SOUL OF CHOGOKIN GX-72 MEGAZORD PART 2:
THE FOUR LESSER DINOZORDS
I: MASTODON DINOZORD
There's a lot to enjoy here with this guy. The glossy black of the main body, the matte gunmetal head, VERY sharp chromed tusks, all those amazing paint apps, and of course, the diecast content. I've been able to confirm metal back legs, the soles of the front feet, the "M"s of the main body, and some of the joint work within. It gives it a very central heft that justifies its brick nature.
Again, those paint applications are gorgeous. If this did nothing else, I'd be perfectly satisfied with this! But, of course, this isn't all we get.
For the first time ever, we finally get full trunk articulation! Each of the three segments are separately jointed giving a nice range of curl.
Not only that, but the head can tilt up. Not tremendously, but a slight 45-degree tilt, I'd say. Enough to look like it's... roaring? What do you call that when an elephant bellows? *shrug*
UPDATE: Elephants "trumpet." Now I know.
So all that being said, they're both glorified bricks. But there's something definitely graceful about how the Chogokin pulls this off. The shapes are much sharper and pronounced, making it look much more like a machine than a toy. All those sculpted areas for the major paint areas give it a much larger depth than the flat areas for stickers. Plus we get the gates along the back legs for the first time ever, covering vital parts of the Megazord formation.
Even though the DX version has a starker color difference between the head and body, the texture difference really wins that battle. The shape of the head is much more elephant-like, as well, with a broader face and the eyes being less slanted. Detailing in the trunk nozzles, used for the Mammoth Blizzard attack, are a welcome addition over the flat surface of the one-piece trunk.
The Triceratops receives some very nice sculpt work, here, with once again, all the symbols along its body being sculpted and painted details that are perfectly crisp. The eyes are also given the proper treatment of the white lining with the bright red eyes themselves being set within. All those boosters in the back are a nice addition, though I do wish they could have given them even a splash of paint.
Diecast is limited to the neck, the claws, and an interior combining joint. While this may seem like very little, they're large solid chunks, so it adds weight where it will be needed.
One of the nice features given to this version is the bulk. It finally has the width it needs as a veritable tank! The vent details that come with it are just nice add-ons to an already brilliant feature. One thing I will note is that the treads DO NOT move. I think part of its transformation gimmick may keep that from being an easy thing to accomplish, but I'm personally fine without them. More on this in a later part.
The head can tilt up and down as usual using the "ankle" joint of the Megazord, which is a VERY tight ratchet joint (For good reason). However, an additional ball joint is added at the base of the head to allow further dynamic positioning. The best part of the head features is the opening mouth. It's a bit tricky the first time as there's no tab, but once you get it the first time, it's easy to remember.
Okay, I lied about the mouth being the best feature of the head, though it is the more practical gimmick. An attack I only remember maybe once in MMPR, the horns can separate from the head, and are connected via lengths of chain. Both can be used in tandem, as they utilize separate chains (Or the same length of chain, but it's anchored at the center, not really 100% on that).
The last main feature is the tail cannons, or Tricera Cannon. Pretty much just the tail with twin barrels mounted at the end, but it's effective enough. The tail can rotate anywhere along an almost 180 degree area, and the cannons can rotate together at the tip of the tail a full 360°, unhindered.
Both joints are nice and tight with no issues of dropping.
While, again, the Deluxe is a tad larger, it actually isn't quite as broad. This is, of course, to the contribution of the extended caterpillar segments of the Chogokin version. A lot of detail is lost without those, and it helps create a false sense of size. Also to note, the chrome cannons on the DX release. These are corrected to the rest of the tail's silver on the SoC.
The Deluxe does have wheels in the bottom to simulate its rolling attribute, I still feel this is missing for good reason on the Chogokin. The face is a definite piece of improvement, which has a much less flat feel to the eye portions, especially. Also the sculpted emblem on the head.
One last comparison for these two is actually a detail replicated by a sticker on the DX, but sculpted on the SoC. BUT, our gokin pal is missing the color variance that the sticker allots the Deluxe Triceratops. Something that did kinda bother me, but it's far from a deal breaker.
So, it's difficult not to compare this piece with the recently released Soul of Chogokin Voltron, because if anyone has seen a better robot cat in toy form, it was there they'd seen it.
That being said, this is still light years ahead of prior attempts of the Sabertooth Tiger.
As with the others, all details are sculpted in cleanly, with immaculate paint apps adorning between them. Diecast is about the same as the Triceratops, but more distributed, being at the shoulder area/base of the neck, claws of all four feet, top silver portion of the front legs, the thighs of the back legs, and near the back, at a combination port.
The head is perfect, here. It may even contain a more feline appearance than in-show models, but I don't feel it detracts from the rest of the Zord. The neck is a ratchet joint with the head on its own ball joint, allowing all kinds of positioning. Better still, the mount opens, with painted teeth within, and the back end of the mouth painted black to create extra depth.
I especially appreciate the slightly more perked up ears, this time around.
The legs are now fully articulate, though they are only hinge joints, so no wide stances can be reproduced. Given the design, this isn't surprising, but they're still good enough to get some expressionate poses out of them.
Also, I'll note this here, like the Triceratops, the wheels do not roll, but are fixed to the legs. While for this one on its own, this is kinda surprising, I still understand why they likely chose to leave them static. More on this when I get to the tank mode.
A couple of poses I could get out of the legs. Definitely able to replicate pretty much any on-screen pose!
Last gimmick, somewhat shared with the Triceratops, is the tail cannon, this time just called Tiger Gun. (By the way, these weapon names are taken from the Japanese Zyuranger source, as the PR release never gave them names.) This time around, it's just the entire length of the tail that is the cannon itself, so it follows the full arc of its hinge, which pretty much exceeds 180 degrees. But we also have been given an extension feature, which is a nice addition.
I posed the SoC Tiger in a similar stance to better compare the visual differences, as it's already apparent that the articulation is in a league of its own.
Once again, we have it being shorter than its DX counterpart, but we have a broad, rounder, softer presence with the 93 version that almost removes any bodily semblance to a cat. Especially with the shoulders being so much higher than the neck.
Of course all the key details were used in sticker form, with no shaped sculpting anywhere in its emblems, unlike our gokin update. Though the functioning wheels not present on the SoC are here with the Deluxe package.
One other similarity to the SoC Triceratops is the tail recess. The original gives us a sticker, but it's lined with the proper detail and color, while the Chogokin version gives us some of the detail, but in gunmetal. I suppose it gives a varied look, especially when transformed, it's still odd that they didn't keep this yellow. On-screen, this portion is actually raised, and I could see that being obstructive to the tail's arc area.
The last of the set is probably the most featureless. That being said, there's a lot of good about this new Pterodactyl, and its wingspan is definitely the highlight. The wings are the length of its interior body, and via a simple new method, they found a better way to store them in the combined modes.
Metal parts are limited to just the crest along the Pterodactyl's underbelly, and I believe the neck? Not a lot, but the places it has it is plentiful.
The head retains the articulation of its former figure, with the base of the neck and base of the head both being hinged.
And the wings can arc a good 180 degrees each, between full spread and folded away.
And sadly, that's really all you get with her. Not surprised, given the simplistic design, but its sculpt and paint application is definitely where it shines. For the first time, we have the interior of the body white instead of just grey, red, or silver... *shudders* The pink details finally allow its namesake's Ranger to be properly represented! I do wish the various vents and "barrels" were filled black, especially for the Ptera Beam. (Had to get that last one in there, lol)
Of course, because you could on every prior version of this Megazord, the large main cannons can clip to the tail fins to act as feet. Not something I ever really cared for, but it's there. The weight of the diecast makes this actually a bit awkward to use, as it loves to fall backwards, where there's not much stand support.
Speaking of stand support, would it have killed Tamashii to include a display stand for this? The base I used for the pics above is just one of mine I already had, but what if you didn't want to use the "feet" but didn't have a Tamashii Stage? By far, the largest oversight in this set.
I think the funniest part about this is that while the DX is clearly taller, the wingspans are practically the same! The tiny wings of the original keep it from winning the width contest. The sculpted chrome "teeth" across the underbelly of the SoC are so much better than the silver sticker.
The head is definitely much sharper on the Chogokin than the deluxe, and the head is even a bit less flat in height. The differing shades of white and silver bring a far less lazier approach to the dactyl's color scheme. And those wings!!!
While that wraps up all of the individual Dinozords, that only means that the main course is soon to come! Next part, we will go over the first combined form of our five beasts!
There's a lot to enjoy here with this guy. The glossy black of the main body, the matte gunmetal head, VERY sharp chromed tusks, all those amazing paint apps, and of course, the diecast content. I've been able to confirm metal back legs, the soles of the front feet, the "M"s of the main body, and some of the joint work within. It gives it a very central heft that justifies its brick nature.
Again, those paint applications are gorgeous. If this did nothing else, I'd be perfectly satisfied with this! But, of course, this isn't all we get.
For the first time ever, we finally get full trunk articulation! Each of the three segments are separately jointed giving a nice range of curl.
Not only that, but the head can tilt up. Not tremendously, but a slight 45-degree tilt, I'd say. Enough to look like it's... roaring? What do you call that when an elephant bellows? *shrug*
UPDATE: Elephants "trumpet." Now I know.
Comparisons with the Deluxe Mastodon
So all that being said, they're both glorified bricks. But there's something definitely graceful about how the Chogokin pulls this off. The shapes are much sharper and pronounced, making it look much more like a machine than a toy. All those sculpted areas for the major paint areas give it a much larger depth than the flat areas for stickers. Plus we get the gates along the back legs for the first time ever, covering vital parts of the Megazord formation.
Even though the DX version has a starker color difference between the head and body, the texture difference really wins that battle. The shape of the head is much more elephant-like, as well, with a broader face and the eyes being less slanted. Detailing in the trunk nozzles, used for the Mammoth Blizzard attack, are a welcome addition over the flat surface of the one-piece trunk.
II: TRICERATOPS DINOZORD
The Triceratops receives some very nice sculpt work, here, with once again, all the symbols along its body being sculpted and painted details that are perfectly crisp. The eyes are also given the proper treatment of the white lining with the bright red eyes themselves being set within. All those boosters in the back are a nice addition, though I do wish they could have given them even a splash of paint.
Diecast is limited to the neck, the claws, and an interior combining joint. While this may seem like very little, they're large solid chunks, so it adds weight where it will be needed.
One of the nice features given to this version is the bulk. It finally has the width it needs as a veritable tank! The vent details that come with it are just nice add-ons to an already brilliant feature. One thing I will note is that the treads DO NOT move. I think part of its transformation gimmick may keep that from being an easy thing to accomplish, but I'm personally fine without them. More on this in a later part.
The head can tilt up and down as usual using the "ankle" joint of the Megazord, which is a VERY tight ratchet joint (For good reason). However, an additional ball joint is added at the base of the head to allow further dynamic positioning. The best part of the head features is the opening mouth. It's a bit tricky the first time as there's no tab, but once you get it the first time, it's easy to remember.
Okay, I lied about the mouth being the best feature of the head, though it is the more practical gimmick. An attack I only remember maybe once in MMPR, the horns can separate from the head, and are connected via lengths of chain. Both can be used in tandem, as they utilize separate chains (Or the same length of chain, but it's anchored at the center, not really 100% on that).
The last main feature is the tail cannons, or Tricera Cannon. Pretty much just the tail with twin barrels mounted at the end, but it's effective enough. The tail can rotate anywhere along an almost 180 degree area, and the cannons can rotate together at the tip of the tail a full 360°, unhindered.
Both joints are nice and tight with no issues of dropping.
Comparisons with the Deluxe Triceratops
While, again, the Deluxe is a tad larger, it actually isn't quite as broad. This is, of course, to the contribution of the extended caterpillar segments of the Chogokin version. A lot of detail is lost without those, and it helps create a false sense of size. Also to note, the chrome cannons on the DX release. These are corrected to the rest of the tail's silver on the SoC.
The Deluxe does have wheels in the bottom to simulate its rolling attribute, I still feel this is missing for good reason on the Chogokin. The face is a definite piece of improvement, which has a much less flat feel to the eye portions, especially. Also the sculpted emblem on the head.
One last comparison for these two is actually a detail replicated by a sticker on the DX, but sculpted on the SoC. BUT, our gokin pal is missing the color variance that the sticker allots the Deluxe Triceratops. Something that did kinda bother me, but it's far from a deal breaker.
III: SABERTOOTH TIGER DINOZORD
So, it's difficult not to compare this piece with the recently released Soul of Chogokin Voltron, because if anyone has seen a better robot cat in toy form, it was there they'd seen it.
That being said, this is still light years ahead of prior attempts of the Sabertooth Tiger.
As with the others, all details are sculpted in cleanly, with immaculate paint apps adorning between them. Diecast is about the same as the Triceratops, but more distributed, being at the shoulder area/base of the neck, claws of all four feet, top silver portion of the front legs, the thighs of the back legs, and near the back, at a combination port.
The head is perfect, here. It may even contain a more feline appearance than in-show models, but I don't feel it detracts from the rest of the Zord. The neck is a ratchet joint with the head on its own ball joint, allowing all kinds of positioning. Better still, the mount opens, with painted teeth within, and the back end of the mouth painted black to create extra depth.
I especially appreciate the slightly more perked up ears, this time around.
The legs are now fully articulate, though they are only hinge joints, so no wide stances can be reproduced. Given the design, this isn't surprising, but they're still good enough to get some expressionate poses out of them.
Also, I'll note this here, like the Triceratops, the wheels do not roll, but are fixed to the legs. While for this one on its own, this is kinda surprising, I still understand why they likely chose to leave them static. More on this when I get to the tank mode.
A couple of poses I could get out of the legs. Definitely able to replicate pretty much any on-screen pose!
Last gimmick, somewhat shared with the Triceratops, is the tail cannon, this time just called Tiger Gun. (By the way, these weapon names are taken from the Japanese Zyuranger source, as the PR release never gave them names.) This time around, it's just the entire length of the tail that is the cannon itself, so it follows the full arc of its hinge, which pretty much exceeds 180 degrees. But we also have been given an extension feature, which is a nice addition.
Comparison with the Deluxe Sabertooth Tiger
I posed the SoC Tiger in a similar stance to better compare the visual differences, as it's already apparent that the articulation is in a league of its own.
Once again, we have it being shorter than its DX counterpart, but we have a broad, rounder, softer presence with the 93 version that almost removes any bodily semblance to a cat. Especially with the shoulders being so much higher than the neck.
Of course all the key details were used in sticker form, with no shaped sculpting anywhere in its emblems, unlike our gokin update. Though the functioning wheels not present on the SoC are here with the Deluxe package.
One other similarity to the SoC Triceratops is the tail recess. The original gives us a sticker, but it's lined with the proper detail and color, while the Chogokin version gives us some of the detail, but in gunmetal. I suppose it gives a varied look, especially when transformed, it's still odd that they didn't keep this yellow. On-screen, this portion is actually raised, and I could see that being obstructive to the tail's arc area.
IV: PTERODACTYL DINOZORD
The last of the set is probably the most featureless. That being said, there's a lot of good about this new Pterodactyl, and its wingspan is definitely the highlight. The wings are the length of its interior body, and via a simple new method, they found a better way to store them in the combined modes.
Metal parts are limited to just the crest along the Pterodactyl's underbelly, and I believe the neck? Not a lot, but the places it has it is plentiful.
The head retains the articulation of its former figure, with the base of the neck and base of the head both being hinged.
And the wings can arc a good 180 degrees each, between full spread and folded away.
And sadly, that's really all you get with her. Not surprised, given the simplistic design, but its sculpt and paint application is definitely where it shines. For the first time, we have the interior of the body white instead of just grey, red, or silver... *shudders* The pink details finally allow its namesake's Ranger to be properly represented! I do wish the various vents and "barrels" were filled black, especially for the Ptera Beam. (Had to get that last one in there, lol)
Of course, because you could on every prior version of this Megazord, the large main cannons can clip to the tail fins to act as feet. Not something I ever really cared for, but it's there. The weight of the diecast makes this actually a bit awkward to use, as it loves to fall backwards, where there's not much stand support.
Speaking of stand support, would it have killed Tamashii to include a display stand for this? The base I used for the pics above is just one of mine I already had, but what if you didn't want to use the "feet" but didn't have a Tamashii Stage? By far, the largest oversight in this set.
Comparisons with the Deluxe Pterodactyl
I think the funniest part about this is that while the DX is clearly taller, the wingspans are practically the same! The tiny wings of the original keep it from winning the width contest. The sculpted chrome "teeth" across the underbelly of the SoC are so much better than the silver sticker.
The head is definitely much sharper on the Chogokin than the deluxe, and the head is even a bit less flat in height. The differing shades of white and silver bring a far less lazier approach to the dactyl's color scheme. And those wings!!!
While that wraps up all of the individual Dinozords, that only means that the main course is soon to come! Next part, we will go over the first combined form of our five beasts!
Wait, that ain't right.
Links to all parts:
Part 1: Tyrannosaurus Dinozord
Part 2: The Four Lesser Dinozords
Part 4: Megazord, Activated (FINALE)
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