COMMENTARY: Power Rangers Toys Power Up for 20th Anniversary

When I was a kid, I was in love with the Power Rangers, from Saban Brands. I was a huge fan of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series in the ’90s and I was even The Red Ranger one year for Halloween (They were all out of The Pink Ranger costumes and Kimberly was my favorite, so I had to compromise). I recently re-watched some episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers when the series was on Netflix, and you know what? I still thought it was great in all of its ’90s glory.

However, the lucky kids of today get to obsess over two Power Rangers series of their own—Power Rangers Super Samurai and Power Rangers Megaforce. Power Rangers Super Samurai, which began airing in 2011, is about a new generation of Power Rangers that must master the mystical and ancient Samurai Symbols of Power, which allow them to control the elements of Fire, Water, Sky, Forest, and Earth. Aided by their devoted animal Zords and guided by an all-knowing mentor, these Power Rangers battle the dark forces of the Netherworld and a mysterious Warrior out to destroy.

Power Rangers Megaforce is the 20th season of Power Rangers, coinciding with the series’ 20th anniversary. This season features Gosei, a supernatural being who has protected the earth for centuries with his robotic assistant Tensou. When evil Warstar aliens begin a massive invasion, the Gosei calls upon the Power Rangers Megaforce to form the ultimate team. When morphed into the Power Rangers, the five teenagers gain superhuman strength and mastery over martial arts.

In light of the recent news of Saban extending its agreements with both Nickelodeon and Bandai America to keep the Power Rangers franchise alive, here are some great licensed toys from Bandai America that celebrates this new season of the Power Rangers series, as well as the brand’s 20th anniversary:

The Power Rangers Megaforce Deluxe Gosei Morpher allows kids ages 4 and up to harness the power of the morpher and unlock the secrets of Power Cards, just like the Power Rangers in the series. The morpher allows the Rangers to morph, call their Zords into battle, and arm themselves with ranger battle gear. The toy, featuring a light and sound effects, opens to let kids place cards inside—just like on the show. The Morpher comes with 10 Power Cards that unlock 10 phrases and sound effects. Kids can collect additional cards to unlock up to 180 phrases. With the Power Rangers Card Scanner app for smartphones and tablets, kids can scan cards to unlock hundreds of Power Rangers videos.

The Deluxe Gosei Morpher is a great role play toy, especially for a brand like Power Rangers, where kids always want to re-enact what they see in the show. It allows kids to become their favorite Power Rangers that they see on TV, which is a great experience for playtime. Although it is a physical toy, it also comes with a great app that expands its play value and adds even more fun.

The Power Rangers Gosei Ultimate Megazord is a spaceship command center with multiple play modes to help kids recreate all of the intense Power Rangers battles. They can soar through space in spaceship mode and then morph for battle in Megazord mode. Kids can even morph into unique combinations with other items in the ZordBuilder collection, allowing them to create multiple different Megazords straight from the TV show or even creating their own. In addition to its ZordBuilder capabilities, the Ultimate Megazord can be combined with the Deluxe Gosei Morpher to form into command center mode, whcih can be used with all of the Power Rangers 4-inch action figures.

With all the different modes of play, the Ultimate Megazord will keep kids entertained for hours. The ability to create and build their own Megazords straight from their imagination inspires creative play, but they can still build their favorite Megazords from the show. By combining this Megazord with other toys in the line, each toy gains even more play value, and allows kids to really feel like they’re the Rangers. This item is not only great for kids, but for Power Rangers collectors as well!

Kids ages 4 and up can battle evil wherever it is lurking with the ultra-powerful Power Rangers Megaforce BattleFire Megazord. When the villains get too strong, the Rangers summon all of their Zords together to morph into this powerful weapon. With this Megazord, kids can command the action with their voice. The Megazord can fire up to 15 Zord missiles at the villains utilizing voice recognition technology. The BattleFire Megazord will fire a different number of missiles depending on what phrases is said, or kids can use the simple manual trigger to fire the missiles themselves. Lights and sounds add to the excitement of this Megazord.

This Megazord’s voice recognition capabilities probably makes it the coolest Megazord of all. I love that it can be used as a cool tech toy—or even simply as a physical toy with the manual fire. It brings one of the TV show’s most powerful weapons to life in a big way. The voice command allows the show really to come to life; since different phrases set off the different number of missiles, this toy really gives kids full control of the weapon in a battle with a villain.

As the Power Rangers brand expands into different generations of Power Rangers, Bandai’s line of toys expands and morphs too. It keeps kids interested in this classic brand for generations, but it also allows collectors to stay active as well. Overall, I’m sure its safe to say that the Power Rangers brand will be around for years to come.

For more commentary from Ali, check back often. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

About the author

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski is the editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider. With more than a decade of industry experience, Ali is a trusted source for parents, gift-givers, manufacturers, retailers, and more on the latest trends and hottest products. Whether you’re shopping for the best toys for kids — or looking for the latest in geek culture and entertainment for yourself — Ali’s expertise has you covered. When she’s not building LEGO sets or unwinding with a puzzle, Ali is obsessing over the latest season of The Bachelor, scrolling through Gritty’s Twitter, or rewatching The West Wing (for the 100th time). She is also a self-proclaimed expert on the history and lore of the entire Bachelor franchise. Ali has been featured on TODAY, The Wendy Williams Show, Yahoo Finance, Fox & Friends, HLN, The Weather Channel, ABC World News Now, and more. You can follow her on Instagram @hashtagtrendy.

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