VR Troopers
Encyclopedia
VR Troopers was a syndicated live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...

 show produced by Saban
Saban
Saban Entertainment , was a worldwide-served independent American television production company formed in 1984 by music and television producers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy as "Saban Productions", a U.S...

 (creators of the similar Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...

series) from 1994
1994 in television
The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...

 to 1996
1996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...

. The show tried to profit from the fascination with virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...

 in the early 1990s as well as the success of Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...

.
The show featured early CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...

 and video effects mixed with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese stock footage from three different Metal Hero Series: Superhuman Machine Metalder
Choujinki Metalder
is the sixth and shortest entry of the Metal Hero Series, running from March 16, 1987, to January 17, 1988, for only 39 episodes. The action footage of Metalder was adaptated for the first two seasons of VR Troopers...

, Dimensional Warrior Spielban
Jikuu Senshi Spielban
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series, part of the Metal Hero Series created by Toei Co. Ltd. from April 7, 1986 to March 9, 1987. Spielban's action footage was used for the battle scenes in VR Troopers....

, and Space Sheriff Shaider. This kind of adaptation technique, turning multiple shows into one show, was originally used in anime with shows like Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...

and Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...

. This was the first and only time this was used for a tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 adaptation. On May 7, 2010 the copyright for VR Troopers was transferred from BVS International to SCG Power Rangers
Saban Capital Group
Saban Capital Group is a global private investment firm based in Los Angeles, California focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. Formed in 2001 by Haim Saban, Saban Capital Group owns Saban Brands, part of Univision Communications, and part of Tiger Gate Entertainment...

.

The series was deemed successful, but not as successful as the Power Rangers franchise. Unfortunately, for the series, the Japanese footage was quickly exhausted due to extreme cases where multiple tokusatsu scenes were put together in a single episode to the point stock footage had to be reused multiple times throughout the series. Similarly, another Saban program, Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It aired for two seasons on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999...

, would do well but ultimately end quickly due to a lack of stock footage. Both series were adapted from the Japanese Metal Hero genre, which ended in Japan around the same time. The show spawned a toy line and a video game
VR Troopers (video game)
VR Troopers is a fighting game based on the Japanese/American syndicated television series of the same name originally by Toei Company and localized by Saban Inc.. The fighting game was developed by Syrox Developments and published by Sega....

 for the Sega Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...

 (Mega Drive).

Plot

Saban's VR Troopers was the first official "sister series" to the most popular "action fighting kid show" at the time, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Much like it, this was an Americanization of a Japanese tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 children's program by Toei Company LTD.

The show focused on three young adults in their late teens, Ryan Steele, Kaitlin Star, and J.B. Reese, living in the fictional West Coast town of Cross World City. They regularly attended and were teachers at "Tao's Dojo", a karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 studio. Ryan was the most focused martial artist; J.B. was the computer wizard; while Kaitlin was a photographer & budding reporter for the local newspaper, the Underground Voice Daily. One day, Ryan's search for his long-missing father led him and his two friends to a strange laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...

. Inside, a digitized head of Professor Horatio Hart, a friend of Ryan's father Tyler, explained the truth about his life's work of having developed extremely advanced virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...

 technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

 in secret. "VR" is a dimension
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...

 existing alongside our own; within it lie mutants and monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...

s bent on conquering both worlds. The main ruler of these is a creature known as Grimlord, who, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

, has a human identity as billionaire industrialist Karl Ziktor. As Karl Ziktor tries to overcome the barriers of the true reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...

 to allow his armies easy passage from virtual world, the responsibility falls to Ryan, Kaitlin, and J.B. of defending the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...

 on both sides of the dimensional barrier. They have assistance in the form of armored bodies having incredible firepower. This included eventual additions to their arsenal, such as a Turbo Cycle, Techno Bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...

, and a flying, laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

-blasting Skybase.

Other regular characters on the show included Jeb, Ryan's hound dog, who, after an accident in Prof. Hart's lab, is now capable of human speech; Woody Stocker, Kaitlin's wacky hat-loving boss at the Underground Voice
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...

 Daily
; Percy Rooney, the local mayor's nephew and Kaitlin's bumbling rival reporter; and Tao, the wise martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 sensei who owns the dojo and a family friend of the Steele Family. Recurring villains include General Ivar, a vicious rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...

-shaped monster with his own tank; Colonel Icebot, a cold-blooded virtual menace; Decimator, a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...

-wielding warrior; the Skugs, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

-headed foot soldiers, and more throughout.

During the second season, the show changed format very slightly. Ryan's father was finally found (having been restored to normal off-camera) and quickly left to help the government research further Virtual Reality-based technology. With him came Ryan's new V.R. armor and an upgrade to his powers. Grimlord's base of operation switched from a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...

 to a massive spacecraft, and added new Generals such as Doom Master and his Vixens, Oraclon, and Despera. The Skugs now had the ability to become more powerful in the form of Ultra-Skugs.

Psycon/Cybertron

The show was originally called Psycon and Cybertron in pre-production, but was later changed to VR Troopers.

The Cybertron pilot starred Jason David Frank
Jason David Frank
Jason David Frank is an American actor, martial artist and professional mixed martial arts fighter, best known for playing Tommy Oliver in Power Rangers.- Early life :...

 as Adam Steele and drew its source footage from Metalder. Frank's character was depicted as a solo hero going up against an army of sentient robots known as War Drones who were led by the evil Grimlord. Grimlord's alternate identity in the pilot was known as Cyrus Rikter (Gardner Baldwin) who also had a son named Percy Rikter, Adam's martial arts rival. Tao Chong (Richard Rabago) was also present and served as Adam's caretaker and sensei and Cybertron's mentor. Tao also had a daughter named Mia, and Doug Sloan played the part of Tyler Steele. A pair of bumbling news reporters named Elmo (played by Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...

) and Scuzzy, who would've served as the series' comedy relief, were also featured.

The Psycon premise was similar to the Cybertron pilot, with the robot army known as Cyberdrones, the inclusion of Mouse MacKenzie as a supporting character, and Mia being Tao's granddaughter.

Production

According to early VR Troopers promotions, Kaitlin had a different last name. Instead of "Star", her surname was referred to as "Hall". Also in these early promos (seen at the beginning of many Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...

home videos), Professor Hart was played by a different actor, and had an entirely different voice and personality than the Professor that was later used.

Like Power Rangers, VR Troopers used a combination of American footage spliced with fight scenes from Japanese shows. The Japanese shows adapted in to VR Troopers are Space Sheriff Shaider, Dimensional Warrior Spielban, and Super Machine Metalder. All three come from Toei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...

's Metal Hero Series. Specifically, Ryan's first season suit was that from Metalder and his second season suit was from Space Sheriff Shaider. Both JB's and Kaitlin's suits came from Spielban.

Out of all of Saban's tokusatsu adaptations, VR Troopers uses the oldest source-footage of any series. Shaider was aired from 1984 to early 1985, making it 10 years old when first used for VR Troopers in 1995; Spielban was aired from 1986 to early 1987, making it eight years old when originally used in 1994; and Metalder was originally aired in 1987 to early 1988, making it seven years old when it was adapted in 1994.

Because more than one Japanese show was used in an episode at any given time, Ryan's alter-ego was never in the same action scene as JB or Kaitlin's (since they were taken from two different shows). Due to this, many episodes involved some sort of plot device that separated Ryan from the other two, forcing them to fight separately. Almost every episode ended with either Ryan or JB destroying the monster of the day (Kaitlin never got to destroy any on her own), at which point his missing comrade(s) would come running up to inquire how the fight went. The only time the group fought "together" or in battle grid mode was all original American footage, with the Battle Grid suits being low-quality spandex and the helmets simple recolors of the red ranger's from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. For the show's first season, there was almost never any original American footage outside of the Battle Grid. Similar to Power Rangers, more U.S. fights were featured in the show's second season.

VR Troopers as an adaptation is different in many ways from Power Rangers and Big Bad Beetleborgs. Because it was syndicated, the monsters were destroyed more violently; mutant/robot destructions included the monster being split in half, impaled, and decapitated. None of the VR Trooper forms were given names since none of them had one main color.

The show lasted two seasons (1994-'95 and '95-'96) with nearly 100 episodes before it was cancelled in favor of Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It aired for two seasons on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999...

, which continued to use footage from the Metal Hero Series Juukou B-Fighter
Juukou B-Fighter
, was a 1995 Japanese tokusatsu television series. B-Fighter is short for "Beetle Fighter". It was part of Toei's ongoing Metal Hero Series. It dealt with three members of the prestigious fighting against the evil forces of the otherworldly Jamahl Empire...

and B-Fighter Kabuto
B-Fighter Kabuto
is a Japanese television series in the Metal Hero Series. It is the sequel to Juukou B-Fighter, taking place ten years after the preceding B-Fighter series. Kabuto aired from 1996 to 1997. The action footage and props were used for the Beetleborgs Metallix series.-Plot:Ten years after the...

.

Despite the high ratings and almost successful as the Power Rangers franchise, the series was cancelled because all the fight footage was used up. All three of the Metal Hero shows used in the series had a lot of human vs. human battles. However, because the fights featured close-ups of Japanese actors, it was deemed unusable. Distance shots were usable in some of the fights, and battles with the monster footage were also kind of limited (splicing up to 2-3 episodes), but otherwise such footage was limited. In addition, because many episodes of fight footage from Metalder/Shaider and Spielban were being used in a single episode, the footage ran out faster.

In Season 1, the show would open with the traditional "Today on Saban's VR Troopers" teaser, showing scenes from the episode and narrated by Dave Mallow
Dave Mallow
Dave Mallow is an American voice actor. One of his known aliases is Colin Phillips.-Life and career:Mallow was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father worked in radio and television and was a thirty year on-air veteran at Chicago's WGN. He attained a BFA in Theater Arts from Drake University in...

. After the "Quest For Power" mini-series in Season 2, however, Ryan, Kaitlin, or J.B. took over the part and narrated the teaser (and in the first-person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...

 to boot).

Various voice actors were listed under different pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

s in this series. For example, in the Season 1 end credits, Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan
Kerrigan Mahan is an American voice actor, also known as Ryan O'Flannigan.Mahan was born in Los Angeles, California. His voice ranges from young and exuberant to sneering and Lee Van Cleef-ish...

 was credited under his pseudonym, Ryan O'Flannigan (which was also the name credited for doing the voice of Goldar
Goldar
Goldar , is a fictional character from the Power Rangers universe, first appearing in the American series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He is based on the Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger villain Grifforzer. He is a powerful yet very overconfident warrior that served under the command of Rita Repulsa and...

 in the early seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...

); in Season 2, he would be credited under his real name and was properly identified as Jeb's voiceover. Likewise, Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...

 was occasionally listed in the end credits under a pseudonym of his own, Richard George (although he was credited under his real name for the first two episodes of the series), and Mike Reynolds was credited under the name Ray Michaels.

Season 1

Title Original Airdate # Synopsis
"The Battle Begins, Parts One and Two" September 3 and 10, 1994 1, 2 Teenagers Ryan Steele, Kaitlin Starr (aka Hall) and J.B. Reese are called to meet the mysterious Professor Horatio Hart at his lab in the mountains, on the outskirts of Cross World City. On the way, they are attacked from the sky by an Air Striker and a Fighterbot; and on the ground by SKUGs. They make it to the lab, receive their VR powers and are sent to fight Grimlord (aka Karl Ziktor)'s forces. Ryan remains to battle Gunbots, Tankbots and a Polarbot. Kaitlin and J.B. successfully fight the SKUGs and one of Grimlord's most powerful robots, the mighty Congbot. During a battle against Grimlord's Decimator, Ryan is injured and thrown from a cliff into a deserted quarry. Kaitlin and J.B. locate Ryan and rescue him. After another fight with Grimlord's SKUGs, Ryan is brought back to Professor Hart's lab and repaired. Through the use of virtual reality, Hart shows the Troopers what will be in store for them if they continue their quest. Meanwhile, Grimlord is planning a full-scale assault on the world as we know it. The three teens ask Hart how they can prepare for Grimlord's next attack. He instructs them to hone their martial arts prowess. While out taking photos, Kaitlin discovers Grimlord's troops on the move. She alerts Ryan and J.B.; all three transform and fight to save Cross World City. They vow to do everything in their collective power to keep our planet safe and free from Grimlord's evil mutant armies.
"Error in the System" September 14, 1994 3
"Lost Memories" September 15, 1994 4
"Battle For the Books" September 16, 1994 5
"Oh Brother" September 19, 1994 6
"Grimlord's Challenge" September 20, 1994 7
"Computer Captive" September 21, 1994 8
"Kaitlin's Little Helper" September 22, 1994 9
"The Virtual Spy" September 23, 1994 10
"The Virtual V-6" September 26, 1994 11
"No One's Friend" September 27, 1994 12
"Dogmatic Change" September 28, 1994 13
"Searching For Tyler Steele" September 30, 1994 14
"Save the Trees" October 3, 1994 15
"A Dirty Trick" October 4, 1994 16
"Kaitlin's Front Page" October 5, 1994 17
"The Dognapping" October 7, 1994 18
"My Dog's Girlfriend" October 10, 1994 19
"Digging For Fire" October 11, 1994 20
"The Great Brain Robbery" October 12, 1994 21
"The Dojo Plot" October 14, 1994 22
"Grimlord's Greatest Hits" October 19, 1994 23
"The Disappearance" October 25, 1994 24
"Nightmares" October 31, 1994 25
"Secret Admirer" November 3, 1994 26
"Grimlord's House of Fear" November 4, 1994 27
"Three Strikes" November 7, 1994 28
"Danger in the Deep" November 8, 1994 29
"Small But Mighty" November 9, 1994 30
"Defending Darkheart, Parts One thru Four" November 14-17, 1994 31-34 The Troopers and Professor Hart discover that one of Grimlord's mutants actually possesses human DNA. They learn that there is a hole in the Reality Barrier, that said hole is guarded by Darkheart...our "human" mutant. Ryan volunteers to face Darkheart and repair the hole. As the two fight, Percy - who has been all but forgotten - sees them and takes their pictures. Before Percy can leave the scene, he is captured by SKUGs and thrown into Grimlord's Virtual Dungeon. Ryan defeats Darkheart, who demands to be finished off. Ryan refuses to do so, because he suspects that Darkheart is really his father Tyler Steele: Hart's long-time colleague, who entered virtual reality years ago and never returned. Darkheart returns to Grimlord, who sentences him to Virtual Termination for failing to destroy Ryan. Meanwhile, J.B. and Kaitlin search for Percy and are sucked into the Virtual Dungeon. The chamber is lined with giant spikes and the walls are slowly coming together - threatening to crush the threesome, who barely escape with their lives. Grimlord's Mutants prepare to execute Darkheart...who is injured but escapes by using Toxoid as a shield. Ryan fights off SKUGs to reach Darkheart, whom he takes to Hart's lab for repairs. All three Troopers learn that Darkheart is indeed Ryan's father, albeit thoroughly reprogrammed to the point of amnesia. The Professor transfers Ryan's childhood memories to Darkheart/Tyler in order to undo the brainwashing. Tyler, who remains more machine/mutant than human, re-enters virtual reality to seek a cure. He is recaptured by Grimlord, who uses him as bait for Ryan and his fellow Troopers. Professor Hart and J.B. discover that Darkheart is connected to Grimlord both chemically and electronically. The only way to break said link is by destroying Grimlord! Then Grimlord appears on the lab's screens and gives Ryan specific coordinates on the Reality Grid; there he will find his father, who will be destroyed if Ryan does not show up. Ryan keeps the appointment; he and his father battle several mutants bent on destroying them both. Father and son escape on Ryan's VR Turbo Cycle; however, Grimlord launches a full-scale aerial assault on Professor Hart's lab. But Ryan takes his father to a second, long-forgotten lab deep in the mountains. Tyler and his son are cornered by Grimlord's aerial troops when J.B. and Kaitlin rush to their aid. Ryan and his dad challenge Grimlord face-to-face on the latter's own turf. Grimlord initiates a self-destruct sequence for his Dungeon, nearly wiping out both our heroes. Tyler helps the Troopers fight off Decimator and more of Grimlord's mutants before being recaptured by Grimlord and zapped back to the Virtual World.
"Ghost Biker" November 18, 1994 35
"Endangered Species" November 21, 1994 36
"Field Goal" November 22, 1994 37
"The Littlest Trooper" November 23, 1994 38
"The Reality Virus" November 29, 1994 39
"Friends in Need" November 30, 1994 40
"Good Trooper, Bad Trooper" February 6, 1995 41
"The Transmutant" February 7, 1995 42
"Who's King of the Mountain?" February 8, 1995 43
"The Couch Potato Kid" February 9, 1995 44
"The Old Switcharoo" February 10, 1995 45
"Race to the Rescue" February 13, 1995 46
"Fiddler on the Loose" February 14, 1995 47
"Virtually Powerless" February 15, 1995 48
"New Kids on the Planet" February 20, 1995 49
"Message From Space" February 22, 1995 50
"The Rise of the Red Python, Parts One and Two" February 27 & 28, 1995 51, 52 J.B. and Ryan rescue a stray kitten, which they take to an animal shelter. There they meet Amy
Amy
Amy is a given name, sometimes short for Amelia or Amanda. In French, the name is spelled "Aimée", which means beloved. In ancient Irish it has been translated as "little it".- Notable people with the given name Amy :*Amy Acker, American actress...

 - a nice girl with with a penchant for martial arts. Ryan offers to show her some moves. Meanwhile, Grimlord is pleased with Colonel Icebot's latest creation: Red Python, the ultimate Virtual Warrior. With his own V.R. Trooper, Grimlord will be unstoppable; yet he needs a human subject to activate the Red Python powers. He chooses Amy, whom Icebot captures and brainwashes to obey Grimlord's every command. Amy's friends don't understand her weird behavior as she struggles to fight the transformation. The V.R. Troopers are deployed to battle the Red Python, not knowing it is Amy. Kaitlin is severely injured in the confrontation and her retroformer is damaged; she cannot change back to normal. With one Trooper out of the way, Grimlord's evil plans come to fruition. Ryan and J.B. desperately search for a way of returning Kaitlin to her human form. J.B. is sent to fight the Red Python, who malfunctions in the heat of their battle. Ryan takes Kaitlin to their old friend, Dr. Ulysses Poindexter, whose help they seek. Sure enough, Poindexter has a spare retroformer, which he uses on Kaitlin; she is back to normal at last. Meanwhile, Amy goes to the Tao Dojo seeking the V.R. Troopers. She transforms into the Red Python but passes out before she can destroy her targets. The V.R. Troopers discover that Amy is the Red Python...and that she might self-destruct upon engaging in another battle. J.B. tries to reason with the Red Python; once again, she gains the upper hand but collapses just as she's about to finish him. She changes back into Amy and is taken to Professor Hart's lab where her brainwashing is finally reversed. She also forgets that the V.R. Troopers and her new friends are one and the same.

Season 2

Title Original Airdate # Synopsis
"Mutant Mutiny" September 11, 1995 53 As the Troopers entertain offers of commercial endorsements from a competing dojo for money to help Tao's mother, the evil mutant Amphibidor prepares for a revolution to replace Grimlord as dictator of Virtual Reality. Grimlord devises a strategy to solve both problems at once: he'll send Amphibidor after the V.R. Troopers; if they don't destroy each other, they will be weakened and vulnerable to a finishing-off by Grimlord's loyal thugs. As Amphibidor battles Ryan, Kaitlin and J.B. face Grimlord's army in an all-out air battle. Against all odds, the V.R. Troopers reunite and save the real world...which also ends Amphibidor's coup. Back at the Tao Dojo, Tao works out a deal with his competitor for the money his mother needs.
"Trooper Out of Time" September 12, 1995 54 Strickland
Strickland
The English surname Strickland is derived from the Norse word Stercaland, which is found in Westmorland to the south of Penrith. It did not become a family name until after 1179, when Walter de Castlecarrock married Christian de Leteham, an heiress to the local estate that now includes the villages...

, an evil inventor, devises a means of destroying Ryan's past - providing Ziktor with a portable time machine. Ziktor sends Strickland through the time barrier. From the data stream, Professor Hart pulls Ziktor's plans for the time machine. While J.B. and Ryan build the device, Kaitlin finds a rare crystal needed to power it...battling SKUGs sent to stop her. Complete his time machine, Hart sends Ryan after Strickland - while Kaitlin and J.B. battle Sharkfin, one of Grimlord's mutants. To save his younger self, Ryan fights off more of Grimlord's goons. Young Ryan is injured, wiping out all memory of the encounter. Ryan is forced to return to the future before his father sees him, lest he be stuck with explaining himself forever.
"Secret Power" September 13, 1995 55 A neighborhood talent show is planned at Tao Dojo. Amidst the festivities is Timmy, a sad young boy who feels that he just doesn't have any sort of talent. The V.R. Troopers are determined to show him differently, but he won't believe them. Meanwhile Icebot places an electro-magnet at the North Pole, and another magnet near Cross World City's power plant; together, these create a Power Pulse which warps the Reality Barrier...allowing Ivar's robot armies to march through and destroy the real world. Lest the Troopers discover said plot, Grimlord sends several warrior-robots - including the Magician
Magician
A magician is a practitioner of magic, the ability to attain objectives or acquire knowledge using supernatural or nonrational means.Some modern magicians, such as Aleister Crowley and those who follow the traditions of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Ordo Templi Orientis, describe magic...

 - to destroy our heroes, who fight off the Magician's warriors and destroy the electromagnets just in time to save reality. Back at the talent show, Ryan and Company try to show Timmy that everybody has secret powers inside, with lots of hidden talents...but Percy doesn't exactly prove their point when he tries his hand at singing!
"Quest For Power, Parts One thru Five" September 18-22, 1995 56-60 Ryan and his fellow Troopers receive a message from Tyler Steele, whose knowledge regarding virtual reality is being tapped by Grimlord's Prism of Empowerment. Grimlord plans to rebuild his empire using this jewel. Ryan and J.B. take on a Wolfbot and a Rabid Spore to stop Grimlord from tapping Tyler's brain. The Troopers infiltrate Grimlord's Virtual Dungeon to locate Tyler, but are detected and trapped. Grimlord sets off a self-destruct mechanism, which very nearly kills our heroes. In the mountains above Cross World City, the Troopers find that Grimlord is holding Tyler in a second dungeon, the Virtual Cavern. Ryan enters Grimlord's new domain, where he battles a gauntlet of mutants, while J.B. and Kaitlin are trapped in Grimlord's Chamber of Doom. The Cavern is self-destructed; Ryan finds his father in critical condition and rescues him along with the other two Troopers, but loses his V.R. powers in the process. The Troopers bring Tyler to Tao Chung, who physically rehabilitates him. Tyler then builds new V.R. technology - particularly improved virtual armor for Ryan - to battle Grimlord's army. All the Troopers need is to capture Grimlord's Crystal of Empowerment from his Dark Fortress
Dark Fortress
Dark Fortress is a black metal band from Landshut, Germany, formed in 1994. They have released six studio albums, a split album and a demo album.-Early:...

 in Earth's orbit. They find the Fortress guarded by Despera
Despera
is an upcoming anime series, directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and featuring character designs by Yoshitoshi ABe. This is the second time all the three main creators of psychological thriller anime Serial Experiments Lain will be collaborating once again for the new project,...

, the Ultra-SKUGs, Doom Master and the Vixens
Vixens
Vixens, known in Japan as , is a three-episode Japanese erotic direct-to-video anime series based on the manga by U-Jin.-Further reading:...

...who pin the Troopers to a final showdown in the Virtual Quarry.
"Fashion Victims" September 25, 1995 61 Kaitlin and her fellow Troopers lend a hand, V.R. style, to young fashion designer Andrea
Andrea
Andrea is a given name common in many parts of the world:* In Czech, Serbian, Macedonian, Dutch, English, German, Hungarian, Scandinavian languages and Spanish, Andrea is used as a woman's name, as the feminine form of Andrew, Andreas, András, Andrés or Andre.* In Italy and Albania, Andrea is quite...

. Grimlord brainwashes Andrea, who lures the Troopers to her studio - ostensibly to model her designs - except for Ryan, who stays behind to help Tao. J.B. and Katlin are trapped in cocoons by Silkoid. Ryan shows up and wonders where Kaitlin and J.B. are; while looking for them, he is intercepted by Doom Masters and the Vixens. He transforms and, after a fierce battle, flees back to the studio. Ryan discovers silk residue which he uses to track Silkoid via the Blue Hawk's V.R. sensors. Ryan fights and defeats Silkoid, which saves Andrea while simultaneously freeing J.B. and Kaitlin. Andrea scraps her previous line and looks for more appropriate models to sport her new designs...which are based on the "V.R. Trooper look."
"Game Over" September 26, 1995 62 To polish their combat skills for defense against Grimlord's forces, J.B. creates a virtual reality computer program that possesses all the fighting capabilities to which he and his fellow Troopers are most vulnerable. Grimlord becomes aware of this "video game" adversary, Gameoid, and devises a way of launching it into the real world. Now the Troopers must face their ultimate opponent, which they themselves created, for real! Ultimately, they confront their worst nightmare and erase the Gameoid program.
"Watered Down" September 27, 1995 63 Grimlord develops a substance in his underwater lab which will make it impossible for the Troopers to use their V.R. powers anywhere the substance is applied. When the V.R. Troopers spot the substance on the beach, Ryan checks it out...and meets Octobot, who spreads the substance into the surrounding water. Ryan, unable to transform, is trapped underwater with his air running out. It's up to J.B. and Kaitlin to reach Ryan and destroy the underwater lab where the substance is being manufactured. J.B. drills through bedrock to enter the lab without passing through tainted water. Then he and Kaitlin defeat Octobot and neutralize the substance, enabling Ryan to transform at the last possible moment.
"The Negative Factor" October 2, 1995 64 Grimlord uses a new device to trap Kaitlin and J.B. in Negative Space
Negative space
Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real"...

, turning them into "ghosts" on earth who are invisible to everyone...but not to dogs like Jeb. The mutant warlord plans to send the entire planet into the Negative Zone - where the V.R. Troopers are powerless, and where Grimlord's own power is all but unlimited. J.B. and Kaitlin discover the new weapon's location, and find a way of typing the coordinates of the buried device onto Ryan's computer. Professor Hart introduces Ryan to V.R. Gargantus, an awesome robot created from the V.R. Skybase; this robot will back up Ryan's solo mission. Hart, meanwhile, enters the Negative Zone to guide J.B. and Kaitlin back to reality. Ryan must battle Scissor Fist to dismantle the Negative Device.
"Kaitlin Through the Looking Glass, Parts One and Two" October 3 & 4, 1995 65, 66 Grimlord's new weapon, the Master Virtual Replicator, steals Kaitlin's image from a transmitter planted in the mirror of a makeup compact. He uses the image to create a "Kaitlin Two" who will help him destroy the V.R. Troopers. The Anti-Kaitlin fights and defeats Ryan to infiltrate Professor Hart's lab. Before she can demolish the lab, the Anti-Kaitlin sees the real Kaitlin - on the lab's screen - fight a losing battle against Grimlord's forces. An impassioned plea from Ryan sends Anti-Kaitlin to fight by Kaitlin's side, saving the latter's life. The Troopers wonder how they will reunite Kaitlin with her mirror double before both disappear from Reality. Grimlord expands his Virtual Mirror Program with mass reproduction of the compact transmitters. His plan is thwarted when Kaitlin Two - pretending to betray the V.R. Troopers - returns to the Dark Fortress and steals the Master Replicator, then flees back to Earth. Professor Hart uses the device to put both Kaitlins back together, but a malfunction gives Kaitlin the ability to split herself into two V.R. Kaitlins...when a situation becomes dire enough to call for such.
"Kaitlin Goes Hollywood" October 9, 1995 67
"Grimlord Takes Root" October 10, 1995 68
"The Disk" October 11, 1995 69
"Virtual Venom" October 16, 1995 70
"New World Order" October 17, 1995 71
"Grimlord's Children" October 18, 1995 72
"The Millennium Sabre" October 24, 1995 73
"Grimlord's Dark Secret, Parts One and Two" November 2 & 3, 1995 74, 75 Despite rumors of a curse, archaeologist Nebraska Smith has unearthed an elaborate box, stenciled with hieroglyphics. The Troopers are at Nebraska's side when he opens the box, causing a portal to appear. Nebraska steps through and Ryan goes after him...and finds himself on a deserted island, where Nebraska has been turned to stone. Ryan transforms just as Doommaster attacks him, and they battle it out. Back in Cross World City, JB and Kaitlin have gone to tell Professor Hart about the box. He relays the story of how the box figures prominently in Tyler's early research of virtual reality. The box was stolen during the "accident" which left Hart in Virtual Limbo and imprisoned Tyler in Grimlord's dimension. JB and Kaitlin try to contact Ryan, but all communications are dead; they go into the portal after him, and find themselves on the island...where Doommaster turns them both to stone. Ryan accesses a pyramid on the island, seeking Grimlord's secret identity. Instead he finds Despera and a Hydra-Bot, who attack him murderously. He escapes, then restores JB and Kaitlin to normal. Back in his lab, Professor Hart discovers Oraclon preparing to move the pyramid and seal off the portal, which will permanently strand the Troopers on the island. Ryan defeats the Hydra-Bot and returns to the pyramid just as it disappears; Kaitlin and JB find him, semiconscious, in a cave. Grimlord's secret identity has eluded them, but they locate Nebraska and reach the portal just before it closes forever. Despite failing to learn the secrets of the pyramid, Ryan is grateful about not losing his friends to boot. That, after all, comes first.
"On the Wrong Track" November 6, 1995 76
"Forward Into the Past" November 7, 1995 77
"Into Oraclon's Web" November 8, 1995 78
"Santa's Secret Trooper" November 13, 1995 79
"The Charmeeka Invasion" November 14, 1995 80
"Dream Battle" November 15, 1995 81
"A Hard Day's Mutant" November 20, 1995 82
"Magnetic Attraction" November 21, 1995 83
"Get Me to the Lab on Time" November 27, 1995 84
"Grimlord's Big Breakout" November 28, 1995 85
"Field and Scream" February 5, 1996 86
"The Duplitron Dilemma" February 6, 1996 87
"Despera Strikes Back" February 7, 1996 88
"The Ghost of Cross World Forest" February 12, 1996 89
"Grimlord's Dummy" February 13, 1996 90
"Time Out" February 20, 1996 91
"Galileo's New Memory" February 21, 1996 92

See also

  • Ziktor Industries
    Ziktor Industries
    Ziktor Industries is a company owned by the fictional Karl Ziktor, aka Grimlord in the TV series VR Troopers. The company served as his base of operations from the other side of the reality barrier. It is operated as ruthlessly as the virtual world and is poorly regarded by many of Cross World...

  • VR Troopers (video game)
    VR Troopers (video game)
    VR Troopers is a fighting game based on the Japanese/American syndicated television series of the same name originally by Toei Company and localized by Saban Inc.. The fighting game was developed by Syrox Developments and published by Sega....

  • Virtual Dark Fortress
    Virtual Dark Fortress
    The Virtual Dark Fortress was the secondary base of Grimlord, the main villain of Saban's VR Troopers, created with the activation of an energy prism containing a download of Tyler Steele's knowledge of Virtual Reality...

  • List of Virtual Dungeon monsters
  • List of mutants and cyborgs in the Virtual Dark Fortress
  • List of mutants and cyborgs in VR Troopers

VHS, DVD, and Online Release

In the US five VHS videos were released: Lost Memories, Oh Brother, Computer Captive, Error in the System and Virtual V6.

In the UK four DVDs were released by Jetix Films. They included three single disc Volumes and a Mega Disc DVD that contained 8 various episodes that were released across the first three Volumes. At this time there are no plans for a US DVD release.

On June 15, 2011 all episodes of VR Troopers were made available on Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...

.

Games

Jeb's Rescue, Ryan's Challenge, and JB's Battle

Three games for MGA's Game Wizard.

VR Troopers - When Worlds Collide

A handheld game by Tiger.

Saban's VR Troopers

A board game by Milton Bradley.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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