Designated as Blox Set number 107, this is the Hasbro Leo Gator. An interesting unit was thought to be a seldom seen prototype, but eventually surfaced making it a possible addition to any collection. Crossing a Lion with a Crocodilian is a very esoteric idea with potential to work out to be a unique piece, I have been looking forward to construction for some time now. Leo Gator breaks the mold being a walking, motorized Blox unit. I took the opportunity to do a complete build review on the unit that, I hope, will help you decide if it truly is worth adding to your own collection. Keep in my this is the only other Alligator released Zoid besides Barrigator and it's various releases (Armored Gator, Kroc, ect), and this is the only Lion type Zoid save for the legendary Lidier.

Leo Gator consists of:

4 Sprues

1 Blox

1 Lens (Orange)

2 Missiles

1 Sticker Sheet

The motor on this beastie is a unique contraption in itself. It can be turned into an "L" shape, and accepts one triple A battery. The battery operates the scaled down version of a regular Zoids crank type motor activated by the front peg.

The build begins with seven universal steps, it is then up to the builder to decide on one of two final configurations, both of which I will cover later on in the review. The first step is building the Lion head.

Six pieces form the head.

The missile battery is then assembled.

Four pieces form the battery, the missile unit sits inside and is released via pushing on the back. To my surprise this worked way better than expected for not being a spring loaded unit.

The next step is assembling the tail.

The two main pieces feature gear like circular ends which allow for articulation of both ends of the tail.

The next step consists of assembling three different sizes of "Armors" (Two are white and One is Blue in color) . The small set is first.

Followed by the medium.

Finally the large is constructed.

Complete.

The final step of the universal construction are the feet.

The next steps are followed to create the Lion Type version of Leo Gator. 

The head is affixed to the large armor unit and the top armor piece slides into place. 

The head assembly is then affixed to the motor, and the chest plate is added.

Next the tail is assembled, in this step we see the sole use of the only Blox in the set.

Complete.

The tail, missile battery unit, and bottom plate are then placed onto what has become the main frame of the body.

Leg construction then takes place. Each leg is made up of two leg units and a foot. 

There are also a set of axels that join front and back legs to power them. The legs are affixed via one cap per piece. The side facial units are also mounted. These side facial armor guards make the unit appear very similar to the Lidier.

Complete.

The same process is repeated on the other side and the unit is finished.

The finished piece is a solid Lion unit. With the capability of walking, a working missile battery, and a nicely articulated tail I consider it to be a nice, stand alone unit. Call me crazy, but I would have been very happy had this piece ended here. Lets take a look at constructing the reptilian counterpart of this piece. 

Construction begins by disassembling the previously formed Lion, and constructing the head of the Gator, and mounting two sets of upper body armor.

The Gator head is formed by two jaw pieces (upper and lower) sliding onto the previously built Lion head.

The motor is put into elongated position and the head and armor parts are attached.

Complete.

Next the missile battery unit is attached to the Blox along with the small armor piece, and the tail gun of the Lion becomes a back mounted cannon.

Complete.

Next the legs are formed. The upper part of each leg has two different holes that allow for two completely different leg configurations. For Gator mode, the legs are short and stubby true to real life Gators. The legs are connected via the axle, and held into position with one cap per leg. The facial armor of the Lion now becomes neck armor, and is also put into position in this step.

Complete.

The same process is then repeated on the opposite side.

Stickers are then applied and the unit is ready for display. This kit does not come with the stickers pictured on the box, but does make up for it by giving us a very large sticker sheet with some nice variety.

 One can see how this is almost like a "transition piece" that bridges the gap between Blox and a standard motorized unit. I really think TOMY was heading in the right direction here. Rather than giving us crap like the EVO-Drive Zoids, and re-releases of the legends in miniature Blox form, this unit is a pleasant compromise. Offering two, completely different, good looking units in one box gets a thumbs up from me. If you overlooked this little walking Blox the first time around, it may be worth your time to actively seek one of these out. I decided to display this in Gator form, but I will get another to display in Lion form as I enjoy the versatility of this unit so much. Below are a few pictures of the finished piece, as you can tell the unit is approx. a good 12" in length making it a substantial piece that is worthy of adding to any collection. 

This has been a Zoid.US production. No image may be used without permission. � 2008 -WIKD