Power Rangers Lightning Collection Zord Ascension Project Megazord review

The original Megazord has been remade frequently since 2010, getting a smaller, more proportionate mold that was part of the altered MMPR reruns; it received a premium makeover as the Legacy Megazord, adding die-cast, richer colors, more paint apps, and chrome to give it a more fulfilling appearance. Then Tamashii Nations gave their take on it for a more show-accurate look that undoubtedly meant so many features and attention to detail with their Soul of Chogokin Daizyujin, Bandai's first premium take on the more American-famous Sentai mecha. The Megazord also had a Hasbro-released figure that was even smaller than the past version, being so-so in terms of quality yet having elbows as well as a waist swivel; I reviewed it back in 2020. So a year after this was released because I held off on it due to the price, is the Zord Ascension Project's take on the original Megazord a great iteration, or is it as much of a mixed bag as fans pointed out?

I normally don't talk about the boxes of toys that much, but the ZAP Megazord is the first sign of how split the overall quality makes me feel, even with how well-intentioned everything comes off as. The already heavy box has the wireframe-like sleeve to give the Megazord head that added collector-friendly aesthetic, and sliding that and the box cover off reveals the control panel for the Dinozords (though Red's does look a little inaccurate with the orientation of the circles due to how the Tyrannosaurus is packaged). The issues start when the Zords are packaged in these cheap ass tissue-quality bags that not only look worse than plastic baggies, but they also rip easily even out of the box. I know that they didn't want to use a plastic tray given their poorly-aged and executed plastic-free packaging approach, but is a styrofoam tray out of the question? At least there, the minimal use of plastic in the box could be baggies used to wrap the Zords and the accessories safely! Then there's the artwork featuring the Megazord fighting Goldar, which looks great and makes me want to display it as a poster if there ever was one. For the Dino Fury Zords, I am less bothered by how they were packaged because they were made for a more general audience despite my opinion on the aforementioned approach, but the ZAP Megazord feels more like a downgrade from how Bandai packaged the Legacy Zords with a sturdier tray.

Here we have everything that comes with the ZAP Megazord. All five Zords, the giant sword for the Megazord, five tiny figurines of the Power Rangers, and an alternate pair of hands. Right off the bat, these feel much lighter than they should be. I don't know how much die-cast is in the set as a whole, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like a lot. In fact, the plastic quality feels much lower than the price would lead you to believe. It isn't a bootleg quality, and the look of the set isn't cheap, but feeling it in hand will prove what I mean.

Up close, these figurines may each be a solid color, but I do appreciate that they have unique poses and probably have their own helmet details faintly visible. The size and the paint they're dipped in make it hard to tell. As far as I can tell, Red is the only one left as unpainted red plastic while the others might have been cast in the same color before having their respective suit colors. The poses are on point, and I like how Pink has her skirt. Said to be for a 1:144 scale, these could probably go well with any model planes or Mecha lines that would make me wonder how these and the Zords would look in that Museum of Science and Industry train and city display. I almost want to know if they're compatible with the ports on the Thunderzord heads since the Dairanger updated reissue (not to be confused with the Bandai Legacy new mold) had both the original and improved nanofigures that can peg into the holes like in the 90s.

Here we have the Mastodon Dinozord in hand. Right off the bat, I like that there is a lot of paint detail implemented in this set, ditching the need for a sticker sheet. On top of that, what previously were stickers are now sculpted to add that layered appearance to an otherwise brickish Zord. The normally gray parts in this Zord are painted silver, or at least molded in a metallic plastic. Sadly, the trunk isn't articulated, which I was hoping there would be since this thing can't pose if its life could depend on it. Also, note the M's on the sides being opaque, since we will discuss how they look on the Megazord. 

Similar to the Soul of Chogokin version, there are gap covers that make the Mastodon rump more filled in after years of empty spaces that expose the Megazord hands. The difference is that the SOC has them fold into the outer sides of the shoulder pads while they are removable for the ZAP version. The forehead reveals a sculpted Black Ranger piloting the Zord, with just enough detail to make it easy to decipher. That being said, I don't think it'll be easy to paint the Ranger inside.

Here we have the Pterodactyl Dinozord, who may have the only hint of die-cast in the head. I like that we have white for the back rather than gray plastic attached to the red chest or having it molded in gray plastic with the red painted on. The wings are appropriately long next to the show, and they're also painted silver to help them pop nicely. That being said, the neck and the back section of this Dinozord feel loose, which is especially annoying for the former if you want to keep it in a flight display before it droops down. Some may find the pink on the head is inaccurate and should also be red like the eyes, though this varies on the shot or prop used in the show.

The boosters can slide onto the back section for the option to have it standing up, though as always, the appearance is a bit goofy. Given how this Zord is meant to form the chest, you may notice how the triangle/tooth design is not too accurate considering the honeycomb-like texture and a somewhat translucent layer over it comparable to the POTP Dinobots. This is a cool detail to have yet it is inaccurate to the aesthetics seen in the show. The other sculpted details don't bother me as much, especially since they make what are usually sticker details much more integrated. The head has the Pink Ranger piloting it, with a totally kicking stereo meaning she isn't the same color as the rest of the Zord's head.

Here we have the Triceratops Dinozord up next, which has the sides sticking out more to give it the appearance of having legs. Normally, this Zord looked skinner in toy form than it did on the show, with the legs likely not retracting back in place (at least on screen, it's hard to tell with the constant prop swap). Having the sides jut out more was a feature the SOC version provided, though it also had the treads shift downwards. Still, this feature as well as the articulated barrels on the tail, add an extra bit of personality to this Zord along with the improved articulation. Some will say that it should have had the horns on chains, but given how sparse that ability was seen in the show, I'll be fine.

Annoyingly, this is yet another instance of the Triceratops not having wheels within the treads. It's already bad enough that we lost that starting with the 2010 version, as it was also missing in the Legacy version and even the SOC version with its fancy doo-dads. The 2020 Hasbro version was already the cheapest-quality one in spite of its $45+ if brought together, so to see the same company's higher-end version fail to add wheens in the tank treads is downright embarrassing.

The beak articulates, and the horn can open so you can reveal the Blue Ranger within. Same as before, not much else to say more.

Here we have the Sabretooth Tiger Dinozord. As with a lot of versions of this design, the anatomy appears to be on-point to the way it appeared in the show, though the neck is more prominent and reduces the appearance from feeling rigid. I like that the sticker details is sculpted and painted on the sides and around the legs, with the silver paint making things even more complete. I also appreciate that the black trim around the eyes is added along with the black for the ears. I'm annoyed, however, by the hollow legs that have no business being on a premium Zord. I'm fine with the paws not articulating since we at least have hinges for the front and back legs, but how much money is being saved with this penny-pinching?

The articulation consists of a ball joint at what would be the Megazord ankles, a hinge for the neck, jaw articulatoon, a tail on a hinge, and two points for every leg. Showing you the Yellow Ranger piloting the Zord, you can see how the left fang not only isn't glued in place, but the peg used to hold it in place is also bent downwards. This may be a one-off incident that affected my copy, but I'm wouldn't be surprised that this is one of the many QC issues that plague this set.

And finally, here we have the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord. In terms of features new to this, the articulation for this release includes hinges for the elbows, waist rotation, slight outward arm movement, thigh rotation, and a bit of an ab crunch that may better serve the Megazord mode. I also like that the thighs can slide outwards so the dinosaur mode can be more proportionate. Sadly, the tail isn't as articulated as on the SOC version, and neither has any head rotation. As always, the jaws open, the arms can move up and down, and the hips can move front and back while the knees bend and the ankles hinge. The hip joints are, however, on some nasty-sounding ratchets that feel more like they could flex compared to the ones used in a Masterpiece Transformer. On the bright side, the pegs are hidden within the shins a la SOC, though they are much stiffer than the other joints within the lower thighs.

The cockpit can be revealed as always to reveal the Red Ranger, but one annoying thing I've seen with this and the 2020 version would be how partially exposed the Megazord face is, which is a recent thing that needs to be fixed because of how bad it looks while prior versions never had that issue.

The tank mode combination is comparable to what we've seen before. Sabretooth tiger legs fold up, Triceratops tail folds away, the Tyrannosaurus's knees attach to their backsides, Mastodon's head is removed while the other halves fold out, and they attach onto the Tyrannosaurus with the Pterodactyl (and boosters) attaching onto the Mastodon feet. This intermediate mode is the usual trope Japanese robo designers make where they go "We need to make more modes to gas up this already versatile toy", but at least it's something used to transition from independent Zord mode to Megazord mode. No wheels on either Triceratops or Sabretooth Tiger so good luck trying not to scrape the paint off!

As for the Megazord mode, initiating the sequence is nothing out of the ordinary beyond the firsts requiring rotation this time around, and there is also the necessity of placing the rump covers on the back of the heels. The Megazord looks awesome, as mentioned with the individual Zords, what with the sculpted details and more dynamic proportions this time around. I really like how it feels more robotic rather than mimicking the appearance of a guy in a costume. That being said, is this thing truly screen-accurate or is Hasbro aiming more for a stylized aesthetic while maintaining the overall silhouette and accuracy? The proportions weren't like this in the show because of how boxy the suit was, there wasn't as much sculpted detail, and remember those Mastodon M's? Yeah, looks like Hasbro was stuck on either having them be translucent like on the Megazord mode or opaque like on the Mastodon mode. I'm theorizing that they wanted to have the display options either translucent or opaque, but then things got difficult to work with for integrating the options. If they can't swap those parts out, then they could have at least made the quality feel better. Even when combined, this Megazord still feels lighter than it has any right to. For $165, you're not getting anything comparable to what you'd pay for a Masterpiece Transformer, be it from the G1 or Bayverse lines. I may be jumping to conclusions soon, but feeling this in-hand is making my decision much sooner than usual.

The head sculpt is designed nicely, and I like the paint applications all being present on the head, but the light-piped eyes make the face feel a bit zestless. There's yellow paint present, and unless there was going to be actual light-piping or light-up eyes, why not paint them? I do wish the horn pieces and cheek guards were closer to the face. With its sword and shield held in its hands, the articulation is the strongest point of this figure in spite of the cheap-feeling and sounding ratchet joints. The neck and ankles are on ball joints, while the shoulder joints, hips, and knees are on ratchets. There is rotation at the biceps, forearms, and thighs, while the elbows are on hinge joints. The wrists are on ball joints but work more like wrist swivels. I do like that the sword is multi-colored and proportionate to the show design, something most versions other than SOC got right. Also having it be the only chrome piece is a wise choice.

Much like the Super Robot Chogokin version, the shoulder cannons can be shifted forwards for a non-show but still cool attack mode that makes use out of those cannons beyond serving as decoration. With some compatible blast effect parts, you can make it work! Wish they were included with this figure.

And of course, the alternate hands allow for just as much display options in addition to photography potential. Case in point, making him do that one Spider-Man comic panel meme people share more than they have read the comic it came from. Also, the faceplate is removable to reveal a fuzzy cockpit paint app representing the Rangers piloting the Megazord. It's a neat feature, but the print quality could be better than it looks.

There was a black and gold version that came out. It was part of that weird NFT gimmick that a lot of people jumped into because they thought it was cool rather than meaningful. I mean, you can get the action figure in physical form, but this could have been a con-exclusive if Hasbro wanted to recreate how Bandai would make their exclusives black and gold when they had the license.

While there have been many comparisons with older versions of the Megazord, from the original to 2010/Legacy, SOC, and 2020 Hasbro, I want to instead discuss how this figure feels comparable to an older Commander Class figure from Siege, and who else but Jetfire himself. Their plastic density seems comparable, they have zestless ratchet joints, and the height they share makes me think Hasbro was going to put this set at a Commander Class price tag before they billed this to be closer to a Masterpiece. The issue is that it doesn't feel like a "Masterpiece" equivalent, even without a Sentai SOC equivalent. I know it's not easy to compare those two because of how differently they work in terms of aesthetics and engineering, but if you're going to put out a Megazord with a high-end value, then I expect it to be comparable to said high-end value from the same company's other offerings. Sure, some can say that Titan Class figures are more expensive, even if they increased in price given inflation, but that was part of the lesser-quality Generations line, and Titans prioritize size and play features more than Masterpiece figures usually do. Hell, the fact that this was sold at a price similar to some of the HasLab Transformers makes this feel even cheaper when you consider how crazy their engineering was, even if a figure like Star Saber had poor quality control for most copies. So overall, this is not worth $165. In fact, this nor the Dragonzord is worth even $125. I got this Megazord for $100, and it was somewhat easier to stomach thanks to a deal from BBTS. If you can still get this toy for that price, you won't have much to complain about. As it stands, there was far too much potential that Hasbro didn't reach, and this is even without the "muh Sentai" logic.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Gamer Edition Ratchet review

The Gamer Edition line has had a fairly rough 2023, and 2024 was not as generous either when it comes to the offerings; including Ratchet, the only new molds we got were Starscream and Sideswipe as well as a heavy retool of Barricade into the Decepticon Soldier. Some may include Reactivate Bumblebee, but he's a solo release variant from a 2-pack tied to a possibly canceled game. The Deluxes we got and Voyager Starscream were given decent ratings, but how will Ratchet fare? Let's find out.

Here we have Ratchet in his vehicle mode, which is a Cybertronic emergency vehicle that has a bit of a hatchback look. It continues the trend that the Autobots so far have in having an almost rounded profile, though there are flatter surfaces and harder angles as we go to the fenders for a somewhat blocky look. Being an emergency vehicle, the use of red and white is an obligatory color scheme (with the front section being a bit orangey), though the lifeline circles near what resemble the doors is one of the very few hints one would expect; the white plastic could use a wash to make it feel less toyish than it already is, both to better match the game's gritty visuals and to possibly reduce the plastic from yellowing just in case. One positive is that the wheels are pinned compared to the rest of the Autobots apart from Bumblebee, whose wheels don't really roll that well.

The weapon storage is typical for the Gamer Edition figures, with an axe slapped on the top and the weapon stuck in the rear bumper.

For an altmode size comparison, here he is alongside Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe. Ratchet's scale is almost comparable to that or an older Deluxe from 2010, which would make him about the same size as the WFC Deluxes we got in that year. 

Transformation is surprisingly involved for a Gamer Edition figure, with a great amount of vehicle parts integration within the engineering to rival that of Optimus from last year. He's neither fiddly like the Bumblejumper mold, nor does he feel panely like the way Sideswipe's leg transformation turned out. While some could argue that the backpack, shoulder pads, and I guess the lower legs have hints of shell forming, but this robot mode feels robust thanks to how filled in the parts are. The only issue I have with the way Ratchet turned out would have to be the arms hanging rather low, especially if you remember that the actual shoulders start somewhat below the shoulder pads. Beyond that, the rest of the figure captures his game design better than everyone else, even Optimus Prime (to the point where Prime ends up feeling lighter by comparison). He still has a backpack, but it's at least nothing too unsightly and bare-minimum. Once again, the deco has the usual red and white where they need to be, though some weathering might help that sculpted details pop more as well as reduce any yellowing. Oh, and be sure to reveal the Autobot insignia on his chest.

His head sculpt is marvelously done, with a great level of detail etched into the face and forehead chevron that is surprisingly not lost with the white paint. Articulation consists of a ball joint at the neck, rotation for the shoulders and hips (moving front and back) as well as the biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs, and hinges for the shoulders and hips ,(moving in and out), elbows, knees, and ankles. His battle axe, which can be held in his hand if you first disassemble it, is decently sculpted and color-matches him like some weird fashion accessory. 

His other weapon, the Energon Repair Ray, swaps with his right arm as seen on other Transformers in the Gamer Edition line. It could double as an EMP generator if you're not a fan of how it worked in the game. Additionally, the at's nozzle can rotate as well as plug into other figures with their forearms removed to simulate them undergoing repairs.

Here he is sandwiched in-between last year's Optimus Prime and this year's Sideswipe (since the previous photo showcased the unlucky Bumblebee). Ratchet manages to be surprisingly great for a Gamer Edition mold, though the current reputation with the line has made this feel more like an exception rather than the norm. Apart from the slightly longer arms and the white plastic possibly worrying me if whether it'll yellow or not, I have very few complaints with this guy compared to prior molds, and I know he's going to make a kickass Ironhide for next year...though can we PLEASE have another Gamer Edition Autobot that ISN'T red, Hasbro? With Prime and Sideswipe as well as Cliffjumper, only Ratchet and Bumblebee stand out the most in spite of our medic having red accents. If we're going to still stick with the first game, can we have Jazz and Scattershot soon, especially since the former's FOC toy sucks dick?

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐