Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Drive, Kamen Rider Ghost, Reviews

Review: DX Shift Next Special Surprise Future Set (Kamen Rider Drive)

DX Shift Next Special Surprise Future Set
August, 2015 – ¥2,000

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With both OOO and Fourze, the movie set had given us a preview of what is to come with the Kamen Rider series. Unfortunately Wizard and Gaim didn’t keep up with that tradition, but I’m happy to say it is back with Drive. In late August, 2015, the toy line released the DX Shift Next Special Surprise Future Set. This set includes three items featured in the Surprise Future movie: Shift Next Special, the Tridoron Key, and the Newton Ghost Eyecon. The set retailed for around ¥2,000 give or take.

The Shift Next Special is a double-sided Shift Car that combines both Shift Next and Shift Special into one Shift Car. The “Next” portion of the toy is similar to Dead Heat or a Signal Bike in that it doesn’t have a lever function. This is because it uses the same pin set-up as Mach, which activates “Type Next” in the Drive Driver normally. Because of this, the Shift Next portion of the Shift Car activates “Mach” in both the Mach Driver and Formula-Hou. Thankfully Shift Special, the yellow side of the Shift Car activates new sounds! This creates “Type Special” a new form seen in the movie, as well as corresponding sounds in the Mach Driver and Formula-Hou. Unlike the Shift Next side, Shift Special has a lever system that works just like any other Shift Car. Together, they make a pretty unique duo. I’m surprised it’s taken this long to do a double-sided Shift Car. I dig it a lot.

The Tridoron Key, while making a cool form in the film, is sort of a complete waste. While other gimmicks looks nice, have a feeling of quality, and actually do something, the Tridoron Key is nothing but a piece of hollow plastic with a sticker on it. Of course, it does activate a “Chou! Dead Heat!” sound in the Mach Driver, and the corresponding “Super! Dead Heat!” sound in the Drive Driver. While the sounds are neat, the toy itself is a bit of a bummer.

Finally, the star of the show is the Newton Ghost Eyecon. Like the Magic Hand Astro Switch and Big Wizard Ring before it, this is the only DX release of the Newton Ghost Eyecon planned for Ghost’s toy line. The Ghost Eyecons are smaller than I anticipated, but are still roughly the same size as the base of a Lockseed, so they feel comfortable in the hand. The Ghost Eyecons work off a system similar to the Zyudenchi from Kyoryuger. A plate with pins rests on the bottom, and hit the corresponding buttons in the Ghost Driver to know what was inserted. Besides that, the toy’s left (right facing you) button can cycle through four circular images, the eye effect, the number, the logo (helmet design), and an additional design to represent the final attack. How they work will all be explained once the Ghost Driver releases on October 3rd.

Overall, this set is actually pretty neat. I love getting a sneak peek at what is to come from the series, so the Ghost Eyecon really takes the cake for me. On top of that, the Tridoron Key makes some cool sounds, and the Shift Next Special is a pretty fun and unique Shift Car to add to the collection. I’m already addicted to clicking Ghost Eyecons, so I look forward to the line hitting this October.

[youtube https://youtu.be/uA-jjqf4BeY]

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