Categories

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Masters of the Universe Origins: Tri-Klops


COVID was devastating on so many levels in 2020 and 2021. Even the toy industry wasn't able to escape unscathed as distribution channels all but shut down at times. Tri-Klops, part of the Masters of the Universe Origins line was released at the height of these issues in 2021 and as a result became incredibly tough to find. Fast forward to today and this figure can command some high prices on the secondary market. Honestly, I was unaware of this side effect until I started prepping this post. I had good luck for while at least, finding most of the figures at my local Walmart though I can't exactly pinpoint where or when I grabbed Tri-Klops.


The evil three eyed minion of Skeletor comes packaged in the familiar Masters of the Universe retro styled packaging. Being released in 2021, it has the "New for 2021" bit in the top left corner. The back of the packaging contains some beautiful artwork across the top, while the lower half shows off the features of the figure along with a cross sell of additional figures in that wave.


Tri-Klops wasn't one of my favorite henchmen of Skeletor, but his Origins figure does a great job at capturing the look of the vintage figure and bringing it into the modern here and now. He has his classic rotating visor with three different eyes and classic green armor. His loin cloth and boots are painted black to match his original look.


In the accessory department he only comes with one item, his classic green sword. This sword is cast in a softer, more pliable plastic and it can be sheathed on his back. Like with all Origins figures, the head and limbs are removable just in case you want to swap parts and create your own character. The figure has your standard points of articulation. I believe I counted 14 points total.



Just like on the vintage figure, you can rotate his visor to display anyone of his three eyes. I wasn't a huge fan of the Filmation animated series as a kid, but I do remember Tri-Klops having displaying different abilities depending on which eye was front and center. I think his "angry eye" looks the best as it makes him look more menacing.
Tri-Klops is a solid addition to any Masters of the Universe Origins collection, however unless you absolutely must round out your cast of evil doers I would say pass, especially at the inflated secondary market prices. Then again, I've never been a huge fan of the character...well that is until I saw how crazy he was in the Netflix Masterverse show!

Friday, August 19, 2022

Transformers Micron Densetsu: Stepper MC-10

Today's post topic happens to be one of my favorite Transformers from the Micron Densetsu / Armada series...but I'm not sure why. Today we take a look at Stepper (MC-10) or better known as Side Swipe in the West. 

When I decided to dip my collecting toes back into the Uniron Trilogy waters, I thought I'd go after the versions of certain characters that I didn't own. While I imported a decent amount of Superlink / Energon items and dang near the whole Galaxy Force / Cybertron lines, I didn't pick up much of Takara's Micron Densetsu figures. Of course I'd be lying if one of the reasons to go for the Japanese import is for the inclusion of the bio trading card. Stepper, along with a few others from this series will be the subject of the next update to my side project, the Transformers Bio Card Database.





I've always been a fan of Takara's packaging and the layout for Micron Densetsu is a perfect example of why. The box for Stepper is very reminiscent of the style box used for the original Autobot carbots from Generation One, complete with a large logo right in the middle of the box flap. The bright red used for the majority of the packaging I'm sure helped the boxes stick out in a crowded sea of toys. Not only is there some great box art on the front of the packaging, but a large bubble to see a good portion of the toy.

On the backside of the packaging you've got a transformation sequence of sorts of the actual toy, again a throwback to the G1 days. Smaller windowed images show off some of the features of the toy as well as the included Micron figure, Cher/Char. The bottom half of the bottom of the box showcases more of the Cybertrons and Destrons in the series in a versus type layout.

On each side of the box you have either an image or a full body image of Stepper.



I'm not sure if Stepper is modeled after a real world car or not, but he's vehicle is my favorite mode. According to the TF Wiki, the car may have taken influence from a Nissan Skyline R32 or a Nissan Silvia S13. The car is cast in a beautiful shade of blue with translucent amber windows. The front grill and bumper were painted flat gray with the headlights painted silver. The Armada version's headlights were painted yellow. On the back of the car you have the large tail lights painted red with some silver paint on the top of the spoiler. The wheels are plastic and the 6 spoke wheels are painted silver and look fantastic.



Looking at the vehicle from the front you can see Stepper's head "peaking" through from the inside of the car. While this may bother some people, I'm fine with it. There are three Cybertron/Autobot insignias on the front of the car, two smaller ones above the front wheels and a larger symbol on the hood. On the back of the car you'll find a small yellow button on the left side. When pressed this activates a spring loaded section in the middle where his Micron buddy can hide (see below) via a 5mm port. When the symbol on the hood is depressed, the front portion of the car extends out. The purpose of this "mode" is one that I've yet to discover.


The one gripe I have with this mold is that some of the panels/pieces don't always want to stay clipped together very well. This seems to be a issue with the mold itself as my original Armada Side Swipe had some of the same problems. Other than that, I think this is a beautiful vehicle mode and probably one of the reasons that I'm still seeking out this toy's repaints.



Oh boy. Here we go. The transformation from vehicle to robot is fairly simple and intuitive, but as you can see the robot mode is "kibble-tastic". Stepper suffers from huge forearms, which are the front halves of the car. This limits the amount of articulation in the arms at just the shoulders and elbows via ball joints. The legs also look awkward and are virtually a brick. His waist is rather wide with the legs just hanging off the sides. Stepper can perform a pretty good split, but that is about the range of movement his legs are allowed. If the legs didn't already look weird, there are the two pieces of the car's roof section that literally hang off the side. In between his legs you also have the portion of the back window section where the Micron figure is stored.

 

One cool aspect of the robot mode is the ability for his weapon to be stored via two 5 mm ports on leg kibble bits. Stepper comes with a small pistol with a removable bayonet. It's a rather nice weapon, too bad Stepper can't really aim his weapon however!



Char (or Armada Nightbeat) is an odd Micron figure. Like with Stepper, the vehicle mode is rather nice. I'm not a motorcycle aficionado, but I do find the alt mode to be rather nice looking. Whether or not it's modeled after a real world model, I have no idea.


 Does this even count as a robot mode? While I love the majority of the Micron / Mini-Con figures that have been produced over the years, I can't say this one is my favorite. While the alt mode is pretty great, this robot mode is pretty horrible. I like how the exhaust pipes become the legs, but the whole upper body and the lack of real arms or hands just doesn't do it for me. This one will be displayed in my case in vehicle mode (same with Stepper).


This isn't the best toy in the Micron Densetsu / Armada series, however for some strange reason I still like it. The vehicle modes for both Stepper and Char are pretty great, but the robot modes do require some special love. The kibble and lack of articulation are enough to turn off most fans, but strangely enough here I am giving this toy is own dedicated post. I'm even still searching out the two repaints featured in the Universe series as well as the Armada version to round out all the versions of this mold. This one isn't for everyone, but it's just quirky enough that I like it.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Hot Wheels - 2022 Mystery Models Series 2: #01 '91 GMC Syclone (super chase)


I missed my opportunity to look for any of the chase vehicles from Series 1 of the new Mystery Models, but I happened to find several boxes the other day at my local Walmart that appeared to be full. Like with previous years, the partially-blind bag packaging features a small transparent circle in the lower right corner that allows you to get a peak at the vehicle inside. While the car assortment images aren't printed on the back of the bag, you can see the whole mix featured on the side of the gravity feeder box. Series two features 3 chase vehicles with #01 in the set being a surprise.

While I wasn't sure what type of truck #01 was in the set, I knew it was one that I wanted to find. The more I looked at the silhouette on the side of the gravity feeder box I started to wonder if it might be the GMC Syclone...and I was right! Good luck finding this one as it's packaged once in every two boxes.

The overall deco on this truck is beautiful. First off, the shiny black finish is fantastic. Throw in the multi-colored pin stripes on the hood and sides of the truck and you've got yourself a slammer of a vehicle. The matching black interior just helps this truck "bleed" cool. The chromed teal pinstripe on the black wheels is the cherry on top. It would have been really nice to have some painted details on the front and back of the truck, but I can forgive this omission just based on the overall deco.




Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Hot Wheels - 2022 Mystery Models Series 2: #02 '68 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S (chase)


I missed my opportunity to look for any of the chase vehicles from Series 1 of the new Mystery Models, but I happened to find several boxes the other day at my local Walmart that appeared to be full. Like with previous years, the partially-blind bag packaging features a small transparent circle in the lower right corner that allows you to get a peak at the vehicle inside. While the car assortment images aren't printed on the back of the bag, you can see the whole mix featured on the side of the gravity feeder box. Series two features 3 chase vehicles with #01 in the set being a surprise.


Vehicle #02 in the set is a '69 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. The body of the car is white with blue flames. Both the front and rear bumpers are chromed and features a tan interior with translucent blue tinted windows. The wheels are your standard chrome 5 spokes with the rear wheels being slightly larger than the front.

This one seems popular with many collectors so you may have a harder time finding this one unless you happen to come across a fresh gravity feeder box on the shelves. Mystery Models are exclusive to Walmart stores and retail for about 10 cents more (give or take) versus your regular Hot Wheels vehicle.




Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Hot Wheels - 2022 Mystery Models Series 2: #03 '10 Camaro SS (chase)

I missed my opportunity to look for any of the chase vehicles from Series 1 of the new Mystery Models, but I happened to find several boxes the other day at my local Walmart that appeared to be full. Like with previous years, the partially-blind bag packaging features a small transparent circle in the lower right corner that allows you to get a peak at the vehicle inside. While the car assortment images aren't printed on the back of the bag, you can see the whole mix featured on the side of the gravity feeder box. Series two features 3 chase vehicles with #01 in the set being a surprise.


#03 in the set is a '10 Camaro SS done in a metallic garnet color and has a Beach Patrol theme. The white pin stripes on the hood and side of car have thin yellow trim/design. The windshields are cast in a transparent light blue, along with the light bar featured on top of the car. The rollbar on the front is part of the plastic undercarriage. The interior is the same shade of gray plastic that is used on the front rollbar. Finally the black 5 spoke wheels feature a thin yellow trim along the face of the tires.

Mystery Models are exclusive to Walmart stores and retail for about 10 cents more (give or take) than your traditional Hot Wheels vehicle.




Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Johnny Lightning: 1975 VW Super Beetle Convertible - version A, release 3


 Pro Collector Storage Tin series
1975 VW Super Beetle Convertible
version A, release 3

Limited Edition - 4,972

Collector Facts...
* The Super Beetle was 2-inches longer
than the standard beetle, allowing for 
more storage space.

L51C 2800
Miami Blue