Dave's Microman Rant:

     Drill Ranger (Mogurancha)
     Super Microman Odin

     After seeing three toys with "mogu" in their names and drills all over
them, I've decided that it's got to be the root word for "drill."  }->  Oh,
and "rancha" is more likely "launcher," but since this doesn't launch
anything, I felt "ranger" was more appropriate.

     [Correction: "Mogu-" means "dig/dive/mole."  A mole-tank has digging
drills.  And I've been told very vehemently that "rancha" cannot be "ranger,"
but I still don't think "launcher" is an appropriate name.]

CAPSULES:

     Drill Ranger: Cute little bot with limited poseability and a very simple
transformation.  Pull-back motor works well in vehicle mode, not so well in
robot mode, okay in weapon mode.  Mildly recommended.  $9.34 +S&H at
astrotoys.com.
     Super Microman Odin: Terrific poseability, nifty weapon, and decent
magnets.  Recommended.  $5.94 +S&H at astrotoys.com.

RANTS:

DRILL RANGER

     There's five toys in this guy's group, which I call "Bugs" because of
their general appearance.  Three Micromen, two Acroyer.  They all have
several characteristics in common:
     - Height of 3.5" (9cm)
     - Metal stud on the chest for attachment to magnets
     - Pull-back motor that operates wheels in vehicle mode and legs in
          either robot or weapon mode, with braking tab
     - Hand weapons that detach from the arms and attach to the feet for a
          weapon mode, to be held by a larger toy
     - Hand weapons can attach to the head and the head pegged into regular
          figure's back as a backpack weapon unit
     - Simplistic transformation (reposition head, pull out/push in arms, 
          bend/unbend feet)
     - No real poseability (elbows bend, head turns)
     - Scaled to walk or roll around the track of the Playstation Base

     Drill Ranger is construction yellow and has an overall construction
machinery motif in his design.  He zips along nicely in vehicle mode, and the
regular Microman figures can stand atop him with the magnets in their feet
(Super Microman Odin seems to have weaker magnets, or more plastic between
his magnets and the stud).  The Playstation Base's track must have lower
walls than standard Hot Wheels track, since Drill Ranger didn't really wanna
move along such track.
     In robot mode, the walking gimmick just doesn't work.  The toy's more
likely to fall over on its face than anything else, and the best I was able
to get was a short scuffle of a few centimeters.  Maybe the base's track is
well-suited to this, but Hot Wheels track was little help.
     The peg hole for the head's a little large, and the head doesn't stay on
very well.  The peg does fit snugly into the back holes of the Microman
figures, and combined with the hand-drills does make a nice backpack weapon.
     The weapon mode is reasonably nifty, but since I haven't shelled out the
$50 or so for a Robotman, I can't really try it out...my Iron Giant's magnets
aren't quite strong enough to do the job.  I think I'll just let Hogarth ride
on the stud in vehicle mode (which is about Hot Wheels scale).
     
     Overall, not a bad little toy, but a bit expensive for what you get.
Maybe if the waling gimmick worked better it'd be worth the money.


SUPER MICROMAN ODIN

     The Super Micromen have less magnets than the previous batch, but they
make up for it with a hand weapon, greater poseability and a slightly lower
price.  Each has a magnet in each foot (one of each polarity) and an
Acroyer-grabbing magnet in the hand weapon.  They're the same 3" (8cm) tall
as the previous batch, but are more slender in build, thus seeming smaller.
Rather than having a chest magnet, each has a chromed pattern covered by a
clear plastic piece to represent their "improved" power.
     Shoulders are a combination of swivel and hinge for an effective
"universal" joint.  Elbows are ball joints, wrists swivel.  Head is on a ball
joint, as are hips and ankles, although ankles have limited range beyond
spinning around.  Kneeds are hinges, and there's a side-to-side hinge built
into the torso, giving a few degrees of movement.  The "briefs" are not glued
onto the abdomen piece, but instead are free to move out of the way for
extreme positions.  Both hands are molded to hold pegs firmly, plus there's a
peg hole at the small of the back, on either side of each calf and on each
forearm as part of the flexibility slot.  Presumably all these peg holes are
related to the array of accessories/school supplies available for the toys.
     Odin specifically is mainly orange, black and gold, with silver head
(icky all-chrome heads are one of the things about the classic Microman that
should have been left out of the relaunch, IMO) and clear blue chest
overlay.  His weapon is a panther-headed gun that separates into two guns,
but only the front half has a magnet.  The main handle fits nicely into the
hole in the small of his back, giving him a backpack of sorts.  Drill
Ranger's drills fit nicely onto his forearms or lower legs for added
firepower.  This sort of interchangeability is one of the strengths of the
line, although it also means a lot of toys are little more than recolors with
new heads.

     Overall, the Super Micromen are pretty cool.  The weaker magnets may
just be a fluke of the one I got, but the poseability makes up for it.

     Dave Van Domelen, thinks maybe the weight of the metal stud is what's
throwing off the Drill Ranger's walking gimmick....