Battle Beasts Series 3
Item No.: #61 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Grey spear named "Beam Hunter," seven more figures Action Feature:n/a Retail: est. $13.99 Availability:ca. 1987 Other: Also spelled "Pixelated Pointer" in some places, so let's put that here, for Google
Most of what interests me in toys are really old things - like Battle Beasts - or brand-new figures. I went nuts and got as many of these guys as I could a few years ago, including Pixilated Pointer. I'm not a big dog person as such, but this is a fine figure - the 2-inch pooch has jointed arms and a weapon, plus a rubsign sticker. It's awesome. You should get one, or whatever figure best represents your spirit animal.
Pixilated Pointer is one of 3 dogs in the line, one of which is merely labeled as a "dog." It's pretty non-specific but I was buying these when I was 7 or 8, if memory serves, so it's not like I was up on the nuances of the poodle versus whatever breed was popular this week. The pointer is indeed based on a dog, but it's not too close to the pointers I'm seeing online. But hey, it's a nice dog and it's carrying a spear.
These figures - and 1980s toys in general - have precious few paint applications, so this figure feels like a real winner in how it was executed. The brown molded figure has blue armor with purple highlights and a yellow muzzle, plus paint on his eyes and nose. The purple eyes don't really "pop" but they don't look bad either. The color looks great in normal conditions - these figures were not developed to hold up to the scrutiny of high-resolution digital cameras. His hands can hold most 3mm weapons, so you could probably hand him a Cyberverse Transformers gun or a LEGO accessory. The rubbery plastic has some give to it, so if you had something bigger that would work too. The stout little fellow is quite sturdy, and his big feed keep him from toppling over - as does his lack of leg joints.
There was a trend in the late 1980s toward smaller toys, before the trend of the early 1990s to go "micro." This figure feels like a transitional product between the 3 3/4-inch and 5-inch toys and the smaller pack-in figures to follow. Like MUSCLE, it's a cheaper Japanese toy that's as much about being collected as it is to be played with. The funny thing is that with 2 joints and 1 accessory, it's more fun than a lot of modern figures in that this one can actually stand and not fall apart. The rubsign reveals a symbol showing his power, and... that's about it, really. The simple, small, collectible figure has come and gone in American toys and I think this was one of the better ones. Modern blind-bagged figures tend to be brick figures (not always a bad thing) or non-articulated mini-figures, so I have to say this interesting hybrid was a great, almost one-of-a-kind thing. The Battle Beasts made little impact at the time, aside from a few lunchboxes and licensed backpacks and costumes, but today's adults are still somewhat enamored with them as they remain an influence on numerous smaller toy lines. If the chance comes up, get one - if not this one, just get a few of these.
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