Comic Reviews by Walt

About a week and a half ago, Bluefin/Bandai had a VERY well-placed/targeted ad on Facebook…one of very few, but where–when done like this–I’m entirely open/receptive to.

They were having a sale…and highlighted the Soul of Chogokin Titanus.

I read some reviews and came to find out that this thing was supposedly essentially the Legacy Titanus, and was oh-so-proud of myself for "discovering" that it was PROBABLY something where they had this line separate from actual Power Rangers or Super Sentai or whatever; some kinda technicality in branding/packaging…but that with this sale, I could get the physical item I’ve long sought.

Well, at first I was gonna wait a few days, but then decided I’d absolutely kick myself if I "missed out" for the pricing, so with gritted teeth, I ordered the thing. It turned out that my initial plan to wait til my next paycheck WOULD have come one day AFTER the sale ended…so, reinforces the "better just buy it NOW" mentality (for better or worse).

When this arrived last Thursday, I was actually surprised (and momentarily a bit worried!) at how small the box seemed…but apparently this required a few easy pieces’ additional assembly than the Legacy version.

But it assembled quite well and looked pretty much as I expected…though taking some getting used to with it having the lighter-colored extremities!

A little less than 3 years ago when Toys R Us was closing down in the US, I came across (and purchased) some sort of Black Series alternate release of Titanus. It was what was available, it was a steal of a price…and I didn’t think I’d ever find a "regular version" then for under 6 times what I paid for the "Black" version.

Of course, maybe if I’d paid more attention I’d have seen there wasn’t SO MUCH difference. And it’s still a darned cool piece to own!

But these monsters are, from the outside (and largely inside, too!) the same monstrous beasts of plastic and metal!

The black is certainly black rather than dark gray on the black and gold one, but physically, these seemed to be the same sculpts, the same mechanics for assembly, etc.

And so over the weekend, I set about assembling the ultimate piece, some 11 years in the making for me since getting "into" the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TOYS.

The Ultrazord, in proper colors, would be mine!

Buuuuuuuuuuut…

The cavity within the chest piece that opens out from Titanus’ chest, where the Dragonzord chestpiece is supposed to rest/connect?

Nooooooot big enough. The OUTSIDE seems the same, the way it opens out seems the same, but it’s like this is specifically sized for a different version of the piece (the Soul of Chogokin Dragonzord I’m sure). But WHAT A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!

And it’s not EVEN like it’s the issue with the Dragonzord tail connecting…I don’t think I even realized it WOULD until watching a YouTube video. But this is almost a focal piece, very front, and center…and it’s NOT compatible.

Additionally, the piece that clips onto the Megazord chest–over the Pterodactyl–is the same size/shape…but lacks a tiny little clip piece, so doesn’t actually connect.

Two small differences–not visible and certainly not even a factor UNTIL YOU TRY TO BUILD ULTRAZORD. In this pic above, I took the piece from the Black Edition Titanus to minimize the gaping…emptiness.

So, Tuesday I went about "disassembling" the would-be Ultrazord back into the very nice, presentable Zords. Titanus back to dinosaur mode as pictured at the beginning of this post.

Legacy Megazord, probably the most iconic (and certainly MY favorite, period) Megazord.

And Legacy Dragonzord, which is probably my favorite individual Zord…even if it’s incredibly unnerving how easily this one comes apart.

Finally, to close off this post, here’s a photo of the Zords back in place on their shelf/display area. Yes, you do see the Tigerzord and the Thunder Megazord…neither got singled out for this post, as they’re a "generation" beyond the obvious focus of the original Mighty Morphin Ultrazord for this post.

As said…while incredibly disappointing to not be able to just have a great Ultrazord build to sit on the shelf…I suppose it’s probably just as cool (or cooler) having the much more commonly-used iterations of the Zords on display.

And perhaps SOMEday I’ll eventually complete the Legacy collection with a "regular" Legacy Titanus (I’m sure not likely to spend the $800+ it’d likely cost me now to get the Soul of Chogokin Megazord and Dragonzord!) I’m not even likely to spring for the Legacy Titanus, really…not with what I’ve paid now for two nearly identical versions as-is! (if I find an opportunity locally to Northeast Ohio for an in-person exchange someday, I might be willing to arrange a trade).

BUT I am still very glad to have a normal-looking version of Titanus on the shelf…that alone’s more or less "worth it" to me, given recent "retail therapy" going on anyway…

Filed under: 2021 Non-Review Posts, 2021 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, showing off the shelves, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: Bandai, Bluefin, Dragonzord, Legacy, Legacy Dragonzord, Legacy Megazord, Legacy Titanus, Megazord, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, MMPR, Power Rangers, shelves, Soul of Chogokin, Soul of Chogokin Titanus, Titanus, toys |