[Brainchild]

People often chalk up Kamen Rider as a mature older brother to Super Sentai. Deeper writing, more complexity in design, and overall more mature themes make it a series with a wider area of appeal than just young children.
However, recently I've been hearing that more recent series like Fourze are fun and all, but they just aren't Riders. It's pretty obvious that after Decade there's been a rather swift change of focus to mass-collection of Gaia Memories, Core Medals, Switches and what looks to be Rings, starting with Ganbaride cards. The elements necessary to kick this off were already there; Advent Cards, Rouse Cards and arguably Fuestles all had some implication that the Riders were dependent on trinkets of sorts.
My question is, how do you view this kind of gimmick? Do you think it's enjoyable to play along with, or that it adds a certain draw to the plot? Or is it just another cheap marketing ploy to get more money, taking away from the traditional feel of a Kamen Rider?
Discuss.

[ljacone]

I'm sort of a mixed bad of feelings about the gimmickry. I'm a fan of the Showa Riders moreso than the modern ones, so the gimmicks are sort of counter to what the old school Riders represented -- simply getting on a bike and fighting monsters. The newer guys seem to be a lot more involved with various tschotskes and knicknacks than the older ones.

That having been said it does help differentiate them. I think one of the problems which the Ultra Heroes face is that ultimately they are all very similar. They all have a very similar look and powers. Yeah there's differences among them, but to the casual fan it's just an army of the same guy. You cannot say that about the modern Riders, who each have some gimmick to set them apart from their comrades.

I loved the Advent Decks on Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, for instance, and liked that even though it linked them together, the Decks also differentiated them from each other.

Really, so long as the final drive of the story is to defeat Shocker (Gel-Shocker, or Gorgom, or Crisis Empire, or whatever...) rather than to collect all the items, then I am cool with 'em.

[Matrixbeast]

This doesn't make sense.

A gimmick has no real impact on the storytelling or plot. Arguably, the only series who's gimmick was actually a core element of the plot was OOO. Double began with all his memories but Fang, XTreme, and Prism. Fourze, while the switches are important, his obtaining them don't really have any impact (How many episodes begin with him testing a random switch or have Kengo just chucking Gen a switch that he just finished developing mid-fight?).

The collection aspect for the gimmicks have gotten pretty ridiculous as of late, I can't argue that, but the gimmick simply existing isn't bringing the quality of the show down.

As for the "Traditional feel of a Kamen Rider," I don't think that actually exists. Part of why I prefer KR to SS is reinvention. Kamen Rider series tend to vary wildly, and each Rider feels more unique, even now during it's 40th anniversary. SS feels like it's afraid to break a formula that works.

[Switchblade]

I didn't mind the Gaia Memories or Core Medals all that much, but as the Astro Switches really seemed to be pushing it too far for me. I kind of miss the simplicity of "dude has a belt, it makes a sound and then he punches guys in the face."

[RiderSkyward]

Eh I don't mind personally. I originally planned on getting all of the fourze switches but the cost made that a short lived dream and now I'm just focusing on getting the figuarts and form change switches... So I guess I'm saying I mind the cost, but I guess for Bandai that's the point.

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

I loved the Advent Decks on Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, for instance, and liked that even though it linked them together, the Decks also differentiated them from each other.

The visors I think were also helpful with differentiating. One thing I also liked about Ryuki was that they took the gimmick of collectible card games (i.e. Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic: The Gathering) and put it to good use.

[Starscreamer]

there are ways the gimmick works (OOOs, Ryuki, W, and Decade) and others that it feels more forced (Blade, Fourze)...one of my favorite parts with Ryuki was when Zolda had Ryuki use his cards, if just to show what happens if another rider would use his deck. Blade, the cards were just...well, they show him having all these freaking cards in his weapon, yet use so few, and of course the Astro switches are just everywhere. Don't get me wrong, Fouze has a great execution with them, but again are just so random.
I think I like more themed riders, like Kiva, Kabuto, and Agito...

[Dr Kain]

Honestly, if the gimmicks work well enough where they don't feel like gimmicks, then I am cool with them.

[ryan]

I don't know how I feel about the gimmicks. I LOVE the Gaia Memorys and Double Driver, and I quite like the OOO Medals, the switches not so much, the Advent decks work for me.

Kiva's fuestles never felt like a gimmick to me, maybe just cuz I haven't started to get any Kiva DX toys? I like that Kuuga doesn't have a gimmick.
So overall I guess I'm in favor of collectible gimmicks? But really, it's the multiple forms that attract my attention, not the transformation method as much.

[Matrixbeast]

The Fuestles aren't a gimmick. There are only, what, 10 of them, 6 coming with the Kiva Belt, 3 with Ixa's (Not including the black repaints of the arms beast's fuestles), and one with Tatsulot. There's barely any collection drive there.
Even then, they're hardly pushed in series, with the only one used with any consistency is the "Wake Up" fuestle.