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Microman Magne Power

055 Giant Acroyer (9/1999)

  

Magne Microman

1999 Microman Magne Power Series

 

Series 1 - Winter 1998

Magne Power Microman
The debut series for the new Microman line. The initial wave consisted of basic figures and deluxe magnemo toys. 

 

Series 2 - Spring 1999

Magne Titan
Second series added more magnemo toys and introduced the Titans.

 

Series 3 - Summer 1999

Super Microman

The line greatly expanded to include Microman base, new Microman figures and two large size Robotman toys.

 

Magne Power Exclusive

Limited Editions
Magne series line-up also included several exclusives and limited edition figures and toys.

 

2000 Microman LED Powers Series

 

Series 4 - Winter 1999

Laser Microman
Takara introduced a scaled down follow up series with new figures and new light-up gimmicks. 

 

Series 5 - Summer 2000

Secret Breaster
Second LED series consisted of repaint figures and more reused mold from the Transformers.

 

Series 6 - Fall 2000

Shining Tector
The last of the new Microman series again consisted mostly of redeco figures and recycled toys from the Transformers series.

 

LED Powers Exclusive

Limited Editions

Takara continued with more exclusives and limited edition toys for the LED series.

Package

055 Giant Acroyer came package in large full color box. The box had die-cut design with foil background. The back of the package show the cool interchangeability aspect of the toys using the "Magnemo" feature.

 

"The Giant"

 

Giant Acroyer was the last effort by the Ardens to take over Earth. The body of Giant Acroyer can withstand all types of attacks and it's destructive power was unknown. The body can be separated into three separate units - Acro-Alpha, Acro-Beta and Acro-Gamma.

 

Exported Microman

Korean Magne Power Microman

Mange Powers Microman anime was exported to Korea between 2001-2002. Licensed version of various Magne Power toys were produced and sold in Korea by Sonokong Co. Korean versions of Magne Power toys were nearly identical to the Japanese versions with only minor differences in some of the paint applications. Korean Microman toy came packaged in box instead of blister card.

Not all of the Magne Series toys were sold in the Korea, notably absented from the line-up were the Acroyear figures and the much sought after Super Microman and Magne Arden. However, all the large size toys including Micro Station, Robotman D & E, Giant Acroyear and even some of the larger playset from LED Power series (Micro Trailer and Micro Rocket base).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In September of 1999, Takara released the last trio of the Magne Power Microman toys. The last three toys were all large size robots including the two new Robotman robots (053 Dean and 054 Endeavor) and new Acroyer robot called Giant Acroyer (055) as a homage to the old Giant Acroyear from 1970's Microman series. The new Giant Acroyer however had very little in common with the original version. 055 Giant Acroyer, like the two Robotman D & E, was also based on the magnetic "Magnemo" mechanism. The joints were made from metal balls and sockets. Giant Acroyer was the largest Acroyer toys released for the Magne line and stood nearly 10" in height when in combine mode. While the overall design of Giant Acroyer was quite attractive with bright colors and several chrome and clear parts not to mention many references to the old Giant Acroyear design. The problems however was the excessive parts and accessories which made the already cumbersome toy even more busy looking. Another problem with the toy was the magnetic joints and the added weight that came with the feature. The magnet was just simply too weak to hold up the heavy parts and the figure suffer a major stability problem.  It seem toward the end of the Magne line Takara was throwing everything at the series to see what would work and the Giant Acroyer design (along with Dean and Endeavor) seem to reflex the series direction or lack there of. The figure was one jumble of parts and gimmicks. Sometime, more is not more and Giant Acroyer is the case in point. Not to sound negative as the toy do have many good point such as cool pilot seat for Arden figure and the ability to break apart into three separate smaller figures. These three small figures (Acro-Alpha, Acro-Beta and Acro-Gamma) in many ways were better toys than the sum of their parts that made Giant Acroyer. 

 

ACRO-ALPHA

Acro-Alpha was humanoid shape robot made from the head and chest section of Giant Acroyer. The robot clearly had the insect look and remind me a lot of the Insecticon robots from Diaclone (and Transformers) Alpha body connection were all made from Magnemo joints and he made a very cool small insectoid "Magnemo" style figure.

ACRO-BETA

Prelude to Bey-Blade?

 

The two shoulder disc shape parts also double as spinning top using the sword as "rip-cord". The top had metal surface on top so Mange power figure with magnetic feet can stand on the top.

Acro-Beta was the second figure that form Giant Acroyer. Beta looked a lot like the old Micro Robot-1 from 1970's series completed with (fake) tank tread feet, drill and claw arm. The head was also clearly a homage to the Micro Robot. Beta mainly came from one of the shoulder of Giant Acroyer with the rest of his body parts came from the various mechanical arms that attach to the shoulder wheel.

ACRO-GAMMA

Acro-Gamma was the last of the robots that made up Giant Acroyer. Gamma was the largest of the three with the main parts came from the pelvic and the leg sections. Gamma was quad-pedal design with the shoulder wheel disc as body and the cockpit section became the robot head. Gamma had no real arms but instead the two missiles launchers form the "arms" for the robot. Beside forming the Giant Acroyer, the three robots can combine with one another to form almost limitless combination (especially when combine with other magnemo toys from the series such as Robotman A, B, C and the Acro-Monster). The back of the box showed several combinations that can be made and this feature of the toy really made this Giant Acroyer worth picking up as its really took the line back to its original root of interchangeability.