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 (top to bottom): Yoda, Clone Trooper, Padme, another Padme, Count Dooku. 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 60 in Figure of the Day!
Need more information from the show in New Orleans over the weekend? Check out Yo Joe for a heck of a lot more information on new releases and the show itself. With a Hasbro Q&A and more, it's a worthy read. More updates on concepts and prototypes are promised, and we're all ears.
Also, word on the street is that G4 TV has supposedly added the classic G.I. Joe cartoon to its Action Blast programming block, thus making the channel the nerd's best friend. (They air uncut classic Trek marathons on Saturday morning, before oddly reformatted episodes later in the day and the rest of the week.)
Like eBay? Enjoy quasi-legal images of toys? Check out the eBay auction for Classic Megatron, a new Nerf gun-esque release this Fall. The auction is especially cool in that it shows the toy from both sides in both modes, giving us the first really good look at a non-airbrushed sample of this nifty (if funky) toy.
Other auctions also have shots of Rodimus and Starscream. As always, remember these are coming later this year for $20 for the big 'uns and $13 or so for the smaller ones.
It's no big secret that we have a love/hate relationship with how toys (and games) are perceived in the media. (There's a reason we take a small amount of glee in writing press releases for the industry.) Of course, some people use press releases for the powers of evil. (Relatively speaking, of course. We're not one to "think of the children" due to our acting like big and in some cases, stupid kids.) We post this not out of spite, but because, in all seriousness, this is pretty much all the press that the line got during its too-short run in North America. And yes, this is Zoids-centric.
In a market where toy stores have dismembered circus freaks and Dorothy being lead around in a bondage costume, while on a leash, by munchkins, we were more than a little shocked and in many ways, disappointed with the Lion & Lamb Project's missing out on some really gnarly toys for 2002-2003. Here's a quote on how the Zoids Gun Sniper will infect your soul, curve your spine, and keep the country from winning the war:
"This toy takes the dinosaur concept and gratuitously adds a sniper element. The Gun Sniper includes "missile-launching side cannons!" The packaging promotes other Zoids, which children can 'customize for battle!' They include the Liger Zero with a 'Hel Digunner cannon' and Raynos, with 'turret and launching cannons.' The Zoids line melds two traditional toy categories-construction toys and animals - and adds violent themes, which are then marketed to pre-schoolers."
While all publicity is good publicity, these toys designed for kids ages 8 and up. Unfortunately even labeling them dangerous did little to boost sales-- after all, animals tend to make everything skew young.
In 2003, we made a huge toy run around Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Glendale, and beyond to look for Zoids, and picked up the toys at 75% off or more at numerous stores, including the deadly Gun Sniper for a mere $1.99. We can safely say that the Lion & Lamb project neglected to indicate just how ridiculously overarmed this little velociraptor is, with a giant cannon on each wrist, three guns on the back of the tail, a giant cannon on the back, two missile launchers on the side of the aforementioned cannon, a large gut-gun, and of course two huge toe claws. This also ignores the fact that Zoids aren't kid-friendly, with a lot of assembly, small parts, and cutting required to build the toy.
Today, the Gun Sniper kit can be had on eBay for a few dollars, or you can search on a site like Froogle and find the Japanese edition of the kit for $8 and up. It's a small kit, easy to build, and in need of a loving home. Won't you help it? We're not sure of the real crime here-- perhaps the lack of awesome dinosaur toys on the market at the time, beyond the death throes of the Jurassic Park line and the random Dinobots put out by Hasbro for Transformers, but those have guns, too. And skew younger. So, the moral of the story: the world needs more good dinosaur toys. And Zoids, so hook us up.
Of course, Zoids are just one of many violent dinosaurs-with-weapons toy lines. Let us not forget Kenner's Bone-Age, a series of skeletons with missile-firing pieces and cavemen. Or Dino-Riders, Tyco's now legendary line of realistic dinosaurs with snap-on armor, guns, cannons, and more with some of the best toy packaging art of all time. Of course, there was also the Brazil-only line for Dinosaucers, which had dinosaur-like space aliens with similarly themed spaceships and an episode where they assume there's a shrink ray because the villains can't read and think that a number of costumes were "reduced for Clarance." (You don't remember that one? It was a classic.) And who could forget the Dino-Damage of Jurassic Park, with bloody dinosaurs with exposed wounds? No guns, but still-- not exactly kiddie friendly fare.
Over the holiday weekend, we spent some time going through our stash. We bought a lot-- and we mean a lot-- of Zoids kits through the beginning of 2004 as a sort of "stock up for later" project. We love the line, we knew they weren't getting any cheaper, and we had to jump on them. Today, we're going to share part of the fun with you with this almost-complete Energy Liger which we got back in 2004 for $3.24. (For the full story, read the January 11, 2004 update.) The kit had a very limited US release, but that's OK-- as nobody seems to want one.
This kit is notable for a variety of reasons. It's one of the final new items in North America, it's unique from its Japanese sibling of the same time, and it may be the only pneumatic tube kit released in the entire line. (Not including repaints.) The air tubes power two cannons as well as a pair of wings, which are pretty anemic really. Wanna see them in action?
The above image-- if it loaded-- is from the marvelous site YouTube, and we figured out it's pretty easy and amusing to post these things. Since this site has gone from an attempt at an archive to more of a bloggy thing, well, there might be more things just like this. We like to play with technology.
You can switch on the motor, and the wings puff out. Push the release button, and they deflate. We're not sure how this is supposed to be cool, as on the Energy Liger it's really only interesting as a proof of concept and not much of a neat feature unto itself. If you'd like to add the US version of this kit to your own collection, it goes for about $10 on eBay and for faction fans, is part of the Guylos Empire. The Japanese versions of it go for closer to $40. The Zoids Fuzors Energy Liger (FZ-015) is very close to the US release of the kit. The Japanese version for the normal line-- the EZ-72-- is a member of the Neo-Zenevas Empire. (The triangle with the snake logo.) It's also a different color, with more red and maroon.
You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here July 7 2006
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 61
Wormie's here! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Chewbacca from the Mynock Hunt Cinema Scene. At the time, he was the best Chewbacca money could buy-- not too beefy, not too crosseyed, and he even had a breathing mask. But do you need the figure today, in 2006?? 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!
What's in a name? Of all the toy lines we've collected over the years, none have inspired us to make a purchase merely from a clever-- or ridiculous-- name. With some making perfect sense (Red Horn being a red horned dinosaur), others making a limited amount of sense as a sort of metaphor (Sea Panther as a Hermit Crab) and others being something which as non-Japanese we probably don't get (Geruder, Zatton, Molga), you might be left thinking "so, how could there be anything clever in this line?" Well, sit back and let us entertain you. And please note, the bulk of these are Japanese names, as some of them would be downright inappropriate for release in the Western world. (OK, just 1 or 2.)
Berserk Fuhrer. A white T-Rex with nifty expansion abilities, this large battery powered dinosaur was a fairly popular design-- of course, that didn't prevent it from being blown out at low prices after the US market for Zoids fell through the floor. It's also been retooled and rereleased a few times, but let's face it... the name's the novelty. We're still holding out hopes for a Kaiser Butterfly or a Bloated Emperor. A super-poseable version of the character was also released in the smaller 1:100 scale. (Note: in the United States, this was released as the Berserk Fury for obvious reasons.)
Genius Wolf. More or less a promotional kit, this is very similar to a previously released Blox kit. It also came with a "Virtual Pet" of the Genius Wolf, which raised the price of a sub-$10 toy to the $30-$40 range. Of course, to own a Zoid with a name right out of the Metal Gear Solid character naming manual, how can you resist?
Rainbow Jerk. A regular and special edition of this "peafowl" type were made, and it's basically a peacock with a funny name. And "peacock" is pretty funny as it is.
War Dick. We got the original one of these for my birthday gift during the ol' days, and had to buy the new one. It's basically a coelacanth (coelacanth is android for both of you who get the joke) and it's pretty cool. We never put ours in water but it is equipped with floatation devices, and a name that, after 20 years, it seems nobody told the Japanese manufacturer was really, really funny. In the USA, it was renamed the much less funny "War Shark." A coelacanth is not a shark.
They're back! Entertainment Earth received a special order of DEVO Energy Domes for the low-low price of $9.99. We bought a couple-- some people out there are getting birthday presents. And one for us. It's awesome. Click through to see more Devo stuff or order an Energy Dome of your own while they last-- it's our understanding you won't find these around this Halloween! (And if you order it through this link, you support the site. So you can assure yourself of more rambling just like this.)
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 giant hats and fuzzy short things.)
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: Lott Dod, Ewok with Glider, and Anakin Skywalker. 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 65 in Figure of the Day! But wait-- there's more!
We also added a ton of new quick pics of tons of new toys over the weekend! From left to right: the new Endor wave Death Star Gunner with his helmet off, Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter, Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, and new Galactic Heroes. Cool!
We bought a case of the 2.5-inch G.I. Joe Sigma 6 sets from Entertainment Earth and we're largely pleased. There's already some duplication (two of the same B.A.T.s) but by and large, they're small, fun, and show how far Hasbro has come in toy engineering. Even though they're tiny, many of them have significantly better articulation than much larger Star Wars figures and are far more fun to futz with than other, similarly scaled Hasbro figures. (Below, please take a look at a Hoth Rebel Trooper from the Star Wars Unleashed Battle Packs line, a Titanium Series Side Swipe, and of course, the new tiny Sigma 6 Duke.)
Heavy Duty has ball jointed shoulders and elbows. Plus wrist joints, a neck joint, hip joints, and a waist joint. Numerous figures have a waist joint that pivots back and forth. There's magnets, pull-back motors, spring-loaded waists, and firing weapons, one of the B.A.T.s fires an Attacktix rocket. These are fun toys, and for those who missed the memo, it's Hasbro's attempt to bring the classic green "toy soldier" concept into the modern age. By and large, we think they've succeeded as these are fun, fairly cheap, and have a Cobra HISS coming out later this year.
We're presently unsure of the MSRP, but Entertainment Earth sells the "4-packs" in a case for $49.99, which nets you 3 vehicles (two of which are good) and 14 figures, one of which is "dedicated" (stuck) to his vehicle. 4-packs of similarly sized Star Wars Unleashed Battle Packs go for about $9.99 a whack, so it looks like these might be far better toys at a far better price. We especially like Duke's Quad-- tons of fun to have it drive over things. The glider is utter trash, though. And the Cobra Commander figure, well, not so great. But the rest of the case is fun and it's stuffed with B.A.T.s.
We'll be discussing these a little more in the podcast, which will go up later today.
We also picked up Primus (which is awesome) as well as the Titanium Series waves 1 and 2. (You can get these from online stores as many have them in stock now. Click through for that.)
For about five bucks a whack, you can a display base, a metal/plastic robot, and of course, it doesn't transform. Pictured above is Autobot Jazz, which is, obviously, a tiny version of the Alternators toy Meister, but with classic Jazz-style details from the 1980s. His removable gun is based on the same design as the full-size Alternators toy, and bits and pieces of him are plastic. Actually, on most of these, the only thing that is metal is the torso and some of the legs. There's a lot of plastic here.
On the whole, these are neat collectible statues, and aren't a lot of fun as toys. We love having tiny-size robots to pose alongside Primus and Unicron, and we're fans of PVC-style figures, which these are in many ways. Fans of the robots would be well-served to buy a few of these, or at least one or two, as they are nice accessories to one's computer desk. Unlike the similarly sized 2.5-inch Joes, these don't do anything. Some have several points of articulation, with moving wrists and elbows, but you can't coax a lot of poses out of their swivel joints. The packaging is fun, the concept is sound, and the price point is low. We expect these to do fairly well as long as the character selection doesn't get dull.
We'll be discussing these a little more in the podcast, which will go up later today. (Primus, too.)
Hear all about the Star Wars Endor wave! We play with Cybertron Primus! We blather about Titanium Transformers, and Sigma 6 2.5-inch G.I. Joes! Holy crap, download me now!!
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".
Meet Mr. Peanut! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Orrimaarko figure, which at the time was really hard to get and somewhat sought-after. Today? Not so much. As the only modern interpretation of the species, is it worth it? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Our good pals at Zoids Poison in Singapore posted several new kits to their forums. As we have not heard them announced anywhere yet, we can only hope this is not some elaborate hoax, but hey, even if it is, we're willing to suck it up just in case to let you know the good news.
According to the site, there are several new Zoids Blox kits on the way, including Red Horn, Gojulas Ogre, Iron Kong PK-II, and... uh... some pterosaur of sorts. While we're not as enamored with the concept of Blox-Zoids as we are with wind-up toys, we do very much like the classic designs appearing in cheap, smaller forms. Kudos, Tomy. You've earned some more of our money. We presume these will be part of the Zoids Legends Series, which to date has two releases: LB Gojulas, and LB Murasame Liger. (A third, LB Iron Kong, is expected this Fall.)
And what of the original Gojulas? Well, friend (father) of the site AP Sr. has just returned from Japan and provided us with a sample of the kit. It has a metalized pilot and looks pretty cool-- from the box. We haven't yet assembled it. (We haven't done a massive toy review in a while but we might make an exception for this one.) The going rate of these smaller "Legends" kits is under $10 in Japan, importers are asking $12+.
Also, we're in the market for a Blox Shield Liger. Who's got one? We've got money.
Oompa Loompah! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Ugnaught figure, the companion of the figure we looked at previously. Would you believe we even got reports of it still being available at retail? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Coming this Fall is a brand new series of Transformers toys based, by and large, from old 1984 toys which in turn were based on molds from the late 1970s. What might the end result look like?
Here's what the Hasbro marketing folk have to say about it: Awesome AUTOBOT leader changes from robot figure to vehicle and back again and features a wind vane that becomes an ion blaster and a smokestack that becomes a laser cannon in robot mode!
Not bad. And the bio? The greatest in a long line of AUTOBOT leaders, OPTIMUS PRIME is a beacon of hope to those who suffer under the tyranny of MEGATRON. He is devoted to the defense of weaker creatures, and has dedicated his life to fighting against MEGATRON wherever he goes. He is unwavering in his compassion, which sometimes allows his enemies to take advantage of him, but he is also utterly without fear in the face of overwhelming odds. Where freedom is threatened, he is an unstoppable force, and a mighty defender of justice and right.
Optimus Prime is expected to be shown to a drooling public in San Diego next week at Comic-Con International. (We'll be at the Entertainment Earth booth.) Retail is expected to be $20-$25.
At some point in the past few years, Hasbro had an idea: there's money to be made in clear plastic. As such, they launched the Holotech sub-brand of Zoids, and it was a fancy word meaning "clear, crappy plastic redeco." Largely a US-only phenomenon at first, customizers took to dyeing clear toys to make their own, and a few kits came out in Japan in the "Holotech" style as well. To the left, a US-only Holotech Liger Zero action figure. (It's not a kit-- it's a fully assembled, pre-painted toy action figure.) Of course, there were many kits, such as these little guys.
From left to right: Zaber Fang, Raynos, Shield Liger, War Shark. These were particularly sought-after kits a couple of years ago, with the Raynos fetching $40+ on eBay while it sold on Amazon.com for about $11. The Shield Liger was supposedly only released in Canada, Australia, and Hasbro territories that weren't the USA. A Holotech Spinosnapper (not shown) supposedly received similar distribution.
Of course, in Japan, a number of clear items were released. Accessory packs, contest prizes, and a few regular products exist in the clear colors, but we won't be focusing on them due to time constraints. But, for you English speakers, here's a few new items to get if you think clear toys are rockin'.
For the record, by and large, these kits are unavailable in the United States at retail. We can't be certain about Australia, Canada, or import shops, but anything's possible.
I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the awesome Tactical Ops Clone Trooper figure, one of the hottest figures of 2005 which will be rereleased shortly. So how many more do you need to buy? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Target stores are currently marking down their Playmobil at up to 30% off, but the percentage and selection varies from store to store. We've seen Pals as low as $1.18, a diver set for about $4, and a bundle of great deals. If you like Playmobil, it's worth your while to scan anything you like at Target to see if it's presently on sale. Trust us.
Most people forget, but Zoids were developed to be a sort of toy model kit, not just a wind-up dinosaur that the manufacturer was too cheap to finish building. Today, we look at one of the very first Remodel Sets through eBay. Little more than a very expensive and rare pack of guns, it's a curious piece of history as this sort of toy has, more or less, completely gone out of vogue. While there were some modern CP kits for Zoids to provide them with massive upgrades, little tiny extra guns just for the heck of it are actually pretty uncommon and have been phased out of the male action toy world in North America. Click through, and take a look-- it's pretty cool!
Ad: New Titanium Series & More IN STOCK at Entertainment Earth
A number of great new items came in at Entertainment Earth, including the latest series of Titanium vehicles. While backorders are being filled on the Ultra Darth Vader's TIE Fighter and Battlestar Galactica, Wave 9 of the small ships has arrived! Click through to see the Sandcrawler, concept A-Wing, and the Super Star Destroyer.
And as always, buying through these shameless plugs means we get a nickel or two, and we appreciate your nickels and loose change.
From left to right: Night Ops VAMP, G.I. Joe Mission Sets (with Destro), Corpse Bride Mini Bust, Spud Trooper.
Of course, there's new preorders too. And to paraphrase Alice Cooper, some of them are filthy. You'll love them.
Thanks for reading! (But mostly stuffing our coffers.)
What do you mean-- naked? Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the awesome C-3PO figure, the nakedest droid from Episode I. Have you bought yours yet? It came out in 1999, after all. Read on and discover the wonder-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Today, we take it easy again with a link. Over at the Phenotype Zoids Forum (registration required) is a review of the Hurricane Hawk, a new bird that has a striking resemblance to the classic Salamander (Pteramander) kit! It's just hitting now at fine importers everywhere, and as a new Blox kit you can mount all sorts of fun bits and pieces on it.
A quote from the review by Jaxom (edited for this site): "One thing that dissapoints me about this NeoBlox line is the fact that none of them have stickers included. I'm not sure if its TakaraTomy's cost cutting, or if they're just too lazy to design new sticker sheets. It would have been nice to get stickers of the new faction symbols."
We've noticed this on our LB Gojulas kit as well-- no more stickers! Very disappointing, but if anyone knows where to get some of Tomy's old label sheets with the vintage-style faction symbols, please tell us. (Reprolabels.com has excellent modern-era labels, but we're old farts and spend our money accordingly.)
Ad: New Preorders (Gentle Giant, Hasbro) at Entertainment Earth
A number of great new items went up for preorder over at Entertainment Earth, including the spring-loaded Force Action Lightsabers from Hasbro and new wares from Gentle Giant! Click through to see the all the amazing new stuff, including Gentle Giant's Lord of the Rings offerings!
And as always, buying through these shameless plugs means we get a nickel or two, and we appreciate your shined nickels and loose change.
From left to right: Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Wars Clone Trooper Armor Statue, Plo Koon Mini Bust, Lord of the Rings Ringwraith Ringbearer Mini Bust, Lord of the Rings Strider (Aragorn) Mini Bust.
From left to right: Darth Vader Force Action Lightsaber, Obi-Wan Kenobi Force Action Lightsaber, Luke Skywalker Force Action Lightsaber, Disney's Dragonkind Maleficent Statue.
Thanks for reading! (But mostly stuffing our coffers.)
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 giant hats and fuzzy short things.)
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: Anakin Skywalker, Kitik Keed'kak, Kit Fisto. 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 72 in Figure of the Day!
Holy crap, fantastic newness! Thanks to your pals at Zoids Poison.
The first images of the LBZ-04 Iron Kong (Black) are up and it's due out in September alongside the Ogre Gojulas. Click through for all the updates and images! (Note the lack of labels and the red Gojulas.)
As the news comes from forums and not a store taking preorders or some other official coverage it is, of course, subject to change.
Over on eBay is an auction for what seems to be the prototype for a BotCon Exclusive Megatron as seen in the pre-Beast Wars. The same seller also has Titanium, Energon, and Beast Machines test shots and some of their purposes are as of yet unknown.
In case you didn't hear, we (and others) are finding tons of new releases. In the past week, we scored Beast Wars Optimus Primal and Megatron, Cybertron Unicron and the Giant Planet Mini-Con Team (and saw many new others), and Alternators Mirage. If you're jonesing for new robots in disguise, get checking the stores-- we've seen the new Cybertron toys all over Target stores. (To date, we've only seen one sighting of the new Beast Wars leaders.
Half "stuff of legends," half "Saturday morning schlock," all "we haven't seen it." Over at Home Media Retailing, they confirmed that Star Trek's animated series is coming to DVD on November 21 for a mere $35 SRP. $35! 22 episodes, too. We can't wait to see it.
Meet Mr. Peanut! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Obi-Wan Kenobi figure, the first-ever action figure of Old Ben with his hood up. Does he remain one of the best? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
We're pretty pleased with the new Optimus Primal, which is why he's giving the thumbs-up. Not shown is a big giant surfboard weapon which kinda sucks, but the monkey unto himself is a pretty good toy. With a decent translation (as always, involving a face in the ass), this is a uniquely designed toy-- although we must say the robot mode kicks the snot out of the tiara-clad monkey mode. The articulation isn't perfect, and the hands weren't designed to hold anything except the monkey board, but hot damn, we love that robot head. If you like what you see in the picture (and the bonus Axalon vehicle included but not shown), you totally need to drop $15 on this. There's a rumor that a $10 version will be coming later this year without the comic and ship, but this is still TBD.
We also found a Quickmix at Wal-Mart yesterday on the way to work. He's pretty, and a lot of fun. For $20, you can (and will) do worse this holiday season.
We're hearing that the Groundrago (or "Grand Largo" on some sites) is just hitting. It's a bunch of Neo-Blox sets combined to form a bigger one. As we spent a while trying to figure out why the hell we couldn't find the "Grand Largo," we though you might like to see that link to it.
For those who need more, take a look at Life Zoids, a Japanese page we saw mentioned on some Zoids forums that has a ton of photos of this new set. Poking around, it seems to be a fantastic resource for Zoids fans. We are impressed. (And now we want a Murasame Liger from Neo-Blox.)
Over at GameSpot, there's a report from a Nikkei news agency indicating that a sequel to the online RPG Final Fantasy XI is in the works. In theory. Unless it was a gaffe and they mean the already-released Final Fantasy XII which we guess is possible.
While perusing shelves for clearance toys, we saw two new Pirates Playmobil packs including new features like a green octopus (oooh!) and a floating log raft (aaaah!) which go for $9.99 each. As we're currently spending lots of money we're not buying them as of yet.
The sets are 5779 Skeleton Shipwreck (with a wreck from a diver's set, pirates, pelicans, treasure, and a boat) and another one which we lost our notes on. (But that's the one with the green octopus.)
Ad: Pirates & More In Stock at Entertainment Earth
A number of great new items went up for preorder over at Entertainment Earth, including the brand new (and awesome) Pirates Action Figures from Zizzle! Holy crap, buy me now. They got other new stuff too.
And as always, buying through these shameless plugs means we get a nickel or two, and we appreciate your shined nickels and loose change.
From left to right: Pirates Electro Luminescent Figures, Duck Dodgers Marvin the Martian, Oni Musume, Family Guy Brian Wobbler.
Thanks for reading! (But mostly buying things and supporting the free economy.)
Meet Mr. Peanut! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1998 Ten Nunb figure, originally from the Rebel Pilots Cinema Scene set. Blah blah blah? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Today, we have a special update. Because we don't know what the Hell this is. We purchased it at a toy store in Scottsdale, AZ in the 1980s that no longer exists and whose name eludes us. Through the magic of Internet Research, we finally found this image on this page at Geocities that shows it and two of its companions. While not Zoids, it is another construction-based wind-up dinosaur toy from Tomy, and there aren't many of them.
We present this because we want to see a boxed one. We haven't seen one in ages. Help us, won't you?
Also, kudos to The Plesiosaur Directory for assembling an awesome list of toys related to this one species. Nice job!
(We're going to be taking a break from this feature as we're going to be somewhere that we don't have photoshop for a few days and can't make pictures. And so, yes, more on Monday.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Ultimate Black Pearl Toy Shipping!
We just got word that our backorder for Zizzle's gargantuan Black Pearl has been filled at Entertainment Earth-- and we picked it up, too! It's supposedly absolutely huge, and designed by tons of former Kenner employees that actually know a thing or two about making fun toys from back in the old days. We're quite excited. No units are available in stock at the moment but more are coming, so place your orders, etc.
We hope to have more on this toy later.
Look at that damn thing. The freaking box is 31-inches wide. It's HUGE. Due to Comic-Con, we sadly do not have time to assemble it. As we're going to be crazy busy through the weekend, updates may be slim.
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.
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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!
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: Chewbacca in Bounty Hunter Disguise, Royal Guard, Luke Skywalker; Yoda, Hoth Rebel Soldier. 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 79 in Figure of the Day!
Well hidden in Diamond's booth and nowhere to be seen in Hasbro's awesome displays, the new repaint of Crosswise was enough to go unseen by most fans. Coming to the Transformers Cybetron line later this year under the name Smokescreen, this toy comes with an Earth planet key and is painted up to look like the classic Smokescreen toy.
There was also going to be a Smokescreen repaint of Hot Shot from Transformers Armada as part of the ill-fated Transformers Universe line, so this is about as close as we're going to get. It's pretty slick.
Along with a new Megatron toy and an Optimus Primal toy which have yet to be revealed, these are all expected to come this Fall. It is not yet known if this is to be the final wave of the deluxe Cybertron toys, but it's not unthinkable given the classic-themed Robots in Disguise line coming out in November. We'll have more from Comic-Con tomorrow.
Who loves trash cans? Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2000 R2-D2 figure, the first figure of R2-D2 in the 3 3/4-inch line with wheels. Six years and dozens of droids later, how does he age? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Here's an interesting Japanese import-- they're making a DS Cookbook. Nintendo had a Berlitz Translator for GameBoy years ago, and with Brain Age, non-traditional software for game consoles seems to be the order of the day. Here's a description from NCS:
If Nintendo's Cooking Navi is any indication, traditional cookbooks are going the way of the dinosaur. Instead of flipping through pages of boring and static text, Cooking Navi offers an interactive experience which guides cooks through the process of preparing a tasty meal. From the ingredients list and calorie counter to step-by-step directions with pictures and a squeaky voice guiding you, any lummox can cook a dish and stomach it too.
There you have it. NCS has it for sale as well at press time, at $49. We do not yet know of a US release date or English translation.
A few years ago, a little company named Electric Tiki pioneered the concept of "Tooned Up" maquettes. The idea was to take characters like Al Bundy, Bo and Luke Duke, and adult entertainer Asia Carerra. Today, Gentle Giant is taking a cue from the concept and after a few super-hot preorders for Star Wars animated statues, we're being treated to Lord of the Rings and, apparently, Pirates of the Caribbean.
It's expected that this statue will be announced soon for preorders and we estimate it to have an $80 MSRP. While this is an original design supposedly not based on anything, we have heard NUMEROUS rumblings about a "Young Jack Sparrow" animated series being planned by Disney for the post-World's End marketing window of the franchise, which is to say, late 2007 or later.
And for the record, it looks MUCH better in person, although associate of the site Erin noted that "it looks stupid." (We still dig it.)
Yipee! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1999 Anakin Skywalker figure, the one packaged with the Anakin Podracer vehicle. Since it's dirt cheap, should you go buy it? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Over at select Target stores, the newest batch of "mass market" Playmobil sets are dropping to 50% off-- or more-- in many stores. Want a figure for less than a dollar? You can get surfers, pirates, and more for rock-bottom prices. If you've never bought a Playmobil figure, at that price, we order you to get one or more. They're just that good. Now go, minions, and buy the finest preschool line Germany has to offer!
Once in a while, a member of this site does something that may not make sense, such as this guest strip of Shortpacked! Late at night, we heard our good friend David wasn't feeling well and it made us feel bad, so we made him a guest strip as only we know how to do so. Go see it.
And tonight: we're gonna go see Eugene Mirman. Good times.
Not too long ago, the original Japanese version of Godzilla (Gojira) came to US theaters and people made a big stink about the original edit being awesome. (We didn't get to see it.) Today, we got word it's coming to DVD. Both the original US cut and original Japan cut will appear on this 2-disc set, currently entitled "Gojira." Due this Fall, we expect it to be awesome.
Look Sir, Clones! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2005 Clone Trooper Commander figure, part of the Target exclusive Clone Attack on Coruscant gift pack. Want to know if it's totally cool? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Well well. NCS has a preorder for a reissue of the Dreamcast watch, celebrating 1999's most oddly named game console and 2000's most quickly dropped game console. Open the lid, and see the time. $135. It's pricey but neat to look at.
Holy crap, a transforming die-cast metal Soundwave! The new Titanium Series of Transformers brings a bunch of classics back to life, and in this image you'll also see Optimus Prime from Robots In Disguise (aka Super Fire Convoy) as well as Starscream as seen in The War Within. $15-ish, from Hasbro, coming later this year. Everyone needs Soundwave.
What the heck? Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 2005 MSE-1T figure, exclusive to the Star Tours rides at Disney parks. So what the heck does it do? Anything?? Read on-- and don't miss our newly added archives!
Also, stay tuned for Galactic Hunter over the weekend for a new Figure of the Day every day tomorrow-- and all Summer long!
Paper, or plastic? Announced for the UK with no US release plans yet, Monopoly now has a credit card option, thus rendering math and paper money obsolete. Yay!.
A few years ago, Hasbro decided to do something super-cool for Star Wars with its Playskool line, which eventually morphed into the crazy-popular Galactic Heroes series of figures. It turns out Hasbro finally got our letters and decided to do Super Heroes. (Although too late for Batman.)
These are called "Superhero Squad," a little lame, but hey, we're lame-o-philes and we're all over this stuff.
A vast series of 2-packs is coming up and seems to be giving those of us who aren't cool enough for Marvel Legends something to get excited about. With the Hulk, Wasp, Wolverine, Sabertooth, Ghost Rider, the Punisher, Daredevil, and many others, well, we're positively giddy over this range of new figures. Sign us up! With the Avengers, X-Men, and more, we think we saw everything short of Spider-Man there. And we'd kill for Spidey in this size.
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!
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: Qui-Gon Jinn in fancy poncho, Rune Haako in fancy hat, Mace Windu with fancy screaming. 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 86 in Figure of the Day!
A few weeks ago at Entertainment Earth, an assortment was announced (and soon removed) featuring Smokescreen, Optimus Primal, and Megatron. It was a mystery what these were, but TFW2005 posted images of test shots of the two new beasts. Megatron comes in his Predacon coloring from Armada, and is actually quite nice. Optimus Primal is in a dark brown color, and does not excite us. (Although we do love the mold.)
Notable: the Maximal and Predacon tampos on Primal and Megatron have been replaced with Autobot and Decepticon markings, respectively.
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Hear all about the Star Wars Endor wave! We play with Cybertron Primus! We blather about Titanium Transformers, and Sigma 6 2.5-inch G.I. Joes! Holy crap, download me now!!
