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So...all OJR Zoids come with those little 1/72 scale gold or silver Mindrider pilot figures, right? Wrongo! In 1987, just after the release of Deathsaurer the previous year, Tomy took Zoids on a brief tangent with the introduction of the 24-Scale units. The introduction of these units did not interrupt the ongoing Battle Story of the Helic and Zenebas conflict, but for at least a year they occupied center stage in the Zoids saga.
Perhaps one of the more interesting new things accompanying the arrival of the 24-Scale units was the unique pilot figure included with each unit. While some of the pilots share body components with other pilots (just molded in different colors), most had at least some unique feature that set them apart from the other pilots. This was a stark contrast to the generic 1/72 Mindrider. Unfortunately, Tomy never made any sets of 24-Scale ground troopers available to complement the Zoid crews.
In recent years, 24-Scale Zoids were some of the most highly sought-after by vintage Zoids collectors, commanding relatively high prices at auctions online. One of the reasons for that was a lack of any plans by Tomy for widespread re-releases as part of the current Japanese Zoids line. But Tomy eventually caved in and re-released several of the original 24-Scale kits, beginning in 2003. The first re-release was a straight reissue of the Deathpion, through Toys Dream Project (albeit in a black-and-white box). Toys Dream Project went on to re-release the Helic Neptune and Battlerover...but Megatopros and Sandspeeda didn't make the cut before low demand killed further 24-Scale re-releases from them. In 2004, all of the original Zenebas 24-Scale units were re-released by Tomy via the Panzer Tier series from Wave Corporation. While the Panzer Tier kits were essentially straight re-releases (from a color standpoint), most of the kits featured the gorgeous box art from the old Zevle series by Yoshiyuki Takani. Artist Kow Yokoyama contributed box art for the Dontress, and applied digital touch-ups to Takani's Zevle images to match the original Zoids colors). Yokoyama also designed new fixed-pose, highly detailed, realistically-sculpted 1:20 scale pilots for each Zoid (but the origial jointed 1:24 scale pilot was also included with the kit). The Panzer Tier series didn't sell well, though, apparently...so plans beyond the five kits released were killed. And thus ended the latest chapter in the saga of 24-Scale Zoids. So...will there be any new 24-Scale designs? Unknown. If the demand is there, chances are Tomy will pursue it. Given the current direction of Zoids and the apparent low demand for 24-Scale units by the current crop of Zoids fans in Japan, however, a widespread return of 24-Scale units remains unlikely. Ah well...at least we've got what we've got, ne? =8^) Zoids Listing To see the Zoid of your choice, please click on its name in the list below. If there is no link, or the link isn't active, well...that means I'm still working to get the page posted. Please check back from time to time for more additions. PLEASE NOTE: These pages are best viewed by setting your web browser to the "Full Screen" mode.
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The 24-Scale units were an interesting departure from the prevailing current (at the time) design themes common among the 1/72 units, but were still unmistakably Zoids. As with the 1/72 designs, the 24-Scale Zoids shared design themes amongst themselves. Helic units were easily identified via their gunmetal color frames and transparent blue armor. Zenebas units were earmarked by their white armor, and transparent bright blue sensor lenses. As a whole, though, all the 24-Scale Zoids had a slicker, more streamlined exterior look than their 1/72 contemporaries. From a basic mechanical design/operation standpoint, some 24-Scale designs (Gorem, Shotwalker, Neptune), were very similar to pre-existing 1/72 scale designs (Iron Kong, Garantulas, Barigator), but some were new (Roadskipper, Battlerover) and some were radically new (Deathpion, Sandspeeda). 
My one big unanswered question about 24-Scale Zoids is: Why the shift in Zoid designs to 24-Scale? Was it intended as a harbinger of an overall shift in Zoid designs to take the entire line to 24-Scale? Was the intent to bring a more human face to the line in the form of poseable action figures as pilots? Or was it to carry one portion of the ongoing Battle Story to the next phase of the line's evolution, then go away? And why DID they go away before the OJR line met its own untimely demise? Many unanswered questions, there are... =8^D
