarters of the way down from the base.

I refused to give up on him.

Rodan received the finest medical care a small child with very little understanding of engineering—and parents who believed in do-it-yourself repairs whether they were good at them or not—could possibly provide.

Electrical tape.

Duct tape.

Super glue.

Lots of super glue.

Did the repairs hold?

Not for long...

...but they held long enough.

DAMMIT, RODAN! I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU!

Unfortunately...

My parents did.

During our move from Statesboro, Georgia, to Jonesboro, Georgia...

Rodan disappeared.

Where does a giant bird toy go?

Into the trash while the kid isn't looking.

In the chaos of moving, the mighty Rodan was ultimately defeated by two exhausted parents trying to pack a house.

Time, of course, moved on.

I accumulated other Rodan toys over the years, but I never forgot that one.

Then, around 2019, while walking around Toylanta taking pictures of various toys for the site, I spotted one.

A dealer had a complete Shogun Warriors Rodan still in the box, laid out so you could see every piece.

I just stood there for a while.

It felt like visiting an old friend.

Naturally, pictures of it ended up on my social media.

Not long afterward, my mom called.

She asked if I still had "that Rodan toy."

I reminded her that they had thrown it away.

Naturally, she immediately threw my dad under the bus before asking why I hadn't just bought the one I'd photographed.

I told her it was around $1,500.

She thought I'd said $15.

After a few rounds of what basically became Who's on First?, she finally realized what I'd actually said.

The noise she made sounded like a cross between Scooby-Doo and the brakes on a worn-out 1987 Ford Taurus.

Later that year, Godzilla: King of the Monsters hit theaters, along with a whole assortment of new kaiju toys.

She ended up getting me the large Rodan figure for Christmas.

These days, an original Shogun Warriors Rodan is even more expensive than it was back then. Thankfully, Super7 released a wonderful reproduction as part of their ReAction line, which the Mrs. got me for Christmas one year.

That Rodan now sits alongside the matching Shogun Warriors Godzilla reproduction in a special place in my heart.

No duct tape required.

Godzilla Minus Zero (trailer)

November 3rd & 6th 2026

Holy Shit 

Leo X Godzilla [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Godzilla]

Rounding out the first wave of figures in the awesome TMNT X Godzilla line from Playmates is Leo X Godzilla. Pairing the Turtles’ leader (regardless of what Raphael says) with the King of the Monsters, and utilizing Leonardo’s signature blue alongside Godzilla’s atomic breath, just feels natural.

The blue flames on his katana combine the two characters’ signature weapon/attack perfectly, and it just looks fantastic.

I’ve made the comparison before, but I really feel the need to make it again — these feel more like designer toys than action figures you can just pick up at Target.

After this year, Mattel will be taking over mainline TMNT action figures, and thanks to Turtles of Grayskull, I know they’ll be in good hands. This crossover feels like an excellent finale to Playmates Toys TMNT for me, as I’ve been buying them since I was a kid in the late ’80s.

Once again, the figure has excellent articulation and sculpted detail. It’s pretty amazing just how well the melding of Godzilla with the TMNT aesthetic works. I really like the way his tail and back plates integrate with the turtle shell.

Part of me wishes they’d do a Gamera. Now that I’ve said that, I really want one.

Unfortunately, this is the last TMNT X Godzilla figure we’ll be looking at for a while, as wave 2 isn’t due out until this fall.

Ralph X Rodan [TMNT X Godzilla]

So, if anything, the slightly random nature of the TMNT X Godzilla toys is part of the magic. Clearly there was going to be a Rodan, and since Raphael wears red, they’re a match. However, as a fan, I can’t just let it be that simple. See, Raphael (cool, but rude) has that infamous fiery temper. The Rodans not only died in a volcano in their debut movie, but Fire Rodan was introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, complete with the Uranium Heat Beam ability. The MonsterVerse Rodan was discovered in a volcano as well. See? Spiciness is implied… it works.

The merging of Rodan and Raphael also looks absolutely awesome. Admittedly, combining monsters and mutants is already a winning combination, but all of these designs have been great so far. I didn’t mention it in Mikey X King Ghidorah, but these figures have an excellent amount of articulation in addition to the detailed sculpting and strong coloring. Playmates makes awesome toys, and that’s on full display here.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Rodan thanks to that Shogun Warriors version I played with until it literally fell apart. And even though Michelangelo is my favorite turtle, there have been times when Raphael has taken that spot. Sometimes, when life gets hard and you’re mad at the world, you can relate.

I love how the wings are incorporated, and I really enjoy his trademark sai being enhanced with that fiery Uranium Heat Beam energy. This one really nails the concept and is sitting somewhere special in my heart.

Mikey X King Ghidorah [TMNT X Godzilla]

When I first learned about the TMNT X Godzilla crossover line, I about crapped my pants. Something so right, just sitting there at Target. The Mrs. picked up on that instantly and grabbed me the first wave of figures for Christmas, and we’re about to spend the next few Wednesdays taking a look at them.

It’s also been far too long since I’ve talked about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles here on the site, so this whole thing is prime subject matter. We’re going to start things off with my favorite of the turtles, Michelangelo.

I’m assuming Michelangelo was chosen to represent King Ghidorah because of his orange colors. There is a tie-in comic, which I haven’t read, but I assume it provides an in-universe reason. Either way, it looks fantastic. Mikey is almost completely colored in Ghidorah’s trademark gold, and it works incredibly well. His head sculpt blends the traditional TMNT design with elements of Ghidorah’s dragon head. Ghidorah’s other two heads can be worn as shoulder armor or held to recreate the signature three-headed dragon look we all know.

Of course, being Michelangelo, he’s got his twin nunchucks. Instead of the usual wooden ones, these are translucent energy nunchucks patterned after Ghidorah’s Gravity Beams. There are also two giant wings and Ghidorah’s twin tails to attach, completing the whole package. It’s crazy how good this thing looks — more like a designer toy than a standard action figure. This has absolutely no right to look as good as it does, and yet it somehow pulls it off anyway.

Dino Megazord [Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignite]

It’s time for the Zords to combine, because we need Megazord Power! After finally acquiring all the members of the combinable Dino Megazord team, it was time to put them together and see how things worked out.

This is a large toy, so it was a bit of a wrestling match to assemble them. First, I formed the Dino Tanker, which is pretty much the Megazord sitting down and reading an imaginary newspaper.

The Tyrannosaurus folds into place easily. The lower legs fold up into the thighs, and the Sabertooth Tiger and Triceratops connect to the folded-up T-Rex’s knees. You’ll have to adjust the Sabertooth Tiger into proper position. I feel like there was a glitch in the matrix somewhere, as the Tiger has some articulation behind her front legs that I don’t recall noticing initially. The Triceratops pretty much just connects — he’s a basic toy.

The connection points have little release buttons on the backs of the knees that I found pretty novel. Considering the size of it all, locking joints are a good idea.

The Mastodon forms the back and arms of the Megazord, and the cannons for the Dino Tanker. It’s essentially the same configuration, with the positioning of the Megazord’s hands and arms being the deciding factor.

The Pterodactyl is the only really difficult member to utilize in Tank form. She rests on the tank’s back, her missile launchers connecting to the cannons to complete the weaponry. There are obvious connection points I couldn’t get her to snap into due to the Mastodon legs that form back ornamentation blocking the way. The other option is to slide her tail into a docking point between those Mastodon legs. This works and seems designed for it, but it’s not very stable. I think Pink Bird fell off a thousand times while I was putting the tank on a TV tray to get a halfway decent picture.

The joints are nice and clicky, but the combined weight makes this form feel a little unstable. I couldn’t get it to stand fully upright without the tank leaning.

Forming the Megazord, however, was a much better experience. Remove the Pterodactyl and stand the tank upright. Flip the Megazord’s hands out, remove the launchers, and connect them to the back. There’s also some shoulder armor to flip up. On mine, those parts didn’t line up perfectly and came loose a few times. Folding them back down for Mastodon mode required holding everything just right to allow clearance.

The Tyrannosaurus head folds away into the chest compartment, and the Megazord’s head remains — just fold out the horns. The Pterodactyl’s head and wings fold into themselves and connect to form the chest plate. The Mastodon head, which was the front of the Dino Tank, becomes a shield. The Power Sword, which had been sitting off to the side, can finally be held.

In this form, the team is much more stable and satisfying to handle. I’ve seen horror stories of Tyrannosaurus waists breaking, so be careful with yours. The Megazord is a big, chonky robot with nice clicky joints, and I love it.

I’ve seen others online not like it as much, so your mileage may vary. There’s also a boxed set with a slightly different deco if you want to forgo acquiring all five members separately.

Ultimately, I really like this set despite its flaws. The individual Zords are fun, if basic, and the combined Dino Megazord feels like a Shogun Warriors spiritual successor. Later this year, Playmates will be releasing a Thunder Megazord set in the same size, and I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully a Dragonzord will join the team as well.

Dino Megazord/Daizyuzin is a large and fun representation of the classic combiner meant for kids… but loved by this grown-ass man. There’s a real sense of accomplishment in completing a team like this, and I’m going to bask in it for a while.

Pterodactyl [Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition]

Zordon needed Five Teenagers with Attitude (which still feels like a wildly irresponsible recruitment strategy), but for the Re-Ignition Combinable Megazord, we needed five Zords with slightly larger proportions.

Closing out the team is the Pink Ranger’s Pterodactyl — a word I cannot spell correctly without spellcheck threatening to go full Skynet. From here on out, we’re calling her the Pink Bird.

Partially to troll Angry Birds searches.

Pink Bird completes the Dino Megazord/Daizyujin by forming the chest. She’s also proven to be one of the trickier Zords to find. I lucked into mine during a random Walmart trip where it was just… sitting there. A label on the back made it clear it had been an online order that got stocked instead. Even better, whatever barcode they slapped on it rang up a few dollars cheaper than retail.

Unfortunately (or maybe predictably), Pink Bird is the most basic of the five Zords. She’s essentially the chest plate with fold-out wings and a head. The head does have some articulation — you can perch her or put her in a flying pose, and the mouth opens. Included are two missile launchers that mount to the Megazord’s back but can also attach to Pink Bird’s tail. They fire pink energy blast rockets, because of course they do.

Most interestingly, Pink Bird includes the Ranger team in mini form. Playmates will be launching a blind box line featuring mini Rangers, Monsters, Zords, and Megazords in the coming months, and in a way this set quietly debuts that format by including Rangers scaled to their Zords. It’s a neat bonus and honestly something I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced.

One thing I’ve always liked about the Pterodactyl design is its slight resemblance to Windstorm from Starriors — something I’ve mentioned in a prior post about another Pink Pterodactyl release. Funnily enough, that post pops up in Google Image results when searching Windstorm, which is the kind of niche internet victory I appreciate more than I probably should.

Like most combining team toys, though, the individual mode often takes a back seat to the combined form, and Pink Bird is a prime example. On her own, she’s solid and sharp-looking, but clearly designed to become something greater.

With that, we’ve wrapped up our look at the individual Zords from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition — at least until the Thunder Megazord team arrives. But now it’s time to do what these were built to do.

Because we need Megazord Power.

Burning Godzilla [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

November 2025 is clearly the month of Burning Godzilla. With the 30th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah in December, the all-new Fest Godzilla II: Shinjuku Burning released earlier this month, and, well... I got a bunch of related toys recently and decided to cover them in November. Godzilla Day and all — it made sense.

Today we're looking at the Burning Godzilla 5" counterpart to the Destoroyah I talked about last week. As I reiterate every time I talk about a toy from this line, I've really grown to love the Godzilla Monster Series 5" figures. I repeat it for two reasons. One, it's true. Two, this is the internet — you've got to repeat yourself constantly.

I don’t believe I’ve covered a Heisei era Godzilla in this series here on the site yet. However, in some aspects, there’s not much new when it comes to this figure. It’s got the same articulation you expect from this style of Godzilla toy: legs move at the hips, arms swivel at the upper bicep, and the tail swivels... because you have to attach it after opening the box. I don’t think that actually counts as a joint, but movement is movement. Of course, these aren’t the type of figures you buy for articulation.

To quote Billy Bob Thornton from the classic movie Sling Blade, “No sir, I don’t reckon.” Then he said uh huh a million times and ate a shit ton of mustard. These types of figures make great representations of classic screen monsters — and that’s exactly what this figure is.

Seriously, why did he eat so much mustard?

The sculpting on Godzilla is really great. It might just be another Godzilla to some folks, but for fans, the differences are crystal clear. Godzilla looks a great deal like the MogeGoji suit used at the time. Of course, he’s in the traditional Godzilla colors except for the burning detail that makes Burning Godzilla stand out. Don’t ask me why a slowly dying Godzilla looks so great, but dammit — it looks amazing.

All that radioactive dermatitis looks beautiful despite probably hurting like hell. A wonderful mix of coppery reds and oranges extends to his spinal plates so perfectly. The nuclear meltdown inside has even tinted Godzilla’s eyes to match. Every cloud has a silver lining, apparently — because, you know, he’s dying here. But it’s so pretty. His internal pain has resulted in beautifully red and orange eyes that just look so good.

No wonder Godzilla is so angry — here he is in pain, and I’m telling him how great he looks. Sorry, big guy. I’d give you a hug but... well, you’d step on me. Clearly I don’t have anything bad to say about this toy. It’s a wonderful depiction of a memorable version of Godzilla that thankfully doesn’t cost much. How can I find any fault in that?

Destoroyah [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is turning 30 this year, and in case last week’s Burning Godzilla Egg Monster post wasn’t a clear indicator, we’re spending some time observing it. This is also totally by coincidence, because I got some toys related to that movie a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to talking about them.

Regardless, it’s an AWESOME movie that came out my senior year of high school and felt so much more dangerous and edgy at the time than it actually is. I was 17 and it was the 90s, bear with me.

This Destoroyah is from Bandai’s 5-inch Godzilla Monster Series vinyl figures, which I’ve become a fan of over the past year. Just the right size and just the right price. And yes, I know the regular-sized Bandai vinyls were $9 a few years ago. It sucks. We’re all pissed about it. Moving on.

This is a great little figure of Destoroyah. Like, the sculpting is really great. I’ve always liked his design, and it’s really appreciated here. Destoroyah is a kaiju that began life as a colony of Precambrian crustaceans exposed to the undersea conditions created when the Oxygen Destroyer detonated in 1954. They mutated and evolved into the monster we have today.

So yes — a bunch of sea bugs got super-powered into a giant death demon because of the nuclear anti-oxygen murder bomb from the first movie. Shit happens. It’s crazy.

For what’s essentially a cheaper toy, Destoroyah looks freaking amazing. His sculpting is excellent and brings out all that nuclear-powered evil. Unfortunately there’s not much articulation to speak of — you can twist the tail and adjust the wings a bit. However, you don’t buy these figures to do the fucking Iron Man pose in your detolf. You buy them because you love these monsters and just want them around. Put him next to your movie collection or by the PlayStation... or in that detolf. He'll look great.

Speaking of, that red really pops. The color looks amazing, and those giant wings? Perfect. I love this design. It’s just pure horror in rubber suit form. I’ve always felt like Gigatron from Car Robots / Megatron from Robots in Disguise (2001) borrowed from his look. If only there was a red version. Honestly, I can’t say anything bad about this. I freaking love it.

Burning Godzilla [Egg Monsters Godzilla]

30 years ago, in 1995, Toho released Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, closing out the Heisei era and marking the end of that series’ Godzilla. Even three decades later, Burning Godzilla is still burned into everyone’s memory. His internal nuclear reactor-like heart was approaching a full meltdown — once it hit 1,200°C, it would trigger a thermonuclear explosion capable of melting the Earth down to its core. And on top of all that: a new monster enters the scene — Destoroyah! Due to his meltdown state, Godzilla spent the movie covered in glowing, burning patches as he neared critical mass. Needless to say, it looked extremely cool.

Today we’re looking at the Egg Monsters toy of that incarnation. Originally released in 2014, Bandai reissued it last November alongside several others. I had already gotten the rest of that wave, but I just found Burning Godzilla recently at Target. He must’ve been hiding in the back or something.

As you’d expect, Burning Godzilla uses the same mold as the standard Egg Monster Godzilla — which is fine, because it’s a great toy. The new deco is what sets it apart. The figure is mostly cast in translucent orange with dark green painted over it. The green is so dark it almost reads as black, and the orange shining through gives the whole thing a more sinister presence. Between the translucent plastic and the glowing lava look, I kept thinking of Rock Lords — this could practically be one.

Bandai really nailed this one. Burning Godzilla has always been one of the most visually striking forms of the King of the Monsters, even if it's depicting his death. Combine that with my love of transforming egg toys and this becomes a stellar release. Awesome job as usual, Bandai.

edit- I wasn't aware of the new Godzilla Fest short, Shinjuku Burning Godzilla when I wrote this. This post was written a week ago and sometimes the universe is just really neat.

Red Rodan Kaiju Zord & Blue Kaiju Ranger Anguirus [Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]

I've been a fan of Monogram's blind bag bag clip mini figures for some time now. Grabbing one or two during a Target visit is a pretty regular thing. They've had some pretty cool series. Godzilla, He-Man, they're neat little things. Recently I've been picking up their Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, because they're great! Rangers and Zords themed after classic Toho Kaiju. That's awesome! While I've never talked about these here before aside from occasionally mentioning them in the Monday weekend reports, I really want to now. You see I somehow got both chase figures on the same day.

Monogram wraps the figures in a card stock inside the blind bags, so feeling the bags is tricky. I thought the two I was grabbing was the Red Rodan Ranger and Green Godzilla Ranger. That Sunday evening when my Mom had come over for Sunday dinner, I opened them and ... OMG! That was really exciting. Let's talk about this series, I haven't read the comics it's based on, but love both properties as you all are aware. The Rangers and Zords being themed after Godzilla's crew is just an awesome idea and these little figures just look outstanding. They're well sculpted and very colorful. I've got plans to pick up more (got to get that Godzilla!), but man... let me just bask in this victory for a moment.

Ultra-Spooky Tiga!

Oh no! There's a witch causing problems for children on Halloween! What do we do! SEND IN ULTRAMAN! It's Halloween and the GUTS team suspects a monster. The team investigates (in costumes, it's Halloween... duh) and soon discovers a witch handing out lollipops to children. Trick or Treat? It's a TRICK! The witch is stealing the children's dreams and converting them into energy! Good thing Ultraman Tiga is here to save Halloween!

originally posted 9/16/22 

 

Sabretooth Tiger [Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition/Combinable Dinozord]

Getting back to out look at Playmates take on the Dino Megazord from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (or Daizyuzin from Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger if your more Super Sentai leaning) is the Yellow Sabretooth Tiger. Playmates made some really good Voltron sets that I liked a whole lot. Which is why I was anticipating this set so much. It's funny, because on it's own, the Sabretooth Tiger feels like a Voltron lion.

Like the other Zords so far, this is a pleasantly big blocky robot toy with old school DNA in abundance. Some may complain about the limited leg articulation... and that's fair. I wanted more movement in the legs themselves and all there is basic joints. Like the Triceratops, it's very obvious that this toy is part of a combiner team. Also like the Triceratops is a firing rocket in the tail that's easy to accidentally shoot. Be careful to not loose it. Transformation to leg mode is easy, just fold the legs and tail into position. The head folds up to form a foot... be sure to fold the teeth up and out of the way.

There's working wheels for Dinotanker mode, which I assumed the Megazord had... but saw nothing regarding. It's a silly mode, but I've always liked it. Once again the Bandai origins shin through and I'm happy so far with this set. Now it's just time to wait for the other members of the team to form the Megazord. We're halfway there... and hopefully they'll be out soon. There's tons of monsters around Zone Base and we need all the help we can get!