By Jonathan Alexandratos
The Playskool Heroes Power Rangers toys are some of the funnest, most creative Power Rangers toys I’ve ever encountered, and now you can buy one of their biggest, baddest Megazords from Amazon for only $25.99. The Playskool Heroes Power Rangers Wild Force Megazord, which we reported on back in February of 2019, is currently 57% off it’s SRP of $59.99, but there’s no telling how long this sale will last. The Megazord comes with one Red Ranger minifigure and can alternate between two modes. To take advantage of the offer, follow this link.
Between Bandai’s Legacy and Hasbro’s Lightning Collections, finding modern Power Rangers toys that are well-articulated and highly-detailed is easy. Even the Hasbro Beast Morphers main line figures are sculpted far more realistically than my old Auto-Morphin’ Tommy. However, I keep reaching for Playskool. Their simple yet exciting electronic functions plus the morphability (which, yes, is a word I invented specifically for this) of some of their more recent Zords surely capture the imaginations of kids, but they also transport me back to a time where I wanted Power Rangers toys for their play functions, not their collectibility.
One of my favorite Zords was always the Red Dragon Thunderzord, so when I saw the Playskool version perched atop a shelf at K-Mart, I nabbed it and ran for the cashier like it was the end zone at the Super Bowl. (Full disclosure: I have no idea what running for the end zone is like. I am the least athletic person on the planet. But I hear it’s pretty dope.) I like the way Playskool’s toy gives the Thunderzord wings, clearly announcing that screen accuracy isn’t its project; playability is. Once you’re okay with that, you can enjoy the magnet-activated missile launcher and the “fire breath” feature that emerges from the Thunderzord’s mouth. Even though the toy does move fairly far afield from show lore, the head-and-tail-bopping action is reminiscent of the bank method shot often used to show the Zord’s initial flight into battle.
While that Thunderzord doesn’t transform into its Battle Robot mode, other Zords in Hasbro’s Playskool collection do change forms. Their Dino Charge Pterozord and the Wild Force Rhino Zord can easily flip between two modes. They’re also packaged with mini versions of their Rangers for additional fun. Like the Thunderzord and the Wild Force Megazord, their resemblance to their source characters are impressionistic at best, but that just adds to the fun. Their missiles, lights, and sounds can only truly make sense via the imaginations of those who activate them.
When buying Power Rangers merch, and I buy it all, I always make sure to balance out my highly-detailed figure collection with the fun and imaginative toys from Hasbro’s Playskool. While the artfulness of the Lightning Collection is often wonderful, only Playskool truly makes me feel like a kid again.
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