Still can't believe this line is seemingly done the same year I started it. It was a fun ride tracking down figures and riding the wave of new releases, warts and all. Really happy with the figures I have, even if some teams may never be completed. Big thanks for your rundowns because it really helped when I was going through what figures to get. Look forward to whatever is next in 2024 for the channel!
I'm honestly pretty happy with what I have for the line. With some exceptions, I like most of the figures even with their flaws. You're welcome! I love doing the Rundown series for that reason. Lots of cool stuff to come in 2024 on the channel!
Tbh, I feel like Hasbro is using this hiatus to quietly shop Power Rangers to another suitor. Like you said it wasn't Hasbro that wanted Power Rangers, the late CEO wanted it as he loved the series. Now that he's passed away we saw the steep decline in Hasbro being interested in the series. Look at how they did the anniversary year. This should have been the year of Power Rangers. We should have gotten ZAP projects of zords that could use it. I think they're weighing their options. Have they ever sent a popular series to hiatus and gutted it's development team? I think they're planning to sell the series. Sell it back to Saban or sell it to Bandai, sell it to a company that will treat this legendary series like it should.
I agree. I feel they don’t care at all to be honest whether the PR franchise succeeds or fails! It still makes them crazy $$$ either way. Someone needs to buy the franchise and mold it into what the fans want it to look and be like. It would be priceless at that point, but what do I know. I’ve only been a fan since I was 5 and I’m a grown man at present.
Bro they treated the 30th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises like an after thought. They hosted Marvel and Star Wars stuff during the month that should have been PR. They gutted the TV studio side, they barely had a toyline for the newest show, they put it on hiatus during it's biggest year. If that's not disrespect idk what is.
Today Big Bad Toy Store cancelled the pre-orders for the remastered Red and Green Rangers. I held out hope that those orders would be fulfilled and nothing. I immediately went on Ebay and paid double for the Red Ranger and now I'm just missing Green. What a metaphorical kick in the nards by Hasbro. Like you said, how can a toy company not be able to provide toys, and especially ones that already got made. These figures do exist in the wild, some made it to store shelves, but some online retailers were left waiting until they finally got definitive confirmation that they weren't getting them, so they cancelled. I live in Puerto Rico and at least in my immediate area, I don't have the luxury of finding these toys in stores because they haven't stocked Lightning Collection in years, probably because the ones they did get didn't sell, because they weren't MMPR, so of course Walmart won't waste shelf space on stock that doesn't sell. And Target doesn't even exist on the island, so online's my only option, and again, Hasbro just left those places high-and-dry. F@$k Chris Cocks.
I really liked this line at the beginning. Especially because I could buy the figures for $24.99 CAD which is quite a bit lower than what the price for other Hasbro lines at the time like Black Series and Legends which was $29.99 CAD. This made me for accepting of whatever QC issues and slip ups some figures had. However, this all changed once the price hikes came in and the figures jumped from $24.99 to $35.99-$36.99. At that point I pretty much stopped collecting the line entirely unless I found them on clearance or it was a figure I really needed to complete a favorite team of mine. Now that I have my favorite teams done I just can't see myself collecting beyond what I have anymore. Not unless Hasbro comes back with figures that are actually worth what I'm paying, if not, I'm very likely done. Which is real sad cause I love PR and Sentai but Bandai and SHF is putting out so much cool stuff that I'd rather throw my money at.
If I was in charge, similarly to how you’d put not-so-popular teams in an all-in-one, I’d put the girl figures in 2-packs with combined weapons and other goodies & maybe some “our bads” (i.e. Rocky’s Zeo tonfas) since they also have trouble selling.
That’s not a bad idea. As much as the fans do want the female characters and its good for the line to have them, the reality of how they sell at retail is undeniable
I vote that Hasbro hires you as the new head VP of the PR franchise and its counterpart divisions. You’re hired 1000% and have full decision making, hiring, and firing control! Move over and take a seat Hasbro corporate leadership….let the main man show you how it’s done by simply giving him the reins and allowing more control towards how the fans expect it and want it to be done. You all @ Hasbro should do this immediately as I’m sure your stakeholders including yourselves will not only be systematically better off, but financially enriched beyond your wildest dreams…..on second thought, they aren’t that intuitive or competent to do anything close to that kind of decision making and success! Good video pal. Well done! Happy New Year!
Wave 14/15 were basically Comics & Cocktails exclusive for me in the UK which was actually a blessing because despite being imports I actually got them which is a plus but more importantly they pre-checked them so they were fantastic. Now to wait for the Omegas which were definitely not coming out over here until Hasbro was bullied into it and was nearly a Pulse Con compatition exclusive.
I think it's a bit surprising that with Lightning Collection on hiatus until Hasbro is ready to do new stuff with the franchise, that we're ending without a possible Forever Red display for collectors, since we just needed Carter/Lightspeed Red, Eric/Quantum Ranger, and Cole/Wild Force Red before they decided to go on halt with the franchise. Granted, if remastered MMPR Red is any indication and if the leaks were true, they would have done Wild Force Red without a Cole head and/or have be it a special release where it'd be left out, which would have been fair all things considered with Rick Medina. Still, even with how no one saw the pandemic coming and affecting everything, the change in factory which helped lead to QC issues, and the eventual halt of the franchise, I think it could have been possible, even if you had to relegate a couple of the Reds to be special releases as they did just so the main waves weren't always guaranteed to feature a red Ranger every time and leave it that spot for a sixth ranger or main villian to take, but that's just my thought.
I'm actually excited that you'll be focusing more on sentai/toku videos this upcoming year. I have a lot of nostalgia for power rangers (especially the early teams) but in the last few years I've gotten really into sentai and Kamen Rider I know what you mean about the qc problems too. I think I had 3 LC figures (also some Indy figures) with missing accessories. To their credit hasbro customer service was decent about sending replacements
I have VERY SPECIFIC thoughts about how a Power Rangers toy line should be handled. Like you said, the characters are teams based. Therefore, the releases need to be planned out around those teams. I've gone so far down the rabbit hole to figure this out I legit might make a second youtube channel centered around toys in order to talk about it. The general rules fueling my thoughts are: In every wave, 2 figures must be from Saban era (1993-2002), 2 figures must be from post-Saban era (2003-present). The Saban era is without a doubt the most popular era, and this ensures there's always something in a wave that people will want to buy. But you also can't blow through most of your good teams in the first three years (oh wait...). Once a team is started, must complete core team + main villain + foot soldier/army builder before moving on from that team. (You can't release teams without someone for them to fight.) Main villain and foot soldier do not have to be main wave releases (deluxe, 2 pack, etc). At least one fan channel comics wave per year. I have more detailed thoughts that I'll share if I ever get around to making this video. I'm even figuring out deluxe releases, anniversary releases, re-releases, etc. I'm just doing this in my spare time on nights and weekends. It only took me a couple of weeks to figure out the general blueprint and most of the Saban era team releases. Even if just two Hasbro employees sat down for a two weeks, they could have easily mapped out a decade of Lightning Collection releases.
I have faith that the lightning collection will comeback in 2024 or 2025 because we have so many teams incomplete. Wild and Time Force, lightspeed rescue, Turbo and RPM. Im sure hasbro is aware still
Honestly I'm not too upset that the monsters are bigger than the rangers, and I started this year collecting the monsters I'm not really doing the rangers. Maybe would be cool see them a little smaller so they can fit around other kaiju or Super Sentai. But I think the big ones still work pretty well. I do hope they continue the monster line whenever they return. Btw question for anyone who cares to answer what is your favorite villain / monsters they have released and I'm also counting the army builders. Mine has to be a mix between pumpkin rapper and pudgy Piggy
If we ever get a Chameliac monster figure in the lightning collection, hasbro could be smart and giving him the quazar saber of Maya, sure in the go episode he uses red's but it is a way tog et something idk like give him the 5 saber and color swaps for the visor on his head for a fun gimmick they just need to be creative. Since the monsters don't seem to have a problem of having multiple accessories, Pumpkin rapper being the best example of it.
If I were to bring it back, each wave would be a whole team box set fan channel exclusive, that team's Red and Sixth Ranger, an MMPR (monster, civilian, update, whatever) and maybe a comic-related figure to help grow the franchise. That would get about 20 waves--four waves a year, over five years. There's no point in Megazords (the ROI isn't there), but the morphers could bring in some money. Role-play weapons outside of MMPR would be Haslab.
I think part of it too is that with the TV show having ended with Cosmic Fury, Hasbro is less inclined to continue to produce Power Rangers toys until whatever the new Power Rangers TV show is going to end up being. I also think you're right about Hasbro not having a plan, because I remember when Bandai announced the Legacy Collection eleven years ago, just as Super Samurai was ending and Megaforce was about to start, and they had a plan. It may have been too Mighty Morphin heavy given that we barely made it out of the Mighty Morphin era before Hasbro took over, but we could see that they had a plan, and when fans were dissatisfied with something, Bandai listened to us and addressed those problems. On the TV side of things, Hasbro feels very much like Disney towards the end of the 2000s where they were almost annoyed that Power Rangers was a thing they were still having to deal with.
I agree! In fact, Disney is a good comparison. Michael Eisner made the Fox Family purchase that got them PR, and when Bob Iger became CEO, it started to feel like they no longer cared about it
@@Soundout12 Exactly! But, it does seem like history is always repeating itself when it comes to Power Rangers. Even PR's acquisition by Hasbro happened only a few years short of the 20th anniversary of Disney's acquisition of it.
The Lightning Collection was a dream line for me as a Marvel Legends fan and I'm sad to see it be done, at least for now. I stopped collecting the line along with Legends because of space issues and QC problems (especially in 2022) that discouraged me from getting back into them again. I saw hope in 2023 in both LC and ML and wanted to start collecting them again but it almost broke my heart to hear that LC is over. In the meantime I'll still focus on getting more ML figures in the future cuz at least that line still seems to be going well despite everything going on with Hasbro rn lol
Always enjoy the Lighting Collection rundown videos. I'm happy a few more teams were completed before the hiatus, but it is a shame 2024 will be a slow year for Ranger fans.
It’s sad the line, and I guess the brand as a whole, is gone for now. It sucks to see but it’s better they take a hiatus to figure out what they want to do with it as a whole. I would come out with multiple ways to get figures again. That’s just for me as I’m not a completionist when it comes to teams but would still love for people who are to have an easy way of completing the teams. I would also do accessory packs for anything extra, like have a pack for lost galaxy with the other launchers and trans dagger forms. I would also do other forms of the rangers, which is interesting they never got to. Like the battlizers, or super forms like SPD SWAT mode. Again, I think it might be good for a refresh with this break. I mean there hasn’t been an actual break I think ever in the brand. Sure we had the re-edit of MMPR with its own toy line but outside of that it’s been consistent. It’s sad that it has to happen in the 30th anniversary.
I think I remember the last time the last time I was watching one of your videos I asked if you'd be up to rank the seasons that haven't gotten a figure in the lightning collection on the basis of like which one you want most and most likely for Hasbro to do but now the line is ending and I don't see that happening anytime soon I guess my question to you is would you still be up to do that cuz I remember you saying you added it to the list but just wanted to get your thoughts once again
Hasbro, please re-release Dino Thunder White and MMPR Green with the arm bands and Shield! I have every season 1 ranger from the original run except Green and every Dino Thunder Ranger except White!
@@gundambassexe31 Screen actor actually. Masashi Taniguchi was Nagare/GoBlue, Jin/Amazon Alpha and Future Decker He was also Bacht/Kamen Rider Flachion but I don’t have a figure of him
Yeah I agree this it just feels like when it comes to Power Rangers Hasbro was afraid to Compete with the Massive Anniversaries of both Disney and WB Warner Brothers they both just had each of their own individual 100th Anniversaries this Past Year of 2023. So that is why they did even bother trying for Power Rangers as to them kids would be more interested in Disney this year especially and not Power Rangers, and so that is why they didn't even seem to try. And aside from that it also just seems obvious all of these QC Issues as of late are Motivated by Simple Greed, as they know that the Power Rangers Fans the Old ones Specially would be welling to Shell out more money just to buy that Slightly Better Figure or Roleplay Item or whatever. I don't know what their excuse would be if any, going in to 2024 and beyond. And as for what I want from them I just want them to at least make it look like they are trying, and to make it not feel like are just after our money. As for the Waves Themselves it be nice if they devote each Wave to a Specific Team and I also want then not just Focused on the Rangers but also start focusing on the Zords and Megazords as well for their Lightening Collection. It's Really Unfortunate that the Lightening Collection had Turned out this way, as I could Remember being so Blown Away by the Lightening Collection when they First Revealed their Power Rangers Line for the first time from Way Back when. And I also Believe that Because of it , it was really tough act for them to fallow up on. as they where trying to Out do the Legacy Lind from Bandie, and over time probably seeing their sales was not where they where hoping they be they just simply gave up. To them it's like having this Amazing and Mind Blowing Trailer for this New Show that it sets the Bar, but as soon as the Pilot Episode was air it wasn't as Mind Blowing as the Trailer has made it out be, in fact with each passing episode the viewership for the show has been dropping more and more. And so to them there's just simply no point in continuing that show that Toy Line and IP, So to them what's the point? According to them, at least for the foreseeable future. I hope I didn't come off as All Over the Place in this Comment? Because I kind of feel that way wit this Comment?
Hasbro is most likely taking a break to fix the figures and then re-release them. Bandai had put DBZ Dragon Stars on hiatus I think a couple of years ago those figures quality was big a hit or miss. Lol!
Im honestly scared for new releases. The quality of the newer waves is so bad. I wasn't aware of that because I just started collecting. When I opened my turbo red and time force blue... I was like "what the hell is this?". I immediately felt the difference just by holding them. Im not even interested in RPM and lightspeed right now because of that change in QC. If the collection comes back, it needs to be better.
:( I cant believe I had all these fantasies of kat, titanium etc. ALL I NEED IS A RE RELEASE OF THE MASTER MORPHER its literally like 6x price on ebay 😢😭
Shocking lightning collection is no.more hope we get more in 2024 under a new name either that or rely on sentai figuarts or sodo figures premium Bandai either or
This line will never be finished. I know for a fact we won't get Wild Force red, because people can't get over his record. I saw the Adam black ranger figure for $24. Doesn't come with the axe, comes with a stereotypical sci-fi gun because hasbro doesn't wanna sell guns with toys anymore. You'll never see Overdrive cause they all sucked, no mystic force cause those capes will be too expensive, no jungle fury, no samurai(cause it sucked) no Super Duper God Master Megaforce go(they also sucked) no Turbo and no Zeo. And you'll never get any iconic monsters from any of them either.
The worst products have to be the zords !! With the exception of the Astro megazord the Bandai legacy zords are far better than hasbros zap megazord and dragonzord, also they were much cheaper to buy I live in the UK and remember getting the legacy zords for £80 and £60 the zap zords are £100 and some !!!
@@Soundout12 You think it has to do with Jason David Frank's absence? Maybe they had plans for him with the toy line up and other key roles within the entertainment industry like shows and videogames. Maybe they're taking a step back on these things or having trouble with their competitors like Foitnite (I hate that game. I think it's one of the major factors on the way things are with the toy and videogame industry, including TV shows).
Also my ideal revival line(I would do 7 figures for each but I will only do 7 waves for now) Wave 16 -beast Morphers silver -Dino fury gold -Dino fury black -koragg -Dino charge dark/talon ranger(he would come with a helmet with the red stripe helmet to represent the comics and deathryuger and a kyoryu Navi one for cosmic fury) Wave 17 -Dino fury pink -SPD cat ranger -Dino charge purple(Kendall) -zeltrax -mystic force red -lord drakkon evo 1 Wave 18 -Dino charge aqua ranger -venjix final form -hyperforce yellow -rpm gold and silver 2 pack -masked rider(yeah characters that they crossovers with in tv) -ninjor -Ivan ooze Wave 19 -Goldar Maximus -snide(with his weapons from both Dino charge and beast morphers) -Roxy yellow -scrozzle -void knight -time force black -quantum ranger Wave 20 -cosmic fury Zedd ranger(what I call evil ollie) -mordant -master Zedd -darkanda -venjix red form(forgot what it’s called) -hyperforce red -ninja steel red(mick) Wave 21 -2017 movie rangers 5 pack -wild force yellow -Dino charge silver -jungle fury wolf ranger -cosmic fury zenith -light speed red -titanium ranger Wave 22 -Rpm red -samurai gold -Robo blaze -Robo knight -mesagog final form -green ninja storm ranger -monster scorpina
It is officially dead they off loaded to playmates to make the toys with hasbro still doing other types of merch and media rip lightning collection let hope playmates does PR right when it comes to the role play collector stuff