HomeLeoblaze (Zoids Blox line)
Leoblaze is one of the first Zoids in the new "Blox" line, and being a cat, he was the one I decided to get to test them out. If you're not familiar with them, they're Zoids that use square "Blox" pieces with holes, various connectors, and so on to form critters. You can also take them apart and make them into weapons for regular Zoids, or combine them in different ways and such. I've seen them compared to Lego, and I do see a bit of building toy-ness in them. I believe they've started to hit the US under the name "Z-Builders" or some such...
The new Blox have different-looking boxes, with a CG-ish version of the Zoid on the front, and diorama pics elsewhere. Leoblaze's is pretty neat...I admit it, I think Strike Laser Claw looks really cool (shinyyy...), and it can use it. Leoblaze looks like an odd blocky mini-Liger in some ways, with his head more Blade than Zero. The box had more typical-looking parts, along with a sprue full of connectors, and a piece for pulling them out of blox, which might come in handy. Instead of the caps that usually come with Zoids, Leoblaze comes with what are like a cross between caps and joints, which are used to give it the huge range of articulation it has. Leoblaze was easy to assemble...basically, stick a few bits together for the legs, head, and so on, stick the five blox together, and stick the parts on them. The silver blox are apparently the Zoid Core ones, which would explain why all the Blox Zoids seem to have one. p> I know some people don't like Blox, but I rather like Leoblaze for what it is. It's very expressive-it can tilt his head to the side in that 'contemplative/curious animal' pose, for example. The blocks do get loose at some connector things, which is annoying, but at least they can be easily stuck back together. I worry a bit about them getting loose over time, but that's the plague of all articulated things. I picture Blox Zoids being designed as a system that would allow for quick replacement of parts/weapons on a Zoid while caring less about how they looked, and would be really agile in combat, if not very strong...
I like Leoblaze enough that I might buy another smaller Blox or two...maybe Unenlagia, Buster Eagle, or that Leo Striker thing when it's released. I don't think I'd buy one of the expensive sets like Matrix Dragon, as much as I want a blue Leoblaze :p...