Posts Tagged ‘Bandai’
Jan12
Mazinger Z & Hello Kitty collaboration
2016 at 06:34 pm by admin | Comments Off
Sanrio and Toei have come together for the first time to release collaborative figures of their two most iconic franchises: Hello Kitty and Mazinger Z! The collaboration features a twin release of two brand-new figures in Bandai’s Chogokin die-cast figure line, taking the Chogokin Hello Kitty robot released last year and the Super Robot Chogokin release of Mazinger Z, with a twist; the figures have swapped design elements, making them look like the other!
The Hello Kitty Chogokin features Mazinger-themed color scheme on top of the original release’s features, such as die-cast ratchet joints, rocket punch paws, opening cockpit, and alternate flight and swimming modes ,and even features a miniature Hello Kitty recolored to appear like Mazinger Z’s pilot, Kouji Kabuto. Meanwhile, the Mazinger Z SRC features a Hello Kitty paint job, and even goes so far as to replace the Mazinger’s signature chest plate with Hello Kitty’s bow, along with featuring Hello Kitty’s visage on its Jet Scrander belt attachment. Mazinger will also come with alternate hand-shaking parts, so the two figures can exchange a signature pose!
In order to celebrate this occasion, the official Bandai YouTube channel has uploaded a unique cartoon celebrating the union, showing off the collaborative designs in an adorable animated short. The video even hints at further collaboration with other characters like My Melody and Getter Robo. Check out the video below!
Jan23
Pokkén Tournament details revealed
2015 at 02:36 pm by admin | Comments Off
Earlier today, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company hosted a live press releasing regarding the upcoming Pokémon-themed fighting game, Pokkén Tournament. Developed by Bandai Namco, whom have worked on other popular fighting games like Tekken, Soul Calibur, the Naruto Ultimate Ninja series, and more, the game had previously only seen teasers and short footage. Today, the stream revealed more about the gameplay mechanics, fighting changes, and even new roster additions!
Pokkén Tournament, which will be played by using a traditional console controller rather than an arcade stick like other fighers, will pit two Pokémon against each other in a large 3D ring. While separated, the game will play in “field mode” in which the two fighters can freely roam around the arena and attack from a distance with a variety of moves. When the fighters approach, however, the game will seamlessly enter a more traditional 2D fighting mode, in which controls are restricted purely to horizontal movement.
As for new characters, the stream revealed three newcomers in addition to Lucario and Machamp seen in previous teasers. These new Pokémon are Pikachu, Gardevoir, and Suicune! Each character has their own unique play style, and will have different moves and abilities for different situations. On top that, non-playable Pokémon can enter the fray as assist characters, appearing on the field and unleashing a powerful move on the opponent. Pokkén Tournament demos will finally be made available to Japanese arcade goers over the next week, with more information to be released in the near future!
Oct15
Bandai figures at NYCC 2014
2014 at 03:56 pm by admin | Comments Off
Drawing one of the largest crowds in Comic-Con history, New York Comic-Con offered a variety of exclusive merchandise and collectibles to fans last week, from independent manufacturers to large toy companies alike. Bandai, Japanese toys and collectibles company, was not one to pass up on the opportunity, and offered exclusive and early releases for a number of their upcoming collectibles!
With Power Rangers celebrating its 20th anniversary this year alongside the newest season, Power Rangers Super Megaforce, Bandai has released a number of NYCC-exclusive collectables for Power Rangers fans, young and old. The highlight of this occasion is the new Tokyo Vinyl figure of the Mighty Morphin’ Green Ranger, in NYCC-exclusive Metallic colors! Designed by vinyl artist Touma, this release comes in an entire metallic coat and features a unique legacy box, making it a must-have for any fan of the original Power Rangers season!
Alongside this release was the Limited Edition Power Rangers Legendary Ranger Key Set dedicated to the character Tommy Oliver! Best known for his appearances as the Green and White Ranger in the original Power Rangers airing, Tommy appeared in later seasons as a variety of other Rangers, all of which are featured in this 5-pack of Ranger Keys! Painted in limited-edition metallic colors, all of the keys function with the Deluxe Legendary Morpher, seen in the currently airing Super Megaforce season.
Aside from Power Rangers, Bandai is also celebrating the release of the newest Godzilla film by Legendary Films earlier this year with a new exclusive vinyl figure! Standing 6.5″ tall, the figure features a new unique sculpt and paint job, highlighting his glowing radioactive spines as part of his signature Atomic Breath move! The figure comes in a stylized exclusive box, and shows the figure amidst a destroyed cityscape.
Along with these new exclusives, Bandai featured a number of other figures at their booth, available for purchase before their scheduled retail release! These include the Armor-Up Baymax figure from Big Hero 6, which allows collectors to use over 20 armor pieces to recreate both Baymax’s normal and armored appearances in the upcoming film! Other collectibles at the booth include the Batman, Master Chief, and LBX Achilles model kits, allowing builders to create their favorite characters. With these figures and more available at NYCC this year, it was the perfect place for fans and collectors alike to celebrate their hobby!
Jul29
Bandai reveals at SDCC
2014 at 01:35 pm by admin | Comments Off
Bandai, and its Tamashii Nations brand of collectors’ merchandise, has always been at the forefront of Japanese imports and collectibles, featuring designs from some of the most popular anime, video games, tokusatsu, and more. Their showing at this year’s SDCC did not disappoint, with a variety of new reveals along with displays of popular merchandise from the past year.
Among the new reveals were Bandai’s newest Dragonball releases, exclusive to SDCC. These included the S.H. Figuarts Vegeta figure in its original animation colors, as well as the collectible Dragon Ball & Dragon Radar pack. These two exclusives were featured alongside a number of other previous Dragonball releases, including Figuarts articulated figures and Figuarts ZERO statues. Also featured was the new upcoming series of chibi-style Dragonball statue collectibles, which have no planned release date as of yet.
Also unveiled for the first time at SDCC was the first state-side look at the new Naruto S.H. Figuarts collectibles! The two new figures in this series, Naruto and Sasuke, featured their most recent designs from the manga, and each included alternate faces, swappable hands, attack effects and more.
On top of that, Nintendo fans across the world got their very first look at the brand-new S.H. Figuarts Luigi from the Mario franchise! Posed alongside his brother Mario, who recently got his own S.H. Figuarts release, their display included brand-new playset options for the set, including a themed backdrop and an extending Piranha Plant enemy!
Godzilla, who has had a busy year with the recent Legendary film and sequel announcement, was also at the Bandai show floor, appearing in his newest 2014 look in the S.H. MonsterArts line. Releasing later this year, the figure was also accompanied by a number of other Godzilla figures, including toys of older Godzilla designs and MechaGodzilla.
Finally, to celebrate Doraemon’s upcoming United States debut this August, Bandai unveiled two brand-new toys of the show’s protagonists: S.H. Figuarts Nobita and Robot Spirits Doraemon! Both of these figured appeared for the first time at the show, with Nobita having swappable hands and faceplates, and Doraemon even coming with his Dokodemo Door tool.
Other popular display pieces at the show were the complete set of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and Sailor Moon Figuarts! Both displays featured the entire cast of characters from each series, with unique display options such as the rotating disco ball on Sailor Moon’s display and the earth-like texture on the Power Rangers display. The Power Rangers play even featured the previously released Super Robot Chogokin figure of the Dino Megazord!
A number of Bandai’s other popular figures were on display as well, featuring figures from franchises like One Piece and Saint Seiya, and more. There were even display cases dedicated to popular Gundam franchises like Gundam Wing and the recent Gundam Build Fighters!
Seeing all of these amazing toys in one place is truly what makes SDCC one of the biggest and most fan-beloved conventions in the world, and we’ve still got a ton more coverage to do about the event, so keep your eyes peeled!
Jul26
Hello Kitty celebrates anniversary at SDCC
2014 at 01:55 pm by admin | Comments Off
Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary is well underway this year, with a wide variety of events, exclusive releases, and even a new theme park in the United Kingdom. This weekend, Hello Kitty has brought the celebrations to this year’s San Diego Comic Con in a big way. A number of SDCC exclusives were released in commemoration of the event, and off-site activities and events were opened up alongside SDCC.
Within the convention center itself, Sanrio-themed exclusives will be available at several booths, and Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi will even be present throughout the event to sign autographs and greet fans! Some exclusives available at the event include Toynami’s Chun-Li themed Hello Kitty vinyl toy bank, Upper Deck’s SDCC-exclusive Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Mini-Figures and Trading Cards, and more. Tamashii-Nation’s Chogokin Hello Kitty robot figure, released this past June, has also made an appearance at the event, showing off its various alternate modes and articulation.
On top of that, VIZ Media has released an SDCC-exclusive early print of their upcoming “Hello Kitty, Hello 40″ tribute book at the event! This new book serves as a celebration of Hello Kitty as a character as well as a cultural icon, and features work done by comic artists, muralists, toy creators, authors, and fans from all over the world! This book, which is set to release in bookstores in October, is making an early debut at this year’s SDCC with an exclusive cover. Limited to only 250 copies, this book is a must-have for any Sanrio fan!
Sanrio has also opened up an offsite exhibit at the Interactive Zone in Petco Park, which is less than a mile from the San Diego Convention Center, where fans can meet Hello Kitty and take photo ops with the character. A number of events and activities will be available at the Interactive Zone as well, including free temporary tattoos and nail art from official Sanrio Tokyo artists. Hello Kitty still has a long way to go before her 40th anniversary is over, with more events like October’s Hello Kitty Con in the near future, so make sure to stay tuned for more news!
Jul16
Bandai exclusives at SDCC 2014
2014 at 10:22 am by admin | Comments Off
SDCC 2014 is right around the corner, and Bandai has shown off an impressive variety of exclusives that will be available throughout the event. Covering a wide variety of lines and franchises, these exclusives are sure to please more than a few fans at the event.
With a big showing of Dragonball merchandise at last year’s SDCC, including the popular Scouter replica, Bandai brings Dragonball back to the forefront with this year’s exclusives. This includes the new Dragonball and Radar set release, which will include super bouncy ball recreations of all 7 Dragonballs, as well as a functioning Dragon Radar that features lights and sounds straight from the anime, all for $44.99! And in order to please fans of the original anime release, Bandai has announced a new S.H. Figuarts release of Vegeta, the Saiyan prince, in his original animation colors! Appearing in these colors for only a couple episodes at the start of the series, this nostalgic Vegeta release retails at $44.99, and features all the accessories of the original figure, including folded arms, alternate hands, scouter-crushing effect piece, interchangeable head and tail pieces, and more!
A number of Gundam model kits will also make appearances at SDCC this year, in exclusive alternate colorways and more! These include the Master Grade 1/100 Full Armor Gundam in exclusive clear colors, along with the Real Grade 1/144 Zeta Gundam Clear ver. and Destiny Gundam in Heine Westernfluss colors. A number of High Grade 1/144 exclusives will also be available at the event, including the Banshee Norn Unicorn Mode Metallic ver., the Build Strike Gundam Full Package Clear ver., and the Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Mina Metallic Clear ver. The SD Sazabi will even be available at the event in exclusive metallic colors!
With the recent Godzilla movie releasing worldwide to eager audiences, along with Godzilla celebrating its 60th anniversary, Bandai has prepared a couple of Godzilla exclusives to celebrate! First up is the new 60th Anniversary Godzilla figure, with exclusive diorama packaging for $60! This 6.5″ vinyl features a new Godzilla design, combining elements from a number of his most famous appearances. The box of the figure even unfolds, unveiling a destroyed city for the King of Monster to reign supreme in! Bandai is also holding an early release of the new line of Candy Toy Godzilla figures, featuring the new 2014 Godzilla long with the 2004 Godzilla and Kiryu for $24.99.
The Power Rangers franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and has a number of exclusive releases at the event in order to commemorate the occasion. First up are the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers limited edition Ranger Key set, meant for use with the Deluxe Legendary Morpher from the recent Power Rangers Super Megaforce series! The box set contains all seven classic MMPR Rangers for $30, including the Pink and Yellow Ranger which are otherwise unavailable outside of this collection. These collectibles will only be available in limited quantities throughout the event, and are sure to please fans of the franchise, both young and old.
Along the release of this exclusive set, Bandai will be releasing a brand-new MMPR S.H. Figuarts at SDCC 2014: The Armored Black Ranger! Featuring the Black Ranger’s design from the first season’s finale, this figure will release exclusively at SDCC 2014 for $44.99, and feature all of the accessories from the original Black Ranger release. On top of that, a brand-new Green Ranger collectible figure from Tokyo Vinyl will release at the event for $25.00, and is designed by vinyl artist Touma.
Finally, the Green Ranger’s Dragon Dagger will see a limited edition release at SDCC as part of the Power Rangers Legacy line! This replica of the Green Ranger’s weapon is unique in that it is cast in full 24 Karat gold plating! The Dagger also retains its sound gimmicks and playability from the normal retail release, and will retail for $150 at the event, making it a must-have for any hardcore Power Rangers fan.
A number of other exclusives and variants from Bandai will also make their appearance at the event. Sentinel’s Danbo figure, representing the popular character from the Yotsuba manga, will be available in three exclusive colors for $41.99 a piece, and features boosters, RPG, and helmet accessories. Sentinel will also release their new Dino Getter 1 figure from the recent Dino Getter Robo spinoff franchise in exclusive Black colors! This exclusive figure, releasing at $144.99, features die-cast parts and can transform into dinosaur mode. Finally, the 1000toys Synthetic Human Test Body figure will be available for the first time on US shores at the event, and will feature a unique colors and weathering for $159.99.
Bandai’s releases are just the tip of the iceberg for cool exclusive merchandise set to appear at this years San Diego Comic-Con, so make sure to keep an eye out for more info on toys, news, and more!
May27
Bandai creates Figuarts Mario animation
2014 at 05:21 pm by admin | Comments Off
Earlier this month, Bandai and Tamashii Nations worked together with Nintendo to release the first fully posable Mario figure in the popular S.H. Figuarts line! In order to celebrate the occasion, Bandai artists and animators worked together to make a stop-motion animation using the figure and its accessory sets! Based on the concept of the classic zoetrope, invented in 1833 as the first animation method, the team put together a looping scenario with a number of Mario figures, as well as mushrooms, coins, blocks, pipes, and more, on a multi-level plane in order to create a fun full-motion experience for the viewers.
In a video released on their official website, Bandai shows off glimpses of behind-the-scenes work on the animation, including planning, design concepts, and more. The video ends the video with the animation itself, showing the spinning platform from several angles and perspectives. The animation shows off the S.H. Figuarts Mario figure and its degree of possibility along with its accessories, making this video a must-watch for fans everywhere!
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