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1975 The Mattel Shogun Warrior Grandizer, on the other hand, isn't. It might be among the most desirable specimens in the Shogun lineup, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Japanese version. Think I'm being elitist? Consider this: nearly every component of the Popy Grandizer's considerable external detail was "dumbed-down" to stickers, the mechanical design was totally simplified (bye-bye rocket punch), and Grandizer's most eye-catching feature was neatly crippled by Mattel engineers, who ripped off the right arm and put a blocky black missile launcher in its place. Again. This hadn't been such a major deal with Great Mazinger (his arms are black to begin with), but doing it to Grandizer with his striking red wrist cuffs was tantamount to design-rape. For God's sake, would it have been such a major chore to just have thrown in the launcher as an accessory? (Think we're kidding, check out the difference, click here) The Shogun Grandizer was only released
in Europe, theoretically making it rare, but they still seem to
have been produced in greater numbers than the Japanese version
of the toy. What's REALLY rare is the aforementioned "Spacer," which
was only distributed via monthly prize drawings in the late 1970s.
It's large enough to be ridden by a child (indeed, it even comes
with a pair of "steering handles" that double as missile launchers)
and rolls around on swivel-casters. Good luck finding one. Matt Alt
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