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Become a Patron!
I Don't Care but That's Pretty Cool
September 2, 2024 |
Star Wars Q&A at Galactic Hunter
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  Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Imaginext and Big Ship Run Sizes. It's new! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!
Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.
--AP
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Unreleased Andy Prieboy Wall of Voodoo Rarities
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  Via Wall of Voodoo, presumably: The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 and 2. So far only available as digital - and apparently, these came out more than a year ago and I never heard about it - making this some "better late than never" stuff. Volume 2 just came out in March, and I suppose these might have been on a later album had they not broken up.
I haven't downloaded these yet (I'm just finding out about them as I write the update while listening to their Us Festival show) and there are a lot of songs on here I don't recognize from their releases. I hope a record might be in the works.
It's kind of amazing that things like this are still coming out, I just found the new-ish Tom Lehrer record in a store, got the Pulsars unreleased demos record a couple of weeks back, and am now starting to look up every band I ever liked to see if I missed something new from the last five years.
--AP
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New Demo for Game Boy Color Fallen Crown
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  Via Atavist Games: BRAND NEW DEMO [FOR FALLEN CROWN] AVAILABLE NOW!!! I got to play a few minutes of the .pocket file before punching up this story and it's got a lot of newness to it - the opening is a little different, there's a nice save screen sequence, and it just plain looks better. Sadly it came with bad news - the game is delayed to 2025. But 6 month delays for retro indie console games is par for the course.
Give this demo a shot - it's not every day you get a Metroidvania demo that involves you playing as an undead severed head, and it actually feels really good too. The demo download is free, and you probably have today off. And there are some bugs, but it's a demo.
--AP
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New Sega x Retro-Bit Joystick
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  Via Reddit/Retro-Bit/Gamescom: Retro-Bit Sega Saturn arcade stick shown at Gamescom 2024. While die-hards already do not like it for not being as authentically retro as possible, Retro-Bit says they're still tweaking the prototype and, depending on the price, it's pretty gorgeous. It has a dial that lets you connect to multiple systems, and most importantly, it seems pretty. I've had very good luck with all of Retro-Bit's licensed Sega controllers, all of which (so far) have been priced pretty fairly for a niche product.
Given it reportedly can do USB wired play as well as 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, it's going to have a lot of uses and may be one of those sticks that you can just use with anything. I've already got a few excellent sticks but if the price is right, I'll buy another one.
--AP
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Incase's Licensed Microsoft PC Catalog
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  Via Incase (and Seth): Incase to relaunch Microsoft¨ PC accessory portfolio in 2024. You probably heard about this elsewhere already. While not retro gaming, it's retro - and if you're anything like me, you may have very specific desires for a mouse or a keyboard and find much of what's available today leaving you wanting. (Me, I want the old USB Intellimouse Explorer back again, with red LED and silver finish, thank you.) There are ergonomic keyboards, unique mice, and, for some reason, Teams-integrated speakers and headsets that I can't pretend to are about.
You might see something here that pushes your gear buttons - there's nothing here I need, but I recognize the stuff as distinctive enough to say "hey, maybe you need the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard" if that means anything to you. Because if someone put out a better reissue of the old Macintosh Apple Extended Keyboard from the ADB era of Macs, yeah, I'd buy one. Right now I use a 1990s Microsoft regular Intellimouse I got off of eBay, because sealed box peripherals aren't that expensive.
--AP
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
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|
 We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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Failing to Fight Crime
September 3, 2024 |
Review: Hasbro Transformers Authentics Bravo Megatron Action Figure
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  Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! The Hasbro Transformers Authentics Bravo Megatron Action Figure is a cheap $5 figure that replaces an older model and just started hitting stores - joined by new versions of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Grimlock. So far I've only bought Megatron because the robot mode looked sufficiently different, and it's a pretty nice little toy for the money. Read on!
Yeah, I'm reposting old stuff. I'm allowed. I've written thousands of these.
--AP
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ICYMI: MOTU Origins Demo Man 9/25
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  Via Mattel Creations: Masters of the Universe Collectors Origins Core Demo Man. It is set at "$$" on September 25 at 9:00 AM Pacific, and it looks like it'll be a good one.
--AP
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Nintendo World Championships: Week 8
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  Via Nintendo: Competition #8 is on now in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It's a varied selection.
This week:
Don't Go Alone (The Legend of Zelda) - where you get a sword.
Taking Flight (Kirby's Adventure) - where you go over a wall and into a door.
Froggy Paddle (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you get to go through a level in the frog suit, and it's a tough one.
Balloon Bopper (Balloon Fight) - beat that first group of three guys quickly.
Ridley Riddance (Metroid) - in which you run to shoot Ridley, and it's also a tough one.
The Silver Division and Gold Division tournaments usually have some overlap, but this week two of the three games are shared. Both have Taking Flight and Froggy Paddle, with Silver including Balloon Bopper and Gold sporting Ridley Riddance. I'm finding the Gold version to be tough this week.
--AP
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RIP James Darren
September 4, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: RD-3 (Droid Factory)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: RD-3 (Droid Factory). This Disney Ahsoka droid has the foot cables - which are very unusual for Disney droids - with a slightly larger head on an old body that you probably don't remember actually seeing on the show. But the colors look nice. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Review: Mattel Hot Wheels Snack Time Series Dodge Sidewinder
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Snack Time Series Dodge Sidewinder was made before Mattel slapped real food brands on its cars on the regular, so this one is marketing something called "Tom & Jo's POP CORN Flaming Hot." Everything but POP CORN is painted incredibly small, so thank goodness we have macro lenses. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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New Music from Melt-Banana: 3+5
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 Via Melt-Banana: MELT-BANANA 8th Album "3 + 5"
OUT on August 23rd, 2024!!!. I missed the memo - it's out now and I didn't know as I was scouring record shops. Well, maybe next week. It's available on Amazon [paid affiliate link if you click and buy something] as well as your local record shop, maybe, if they're cool.
It looks like there are only a couple of versions so far - a CD, and silver LP, and that's it. Which strikes me as odd, most of the time you get a lot of variants.
--AP
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New Super NES Editor for Super Mario Bros. Port
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  Via RetroRGB and Infidelity: SMB1 NES to SNES + ÒMario MakerÓ lets you play the NES original on Super NES hardware, and edit it. The demo video is really cool, and you can grab it at Archive.org. Supposedly it does well on a ROM cart, I tried it on an emulator and found this early version good, but a smidgen choppy. Maybe it's the emulator.
--AP
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New Transformers Fan Poll with 13 Reasons To Participate
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  Via Hasbro: TRANSFORMERS 2024 HALL OF FAME VOTING. They're asking for your favorite toys of 2024 - many of which aren't out yet - but more interestingly, they're asking what your favorite is of the 13 primes - you know, Leige Maximo, Nexus Prime, and the like. Presumably they want us thinking about this, as most of them are generally pretty obscure as they weren't a major central focus in most generations of these toys. But odds are you know Alpha Trion, maybe Vector Prime, maybe Leige Maximo, and given how most stories go you don't even know that you know the Thirteenth Prime.
Give it a whirl - and note that there's a big list of exclusives too.
--AP
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Ad: Returning Hasbro Rarities at Entertainment Earth
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 Ad: Pre-order the hard-to-find Marvel Legends X-Men Professor X, Star Wars: The Black Series Clone Commander Obi-Wan Kenobi, Asajj Ventress, and more! Several hard-to-find figures are coming back and it's your chance to order them today - and depending on how much you order, they may qualify for free shipping, too!
      
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Time For More Planes
September 6, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Darth Maul (Movie Version, Epic Hero Series)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Darth Maul (Movie Version, Epic Hero Series). This one has a play feature - his lightsaber can be split in half, as have so many, so you can use it as one accessory or as two. The sculpt is very good, with an expressive face and some very pointy horns. Hasbro did such a good job n this mold that you can see why they wanted to repaint it for an exclusive, even if it's a weird fit - and this figure may be in a store near you right now, too. I'd recommend it. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Ad: New In Stock and Pre-Orders at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: Now in stock: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Power Morpher Premium Prop Replica, Masters of the Universe Origins Turtles of Grayskull Wave 4 Action Figure Case of 4, Star Wars The Black Series Rogue One Imperial Stormtrooper Electronic Voice-Changer Helmet Prop Replica, G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra Night Attack 4-WD Stinger 6-Inch Scale Vehicle with Driver Action Figure, and more.
The new-for-fall Inhumans Marvel Legends Series Crystal and Lockjaw Deluxe 6-Inch Action Figures is also up for pre-orders today.
If you missed them before, pre-orders are now open for Transformers Generations War for Cybertron: Siege Commander Jetfire and the hard-to-find Star Wars The Black Series Clone Commander Obi-Wan Kenobi 6-inch Action Figure.
Shipping on all orders is now a flat $7.95, including pre-orders, so order a lot all at once. If your order is above $99, it qualifies for free shipping - pre-orders, too!
     
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Nintendo Switch This Week
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 This week's batch of titles on the eShop: Aero The Acro-Bat 2, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, Arcade Archives FINALIZER SUPER TRANSFORMATION, and over a dozen more.
--AP
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HasLab G.I. Joe Cobra Rattler Under 1,400 to Baroness Stretch Goal
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  Via Hasbro Pulse: Ending Monday, the Cobra Rattler crowdfund is almost at the final UNLOCK 3: G.I. JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES PILOT BARONESS 6-INCH-SCALE ACTION FIGURE stretch goal. I assume it will glide past the goal this weekend, if not by the time you read this. Since it ends Monday, you should probably make a decision on if you want this one or not pretty quickly.
--AP
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Happy 25th US Birthday Sega Dreamcast
September 9, 2024 |
Star Wars Q&A at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Acolyte Figures and Pilot Programs. It's new! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!
Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.
--AP
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ICYMI: Chunklet Reissues ROYGBIV Man or Astro-Man BBC with Bonus
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 Via Chunklet and Man... or Astro-Man: ROYGBIV (Recordings From The BBC). Individual records came out previously, but these ones include a bonus 7", a bonus flexi, and a box. A limited version came out last month with a shirt and a pin, and are long gone - I missed the memo.
It's material you probably have heard if you followed the band, and all together it's only 76 minutes of material for $25 (digital), $50 (random colors), or $80 (matching colors with bonus discs.) I don't know what the fancy box cost when it went up in August. The song span their early career through the Made from Technetium/1000X era, so nothing from EEVIAC or beyond.
--AP
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
|
|
We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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RIP James Earl Jones
September 10, 2024 |
Review: Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Multipack
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! The Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Multipack is a steal if you want these four figures - you might have a similar Tarn, but this one has a sword and Cyberverse-specific deco. It's joined by Tarantulas in prototype colors, Squeezeplay, and a Prime Cliffjumper, and the whole box is $80 at Target. For the price, it's really good. Read on!
--AP
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Nintendo World Championships: Week 9
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 Via Nintendo: Competition #9 is on now in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It's an Excitebike week, so good luck to us all.
This week:
Coin Collector (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Pitcher Perfect (Kid Icarus)
Heating Up (Excitebike)
Lost & Found (Donkey Kong)
Wheels Down (Kirby's Adventure)
Last week's batch was a real slog, mostly because getting a good time on some of these can be tough - alas, my Switch is not within reach right now so I'll look forward to these later.
--AP
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"Hello" to "Sandwich?" in 30 Seconds
September 11, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Tusken Warrior (The Retro Collection)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Tusken Warrior (The Retro Collection). This figure never showed up at Target or Walmart, but started showing up at Ross in the last month for $3.99. It answers the question "what if the 1978 Sand People had cloth robes?" It's quite excellent, if you see it for four bucks, buy two or six. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Mattel Hot Wheels Wastelanders 1/4 Mile Coupe
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Wastelanders 1/4 Mile Coupe looks like it's a hot rod that really wishes it had the Spider-Man license - but it doesn't. It looks good though, with metallic blue webbing and red windows. And it's basically worthless, so if you find one it won't cost you anything despite being from 2003. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Analogue Pocket GBC Colors Edition Tomorrow
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  Via Analogue: GBC Colors Editions. Color
matched and manufactured in
six GBC colors. These go up September 12 (tomorrow) for $249.99 each, along with restock of black and white units at regular price. If you have brought up retro games in my presence at work, I likely have recommended these to you, and will also recommend them to readers. It's a great device for the money, particularly the cheaper versions.
--AP
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Hasbro's PulseCon: Tomorrow
September 12, 2024 |
Review: Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Webstor Action Figure
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! You might see Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Webstor Action Figure in stores but I don't think I've seen one yet - mine came from the internet and it's very close to the "toy" release a couple of years ago. I assume you won't need both - this one is just cartoony enough that you'll probably want to get it, and his little Grimalkin statue. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Keshi Corner Adds Mario Figure from Wrecking Crew 3D Scans
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  Via Keshi Corner on Archive.org: Mario (Wrecking Crew) - Keshi Gomu Rubber Figure 3D Scan. I was going to stop posting links to these, but I didn't even know someone made any Wrecking Crew keshi figures.
--AP
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Time For More Planes
September 13, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Darth Maul (Deluxe, Cyborg, Epic Hero Series)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Darth Maul (Deluxe, Cyborg, Epic Hero Series). This Walmart exclusive is an inexplicable $20, and is awesome as it is confounding on so many levels. They retooled the figure's robe skirt to be shorter, but merely painted on the belt buckley parts. There's a clip-on piece of chest armor and a cool spinning lightsaber blade swirl, but these accessories can't possibly justify the $12 upcharge over a basic figure. Having said that, it's so weird, and so funky, that I would highly recommend it on sale or if we find out the price was some sort of clerical error that will be fixed at some point. It's well-made, but so strange in where the budget went and considering Walmart has a figure 2-pack while Amazon has a figure 3-pack for the same price, it's a mystery for the ages. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Takara-Tomy Bringing New G1-Style Toys Back, Including Arcee
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 Via TFW2005 and some other sites: Takara Tomy Missing Link G1 ARCEE & Sunstreaker Revealed! Apparently Takara Tomy's T40 Expo is on now and plans call for adding Sunstreaker and realizing the never-made Arcee for this line - that's pretty exciting stuff.
No dates are given, but previous toys usually take over six months from pre-order to delivery, so maybe next year. I'm sure some people are shrugging, but new 1980s-style molds in Transformers are exceedingly rare. This is pretty exciting stuff.
Also of interest, the TRIGGER x Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie (HD) which looks like a convention attendee fever dream. There are references to most generations of the toys, I didn't notice any Bot Bots or Animorphs, but there are plenty of heroes, villains, sidekicks, and Beastformers to gawk at.
--AP
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Retro NES/HD Rugrats Game Free in Epic Store
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  Via Epic: Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is up at $0. I ordered the NES cartridge but that won't ship until next month. Early reviews are really positive, and I have no idea how long it will be free, so you may wish to give it a shot. I'm waiting for the cartridge, like my ancestors.
--AP
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Nintendo Switch This Week
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 This week's batch of titles on the eShop: Arcade Archives LEAD ANGLE, Jackbox Naughty Pack, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, and over a dozen more.
--AP
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Youth-Oriented Entertainment for the People In This Area
September 16, 2024 |
Star Wars Q&A at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Hair, Star Wars Exclusives, Sent to Spy on a Cuban Talent Show (Hooray). It's new! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!
Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.
--AP
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Ad: Hasbro PulseCon Pre-Orders and New Super7 at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: New pre-orders galore! Super7 added new The Worst ReAction Figures dressing up for Halloween, looking a lot like classic aliens and droids from Kenner's Star Wars line-up.
Hasbro's PulseCon is on, with new pre-orders from Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers, and of course G.I. Joe.
Shipping on all orders is now a flat $7.95, including pre-orders, so order a lot all at once. If your order is above $99, it qualifies for free shipping - pre-orders, too!
              
   
      
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
|
|
We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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Home Again, I Hope
September 17, 2024 |
Review: Hasbro Transformers Studio Series Steeljaw
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! The Hasbro Transformers Studio Series Steeljaw is a tiny toy, arguably more complex than the Siege tapes, but not as complex or impressive as the recent Frenzy and Rumble cassettes with their big piledrivers. You're going to want it - but it's expensive for what you get. Read on!
--AP
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Nintendo World Championships: Week 10
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 Via Nintendo: Competition #10 is on now in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It's a decent spread, so I hope to try it out when I am back from my seemingly neverending stint as a resident in this nation's airports.
This week:
Fairy Finder (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link)
? Block Party (Super Mario Bros)
Busting up Bonkers (Kirby's Adventure)
Quickstep (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Escape Expert (Metroid)
Last week's batch was pretty good, but I admit I did not grind through it. I'm looking forward to hitting up these again, mostly, I didn't love "Fairy Finder" that much.
--AP
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Cold Beans from a Tin Can
September 18, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Ezra Bridger (Hero of Lothal, The Vintage Collection)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Ezra Bridger (Hero of Lothal. The Vintage Collection). You're going to get something very similar with your HasLab The Ghost soon, but this one was painted to look a little more like the hologram on Ahsoka without getting a fully-sculpted makeover. If you see it, it's pretty good - the outfit fits the figure better than the outfit fit the actor. But the colors look nice. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Review: Mattel Hot Wheels Art Cars MS-T Suzuka
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Art Cars MS-T Suzuka may still be at a grocery store bin near you in one of two colors, and it's a looker. The specialized faux manga deco printing is really something - for a $1 car, in particular. The car isn't bad either, but you're probably buying this for the impressive deco and fancy blue wheels. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Transformers Star Raiders Hitting Walmarts (Maybe)
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 Via Walmart/Me: Transformers Legacy United Voyager Star Raider Ferak is hitting stores now - I saw it at two Walmarts on Tuesday, including one that skipped the 2023 Toxitron/G2 capsule entirely. Walmart.com lists Ferak as "in stock" in some stores and, so far, is accurate. It also showed individual Deluxe toys as in stock and so far, I have seen precisely zero of them, but they might be "in stock" but not "on shelf." Either way, probably a good time to start looking if you aren't doing the online ordering thing.
Ferak has a lot of painted parts, so it's probably a good idea to compare the samples you find in stores before trudging to the registers.
Addendum later in the day: I found all four Deluxes between two Walmarts on Wednesday afternoon, and the store tracker information was pretty inconsistent about being accurate. It's worth a look, and keep in mind the boxes look just like basic Legacy United toys, so they won't stand out on-shelf.
--AP
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Ad: New and Returning Hasbro Transformers, Joes, Star Wars, More at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: Pre-order the hard-to-find Transformers One Studio Series Toys and more! Transformers Studio Series Voyager Transformers One Sentinel Prime is coming next year, but you can get in line now for him and Transformers Studio Series Deluxe Transformers One Bumblebee (B-127), due in the late spring. Transformers Studio Series Deluxe Transformers One Elita-1 is due later in 2025. You can also pick up Star Wars The Black Series The Last Command Luke Skywalker, Luuke, Joruus C'baoth, Mara Jade 6-Inch Action Figures, and some other items you may have missed.
  
  
 
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Not So Terrible Lizard
September 19, 2024 |
Review: Tyco Dino-Riders Deinonychus
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Old, and incomplete! I found this Tyco Dino-Riders Deinonychus in a thrift store a few years ago. They're increasingly savvy about old toys, but I've been noticing late-1980s stuff going under their radar. This one has some paint wear and it's incomplete, but I got it (and some others) in a bag for a couple of bucks. These were gorgeous toys for the time, and held up very well to being in the hands of children. Also incomplete dinos are pretty cheap. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Keshi Corner Adds Lakitu (Super Mario Bros.) 3D Scans
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 Via Keshi Corner on Archive.org: Nana (Ice Climber) - Keshi Gomu Rubber Figure 3D Scan. I never saw these before, and it's so cool to see obscure Nintendo toys coming up like this. I really liked the game - I remember getting it as a kid and being bewildered by the appearance of seals in-game on the back of the NES box. Turns out they were replaced by snowy creatures in the USA, but a few years ago I stumbled on a cheap Famicom cart and sure enough, it's got seals. It's a fun game, although the jump mechanic is hard to get a hang of. So just print the figure, and pretend you can catch the condor.
--AP
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Ad: New Star Wars: The Black Series Pre-Orders at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: Pre-order new Star Wars the Black Series Toys & Action Figures - Entertainment Earth! Get your very own Star Wars The Black Series Princess Leia Organa 6-Inch Action Figure, Star Wars The Black Series Luke Skywalker 6 Inch Action Figure, and if you played the game, Star Wars The Black Series Dagan Gera (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor) 6-Inch Action Figure. These are due early next year.
  
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Summer, Fall, Whatever
September 20, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Admiral Ackbar (The Retro Collection)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Admiral Ackbar (The Retro Collection). This is the reissue from last year, but you may have had the original for over 40 years - it's a neat one. The eyes on mine are a little off, but otherwise it looks fairly close to the original. It's not exact, but they never are. At least it's an awesome design, and the kind of thing you can't actually find on the pegs anymore as the line seems increasingly even more focused on human-faced aliens and conventional human body silhouettes. So get an Ackbar. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Nintendo Switch This Week
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 This week's batch of titles on the eShop: The Karate Kid: Street Rumble, Matchbox Driving Adventures, Arcade Archives VS. Battle City, and over a dozen more.
--AP
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Beetlejuice Wins Again
September 23, 2024 |
Star Wars Q&A at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Playsets and Production Sizes. It's new! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!
Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.
--AP
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Classic Review: Hasbro Transformers Age of Extinction SDCC Exclusive Slug
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 Something new every day-- but this was posted 10 years ago today! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Posted 10 years ago! The Hasbro Transformers Age of Extinction SDCC Exclusive Slug was, at a time, the closest thing to a G1 Slag you could get. Sure, we got this mold with a G1 head at one point. But we've since got Power of the Primes, Legacy, and Studio Series 86 toys of the character - which render this one too off-model for the movies, and not G1 enough for G1 fans. Heck, I've since found mine a new home - but what did I think ten years ago? Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Ad: New G.I. Joe ReAction+ O-Ring Figures at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: Pre-order new Super7 G.I. Joe ReAction+ Figures! They have O-Rings! That means they'll go well with your classic 1980s and 1990s action figures from Hasbro.
   
 
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
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We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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Hold It, Please Hold It
September 24, 2024 |
Review: Hasbro Transformers Legacy Evolution Deluxe Devcon
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
You missed it! The Hasbro Transformers Legacy Evolution Deluxe Devcon is something you probably never saw in stores, especially if you were in the USA. As far as I can tell, the figure shipped only in solid cases to online shops here - if any stores actually got assortments, I've not heard about them. It's a retool of Blurr, and it's surprisingly good for a one-off from a cartoon episode that is relatively obscure. Read on!
--AP
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Final US Kmart to Close
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  Via CNN and Phil: Attention Kmart shoppers: The last full-size Kmart in the mainland United States is closing. As a toy buyer, I have to wonder what it's like when you probably have no distribution center, and the amount of peanuts you sell in a week can be counted in smaller quantities. How does this impact your orders? What kind of discounts did you have? It's really another end-of-an-era thing, and one that took a very long time as people have been predicting the end of Kmart (and Sears) for almost 20 years. It's a shame, it's where a lot of our shopping was done when I was younger and the 24/7 stores were a nice place to spend the middle of the night too.
In the past year we've also seen the end of Tuesday Morning and 99 Cents Only Stores - both fascinating toy closeout shops. Big Lots is closing most of its stores in my area (and a lot nationwide), and I hear Family Dollar is having a rough go of it while Dollar Tree and Five Below are supposedly doing pretty well. Dollar Tree is opening an absurd number of locations in my neighborhood.
--AP
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Nintendo World Championships: Week 11
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 Via Nintendo: Competition #11 is on now in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It's week with a lot of Mario, some Zelda, and a lot of balloons.
This week:
Veggie Plucking (Super Mario Bros. 2) - in which Princess Toadstool gardens.
Lookie, Tanooki! (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you pick up the laundry.
Gut Bomb (The Legend of Zelda) - in which you blow up Dodongo real good.
Pop'Em (Balloon Fight) - in which you pop three balloons in Balloon Trip mode.
Mario vs. 1-1 (Super Mario Bros: Lost Levels) - in which you realize you really don't have a handle on this game.
Last week wasn't so bad, but some do seem to be repeating. At least they're a lot of fun, or at least, I'm obsessed enough to keep grinding away at these every week to get the trophies.
--AP
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It's Always the End of the Quarter Somewheres
September 25, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Professor Huyang (Droid Factory)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Professor Huyang (Droid Factory). Hasbro made one too - Hasbro's is taller and has more accessories. Disney's has different paint applications - so neither is the superior figure, at least, on the surface. Since this one is in a gift set with more droids, should you pick it up? Read the whole review.
--AP
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Mattel Hot Wheels Hyper Mite
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Hyper Mite is purple, and weird, and cheap if you can find it. The short car has a bicycle handlebars and seat inside the red window - it's rally unusual and I found it for a couple of bucks at an antique mall. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Next Time I Will Stay At Home
September 26, 2024 |
Review: Onell Design Glyos Zulloid Neo Nebula
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! The sold-out Onell Design Glyos Zulloid Neo Nebula in another excellent toy. The alternate heads and hands give him a ton of personality, and the sculpted detail is particularly impressive for an indie figure. It looks like a drawing came to life! Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Demo-Man Origins Figure at Mattel Creations
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 Via Mattel: MOTU Origins Demo-Man Figure. As I write this, he's still in stock - that's unusual for these guys. The first toy, Classics Demo-Man [FOTD #370], made its debut in 2012.
If you're traveling through LAX, don't forget that Mattel has a store there and they frequently have leftover scratch-and-dent Mattel Creations on shelf for pretty good prices. I picked up Frog Monger, Grizzlor, Lady Slither, and Wun-Dar there a couple of weeks ago - Demo-Man may be making a stop at some point in the future as well.
--AP
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Keshi Corner Adds Balloon Fight Scans
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 Via Keshi Corner on Archive.org: Balloon Fighter (Balloon Fight) - Keshi Gomu Rubber Figure 3D Scan. Just when I am about to say "there's no way there are more black box game guys to dig out" he finds more exciting stuff. I assume I'm weeks away from discovering Clu Clu Land figures exist. Someone really must have loved balloons at Nintendo.
--AP
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Summer's Revenge
September 27, 2024 |
Star Wars Review: Moff Gideon (Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack, Epic Hero Series)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Moff Gideon (Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack, Epic Hero Series). This Walmart exclusive is about $20, and that isn't too bad. He has different accessories than the single-carded release, including a jet pack which is unique. I like this one. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Nacelle Licenses Star Trek for Figures
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  Via StarTrek.com: New Star Trek Action Figure Line Coming From Nacelle. The press release promises 1:12 scale (6-inch) figures, with a couple of interesting quotes. "Covering the era from The Original Series, to Star Trek: Enterprise, and the films..." "with a focus on characters never before available, as well as roles in outfits never before produced."
Given the prices of Nacelle products it sounds like it will be a challenge to get the line's footing - these are likely to be $35-$45, and fans can only absorb so much product. Given that the most recent Playmates attempt is showing up at Ross stores for $4.99, finding the right balance between "recognizable" and "exciting to long-time fans" is really hard. McFarlane Toys, Diamond Select Toys, Mezco Toyz, and others have taken a crack at the license in roughly this size over the past couple of decades too. It's not as easy to sell as it was in the 1990s.
No products have been revealed, and it should be noted this doesn't include the Bad Robot movies or the new streaming (post-Disco) shows. Hopefully they'll be able to make it work. Right now the most successful Trek lines seem to be Mego and Exo-6 which do low- and high-end figures in cloth outfits, respectively.
--AP
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Nintendo Switch This Week
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 This week's batch of titles on the eShop: JALECO Famicom Ver. Bio Warrior DAN The Increaser War, Arcade Archives Crime City, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and over a dozen more.
--AP
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RIP Maggie Smith, Kris Kristofferson
September 30, 2024 |
Star Wars Q&A at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars at Hasbro's End is (Probably Not) Nigh and Strictly Personal Nonsense. It's new! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!
Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.
--AP
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Star Trek The Greatest Generation: Nubbin Bug Action Figure
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 Via The Greatest Generation: The Greatest Generation: Nubbin Bug Action Figure with Meet & Greet Session 1 is a fan-made item for fans of a specific (and very good) Star Trek podcast, The Greatest Generation. They bought a mold from a popular season 1 episode a few years back and cranked out 100 prop replicas that come in really incredible 1990s-style packaging, which I have to say make me really curious how this whole thing will go. It captures the spirit of the toys and show, but doesn't seem to step on any trademarks.
Maybe we'll get a Jim Shimoda figure next.
--AP
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Classic Review: Louis Marx Toys Dinosaurs Brontosaurus Figure
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 Something new every day-- but this was posted 10 years ago today! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Posted 10 years ago! The Louis Marx Toys Dinosaurs Brontosaurus Figure was one of my favorite childhood toys, and it was a hand-me-down from a previous generation. The model has been bootlegged time and again, there were a ton of smaller but nearly identical toys in grocery stores, drug stores, and so on. Heck, I found some of those too. Given what kids get today - jointed figures, opening mouths, paint - it's easy to forget how hard previous generations had it in terms of dinosaur toys. If you were lucky, you got an unpainted, non-articulated hard plastic scientifically-incorrect figure. And you loved it. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!
--AP
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
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|
We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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