| VR Troopers | |
|---|---|
| Format | Action-Adventure-Drama |
| Created by | Haim Saban |
| Starring | Brad Hawkins Michael Bacon Sarah Brown Gardner Baldwin Julian Combs Richard Rabago Michael Sorich Aaron Pruner Zeb |
| Voices of | Gardner Baldwin Kerrigan Mahan Michael Sorich Mike Reynolds Richard Epcar Dave Mallow |
| Country of origin | United States/Japan |
| No. of episodes | 92 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Saban Entertainment |
| Distributor | Saban Brands[1] |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Syndication |
| Original run | September 3, 1994 – February 21, 1996 |
VR Troopers (Virtual Reality Troopers) was a syndicated live action show produced by Saban (creators of the similar Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series) from 1994 to 1996. The show tried to profit from the fascination with virtual reality in the early 1990s as well as the success of Power Rangers.[2] The show featured early CGI and video effects mixed with Japanese stock footage from three different Metal Hero Series: Superhuman Machine Metalder, Dimensional Warrior Spielban, and Space Sheriff Shaider. This kind of adaptation technique, turning multiple shows into one show, was originally used in anime with shows like Robotech and Voltron. This was the first and only time this was used for a tokusatsu adaptation. On May 7, 2010 the copyright for VR Troopers was transferred from BVS International to SCG Power Rangers.[3]
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, 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 for the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive).
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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 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 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. 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 technology in secret. "VR" is a dimension existing alongside our own; within it lie mutants and monsters bent on conquering both worlds. The main ruler of these is a creature known as Grimlord, who, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth, has a human identity as billionaire industrialist Karl Ziktor. As Karl Ziktor tries to overcome the barriers of the true reality to allow his armies easy passage from virtual world, the responsibility falls to Ryan, Kaitlin, and J.B. of defending the planet 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, and a flying, laser-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 Daily; Percy Rooney, the local mayor's nephew and Kaitlin's bumbling rival reporter; and Tao, the wise martial arts sensei who owns the dojo and a family friend of the Steele Family. Recurring villains include General Ivar, a vicious rocket-shaped monster with his own tank; Colonel Icebot, a cold-blooded virtual menace; Decimator, a sword-wielding warrior; the Skugs, gold-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 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.
The show was originally called Psycon and Cybertron in pre-production with a more technogoical premise, but the title was later changed to VR Troopers.
The Psycon premise was similar to VR Troopers and Cybertron. The main differences include; the main character being named as Adam Steele, the robot army was known as Cyberdrones, the inclusion of Mouse MacKenzie as a supporting character, and Tao having a granddaughter named Mia.[4]
The Cybertron pilot starred Jason David Frank 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 Wardrones 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/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) and Scuzzy, who would've served as the series' comedy relief, were also featured.[5]
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 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'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, which continued to use footage from the Metal Hero Series Juukou B-Fighter and B-Fighter Kabuto.
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. 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 to boot).
Various voice actors were listed under different pseudonyms in this series. For example, in the Season 1 end credits, Kerrigan Mahan was credited under his pseudonym, Ryan O'Flannigan (which was also the name credited for doing the voice of Goldar in the early seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers); in Season 2, he would be credited under his real name and was properly identified as Jeb's voiceover. Likewise, Richard Epcar 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.
| 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 and show up alone, without the aid of his two fellow Troopers. 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 - a nice girl 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. |
| 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, 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 - 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 realize that they must infiltrate Grimlord's Virtual Dungeon to locate Tyler, and Jeb and Ryan decide to do so, but are detected and trapped. Grimlord sets off a self-destruct mechanism, which completely wipes out the Virtual Dungeon, but very nearly kills both Ryan and Jeb. 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 Grimlord's old mutants (restored using the rest of Tyler's technology), 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 in Earth's orbit. They find the Fortress guarded by Despera, the Ultra-SKUGs, Doom Master and the Vixens...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. 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, 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 (aka Troopertron), 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 |
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.
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.
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