Lately, Zoids has been pretty casual about lending its mechanized robot warriors to unexpected crossover partners. Speaking of unexpected, we sure did not see a collaboration with Mobile Police Patlabor coming.
The third collaboration entry in the SYNERGENEX lineup, joining the Xeno Rex Test Type-01 and Model-02 and the SHIELD-D-PRIME, the Zoids x Patlabor Synergenex Fangriffon is a specialized crossover kit with a design originating from the web comic titled “Zoids × Patlabor – Code Name B.U.D.D.Y.” It features the jet-black, winged Zoid from the story.
The kit is presented as such: a sleek, jet-black body with styling heavily inspired by the iconic TYPE-J9 Griffon Labor from Patlabor, mounted on a wild, beast-type Zoid frame.
It has some gimmicks, too. It features the Code: G-FANG motorized/interlocking gimmick, in which the back-mounted Twin Wind Fangs extend outward (or, as Takara Tomy puts it, “lash out”) while it walks. Very cool, and very sinister, as it should be. It is battery-powered, by a single AAA cell (not included).
Also, as with most Zoids, it boasts realistic motorized walking motion, plus it has two forms—or three if you include the skeletal form. There is the armor mode, which is the griffon creature, and it can also be assembled into the Black Fang Tiger form.
In armor mode, the wings can be posed up and down, as well as forwards and backwards, manually. In Black Fang Tiger form, it can also perform a Wild Blast, which involves the lashing out of the twin fangs. Playability is actually quite up there.
The Zoids x Patlabor Synergenex Fangriffon is to drop sometime in February 2027 for 7,700 yen [JP], tax included. Pre-orders through the official channel have closed, but you probably can pre-order it from major toy retailers around the world.
Images: Takara Tomy [JP].
