Toy colors! The Hasbro Transformers Studio Series Decepticon Frenzy (Red) is just like Rumble but in the colors of the original toy Rumble - red and black. It's really cool. Read on!

--AP

This week:
Fire in the Hole (The Legend of Zelda) - in which you blow up a rock and jump in a cave.
Power Grab: Morph Ball (Metroid) - Morph Ball quickly.
In Rhythm (Excitebike) - in which you go around the track once, again.
Egg Toss (Super Mario Bros. 2) - in which Birdo's gifts are thrown right back in their face.
Construction Destruction (Donkey Kong) - in which Donkey Kong is knocked down for the third time.

Last week was a little tough, especially on the competition to get the trophies - at least it was for me. This week was a lot easier, despite Excitebike - maybe it's just the earlier you do it, the easier the competition is?

--AP

Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Beach Blaster is another antique mall find from 20 years ago - it's not worth much. When you find the weird, angled white van with pink and purple boxes on the side, you'll be able to easily afford it and marvel at its late-1970s design flourishes. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

New! The Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Origin Vypor Action Figure is an anthropomorphized version of a third of a rare playset - which is kind of brilliant! They put the chains and head from Viper Tower of the Eternia playset on a body, and fleshed that out to something that's affordable and fits on a shelf. We got Castle Grayskullman a few years ago, and it's just such a fantastic way to bring fans a new character that feels like an old toy. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

--AP

--AP

Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.

--AP

If you've never read/seen/heard it, today is your lucky day. The TV show, novels, and first two radio series are Pythonesque, bone-dry works of sci-fi fun that are, in spots, very funny. Later BBC radio series and the movie were a little more hammy, but still fin and I'd highly recommend the Tertiary Phase of the radio dramas regardless. The general premise is intrigue surrounding aliens who were isolated from the rest of the galaxy suddenly finding out they weren't alone, and the problems that come from suddenly finding out your perspective was factually wrong. (Short answer: war.)

My dad taped the BBC TV show on PBS when I was a kid, showing it to me when I was 10 - which sent me to the library to get the novels, and later (much later) I was able to find the BBC radio shows. Each version has something unique to offer, and if you've never heard any version of it, I'd recommend that original radio show as a great place to start. It's always kind of stung that nobody made toys based on those early 1980s, Fourth Doctor-adjacent costumes and effects. Thankfully fans work hard at filling in the gaps. It continues to amaze me that the Beeb hasn't been hard at work at licensing this - or more Doctor Who or Red Dwarf - to a boutique company that can make a small run and hopefully make a few of the aging fans of these properties extremely happy. The story is going to turn 50 in a few years, and much like Hasbro and Lucasfilm with retro 1977-specific Star Wars Kenner toys, I am at a loss as to what they're waiting for.

--AP

Posted 5 years ago tomorrow! The Fisher-Price Imaginext Series 7 Collectible Figures Headless Horseman is just super cool with glow-in-the-dark skin, a pumpkin head mask, and a sword. And for three bucks! Sadly Mattel stopped encouraging Fisher-Price to make $3 non-branded "core" Imaginext figures, but DC remains You might find figures like this on eBay and your local thrift store, and they're worth it. It's kind of sad to look at 2015 as a bygone era where we still had $3 action figures on the market, but here we are. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

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

He's back! The Hasbro Transformers Legacy Evolution Voyager Beast Wars Universe Silverbolt Action Figure doesn't have the rockets from the original, but it has a lot of articulation and he's much bigger. Read on!

--AP

This week:
Quick Copy (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you get a sword in a museum.
Mushzoom (Super Mario Bros) - in which you do mushrooms really fast.
Specknose Spectacle (Kid Icarus) - in which you express your dislike for Groucho.
Ka-Boom Boom (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which a mini-boss Boom Boom gets KO'ed.
Balloon Burster (Balloon Fight) - in which you burst a bubble, times five.

Last week was a fun one, so hopefully this won't be a major fight to get those gold trophies.

--AP

Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Limozeen is another antique mall find from over 25 years ago - and also hilarious if you're a fan of the Homestar Runner cartoons. It's very much of its time, with a surprisingly 1980s-looking paint job for a 1998 car. I got my money's worth here. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

Old! The Hasbro Hasbro Army Ants 3-Pack Bomber Squad Action Figures have been off the market for over 30 years, but I found them in a thrift store a few weeks ago for a couple of bucks - there are still interesting old toys to be found on your lunch breaks, people. They're small figures with little paint and no articulation, but they do have accessories and look pretty good for toys of their age. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

There's also a very cool Super Mario Bros. 2 1993 Keshi Gomu Figures by Bandai, Complete Set worth checking out. This guy, he's doing the good work for toy preservation (and proliferation, to some extent.)

--AP

--AP

--AP

--AP

Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.

--AP

--AP

--AP

Posted 10 years ago! The Funko Predator (Attack Mode) ReAction Figure was part of a line that, on paper, seemed like it would be the most amazing thing ever - and it was OK, the QC was mixed and the poses could be better, but this was one of the more interesting (and better) figures in the line. I still like it and would love to see a second take on it, given how skinny some of those guys were under the Funko era. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

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

Amazon exclusive! The Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Doom 'n Destruction Collection Mayhem Attack Squad Chop Shop, Barrage, and Malleus Minotaurus Set gets you a recolor you probably don't need with two deluxe bugs you've been asking about for years - so it's a pretty good collection. Read on!

--AP

--AP

This week:
Not Lichen It (Super Mario Bros: Lost Levels) - in which you experience death by mushrooms.

Super Leaf in the Wind (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you give the leaf the old 1-2.

Take Heart (The Legend of Zelda) - in which you blow open this whole power up thing.

1-1 and Done (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you run through the first level of the game.

1-1 Dream Run (Super Mario Bros. 2) - in which you experience deja vu.

At least it's not Excitebike. (It would be great to see Dr. Mario added, maybe.) I had a fairly easy time getting the trophies this week, or at least, easier a time than last week. Despite adding no new content, this game's weekly championships feature has kept me playing it for a few months and that's an impressive feat.

--AP

Newish! This Mattel Hot Wheels HW Screen Time HW Ultimate T-Rex Transporter Blue is in store now, and if it isn't, maybe you can find the red one. It's a tiny version of a big car carrier toy, with shiny metal parts and is a nifty mecha dino thing. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

For those keeping track, in the last couple of year we lost Tuesday Morning, much of Big Lots, and 99 Cents Only. (And a lot of Dirty Dough locations suddenly disappeared here.) 7-11 is experiencing similar troubles, and in our context is notable for a number of exclusive Tetris and Pac-Man collectibles in recent years. Also True Value Hardware is being sold to Do It Best, which came up in the Tuesday news round-up.

--AP

--AP

Somewhat recent! The Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtles of Grayskull Skeletor Action Figure is a bit of a tease, but a nice figure. He's got a mutagen vial and some great ram skull kusarigama, plus a cape and some armor. And a comic. And for $20! But that green armor doesn't glow in the dark, despite appearances. That seems like a missed opportunity on an otherwise perfectly good figure. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

Perhaps far more useful, the Analogue store has the Pocket in stock, as well as the Duo, so anyone saying "they never have anything in stock"? Well, now is the time.

--AP

You really can't sugarcoat it, but the ant itself is $159. That's a lot. There's also a much cheaper (and really cool) hippo mutant named Inferno. Making figures isn't cheap and given the possibility of self-inflicted increasing costs to American customers in the coming months, the $49 hippo could even be closer to the new normal - but I digress. Low-run indie figures like these are something I want to see more often. We've seen what Star Wars, He-Man, and G.I. Joe kids do as they grow up but haven't seen as much from the era of TMNT and Power Rangers. With 28 days to go, it's over $49,000 of a $82,000 goal. That isn't at all bad for the first few days.

The $359 "all-in" pledge gets you three figures, a comic, and one of each stretch goal item - given how much it has raised so far, that might wind up being a decent deal if it gets up to six full-size figures and a bonus sidekick accessory figure at an estimated September 2025 delivery date. If they have the factory lined up, it doesn't seem too unrealistic. But you know how it is: be sure to cut any Kickstarter at least six months of slack.

Other unlocks include Grizz (bear), Sledgehog (hedgehog), El Lotl, plus comics, coins, and other goodies. There's a lot here, and hopefully this means there is more work to be done by these toy industry veterans before they retire and re-retire. While some of the Hasbro Joe team got to do some cool stuff, also Atari, some retro properties are too old with creators who can't do the work anymore for a variety of reasons, so for those who dig this sort of thing - check it out.

--AP

--AP

Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.

--AP

Many of Nacelle's figures are $35-$40, and some of their lines are even starting to get placement in Walmart. That's good! But Trek as a figural license has struggled to find its footing, with the most recent Playmates line hitting Ross stores on closeout for under five bucks recently. The second wave never made it out, and Super7's line of Ultimates came to a pretty swift end despite some fan-friendly (but not obscure) choices.

It's my hope that future licensed action figure lines that want to start an honest-to-goodness collection go this route, if only to say "we know, you've got Picard and Spock, here's something new so you don't have to buy the same figures again before we abandon the license." Nobody knows if the future of this line will include Redemption Datas or Mirror Spocks, but no matter what, it looks like we're getting Jeffrey Combs and that's enough for me to throw down a few bucks. The trick is to make enough units to make money, and that can be a challenge as some lines in the past couple of decades struggled to surpass the very low 1,701 units mark. Let's hope it takes off! There's certainly a lot of opportunity for mold reuse, and of course, requests for Jim Shimoda and Captain DeSoto figures.

--AP

The amount of extra figures you get at a $75 upcharge for the deluxe version is pretty decent, and it was over 25% funded on the first day. That's pretty great! As we went to press, it's 43% funded, which is a pretty good first weekend. There seem to be no added stretch goals this time around, as the two tiers pretty much give you, the fans, the option to pay for them or not.

--AP

Posted 12 years ago today! The Schleich Dinosaurs Mammut (Mammoth) Figure is a toy I've had since I was a little kid, and it originally came out in 1982 - that's probably pretty close to when I got my hands on it. There's not a little paint but it gets the job done. It's cute, the tusks are molded in a separate color, and the only paint are its eyes - a far cry from the model-worthy toys Schleich makes today. It's also a fine example of where the toy industry has gone, impulse-buy price points like this have been cast aside in favor of fancy, nice toys that are north of $30. Which is better? I mean if I were a kid I'd probably want the coolest looking one, but in absence of an option, a mammoth is a mammoth and getting $2 is a lot easier than getting $30. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

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

In stores now - maybe! The Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Star Raider Ferak is a reworking of Cyclonus, which probably could have been a repaint and nobody would have complained. The wings have new cannons, plus he has a new head and chest - and you may not notice. This Walmart exclusive is the only one I've seen beyond the first week the line hit - the deluxe toys came and went immediately and as far as I can tell, none of the stores stocked the Leader-class set with Thundertron and his two sidekicks. Almost every Walmart in town had 2-3 Feraks when I wrote this, and I think I saw a grand total of one over the last week. Are there thousands of units waiting to come out to Ross later or did they blow through everything? Read on!

--AP

This week:
Paratroopa Toppling (Super Mario Bros: Lost Levels) - in which you make sure you never will get into the Turtle Club.

Step It Up (Super Mario Bros) - in which you finish part of the first level.

Curtain Call: Morton (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which Morton Koopa Jr. gets canceled.

Low-Key Hero (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) - in which you find your keys.

Pop 'Em All (Balloon Fight) - in which you make very specialized videos for a very specific audience.

I had a much easier time with this batch of competitors, but it is Monday, and I assume a lot of people haven't logged their ghost competitors yet. So hey, go do that. Nintendo really seems to have cracked my attention span by engaging me roughly once a week for maybe 20-30 minutes on a single purchase, which is pretty great. Most NES games didn't keep me coming back for more remixed challenges once I saw the end credits, so if you ever get a chance to get this one on sale (while the weekly things are continuing) I'd recommend it. Still. I mean here I am, still writing about enjoying a game I paid for a few months ago.

--AP

Old! This Mattel Hot Wheels Shoe Box is another antique mall find from over 20 years ago - and it's from the era where Mattel would prefer to do its own thing over paying for a license, in this case it was pirates. You get a nifty pirate flag on top and some kind of corny pirate graphics on the side, but it's well done and arguably worth the price of admission. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

While we have the branded Macy's toy departments here, so far I have not been to a stand-alone store since the spring 2018 closures. A chain with a handful of locations can't support exclusive products, and the current state of action toys (or indeed all toys) for kids isn't what it was a decade ago. I really hope it starts to come back in a big way, beyond seasonal shops or stores-within-a-store, but we had the same hopes for Kay-Bee and Circuit City. I generally prefer to take my disappointment up front and be pleasantly surprised if something truly special emerges from all of this.

--AP

New and maybe in a store near you! The Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtles of Grayskull Michelangelo Action Figure proves you can follow a formula without getting boring. Mikey has a removable wig in addition to "real" plastic chain nunchucks, which are really satisfying to fuss with. You get your money's worth here. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

Of interest, the changes "should increase speed-to-market by trimming at least three months from the [product development] process" and "empowering teams to make decisions quickly and to 'design to value' (design with price in mind) from the start." Considering the skyrocketing prices on product - courtesy of complexity which comes from satisfying increasingly lofty demands from adult fans - some leveling off might be good for some product lines. They posted a lot of notes for the new org chart too, but you probably have less of an idea of who those folks are than I do and it isn't like the names listed were people you'd recognize from the fan-facing parts of Hasbro.

At this time none of us have any idea how this will impact any specific toys, but if you're looking to hire some industry veterans it might be a good time.

--AP

Also check out new arrivals, like the Star Wars The Vintage Collection Blurrg & The Mandalorian 3 3/4-Inch Scale Action Figure Set - in-stock now and it ships for free!

--AP

--AP

Be sure to send in your questions for the next thrilling update! We now have one for next week.

--AP

The new store does indeed include Hasbro action figures, Doctor Who Sonic Screwdrivers, Tranformers, Funko Pop! Vinyl figures, Hot Wheels, Care Bears, and more. Of note, the Hot Wheels are $2.99 ($1.25 is more or less standard), and Star Wars: The Black Series figures are $32.99, which is more than the typical $24.99. Funko Pop! figures started at $14.99, which is more than the typical $12 these days. This makes it a little more expensive than the kind of mark-ups we saw at Kay-Bee Toys back in the day.

Are you missing out on something great? It remains to be seen - Toys R Us is now an upstart challenger who has ceded their entire brand cachet to a generation of children since the store vanished in 2018. It doesn't have the clout for its own exclusives, but my eagle-eyed pal noticed Walmart exclusive plush Care Bears among the hundreds of products at the new store. The old store you remember is gone (and so are many of the brands and toys), but these things start small and have the potential to grow. If they can get a few hundred stores together we might see better pricing and exclusive products, but that is probably years away - and if they don't get bikes and video games or other childhood staples, they may struggle to find relevancy in a world where character toys have become character collectibles and that trend could end at any time.

This store joins a few others - and some in airports, as well as those sections in Macy's (which are run by Macy's with TRU branding) so the name is still out there, but it certainly could use some growth.

--AP

The Mads Are Back Halloween Special: The Giant Gila Monster tomorrow.

--AP

Posted 10 years ago! The Funko Universal Monsters The Invisible Man ReAction Figure was one of the better figures in that range, and the Universal Monsters ones were the best in the initial bunch. For ten bucks you got a decent figure on a decent package - Super7's revised sculpts a few years later were even better, but the Invisible Man is actually pretty great in the Funko era too. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

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

Walmart exclusive! Good luck finding Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Star Raider Lockdown. It's really cool and I haven't seen it in a Walmart at all since the first couple of sightings - I hope more ship to stores for the holidays. As a retool of Scraphook, it's surprisingly excellent - but short. Read on!

--AP

Also don't miss the Huge Trick or Treat Sale at Entertainment Earth! Over 300 items are on sale, and there's a free shipping offer, too!

The animation on their page looks absolutely stupendous, and I'll probably pick it up after it comes out. It's so ambitious, with expansion audio and its own memory mapper, that I absolutely want to be sure it's functioning before plunking down the premium money for what looks like the most impressive NES title ever. There's a music preview too and it seems unreal for an NES game. It even has FMV. Even if you have no interest in pledging, you should check out the video and audio previews because if this takes off, we could be in for a new era and a higher bar in what we can expect from homebrew games.

--AP

This week:
Spa Treatment (Kid Icarus) - in which you take a bath and run.

Loose Change (Super Mario Bros.) - in which you get some shined nickels and loose change.

Arctic Ascent (Ice Climber) - in which you climb 5 levels.

New Heights (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you hi-jump to the cloud boss Kracko.

Meta Knight Sword Fight (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you enjoy a brief sword fight.

Last week was a relative breeze. This one wasn't so bad, or at least, it was pretty easy to get the trophies on Monday after work.

--AP

Festive! This Super7 Universal Monsters The Wolf Man (Costume Colors) ReAction Figure is long sold out, but it's still around and kind of inexpensive. It's a great figure with glorious yellow and blue clothes and pink and orange fur that's super eye-popping. If you love neon recolors of toys, this is something you can't miss. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

--AP

--AP

Long gone! The Onell Design Glyos Wolfboto Noboto Action Figure is a figure I've been saying "Oh I gotta review this one for Halloween!" since 2018 - and now I did! And you probably can't buy it, because not only is the indie figure sold out but it's rarely on eBay. They run these things in the hundreds, and man, are they cool. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

--AP

Also be sure to look for The Simpsons 5-Inch Wave 2 Action Figures Case of 6, in stock now!

Pre-orders are open through December 1 and they're expected to ship around March. As far as I know, no American retail store chains are expected to stock these which continues to baffle me as I assume you could get old people into GameStop with 8- and 16-bit cartridges. I'd get off my butt for new old games. T-shirts and collectibles... well, I'm covered for t-shirts and collectibles.

--AP

--AP