DX Chogokin Turbo Robo Review

INTRO

Reviewing this one brings back fond memories from my youth. DX Chogokin Turbo Robo of Kousoku Sentai Turboranger brought me so many happy times from my childhood.

NOTE: This review was first posted on my former blogspot blog Huntoys-PH before I deleted it and created a new one. Some contents have been modified.

ABOUT TURBORANGER

Kousoku Sentai Turboranger, or locally known as High-Speed Squadron Turboranger in the Philippines, is part of a long-running Japanese kid show called Super Sentai that premiered in 1975 and still delivers new series annually; it also served as inspiration for the immensely successful American kid show Power Rangers. Originally premiering on March 4, 1989, and ending on February 23, 1990, the series ran for a total of a year. This was the first Japanese television series to air in the Heisei era, and it was the thirteenth overall. Because Shotaro Ishinomori Sentai’s Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai were considered to be different shows, Turboranger became the 10th anniversary series of the franchise. In 1995, both shows were recognized as the debut entries in the Super Sentai franchise.

OVERVIEW

Turboranger is one of the few Super Sentai series to air in the Philippines, alongside other classic Sentai series and adaptations like Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (locally aired as Star Ranger), J.A.K.Q Dengekitai (Lucky Aces), Choudenshi Bioman, Dai Sentai Goggle-V, Hikari Sentai Maskman, Chikyu Sentai Fiveman, Chojin Sentai Jetman and Super Sentai’s American adaptation the Power Rangers. These shows were all given new voices in English or Filipino dubs.

DX CHOGOKIN TURBO ROBO

Despite the toy’s nostalgic status, stumbling for a copy of the DX Chogokin Turbo Robo wasn’t too tricky. The toy can be purchased from any online Power Rangers and Super Sentai retailers from Facebook, Carousell to Ebay. You can probably count on the price being significantly higher now because of the nostalgic characteristic of the product. Fortunately, I was able to stumble onto what I consider to be a fantastic bargain: a brand new-looking DX Turbo Robo that, in my opinion, is superior to any others on the market. It’s not packaged, but it seems to be in perfect condition, with all of the accessories (weapons, foot pads, and instruction booklet) still included.

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Components: Turbo Machines

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Turbo Robo is made up of five oversized versions of land vehicles known as Turbo Machines. They were Red Turbo’s Turbo GT, Black Turbo’s Turbo Truck, Blue Turbo’s Turbo Jeep, Yellow Turbo’s Turbo Buggy, and Pink Turbo’s Turbo Wagon.

Turbo Machines closely resemble actual land vehicles that you can find on the road. According to Ranger Wiki, Turbo GT was inspired by the Nissan Skyline R32, the Peterbilt 379 is what Turbo Truck was based on, the Turbo Jeep is modeled on the 1981-1991 Mitsubishi Pajero, while Tamiya car models inspire the Turbo Buggy, and the Turbo Wagon is based on the Nissan Vanette C22. Since it’s the classic Super Sentai DX Chogokin, a lot of parts of it were metals except for the Turbo Wagon, which is mainly made out of plastic.

The toy version of the Turbo Truck is the largest and heaviest of any of the Turbo Machines vehicles. When Turbo Robo is in his giant robot mode, the exhaust pipes and spoiler on his vehicle can be repurposed into cannons and a shield, respectively. The upper body and upper legs of Turbo Robo are fashioned from Turbo Truck. Toy versions of the Turbo Buggy and Turbo Jeep were noticeably more compact than the other vehicles, but their metal casings caused them to be much heavier than the Turbo Wagon. They are what the Turbo Robo’s feet look like, and you can include the foot pads if you want to prevent them from rolling around on flat surfaces. Because it was entirely constructed out of plastic components, the Turbo Wagon is the vehicle with the lowest curb weight. Turbo Wagon is the component that finishes off the rest of Turbo Robo’s legs and connects Turbo Buggy and Turbo Jeep to the remaining portion of Turbo Robo’s body. The Turbo GT serves as the chest, the head and the back portion.

GATTAI SHIFT! TURBO ROBO

The combination sequence for the DX Chogokin Turbo Robo is surprisingly straightforward for a Super Sentai mecha from the eighties.

First and foremost, include foot pads for both the Turbo Buggy and the Turbo Jeep to prevent them from rolling on flat surfaces. Divide the Turbo Wagon into two parts, then uncover the hidden piece of each part by pushing its unlock button. Uncover the plugs that will attach to the feet. To attach the upper legs, flip the windshield.

The most difficult component of Turbo Robo is undoubtedly the Turbo Truck. Take out the smokestacks and get rid of the spoiler. (Note: the smokestacks can be converted into cannons, and the spoiler can be transformed into shield). To expose the arm sections, first extend the lower front parts of the Turbo Truck, and then pull the remainder of the arms down to expose them. Turn those back wheels so that they are facing the oqpposite direction, and then flip down the metal components so that they form the higher legs. It is recommended that all of the wheels be placed in the rearmost position. The Turbo GT armor piece protects the back and finishes off the head and chest sections.

DX Chogokin Turbo Robo DEMO Video

Watch my MyCollecToys YouTube video to see how the Turbo Machines can be transformed into its Turbo Robo mode. Hope you like it. I will upload more Super Sentai and Power Rangers-related videos soon so please subscribe to my YouTube channel for futures uploads. Thanks

VERDICT

The construction of Turbo Robo is reliable although a tad on the shaky side. These plastic legs require some attention because they are carrying the enormous weight of its upper body, which could cause them to snap. In comparison to earlier DX Chogokin Live Robo, which all had great body proportions, his design is somewhat blocky. However, with all of those various color and design choices, it looks just great. I really hope that Bandai would release its SMP version sooner rather than later.