UPDATE 8/9/2020: Psycho 5-pack included for Psycho Blue.
UPDATE 8/17/2020: Wave 6 MMPR Black and Goldar included.
Here we have the unique mold, Goldar. As one of the more unique figures of the wave, it makes sense to have higher expectations for the way the figure turns out. For the most part, it's good; the biggest problem I have with the figure right now is the gold itself in terms of the looks of the figure. It's not consistent with the gold that's plastic and gold that is paint. It's a shame since the figure could really go for some shiny armor without being in a similar (but not exact) level of butterscotch mustard that the Bandai Gold Zeo figure got from the Legacy line. The attempt to make the gold plastic look shiny is there, though it does have more of slight transparency with a marble look to the plastic. At least the sculpting is good even for the unpainted gold plastic, and the inclusion of the hair and tail makes the figure feel more complete. I even like the red midriff and kneepads. All in all, the figure looks so close to being perfect, yet the lack of gold paint across the armor makes it feel unfinished, even when there is some paint applied. I'm not sure if the posture is intentional or not, but I kind of like how he looks a bit hunched at the leg area. Goes well with his animalistic appearance.
Head sculpt is pretty good overall. Maybe it could use a bit of a wash, but it has that snarling look of his down to a tee, and I love how nicely applied the teeth and eyes are. Maybe an alternate of him with his mouth open would be neat. The articulation is pretty good for the figure, and he gets most of the same points that a Ranger would normally receive. The head is on a ball joint for moving side to side as well as on a neck hinge to look up and down, though it's fairly limited due to how it's shaped. At the shoulders, they move front and back, in and out, and they even have butterfly joints despite the shoulder pads getting in the way. Below the shoulders, the biceps swivel, bend at the elbow on a double-joint, swivel at the wrists, and the wrists hinge in and out. The torso joint also has a diaphragm joint for moving the upper torso fluidly while the ab crunch is lowered to the stomach; these joints feel looser than I'd like due to the weight of the figure's upper body. The hips move front and back as well as in and out despite the skirt armor. They swivel at the thighs, bend on double-jointed knees, swivel at the boots, hinge front and back at the feet, and pivot at the ankles. Weirdly, the feet swivel, which is a feature that would normally be seen at a Ranger's boots.
The accessories he comes with are a pair of wings, two weapon holding hands, a sword, and an effect piece for the sword.
The wings do look pretty good, what with the size and the drybrush added to make the feathers look more believable than flat plastic. I guess this is a decent compromise for the inconsistent gold, and it also helps that they are poseable, too. The sword on its own is fairly drab, though I do like the red paint added for the gem.
Now for a comparison with some older releases, here we have Goldar with his 1993 Evil Space Alien version as well as 2010 Goldar. The Lightning Collection version above is far superior to both versions, obviously, though I have to admit that 1993 Goldar's gold is a lot nicer in comparison, and his open mouth makes me wish that we got an alternate head for our new version. 2010 4 inch figure has problems of his own. For example, he is barely poseable and far too small. He doesn't even have teeth painted!
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next, we have Psycho Blue, certainly one of the more unexpected releases of the line. Not that I'm complaining since it's neat to have a figure that's not just MMPR-only. I'll happily take this guy over a Green Ranger Funko Pop any day, though now it means I have to get the other Psychos. This suit design is generally done well, and I do appreciate how it doesn't stick with reusing too many normal suit details for the design since the Psycho Rangers have more going on with them. Generally speaking, this version of the character's pretty solid, though the only drawback is the lack of a neck. Granted, it's not a massive dealbreaker, but given how his armor bulks up more than, say, the Dragon Shield, it does leave this figure to almost look like he has no neck. Beyond that, this suit is pretty good, and the paint apps are nicely applied, too.
Helmet sculpt looks good for the most part, though it does have a much "angrier" expression to him. Some say it's not quite accurate to the show's helmet, but it does tie in nicely with the Psycho Path comic from Boom Studios. The rest of the articulation is the same as the normal Ranger figures, though the shoulders and neck are more limited.
Here are the accessories of Psycho Blue. He has a yellow effect piece a la White Rangers (which was in blue), a Psycho Axe, a left fist, and a right hand with electricity.
The axe not only looks good, but the effect piece is also neat. to go with it, which also adds a bit more color to the figure when displayed as such.
Be wary of the way the paint comes off from leaving the effect piece on there, and it's something that bugs me immensely.
Truth be told, you don't really need that yellow contact piece when you have UNLIMITED POWER! The electric hand is certainly Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious-esque, and that's how I plan to display all my Psycho Rangers if they have this kind of hand. For a Hasbro vs Bandai comparison, here he is with the Legacy Collection version of the character, which is kind of funny how that is the first-ever version of a Psycho Blue Ranger. Honestly, the Bandai version doesn't look too bad, and while the Lightning Collection version will better scale with the Hasbro figures, you could still be content with the initial Bandai figure if you want to get more Psycho figures.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finally, going from Gamestop to Walgreens, we have the armored Black Ranger. It's no surprise for a Hasbro figure to be a Walgreens exclusive, but the fact that it's a version of the Black Ranger that is not a normal release makes things even more interesting. In one episode of MMPR, Tommy the Green Ranger gave Zack the Dragon Shield to go along with the Black Ranger powers, making an underrated yet pretty cool take on a Ranger using the chest armor! The gold armor goes nicely with the black of this suit, and unlike the Pink Ranger, I'm happy to report that my figure has good paint apps on the gloves and Morpher. I feel the gold of the Dragon Shield could be a bit shinier, almost like the armbands, though it's not on the level of the awful Butterscotch Ranger from Bandai. I feel it's better than most of the gold from Goldar. Like the Blue Psycho Ranger, this figure has chest armor that doesn't make the neck prominent, but not at the extent of Psycho Blue.
Headsculpt looks good, though I feel the silver paint apps could be a little bit brighter. It's something that could make the lips of the helmet look less like stubble. Not all paint apps look 100% applied properly, but it's suitable for the most part. And the articulation is the same as with Psycho Blue and pretty much every normal Lightning Collection figure, though the Dragon Shield makes the neck and shoulders slightly limited.
Here are the accessories of this figure, consisting of two weapon-holding hands, a Blade Blaster, a civilian head for Zack Taylor. a Power Axe, and an effect piece.
He doesn't quite have the normal point for the Blade Blaster given how his hand doesn't have the same downward hinge like Kimberly did, but he didn't really use it in this look. He should have looked helmetless while wearing the Dragon Shield because it makes Zack look even cooler. The civilian likeness to Walter Emanuel Jones isn't the best, though it works in-hand than it did in the stock images. It could be better, though. The Power Axe doesn't look too bad, though it should A) be easier to insert into the hands, and B) have a gold Mastodon coin.
The thing I like the most about this figure is the added focus of a cannon mode for the Power Axe. Slide a part of the axe to the tip of the cannon mode, attach the blast effect, and you're all set! It's a pretty neat way to make the figure stand out even further from the normal Black Ranger design. I do wonder how this figure would work for the normal Black Ranger release in the next few waves. Next to the S.H. Figuarts version, there are things that the Figuart does better, like the tighter paint apps and a nicer shade of gold along with the extra accessories. That said, the Hasbro figure still looks good overall, and the $20 price difference makes him good, too.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This won't be the last we'll see of MMPR Black, nor will it be the same for Goldar. The former ditches the Dragon Shield but comes with another Blade Blaster in its dagger mode (blade not included) as well as a different head that gives him the dreads from Season 2 (which is nice to make him stand out from the previous Zack but doesn't look that great). Goldar, on the other hand, doesn't come with the wings but has a new effect piece for those that are somewhat interested in getting him. The original Gamestop version is still good, but this one works well for those that never got it (especially if they never have a Gamestop near them).
Here we have the unique mold, Goldar. As one of the more unique figures of the wave, it makes sense to have higher expectations for the way the figure turns out. For the most part, it's good; the biggest problem I have with the figure right now is the gold itself in terms of the looks of the figure. It's not consistent with the gold that's plastic and gold that is paint. It's a shame since the figure could really go for some shiny armor without being in a similar (but not exact) level of butterscotch mustard that the Bandai Gold Zeo figure got from the Legacy line. The attempt to make the gold plastic look shiny is there, though it does have more of slight transparency with a marble look to the plastic. At least the sculpting is good even for the unpainted gold plastic, and the inclusion of the hair and tail makes the figure feel more complete. I even like the red midriff and kneepads. All in all, the figure looks so close to being perfect, yet the lack of gold paint across the armor makes it feel unfinished, even when there is some paint applied. I'm not sure if the posture is intentional or not, but I kind of like how he looks a bit hunched at the leg area. Goes well with his animalistic appearance.
Head sculpt is pretty good overall. Maybe it could use a bit of a wash, but it has that snarling look of his down to a tee, and I love how nicely applied the teeth and eyes are. Maybe an alternate of him with his mouth open would be neat. The articulation is pretty good for the figure, and he gets most of the same points that a Ranger would normally receive. The head is on a ball joint for moving side to side as well as on a neck hinge to look up and down, though it's fairly limited due to how it's shaped. At the shoulders, they move front and back, in and out, and they even have butterfly joints despite the shoulder pads getting in the way. Below the shoulders, the biceps swivel, bend at the elbow on a double-joint, swivel at the wrists, and the wrists hinge in and out. The torso joint also has a diaphragm joint for moving the upper torso fluidly while the ab crunch is lowered to the stomach; these joints feel looser than I'd like due to the weight of the figure's upper body. The hips move front and back as well as in and out despite the skirt armor. They swivel at the thighs, bend on double-jointed knees, swivel at the boots, hinge front and back at the feet, and pivot at the ankles. Weirdly, the feet swivel, which is a feature that would normally be seen at a Ranger's boots.
The accessories he comes with are a pair of wings, two weapon holding hands, a sword, and an effect piece for the sword.
The wings do look pretty good, what with the size and the drybrush added to make the feathers look more believable than flat plastic. I guess this is a decent compromise for the inconsistent gold, and it also helps that they are poseable, too. The sword on its own is fairly drab, though I do like the red paint added for the gem.
The effect piece goes so well with his sword, which also adds a bit of color to the weapon as well. For a size comparison, here he is with his master, Lord Zedd. I was honestly surprised that we got two figures based on some of the most iconic villains in Power Ranger history, and fairly close to each other's release dates. Bandai slept on making Legacy versions of these two (though Zedd did get a 5 inch figure in 2014). All I need now is Rita, Scorpina, and Rito Revolto.
Now for a comparison with some older releases, here we have Goldar with his 1993 Evil Space Alien version as well as 2010 Goldar. The Lightning Collection version above is far superior to both versions, obviously, though I have to admit that 1993 Goldar's gold is a lot nicer in comparison, and his open mouth makes me wish that we got an alternate head for our new version. 2010 4 inch figure has problems of his own. For example, he is barely poseable and far too small. He doesn't even have teeth painted!
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next, we have Psycho Blue, certainly one of the more unexpected releases of the line. Not that I'm complaining since it's neat to have a figure that's not just MMPR-only. I'll happily take this guy over a Green Ranger Funko Pop any day, though now it means I have to get the other Psychos. This suit design is generally done well, and I do appreciate how it doesn't stick with reusing too many normal suit details for the design since the Psycho Rangers have more going on with them. Generally speaking, this version of the character's pretty solid, though the only drawback is the lack of a neck. Granted, it's not a massive dealbreaker, but given how his armor bulks up more than, say, the Dragon Shield, it does leave this figure to almost look like he has no neck. Beyond that, this suit is pretty good, and the paint apps are nicely applied, too.
Helmet sculpt looks good for the most part, though it does have a much "angrier" expression to him. Some say it's not quite accurate to the show's helmet, but it does tie in nicely with the Psycho Path comic from Boom Studios. The rest of the articulation is the same as the normal Ranger figures, though the shoulders and neck are more limited.
Here are the accessories of Psycho Blue. He has a yellow effect piece a la White Rangers (which was in blue), a Psycho Axe, a left fist, and a right hand with electricity.
The axe not only looks good, but the effect piece is also neat. to go with it, which also adds a bit more color to the figure when displayed as such.
Be wary of the way the paint comes off from leaving the effect piece on there, and it's something that bugs me immensely.
Truth be told, you don't really need that yellow contact piece when you have UNLIMITED POWER! The electric hand is certainly Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious-esque, and that's how I plan to display all my Psycho Rangers if they have this kind of hand. For a Hasbro vs Bandai comparison, here he is with the Legacy Collection version of the character, which is kind of funny how that is the first-ever version of a Psycho Blue Ranger. Honestly, the Bandai version doesn't look too bad, and while the Lightning Collection version will better scale with the Hasbro figures, you could still be content with the initial Bandai figure if you want to get more Psycho figures.
If you aren't a completionist, then you can skip this guy and instead buy the 5-pack version from Amazon, which is otherwise the same, accessories and all.
Finally, going from Gamestop to Walgreens, we have the armored Black Ranger. It's no surprise for a Hasbro figure to be a Walgreens exclusive, but the fact that it's a version of the Black Ranger that is not a normal release makes things even more interesting. In one episode of MMPR, Tommy the Green Ranger gave Zack the Dragon Shield to go along with the Black Ranger powers, making an underrated yet pretty cool take on a Ranger using the chest armor! The gold armor goes nicely with the black of this suit, and unlike the Pink Ranger, I'm happy to report that my figure has good paint apps on the gloves and Morpher. I feel the gold of the Dragon Shield could be a bit shinier, almost like the armbands, though it's not on the level of the awful Butterscotch Ranger from Bandai. I feel it's better than most of the gold from Goldar. Like the Blue Psycho Ranger, this figure has chest armor that doesn't make the neck prominent, but not at the extent of Psycho Blue.
Headsculpt looks good, though I feel the silver paint apps could be a little bit brighter. It's something that could make the lips of the helmet look less like stubble. Not all paint apps look 100% applied properly, but it's suitable for the most part. And the articulation is the same as with Psycho Blue and pretty much every normal Lightning Collection figure, though the Dragon Shield makes the neck and shoulders slightly limited.
Here are the accessories of this figure, consisting of two weapon-holding hands, a Blade Blaster, a civilian head for Zack Taylor. a Power Axe, and an effect piece.
He doesn't quite have the normal point for the Blade Blaster given how his hand doesn't have the same downward hinge like Kimberly did, but he didn't really use it in this look. He should have looked helmetless while wearing the Dragon Shield because it makes Zack look even cooler. The civilian likeness to Walter Emanuel Jones isn't the best, though it works in-hand than it did in the stock images. It could be better, though. The Power Axe doesn't look too bad, though it should A) be easier to insert into the hands, and B) have a gold Mastodon coin.
The thing I like the most about this figure is the added focus of a cannon mode for the Power Axe. Slide a part of the axe to the tip of the cannon mode, attach the blast effect, and you're all set! It's a pretty neat way to make the figure stand out even further from the normal Black Ranger design. I do wonder how this figure would work for the normal Black Ranger release in the next few waves. Next to the S.H. Figuarts version, there are things that the Figuart does better, like the tighter paint apps and a nicer shade of gold along with the extra accessories. That said, the Hasbro figure still looks good overall, and the $20 price difference makes him good, too.
This won't be the last we'll see of MMPR Black, nor will it be the same for Goldar. The former ditches the Dragon Shield but comes with another Blade Blaster in its dagger mode (blade not included) as well as a different head that gives him the dreads from Season 2 (which is nice to make him stand out from the previous Zack but doesn't look that great). Goldar, on the other hand, doesn't come with the wings but has a new effect piece for those that are somewhat interested in getting him. The original Gamestop version is still good, but this one works well for those that never got it (especially if they never have a Gamestop near them).
Here we have all three figures together. These three do have some imperfections here and there, but they make for some solid releases, even if two of them are exclusive to Gamestop and one of them is exclusive to Walgreens. Goldar is one I would recommend the most despite the lack of gold across parts of the figure and how it'd benefit from an open mouth alternate head. Psycho Blue isn't one that casuals would want to get, but it is a great figure for fans that wanted Psycho Rangers and missed out on the Bandai version. Armored Black Ranger is a release that wouldn't really be a huge necessity since the normal version would be a better option to get (and yes, fans have modified this figure to be a normal Black Ranger), but it's one of the neater variants that is part of the series and helps make the figure more enticing (also looks cooler than Red or Green with the armor). These three might be warming pegs at your stores, so if you see them, you can pick them up with no real problem (especially since Goldar and Psycho Blue are now $18.99 instead of $22.99).
Overall ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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