[Den-O]

Start your Engine!

We're back with the 3rd in our series of Kamen Rider Drive galleries, DX Tridoron! Tridoron also includes the Midnight Shadow Tire & shift Car, and the 1st run bonus Max Flare Full Throttle Version Shift Car! Let's get started!

**Before you take a looks at the images here please sure to stop by Baltmatrix's youtube page and check out his video review of Tridoron as well!

Packaging
For starters the box for DX Tridoron is HUGE. The vehicle itself is also huge, but that box. Now the only things really adorning th ebox are the usual sets of stock photos for action shots and features including the vehicles multiple transformations. I knew what I was getting when I bought it so the cross sells are lost on me but they do look cool. Now as you can see Tridoron is boxed in one solid piece, rather unusally. Sentai mecha tend to come in a few parts that need to be assembled, last years Gaim Suika Arms needed to be assemebled too. So pulling this beast out of the box in one piece was surprising.

Tridoron
The main focus here is of the Tridoron itself. As I mentioned above this thing is huge, a bit heavier than you might expect, and very sturdy. As has become the custom since the Neo Heisei era really began, there's always a big DX vehicle of some type that transforms in a fashion and is compatible with the gimmick line. W had Revol Garry, OOO had Ridevendor, Fourze had Power Dizer, Wizard had Wizardragon, & Gaim had Suika. Tridoron far exceeds all of these things.

Tridoron's heft and size aside there's actually a fantastic amount of detail sculpted into this thing. Now it is missing some key paint apps that would otherwise make it look closer to the show prop, but it's a more than serviceable lookalike. I can't help but continually connect dots between Drive and various Metal Heroes. Tridoron is yet another link in that connection. This vehicle hearkens back to the large DX cars of old from shows like Winspector & Exceedraft. It really reminds me very much of Winsquad/Winfire specifically.

Much like Drive, Triodon has 3 forms also named after Drive's.

Type Speed- Tridoron's basic car form. In show this form is accessed when Drive henshin's. At the same time the front left fender retracts on Tridoron and the Type Speed tire is shot out. On the toy there is no retractable panel so it's always in default Type Speed form rather than the "civilian" mode. In this form as with the other two the cockpit actually opens! And it's fully compatible with Tire Koukan action figures and even S.H. Figuarts! Though the inner drivers seat may only seat one and take some liberties with the design it's still pretty great.

Type Wild- tied into Drive's second upcoming form, Type Wild sees Tridoron completely flipped. First the entire core cockpit block is removed, then the front axle is rotated 180 degrees, and the car is flipped over. Making use of that second set of tires on the spoiler. Then plug the core block back into place and you've got Type Wild! This mean almost reverse drag racer look is pretty spiffy actually. And the black on the underside of the car helps convey this form's attachment to Drive's Type Wild.

Type Technique- based on Drive's third form is Technique. This mode sees Tridoron fully transformed. Remove the core block as you did for Wild, but also fully detach the two remaining halves of the vehicle. You'll use a pair of clips on the underside of the rear end to attach that section at a diagonal. Then two large capture claw type arms fold out on the core block and it's reinserted on top of this new frame facing what would have been the rear bumper. This form is a bit silly looking to be honest. The only thing that really connects it to Drive's type Technique are the hints of green on the claw arms.

In all 3 forms this vehicle is imposing. As comparison images show it's huge. Much larger than most SHFiguarts or DX bikes. All 3 forms can also make use of the "Tire Extension" gimmick which has a hint of Tire Koukan. The rear of Type Speed can accommodate Shift Cars! There's a switch for electronic sounds on the bottom of the core block that when flipped will allow for Shift Cars to trigger sound effects with Tridoron. Simply slide them into the space behind the canopy. Though sadly they don't lock in place, there's really no situation where you'd use one and the card wouldn't be on a relatively flat surface.

Each of the 6 wheels on Tridoron can also accommodate Tires! Any Tire Koukan Tire released will fit on any wheel on Tridodorn and may be mixed and matched in any fashion you choose just as in the show. With figuarts on the way this gimmick integration may give some collectors the perfect reason to keep TK figures and the DX vehicle(s).

Accessories
Included with DX Tridoron are two standard accessories and 1 first run pre-order bonus:

1 - Midnight Shadow Tire. For use with your sold separately TK-01 Drive or with the DX Tridoron it's included with. It's a fairly generic translucent purple tire with some pretty small "blades". For a shuriken tire it's definitely lacking in the looks like a shuriken department.

1 - Midnight Shadow Shift Car. Cast in a gorgeous translucent plastic with just the right number of paint apps. This is my first experience with a Shift Car and I must say it makes me want more. The rotation gimmick is solid and these things are easily bigger than the last several years worth of collectible trinkets. In fact they're bigger than your average toy car.

1 - Max Flare Full Throttle Version Shift Car. This is the previously mentioned first run/pre-order bonus that some retailers have included with DX Tridoron orders. Mine very surprisingly did include it as I was never given any notification or indication that it would be included. But a happy surprise none the less. This if by far the coolest shift car I've seen, gorgeous mix of translucent plastics and lavish paint apps make this one a must own. I do not own the standard Max Flare for comparison.

Of course either of these shift cars is also compatible with your DX Shift Brace & Drive Driver.

Final Thoughts
For a DX mainline toy, Tridoron offers a lot. It's huge, hefty, it's probably the most functional toy of the vehicle we'll ever get, it incorporates both collectible gimmicks of this line, and accommodates the figures of it as well. It's basically the all in one package. Even with the recently revealed S.H. Figuarts Tridoron I'm inclined to think I may just keep my DX.

If you have some interest in this figure I would assume that like most large DX rider vehicles it will come down in price at some point, as they often do. I for one am happy to have paid retail for this thing. It's a fantastic vehicle.