This is completely random, isn't it?
I've been a fan of Bandai's retro releases and have been keen to pick up, well, most of them. We got some cool Sentai releases under the Super Sentai Artisan line, but that has kinda faded out over time. This time around, one of the better toy lines from the 90s is getting some love.
We're getting a reissued B-Commander set!
Now...I know that B-Fighter isn't the most exciting series, but it is an awesome toyline. I've owned every toy from the series and have always held the B-Commander in high regard. It's pretty awesome, no?
This isn't something that I would normally dedicate a post to, but I just have to get this off my chest...
Bandai has done some extra-top level nonsense by not only limiting sales to Premium Bandai, which is...fine, but they completely geolocked the damn product listing. That's right. Unless you're using the right VPN, you can't even view the damn site.
It's amazing how far Bandai will go to limit sales of their own stuff to the point where you can only see the crumbs of availability from their twitter account. Then they get all shocked Pikachu when nobody buys their expensive, only available for a two month window, and now GEOLOCKED web shop toys. It's a problem when their stuff immediately goes on to be scalped and never comes back down to Earth.
You know what? I still haven't seen the site. I sent the link to my friend and asked them to buy me two. Good job, Bandai. I still bought it. I have no idea how much money I spent, but I put an order in for two.
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The toy itself is worth talking about.
It comes with a stand, two sets of figures, and interchangeable antennae...?
Hang on...I am fortunate enough to own a couple of the 1995 B Commanders and I can say without a doubt that one of the coolest things about it is the slick storage feature for the different modes. This goes beyond clever things like Doron Changer's Medal slot. The G Stag antennae fold down on both sides while the Blue Beet and Reddle antennae fold over the backside. It's very smart, and due to that I think some lightly abused toys that otherwise would've had missing antennae still had them. Granted, the mini figures were always missing, but it's still passable without them.
The new slot-in antennae are pretty weak. I'm sure it was done to make way for the new personalized sound clips by Daisuke Tsuchiya, Shigeru Kanai, and Takashi Sasano (really?? They had two Reddles and they couldn't get either??). Personally I more excited for the Henshin sounds since B-Fighter had a top tier sequence.
I like the addition of the transparent mini figures as well...and the new details painted into an old classic. I haven't even gotten my hands on this yet and I seriously love this toy. June is going to be awesome...
Seriously, this being locked out of the West is some supreme lunacy. The places you can buy this are charging a huge Bandai tax on this one. Good luck if you're in the market...
Let's see if we'll get the Command Voicer while they're at it. That toy has *the* most satisfying feel of any toy I can think of...you know, when you slide that card in. It's such a great feeling. Why stop there? Maybe we can get a *real* version of the Insect Commander? Instead of that three card nonsense we got first time around...
Looking forward to June!
-CC
