Power Rangers Re-Ignition Zords: Worth your Rands?

We recently brought you the news that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Re-Ignition toy line was released in South Africa, thanks to local toy distributor Prima Toys.

You can check out that article by clicking or tapping here for the full information about the availability and pricing of the range.

What we didn’t know then, was what these toys are like in-hand for both the intended audience, kids, as well as adults who were around when the original Power Rangers craze took over the world.

With us falling into the latter category, Prima Toys sent over the five Dinozords which are toys on their own, but they can also be combined to make the Dino Megazord, one of the most iconic mechs of all time.

Pterodactyl Dinozord

The smallest of the five Zords by a notable margin, this flying dinosaur mech gets several accessories to help bulk it up and add value to the purchase.

The first of these accessories are two large missile launchers and two translucent pink missiles to shoot. The spring power of these launchers is decent enough without being so strong to cause any harm. You can definitely shoot over some cups and small action figures here.

Speaking of small action figures, the Pterodactyl also comes with the entire Power Rangers team. Each Power Ranger is a non-articulating figure with a base, measuring in at around three centimetres each.

What’s interesting, and appreciated, is that each Power Ranger has a different pose. We could have seen manufacturer Playmates Toys simply using the same mould for all five and just changing up the colours, but the extra effort and expense went into making each one unique. We also love the fact that the Rangers are so small, which helps sell just how large the Zords are.

Despite being the most diminutive Zord, the Pterodactyl makes for one of the most compelling buys for both display and play.

Sabertooth Tiger Dinozord

Despite just being a leg, the Sabertooth has a decent amount going on with a bigger frame compared to the Pterodactyl, four moving legs and a moving tail that doubles as a missile launcher. Another translucent missile, this time in yellow, is provided in the box.

There’s a surprising axis of articulation here in the shoulders/upper head section. When combined into the Megazord this articulation will allow the foot of the mech to stand flat even when the legs as splayed, effectively acting as an ankle pivot, but here they provide some extra options for adding movement to the Sabertooth.

This is one of the simpler Zords so there isn’t much else to add, but we can see this one being hit for lovers of yellow and this particular animal.

Triceratops Dinozord

We’re massive fans of original blue Ranger Billy Cranston and we’ve always loved his Triceratops which is also a tank.

It’s with this love in mind that we found ourselves a bit disappointed. The Triceratops has no moving tracks or even cheater wheels to get around. Kids just have to push the static plastic figure around and pretend.

The Triceratops wins some points back with its own neck/shoulder articulation like the Sabertooth, as well as its own design of missile that is unique compared to the other Zords. This missile is the H-shaped protrusion at the end of the tail, and it’s also transparent.

Mastodon Dinozord

The Mastodon represents a notable increase in size. If the Pterodactyl is the small Zord here, the Sabertooth and Triceratops are medium then, finally, the Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus are large.

Despite this increase in size, the Mastodon lacks a lot of articulation we would have liked. The construction is also very unique as the body splits open but is kept together only by the head which locks everything together.

The Mastodon comes with a rather large accessory in the form of the Power Sword. The Mastodon can’t actually do anything with the Power Sword as it’s intended to be an accessory for the Megazord. That being said, the sword is big enough for little kids to pretend it’s a sword of their own, which adds a lot to the play value of this one.

Tyrannosaurus Dinozord

The Tyrannosaurus is, by far, the most complete and best Zord out of the bunch. A lot of this stems from the fact that the Tyrannosaurus forms the main body of the Megazord, so it needs a lot of size and articulation for the other Zords to merge with.

No matter if you’re a kid or an adult, and no matter who your favourite Ranger is, the Tyrannosaurus stands head and shoulders over its counterparts.

The robot dino is fun just to look at and hold, and its articulation allows you to do some fun and goofy stuff.

If you can only get one Zord, or it will be some time before you can get more while you save up the money, then the Tyrannosaurus is the way to go.

It should be noted that this one comes with no accessories at all, but we don’t think that’s a problem given its other qualities.

Combination models and conclusion

Before we get to the Megazord (above, right) that we’ve mentioned several times, the five Zords can combine into another form: Tank Mode, though it’s called “Tanker” in the included instructions (above, left).

While assembling Tank Mode/Tanker, these toys really shine. The way they fit together is endlessly satisfying and it’s very apparent that these toys work much better when together.

This mode, which is meant to be some kind of ground attack vehicle, looks a bit incongruent and messy, but that’s the fault of the original design and not the toys. We’d rather have this mode than not, and it adds to the overall value of the package to get this.

Now for the main show: converting to Megazord either from Tank Mode/Tanker, or from the individual Zords, is quick and easy. The result is very imposing mech standing around 36 centimetres tall (or 40 centimetres if you keep the pink missiles inside of their launchers).

As stated earlier the Dino Megazord is an absolutely timeless design, and it still looks good decades later in a kids-focused toy line.

The Mastodon becomes both defence and offense, with its head forming the shield and the Power Sword now in use.

Now we can go back to the original question about the value of these toys. Each Zord has a local RRP of R500, so assembling the Megazord costs R2 500 in total, putting aside any sales on the toys you may find.

If you’re familiar with toys in the country, especially sizable toys like this with a brand attached, that price isn’t so bad and they walk away with our recommendation.

On top of this, the piecemeal nature of selling the Zords individually means that both kids and adults can save up their money in between completing the set. The toys can also be stretched over birthdays and holidays, always giving the recipient something to look forward to.

As older fans of the franchise which have been here from the beginning, finally getting these toys in hand after missing the originals is a very special feeling. This makes the Zords a unique set of toys with a huge array of ages they can appeal to.

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