Walk Away
December 1 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 208
|
|
  He loves a nice pocket book. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the four-armed alien cook, Dexter Jettster, from Attack of the Clones. He's got an apron and sharp objects galore. How can you say no to this face? Read on!
--AP
|
Work Remix: Blogs Commenting on Blogs Commenting on Toys that we sell at work
|
|
  One of the more surreal things about working on a website full time is finding lots and lots of people commenting on what I do. There are tons of blogs out there going on about how they love/hate something, like how I must be seeking new employment or some Vegan bloggers going on about how kids are eating headless birds every day without batting an eyelash, in light of what was written as a joke about a toy horse. I am amused. But I digress.
See that little thumbnail there? That's from someone who gets it. Anybody who can take an electric pony for girls and remix the image to have a bloody horse head in a child's bed is good people. We salute you sir.
(And we're also quite astonished just how much chatter there is out there about this stuff.)
--AP
|
Zelda Prop Replicas, WAIT Before Buying that Wii Controller
|
|
  We totally missed the memo-- it appears that in January, a Wii Remote bundle is coming from Nintendo for $49.99. You get a "Wiimote" and a disc with several mini-games called "Wii Play." (For comparison, just the controller is $40.) It's nothing too fancy, but you do get new versions of games like Pong and, if the reports we're reading are right, Duck Hunt. And it has some gun attachment doohickey. And air hockey. We're so there, if we had a Wii, that is. But when we get one, we'll totally be there. Wii Play with the controller supposedly ships January 15, 2007. If ever there was a better way to sell controllers, we've not heard of it.
Another memo we missed: Target is selling a box of 1:6 scale Zelda weapon replicas from Master Replicas, the company that makes all kinds of awesome Star Wars props and other items. For $39.99, you get a sword and a shield. It's kinda expensive for something this small, but it's a unique game collectible that flew totally under our radar. We saw them in stores Thursday night and presume it's a one-timey special, so go buy it if you care. (We almost bought it. But then we realized how much we spent on toys this past month.)
--AP
|
|
I Have Good Times In America
December 4 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter
|
|
 With Q&A on hiatus, it's time for Figure of the Day! Today at Galactic Hunter we start our weekend round-up with a look at the really rotten for 1996 (and even worse for 2006) Han Solo with Smuggler Flight Pack, from Power of the Force's first wave of deluxe figures. So he's got a jet pack, a translucent face, and ugly orange crap on his shirt. Is there a reason to waste your money here? Read on!
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: G2-9T, Luke Skywalker. Odds are you care not for either of these. Well, too bad, they're in today's update so go read them.
--AP
|
Transformers Classics Legends Wave 1 (or Legends Wave 5?) Arrive
|
|
 Last week we received a set of the four first wave of Classics Legends figures, which do not say "classics" on the packaging but do say "legends" on the packaging.
Each figure is about five bucks and is a repaint of the Cybertron Legends figures sold since 2005. The cardback reads "Series 5" for those collecting Legends exclusively, which it seems Hasbro believes some of you are doing.
Like the full-size figures, they come on red and silver packaging with tech specs on the back. There are no bios, although it's interesting to note Leo Prime's function is "Supreme Commander from the Planet Cybertron." On the image on the right above, you can see the word "Legends" on the side.
From left to right: Perceptor, Trypticon, Fireflight. Ours were bought at (where else?) Entertainment Earth. Future shipments of Wave 1 as well as Wave 2 are up for pre-order now.
--AP
|
New Chocobo Game Coming
|
|
 Nintendo DS Square fans, take note: The Magic Box has two pages of images from the upcoming Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon, which of course has no known US release date. Japanese fans will be able to get it later this month, but as for the rest of you, well, good luck. We assume it'll be fun, it's got fat birds in it and that has to be worth something.
--AP
|
|
What The Justices Heard
December 6 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 212, 213
|
|
 It's been a good week for news! Today at Galactic Hunter we start with a look at Yoda from Episode II-- specifically, the one with the chair. As a repaint with a retooled hand and a magnet, could it be worth tracking down? Read on!
 Next, there's the big furry buglike Muftak, the Internet exclusive (with Kabe) from 1998. How does this giant fatty four-eyes stack up? Read on!
There are a lot of news stories going around this week, from the first photos of Darth Revan's action figure to the announcement (and pictures) for McQuarrie Concept Boba Fett. Be sure to visit your favorite Star Wars web site(s) to see all the latest developments. Especially Galactic Hunter.
--AP
|
Ad: 2007 Star Wars at Entertainment Earth
|
|
 Holy cow! At Entertainment Earth, the company got to kick off pre-sells for more 2007 action figure items, like the superb Star Wars 30th Anniversary Figures Wave 2 case or set. You can pre-order this spiffy case today for about the same it would cost you at your average toy discounter, and every case you buy gets us like a quarter or something. So if you're going to buy this new case with McQuarrie Concept Boba Fett (Figure of the Year 2007?), Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Death Star Trooper, Biggs Darklighter, and the Rebel Honor Sentry... do buy it through these links.
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: 30th Anniversary Collection Wave 2, 2007 Galactic Heroes Wave 2, Unleashed Battle Packs 2007 Wave 2, Republic Commando Delta Squad set (which rumor has it might be showing up soonish). Click through for pricing and availability. Thanks for reading! (But mostly stuffing our coffers.)
--AP
|
Transformers Movie Test Shots on eBay
|
|
Blah blah "spoiler" whatever. Obviously, we don't much care about "toy spoilers" so take that. Today, we have links to several new movie Transformers toys which we expect are coming in 2007. Before you get mad about spoilers, don't worry-- the toys aren't that good in the first place. On the left is Scorponok, whose robot mode can be seen for the first time. It's... uh... yes. Other items were on eBay and are now on TheAllspark's photo archives.
The toys are interesting, to say the least, as they mix old timey and new stylings of these robots in disguise. We're spoiled by Classics, though.
--AP
|
Bob Ross (Happy Trees) Game Pulled From Development?
|
|
 Ages ago, we heard of a Bob Ross game in development. Now, Gamespot has a Rumor Control article about the DS/Wii/PC/etc. game's development, or lack thereof. It looks like it might not be coming out, and you can read all about it so far.
--AP
|
|
It's The Blue Dude
December 8 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 214, 215
|
|
 Who likes Wookiees? Today at Galactic Hunter we start with a look at Chewbacca from The Empire Strikes Back-- the second Mynock Hunt-specific version. He has a crappy firing rocket and a gas mask thing. Do you care? Read on!
 We also look at the newer and arguably better C-3PO, the one with jointed knees and an Ewok throne. So does this figure with a giant accessory hold up nicely? Read on!
--AP
|
Ad: 2007 Transformers Classics Mini-Cons Entertainment Earth
|
|
 Wow! At Entertainment Earth, the new wave of Transformers Classics Mini-Cons Wave 2 is available as a case, or as a set. The evenly packed case includes animals, jets, dragons, and muscle cars-- a pretty slick set, if ever there was one. With the first wave just hitting, why not get in line for wave 2?
--AP
|
Firefly MMO Coming
|
|
 Apparently the Reavers, Captain Mal, and all of the browncoats are coming back in some sort of crazy online thing, so says Wired News. As the very definition of a cult hit property, it seems very... uh... dangerous to invest serious cash into such a project. Still, for all you fans out there, it's probably pretty exciting news.
--AP
|
Zizzle's Pirates of the Caribbean $2.99 Figures, New Releases
|
|
  Apparently we missed the memo. While hunting this week, we found the third wave of Pirates of the Caribbean action figures from Zizzle, which we were lead to believe were not being produced. Well, there they were, at Wal-Mart. New versions of Jack Sparrow and Will Turner were found at Wal-Mart and Target, and we spotted Captain Barbossa and Ragetti at Wal-Mart. We secured samples of the latter and will be shooting pictures as we find some time to do that.
No sign of these figures seem to be on the official web site (which doesn't even have wave 2) or in any of the major toy magazines. Surely, we can't be the only ones that missed this memo. Still, for fans of pirates, get out to the stores and snag these before they're sent to... well, whatever. The metaphors are wearing thin.
It seems Target stores have these figures down to a measly $2.99 this week, and at least a few Wal-Marts are matching the prices-- check stores for pricing and availability. If you like 3 3/4-inch figures, you should get some of these.
--AP
|
|
 Entertainment Earth Podcast
|
Podcast #32: December 8, 2006
|
|
 New Star Wars, a new Beatles album, new DVDs, new Pirates toys, and much more. It's a worthy waste of your time. We've recorded a few shows since we last updated this page, so be sure to check them out when you sign up for the feed!
--AP
|
How to sign up
|
|
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.
|
|
Got to Dig, Dig, Dig
December 11 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter
|
|
 With Q&A on hiatus, it's time for Figure of the Day! Today at Galactic Hunter we start our weekend round-up with a look at the pretty awesome Clone Trooper, from Revenge of the Sith's Evolutions action figure packs. With a removable helmet (and alternate pilot gear), can you go wrong with a figure like this? We'd say no. But would we lie to you? Read on!
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray!
From left to right: Obi-Wan Kenobi, R5-D4. One was a Target exclusive that cost too much, the other, well, not so exclusive.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007 Playmoboard, Playmobil.de
|
|
  The guys at Playmoboard have a thread on 2007 products-- the good news is you can ready it, but the bad news is you need to register to see photos. For those curious, here's what you can see:
Specials: These low dollar figure packs include 6 new releases: woman in yellow dress, boy with seals, Pirate with treasure (pictured to the left), another Roman guard, kid with toothbrush and vanity, and a deep-sea diver. We are pleased.
Super sets: Ice cream parlor, gravel quarry/construction set, crazy-giant awesome pirate island with gators & wrecked ship & sharks & general awesomeness (awesome), fairy/unicorn fantasy set.
Dinosaur explorers/island: Dinosaur capture wagon, crappy little wagon thing, Volcano with triceratops (awesome), T-Rex with Velociraptors (also awesome), Brachiosaurus (wow), Pteranodon, Spinosaurus with kids, explorers. Since the edict from the founders of the Playmobil line indicated that it had to be within the lifetime of humanity, the storyline seems to be that a bunch of explorers find a lost world with crazy awesome dinosaurs.
More research indicates new sites on Playmobil.de: Western Super Set, Petting Zoo Super Set, Playground Super Set, Castle Super Set. Dinosaur theme. We could not find any prices, but dammit, we want that volcano.
Also, there are a lot of Micro scale toys, which we find odd as the micro trend was kinda over 10 years ago.
--AP
|
Castlevania Impressions, Final Fantasy DS Stuff
|
|
 First up: The Magic Box has images of Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings, which looks a little bit more old-timey as far as RPGs go. Super Deformed characters are yes, as are five pages of screen shots.
Also, we picked up Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin last week, primarily because we heard you got a box of goodies* if you pre-ordered it. Sure, portable Castlevania games are a treat, but it doesn't hurt to bait the hook. It's awesome. The game's graphics are sharp, clear, and about as bright as you would want from a haunted castle game. The idea is fairly simple: you walk around a big giant castle, find stuff, unravel a story, and get new weapons and powers. A couple of hours into the game, we can report on two very significant twists in gameplay mechanics, though. First, you don't have one hero. You have two. You can switch back and forth between Boy With Whip and Magic Girl With Book, each has different powers and abilities as well as the ability to help the other through tough spots. For example, they can hop on top of one another's shoulders to jump higher, or one can stand on a switch while another goes and does some other thing. The other notable twist can be inferred from the title-- throughout the castles are a number of portraits, and you can jump into them and another fairly sizable world is inside. (It's a lot like Super Mario 64 in this respect.) So far, we've found a little European village painting and an ancient Egypt painting. It's quite neat.
For the typical going rate for DS games, we can safely say it's worth it. Given the name of this site, you can probably guess our game tastes are a little antiquated, what with Final Fantasy V being one of our top games of the year. Portrait of Ruin is right up there, and is tons and tons of fun-- more so than Dawn of Sorrow so far. Snag it if you have the means. A full review may come later, and we'll talk about it more on the podcast this week. In a way we're kinda glad we haven't found any of the two new consoles yet because we might be missing out on some of these pretty fun portable experiences.
* - Our store had 35 bonus boxes. Each one included a soundtrack CD (very different than the one you got if you pre-ordered Symphony of the Night), special edition stylus, special game pak case, art book, and timeline of the series' games relative to one another. Dear game marketing people: we are SUCKERS for this sort of thing, especially if figures are included. Please do more just like it, except next time, make it for Salamander or Katamari or whatever new shooter Treasure is making. Thank you.
--AP
|
|
Nerd Rage
December 12 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 219
|
|
 Some like it Hoth. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the newly repainted Luke Skywalker, as seen in the recently released Empire Strikes Back tin gift set with Han, Chewie, and a Snowtrooper. At first, fans thought it was a figure from 2004 without the bloody scar. It turns out Hasbro made a few more changes. What are they? Read on!
--AP
|
Soundwave vs. Soundwave
|
|
 While it has been delayed a bit, the Reissue of the original Soundwave toy from Transformers is looking good, and you can see it compared to what seems to be the Japanese reissue or a G1 original at ACToys.net.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 1
|
|
 With the site being in German and few people generally exploring after a quick link, we're going to go over some of the new 2007 releases from Germany with you. We're starting with the Spinosaurus with Dinosaur Nest, set #4174. In it, you get a Spinosaurus, two hatchlings, Spinosaurus food scientists, eggs, computers, cameras, and more can be yours. This page shows the product detail, showcasing all the elements that come in the box. It's due out this month in Germany (and presumably US-based Playmobil Fun Park stores) but odds are this means a US release won't happen until 2008, unless Target or the mass market accounts pick it up.
--AP
|
Zoids "Unreleased" Hasbro Shield Liger
|
|
  Over at Zoidspoison, check out this nifty previously unseen brightly colored Hasbro Shield Liger. We've never heard of this one before.
Also, the very hard to find Power Mantis and Mammoth are showing up in the UK at "Poundland" stores, and dammit, we want. Nice!
--AP
|
|
You ain't got no pancake mix
December 14 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 214, 215
|
|
 Could this be the best figure all year? Today at Galactic Hunter we start with a look at Biker Scout from Return of the Jedi-- specifically, the new vintage version. You've bought some, right? Either way, read on!
 We new removable helmet version of the Snowtrooper, it's really expensive and comes with a tin. Is it worth $25-$35? Read on!
--AP
|
Transformers Club Mini-Con Test Shots
|
|
 eBay seller SPX Toys has auctions up for the new Mini-Cons to be packaged with Astrotrain (the club one, not the Classics one.) See them in robot mode when you click here, assuming the auctions haven't yet ended.
--AP
|
Comedians of Comedy
|
|
 On Tuesday night we went to one of two sold-out shows for Comedians of Comedy, which were taped for a future release by Comedy Central and/or DVD. Who performed at West Hollywood's Troubador, you say? Glad you asked. Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifinakis, Eugene Mirman, David Cross, Bob "Holy Shit It's Bob Odenkirk" Odenkirk*, H. Jon Benjamin, Doug Benson, Morgan Murphy, Blaine Capatch (we think) and, well, it was a Hell of a good show. (The Wednesday night show supposedly had Sarah Silverman and Dana Gould, dammit, as they are awesome too.)
Basically, what you got was over 3 hours of "the funny" for the price you'd expect to pay for a show so bad it'd make you cry. And it was a really, truly funny show. Bob Odenkirk came out and spent several minutes essentially apologizing for his latest movie (well, explaining really) and went in to a bunch of jokes he just wrote down, or so he claims. If the man ever releases a CD of his material, you owe it to yourself to buy it as his stuff was quite excellent and stood out from the pack in that there were actual jokes with punchlines in it. Patton's stuff was a mix of brand new and slightly used (if you saw Last Laugh 2006 on Comedy Central, anyway.) Gold. David Cross' stuff was all new to us, and we loved it. Ditto with Maria, Brian, Doug, Jon, Zach, Morgan, the other guy, and not Eugene. We love Eugene to death but most of his material was old stuff-- we saw him perform a few months ago, and most of his performance was on his albums. And most of this new performance was stuff we saw him do last time. Dammit, Eugene, new jokes!
Of special note was Zach Galifinakis' final bit, which ended with a large sign reading, in large, friendly letters, "KILL DANE COOK." We couldn't agree more. So for the entire show, there was but one comic we didn't see perform before somewhere, which is why we're not 100% sure who the heck he was. But yeah, fun fun, you should have been there you poor schmuck.
Supposedly a double DVD of this madness is coming in 2007 or something. Since we got a sneak peak of sorts, we advise you to get it in advance, not even knowing what'll make the final cut. It was wonderful and we'll go on about it some more in the podcast later today. This show, and our working in the EE warehouse (another story for the podcast) are why updates have been thinner and we're freaking tired.
* - No, not the guy responsible for the dumbass toe movies. That's Steve Odekirk. Bob Odenkirk was one of the guys from Mr. Show and the Ben Stiller show and one of America's great talents, no matter what the box office take for Let's Go to Prison might say.
Oh, and Henry from Chunklet was there. Yes, Henry from Chunklet. (This may only mean anything to our pal Pete and the staff of the site, but holy crap, Henry from Chunklet.)
--AP
|
|
Entertainment Earth Podcast |
Podcast #33: December 14, 2006
|
|
This week: Adam's trip to the Comedians of Comedy, a look at Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, some ramblings about Urban Attack Snake Eyes, news, and much more. Download it, won't you?
--AP
|
How to sign up
|
|
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.
|
|
Kill Dane Cook
December 15 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 222
|
|
 He's no good to you dead, or after 11 years, maybe at all. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the very first modern Boba Fett, which first hit stores 11 years ago this month. So what does the world's favorite figure from 1995 have to offer you today? Is it still awesome? Read on!
--AP
|
Konami Arcade coming to Nintendo DS (In Japan)
|
|
 Superb Japanese gaming site The Magic Box has a story on a new Japan-only (for now) arcade compilation for Nintendo DS. You get a bunch of games, including greats like Scramble, Twinbee, Gradius, and Contra. Awesome. Can't wait to see more.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 2
|
|
 Let's get back into the swing of things today with the new Roman theme! Yes, it's finally here. Today, we're going to link to a Roman Emperor figure set, which is all sorts of awesome. So to keep it clear, next year, they're making Romans AND Dinosaurs, two very highly requested items over the past three decades. Wow. It's a good time to be a toy nerd, or a preschooler. We are, of course, the former.
--AP
|
|
Ain't Got No Pancake Mix
December 19 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter (and the 2006 Gentle Giant Statue)
|
|
 With Q&A on hiatus, it's time for Figure of the Day! But first, here's a picture of the 2006 Gentle Giant Holiday Exclusive, and it's Max Rebo with a Santa hat that plays "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." Limited to 200 pieces, it may be the finest free thing Gentle Giant sent us all year. We daresay it's elephantastic.
We also added archive pages so you can go through the entire column's run. Hooray! There are four new-to-you entries, so check 'em out.
From left to right: R2-Q2, Imperial Officer, Jek Porkins, Jar Jar Binks. WOW! Read on, dammit! And if that wasn't enough, we posted some quick impressions of the first wave of Expanded Universe Comic Packs, featuring some unique new/old figures.
From GH: If you can admire a truly unusual product, you're in for a treat. These new Comic Book & Action Figure Packs combine the art of 1977 with the toy tech of 1999 and beyond, resulting in figures that in some cases resemble Eastern Europe's finest knock-offs. In this special quick feature, we run down some notable changes (or changes which were notably not made) for this just-released series of figures which really do have to be seen to be appreciated. Warning/guarantee: they're weird! Read on.
--AP
|
Super Mario Towel System
|
|
 Because "retro Nintendo" means "Super Mario Bros. 1" exclusively, get a glimpse of these NES Super Mario Bros. Towels. Yes, towels. They're from Japan and importers are charging about $19 each. Obviously, you're buying the novelty here. Now, if we got some Metroid or Zelda action going on, we may have some money to part with.
--AP
|
Ad: Star Wars Republic Commando Delta Squad IN STOCK at Entertainment Earth
|
|
 Wow! At Entertainment Earth, the new set of Republic Commando Action Figures is available now, and at a great price. For just $33.99, you get seven figures in a wide window box with a display that looks like it came right out of an Xbox game. (For better or worse.) We got to play with these a little and so far, we quite enjoy them. As an Internet exclusive, you should probably order one soon if you want it-- sometimes these aren't around very long.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 3
|
|
 Today, we look at one of many new entries in the super-tiny Playmobil Micro Collection with the MicroWorld Noah's Ark, which is pretty much exactly like it sounds. You get two kids dressed up as Noah and Mrs. Noah, a tiny boat, and at least 10 tiny animals. The line of MicroWorld toys seems to be "boy, girl, and a lot of toys" so if you like the idea of your toys playing with tiny versions of other toys you may already own, this is pretty creative stuff. And, we hope, it's cheap too.
--AP
|
|
Old Furry Lobsters
December 21 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 227, 228
|
|
 Ah, 2002-- was it the best year ever? Today at Galactic Hunter we start with a look at R2-D2 from the Toys "R" Us exclusive Dagobah X-wing. Not to be confused with the 2006 version of the vehicle, which does not include the drod. If you're wondering the value of tracking down the old ship (in terms of neatness), read on!
 Next, there's cameo/Jedi Zett Jukassa, who was killed by Vader's personal squad of Clones and was also played by the son of George Lucas. He's available in a gift set and individually-- should you buy either version? Read on!
--AP
|
Star Trek: The Next Next Next Generation
|
|
  While goofing off working hard, one of our staffers found a link to a fairly extensive article on a proposed CBS/Internet animated series that takes place over a century beyond the Captain Picard years. The idea is basically Star Wars: Clone Wars in that it's short on length but high on action, and has all sorts of nifty ideas like Federation types using Borg tech implants and civil wars and all sorts of awesomeness. The article doesn't seem too optimistic on the concept being fully developed, but hot damn, if it never comes out this may be one of the most interesting Trek articles you'll read all year. Read all about it at Trekmovie.com.
--AP
|
Free: The Areas of my Expertise Audiobook on iTunes
|
|
  If you have the iTunes application on your Mac/PC, you can download an audio version of John Hodgman's most awesome "history" book The Areas of my Expertise for free-- supposedly it's for a limited time, but we are unaware of when it may expire. Click this link to launch it in iTunes, and take note: it does require a valid iTunes account.
The abridged audiobook is about 7 hours long, and while we have not yet listened to it, we plan to do so during the Holiday Driving Season.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 4
|
|
 Despite not being a fan of Westerns (or Country music) we can't get enough of the Playmobil Western-themed toys. With one or two sets released per year at the most, it's worth taking note of a new release like this Western SuperSet which probably won't come to the USA until 2008. This set isn't particularly wacky, but it does include a canyon with a river, a cowboy, two Indians/Native Americans, part of a buffalo carcass, a vulture, a scorpion, a cactus, and accessories. We estimate this to be a $15-$20 set. (If it had the ubiquitous cow skill, we'd probably rate it a must-buy, but without it, it is just merely neat.)
--AP
|
Transformers Trailer Online
|
|
 Yesterday, the highly anticipated (so goes the claim) trailer for the upcoming movie based on the Transformers property hit the web in the UK and, of course, elsewhere. The official website also redesigned in a SUPER FREAKING SLOW (on DSL) interface which feels a lot like how we see the movie so far: bloated, awkward, and somehow, we just feel we're not getting the point.
We're really feeling out of it when it comes to this project. We've spent many dollars on domestic and imported toys, comics, DVDs, games, and so forth over the years. We had glow-in-the-dark Transformers PJs when we were kids. And yes, we dressed up as Optimus Prime in the first grade. But we're totally not feeling it so far and aren't sure why.
--AP
|
|
Entertainment Earth Podcast |
Podcast #34: December 21, 2006
|
|
This week: See all the stuff I reported on? All that, and more. Plus Star Wars figure comic packs reviewed.
--AP
|
How to sign up
|
|
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.
|
|
Will Die For You
December 22 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 229
|
|
 Heeeeere's Jimmy. Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the unique grey and drab Bail Organa, specifically the first one from Revenge of the Sith. So what does this pegwarmer have to offer you? Read on!
--AP
|
Wii: Virtual Console December Plans Continued
|
|
 Over at Gamespot, there's word of the next downloadable games for the Wii, which includes the original Super Mario Bros. (NES), Super Castlevania IV (Super NES), Street Fighter II (Super NES), Toejam & Earl (Genesis), and R-Type (TurboGrafx-16). We're told this version of R-Type is pretty cool.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 5
|
|
 While we aren't what you'd call big fans of fairy tales, there is something to be said about stories of cannibalism, magic, and baked goods. So we're pretty pleased to see this gift set based on Hansel & Gretel, despite it not having a picture showing exactly what you get in the set. It looks like you get a bunch of figures and a witch, which is good enough for us. The packaging looks like a storybook and so far, we haven't heard rumblings of a US release. It'd be neat though, we'd buy it for the witch. As witches and hobos go together like porn stars and rock stars. Wink.
--AP
|
|
Yawn Yawn Yawn
December 23 2006 |
Ad: Holiday Blowout Sale at Entertainment Earth
|
|
 Over at Entertainment Earth, you can save big on over 500 action figures, statues, comic books, busts, and beyond! (And support your favorite sites in the process, like this one.) Just click through to see what's still available-- when these items sell out, that's it, they're gone forever!
--AP
|
Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 230
|
|
 Close the blast doors! Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the 1999 Stormtrooper, once considered one of the finest Star Wars figures of its day. Does this old (but still nifty) figure have much to offer beyond the cool action feature? Read on!
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 6
|
|
 Who loves cannons and castles? If you do, then the new castle Super Set is just what you need. With four figures, a part of a castle, and tons of weaponry, it looks like it might be a lot of fun. Especially if a hobo could take it over.
--AP
|
|
Hooks for Hands
December 27 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day Updated at Galactic Hunter
|
|
 With Q&A on hiatus, it's time for Figure of the Day! We looked at four figures over our holiday break, and we started with yet another Darth Vader from 1998.
From left to right: Emperor Palptaine, Holiday Darth Vader, Qui-Gon Jinn.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 7
|
|
 Not only is it a great historical toy, it can be used to re-enact about half of the original Star Trek episodes that had something to do with Rome or gladiatorial combat. The new Arena will probably not hit the USA until 2008, but hey, why wait to take a look at it? The big box includes (what appear to be) statues, a chariot, several combatants, a lion, a tiger, and all the weapons you need for a decent fight to the death. Yow. We like.
We'd also like to give a shout-out to our pals at Hobby Bench at Paradise Valley Mall, at which we stopped over the hiatus. We stopped in looking for the Playmobil Halloween Pumpkin with Vampire, and sure enough they had a stash of them in the back. Kudos to you fine sirs. Were you not an eight hour drive from our current residence we would continue to frequent the store like we did during the two years we lived across the street.
On that note, we've spent something like 10 hours in a car since we got up, so enough of that, more of what we saw over the weekend tomorrow.
--AP
|
|
He's So Deep
December 28 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day #235
|
|
 It's time for Figure of the Day! Today, it's the Heavy Gunner Clone Trooper from this year's very popular (and hard to find) Toys "R" Us exclusive Hunt for General Grievous Battle Pack. As one of five Clones from a highly desirable set, one might wonder why we would waste your time showing you something you would obviously buy anyway. Well, we're stupid like that. Read on!
--AP
|
Wal-Mart Exclusive G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 Sets Out
|
|
  Because we're suckers and can't find a Wii, we hit a lot of stores. While in Phoenix, we stumbled on the green-capped G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 exclusive assortment, which has green-capped packaging, a bonus 2.5-inch figure, and a DVD in every pack. Figures in this assortment are about $14.96 each (the same as the standard releases), and include: Destro, Hi-Tech, Snake Eyes Jungle Commando, and Arctic Duke. Check local stores for availability.
--AP
|
Marvel Superhero Squad Waves 1, 2 In Stores
|
|
  Over the holiday break, we saw some new stuff that surprised us-- like the Hulk from the Superhero Squad sets. These new Galactic Heroes-esque figures are hitting Wal-Marts and Entertainment Earth so far, and we expect them at Target stores any day now. Order online, buy 'em, do whatever-- just don't miss up the chance to own your own preschool-friendly versions of Iron Man, an alcoholic businessman, Ghost Rider, a hell-powered demon, and the Punisher, who is just plain nuts. We love the concept. We love the execution. Thanks, Hasbro!
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 8
|
|
 While we've been picking out nifty sets from the German Playmobil site, we would be bad reporters not to tell you what we found on a new (to us) forum called Playmofriends, which may sound like a site where many prolific posters aren't native English speakers and the owner may not be an expert at naming things. (It is, in fact, both of these things.) But the site is also a top-notch resource, showcasing new themes and products (and amazingly, packaged samples) that we haven't yet seen elsewhere, including packaged dinosaur island sets, a new fairy tale theme which does not include ninjas, snakes, or extinct cultures and therefore is of little use and specials we've never even heard of yet-- some are, of course, by way of links to another, German language site.
This thread at Playmo-Portal has 10 new Specials, some of which we have previewed here earlier. What's particularly nifty is set #4664, which is a little kid, a puppet stand, and two puppets-- an alligator and another which we can't tell what the Hell it is. (Also cool: a magician, a kid with the biggest toothbrush we've ever done seen, another Western figure, and a baby seal. No club yet.)
We're frankly a little giddy for the Dinosaur sets. Anyone out there who has access to these on the cheap in Germany that's willing to swap for American Star Wars goods, do get in touch with us.
--AP
|
|
Collect All 600
December 29 2006 |
Star Wars Figure of the Day #236
|
|
 It's time for Figure of the Day! Today, it's the Clone Trooper from this year's very popular (and hard to find) Toys "R" Us exclusive Hunt for General Grievous Battle Pack. (Actually, the figure is an ARC Trooper, but the box says it's a Clone Trooper.) If you pick up the set, you get three-- but will you want three? Or more? (Or less?) Read on!
--AP
|
Microman News Update at Microforever.com
|
|
  We missed this one: Tom's Micro News has been updated! This new feature has more MUSCLE (Kinnikuman), and a whole mess of other anime figures we don't quite recognize. There's also discussion of a rumor that Microman might be almost over and done with-- you might want to read up as it's interesting to see.
--AP
|
Playmobil 2007: More Stuff, Day 9
|
|
 Over on the German Playmobil site, we found Roman Warriors with Tent, which it says is coming in August but it appears that means (for Germany) August of 2006. This item has shown up on eBay and includes a tent, several figures, weapons, and everything you need to crush lesser civilizations in the name of progress. The Playmobil Fun Park stores (not a theme park, it's just a store) supposedly have these now with the rest of the speciality market getting them later in 2007. Toys "R" Us Germany seems to be asking about $26 for this, so odds are it'll cost about that in the USA.
We've also been doing lots and lots of research on promotional sets lately, mainly because nobody is keeping good track of these. We found a German seafood place called Nordsee had a multi-part promotional game with a mermaid, a seaghost, a merman, and a ton of fish in various colors. We need to get these. If you know anyone selling all of these, or a good centralized resource for Playmobil that isn't Collectobil (as they aren't updating these days) do let us know. (It also seems a department store got a limited reissue/redeco of an old car based on the Model T. Neat.)
--AP
|
|
Click Here For News From November!
|
|
