{"id":1599,"date":"2011-08-15T07:01:18","date_gmt":"2011-08-15T07:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/18\/gakken-155-alphalegioss-diecast-2x-changer\/"},"modified":"2014-07-12T04:55:24","modified_gmt":"2014-07-12T04:55:24","slug":"gakken-155-alphalegioss-diecast-2x-changer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=1599","title":{"rendered":"Gakken 1\/55 Alpha\/Legioss Diecast 2x Changer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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REVIEW(Updated): Gakken\u2019s diecast collector\u2019s toy<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras:<\/strong> Japan (4\/5), Singapore (3\/5)
\nYes, the Japanese packaging is that much better for this toy than the Singapore packaging in either the Henshin Robo or Robotech varieties.\u00a0 The original Japanese release makes it seem like this piece was made specifically for collecting, not\u00a0just another toy.\u00a0 The Japanese toy has no plastic window, instead it is completely intombed in Styrofoam. \u00a0Once the top styrofoam blanket is removed the toy can be found nestled tightly in its tray as pictured below.\u00a0 The Japanese version also includes a gun that fires bullets, a feature removed from its Singapore brethren.\u00a0 The Henshin Robo and Robotech packages are more of the standard fare.\u00a0 A large window displays the toy prominently but makes the packaging a bit less stable and often, when buying these second hand, the see-through plastic will be damaged.\u00a0 A few extras would have been nice in a piece that apparently was meant to be more of a higher grade item.<\/p>\n

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Charm & Collectibility:<\/strong> Japan (2.5\/5), Singapore (1.5\/5)
\nThis toy doesn\u2019t receive a lot of love in collector\u2019s circles despite the excellent materials used.\u00a0 It was never wildly popular in the first place and its flawed in too many ways to make it stand out.\u00a0 The large Gakken 1\/35 toy simply over-shadows all of Gakken\u2019s other Legioss products and this toy is no exception.\u00a0 To determine whether or not your boxless toy was made in Japan, check beneath the intakes as shown:<\/p>\n

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Sculpt, Detail, & Paint:<\/strong> (6.5\/10)
\nQuite truthfully, this toy cheats.\u00a0 It achieves a very close look to the animation (a bit on the slim side) but it does so by foregoing one of the most important modes of transformation.\u00a0 Both Armo-Soldier (Battloid) and Armo-Diver (Guardian) modes look superb proportionally.\u00a0 The thing that really hinders this toy, like all other Gakken toys, from really reaching the next level is the lack of paint to achieve the look seen in the series.\u00a0 Had this toy been painted properly it would be an\u00a0impressive likeness for the era.\u00a0 The line art comparisons were made a bit more cumbersome by this toy’s dearth of articulation but you could imagine if everything was supposed to move like it does in the art than the sculpt on this toy wouldn’t be half bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Design:<\/strong> (4\/10)
\nAt least it was made clear to those purchasing this toy that it wasn’t a three mode transformation toy but I’m sure that hasn’t stopped people over the years from making that mistake.\u00a0 Have no doubt, this is a no frills toy.\u00a0 There aren’t missile bays that open, if the canopy opens there’s no point to it since there’s no pilot, the radar array on the shoulder isn’t articulated, and there’s obviously no trap doors concealing a ride armor.\u00a0 The transformation is amazingly simple.\u00a0 Still, it\u2019s impossible to shake the idea that in a toy that deleted one of the most important modes there should be more going on to compensate.<\/p>\n

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Durability & Build:<\/strong> (6\/10)
\nYou should expect a high durability score from a toy primarily made of metal.\u00a0 Originally I scored the Japanese toy lower because the sensor array on the shoulder has a rubber fin which is often times slightly curved.\u00a0 On second-thought I don’t think I should penalize the toy for that since\u00a0I’m sure someone somewhere broker the Singapore version’s antenna at some point and that wouldn’t have happened with a Japanese toy.\u00a0 Through the years I have seen several of these up for auction with heads or feet broken off.\u00a0 The head is attached via a pin through two loops so if the loops are bent it wouldn\u2019t be difficult for the head to be removed.\u00a0 I think the head and feet both should only be considered fragile for those who intend to really abuse their toys.\u00a0 The real concern with these toys is floppy shoulder syndrome.\u00a0 Many of these toys can’t point their guns any more without the arm flopping down.\u00a0 Expect lots of chipped paint on well used toys.<\/p>\n

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Articulation:<\/strong> (5\/10)
\nWhy, in a toy with such limited transformation, should articulation be this horrible??\u00a0 There is so little that can be done with this toy.\u00a0 The knees bend, the elbows bend, the intakes move independently, but the head can\u2019t be turned, the waist can\u2019t swivel, and the shoulders are no help.\u00a0 In such a simple toy it\u2019s a real shame to see the extra effort wasn\u2019t made to really increase articulation here.\u00a0 Articulation should have been this toy\u2019s real saving grace, not another weakness.<\/p>\n