05.02.07
Gakken 1/20 Standing Ride Armor
REVIEW(Updated): Metal Mid-Size Marauder
Packaging & Extras (3.5/5)
Not much to speak of here in the way of extras other than some sticker-style decals and a gun. The packaging itself is stylish and sturdy and the styrofoam tray ensures everything is safe within. One really cool thing to note here would be the prototypes of Yellow’s and Ray’s Ride Armor toys on the back of the box. I’m guessing child-safety laws made Yellow’s toy impossible to produce… note the possibly diecast sword protruding from the right fist. That said, the Rey/Ray/Rand version of the toy also was never released… so perhaps it was just waning sales that caused the demise of this series.
Charm & Collectibility (3.5/5)
These toys are similar in collectibility to Gakken’s smaller efforts. They do gain a point for being larger but simultaneously lose that point for no-longer being similar in scale to any of the Legioss (Alpha) products. Like the smaller diecast Ride Armors, these were only released in Japan which makes these toys harder to come across. The picture that appeared in the 1/35 Ride Armor is also provided below for reference of scale.
Sculpt, Detail, and Paint (8.5/10)
The sculpt of this figure is the true strong point of this toy. The paint job is accurate and there is a high level of detail. While the representation isn’t perfect, it’s certainly very strong.
Design (5/10)
If this item is truly meant to be a toy then it could have achieved a lot more in a lot of ways. I suppose you can argue the design is perfect if it was meant to be a somewhat poseable statue. There’s a bit of odd articulation present with the wheels on the backpack… not sure why this feature would be present (see pic below Durability). This toy doesn’t transform (take a look at the review of the transformable toy of about the same scale to see the compromises Gakken had to make to accomplish transformation) and it doesn’t have any extras like the scope on the shoulder or missiles that can fire from the fists.
Durability & Build (8/10)
This version of the mid-size toy is not made of as much diecast as the smaller toys (proportionally). That said, it certainly doesn’t feel flimsy in any way and there’s nothing that stands out as a potential risk to longevity. Still, you can expect lots of paint chipping on the legs, especially after this many years. As mentioned in the Design section, the creators of the toy also gave it some articulation in the arms that hold the wheels above the backpack… but I have no idea why. If these were to get loose at some point in would be a major hassle.
Articulation (3/10)
You would probably honestly expect these toys to have more articulation then they’re much smaller counterparts…. but they DON’T. They’re not even as articulated as Toynami’s Imen. It’s honestly a real shame that a toy that was done so well in so many other respects would drop the ball so completely in this respect. For the era though, it seemed like companies had the choice between great looks and poseability and Gakken’s lineup has several examples of looks being the priority.
Total Score (31.5/50)
This is a great looking toy and another excellent addition to any display case. They’re pretty hard to come by though so keep your eyes peeled if you’d like to grab one. Look for a price point between $30-$50 but don’t be shocked to see them go for more. Actually, looking at this a year later, I’d be quite surprised to see this toy sale for less than $50. Fortunately we seem to be on the crest of a Mospeada rebirth so who knows what will happen to the value of these toys in the coming months.
NOTE: This review has been updated
Original Post Date: June 29, 2006
