GA-09 • DX Raideen
Although it stands at roughly the same height as other "standard-sized" chogokin, Raideen is actually the very first of Popy's Deluxe pieces. One of the first handful of diecast robot toys, the transformation mechanism was seen as totally visionary at the time. As with many of Popy's early chogokin relases, the box-art confusingly featured a picture of the Jumbo Machinder Raideen rather than the actual diecast toy.
Raideen is also notable for kicking off the (now somewhat overused) concept of the limited edition all-black version. Featuring a matte finish with metallic gold sticker highlights, the black version of the DX Raideen toy looked nothing like the robot that appeared the actual television show. It is unknown how popular these black version toys were among children of the day, but they have become highly sought after collectibles today.