Gx-70SP Mazinger Z DC 2021 Special Color Ver.
The outer box sleeve is removed like a match box. The back of the main box is very, very shiny, so be careful not to smudge it with fingerprints.
A measly black and white manual? Really, Bandai?
Jet Pileder
Still no Koji at the controls. The upcoming Gx-105 Mazinger Z will fix that.
Like previous Jet Pileders, you can’t use the one with the wings to plug into Mazinger Z. You will have to use the “wingless” one instead to dock with Mazinger Z.
MAZIN GO!
The previous sets came with an alternate “powered down eyes” piece for Mazinger. Oddly, this is not included with this set.
Pileder On!
Created by Koji Kabuto’s grandfather in order to stop Doctor Hell’s Kikaiju army from taking over the world, Mazinger Z is the world’s best hope against Doctor Hell’s mechanical beasts.
The set is another redeco of the Gx-70 Mazinger Z DC. This marks the 6th redeco/retool of this design in the toyline.
I think I would’ve preferred it if Bandai chromed up Mazinger’s biceps and thighs as well, so the whole thing shines up. As is, it’s kinda lacking… ? It’s practically a Gx-70 from most angles.
Nice shine on the blues though.
“Missile Punch” attack is still kinda here, but the set does not come with an alternate abdomen plate to complete the gimmick.
The set does come with the old alternate front hip piece for Maz, to increase his legs’ range of motion.
Rocket Punch!
Unfortunately, this set lacks the bicep cover plates for when the Rocket Punch is launched. Strange, this was included in past sets before.
Breast Fire!
Jet Scrander – A pair of wing attachments that grants Mazinger Z the ability of flight, these first came out in episode 35 of the original series.
Just like before, the set comes with two alternate connection pieces for the Scrander. One for docking with the catapult arm on the display base (it’s not included in this set), and another for connecting to Mazinger Z.
The mirror finish on this piece really pops.
Scrander Cross!
With the Scrander Attached, Mazinger Z could initially achieve flight speeds of Mach 3. Later on it could reach Mach 4.5 when the Scrander was adjusted and fine-tuned.
The mirror finish on the Jet Scrander clasp and wings really adds a whole lot to the overall look of the figure when all is said and done.
Originally, the Gx-70 came with optional alternate Iron Cutter forearms, sadly, that option is not included here.
Display base
All-new nameplate.
The old adjustable display arm pieces are still here.
Optional “gripping” attachment piece for the display arm is also included.
For some reason, Bandai cheaped out and didn’t include a catapult arm for the Scrander. Boo….
You can secure Mazinger Z onto the display base and make it quakeproof by firmly plugging him into the post. Do note that this option is not available when you have the Scrander wings attached to the figure.
The Good
“Special Color” DC Mazinger Z stands roughly 7 inches tall and weighs 263 Grams (284 Grams with Jet Scrander equipped).
-Diecast parts include:
–Pileder bottom (for the magnet effect)
–Chest
–Forearms (shoulders and biceps are now plastic)
–Waist
–Optional “smaller” front waist part
–Thighs
–Lower legs
–Feet
-Nice shiny finish on the blue and black parts of the base figure.
-Very nice chromed finish on the Jet Scrander parts, it really makes a difference to the overall appearance of the toy.
-Magnetic gimmick for docking the Pileder is carried over from the previous Gx-70 runs.
-New nameplate for the display base.
The Bad
-Black and white manual (again) for a pricey exclusive. C’mon, Bandai…
-Essentially yet another redeco of Mazinger.
-LOTS(!) of pieces were removed from the previous versions of this set,
–the “powered down eyes”
–the “Missile Punch” abdomen
–(Diecast) Iron Cutters
–bicep covers for “launched” Rocket Punches
-“Drill Missile” elbows
-Catapult arm for the Scrander.
Heck, even the alternate hinged display base arm is absent here. What’s going on??
-Depending on your preference on whether this is a good or a bad thing, the Jet Scrander wings are from the later variant sets, which means it’s lacking the “Southern Cross Knives” ports of the original Gx-70 release.
The Ugly
No real QC issues here thankfully, but my first unit came with a lot of shipping stamps all over the brown box and the box was slightly crushed (all the way to the main box). I had to buy a second “clean” unit just for the box. Sigh… I’ll probably unload the first unit cheaply later on.
Overall, a bit of a meh release. The base figure without the Jet Scrander attached doesn’t really impress due to the lack of mirror chrome on the thighs and biceps. It’s when you slap on the shiny Jet Scrander, do things start to get interesting.
While it does have some decent shelf presence, I think it’s not enough to justify getting a 6th DC Mazinger Z, especially with the huge lack of accessories that was previously available with the original Gx-70 release.
This one’s definitely for the completionist die-hards of the line and not for the casual Soul of Chogokin Collector. The other variants of the Gx-70 give more bang for the buck IMHO.
Gold
