When I first saw the Treasure Robber Crawler, I thought it looked a lot like the Cobra H.I.S.S. from G.I. Joe. With the treads and unusual shape, you can see a similarity - but this is an open design, there's no turret, and it's configured differently. It's part of a line involving jungle temples, robbers, explorers, and lots of big reptiles from about 2009 - but they were sold in the USA for quite a while, I remember getting mine at a closing Toys R Us store near the now defunct Metrocenter Mall in 2011.
This item is more or less unique - a recolor (with some different gear) was sold as a Top Agents #6399 Track Truck, which I believe exists only as a bagged set with no figures. That makes this, the first release, a bit more interesting.
This entire theme seems to be a late answer to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, as you get the strangely retro jungle vehicles, a jungle temple, and some sort of alien statue things as part of the greater theme. The theme is packed with bugs, lizards, and snakes, plus some sets even have traps. It's pretty good! There are a lot more action features to be had in this line, which is nice for a line that probably appeals to the parents rather than the kids. Jungle exploring and adventure were a hallmark of mid-century cheap movies, so you probably had a shot at sets like this one for a few years.
The crawler comes to you almost entirely assembled - you have to pop in the rollbar, apply a few stickers, and tie a few knots. It's pretty easy. The rubber treads and wheels are all assembled, and the box is mostly filled with air. It rolls nicely, and the treads work great - or will work great, as long as the rubber holds out.
There's a perfectly nice winch on the back so you can tow things or hoist up things, which is always a fun toy feature. You can lock it in place by pushing the crank in and out, which is a nice bonus. The really spectacular feature is the rocket launcher, which can shoot a couple of rockets or a grappling hook several feet. It's one of the strongest rocket launchers I've seen in a while, but given that I opened this 2009 toy in 2021, that may not be as impressive as it sounds. Playmobil's rockets are usually great, and this one is a spring-loaded monster that flew across the room. I like it.
The figure has no problems gripping the steering yoke, and there's room in the trunk to store an included blue Rubbermaid-style tub and the extra projectiles. It's kind of loose - so it could fall out, if you're not careful. I'd prefer something with a lid on it, but the vehicle seems designed with expansions in mind. There are four holes in the truck bed that could probably be used to mount a turret, or perhaps connect some sort of trailer to the back. So far that hasn't happened - but you could totally see them reusing this set in another line (like The Real Ghostbuster) should the need ever arise. It's sturdy and everything works, so at this point you just have to assume it will get reissued in new colors to do battle with dinosaurs or something else down the road.
In the last nearly five decades, Playmobil figures range from perfectly nice to astonishing figures you'll probably never want to part with - and some are really boring. This one feels like Playmobil tried to come up with an action figure, with a torso featuring sculpted coat elements like a collar and a zipper seam rather than merely printing them on a flat, generic torso mold. It looks a lot better, but it's also very much not the way Playmobil tended to do things. It also has a holster for the included pistol, and a unique piece of gear for his head that has a microphone so he can talk to his teammates. If that weren't enough, he's got eye patch and stubble - that basically makes him a modern pirate! He also sports orange pockets on his shirt and pants, giving him a bit more of a distinctive look than "jungle pirate Conan O'Brien."
Playmobil was extremely generous with the gear - you get a flashlight, rifle, sword, walkie talkie, GPS, tub, and rockets. I assume you'll lose these, but Playmobil has kept the parts in production for years so I assume it will be easy to get replacements if you do. Because Playmobil figures are effectively the same, the figure has no problem actually using each and every accessory in the box.
When you look at the entire run of this German toy line, you can see how it endured. It's adaptable. There's a Spanish-language history subscription service with exclusive figures. These figures have been parts of dollhouses, play farms, space toys, and recently licensed collectible toys for adult fans too. This action figure line was pretty great, with toys that could actually engage in some sort of play beyond looking good and being moved around by kids. I'm not sure what kind of treasure you were meant to haul away with this crawler, but it was nice they gave you the tools to do the job. Since it's still available somewhat cheaply, I'd say get it while you can. It's by no means an impressively sized beast at only 6-inches long, but it holds up nicely to a lot of other recent vehicles.
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