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Also of value, Bandai Namco announced Once Upon a Katamari. I am not 100% sure a cartridge release is coming.

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But wait - there was more! To celebrate my writing about toys online for 30 years, we're posting something new (or new-ish) every day. Here's what you may have missed over the weekend:
Q&A Month: Star Wars Savings (from 2003)
Q&A Month: Star Wars Has 12 Inches After All These Years (from 2013)

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It's still a very expensive $300 for the downsized playset. But, they're including the Chimera - the snake horse - with the base unit, removing it from being a stretch goal. There's only one stretch goal - Pythonus - at 8,000 backers. It's arguably a more compelling proposition, depending on how you feel about the price. I'll be honest, I'm super torn. It's a lot more expensive than Snake Mountain or Castle Grayskull. But, this thing is slathered in paint inside and out. It's extremely detailed. Snake Mountain and Castle Grayskull have very little paint. Skeletor's home included 0 figures, while Castle Grayskull included a mini-comics Sorceress, and this has at least one figure and one creature. (Depending on the math, anywhere from a $30-$60 slice of the pie.) That puts the playset at $240-$270 - still expensive - before tax and shipping. (Shipping was estimated at $8. I can't ship a mid-size action figure to New York for $8.)

I'm still mulling this one over since I don't have a big focus on the snakes, despite having many of them. They weren't in the cartoon, you see.

Meanwhile this year's Fright Zone is $92, much smaller, and much less painted. And the only figures you get are 3 unpainted crows and the Dreadful Dragon. But also, you get that awesome tree. I went ahead and ordered that because I realized I seemingly bought the entire Filmation Horde, save for Vultak, because I don't give a rip about Vultak. If you see a review here, that means I found a cheap/free one.

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Posted 10 years ago! I've had this Squishable Bee and PuppyCat Plush PuppyCat Micro Plush hanging from his clip over my desk since I got it. Usually stuff comes and goes, but he's been a permanent fixture. I really loved the cartoons, and I recommend checking them out on Netflix. They're fun. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!

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The Dr. Demento Show will be ending this year, and as far as I know his streaming service is the only place you can check out the older shows. You can buy it here. When I was a teen, KZON 101.5 FM played the show at midnight. And I would stay up Sunday into Monday every week to hear the show, while taping it, and listen to it 2-4 times every week on my cassette recorder. I lost track of the show in college, sadly, which was when I was mostly into a mix of things that were older than I was, or involved not-quite-punk acts wearing costumes on stage with gimmicks like "we're superheroes" or "we've got a giant tesla coil." But I digress.

It's a good show so far and there's enough stuff in here that's new to my ears.

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Sky-Byte is in this one - and I bought him a few days ago. Synergy? Maybe not, in the cartoon he lacks the cool wheels of the toy.

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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!

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Newish! Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Voyager Rescue Bot Heatwave is probably hitting a store near you, and is also online. It's a retooled Bulkhead mold, and is a pretty good collector-ification of the kid toys that have been around from the longest-running Transformers cartoon. Read on!

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It needs to sell 8,000 units. A week ago, it was under 7,400. Today, it's a hair over 7,700. It only got 300 backers in the last week, it's a little slow going and is one of three currently running major toy crowdfunds. If it continues at that rate it should hit its goal, but the stretch tiers aren't looking good.

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According to the site it should be showing up in stores - which may make it the first NES game I've seen outside of a used game specialty retailer in nearly (or over) 20 years. It's not a new game, but this variant is new.

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This week:
Super Leaf in the Wind (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you give the blocks five.

Arctic Ascent (Ice Climber) - in which level five is alive.

Shipshape (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you pop a few balloons.

Deadeye (The Legend of Zelda) - in which you Gohma big or Gohma home.

Motocross Maestro (Excitebike) - in which you kill your boss.

This was an easy week for trophies, but that's always the luck of the draw.

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The 2024 edition! The Mattel Hot Wheels Sushi Tuner (2024) has been issued twice. The 2024 release has red fish, the 2025 release has orange fish, and you might find either in a store near you. I find this red one in a lot of grocery stores. It has a little bed of white rice and rolls nicely. I like it. Give it a look. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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New! The Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Whiplash Action Figure is a a take on the 1980s villain that's a little smoother and a little more lumpy. He's got a little more going on around his chin, but the general coloring and shape matches the show except around the torso. What matters is that it looks good on a shelf with the other guys. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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Switch 2 also has Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

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But wait - there was more! To celebrate my writing about toys online for 30 years, we're posting something new (or new-ish) every day. Here's what you may have missed over the weekend:
Q&A Month: Star Wars Clone Trooper Action Figures with Action Features (from 2007!)
Q&A Month: Star Wars Electronic Lightabers for Kids (from 2005!)

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The toy is basically a very deluxe version of a now-$100ish Castle Grayskull-level playset, with a higher accessory count and the most ornate paint job in the entire line. If you collect high-end custom-painted sofubi, you may look at this and go "Oh, I get it, a lot more work went in to this one." And if you don't, you'll probably say "they're crazy." As of my writing this, I'm still undecided. While you have about 4 days for the bonus figure, the campaign runs another 17 days.

Also, the HasLab Snow C.A.T. funded a few days ago. It's unlikely to hit all stretch goals, but if you were waiting until it's a go? It's a go. It ends Thursday.

Hasbro's Star Wars The Vintage Collection LAAT/i Gunship - or Republic Gunship to the non-pedantic among us - is at 39% with 4 weeks to go.

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Posted 10 years ago! From 2015, Funko The Fifth Element Ruby Rhod ReAction Figure was a good part of a really fun sub-line. I only wish they did more of them! Funko did a nice job with these and at $10 a pop, they were pretty easy to pick up. Today he's around $25-$40. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!

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I'm 12 episodes in and I would recommend it to anyone who watched toy tie-in TV shows in the 1980s or 1990s. The animation is a little limited, but they make the most of it. I'm also increasingly convinced Oberon's facial expressions may be modeled after someone I know at Hasbro who works in sales.

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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

Newish! Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Commander Aerialbot Silverbolt may be in a store near you - or sold out. It's the core of the 2025 Superion combiner, which is turning out to be pretty cool despite a lot of extra junk in the trunk to make your robot frame. The jet has a big optional backside, but the robot modes are all pretty good. Read on!

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If it sells about 1,156 more by the deadline, you might get Lady Jaye. Or maybe people will get angry and rage-cancel when the stretch goals aren't met - we saw a little of that with the Rancor monster. You've got until Thursday the 14th.

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It's free, and on itch.io. And if you haven't read the news lately... well, it's not like you have to worry about credit cards processing for this one.

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This week:
Mushzoom (Super Mario Bros.) - in which you do mushrooms.

Updraft (Kirby's Adventure) - in which you ask "weren't we just here?"

Staircase Race (Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels) - in which the over-40s have a heart attack.

Ka-Boom Boom (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you do what you do.

Balloon Burster (Balloon Fight) - in which you burst someone's bubble.

It's been a year and I'm no better at Balloon Fight.

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A 1993 reissue! The Playing Mantis Johnny Lightning The Challengers Vicious Vette (Blue) is nifty, and cheap. It's not an exact match for the mold from a zillion years ago, but it's got a big silly chrome engine and great blue paint. It feels out of time, and it's surprisingly cheap for an old toy car. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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Old! The Super7 Masters of the Universe Scare Glow is long sold out, but I stumbled on it at a used bookstore a few weeks ago. That made it easy to just say "sure." I don't have every version of Scare Glow, but I do like that nearly every one is interestingly different. This one was engineered with a vinyl cape that still lets him sit in some vehicles - it's a clever idea, I'm surprised Hasbro didn't redo Vader like this. Anyway, go get one of these. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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You should go check it out and see how it's ending.

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The playset itself is over 73% funded, which is pretty good so far. Without the bonus figure, it may struggle a bit in its final weeks.

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I also updated the Galactic Hunter Star Wars: The Retro Collection Dump page, which has links to all the Retro reviews I've ever done. And lists. And tallies. "What would a crazy person with a web page make in 1996?" you ask. Well, it would look like this.

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Color me surprised. I noticed the number frequently bouncing up in quantities of five, which makes me think a lot of dealers are hopping on board for these. Presumably there will be many for sale next year.

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It's a pretty safe bet it will meet its goal in the next two weeks, but we'll have to wait and see.

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Switch 2 also has Drag x Drive and EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26.

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But wait - there was more! Even more Q&A articles were posted over the weekend:
Q&A: Star Wars Ships Happen to Be Worth a Lot (from 2011)
Q&A: The End of Star Wars (from 2011)

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Priest Pythonus is an unlock at 8,000 units sold, which seems pretty unlikely. Maybe if they re-open Lady Slither, but that seems unlikely.

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Posted 10 years ago! I've had this Hasbro Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Windrazor wasn't sold in the USA. It was part of a brief experiment where Hasbro sold upsized versions of its cheaper, simplified smaller mold figures - and they were all pretty great. The Deluxes were sturdy and fun, while the Voyagers were absolutely huge. As they did not satisfy collector desire for blood/articulation/paint, the line would take a different direction for future kid and movie lines. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!

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Sky-Byte's (lack of) wheels are explained, and it's generally worth the five minutes.

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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!

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Newish! Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Aerialbot Slingshot is probably hitting a store near you, and is also online. It's an arm, it's a plane, it's a robot... and it's not Alpha Bravo. I really like this one, and it seems to have dried up in stores around here. Get one online if you can. Read on!

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It came out just under two weeks ago. I've got this guy in a few colors already, but... well, just look at it.

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This week:
Sub-Space Exploration (Super Mario Bros. 2) - in which we go back to April.

Quickdraw (Metroid) - in which we ask "didn't we just do this in June?"

Check 1-2 (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you beat level 2.

Shoo, Lakitu! (Super Mario Bros.) - in which you ask "this was in May, right?"

Beneath the Hollow Tree (The Legend of Zelda) - in which you go underground.

Not a bad week but they're repeating a lot faster lately.

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The 2013 edition! The Mattel Matchbox '75 Chevy Van has wifi, or is a liar. It's bright blue and has some pretty good detail, and it's a keeper. I don't see these around much anymore, and it's not worth much of anything. As such, you should be able to easily afford one. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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Old! The Super7 Star Trek: The Next Generation Guinan ReAction Figure is a pretty great figure that I picked up on a big clearance binge a couple of years ago. Sadly she has no rifle from behind the bar, but she's wearing purple and has the hat. As such, she's pretty good and worth a look. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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Switch 2 also has Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution.

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But wait - there was more! To celebrate my writing about toys online for 30 years, we're posting something new (or new-ish) every day. Here's what you may have missed over the weekend:
Q&A Month: Taking Apart Star Wars Republic Gunships (from 2006!)
Q&A Month: HasLab Star Wars Reruns (from 2019!)

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Along with a revised Castle Grayskull and the Fright Zone, Masters of the Universe is having an amazing year for playsets. I highly recommend the Fright Zone as a fun figure display piece with a swell monster in it, and I assume Castle Grayskull will be at least as good as its original release.

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Posted 10 years ago! From 2014, Four Horsemen Power Lords Ggrabbtargg Action Figure was a low-run fan club exclusive for a line of very good figures that only ran two body molds got just under 20 releases. For a 3 3/4-inch monster to add to your ranks? It's awesome. But as part of a relaunch of a legacy figure line, the entire offering came up pretty short. At least it's a nice figure. Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!

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Starscream shows up in this one. I'm not going to say it's an amazing bit of business, but as a short-form CG toy commercial adventure thing it's worth a look.

--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

Clearance! Hasbro Transformers Legacy United Core Cheetor Action Figure may be in a closeout store near you - I got it for $3 at Ross and it's great. Give it a look if you can find it cheap and the check-out line is short, because despite its size it's arguably the best expression of a character that had (for its day) a lot of toys across all the scales. Read on!

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This week:
Lookie, Tanooki! (Super Mario Bros. 3) - in which you anger PETA.

Pitcher Perfect (Kid Icarus) - in which you say yes to pots.

Axe to Grind (Super Mario Bros.) - in which you axe the questions.

Monochrome Hero (Kirby's Adventure) - in which it matters if you're black or white.

Balloon Burster (Balloon Fight) - in which you burst someone's bubble.

I actually had a lot of fun with these, I think because they went quickly. Also I see the Limited Run Gradius Origins is about to ship, so I'm looking forward to that.

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A 2019 classic reissued, more or less, in 2024! The Mattel Hot Wheels Skull Crusher (Glow-in-the-Dark) is cool and glows - but it's not going to light up a whole room on its own. You might need to buy extras for that. I've seen a nearly identical car in a 5-pack in stores last year, which might even still be available. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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New last year! The Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Reptilax Action Figure is a new character, but looks pretty good if your soul still burns for lizard snake men. Read on, and come back tomorrow for more fun!

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The original had a distinctive vector monitor which no other game console had, but a few arcade games did. Star Wars, for example. The original system had a black and white screen with straight lines, and color overlays if you didn't lose them. It was fun.

Emulation and FPGA recreation aren't always perfect. For example, on MiSTer when I try to play Cosmic Chasm I find it unplayable due to a map between rooms not correctly rendering a blinking dot showing you your current location. I don't know what they're using on the mini - which is going on Kickstarter at some point. I'm looking forward to hearing more, but considering the normal complications of retro games on Kickstarter with new hurdles courtesy of some shipping restrictions, I just hope that this device gets US retail distribution.

I would also place a small bet on it never coming out.

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Switch 2 also has Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar.

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