Hmm alright, I guess that makes me reconsider. Especially since my Fourze driver, much as I love it, is sitting gathering dust now. :lol

More money for the Figuarts later, then. :)

I dont know what it is but the driver feels very much like one from the early heisei shows. Its not that modular like the last years and the technology used in the driver is also pretty basic.

Definitely seems like they're cutting down on the gimmicks starting with the Wizard driver. Both good and bad, good in that it's a streamlined design compared to nightmares like the Fourze driver (though I love it to bits for all its insanity :lol) but maybe bad in that it's not so substantial? I don't have it so I can't do a judgment on that aspect.

In that respect its even worse than the wizard driver. With the driver you have the four stand by jingles and you get a henshin sound and three attack sounds per lock seed. with wizard you had much much more sounds and sounds would change based on the different styles that are used.

Don't you get more sounds from the faceplates, though?

nope. There are only the four basic jingles Gaim,Baron,Ryugen and Gaim Blood Orange use. The Faceplates push down two pins on the side to activate them. So there are only four possible combinations and thats why Gridon and Kurokage have the same jingle as gaim and baron.

That's a shame. Well, thank you, you've been very informative, more so than some YouTube reviews, I think. :)

I've now cancelled my Ryugen preorder and paid for my AC Ichigo/Pine set and my AC Baron.

Then again, we know an add-on for the driver is coming, plus an entirely new one later. And there's tons of Lock Seeds for it.

The gimmickery is all there, it's just not on the belt itself.

I don't think these have gotten around yet - but here are the official pictures of AC05, Zangetstu! Looks really cool to me - sort of like an evil Gaim.

http://akkinews.net/wp-content/uploa...446149500C.jpg

You know I was just thinking that I really loved these little AC figures the other day, and oddly they scale just about perfectly with SH Figuarts. While I still plan to buy the figuarts the novelty of these things is great. The Heisei Rider Locks getting actual figures 100% sells me on owning all these things.

I'm with you. Although, I probably will just get the Rider Lock Seeds and arms, but only one AC figure. Probably Ryugen since I love his appearance and the Budou Arms.

Zangetsu is perfect! Also, I maintain my idea of going completionist with AC, so I have every character and armour in one set, then get the Figuarts of specific characters. Since AC is CONSIDERABLY cheaper, I feel really good about it.

Awsome!

The Zangetsu AC does more justice to the suit than the show does.

Yay! Baron came! Yup, deffers sold on the line. These figs just hit that right spot. Articulated, but not over-articulated. Detialed, nice finishes. They're just fun.

Dayum! im seeing the similarities in design with Gaim and Zangetsu, pretty cool.

Just made a massive pile of Transformers to sell on my couch, soon as ive flipped some of those im hitting Mandarake!

Yeah, Zangetsu is rather blatantly an "Evil" Gaim, or at least shows a connection behind his driver and the one that Kota came across. It can't be a coincidence that only he and Gaim have sabers, and Zangetsu's bodysuit is not only a striaght redeco of Gaim's, but the helmet is very similar, the melon transforms almost identical to Orange, and the torso piece is even similar looking to Gaim's.

I wonder if the fact that Zangetsu is basically an all white version of Gaim will be a thing.

That's what I'm thinking. It'd be weird if one of the four main riders was a redeco with the same weapon as Gaim for no reason, when we have likely bit-part riders who are more unique.

I'm betting Gaim and Zangetsu are connected somewhat, like Gaim has a more special driver because it's the same as Zangetsu, who makes/knows all about the drivers. And if it was a simple redeco, why would they make the helmets and armours so similar, but completely different?

I like when the gimmick is the actually combat abilities themselves( Gaia memories, O medals and now Lockseeds) because it doesn't annoy me both toyline wise (despite the fact I don't buy the belts) and in show in terms of the actual plot. They actually do something useful in terms of both the plot and combet, the reason you watch Rider in the first place.

Bullshit like the useless astroswitches and Wizard rings annoy me because they have no function in combat and take up space in episodes that should be devoted to story. Hell, even the useless rings and astroswitches don't make that intresting of sounds.

Goddammit, Pine/Strawberry arms is hard as hell to find on Mandarake before it sells out. I want Ryugen, but I don't want to buy him by himself.

How are the Lock Seeds,Medals and Gaia Memory gimmicks at all different from the switches or Rings?

Got mine off of Hobbysearch, came to about a tenner with all the shipping and handling and stuff, which I think is about 15 - 20 Canadian dollars?

I got mine and Ryugen off Hobbysearch as well. I believe they are sold out there now as well though.

I'm a victim of "backordered" on HLJ

Ooh, be careful of that. I've heard many stories...

I was so close to ordering them from HLJ and then remembered all the stories I had read about orders not being fulfilled.

If you guys still need Sengoku Drivers, my friend and North American source tells me that more should be arriving in his store next week. I'll leave the link here:

http://www.itcamefromjapan.com/Kamen...ai_p_1186.html

I believe there's free shipping but I could be wrong.

It's news time!

New pics of the energy lockseeds:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/26605427d...9h2o1_1280.jpg

The World Collectible Figures:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/ae165c51a...9h2o1_1280.jpg

http://31.media.tumblr.com/6ee1445bc...9h2o2_1280.jpg

And the bikes reviews:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyxr2DKnTHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z1n-uQSQQM

wow, those bikes look bad.

Maybe they aren't perfect but for transforming bikes those things look great.

How do the bikes look bad?

They fold up like origami and still manage to look like motorcycles when unfolded. That's pretty impressive.

When I was trying to order the WizarDriver from there for around the same price, shipping came out to around $25 to California (so I opted for Amazon :lol). Might just be free depending on where you live :lol

its actually giving me a headache resisting the urge to spend the money im generating on ebay to buy these things, sadly bills come first.

Ive watched both bike vids and im utterly impressed, they look fun, which is more than i can say for dragon winger from last year

This. I just dont like the look of either of them. They don't have the cohesive ness that other riders and their bikes do. (W, Fourze, Wizard, OOOs ect) ,especially baron. And gaims bike has no orange whatsoever.

I would buy both if they are in the Arms action series though.

What's wrong with being wings for a giant robot dragon?

The fun aspect is sorely lacking. Its a dragon that turns into a foot, and not a great looking one. The line really took a nose dive for me with that one. Gaim on the other hand, im utterly loving

It should have orange?

What if he's not wearing Orange Arms?

then it should be gray or yellow.

Why, though? That'd look boring.