And Just Like I Said, There's No Regrets
June 1 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 25
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  Galactic Hunter adds its newest Figure of the Day with Shadows of the Empire Luke Skywalker (Imperial Guard Disguise), one of the first figures that could be considered part of the Star Wars "Expanded Universe" action figure line. So why do you need another Luke figure, or some Imperial Guard thing which was never in the movies? Read on!
--AP
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Alternators Megatron or Fan Art?
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  Is it real, or is it Memorex? We're assuming it could be bogus, but this "M1A2 Abrams MBT" Megatron is sure pretty to look at. Seeing as it has a lot of classic design elements of the old toy and animation models, it looks too good to be true-- but hey, take a look!
--AP
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DS Lite Leaks
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  A number of outlets, including our pals and the site GameSpot, are reporting Target stores and a few others are putting out the Nintendo DS Lite early-- as in now. So take advantage of the ignorance of the retail wage slave, and check your electronics departments today!
Until then, revel in the fact that The Magic Box is reporting a game called Common Sense Training for Adults DS is coming out in Japan this October. It has 2,000 "common sense trivia questions." Man. Apparently, the Japanese just bought 900,000 copies of New Super Mario Bros. as well, which we just finished, and can say is worth buying. A lot.
Also, Nintendo is moving toward selling DS stuff to old, boring people. A new "Touch Generations" brand is coming with rebranded older games (Nintendogs, Tetris DS, True Swing Golf) so people are, we guess, not afraid of buying them. So if you liked Brain Age and can't get enough of Sudoku, well, boy is it a good time to be you, you boring little person.
--AP
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Wah Wah Wah Waaaaaaah
June 2 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 26
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 Who loves Star Wars? Hopefully you, as we updated Galactic Hunter with yet another Figure of the Day. The latest entry is Episode I Darth Sidious, one of the bigger pegwarmers of the prequel era... well, at least when it first came out. But would you believe a quality figure can pegwarm? It's true! Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day this weekend-- and this summer-- and, if all goes according to plan, this year!
--AP
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OMG Classics Grimlock??
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 Boy howdy, the weird concept images keep on coming! A very Zoids-like Classics Grimlock illustration has popped up and there's a lot of questions from us if it's legit. It looks more than a little like the Berserk Fuhrer (Japan, Berserk Fury US) kit from Tomy which we have and think is somewhat awesome. While we'll no doubt know for sure in a couple of months, it is indeed a very interesting concept and we wouldn't mind having one in the collection.
(Although if he doesn't come with a sword we're gonna hafta make him one.)
--AP
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Batwoman on Batwoman
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  A bazillion outlets including the BBC are reporting that DC Comics is reinventing a huge array of its superheroes. The Blue Beetle is becoming a Mexican teen, The Atom will be Asian, and apparently Batwoman is coming back, redesigned by Alex Ross, and is a lesbian. We can hear the "ka-ching" a mile away from DC HQ and await the announcement of action figures from DC Direct and possibly Mattel.
--AP
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Horrible Plugs for our Sponsors: Artoo-Potatoo
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  It's out, and selling out quickly. Actually, all that sponsor Entertainment Earth has in stock at the moment are some scratch-and-dent boxed Artoo Potatoo, as the first shipment has come and gone-- with many more units, we believe, coming soon. So if you want one, you want one now, and you don't care about the box' condition, consider ordering one for $8.99. (We got one at the office and we must say, it's quite cute because it looks angry the way the light hits the eyes. Borderline adorable, even.)
--AP
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It Is Hotness
June 5 2006 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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 Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column by yours truly. Read on for DVDs and Rancor Keepers and whatever.
Also, Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the Saga Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! (As it also has funny hats and wars.)
From left to right: Boss Nass (Gungan Sacred Place), Nabrun Leids, Chewbacca. These are all new since our last update, and another one will be going live today! Who will it be? Keep checking Galactic Hunter for Day 25 in Figure of the Day!
--AP
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Nintendo DS: Final Fantasy III & Kirby DS News
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 Over at The Magic Box, there's more new preview images for the Nintendo DS Final Fantasy III, which is looking better and better and possibly like the best RPG on a portable in the history of ever. Exciting!
 They're busy over at The Magic Box. Several new images of this game make it look like a souped-up 16-bit platformer, which makes us happy. Click through for all the new screen shots.
--AP
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Convention: Transformers Dinobot (Cybertron) Revealed
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  Wow! While not too much of a surprise, the preview of Dinobot, represents the vehicle mode of this Cybertronian warrior, complete with Predacon logo! Nifty. It's made from Hoist and Longrack parts, so check it out.
--AP
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Convention: G.I. Joe Red Dog Unveiled
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  Today: meet Red Dog, yet another convention figure for the upcoming G.I. Joe show in New Orleans this Summer. He's one of many figures you can get, so go read more about Red Dog at Master Collector, as it's their deal.
--AP
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The Pumpkin is Breathing Hard
June 6 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 30
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 Who loves Star Wars? Hopefully you, as we updated Galactic Hunter with yet another Figure of the Day. The latest entry is the Revenge of the Sith Battle Droid, a great update of a neat design. But does his rubbery plastic annoy, or save the children? Find out! Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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GameBoy Dead?
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 1989-2006? Over at IGN, there's a short article on the lack of new GameBoy Advance development. While somewhat of an exaggeration (as we believe Nintendo is going to publish the Square-Enix updates of Final Fantasy V and VI), things for the GBA aren't looking rosy-- but the DS? Lookin' good. A pity given the neat-ness of the GameBoy Micro, but hey, it's not like the DS can't do the same stuff. (Although we dislike the lack of DS support for pre-GBA titles.)
--AP
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Funny Stuff, We Swear
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  Pal of the site Shaun Clayton has updated his funny site with some really great features. The one in the picture is "Other Bears," based on some famous bear toy line you may have heard of. Another is "Rejected Apple Ads," a seemingly tired premise that, apparently, has a lot of gold left to be mined. Check them out, then send him an email, won't you?
--AP
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Overthrow the Alliance
June 7 2006 |
UPDATE: Transformers "Classics" Hot Rod Images
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One more thing-- we've got a few shots of Rodimus, or Hot Rod to you and me, which you can see below!
Enjoy!
--AP
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Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 31
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 Oh, babies are cute-- even Jedi ones. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the Wal-Mart exclusive Revenge of the Sith Luke Skywalker with Obi-Wan Kenobi, a repack with a new accessory. Was it worth the $5.24? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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New Robots in Disguise
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 Oh, it's a good day! Hasbro released some images of their Transformers: Robots In Disguise line, previously known as Transformers Classics. While fans will no doubt enjoy spending the coming weeks arguing over the proper name of the line, pretty much every child of the 1980s can agree on one thing-- it's a real trip to see Bumblebee again!
Also, please note that these official images may be mistransformed. (We're 90% sure of it but hey, we've been wrong before.)
From left to right: Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, Astrotrain. Despite these being packaged and apparently final samples, product is presently not expected until November. However, with what's expected for the Cybertron range, it might be sooner. These Deluxe and Voyager class toys should be $10 or so for the smaller ones and $20 or so for the larger.
We hesitate to go "best figures evar" or something similar, although we must say, if they're solid toys we're totally sold on the concept. (Oh, and we saw Metroplex in stores today.)
--AP
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New G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Figures
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 New Joes, too! Take a look at Sigma Strike Duke and Paratrooper Duke, both apparently new toys at new price points. There is currently no known ETA for these items but if we were betting men, we'd say Septemberish.
 Paratrooper Duke has a real working parachute and tons of weapons-- like most of the line. Meanwhile, Sigma Strike Duke has something called "P.O.W.E.R. Armor," which we guess is a fancy way of saying "electronic and probably $20-$25."
--AP
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Fire Drill!
June 9 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Days 32, 33
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 We skipped a day, so take a look at two Figure of the Day articles over at Galactic Hunter First is the Clone Wars Asajj Ventress, the first-ever figure of this particular Sith Vixen. Why buy this version and not the others? Read on!
 Also, we added the Probot, a deluxe figure from 1997 that has a firing rocket, and it explodes. That's like awesome twice over. Read on to see why you need one or two!
Also, the Toys "R" Us Exclusive Hunt for Grievous battle pack has hit. (We found 'em on Wednesday.) Happy hunting on those, it's a big box of clones!
--AP
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Transformers Teaser Poster
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 At The Official Movie Site, there's a big flash countdown that seems to be off by about a year. Meanwhile, the poster is at TFW2005. Check 'em out.
--AP
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Ad: New Star Wars Figures
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 It's new! And coming this Fall, and according to Hasbro, it's the final Saga Collection wave for 2006. (There's more product coming, of course, but apparently this is it for this particular short-lived line of basic figures.)
In this case, you'll get: 1x Luke Skywalker (Endor Gear), 2x Darth Vader (Death Star), 2x Endor Rebel Trooper (may be in either of two varieties), 1x Gungan Rep Been, 2x Naboo Soldier, 1x Podracer Pilots (Mars Guo & Dud Bolt), 1x Gragra the Gorgmonger, 1x Obi-Wan Kenobi (Naboo), 1x Darth Maul (Holograph). (Subject to change.)
In other words, pretty much the whole set, variants, and troop builders. So if you're usually hesitant about buying cases, this time it's probably worth your while.
--AP
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Carlos the Dwarf
June 13 2006 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column by yours truly. Read on for mini figures and other stuff.
Also, Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the Saga Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! (As it also has funny hats and wars.)
From left to right: Ugnaught, Ellorrs Madak, Boba Fett, R4-A22. These are all new since our last update, and another one will be going live today! Who will it be? Keep checking Galactic Hunter for Day 38 in Figure of the Day!
--AP
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Andy Kaufman: Action Figure?
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 Over at ActionFigs.com, a new figure site, there's a link to some interesting wrestling info-- which, ordinarily, we view as a contradiction. It appears Jakks Pacific is looking into both Nacho Libre and Andy Kaufman (yes, that Andy Kaufman) as candidates for action figures. Hot damn!
--AP
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Nintendo GameCube: Super Paper Mario
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 Over at The Magic Box, there's more new preview images for the Nintendo GameCube Super Paper Mario, which may be the best thing since... New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. Which is, of course, awesome.
Also, we're hearing of many Nintendo DS Lite shortages, now that the unit has launched. We saw no less than 30 at Target tonight, so check your local big box stores if you only look for games t the mall.
--AP
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Convention: Transformers Cheetor (Cybertron) Revealed
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 Check out the preview of the convention Cheetor, which is a retooled Swerve/Clocker mold. He has a new head, and quite possibly the best paint job we've ever seen for an exclusive-- check out the upholstery! This is certainly a step in the right direction as far as con exclusives go.
--AP
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Sponsor: Entertainment Earth, now with Batman, Star Trek, and Smut
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 By night, we write on the Internet. By day, we act as marketing stooges and merchandising goons for Entertainment Earth. We go to meetings and play with toys, and now we're going to tell you what's new and fancy because we get a few extra bucks when people buy stuff through these links, like this awesome Hot Wheels Batmobile. We added this the other week and so far we've sold tons of them-- it's very popular, and based on the 1989 Batman movie from Tim Burton. So think of this as the Batmobile that Jack Skellington would drive. We also added tons of new die-cast Star Trek offerings from Corgi, which have also been pretty hot lately.
Some have lights and sounds, others are merely hefty die-cast collectible vehicles. And for lovers of foreign culture, we have the always playful and classy anime selection. For the ladies.
New plush, new girls, new robots, and all kinds of stuff. Fans of good toys, we highly advise you snag some of the Revoltech offerings being brought in by Organic. Evangelion, Shin Getter 1, and more-- they're quality toys in great boxes. We got to play with one up close and we are ECSTATIC that they're doing Transformers ones in the future. If you like robot toys or can tolerate the series these are based on, you'll love the heck out of them.
--AP
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Thanks Very Much
June 14 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 38
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 Oh, babies are cute-- even Jedi ones. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1997 Power of the Force Han Solo in Endor Gear figure. From 1997, and reissued in 2004, is there any reason you might still want this figure? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Classics Transformers Starscream on eBay
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 Once again, someone tossed up a prototype on eBay, this time it's Classics Starscream, an all-new mold that, at press time, is up to $78. It's notable as it has 7 images including one of the plastic tray from the packaging. Take a look!
--AP
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$15 off $100 at Circuit City Brick & Mortar
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 In the "a good deal if you're doing it anyway" department, Papa John's is giving away Circuit City coupons. Might be good if you're in the market for a DS Lite. $5 off and $15 off coupons are available. (I just got a buy-one-get-one-free pizza coupon last week and they gave me one so it seems to be kinda random if you get the coupon or not.)
--AP
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Sizzle
June 15 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 39
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 Insert joke relating to snakes and/or planes here. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1999 Episode One Sneak Preview Mace Windu action figure. In some articles, (even around Episode II), Sam Jackson went on to say that this was his very favorite of all. Could be be right, and it's the best? Well, you can find out if it deserves the stamp of approval, aside from obviously being approved by the guy who it is. How? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Convention Exclusive Golden Disc Projector from Beast Wars
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 Part of a pretty great package, Iacon One is holding a Transformers Fan Event with a nifty exclusive pack of fan-made Beast Wars accessories. This disc projector plugs into the weapon of Transmetals Megatron (and presumably Armada Predacon) just like in the classic three-parter "The Agenda." Check it out, it's also available absentee with other goodies for a fairly low $65.00.
--AP
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Patton Oswalt to pen The Goon
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  One of the world's funniest comedians is going to be writing one of the world's greatest comics. Later this year, Patton Oswalt will be co-writing the comedy/horror title Dwight T. Albatross' The Goon Noir #1, and boy howdy, we can't wait. It's like the first meeting of guns and alcohol, but not quite as funny. It's coming out in September. And we're giddy.
The Goon is one of Dark Horse Comics' best titles, featuring zombie horror, 1930's gangsters, and comedy all in a single book with simpletons throwing their own poo. Classy.
--AP
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Sponsor: Entertainment Earth Star Wars Comic-Con Exclusive
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 New! To pay homage to the very first Comic-Con exclusive, Entertainment Earth and Code 3 Collectibles teamed up to make the EE Exclusive Star Wars Chaykin Mini Poster Sculpture, a 3D work of art based on the classic poster. Please note: this is an early sculpt and some changes and a few additions have since been made. 504 are being brought to San Diego for sale, and preorders are up now-- so you might want to do that.
--AP
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Balls Are Fun
June 19 2006 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column by yours truly. Read on for... something.
Also, Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the Saga Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! (As it also has funny hats and wars.)
From left to right: Darth Vader, Plo Koon, Darth Maul, Crab Droid. These are all new since our last update, and another one will be going live today! Who will it be? Keep checking Galactic Hunter for Day 44 in Figure of the Day!
--AP
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Zoid Toy + Game = Zoids Dash
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  Gods be praised! NCS received a new game for the Nintendo DS called Zoids Dash, which is a 2D platformer. Ooooh. It looks kinda like Blaster Master, of course, we have not played Zoids Dash and we know of no plans for a US release. It also comes with a very cool Blox Geno Saurer kit. Oh, how we want one. Plastic lust. This game + toy smoothie can be yours for $58.00 and is usable on domestic DS consoles.
--AP
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 10 on August 8?
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  Over at TVShowsOnDVD.com, they're announcing some stores are putting Volume 10 up for preorder for August 8. No movies are listed, but our research shows Buy.com and CDUniverse.com have it up for preorder today. Exciting!
--AP
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Playstation 3: UK Preorders
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 Over at GameSpot, there's a report of the going rate in the UK of an online shop's preorders for the new Sony console. Which translates to over $1,000 US. Oh, the insanity.
--AP
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Convention: Transformers Waspinator (Cybertron) Revealed?
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 Apparently a leaked prototype from China got posted to TFW2005, which appears to be a repaint of a Flipchanger as Waspinator-- just a repaint, mind you, no remolded parts. It's expected to be sold at BotCon 2006, but obviously, this remains to be seen.
--AP
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American Yum Yum Clown Monkey
June 20 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 44
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 Who loves a good fan wank? Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2004 Original Trilogy Collection Kmart Exclusive Zutton figure. This blue redeco incorporates the head and torso of Zutton and the arms and legs of the 2002 Ponda Baba, with brand new coloring. Is it as awesome as it sounds? Should you plonk down money for a toy that's a reference to an old Sears exclusive? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Superman: Jor-El + Son of Jor-El 2-pack?
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 Over at eBay, we've been turned on to an auction in Australia with a double pack with the new Superman and the Marlon Brando Jor-El action figure. Wow.
--AP
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Reminder: NewsRadio Season 4 DVD Today
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 On DVD today: NewsRadio Season 4. This contains the classic episode Super Karate Monkey Death Car, arguably one of the best sitcom episodes of the past decade. Will we buy this today? A thousand times yes. We have fancy plans. And pants to match.
--AP
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Round-Up: Comic-Con Exclusives
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  Over at Action-Figure.com, there's a big giant checklist of the 2006 convention exclusives being updated every day. You gotta check it out!
--AP
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Convention: Transformers Rhinox (Cybertron) Revealed
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 Check out the preview of the convention Rhinox, which is a repaint of the already awesome Cybertron Landmine toy. A little paint goes a long way, and it's neat to see a toy with both Autobot and Maximal logos on it. (Aside from Beast Wars Metals Ravage, it's hard to think of a toy with both G1 and Beast-era faction symbols on it.) Do click through and check it out./p>
--AP
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You're Trying Your Best
June 21 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 45
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 It's a baby clone! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2003 Clone Youth figure that came with Lama Su. Is this figure more than a weak version of the young Boba Fett? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Free Music: Andrew Jackson Jihad
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  Friend of the site Pete turned us on to a local band from Phoenix, AZ that you may enjoy-- you also might not. They're abrasive, loud, and funny-- the holy trinity of a good local band. As I like seeing bands I enjoy on some level give the world free MP3 files, I figure it's worth mentioning. Feed my iPod, Internet! "Smoking makes you cool," indeed. (Oh, and nobody said this is going to make you smarter or think big fancy thoughts. It's just amusing local band fun, like Osama Bin Sars if you ever get the chance to see/hear them.)
(If you're easily offended by things commonly seen/said in popular culture, you might wanna sit this one out. Not that it's vile, but, you know.)
If you have nothing better to do and know of a band that is entertaining and doesn't suck, please send us an email. (Please note the phrase "does not suck.")
--AP, thanks Pete for the tip-off
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Hot Zoids Action?
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 Over at Entertainment Earth, it would appear that the days of build-your-own animal-based mechs are over for Zoids. Attempting to grow up with the fans, a new 1:7 scale statue of Kotona Elegance betrays humanity's need for pants and modesty. And we, for one, support this. Apparently this gal drives the "Rainbow Jerk," a peacock Zoids kit that as of yet has gone unreleased outside Japan.
 Well, at least Zoids ain't dead yet. HobbyLink Japan has some as well-- you know, the ones that are actual toys. We very much like the Brachio Rakete and we friggin' need this LB Gojulas, which is based on the old Godzilla-inspired designs of days gone by. Hot damn. That's almost as exciting as Kotona.
--AP
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You're Not Ghana Win
June 22 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 46
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 Medics are so hot! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2001 FX-7 figure that comes with loads of articulation and moving arms. Is this robot good for what ails you? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 10 Delay
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Over at TVShowsOnDVD.com, they're now saying the box set is being moved to August 29. There's still no information as to the contents of this DVD, as we just got the new Rhino newsletter today and we ain't seen nothin'.
--AP
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Nintendo DS Browser... for Japan
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 After a long wait, the Nintendo DS is getting a web browser-- not sure if this is good. GameSpot has images and some info, it looks like it'll be $33 and is currently to be exclusive to the Japanese market. Perhaps because you English-speaking swine have angered the game gods.
--AP
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Sponsor: EE Exclusive Darth Vader Bust IN STOCK
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 Now in stock: the limited edition Darth Vader Revealed mini bust from Episode III. A limited number were made, and a limited number remain.
--AP
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 16bit.com & Entertainment Earth Podcast
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16bit.com Podcast #21: June 22, 2006
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 Hear all about the Star Wars Transformers Millennium Falcon, as we got one! We play some of the sound effects and give you a quick lowdown. We also share the Star Wars exclusive information at Comic-Con International-- if you didn't already read it elsewhere. Enjoy!
--AP
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How to sign up
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For starters: You do not need an iPod to hear a Podcast. Podcasting is just a fancy word for "hack job internet radio show," which is exactly what we're aiming to produce here.
If you have iTunes 4.9 or above: You can subscribe to it for free. Just search for "Adam Pawlus" under Podcasts in the iTunes music store, or just go to "Subscribe to Podcast" and paste in "http://www.entertainmentearth.com/podcasts/podcast.xml". And you should be all hooked up.
If you're using an RSS reader: Subscribe to this feed: "http://www.entertainmentearth.com/podcasts/podcast.xml".
If you are using Safari: click here.
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Yay Montage
June 26 2006 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column by yours truly. Read on for rants, raves, and more rants.
Also, Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the Saga Collection, it's almost like a history lesson! (As it also has funny hats and wars.)
From left to right: Wat Tambor, Han Solo, Jabba the Hutt, Darth Vader. These are all new since our last update, and another one will be going live today! Who will it be? Keep checking Galactic Hunter for Day 51 in Figure of the Day!
--AP
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Convention: G.I. Joe Sgt. Slaughter Unveiled
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 Today: meet Sgt. Slaughter, another convention figure for the upcoming G.I. Joe show in New Orleans this Summer. He's one of many figures you can get, so go read more about Sgt. Slaughter at Master Collector, as it's their deal.
--AP
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Zoids Lust, New Old Releases
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 First of all, it seems classic Zoids are coming back. Not the good ones, the really old ones, often called "white heads," of which we have many from our own childhood. Amenbo has a page up with a pre-order for 5 old Helic team kits, with the Aqadon, Elephantus, Garius, Glidoler, and Gorgodos. For 3500 yen (about $30ish), you can get the pleasure of assembling these very simple kits yourself. Word on the street is a set with Geruder and his pals is up next, which make up the early (and awesome) Zenevas team kits which got us high on the line when released statside as Robo Strux.
One of the reasons this update is light (and some of the features may seem slightly snippier than usual) is we spent a significant chunk of the weekend building Zoids, reading comics, and watching Star Trek repeats. Meaning we're up really late on Sunday listening to "Bongo Fury," just like in the old days. But anyway, we finally assembled one of our long-time holy grails, the Zoids Ultrasaurus. It is glorious. Gorgeous. A thing to make grown men weep, to weep so much their tears will flood the countryside. The going rate of this giant toy has dropped significantly in recent months, you can get it for the obscenely low price of $40 or so. It's huge. If you have any interest in Zoids as a toy or as an experience just to assemble the damn things, you need one of these to futz with.
--AP
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Won't You
June 27 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 51
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 Medics are so hot! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Princess Leia (Hoth Outfit) figure that comes with a gun and has six joints. Excited yet? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Zoids Kick: Episode 3
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 Can you say "ongoing"? We can't seem to find any decent daily news sites with Zoids stuff, so we're going to half-ass one of our own. See Internet: this is what you get for not entertaining us.
Yesterday we mentioned a "white head" gift set, and while searching some forums we found out about a Zenevas set. We're finding difficulties finding additional references to the set, but it has classic kits like Geruder, Gator, Molga, Zatton, and... Merda. According to HobbyLink Japan, it's going to be out in September and about $38 or so. As we grew up with the likes of Zatton and finding a Geruder in a knicknack shop was what pushed us back toward the line, we're quite pleased to see this. (Well, not so much Geruder as we got one for ten bucks recently, but hey, Merda? We're there.)
If these kits look vaguely familiar, there's probably good reason. In the USA, they released these as RoboStrux in different colors, which is how many of you may remember them. (We have our Brox, aka Zatton, in brown as that was our very first kit which we got like 20 years ago. We also still have our blue Brutox and Slither, so nyah.) These reasonably simple kits are arguably the most fun, way more fun than the white heads, and are reasonably simple-- for the money, no doubt well worth it. If you're a fan of wind-up toys, classic Japanese toys, and toys with lots of moving parts, these are great. We personally have at least one version of each of these five kits except for Merda.
And if you perchance have a MIB, unbuilt Robo Strux Runna... please let us know. We wants it. (We wants to build it.) Thank you. (Heck, if you got a Kreep and a Batlar and a Reptex too, hook us up.)
--AP
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Brought To You By Rent-A-Center
June 28 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 52
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 Medics are so hot! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2004 Luke Skywalker (Bespin Outfit) figure that comes with a whole mess of accessories. It's awesome, and reasonably cheap. Do you not have one? Want to know why you need it? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Zoids Kick: Episode 4
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 There's surprisingly little Zoids news to be had, but hey, if you don't keep up on this stuff it's all new to you. We're here to educate in this feature, and we freaking love Zoids. You should too. Show 'em you care. We grew up being dinosaur freaks and robot dorks, so combine the two and well, it all makes a lot of sense.
We mentioned these a few months ago, but it's worth repeating. In Japan, in 2005, there was a Dinosaur Expo of some sort. We did some research, and found this really nifty article about it. Basically, it had all these neat animated electronic dinosaurs and if you click here, you get to see all sorts of blurbs and video footage. What makes this especially notable to types like us were the exclusive toys, which for a museum exhibit aren't something you see every day.
 Four limited exclusive kits were made for the show, with "fossil" white versions of Red Horn (pictured), Raynos, Snipe Master, and Geno Saurer. These are nifty as they're obscure, good to look at, and very skeletal in appearance. Leoshop in Taiwan has all four, with the smaller ones at about $10 and the bigger ones at about $20. (So the whole set would be $60 before shipping, and no, we have not purchased from them nor do we get kickbacks-- this is FYI.) Leoshop has some good images in their "Zoom 1" and "Zoom 2" tabs so you can get a good look at the packaging and loose photos. There's something inherently awesome about Tomy manufacturing robotic dinosaurs with guns and marketing them as some sort of faux-educational toy.
Prices on eBay are kinda high, ranging from a 50% mark-up to a whopping threefold increase. Depending on where you live, it might be best, but do shop around if you're in the market for these as bargains (relatively speaking) abound. We're crossing our fingers to find a set at Comic-Con.
In addition to Zoids, there was also an exclusive Tomica truck which we found on eBay and this other one too. eBay links are transient, so we advise you look soon or send us some cash so we can buy and review it and set up a permanent link. (Tomy manufactures Tomica as well as Zoids.) As we are neither Japanese nor reasonably adept researches, we're going to assume that's all they made for the show until proven wrong.
Also, Amazon.com is blowing out a lot of toys, including a REAL steal-- the Zoids Gustav kit, an awesome pillbug tow truck/repair station, is only $5.29. Holy crap. If you have any sense you'll buy one. (No, we don't get a cut of this sale.) With the TRU/Amazon divorce, there's some deals to be had, so happy hunting.
--AP
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Transformers Classics Bios
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 Sources revealed a bunch of official bio information for its upcoming line of classic themed Transformers. Today, we start with Rodimus, aka Hot Rod: Young and bold, RODIMUS races headlong into danger, throwing caution - and his orders - to the wind. He dreams of heroic deeds and hopes one day to gain the recognition his actions deserve. Despite his inexperience, he is a talented fighter. In battle, he can often be seen racing at speeds up to 180 miles per hour, dodging explosions and laser blasts in an attempt to close on his objective.
Awesome robot-to-race car vehicle figure features a flip-out data-com communicator in vehicle mode and a tailpipe that becomes a photon laser with firing projectile in robot mode!
Bumblebee: Small compared to most other TRANSFORMERS, BUMBLEBEE more than makes up for through his incredible bravery and willingness to go places larger robots won't. Capable of aerial and underwater missions, he is more versatile than many other AUTOBOTS. His eagerness to do his part leads him to above and beyond the call of duty, often placing him in grave danger. It is a testament to his skill that he has never been captured.
Awesome robot-to-cruiser vehicle figure features a WAVE CRUSHER watercraft and trailer that convert to a jet pack!
 Astrotrain: ASTROTRAIN thrives on panic and fear. Though he is mainly used as a transport vehicle for moving warriors and supplies, he only truly feels at home pounding AUTOBOT warriors into scrap metal. His ionic displacer rifle can scramble AUTOBOT sensors, causing confusion in the enemy ranks, and his huge bulk casts a terrifying shadow across a battlefield. Those AUTOBOTS who survive a fight with ASTROTRAIN often need only hear the echoing boom of his engines in the distance to once again quake in fear.
Awesome TRIPLE CHANGER figure converts from robot to space shuttle with retractable landing gear to train with attachable rifle and back again!
--AP
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She Knows How To Nasty
June 29 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 53
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 Sith love! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2003 The Emperor figure that's arguably the worst they've done, but it's not without it's charm. It's being reissued in a few months. Do you need it? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Zoids Kick: Episode 5
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 Assuming it's no cruel joke, Zoids forum site ZoidPoison has up an image of a new, retro-styled Gojulas kit. It has the old-timey Helic Combat Team logos and it's mostly black. We love it. Do check it out, it's apparently an upcoming limited edition.
--AP
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PSP Camera
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 Over at The Magic Box, they posted shots of the upcoming PSP camera. Due out this Fall, it looks pretty hefty and you can read more about it there.
--AP
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Baby Bye-Bye
June 30 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 54
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 Wormie's here! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Luke Skywalker figure with an, at the time, all-new likeness and blast shield helmet. This was the only time they issued the helmet, which was from a key scene in defining what The Force was all about. But do you need the figure? Read on!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
--AP
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Yo Joe! G.I. Joe Convention Reports
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 A series of reports over at Cobra Island reveal this year's various exclusives, including the surprise vehicles. Here's the menu, in addition to the gift set we've reported on at length earlier:
Renegades 3-Pack: $50
Sgt. Slaughter: $25
Operation Flaming Moth Part 2: $25
Ferret Vehicle 2-Pack: $25
Warthog: $48
Armadillo: Freebie?
Blue Cobra Nullifier: Freebie?
Cobra Island and your favorite G.I. Joe sites for more as the weekend goes on.
--AP
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New Wii Hardware Images
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 Over at The Magic Box, they have images from a Spanish language site which showcased 5 pages of Wii images-- of the hardware, of course. See the controller, logos, and goobers playing the games. Oh, and of the classic controller too. Neat-o!
--AP
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Superman Returns Clearance at Target
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 On Wednesday, Superman Returns opened wide, and we noticed two clearance figures at Target. On Thursday, we saw the entire line marked down up to 30% off-- talk about a short shelf life! Target's blowing out tons of items from the movie as well as other "Spring" toys that are past their prime, so hit up your local stores this holiday weekend in search of cheap thrills.
--AP
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Godzilla vs. Megalon on next MST3K Set
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  Over at Satellite News, they confirmed the contents of the next Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVD box. Guess what? It's gonna be awesome. Here's what you get:
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Swamp Diamonds & What To Do on a Date
Teen-Age Strangler & Is This Love?
The Giant Spider Invasion
What a mix! It's due out on August 29. Yay!
--AP
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Zoids Kick: Episode 6
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 It's rare that they show up, so today we're copping out and giving you a link to an eBay auction for the Sea Panther kit, which has not been made available in the modern line. As kids adore hermit crabs, this one's become somewhat popular as of late. Heck, we bought one a couple of years ago-- sealed in the box-- with the express purpose of opening it and defiling it for this site. Prices for this kit go all over the place, so be sensible when bidding. But hey, if you want to sink $400 go nuts-- people have!
 For those wondering what all the fuss is about, we wrote a full review of this kit in 2003. To see the toy in assembled and unassembled states, click through and read all about it! (We love it-- but pretty much any kit that has that early Zenevas-style canopy is love.)
--AP
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Click Here For News From May!
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