ZW-03 Kabtor Teal, a White variant was given away at a Japanese convention to kids
Zoids Wild Small Wind-Up Toy Kit
Item No.: ??? Manufacturer:Takara-Tomy Includes: Stickers, pilot Action Feature:n/a Retail:$12 (1,200 yen) Availability: June 2018 Other: Meet the Beetles
Since I'm really digging the new Zoids we're going to look at ZW-03 Kabtor. It has a new saber tooth tiger (or perhaps liger) faction symbol and the word "SUPREME" on it in large, friendly letters which makes this very much a great line for kids. Usually there were "Empire" and "Republic"-themed factions, but this beetle is effectively an update of the classic Saicurtis in size with different functionality. With the clips appearing online, I can only assume "Supreme" are the good guys, especially since kids friggin' love beetles in Japan.
The original beetle in the 1980s waddled and had wings that moved up and down when you used its wind-up motor. The new one has a similarly placed motor, but hte legs move slightly differently and now you have to move the wings manually. The motor can also power its large fork as well as a flip-out sword. It's really quite cool, as it lets kids do more with it beyond just winding it up and sending it marching across your floor. I should note, it does not like carpet.
The 5-inch 1:35 scale bug bot is smaller than the 1:72 scale figure of old, this time featuring a driver cast in frosty clear plastic clinging on for dear life. The hands have pegs and the knees have slots, and as far as I can tell all of the pilot figures are exactly the same. Packaging shows a painted-up figure with ninja-like details, and I will continue to complain that they aren't vac-metal silver or gold. I loved those. Those things really lit up the cockpit and they were super pretty. Of someone offers custom gold or silver drivers, I will buy them. I assume there will be anime-inspired 1:35 scale drivers soon enough, official or otherwise.
All kits in this line to date are grey robot skeletons with a colorful armor on top - this one integrates more of the bug parts in the core build, so it's not as easy to remove the teal fork or the driver's seat like the armor on the bigger toys. It's not a big toy, but it's kind of consistent with the downsizing we've seen in Transformers. It's a little simpler, the colors are pretty bright, but it's not as meaty as what you got for $10 back in the early 2000s. It doesn't feel fragile, but it's definitely a slight toy with big adorable eyes and 4 3mm hardpoints on which you could mount classic Zoids weapons if you had spares (or stole them from other kits, I don't judge.)
I almost skipped this one because it wasn't a dinosaur. The kit assembles in minutes and it's pretty swell. Even though the instructions are in Japanese, your kid could probably slap this thing together before Spongebob is over. I like the articulated wings and optional sword, so I'm going to say I'm not sorry I got it. I don't think it's worth any sort of premium pricing - scoff and run if it's more than $10-$15 before shipping - but it's plenty good enough for me.
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