LEGO is usually revealed or leaked in batches before release and in the latest showing for the start of 2022, something was revealed that looks a lot like a Power Rangers Megazord.
Set number 71765 – Ninja Ultra Combo Mech – is made up of 1 104 pieces which buyers will use to build four smaller vehicles which can then be combined into a larger mech.
Yes many other properties lean on this gimmick but, especially in the West and to a certain demographic of people, this screams Megazord.
While I don’t have the toy in my hands right now, early reviews are stating that this combination process doesn’t require that you disassemble the four vehicles and then use the pieces to build the larger mech, as some may assume, but instead the four are subtly moved into place and locked together, much like many other non-building block toys.
LEGO has done this in a rather clever way with a central red mech acting as the core of the build and the three other vehicles extending and adding limbs. We’ve seen many other combiner toys, including Megazords, done like this in the past.
From the images in the gallery below you can make an objective decision on the success of this idea. I personally love it even outside of the combiner mechanic. Sure it does look a little disjointed and lumpy but that captures the late 90s / early 2000s look of a lot of popular toys from that era.
In the intersection of Power Ranger fans and LEGO fans lies a lot of misery as the two have never intersected. Mega Bloks, which is known as Mega Construx in recent years, still seems to hold the licence for buildable Power Rangers toys.
As Mega Construx is a main rival to LEGO we’re not sure when, if ever, the licence will trade hands. With this in mind it’s clear to see why something like the new Ninja Ultra Combo Mech is so compelling for fans who have wanted something like it for so long.
If you’re fully on board with the credit card out you should know that, overseas, this set will cost $89.99 / £74.99 / €84.99 depending on your region when it launches on 1st January 2022.
For us in South Africa the launch date is instead 7th January where the localised price has been revealed at R1 499. It should be available in most toy stores both online and in-person, but you can view a listing for it on the LEGO store online shop here.
British pricing is the most comparable to South African pricing, especially because it includes tax, and right now £74.99 converts to around R1 563. While that does mean that the local pricing is slightly cheaper, it should be remembered that the Rand is currently in a terrible place so these kinds of conversions are difficult to properly assess.
As a final push to get more people buying this on day one, here’s another gallery this time with pictures of the four vehicles which join together to form the combiner mech, as well as some product images of the box.
Wait, this all sounds a bit familiar
A few years ago you may have read headlines about LEGO adapting a popular franchise featuring a combing, giant robot. That wasn’t Power Rangers and the Megazord, that was Voltron and, erm, Voltron.
Back in 2018 LEGO released an official set based off of Voltron that did exactly what you want it to: combine five lions into a single Voltron.
LEGO’s attempt at this, using 2 321 pieces, skips no corners and has builders make the individual lions first and then gives them instructions to put them together to form Voltron.
This doesn’t involve taking pieces apart of rebuilding any LEGO at all, simply folding and bending lion limbs until everything slots together. This is much like the Ninja Ultra Combo Mech discussed above.
This is still one of my favourite sets ever made and anyone who puts it together will have a blast, even if they’re not fans of Voltron.
Unfortunately this set is retired meaning that LEGO doesn’t official offer it for sale anymore. We’ve still seen it knocking around on shelves in stores that have some new old stock and you can find it on the odd second-hand marketplace if you look around.
Below is a video review of the set for more:
