Battle of the Planets...

Many years ago, I used to watch Battle of the Planets on broadcast TV...

Planet Spectra's evil leaders have targeted Earth along with all of the members of the Federation of Peaceful Planets. Their goal? Nothing short of enslaving these planets and capturing all of their natural resources for their own dying world! The Luminous One and Zoltar will stop at nothing to cause as much fear and destruction as possible.

Fortunately for the galaxy, G-Force is ready for them - Mark, Jason, Princess, Keyop, and Tiny are on duty to protect everyone from hostile enemy invasion attempts. This team of five powerful youngsters is the primary force on-hand to stop Spectra and its allies.

G-Force has to be on constant alert, since Spectra's latest attack is likely to occur with absolutely no warning. The team is always ready and can be counted on to take off at a moment's notice to the other side of the planet, or to the most distant corners of the galaxy.

Volume 1
Attack of the Space Terrapin
Center Neptune, a world defense base, lies of the West Coast. 900 fathoms beneath the surface of the ocean. There, the precious Vitaluman is mined, an amazing ore that renews the depleted soil of Earth and the other planets, and without which, all life would cease to exist. Guarding the base against attack is the invincible, transmutable G-Force: Keyop, Jason, Princess, Tiny, Mark and 7-Zark-7 - their robotic protector. When Zark's scanners pick up a radio-controlled attack monster from Spectra heading for one of the Vitaluman vaults, he's baffled. Why would anyone want to steal something that's given away for free ? The answer, of course, is Zoltar, who wants to control it, and thereby, the universe. And so begin the cataclysmic Battle of the Planets, with the entire galaxy hanging in the balance.

Rescue of the Astronauts
Two astronauts find startling evidence of giant alien bases, underwater on Mars. Returning from their top-secret mission, they mysteriously disappear on re-entry. 7-Zark-7 calls in the G-Force. Their assignment: recue the astronauts and get the taped evidence. Only problem, the astronauts have been hijacked by aliens who don't want anyone to know about their bases, and Zoltar is their leader! G-Force locates their huge underwater headquarters and Mark transmutes into a diver to gain access. Zoltar's aliens attack with drill-like precision, finally ordering Mark to surrender or never see the astronauts again. Now the G-Force Fiery Phoenix is the only thing that stands between Mark and oblivion.

Volume 2
The Space Mummy
7-Zark-7 discovers a new planet, much like Earth, hiding behind Venus and it is named Zarkadia after himself. Lately, mysterious plane crashes have been occurring there and G-Force is sent to investigate. But when Mark reaches the crash site, he's attacked by a colossal space mummy powered by Plutonium X. A new synthetic mineral, Anti-Pluton, is the only defense against it. Mark meets the inventor of Anti-Pluton, and he agrees to help. But Zoltar himself, disguised as the boy's father, returns to wreak havoc and launch an all out assult on Zarkadia with help from the invincible space mummy.

The Space Serpent
Something is out there and it's approaching Earth: something massive enough to affect the movement of the stars it passes. Could it be another Spectra attack ? It is, and this time Zoltar has outdone himself. He's commissioned a huge space serpent with an insatiable appetite for crude oil. It attacks Earth's oil refineries from underground, causing major earthquakes and upheavals. Mark's old friend, a famous seismologist, is lost in a quake and the doctor's daughter, Debbie, blames Mark. Now Mark takes it on himself to avenge his friend's death, but the battle won't be easy: blow the serpent apart and it quickly reassembles. Has Zoltar finally won ? Will G-Force have to use their ultimate secret weapon ?

Volume 3
Ghost Ship of Planet Mir
G-Force's vacation is interrupted when 7-Zark-7 discovers that the deposed ruler of the Planet Mir has joined forces with Zoltar to destroy Mir's new energy and food supply center. Mark and his friends immediately board the Phoenix and set off for this distant planet. Upon arrival they detect a strange submarine in Mir's ocean and fly the Phoenix under water to investigate. What the crew does not realize is that they have just entered one of Zoltar's traps.

Big Robot Gold Grab
The sinister forces of Spectra have sent a submarine robot to steal all of the galaxy's gold in the Intergalactic Federation Bank. Without this gold, the entire universe's economy will collapse and Zoltar will be able to take control. G-Force is called in and sent to the Playa Archipelago Island; the last place the submarine robot was seen. Mark, Keyop, and Princess begin exploring the island on foot and are soon captured by Zoltar's men.

Volume 4
Ace From Outer Space
7-Zark-7 has designed a new spacecraft, the XF-97, for the annual airshow and Mark has agreed tq give it its test flight. While putting the new ship through its paces, he gets buzzed by an old bi-plane piloted, by Captain Doom from the planet Urgos. He's caught in a sky battle with Doom and his laser whip. Mark tries to avoid the whip but is soon hit and his plane is forced into the ocean. Then Captain Doom destroys all of tbe new planes in the airshow, transforms his bi-plane into a rocket and blasts into outer space. It's now up-to G-Force to find the secret needed to destroy Doom's indestructible plane.

The Fearful Sea Anemone
A new secret G-Force submarine base is being built in Galaxy 30 and Spectra has learned of its existence. Zoltar has launched a Sea Anemone Sub to locate the base and destroy it. 7-Zark-7 has received a red alert and G-Force has been called in to investigate the situation.

Volume 5
The Jupiter Moon Menace
At Center Neptune, 7-Zark-7 detects strange seismic soundings and bursts of light like solar flares coming from the vicinity of Calisto, one of planet Jupiter's twelve moons. It could mean trouble, and trouble usually means Zoltar, evil ruler of the planet Spectra. This time, Zoltar has made a powerful ally of Commander Typhon, whose formidable weapon, the Scorpion, has launched a relentless meteor shower at Earth. G-Force soars to the outer limits of the galaxy on a desperate mission to intercept the meteors. But can they stop the world from burning to a crisp?

A Swarm of Robot Ants
Zark's long-range probes plck up a large swarm of small insects coming from deep space and on a collision course with Earth. How effective can G-Force's weapons be against billions and billions of invading space creatures? Jason suggests flooding them out and his plan seems to work. But after examining one of the specimens, they find the space ants are powered by tiny turbo engines. They're not ants, but an army of robotic insects. And they're not from Spectra. They've been unleash by the distant planet Trimulus. Now G-Force has a powerful new enemy and their weapons may be powerless against it!

Volume 6
Space Rocket Escort
A new fighter, the FY9, has been built for Earth's sister planet Riga. Specially trained pilots fly there, with G-Force flying escort. Unknown to anyone, the pilots are from Spectra and once in deep space, they hijack the craft and head, not to Riga, but Spectra where Zoltar is waiting. They jam all communications channels to keep G-Force unaware of their actions until they can trap the G-Force Phoenix in the FY9's powerful tractor beam. They then steer in on a collision course with an active volcano and an explosive fight for survival suddenly erupts!

Beast With A Sweet Tooth
In the Dominican Republic, a peaceful sugar cane plantation is suddenly attacked by a gigantic robotic beetle that inhales all the sugar cane in its path. The insatiable bug sucks up crop after crop until the fields are ravaged. It then moves on destroying sugar crops all around the world, depleting a major source of the Earth's energy and creating a major sugar shortage. Jason suspects it's the work of Planet Spectra and he's right. They've set up a secret Earth base controlled by Zoltar. Can G-Force find him and drill his sweet tooth before the world decays? One thing's for sure: victory will be sweet.

Ultimate DVD Box Set

Perilous Pleasure Cruise
A Spectra walrus monster attacks the cruise ship Starfire in the North Atlantic. Onboard the boat are Professor Wilde and his young granddaughter, Angie. Zoltar forces the Professor to reveal a new organ-regeneration formula he's been working on, then the Spectran leader threatens to test its efficiency on Angie!

The Thing with 1,000 Eyes
People are vanishing on planet Riga, and when a federation recon team also disappears there, Chief Anderson sends G-Force in. A new form of life created by Spectra has been terrorizing the planet. Traditional explosives only split it into stronger pieces, so G-Force has to find another way to defeat this threat!

Microfilm Mystery
7-Zark-7 is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the computerized robot Metamorphosis One, which will act both as Zark's assistant and as the master computer for Center Neptune. Meanwhile, the Luminous One sets out to capture this new machine once he learns it contains a complete set of microfilm blueprints for all of Center Neptune's computers!

The Alien Beetles
Keyop's new pet beetle is a Spectra machine! As he sleeps, the beetle grows, captures Keyop, and flies off with him. The Luminous One and Zoltar have captured Keyop and other boys in these beetle machines in order to use their energy as a power source to save their dying planet, Spectra.

A Whale Joins G-Force
Keyop saves the life of a baby whale from a huge Spectran shark-like weapon that has destroyed fuel refineries and killed the baby whale's mother. The whale, which Keyop names Nambu, agrees to help G-force track down the machine.

Mad New Ruler Of Spectra
The Luminous One kidnaps Professor Hugo Doriarity to get his new cyborg formula. The Professor agrees to reveal it if he can then rule the planet Spectra, but Doriarity is betrayed. The Luminous One intends to send Doriarity's cyborg horses to destroy Earth's nuclear power plants.

The Sea Dragon
G-Force is sent to the planet Aquatica, where they do battle with Spectra's Sea Dragon. The team gets an unexpected shock when the Sea Dragon is able to defeat their powerful Fiery Phoenix! 7-Zark-7 and Chief Anderson take things to the opposite extreme in order to give G-force a second chance to defeat the deadly robot.

Magnetic Attraction
A black and perfectly round spaceship descends on Center City, and Earth's defenses are powerless against it. Hit missiles and attacks bounce harmlessly off its hull. Mark is wary of the sphere and does not want to risk G-Force, but Zark, Chief Anderson, and the Federation order them to confront the machine.

The Musical Mummy
Scientists at the Intergalactic Research Lab have been disappearing, and Mark is assigned to protect Professor Walter Lambert. He chases Spectrans trying to steal plans for Lambert's Electro-Dynamic Force Field and follows them to a nearby amusement park, where they disappear. Does the park have a Spectra connection?

The Fiery Lava Giant
Zoltar is ordered to capture the Space Island asteroid, and he uses a terrifying lava giant to attempt it. The giant's face matches one that is being sculpted on Monument Mountain by a young girl named Amelia, and Jason suspects she's helping Spectra. But Princess knows Amelia and is sure she's innocent.

The Bat-Ray Bombers
Tiny falls asleep on the Phoenix and fails to answer Mark's call to duty. Because of this, he gets suspended from G-Force. He returns to his old coastal home city only to find that a mysterious sea creature is terrorizing its citizens. Tiny decides to redeem himself by facing the threat alone.

Race Against Disaster
Jason and the rest of G-Force travel to Africa so he can take part in the African 9,000 Mile Obstacle Race. The race requires two drivers per car, and Jason is teamed with a woman named Lucy, whom he has raced against in the past. Strangely though, she has brought a rifle along with her, almost as if she's expecting trouble along the way!

Gatchaman

The GATCHAMAN are back, big time! GATCHAMAN has been revamped for the nineties, stylish and more dynamic than ever. The new GATCHAMAN OVA's (3 volumes in total) manage to modernize the characters, without compromising the design of the original series. Here are all your favorites - Ken, Joe, June, Rock and Jimmy - with a great new look and killer attitude.

Volume 1
An enormous dragon-shaped warship decimates a city with searing plasma beams and giant robotic arms. Its target: The Mantel Plan, a network unifying the World's energy resources. As the sinister ship heads for its next target, a brave team of specialists rise to the rescue... the GATCHAMAN! Piloting their prized ship, the Phoenix, the GATCHAMAN launch their counterattack. But once inside the enemy's mammoth ship, they come face to face with the Gallacter's entire army of assassins. It's five against thousands in a fierce, fast-action battle to save the Planet.

Volume 2
While cruising near a strange island, a submarine is vaporized by a blast of unbelievable force. Summoned to avenge the attack, the GATCHAMAN GROUP comes upon the secret undersea headquarters of the Alien Gallacter. In a fierce air and undersea battle, Gatchaman struggle against the Gallacter's mighty Jupiter Death Brigade and the evil Black Bird Battalion. Battered by combat, Gatchaman seem on the brink of a disastrous defeat when out of the sky a new force appears led by a mysterious warrior in red. Who are these soldiers and are they the key to victory over the Gallacter, or executioners come to finish off the Gatchaman?

Volume 3
Finally, the last, ultimate battle with the Gallacter. The huge mechanical monsters and devices installed at every base of the Gallacter are infiltrating the Earth's interior and causing disruptions in the weather patterns and transforming the Earth's geographical landscape into an environment hostile to the Human race.

Amongst all of these disasters Joe is beginning to regain his childhood memories and must deal with the reality that he may be spawn from the blood of those he hates so much. In a desperate attempt to deal with his shattering reality - Joe decides he must use his knowledge of the Gallacter society the help the Human race. Joe single-handedly infiltrates the Gallacter Headquarters and manages to transmit its coordinates to the Gatchaman moments before being captured by Solaris and his henchman.

Meanwhile, the Gatchaman Group teams up with the Red Specter to attack the Galacter's home base - it's a brutal fight to the death and when all is said and done, both the Gatchaman and the Red Specter will pay the ultimate price.

Remember Battle of the Planets/G-Force/Eagle Riders? Ever wonder what it would be like with 90's quality animation? Why wonder, find out with this amazingly faithful update of the classic hero team show!

Ah, nostalgia. This is the original series (originally known in Japan as Gatchaman)- the U.S. version is badly hacked and dubbed. A robot character named 7-Zark-7 was even added to mask the fact that the show was so badly hacked. I remember watching it as a child and I had to to have it. Some years before the official release of Battle of the Planets, I picked up a second-generation copy of a film-to-tape transfer. The quality was poor at best, but, I had to have something for the archive. I've since removed these items from the archive.

When, Battle of the Planets was finally released, I made sure to show my support for the series by purchasing official versions of the series. I have all six of the individual DVD volumes as well as the DVD box set. Sadly, there's more material to be released, but, I don't think the existing material is selling well at all. Rhino, the current publisher, seems to have slowed (if not halted) their production schedule. I've been waiting for certain episodes that stick out particularly well in my mind even twenty years after the fact, but, so far, no dice.

Rhino has even gone to the extraordinary lengths of releasing the original Gatchaman and its English language companions, Eagle Riders and G-Force. While, I'm grateful to have *anything* of this classic series, I'm still hopeful that there will be more to come. So far, of the 85 episodes of the Battle Of The Planets TV series produced for the U.S. market, only 38 episodes have been released by Rhino: the first 12 episodes released six individual volumes, the next 12 episodes released as the Ultimate Edition, and the next 14 episodes released as the 25th Anniversary Edition.

There is also a remake titled Gatchaman which brings back the same characters and stories and gives them an updated look. I used to have the second episode of the revamped Gatchaman series on subtitled VHS. I enjoyed watching it enough that I repurchased the Gatchaman DVD. The DVD actually has all three episodes on it. I gave Battle of the Planets a 3 out of 5.

The Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman U.S.) soundtrack CD has 39 tracks and I liked 8 tracks for a total of 20.5% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4. The CD contains background music, promos from the series and the original (U.S.) opening from the series. All of the tracks appear to have been remastered except the promos and the original (U.S.) opening (tracks 33 - 39).