Armored Gator
Armored Gator, as the name implies, is a Technozoids take on Barigator. Often cited as one of the line's misses in contrast to cool things like Evil Pegasus, it's blinding orange and shiny tannish gold. I like blinding orange and incongruous color combinations, so this review will be biased. It's about time Armored Gator got some love.
When I say blinding orange, I mean it. This orange makes Hasbro's Gravity Saix look pale, and the only thing that comes close is the Blue Unicorn Snipe Master. Still, even Snipey doesn't quite achieve Armored Gator's level of ohgodmyeyes orange. Add in a sparkley gold-tan and you get a color combination that makes no sense. I think it's great, most people hate it. Thus, if you're after an Armored Gator, a little trolling of eBay will likely net you one, unless one of the resellers or Japanese bidders gets in your way. For some reason they dig these guys too, go figure.
Mine came built and dusty, but that was nothing a quick bath couldn't fix. Reassembly was easy enough once I figured out the side bits around the motor (isn't that always the hardest part of any good windup?), and Armored Gator proved a bit more complex than I'd have guessed, having never built a Barigator before. The coolest bit is the tail, which not only is powered by the motor, but has three separate segments, each with top and bottom armor. The only bad thing? The cockpit. Not only does the pilot escape if you look at him funny, he falls out if Armored Gator tries to bite anything. Even with a seatbelt that has got to be disconcerting.
Many Barigators and Krocs like to fall apart, I'm told, but little Armored Gator here clings stubbornly together, even in motion. Motion equals a little four-legged wobbleshuffle done while Armored Gator swishes its tail and looks horribly cute. So it's not a big fearsome gator, it would have been scarier in the days of small windups, daredevil/suicidal pilot and all.
If you don't like bright colors, stay far, far, FAR away. If you like Barigators or orange cute things, have a go at finding Armored Gator, the King of Blinding Orange.
Written May 20, 2006. Revised November 2008
