Go Figure (Toy Reviews)

Gears of War 3 (Series 1): Anya Stroud Figure Review

2012-01-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

Flavor Text:

"Anya Stroud:

Former "Control" Dispatcher for Delta Squad, Anya is now a frontline fighting Gear herself. Defending the remnant of humanity has forged her into a tough and capable warrior ready to tackle anything that comes her way."

Sculpt:

Kinda looks like Cameron Diaz... weird, huh?

For those who haven't played any of the Gears of War video games or read any of the novels, the storyline mainly revolves around the COGs (Coalition of Ordered Governments) and their fight for survival against the vicious subterranean Locust Horde. I haven't played the Gears of War 3 (video game) mainly because I don't own an XBOX 360 (I love my PS3 dearly, thank you very much). However, with the pictures of Anya plastered on all three sides of the clamshell packaging, I have a pretty good idea what she's supposed to look like in-game.

The textures and detailing of Anya's armor is just amazing. The colors of the outfit and sculpt of various accessories (that are permanently sculpted onto her body) look accurate. The sculpt of the weapon accessory (bloodied Lancer) is also a really nice touch. I just noticed that there is a folded-up "handle bar" on the left-side of the Lancer which you can unfold (a nice surprise addition to the overall design of the Lancer weapon accessory) allowing yo to recreate their [secondary] bloody "chainsaw" attack.

I really like how NECA is no longer placing the "NECA 2011 Made in China" stamp (that stamp is now placed less noticeably on the back of Anya's weapons pouch on her right hip) on the soles of the figure's feet. Just like they did with their recent Isaac Clarke figure (from the Dead Space 2 video game), the soles of Anya's feet are detailed.

I love how Anya's right-hand is sculpted to actually grip the Lancer weapon accessory tightly enough and that her right finger fits in the trigger "area" perfectly. Before I forget, I just love how NECA handled the overall sculpt of Anya's body. Even with the heavy armor surrounding her, you can still see the outlines of her feminine charm. I hope this much articulation and level of sculpt continues down the line for the rest of their female action figures (Lara Croft anyone?).

While Anya's facial sculpt is somewhat similar to the video game version, there are two things that could've improved the overall look. The biggest problem is that Anya is cock-eyed (this may be due to the paint application). The only other problem is that this Anya looks like she forgot to apply some makeup. The in-game pictures of Anya shows her at least having some "eye-shadow" or the like which improves her overall look (now I know why women apply eye-shadow).

Articulation:

Stretching after a long battle or posing for a magazine?

According to the packaging, Anya has "30+ points of articulation". Let's see if I can count them all: ball-jointed neck, 3 separately articulated moving parts (for each side) that make up the ball-jointed shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel-hinged hips, double-jointed knees, swivel calves, hinged ankles, and hinged toes.

The only problem with this figure is that some of the joints are a bit too loose for comfort. After a while, the arms will fall down due to the [weapon] accessory's weight. The ab-crunch joint is too loose to a point that Anya just ends up slouching due to gravity. Also the swivel waist joint couldn't move most likely due to the paint application, so that took some time before I could get it to move (at all).

Paint Application:

Props to the individual or groups of people involved in the this department. This is a great example of NECA's ability to get things done right the first time. A little eye-shadow or a little jab of makeup or whatnot on Anya's face would make this the perfect female figure ever created by these talented group of guys (and gals). The "blood splatter" paint application of the chainsaw-part of the Lancer weapon accessory is just great.

Accessories:

While this figure only comes with one Lancer weapon accessory, you won't hear any complaints from me in this department. With all the detailing and articulation that is present in this figure, and the price, you can't get nor find a quality figure that packs this much of a punch anywhere else in this market.

I also think it's a very nice addition to include a peg on the Lancer [weapon] accessory so that it could be plugged into the back of Anya's armor without much difficulty.

The handle (grip) of the Lancer is thick enough to fit into Anya's pre-posed right-hand. Her hand is pliable enough so that the stiff handle of the Lancer can slide in without (too much of) a hitch.

Packaging:

Anya comes in the typical clamshell packaging NECA's figures are known for. It shows off most of the figure with the weapon accessory visibly placed on the top-right side of the packaging. The background design of the packaging is nice and colorful, undoubtedly taken from the video game cover of Gears of War 3. The front window packaging (at the bottom) shows a portrait of a serious-looking Anya posing with her Lancer (?) with her name in bright-blue color on the left-hand side. The surrounding sides of the packaging show more pictures of the sexy Anya as well.

Price:

I pre-ordered Anya through Toysrus.com for a total of $15.99 (not including tax and shipping and handling charges). I've got to tell you though how I noticed Toysrus.com jack up the prices of the Gears of War figures almost a few weeks before Christmas (what a real nasty business practice).

Additional Information:

There's a "chase variant" of this figure that comes packaged with a "pink-colored" Lancer. If you're lucky enough to find one in the stores without having to resort to eBay or any other online store, good for you. Otherwise, expect to pay premium prices for essentially the same figure with a different paint scheme on the Lancer [weapon] accessory. However, I think it's cool that NECA throws in something extra like these "chase" figures. It makes collecting a bit more exciting (and challenging).

--------------------------

Product Development
Randy Falk

Sculpt
Neobauhaus Studios

Fabrication
Jeff Richard

Paint
Jon Wardell
Geoffrey Trapp

Prototypes
Adam Smith

Photography
Stephen Mazurek

Packaging
Chris Longo

--------------------------

Epic Games, Inc.

Character Concept and Game Art
Epic Games development team

Figure Art Direction
Chris Perna

Product Development
Cliff Bleszinski
Mike Capps
Rod Fergusson
Chris Mielke

Additional Feedback
Pete Hayes
Kevin Lanning

The Good:

* The highly anticipated Anya Stroud figure is finally here!
* Extremely articulated and highly detailed figure!
* Video game accurate sculpt.

The Bad:

* Very loose joints.
* Needs some additional paint application on Anya's face.
* Please fix the cock-eyed look!

The Ugly:

* The long wait it took to finally get this figure in my grubby hands!
* Retailers "upping" the price for last-minute shoppers.

Score:

Ghostbusters: Ray Stantz (Marshmallow Mess) Figure Review

2011-09-19T22:18:00.000-04:00

Flavor Text:

"Damn bird!"

"PERSONNEL FILE

Name: Ray Stantz

Profession:

Doctor of Parapsychology

Ghostbuster Status:

Overly excited, nostalgic member of the group
Duly designated representative of the state, country, and city of New York

Quotable Quotes:

"I couldn't help it. It just popped in there!"

(Page 1)

Habits & Hobbies:

Enjoys the company of female ghosts
Fondly recalls memories of Camp Wakonda
Casual smoker

Accomplishments:

Witnessed an undersea, unexplained mass sponge migration
Caused a rampaging, homicidal Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man to appear in New York

Notes:

Office Supplies -
guide to nearby parallel dimensions
marshmallows, chocolate bar, stick

(Page 2)"

Sculpt:

I'm 99.9% positive that this "exclusive" figure is the same exact Ray Stantz that was released much earlier on sans "marshmallow mess" paint application and gloved hands. Unfortunately, as Mattel clearly stated online, they have no intention of resculpting the (uncharacteristically) serious-looking/squished Ray Stantz head. It's an interesting choice though to have the "bubbliest" personality of the Ghostbusters to have such a dead-serious face, while the rest of the Ghostbusters crew have more "softer" (and smiling) faces. I just don't get it.

Since Mattel reuses the same bodies for each Ghostbuster (even though each individual is of different height and weight), there's really nothing new to write or discuss about regarding the sculpt of these figures. I would like to point out, however, that I think the gloved hands should be sculpted to be a bit thicker since the sculpt looks exactly the same size of their bare hands.

Stantz's reaction when told of how much Ghostbusters figures would cost.

At this point, I'm convinced this figure could've made a great "Sedgewick Hotel" exclusive figure. The gloved hands, Ecto goggles, and walkie talkie; everything about this literally screams out "potential!" which was ignored due to lack of creativity/budget/care. If they resculpted Ray's face with the right amount of "chubbiness" and included a cigarette in his mouth, Mattel would've had me in their pockets for quite some time. Too bad Mattel lost their chance.

Articulation:

Stantz has approximately 18 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, swivel waist, swivel-hinged legs, swivel upper thighs, hinged knees, swivel boots, and swivel-hinged ankles. Due to the sculpt of the elbow guards, Stantz can't relax his arms down to his sides like normal people (or in this case, figures) and is forever cursed to his "perpetual bent-arm" syndrome.

Paint Application:

There's a tiny bit of Ray's "uniform" paint on the bottom right side of his cheek as well as some stains on his left collar. Oh wait, there's also a smear of black paint on top of the "marshmallow mess" on the front of his uniform (that pig!). What else is new?

"Why did Mattel even bother sculpting me?"

What really irks me about this particular figure is the lack of creativity and care on Mattel's part. What they essentially did was to take the already produced (and released) Ray Stantz figure, attach Peter Venkman's gloved arms, and apply some white paint here and there. From a paying customer's point of view, this just isn't right. Does Mattel think they can run a business if they dish out figures of this [low] caliber? If anyone at Mattel were serious, they would sculpt actual pieces of leftover Stay Puft on top of the already produced mold of Ray Stantz. But wait, that would make things more expensive for them. Screw that, just reuse the same figure and drop some white paint here and there to cover up the sloppy paint applications and call it "Marshmallow Mess" Ray. I hope whoever came up with this idea was demoted or reassigned because this is unacceptable.

Accessories:

Mattel goes all-out with the accessories

"Marshmallow Mess" Stantz comes with a few more accessories than your typical Ghostbusters figure: "glow-in-the-dark" Ghostbusters logo stand, "glow-in-the-dark" proton stream, removable Ecto goggles, and walkie-talkie. However, we finally get Ray's Ecto goggles that collector's have been demanding for a year or two. Unfortunately, Mattel's execution leaves something more to be desired. So, we also finally get a walkie-talkie, but (to me) it looks like a chocolate ice-cream sandwich. It doesn't even have a working holster for it, so that's another easily-lost accessory. I sometimes wonder if Mattel's toy designers (sorry, sculptors) think things through before creating something.

As you know, the Ghostbusters logo stand made its debut with the gloved Peter Venkman figure as did the "glow-in-the-dark" proton stream. I suspect that Mattel ran out of ideas and wanted to save money without appearing to look cheap so they decided to include those two items with the "Club Ecto-1 Exclusive" figure. Sheesh, and I thought I was cheap. The inclusion of the Ghostbusters logo stand is a nice but utterly useless gesture. First off, it's a bit too small for any Ghostbuster figure to stand in any sort of dynamic pose. Secondly, it's "glow-in-the-dark". Really? I was under the impression that these figures were catering to the "adult" collector. Hmmm... my mistake. Oh wait, it says so on the packaging.

Now, the proton stream is a great accessory to have but it has one major problem. Let me explain. The "tip" (or insertion point) of the proton stream is molded to fit the tip of the neutrino wand (right by where the red wire is bent in a "U" shape). Due to the length and weight of the proton stream, it ends up tilting (or bending) the tip of the neutrino wand out of shape.

We finally get the Ecto goggles! How cool is that? Well, the idea is cool, but the execution leaves something more to be desired. It took me a long time to figure out what was bothering me about it; it turns out that the goggles are a bit too small. At least in the movie, the Ecto goggles not only covered Stantz's eyes but also the sides of his head. The plastic version is a miniature rectangular brightly green-colored box only manages to cover Ray's eyes. I guess the problem is that the Ecto goggles looks more like a handheld camera with straps attached to it from three side.

While the inclusion of the walkie-talkie accessory is great, it would've been a whole lot better if Ray had a working holster to keep the walkie-talkie from being lost so easily. PRO-TIP: It looks quite stupid to have a non-functioning holster sculpted on the figure when you include an accessory that clearly has to go in there.

Packaging:

It's the same "Ghostbusters" packaging with the angry Stay-Puft Marshmallow in the background with the figure behind a large "window-like" display. I have to give props to Mattel for displaying their figures in really cool poses inside their respective packaging. It definitely looks like Ray is blasting some paranormal ass back to the stone age. It's a shame that the "coolness" factor is lost once the figure is removed from its packaging.

Price:

Kicking Necromorph butt... errr... wrong series.

It goes without saying the price paid for this figure is just absolutely ridiculous (that goes for the rest of Mattel's "Ghostbusters" line). I've seen far more articulated and better sculpted figures with better material that go for cheaper than what Mattel is charging for each individual Ghostbusters figure. If you've subscribed to Mattel's "Club Ecto-1," you'll be locked in until the end up this year. Care to guess who didn't subscribe for next year's Ghostbusters line?

The Good:

* Proton stream accessory included!
* Ecto goggles are also included!

The Bad:

* Reused the same flawed Ray Stantz figure (*surprise*).
* "Marshmallow Mess," really?
* Still visible sloppy paint applications and stray marks.

The Ugly:

* Uncreative and unsuccessful implementation of the "marshmallow mess".
* Overly expensive price for a previously released figure with white paint all over it.

Score:

Not spending extra time scoring this dud.

(Reminiscing) Resident Evil 4 Series 1: Leon S. Kennedy (without coat) Action Figure

2011-09-11T10:39:00.002-04:00

Flavor Text:

"Oh shit...."

None. Just one main picture of the actual figure (in this case, Leon) that takes up more than half of the back of the package. The remaining bottom space is used to show [four] pictures of the other Resident Evil figures from "Series 1" which include: Ada Wong, Chainsaw Ganado, Verdugo, and Leon S. Kennedy.

Sculpt:

"Damn paparazzi!"

I remember people complaining about how strange Leon's face looked when he was first released. His hair sculpt does make him look like a lead singer of a boy band. But is it really that bad? It depends on the angle. You could place a scaled guitar accessory in Leon's hands and he will definitely look like he's rocking the joint.

One of the things that used to bother me was Leon's "hunched over" look coupled with his pre-posed arms. This really limited the number of poses Leon could do. That said, Leon is in that pose most of the time in Resident Evil 4 (video game). Not to mention that most figures during that time had a limited amount of articulation as well (for a 7-inch collector figure line). Leon looks great when posing with his handgun, but otherwise looks extremely awkward without it.

My biggest problem lies with Leon's inability to hold most of his accessories. His pre-posed hands need to be "tightened" a bit more, at least just enough so that his weapons won't wobble around (especially the sub-machine gun) when placed in his right hand. Either that or have the grip of Leon's weapons be thicker. However, I believe NECA designed him with a "looser" grip so that Leon can actually grasp the shotgun accessory. Also, what's up with that "opened palm" left hand? Is Leon gonna have to smack a bitch? Or perhaps do the "talk to the hand" bit?

Without a doubt, NECA is well known for their attention to detail, and this figure is no different from the rest of their offerings (at the time). The "leather" straps around Leon's upper body is extremely well sculpted. I especially love the sculpt of the sidearm holster which is under Leon's left arm. Unfortunately, his handgun accessory doesn't stay for long and eventually falls out. The other holster strapped around Leon's right leg is a little "squished" for some reason, but it can hold the handgun pretty well. The only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is Leon's right hand where one of his fingers has some sort of cyst growing out of control.

Articulation:

Leon S. Kennedy is articulated with: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel biceps, swivel wrists, swivel waist, and swivel ankles.

The amount of articulation on Leon is pretty standard back then as it is even now with the exception of a few ball-joints here and there. However, an "ab-crunch" joint would've definitely improved this figure a lot. Since this was NECA's first foray into the Resident Evil world (and probably because they were given a limited budget), collectors like myself should consider themselves lucky to even have a Resident Evil figure in their hands.

My only question is this: why bother adding articulation for the ankles? More specifically what's the point of having articulation in his left ankle when the sculpt of his jeans limits any movement? The right ankles swivels quite nicely, but the left ankle slightly budges. I would've kept that money and put it towards another area.

That said, I would love to see NECA redo some of the their previously released Resident Evil figures and give them even more articulation (and improve some of their sculpts), like they've done with their Gears of War line.

Paint Application:

Most of the paint application on this figure is pretty spot on. A few stray marks here and there, spots here and there don't detract from the overall value of the figure. However, as others have mentioned, when you look underneath Leon's nose, you'll notice that NECA actually painted Leon's nostrils! It really looks... distracting, but it's not noticeable when you place him on the table. Just try not to look underneath Leon. You've been warned.

The main thing that bothers me about this figure is the color of Leon's pants. I do recall Leon wearing dark blue jeans, not black. So why has NECA given Leon a pair of black jeans? Strange, isn't it? So much for video game accuracy... (Actually depending on what light you're using, you will be able to notice that Leon's jeans are dark blue or at least they're not absolutely black).

Either because the sculpt of the right hand or (most likely) due to the plastic material of his handgun, the "flesh" paint inside of Leon's right hand is easily scraped off revealing the black underneath. Maybe NECA should rely on using softer rubber-like material for their weapon accessories (like they did with Resident Evil 5's Sheva Alomar's handgun).

Accessories:

Couldn't find all the accessories for the photo shoot

Leon comes with: a knife, handgun with laser pointer, shotgun, sub-machine gun, 3x grenades (2x regular and 1x incendiary grenade), and a health spray. Of the eight, Leon can only (barely) hold two, which are [thankfully] guns.

"What... what is this?"

The sub-machine gun (SMG) accessory is a joke because there's no way Leon can hold onto it. Even the slightest movement will cause the [useless] SMG accessory to fall right out of his "kung-fu" grip. Leon can't grasp any of his grenade accessories, unless you lay them on the "open palmed" left hand flat, which looks ridiculous. As you can see in the above photo, I managed to shove in the health spray accessory into his "handgun" grip. Because most of the accessories are relatively small, they're also easily lost (grenades and health spray). It would've been really nice to have a place to hook or insert the grenade accessories on Leon's belt.

You know what they say about people who carry really small knives...

Probably the most shameful is that Leon can't hold onto his trusty knife! If you've ever played Resident Evil 4 (video game) you'd know that Leon can use his knife to either conserve ammo or show off his awesome knifing skills. His deadly skills with the knife also plays a pivotal role during his first encounter with Krauser later on. The problem with the knife accessory is the handle is way too small and Leon's pre-posed right hand grip is too loose. The blade could also be a bit longer and bigger. At least the knife accessory fits nicely in its leather holster!

Packaging:

This figure comes in a really bulky clamshell, which you'd think protects the figure and the package itself really well, but it doesn't. Due to the sheer size, I think NECA decided to use really thin plastic because it really doesn't do a good job of staying together and is easily dented and scratched. The backdrop of the packaging is of the church surrounded by a graveyard with strange Ganado symbols.

Price:

It's been quite some time since I purchased this figure, so I no longer remember how much I paid for this bad boy. However, you can look online now and see how inflated the prices are. For some reason though, Leon (with jacket) costs way more than Leon (without jacket). Strange, huh? Maybe that rocket launcher accessory is really something...

Additional Information:

Product Development
Randy Falk

Art Direction/Paint
Ed Repka

Sculpt
Kyle Windrix

Accessories
Oliver Brig

Asst. Paint
Karin Simeone

Prototypes
Adam Smith

Photography
Nicolle M. Puzzo

Packaging/Composites
Brian Roll

Licensing for Capcom
Marc Mostman

The Good:

* Finally a Resident Evil figure from the popular "Resident Evil 4" video game (thank you, NECA)!

* Pretty amazing detailing job done by the NECA crew.

* Facial sculpt of Leon S. Kennedy is pretty "video game" accurate!

* Figure made from very durable material (dropped this sucker a few times, not on purpose, I swear)!

* Love the inclusion of the ball-jointed articulation.

The Bad:

* Mostly useless accessories.

* Limited articulation (but that was pretty standard back in the day).

* Strange articulation in certain places.

The Ugly:

* Most of the accessories don't fit in either hand.

* Retailers trying to milk Resident Evil enthusiasts by creating artificial "demand" by hiking prices between the Leon S. Kennedy (without coat) and Leon S. Kennedy (with coat) even though these were available 50/50 per case!

Score:

Ghostbusters: Vinz Clortho (Keymaster of Gozer) Figure Review

2011-06-26T21:13:00.001-04:00

Flavor Text:

"It's good to be king!" (chair not included)

"PERSONNEL FILE

Name: Vinz Clortho
Keymaster of Gozer

Profession:

Minion of Volguus Zildrohoar, Lord of Seboullia (aka Gozer)

Ghostbuster Status:

In possession of nerdy tax accountant Louis Tully's body
Not the sharpest Shub roasting in the depths of Sloar

Quotable Quotes:

"Gozer the Traveler-he will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldronaii, the Traveler came as a large and moving Torb!"

(Page 1)

Habits & Hobbies:

Property destruction
Speaks to horses
Growls

Accomplishments:

Found the gatekeeper
Transformed into a Terror Dog with sizeable horns
Opened a gateway to an alternate dimension

Notes:

Consult Louis Tully regarding the GB "tax issue" after releasing the minion possessing him... and before taking a sample of his brain tissue.

(Page 2)"

Sculpt:

Vinz probably has the most new parts (besides the head, obviously) from Mattel's Ghostbusters figure lineup. While I appreciate the sculpt of the new torso, the material used feels very cheap and "hollow". It would've been much better if Mattel incorporated the "rubbery" material (used for Courtroom Battle Peter Venkman) for Vinz's light-blue colored button shirt and used an orange-colored torso with wrinkles sculpted into it. But hey, at least we've got a quasi-ball-jointed torso!

Vinz's facial sculpt ranges somewhere between "good" and "somewhat accurate". The facial expressions of both heads are pretty darn accurate, however, I don't feel comfortable in saying that the facial sculpt is a "dead-on accurate" representation of Rick Moranis. Each time I compare the two (the figure and photos of the actor in the Ghostbusters film), it looks like him but doesn't at the same time. I can settle with the somewhat "cartoony" Vinz head sculpt.

Articulation:

(Vinz Clortho breakdancing)

Vinz has approximately 15 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, quasi ball-jointed torso, swivel waist, swivel-hinged legs, swivel knees, and rocker ankles. Unfortunately, Vinz can't place his arms down to his sides due to the sculpts of both arm and torso. However, I do recall Vinz walking around with his arms in an "A" shape. Like the other Ghostbusters figures, Vinz's leg (particularly his left) joints are way too loose.

Paint Application:

Mattel's paint application of Vinz Clortho is quite "iffy". For instance, Vinz's yellowish-orange shirt hasn't been properly painted (around the collar) because the light-blue coloring of his button shirt is seeping through. The bottom right crotch area shows the light-blue color emerging in a "peek-a-boo!" sort of way amongst the brown trousers. There's also some pizza crust "stain" on Vinz's open-palmed right-hand (but that's due to the pizza being wrapped around his hand for too long in the packaging). There's also a few noticeable "mustard stain" spots on the back of his left elbow joint area.

"Yes, have some."

Vinz's alternate head (with the funky headgear) has a few paint application problems as well. The wiring on his headgear have been haphazardly painted. Also, the chin strap (white) paint has bled onto Vinz's face.

Accessories:

Vinz comes with a pretty sizeable amount of accessories: "ruffled hair" Vinz head, "Terror Dog" head, slice of pizza, plastic container (or bowl) of popcorn, and alternate "head gear adorned" Vinz head.

Vinz's head can be removed without too much trouble, but I would be careful when pulling off his alternate "science experiment" head since those tiny "wiring" sculpts on the headgear may break off one day. Also, the "Terror Dog" head can be placed over the headgear-less Tully head without any problem. Earlier on, I had trouble popping in either of Vinz's heads onto the peg; the back part of the neck kept on getting in the way of the collar of his shirt. The best way to approach this is to slide the back of Vinz's neck in first and VOILA!

It's really cool to see Mattel include both the bowl of popcorn and slice of pizza as accessories with this particular figure. Sure, those props were used for a few seconds or less, but it maintains the accuracy of a specific scene in the movie. So, thank you Mattel. However, I found it somewhat of a challenge to have Vinz pose with them. With a few adjustments, I managed to pose his left arm in such a way so that the jar of popcorn would stay put. However, the slice of pizza was slightly trickier to manage.

Packaging:

It's the same old "Ghostbusters" packaging with the angry Stay-Puft Marshmallow in the background with the figure behind a large "window-like" display. I admit, the way the figures have been presented thus far in their respective packaging really enhances the overall look of the figures. Interestingly, additional accessories (such as Vinz's alternate head or the fat Scoleri Brother's alternate feet) are kept hidden from sight.

Price:

It goes without saying the price paid for this figure is just ridiculous (and that goes for the rest of Mattel's "Ghostbusters" line). I've seen far more articulated and better sculpted figures with better material go for cheaper than what Mattel is charging for each individual Ghostbusters figure. If you've subscribed to Mattel's "Club Ecto-1," you'll be locked in until the next subscription comes around.

The Good:

* Vinz definitely makes a nice addition to the Ghostbusters line who happens to not be one of them!
* Scene/character specific accessories!
* All-around new sculpt!

The Bad:

* Paint applications not up to par as usual.
* Vinz's left leg and ankle are a bit loose.

The Ugly:

* Still a bit too expensive (somewhat regretting being a "Club Ecto-1" member) for my tastes.

Score:

Online Store Promotion: Hobbies.com

2011-06-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

If you guys ever feel the need to get your action figure fix, check out Hobbies.com. This online store has a wide variety of action figures available ranging from Hot Toys, Hasbro products to NECA, and even Mattel items. They also sell a variety of remote control cars, planes, and helicopters. Hobbies.com also sells rockets, puzzles, and even electric trains.

SCRE4M: Ghost Face "Zombie Mask" Figure Review

2011-06-15T21:51:00.003-04:00

Flavor Text:

"Ghost Face (The Icon of Halloween):

The icon of Halloween returns with this brand new action figure complete with knife accessory and over 14 points of articulation. Highly detailed and fully poseable. Watch for more Ghost Face figures & collectibles coming soon!"

Sculpt:

Although I liked NECA's utilization of cloth for their Dante figure, I'm not a fan of "cloth" incorporated Ghost Face figure. While the cloth streams are appropriate for GF's elbows, the cloth skirt isn't impressive and is quite a distraction from the overall figure. The top-half of Ghost Face is adorned with wrinkles and creases in his outfit. However, as your eye wanders downward, the semi-transparent and unwrinkled fabric "skirt" just stares conspicuously right in your face.

Despite all the expertly sculpted wrinkles and creases of the overall body of the figure, Ghost Face is one plain-looking figure. After all, there's only so much you can do with someone dressed in all black. However, the sculpt of Ghost Face's hood is actually very good. The fold and wrinkles (all over the hood) are realistic and there's even a tip left on the back of the hood which you can slightly fiddle with.

The "hood" part of the figure is composed of two separate pieces: the inner ("meat and potatoes") piece is sculpted with the Ghost Face mask; the outer piece is composed of slightly pliable plastic. Unfortunately, I couldn't separate the outer piece from the inner piece, most likely because it's glued or molded together. It's too bad because it would've been interesting to see Ghost Face without the outer cowl.

If you lift up Ghost Face's "skirt" (sorry, old habits die hard) you'll notice the ugly-looking joints. When I say ugly-looking, I'm referring mostly to Ghost Face's "tight jeans" butt. While this type of joint/sculpt gives Ghost Face maximum leg articulation, there's got to be a better way because it looks real ugly. And I mean "Marvel Legends" and "G.I. Joe" type ugly.

There's also space right below the [swivel] waist where the elastic of the fabric "skirt" is kept in place.

However, the sculpted creases and wrinkles detail found all over the bottom-half (the pants and pant legs) are superb. It's also interesting to see how NECA's sculptors went about covering the knee articulation (the front of both knees are sculpted long enough to cover the joints).

Like your average figure, on the bottom of Ghost Face's right foot, you'll see "NECA 20XX Made in China" stamp.

Articulation:

Ghost Face has seen the light

Ghost Face is endowed with: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, swivel waist, ball-jointed hips, ball-jointed knees, and ball-jointed ankles.

Although Ghost Face has a fair amount of articulation, there aren't many poses you can do given Ghost Face's occupation. The figure's range of movement is also restricted by the strange ball-jointed hip design and the fabric "skirt". You may recall NECA's previous offering of the Ezio action figure (from Assassin's Creed 2) and the similar ball-jointed hip articulation. Trying to pose Ezio with that articulation was more trouble than it's worth. My only guess as to why they've incorporated the ball-jointed hip into these figures is due to budgeting concerns.

I do love how NECA finds innovative ways to enhance their offerings to their customers, whether it be through incorporating LED lights or including fabric with their figures. However, the fabric "skirt" falls short and is more of a hindrance. I don't understand the purpose of incorporating articulation in the bottom half of the figure just to have it restricted by a fabric "skirt".

Paint Application:

A character that dresses up in all black is pretty hard to screw up, right? Unfortunately, under Ghost Face's fabric "skirt" was a strange splotch of light brown paint (not really sure how that even happened). Also the color of Ghost Face's jeans is navy blue; I don't know if that's movie-accurate or not for the Ghost Face character. There's also some "yellow stain" marks in Ghost Face's mouth and some paint missing from it as well.

Accessories:

Ghost Face comes with his trusty slasher knife, which fits perfectly in his [right] hand. I've read from other reviews that the knife wasn't big enough, but I disagree. In proportion to the Ghost Face figure, I think the knife is just about the right size. I do wish however, that the knife handle were a little bit longer, that's all. It would've been interesting to see NECA include a "chase" version of a bloodied knife, since NECA is well-known to do these types of variations across their action figure lines.

Packaging:

Ghost Face comes in your typical clamshell packaging with a display front that is large enough to show the entire figure and accessory. The background design of splashed blood is nice and fitting of Ghost Face himself.

Price:

I purchased this online via eBay for $12.00 (a damn good deal, if I may say so myself). I admit, the price is what prompted my purchase. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even bothered with this figure.

Additional Information:

Product Development
Randy Falk

Sculpt
Kyle Windrix

Paint
Jon Wardell
Geoffrey Trapp

Fabrication
Brad Haskins

Prototypes
Adam Smith

Photography
Stephen Mazurek

Packaging
Nick Scragg

Special Thanks
Fun World Staff
Nate Ragon

The Good:

* Got it for a relatively cheap price.
* Impressive details (creases and wrinkles) in outfit.
* Given more than enough articulation.

The Bad:

* Fabric "skirt" is distracting and doesn't provide that much space for extreme leg poses.
* Finding hairballs and strings each time I handle the figure.
* Strange and ugly hip joints (reminds me of Ezio's flawed articulation).

The Ugly:

* The fabric "skirt"!

Score:

Ghostbusters II: "Courtroom Battle" Peter Venkman Figure Review

2011-04-16T17:12:00.001-04:00

Flavor Text:

"PERSONNEL FILE

Name: Peter Venkman

Profession:

Doctor of Parapsychology
Doctor of Psychology

Ghostbuster Status:

Salesperson for the GHOSTBUSTERS
Occasionally develops equipment for the GHOSTBUSTERS
Hosts a psychic-themed talk show

Quotable Quotes:

"We're the best. We're the beautiful. We're the only Ghostbusters."

(Page 1)

Habits & Hobbies:

Enthusiastic voter
Thinks hairless cats are weird
Great with kids

Accomplishments:

Came up with the idea to start the GHOSTBUSTERS
First Ghostbuster to have "physical contact" with a ghost
Bravely fought the Scoleri Brothers' ghosts

Notes:

Office Supplies-
Butch Carpathian Compendium
Love potion aerosol, Stool sample kit

(Page 2)"

Sculpt:

Most of Venkman's body is composed of the previously released (and heavily reused) "Movie Masters: The Dark Knight: Gotham City Thug" action figure. There is no doubt that the sculpted tie comes from the "MM: TDK: Harvey Dent" action figure as well.

Aside from that, the proton pack straps have been sculpted onto Venkman's jacket suit, which looks convincing enough. It's just a shame that Mattel still hasn't found a way to incorporate a "removable" proton pack (like the old Ghostbusters figures with the proton streams sticking out of the neutrino wand... remember those?).

And speaking of proton packs, since Venkman's isn't removable (like the rest of the Ghostbusters), there's a huge block of ugly plastic that sticks out to accommodate the proton pack on his back.

The facial sculpt of Venkman isn't too bad. The wrinkles on his forehead and the "wise-ass" smirk on his face definitely match his character. Of course, it still looks a bit "baby-face" for me, but hey, if Bill Murray is okay with it, I guess it's okay.

And what is up with those veiny hands of his? Been working out much? It just looks a bit out of place.

The creases in the [fat] Scoleri Brother's shirt and pants are extremely detailed. The front of his shirt with the buttons struggling to keep the shirt closed does well to portray the Scoleri Brother's gigantic [ghostly] gut as well.

Articulation:

Venkman has approximately 18 points of articulation. Fortunately, he doesn't suffer from "perpetual bent elbow" syndrome like the rest of his Ghostbusters brethren (in uniform). However, he can't seem to bend his elbows at the ninety degree angle, which is due to the design of his elbow articulation. Also, Venkman's leg joints are way too loose.

Although the [fat] Scoleri Brother is considered an accessory, he has 5 points of articulation: swivel head, swivel arms, and jointed feet. His head can only do a partial "swivel" due to his gigantic face being restricted by his open-collared shirt. The right arm can be "swiveled" without much trouble. However, the left arm is so tight, that it takes a bit more work to move it (I actually prefer the tight arm joint). While it's nice to have some articulation in an accessory, it would've made more sense if the Scoleri Brother was given ball-jointed arms giving him a bit more life (it would also partially justify the overall price of the figure). This limited articulation is a throwback to the times when most action figures had limited articulation (look back to the old "Real Ghostbusters" action figure line).

Being able to "switch out" the Scoleri Brother's feet is a nice touch, but wholly unnecessary. Including a flight stand for a "flying" ghost would've made more sense (and again would partially justify the overall price of the figure).

Paint Application:

Mattel has done a pretty good job on this figure with painting, but then again almost the entire figure is in black. Unfortunately, my Venkman figure had visible brown paint on his left cheek, under his chin, and in his left ear. At first glance, I didn't catch this, but for some unknown reason, Mattel thought it was okay to paint Venkman's lips. The more I looks at it, the more it seems Venkman was trying on a different shade of lipstick. Awkward...

The color of the [fat] Scoleri Brother is a bit too bluish-green for me. In the movie, he seemed to be more grey with a slight tinge of blue. Also, what is up with black-colored "outlines" on the Scoleri Brother's face?

Accessories:

"Courtroom Battle" Venkman comes with his trusty [non-removable] ghost-bustin' proton pack with neutrino wand stick. He also comes with a "pack-in" ghost: one of the Scoleri Brothers (the fat one). Surprisingly, the large Scoleri Brother comes with an extra pair of "flying" feet, which can be found at the bottom left of the package (don't throw your packaging out before you take them out!).

Packaging:

It's the same old "Ghostbusters" packaging with the angry Stay-Puft Marshmellow in the background with the figure behind a large "window-like" display. The only difference is the "Ghostbusters" logo is correctly showing the "Ghostbusters 2" logo ghost. I admit, the way the figures have been presented thus far in their respective packaging really enhances the overall look of the figures. Unfortunately, once removed, that magic is gone.

Price:

It goes without saying the price paid for this figure is just ridiculous (and that goes for the rest of Mattel's "Ghostbusters" line). I've seen far more articulated and better sculpted figures go for cheaper than what Mattel is charging for each individual Ghostbusters figure. If you've subscribed to Mattel's "Club Ecto-1," you'll continually pay highly inflated prices for not-so-good quality figures.

The Good:

* If you missed the previously released Peter Venkman figure(s), this is another chance for you to get him!
* A Scoleri Brother in plastic form!
* Comes with additional [ghost] feet.

The Bad:

* Constant reuse of body parts from previous figures.
* Paint applications not up to par as usual.
* Venkman's legs are bit too loose for comfort.

The Ugly:

* The highly inflated pricing of these figures. Definitely not worth it (not too pleased with being a "Club Ecto-1" member)!

Score:

Dead Space 2: Necromorph Slasher Action Figure

2011-02-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

Flavor Text:

"Slasher:

Made from the bodies of their victims, the Slashers are Necromorphs with the sole purpose of creating more corpses. They relentlessly hunt the living, prowling in ventilation ducts and jumping out when least expected to eviscerate their prey. They possess a decentralized nervous system and can only be killed by dismembering their limbs."

Sculpt:

Having played the first "Dead Space" so many times, I was surprised at the accurate sculpt of the hideous Necromorph Slasher figure. Regardless of whether you've ever heard of Dead Space, let alone even played the game, this Slasher is one ugly mother in action figure form.

For those who haven't played any of the Dead Space video games or read any of the graphic novels, you can tell the Necromorph used to be human; just look at its receding hairline and (yes) its nipples. The ripped apart flesh with all the sinewy red "meat" is extremely detailed and looks so real that it sometimes makes me feel a bit sick. If you've come across any interviews behind the design of the Necromorph, you'll feel just as sick as I did.

The Necromorph's rib cage pokes through the almost-hollowed out flesh in the front of the torso, which you can follow all the way to the back where the spinal cord and the rest of the rib cage is now exposed. You can also catch a glimpse of the partially exposed (and mutilated) pelvis along with the partially exposed shoulder blades.

Probably due to the lack of space, the soles of the Slasher's feet don't have the "NECA 20XX Made in China" stamp (that stamp is now placed less noticeably on the back of Slasher's right leg). Instead, we have sinewy pieces of flesh detailed on the soles of the Necromorph.

The Necromorph seems to be much more smaller in comparison to Advanced Suit Isaac and Mining RIG Isaac. It could be due to the heavy armor, but that doesn't seem to be the case when compared with Advanced Suit Isaac (since the Advanced Suit is less bulky). Screenshots from the video game of Necromorphs taking a bite out of Isaac are either equal in size or slightly larger. Also due to its small feet, the Slasher has trouble standing even with the base. The base peg needs to be a lot taller and the Slasher's feet need to be wider.

*It would be really cool to see an alternate [Enhanced/Super] Necromorph figure, with the dark-colored flesh tones with the equally intimidating glowing eyes for this year's San Diego Comic Con.*

Articulation:

The Slasher is articulated with: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel elbows, ball-jointed wrists, ball-jointed "claws", ball-jointed [extra] clawed hands (from its stomach), ball-jointed hips, swivel knees, and swivel ankles.

To maintain video game accuracy, NECA incorporated the "removable limbs" feature for the Necromorph figure. While this is a bit on the gimmicky side (also innovative), it works really well. However, the biggest issue I had with the "removable limbs" feature is to distinguish which limbs were actually removable. A little cheat sheet would've been helpful. I was able to safely pull off the Slasher's: head, arms, and legs with little or no trouble. I managed to even pull off the elbow (but I wouldn't recommend it; shoving it back in is a bit more of a hassle than the rest of the body parts). I have to mention the Slasher's "removable limbs" feature is a huge improvement over NECA's Resident Evil 25th Anniversary Zombie figure (although the Zombie's removable limbs came off easily, they were much harder to put back on).

The Necromorph wasn't endowed with any articulation in the waist. However, I did find a slight line that circled around the Necromorph (mid-torso), which neatly aligns with the spines in its back. The absence of any waist articulation is probably due to the cost of tooling.

However, with all that aside, this is still a highly-articulated figure that NECA tends to produce from time to time. I would love to see more articulated figures from them.

Paint Application:

Aside from a splotch of black paint on the right leg, everything is just fine. As expected, there are massive amounts of blood dripping from all over the place. This is a perfect example of how great sculpting and having the right paint application can make a figure look really really [disgustingly] good.

Accessories:

"Momma?"

Not including the removable limbs, there's only one accessory: a glossy basic plastic base.

Packaging:

Due to the massive amount of space the Slasher figure took up, NECA resorted back to using the larger clamshell packaging (probably also used to prevent the arms and legs sculpt from being crushed), which works quite well. The background design of the packaging [of Advanced Suit Isaac's face] is nice, no doubt taken from the video game cover of "Dead Space 2". However, the background design from the first "Dead Space" action figure packaging with the shadows of the incoming Necromorphs is no doubt still the best package design.

Interestingly, the slightly enlarged photo of the Necromorph Slasher at the bottom left of the packaging shows a slightly pissed Necromorph with gaping eye holes.

Price:

::angry Splicer yell::

I pre-ordered Isaac Clarke through CornerStoreComics for a total of $40.14 (this also included a Necromorph figure) and from an eBay seller (also purchased together with the Necromorph) for $34.42.

The Good:

* The highly anticipated Necromorph finally makes its appearance in plastic form!
* Extremely (and disgustingly) detailed Necromorph Slasher figure!
* Highly articulated.
* Video game accurate sculpt.

The Bad:

* Size of Necromorph is a bit small.
* Has trouble standing on its own from time to time, which limits the number of action poses.
* One accessory.

The Ugly:

* The long wait it took to finally get this figure in my grubby hands!

Score:

Dead Space 2: Isaac Clarke Action Figure

2011-01-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

Flavor Text:

"Isaac Clarke:

Three years ago, CEC engineer Isaac Clarke barely survived a virulent outbreak aboard the USG Ishimura that twisted the dead into mindless killing machines. Now it's happening again, this time on a metropolis orbiting Saturn known as the "Sprawl". Isaac fights to survive as his mind deteriorates and the space station descends into madness and chaos."

Sculpt:

I've played the first "Dead Space" many times, but I haven't played "Dead Space 2" yet (will try to this weekend), but from the images I've seen online, this Isaac Clarke in the Advanced Suit looks accurate.

As I removed Isaac from the clamshell packaging, I noticed the texture of the figure to be different; it was because NECA incorporated rubbery (plastic) pieces all over Isaac's body. In hindsight, this was a nice move since the jutting pieces of Isaac's sleek armored Advanced Suit might have caused some pain for collectors' [fingers] who like to pose their figures in all sorts of positions. Also, these rubbery pieces would less likely break off during shipment.

Isaac's pre-posed right hand grip is now tighter, allowing him to hold his trusty Plasma Cutter better. The previous Isaac Clarke figures (from the first Dead Space) had a bit too much wiggle room causing some annoyance for collectors as Isaac's weapon constantly fell through. Even with this improvement, I noticed that Isaac still has some problems holding the Plasma Cutter in place (it shifts making it look like Isaac is holding onto it by a thread).

An interesting and most welcome change is the soles of Isaac's boots no longer have the plain and boring "hollowed out" area with the "NECA 20XX Made in China" stamp (that stamp is now placed less noticeably on the back of Isaac's right boot). Instead, we have detailed soles of Isaac's boots (the right boot has a bit more blood than the left one)!

There are some minor things about this figure (I'm somewhat of a stickler when it comes to details) that I feel need mentioning. For instance, the "light up" feature with the LED lights is a really cool idea (we've seen it done before), but all I see is just the bright white light (just like the SDCC Isaac Clarke Unitology outfit exclusive); and not the "aqua" color. (**NOTE: The photos show the "aqua" color, but this is not the case when you view this in person**).

I would've preferred to have the "eye-holes" of the mask and RIG painted "greenish-blue" instead. With the LED feature, the painted stasis meter (on the immediate right of the RIG) looks really out of place. While I do appreciate having the RIG with the sculpted "bars" (I really do), I feel the same should've been done for the stasis meter as well. The stasis meter looks so... plain without it. A real minor thing to note is the absence of articulated "booster flaps" around Isaac's shoulders (rather they're sculpted on the backs of his shoulders).

* On a side note, I would love to see NECA release another Advanced Suit Isaac figure with an alternate unmasked head and in "clean" armor, possibly for this year's San Diego Comic Con. That would really be awesome.*

Articulation:

Isaac has articulation in the: swivel neck, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, swivel waist, swivel/hinged hips, swivel thighs, ball-jointed knees, and ball-jointed ankles.

Unlike NECA's usual fare, Advanced Suit Isaac doesn't seem to have the full range of motion from his ball-jointed neck; he's stuck with the swivel motion. The previous Isaac Clarke figures (from the first Dead Space collection) had ball-jointed necks, allowing for more head movement.

The ball-jointed waist wasn't incorporated into Advanced Suit Isaac either, most likely due to the cost of tooling. Again, the previous Isaac Clarke in his mining RIG had that articulation.

However, with all that aside, this is still a highly-articulated figure that NECA tends to produce from time to time. I would love to see more articulated figures from them.

Paint Application:

From the prototype pictures of Isaac, the colors looked a little too bright. Thankfully, this is not the case with the actual released product. The bright colors have been toned down quite a bit, just enough so that it's no longer a distraction.

Interestingly, this sleek Advanced Suit has seen its share of "wear-and-tear" due to the "dirt marks" applied all over his body. There are also generous amounts of blood splattered over Isaac's armor as well. This time around, NECA got it right with both the color and blood "splat" design; it no longer looks like "ketchup stains" (e.g. The Licker figure from the Resident Evil Series 2 line).

Accessories:

Like his previous plastic reincarnation (from Dead Space), this Isaac comes with only one accessory: the Plasma Cutter. What's really great about this particular Plasma Cutter is that it has a "swivel" feature just like in the video game! If you peek in front of the Plasma Cutter, you'll see the "blue-white" color (laser beam) painted on! While I was hoping for more accessories, the surprising addition of the "swivel" feature of the Plasma Cutter kind of makes up for it.

Packaging:

As with most of their recent offerings, NECA has reduced the amount of space in their clamshell packaging (most likely to save both money and space), which works quite well. The background design of the packaging is nice, no doubt taken from the video game cover of "Dead Space 2". However, the background design from the first "Dead Space" action figure packaging with the shadows of the incoming Necromorphs is no doubt still the best package design.

Interestingly, the slightly enlarged photo of Isaac at the bottom right of the packaging shows him with his trusty Plasma Cutter (from the first Dead Space video game).

Price:

I pre-ordered Isaac Clarke through CornerStoreComics for a total of $40.14 (this also included a Necromorph figure) and from an eBay seller (also purchased together with the Necromorph) for $34.42.

The Good:

* The highly anticipated Isaac Clarke finally makes his appearance in plastic form!
* Extremely detailed (Advanced Suit) Isaac figure!
* Highly articulated.
* Video game accurate sculpt.

The Bad:

* Missing some minor attention to detail (not a bad thing, but didn't have any other place to put this).
* Color of LED feature.
* One accessory.

The Ugly:

* The long wait it took to finally get this figure in my grubby hands!

Score:

Assassin's Creed 2: Ezio (Master Assassin) Action Figure

2010-11-26T21:44:00.007-05:00

Flavor Text:

"I will seek vengeance upon those who have betrayed my family, only to uncover a conspiracy bigger than I could have imagined... I am EZIO AUDITORE DA FIRENZE. I AM AN ASSASSIN."

Sculpt:

I haven't played Assassin's Creed 2 yet, but from the images I've see online, the "Master Assassin" outfit looks accurate. If you need further proof, just look at NECA's past work. NECA is one of the best toy companies out there who actually pay a great deal of attention to detail. Ezio's facial expression is neutral,as should be of someone of his killing stature.

However, the main drawback of this figure (sculpt-wise) are the awful "scar" marks on his lip and chin. I really hope that wasn't intentional because the whole "scar" thing would be real... stupid. I'd feel better if I chalk that up to bad luck.

Despite having received a shit version of Ezio, I was impressed with NECA's use of extremely flexible and thin material to sculpt the cape that's arched over Ezio's left shoulder. (DC Direct, take note). Also the armored pieces wrapped around Ezio's upper torso and over his right arm are intricately detailed.

Articulation:

Ezio has articulation in the: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, and ankles.

I really liked that Ezio was given ball-jointed hips, giving him more upper-body mobility which most certainly boosts his "playability" and "poseability" factor up a bit. The ball-jointed neck is also nice to have (albeit a given for most figures nowadays). What really hurts in this department, is the knee joints. Because of Ezio's [knee] boots, it makes bending his knees quite awkward and slightly confusing. I also don't understand why Ezio's right ankle joint moves so easily while his left ankle barely moves an inch.

Because of the strange articulation, Ezio has trouble standing. Once again, I hope this is because of my bad luck, rather than NECA's poor design.

Paint Application:

As usual, this is where things go extremely south for NECA. Under Ezio left eye are few stray red paint application marks with a little black paint thrown in. Might as well call him, Ezio, the Black Nose Assassin. Okay, so maybe we can pretend that that's blood from his enemies. But if Ezio is the "Master Assassin," shouldn't he be skillful enough not to get any blood on him in the first place?

It seems that the black paint or wax is coming through on Ezio's face due to little or no application of face paint for Ezio's face. As if that weren't enough, stray black marks are visibly scattered throughout Ezio's body (check his arms, boots, robes/cape, etc.). Even the tiny daggers placed around the front of his waist are badly painted.

I just noticed this, but what the hell is this dirty-looking piece of tape doing on the back of Ezio's right foot? Also, I've noticed a whole bunch of glue or "white hair" all over this Ezio figure. Did I receive a factory defect or some factory painted prototype?

Accessories:

There's only one, if you count the "retractable blade" as an accessory. NECA has really scaled back on their products, but I don't blame them (it's the economy stupid). But then again, NECA is known to be inconsistent with their products, so no real surprise, just the same disappointment (at least they're consistent in something).

Packaging:

As with their recent offerings, NECA has reduced the amount of space in their clamshell packaging (most likely to save both money and space), which works quite well. The background design of the packaging is nice, no doubt from "Assassin's Creed 2" the video game itself.

Price:

I pre-ordered Ezio (Master Assassin) through Toysrus online for $13.99. Shipping and handling cost was free because I signed up for "free two-day shipping" service called ShopRunner. With tax ($2.41) added in the total came to $16.40, which I guess is to be expected although I think it's a bit expensive for such a lame figure.

The Good:

The long awaited Ezio from "Assassin's Creed 2" has finally arrived!
Nicely detailed Ezio (Master Assassin) figure!
Ball-jointed waist.
[Video] game accurate sculpt (I think...).

The Bad:

Questionable articulation from the waist down
Lack of "poseability."
Lack of accessories.

The Ugly:

Total lack of quality control (funky leftover tape; dried glue "hairs" all over; extremely sloppy paint application; "scar" face sculpt).
High price for factory defect.

Score:

This figure isn't even worth scoring.

Bioshock 2: Ladysmith Splicer Figure Review

2010-07-11T16:45:00.003-04:00

It's been some time since the first wave of Bioshock 2 figures were released. I was thoroughly impressed with the Big Daddy Deluxe figure. However, the other figures... well... I wasn't as interested in. After what seemed like a really long time, the second wave of Bioshock 2 figures have finally been released. I had the Ladysmith Splicer figure pre-ordered for a long time, which I now have in my grubby paws. So, was she worth the wait? Eh... in some ways she is, but in more ways she's not.

Flavor Text:

"Once she was the talk of the town - a high-profile socialite whose wit was her weapon among Rapture's elite. As the city fell from grace, so did she - becoming addicted to ADAM, splicing herself stronger and faster to feel safe in the streets. She resents having to eat refuse and scrabble for ADAM, but ultimately, she's a survivor. As a 'Leadhead', she pelts her enemies with bursts of tommy-gun fire between vicious verbal barbs."

The Good:

Ladysmith Splicer comes with several accessories: rolling pin, "bunny" mask, tommy-gun, and a [small] standard plastic base.

It's no surprise to see NECA's ability to recreate an exact replica of the video game [enemy] character into plastic form. Everything about the Ladysmith Splicer is "game-accurate."

I just love how much NECA's sculptors paid attention to the texture and coloring of the "washed out" and deteriorated clothing worn by the now mutant-looking Ladysmith Splicer. Just amazing.

I really love the incorporation of the "bunny" mask accessory. No splicer is complete without one. However, the one included isn't as scary and deranged-looking as the ones first seen in the first Bioshock video game.

Surprisingly, the Ladysmith Splicer figure has very little paint application problems, which is always a plus in my book.

The Bad:

Unfortunately, Ladysmith Splicer has an unimpressive 6 POINTS OF ARTICULATION: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel elbows, and ball-jointed waist. Although I expected this, I'm still somewhat disappointed that NECA didn't try and incorporate more articulation for what is considered a staple character in the Bioshock universe. Swivel wrists and perhaps swivel legs would've made fine additions to the Splicer's overall articulation count.

I really despise "swivel elbow" articulation because it looks makes the sculpt look awkward and doesn't really help with posing. However, I will grudgingly admit that in this case, the "swivel elbow" articulation works without being too much of a distraction.

I love the fact that NECA included the well-known "bunny" mask accessory. However, I am annoyed at how badly this was incorporated into the figure. If you examine the "inside" of the mask, you'll see a little "hook" on the left side which is supposed to hang in a little groove of the Ladysmith Splicer's hair. Unfortunately, the "bunny" mask has a hard time staying on almost 99% of the time. It's possible (however very unlikely) that my mask accessory is busted. I think it has more to do with the poor design behind the mask. An alternate head with the mask on would've been a much better [and safer] idea.

The Ugly:

Actually there is something. Yes, you can look up the Ladysmith Splicer's skirt, but I highly recommend against it. See? No pics for you.

I purchased this figure from CornerStoreComics.com for $14.99 (price doesn't include S&H). I recommend ordering this figure from CornerStoreComics.com (last I checked, they charge the lowest price of $13.99 individually). They're really good about packaging and sending out items in a timely manner, and they seem to get their items a little earlier than most electronic retailers I've dealt with. However, they are a bit inconsistent when it comes to notifying you when your items have been shipped. You can also find these on eBay at a slightly higher cost (damn you pesky S&H)!

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR CORNERSTORECOMICS. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Overall, NECA's Ladysmith Splicer is a nice continuation of the Bioshock 2 franchise. However, the minimal articulation for such an unusually spry character hurts the overall value of this figure. The inclusion of the rolling pin accessory is an interesting and yet funny addition (I don't remember any of the Splicers carrying such a weapon). Despite the lack of articulation and trouble keeping the "bunny" mask on, this figure is most likely a necessary part of your Bioshock collection amongst your other Big Daddy and Little Sister figures.

Score:

Dead Space: Isaac Tonal Tee - Black (T-Shirt) Review

2010-06-17T23:31:00.003-04:00

If you signed up on Facebook and "friended" Dead Space, then you'd know that the Visceral Games Store is up and running. Earlier on, they gave a preview of apparel that were going to be sold via their online store. Unfortunately, I was late to the party (so to speak) and missed out on the "crowd favorite" Vintage Comic Tee. Stung with bitter disappointment, I reluctantly purchased this t-shirt.

The Good:

This shirt was both packaged and shipped nicely from Treehouse Brand Stores, LLC. The t-shirt was neatly folded and actually packaged in a separate plastic baggie. There was no big [wasteful] cardboard box, but a thin but sturdy plastic wrap. Now, that's great customer service!

Isaac Clarke's [three-slit] visor is made with "glow in the dark" ink.

The entire front of this t-shirt is a picture of Isaac Clarke from the amazing Dead Space video game. This image is the same as the one used on the cover of the "limited edition" The Art of Dead Space: Designing a Nightmare art book, which was given out as a bonus at the time of the game's release.

T-shirt makers, take note: no tag t-shirts are the best. Don't you always get annoyed by the "bump" on the back of your neck from the tag?

Although the t-shirt itself is thin (enough to wear on a hot sunny day), the feel and quality of the shirt is pretty good.

The Bad:

Isaac Clarke's [three-slit] visor is made with "glow in the dark" ink. Although the concept is cool enough, aren't we pass the time and age where anything "glow in the dark" is used? Just something about that "feature" that sounds really childish.

The back of the shirt has "Visceral Games" near the top middle area (right under the back of your neck). I think it would've been better if it just said "Dead Space" instead, just like on the cover the video game.

At first, I wasn't a big fan of the overall design; it seemed to "showy." I would've preferred to see a smaller front print of Isaac at either the bottom left or right. And on the back, have a Necromorph on the opposite bottom left or right lurking around to "ambush" Isaac.

The Ugly:

If anything is ugly, it's the price of these shirts. Luckily, this shirt isn't as ridiculously expensive as the Vintage Comic Tee (but it's still on the "pricey" side). With the money being spent on this, you'd expect it to do more.

Additional Notes:

This shirt comes in all sizes: small, medium, large, extra large, and extra extra large (just like pizza).

I looked everywhere on eBay before going through with my purchase in Visceral Games [online] Store. I really didn't want to pay $24.00 (which doesn't include shipping and handling charges) for a shirt. Can you blame me for that? I had some reservations about the design of the shirt before (for instance, I wasn't convinced that the oversized front print of Isaac was a good idea; I figured it would've been better if the size of the print were a bit smaller and placed near the bottom left or right). However, once I received this in the mail and got to view this shirt up close and personal, I was immediately won over. I paid a total of $30.00 (which includes the shipping and handling fee of $6.00 for "domestic standard" which takes 3-5 days for delivery).

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR THE VISCERAL GAMES STORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING [OR NOT] SOLELY BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

For a t-shirt, this is definitely on the pricey side. However, if you're a big fan of Dead Space and want to show the world (without embarrassing yourself with your little or big action figure collection), then I'd recommend getting this shirt. If you want to spend a little more cash for a shirt, I'd most definitely recommend on getting the Vintage Comic Tee instead (here's the link for the same-styled shirt for women).

Score (out of five):

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (T-Shirt) Review

2010-06-10T23:43:00.003-04:00

**Note: Although this is a[n] toy/action figure review site, lately, I've been more and more interested in t-shirts as well. Whatever t-shirt that may tickle my fancy, I'll post a review here as well. I hope you enjoy it. As always, feel free to e-mail me or leave comments on this site. Thanks.**

This is one of the few amazing things that happened at last year's San Diego Comic Con. Like many others, I was unaware of this until the SDCC event started. Although I love collecting action figures, this t-shirt was (and still is) a MUST-HAVE for two reasons: (1) I'm running out of shirts to wear and (2) The novelty of having a "zombie" face to wear and freak out your friends and neighbors never gets old!

The Good:

A definite amazing surprise for Comic Con attendees who waited on line to be one of the first to try out the [then] unreleased Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles [Wii] video game.

It was finally available via Capcom's [U.S.] store front for purchase after several agonizing months of longing for said t-shirt.

A nice "minimalist-approach" design on the front and backside of the shirt. The front reads: "Let Your Darkside Out" with several flesh-eating zombies lumbering for fresh human meat in the background.

On the back, near the top middle area reads: "Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles" (in the same font as on the front cover of the Wii video game).

The best part of this shirt is what lies beneath the front-side of the shirt: the decayed zombie face! (An extremely ugly face that only a zombie mother could love.)

The Bad:

The Capcom Store is selling these t-shirts for $24.95 each! These aren't exactly "designer" t-shirts now, are they? But $24.95? Really?

The Ugly:

Ha! In my case, the shirt arrived in an over-sized [cardboard] box, not wrapped in any sort of protective plastic layer or such. Whoever packed my shirt just tossed it in the box and then added the [usual] crinkly brown paper on top of the shirt with the packing slip and taped it shut. You can imagine my surprise when I opened up the package to see that my shirt was already dirty. Bits and pieces of cardboard was smothered all over the shirt. All I can say is that it was a real pain in the ass to remove. To make a long story short, I sent a complaint e-mail offering to return the shirt. The customer support team at Digital River (not the best service out there) apologized and told me I could keep the shirt for free.

Additional Notes:

This shirt was given out for FREE at the San Diego Comic Con 2009 for those lucky attendees.

The same t-shirt (separately packaged in a polybag) was also given out FREE as a "pre-order bonus" if you pre-ordered a copy of Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Wii video game from Gamestop.

I initially purchased my first t-shirt off of eBay (before Capcom decided that it was a good idea to cash in on these shirts) at an inflated price of $50.00 ($5.00 for shipping and handling). Why did I end up buying another (this time from the Capcom Store)? To make a long story short, my cousin loved it (unfortunately this shirt isn't sold overseas where he lives), so I gave it to him. I paid a total of $34.45 (shipping and handling charge of $9.50) purchasing it from the Capcom [::cough:: rip-off ::cough::] Store.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR THE CAPCOM STORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING [OR NOT] SOLELY BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

If my review hasn't deterred you from purchasing this item, you're in luck because the Capcom Store still have them in stock... at the same price! These shirts come in all sizes: small, medium, large, extra-large, and extra-extra large. Overall, I love the novelty of this shirt (referring to the "hidden" zombie face underneath the front-side of the shirt). Also, it's another way of showing off your love for the Resident Evil series.

Score (out of five):

Star Wars: The Vintage Collection 2010: Dengar Figure Review

2010-06-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

Late January 2010, Hasbro released news of their upcoming Star Wars: Vintage Collection. Frankly, I wasn't interested in any of the vintage-style figures mainly because Hasbro is known to re-release the same figures over and over (just look at their upcoming "new" re-release of their 2010 "Saga Legends" line). However, once I heard about a thoroughly newly-sculpted Dengar figure, I couldn't resist (damn you, Hasbro!).

The Good:

Dengar has 14 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel wrists, ball-jointed waist, swivel hips, swivel/hinge knees, and swivel/hinge ankles.

Dengar comes with only 4 accessories: 1x blaster pistol, 1x BlasTech DLT-19, 1x backpack, and 1x (removable) crotch armor w/ belt attached.

Although I really don't recognize Dengar's face, the level of detail is just amazing. His face is noticeably scarred while his stern, eye-piercing gaze shows what an angry bad-ass he is.

I definitely don't recall ever seeing Dengar's "backpack" or gear but the level of detail is just amazing. Nothing about the sculpt is out of place here.

There are a few paint [mis]applications but nothing too major that it detracts any value from the overall figure.

I was glad to see Hasbro finally sculpt a fully functional holster that can hold the entire blaster pistol snugly without it ever falling out.

Although both of Dengar's pre-posed [gripped] hands look tight, they surprisingly can hold all of his weapons quite nicely.

The Bad:

It's not too much of a big deal, but I don't know why Dengar's "crotch armor" is a separate piece from the rest of his body. Maybe the Hasbro factories in China forgot to glue it on? We won't know until this figure is released later on in the U.S.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing either, but if you examine Dengar's left foot, you can see that his left sole isn't flat. Hasbro's sculptors probably did this in order to keep Dengar's balance and prevent him from tipping over.

The Ugly:

Nothing ugly about the figure here.

I'm not too thrilled with Hasbro's attempt to cash in on SW fans' nostalgia by offering a "mail-in" vintage-style "rocket/missile firing" Boba Fett figure. I'd rather have another updated figure instead.

Additional Notes:

Interestingly, the BlasTech DLT-19 accessory is not the same weapon Dengar is seen holding aboard the Executor (in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back). This particular gun is used by a fellow bounty hunter 4-LOM.

This figure won't be available until later this summer or early fall.

I purchased this figure from eBay at a reasonable price of $11.99 (this included the Vintage Collection 2010: 4-LOM figure). If you don't want to pay full-price for a packaged figure, just purchase them online via any one of those eBay sellers located in China. Most likely, these figures are legit, because that's where all the Star Wars figures are produced. Just becareful when you go shopping for these goods, because sometimes these sellers charge a bit more than buying them locally. However, if you don't have the patience, then by all means, go ahead. If you do want to purchase these locally, then your best bet would be to go to your local Toysrus or Walmart. While online retailers (like BigBadToyStore) aren't so bad, they tend to place premium prices on figures they think will sell fast.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, TOYSRUS, WALMART, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES [OR NOT] BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Generally speaking, the price of figures have gone way up. Last I heard, the 2010 "vintage-styled" Star Wars figures will have a price tag of $7.99 which is quite expensive for something scaled so small. However, judging from the level of detail work done on this particular figure, the $7.99 doesn't seem too unreasonable. However, unlike the previously released "vintage-styled" figures, the upcoming ones will no longer come sealed in clamshell packaging. It's not too much of a big deal, but for collectors who want everything in mint condition, they will have to be extra careful when purchasing these figures. I had promised myself not to purchase anymore Star Wars figures, but with these babies out, this may be one promise I will have to compromise on.

Score (out of five):

Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom Figure Review

2010-06-07T23:43:00.002-04:00

Images of The Temple of Doom action figure line were released during the San Diego Comic Con 2008, which created quite a stir in the action figure community. Without a doubt, everyone wanted two or more of each. Unfortunately, I missed out on these when they were finally released months after Comic Con (I blame work and my forgetfulness; both an equally lethal combination, especially when it comes to collecting). It took about several months before I (gave in) and paid an inflated price for the entire Wave 4 (Temple of Doom) line. All I can say is that it's a real shame that it took three waves of the Indiana Jones action figure line for the level of sculpt to reach new and amazing heights.

Flavor Text:

"Fleeing the Temple of Doom with an army of Thuggee hot on his heels, Indy is suddenly cornered on the treacherous edge of a ravine. As the trained, red-turbaned fighters advance on him, he reaches for his pistol, only to find it has disappeared during his frantic flight. All he has left to use against Mola Ram's fanatic army is the sword in his hand. He backs out onto the ancient rope bridge over the ravine, preparing for the fight of his life."

The Good:

Indy has 13 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel [left ]wrist, swivel waist, swivel hips, swivel/hinge knees, and swivel/hinge ankles.

Indy comes with only 4 accessories: 1x coiled bullwhip, 1x sword, 1x satchel; and 1x "hidden" [Easter Island statue] relic (and sticker of said relic).

I thought the facial sculpt of the Indiana Jones (King of the Crystal Skull) figure was amazing, but this Indiana (Temple of Doom) figure is just spectacular. I'm not sure if it was intentional but Indy's face expresses some concern about something, instead of the typical "neutral" face.

It's really nice to see that Indy's joints are surprisingly tight, despite all the bending and twisting I've put him through for action poses.

I just can't stop adoring the sculpt on this figure. Everything about is just amazing! The tattered "open" shirt reveals Harrison Ford's slight muscular build. His right arm is also sculpted to show his muscular arm (it even has a vein sculpt!).

The sculpted-on lashes (found on his back) that Indy has endured during his time in the Temple of Doom is a really nice touch (definite plus for paying attention to this type of detail).

What was an especially nice surprise is that Indy's satchel can be opened to reveal [two] Sankara Stones. The sculpted details (on the outside) of the slightly "bulging" satchel is also a nice touch.

Although there are a few spots where dried paint "chips" fall out (mainly because they're on the joints), overall, the paint application is well done.

What really impressed me was how and where the paint was applied: take for instance, the tattered edges of Indy's shirt. Upon closer examination, one can see the paint application is expertly applied to give off the impression that that part of Indy's shirt is drenched in sweat.

The Bad:

The major drawback is that Indy can't hold onto his sword accessory. The sword handle should've been a bit thicker to accommodate Indy's slightly large pre-posed "open-grip" right-hand.

On the inside of Indy's right-hand, you'll notice that the bandage has mysteriously "disappeared." It's possible that Indy could've had a better grip on the sword were the sculpted-on bandage continue to wrap around his hand.

Indy's sword accessory a bit on the thin side (both the blade and handle). However, it's plagued with another problem: the blade's tendency to curve to one side.

In terms of movie-accuracy, I'm pretty sure Indy had more than two Sankara Stones in his satchel before his final fight with Mola Ram. During his fight with Mola over the ravine, most of the Sankara Stones fell out. This leaves me wondering why Hasbro sculptors decided on having two Sankara Stones in Indy's satchel.

The Ugly:

At a brief glance, one can already tell the level and quality of the sculpting on this figure is far superior than its predecessors. I wonder why it took so long for Hasbro to come out with these sculpted figures of this particular caliber? There are just too many questions regarding how Hasbro handled the quality and distribution of the Indiana Jones action figure line.

If there's anything ugly, it's the packaging: (1) The design looks as if to appeal to a much younger age group (and probably is, otherwise there would be no guarantee this line would make that much money to justify continuing production of Indiana Jones figures) and (2) The amount of effort to remove the figure is a bit excessive. Do you know how many pieces of tape and plastic I had to get through just to get the figure out? That's far too many.

Although I can understand how some may view the inclusion of "hidden relics" as a neat idea, but it seems rather.... childish. I wish Hasbro would stop including such things and instead use those materials to further improve their figures rather than worry about including something "extra" (aka unnecessary).

Additional Notes:

Just a few gripes: (1) I really wish Indy came with an alternative "hat-less" head; and (2) It would've been really nice to include at least one removable Sankara Stone that could be placed within Indy's satchel.

Unfortunately, this line has been long DEAD. To make things harder, this particular (TOD) line was VERY popular and HIGH in demand due to both the small supply and amazingly sculpted details of these figures. You will have a far harder time tracking these figures down and getting them at any reasonable price.

This figure was purchased as a "Temple of Doom" set online via eBay at an inflated price of $86.89 (includes S&H charges). From what I've just seen, your best bet is to shop for it on eBay. However, if you'd rather get is from somewhere within the U.S., I reluctantly recommend Brians Toys because they always sell their action figures at highly inflated prices even when the figures are available at other retail stores. Because this figure was released sometime in 2008, they're no longer available at BigBadToyStore or at Entertainment Earth.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, BRIANS TOYS, BIGBADTOYSTORE, or ENTERTAINMENT EARTH. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES [OR NOT] BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

After careful browsing of the Internet and other toy sites, I settled on purchasing this particular Indiana Jones figure as well as others. Despite the negatives I've listed above, overall, I think this figure is well-balanced and [fairly] indicative of what to expect from the rest of the Indiana Jones action figure line.

Score (out of five):

Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Figure Review

2010-05-23T14:55:00.001-04:00

Back sometime during the winter of 2007 and early 2008, there was news of Indiana Jones action figures being released later that year (2008). Like most (okay, ALL) collectors, I was extremely thrilled with such welcoming news. However, I was worried that these figures would be made in such a way to appeal more to the younger crowd. As early pictures surfaced of these figures, the more excited I became. I had to have these figures, yesterday! However, I was a bit cautious with purchasing some of the Indiana Jones figures, because it seemed the prototypes were much better than the actual [released] product.

Flavor Text:

"In his quest to uncover the secrets of the crystal skull, Indiana Jones races against the evil Irina Spalko. With the help of the young and rebellious Mutt Williams, Indy destroys much of the Russian forces and takes the rest on a deadly chase through the Peruvian jungle, leading to a final confrontation at the lost temple of Akator."

The Good:

Indy has 14 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel wrists, swivel waist, swivel hips, swivel/hinge knees, and swivel/hinge ankles.

Indy comes with a total of 7 accessories: 2x left hands (1x pre-posed to hold his pistol and 1x grasping the titular crystal skull); 1x Indy's well-known fedora; 1x equally famous [uncoiled] bullwhip; 1x revolver; 1x satchel; and 1x "hidden" [Eye of the Peacock] relic (and sticker of said relic).

The facial sculpt of Indiana Jones (a la Harrison Ford) are amazingly dead-on accurate.

It's really nice to see that Indy's joints are surprisingly tight, despite all the bending and twisting I've put him through for action poses.

The (2x) interchangeable [left] hands are easily swappable and fit in their respective hold tightly. On a side note, Indy's revolver fits perfectly into his partially "open-grip" pre-posed hand as well.

The Bad:

This Indy figure suffers the same symptoms as some of Hasbro's Star Wars action figure line of not being able to hold onto his weapon (I refer to his uncoiled bullwhip). It looks as if Indy can hold onto his whip while he's inside the packaging. However, once he's removed, Indiana can no longer grab ahold of it. For shame, really.

Indy's fedora looks a bit too big for his small head. It would've been nice to see an alternate head with the hat sculpted on included with this figure. However, after placing the hat onto his head, it looks almost as if the fedora is sized appropriately. Since the Indy's fedora is sculpted to fit his head tightly, be aware that his hair [paint application] will come off eventually and smear on the insides of his beloved "adventuring" hat.

Overall, the paint application is pretty consistent with Indy. Unfortunately, this consistency is moderately interrupted by the sloppy paint application on poor aging Indy's "head and facial" area. The gray-colored paint has over-reached and invades the right-side if Indy's head. A mis-application on the left-side of his face is also visible. His left ear is covered in gray paint. Also, the brown paint (supposed to be Indy's beard) is missing on the bottom left-side of his face. From a distance, Indy's eyes seem to be painted alright. Upon closer inspection, you can clearly see his right eye is painted in such a way that it looks poor old Harrison Ford has a lazy eye.

This is more of a gripe than something I consider "bad" about this figure: if you look at Indy's holster, you'll notice that it's sculpted (amazingly well-done, by the way) to show his revolver is holstered. It would've been far better to have a functional holster to hold his (really small thus very easy to lose) revolver.

The Ugly:

If there's anything ugly, it's the packaging: (1) The design looks as if to appeal to a much younger age group (and probably is, otherwise there would be no guarantee this line would make that much money to justify continuing production of Indiana Jones figures) and (2) The amount of effort to remove the figure is a bit excessive. Do you know how many pieces of tape and plastic I had to get through just to get the figure out? That's far too many.

Although I can understand how some may view the inclusion of "hidden relics" as a neat idea, but it seems rather.... childish. I wish Hasbro would stop including such things and instead use those materials to further improve their figures rather than worry about including something "extra" (aka unnecessary).

Additional Notes:

If you haven't noticed/heard already, this line is (unfortunately) DEAD. Hey, at least you can find some real bargins purchasing these figures!

I most likely purchased this figure from online retailer HasbroToyShop, however, I'm not so sure which one because it's been so long. You could probably find some really good bargins at BigBadToyStore or even ~~Toysrus~~. I'm not even going to recommend Entertainment Earth because I just noticed that they have this figure on sale for $11.99 (just read the title "Indiana Jones with Crystal Skull Action Figure, Not Mint" and right next to the price "Great Deal"). I see they still rip off their loyal customers. Nice. If you still have trouble finding this figure or others from online retailers, I suggest checking out eBay, but good luck.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT BIGBADTOYSTORE, ENTERTAINMENT EARTH, OR eBAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES [OR NOT] BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

K-On!: Yui Hirasawa Figma Review

2010-05-08T13:53:00.002-04:00

I've never heard of K-On! until I saw this Figma up for pre-order on various online Japanese toy specialty stores. Unfortunately for me, all the pre-orders were sold out in record time (the minute they were up, everything was sold out). I saw clearer pictures and read the description of the figure on the Max Factory "Figma" blog and was blown away by the cuteness of the character. I scoured all of eBay and finally settled on one of those sellers from Hong Kong (who also had a very high sell rating) at a somewhat reasonable price. I eventually found and watched all thirteen episodes of K-On! which told me that I was going to be poor once again.

The Good:

Yui has approximately 14 points of articulation: swivel/hinged neck, ball-jointed shoulders, quasi-swivel/hinged elbows, swivel/hinged wrists, [hidden] ball-jointed waist, swivel/hinged hips, quasi-swivel/hinged knees, and swivel/hinged/"rocking" ankles.

Yui comes loaded with accessories as expected from Max Factory's Figma line: 3x faces (one "determined" looking face; one "cute/smiling" face; and one "blank" face), 1x Gibson Les Paul standard electric guitar accessory (which Yui nicknames "Giita"), 2x [front] hairpieces, 1x guitar case, 4x right-hands, 4x left-hands, 2x pairs of shoes, 3x "straps" (for the guitar and guitar case), 1x "Figma" stand, 1x sheet of various "facial expressions" water decals (for use with the "blank" face accessory), 1x cardboard cut-out of a stage, and 1x "Figma" plastic pouch (to hold Yui and her accessories).

The facial expressions of Yui's face are dead-on accurate. Just glancing at the figure helps me relive Yui's moments in specific parts of the "K-On!" anime.

Yui's Gibson Les Paul standard electric guitar accessory is surprisingly detailed to a point (unfortunately you won't find this guitar stringed up).

The Bad:

Apparently, Max Factory decided that having the consumer do some of the work was a good idea (I fart in their general direction). I refer to the "straps" which I had to [painfully] attach to both the guitar and the guitar case. Why did I pay these guys in the first place?

The instructions on how to use and apply the facial expression "decals" onto the "blank" face are in Japanese. Once again, Max Factory leaves it to the consumer to figure that one out. Gee, thanks.

Yui's head has a tendency to fall off at the neck [joint] (especially if you swivel her head around). It's irritating to say the least, but at least you can always "pop" it back on.

Slight paint mis-applications, but nothing too major.

The Ugly:

If there's anything ugly, it's the price. And yes, I'm aware that import toys are usually more expensive. That, and the limited availability of these K-On! figmas for purchase.

Additional Notes:

There are a lot of bootleg (fake) figmas floating around on eBay. However, I've noticed that legitimate figmas often have a holographic sticker somewhere on the packaging itself (for instance, the holographic sticker is placed on the front of the packaging).

I may be wrong about this, but also look for the "figma" logo and number on the "inside" flap when opening the package (it should be on the right-side). There should also be a picture accompanied by an explanation showing how to remove the hairpiece and face accessory.

I purchased this Yui figma from a Hong Kong seller on eBay for $53.44 (includes S&H) while "K-On!" was in its "popular" phase. You should be able to find better prices by now on eBay. As I've mentioned before, there are a lot of bootleg versions out there. Examine the price before bidding on anything; if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Also, ask the seller whether or not this is a bootleg. If it turns out it is, you have proof that you've been deceived and most likely will receive a full refund. If you want to avoid the hassles of determining whether the figma you're purchasing is a bootleg, I'd recommend purchasing them from other fine retailers.

I've had several figmas before so it's no surprise how well-sculpted their figures are. I just hope we get to see a few figmas from other animes that I've been dying to get (for example: "Ah! My Goddess"). The folks at Max Factory have done an amazing job with this figure. For a "K-On!" fan, this is clearly a MUST-HAVE. For others, check out the anime (it's not for everyone) first. Or if you like cute-looking figures, Yui is the one to get.

Score (out of five):

Dante's Inferno: Dante Alighieri Figure Review

2010-02-14T00:31:00.000-05:00

When I first heard "Dante's Inferno" was going to be made into a video-game based upon something that I barely recall reading sometime in either high-school or college, I was highly skeptical. Once those teaser trailers and movie clips of the game-play and story came out, I was partially won over (damn you Visceral!). I've viewed upcoming video game releases with a "wait-and-see" approach to save myself loads of money. However, when I heard that NECA would be releasing a "pre-order bonus/exclusive" of a Dante action figure (that would never be sold in the U.S.) with the game, I willingly opened my wallet...

Flavor Text*:

"Dante returns home from the wars to find that his beloved Beatrice has been murdered, and her soul pulled down into Hell by a dark force. He gives chase, and vows to get her back. he wields Death's soul-reaping scythe, and commands holy powers of the cross, given to him by Beatrice."

The Good:

Dante is loaded with articulation (17 points of articulation to be exact): ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, ball-hinged elbows, ball-hinged wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel hips, ball-jointed thighs, swivel upper thighs, ball-hinged knees, and ball-hinged ankles.

Dante also comes with several accessories: 1x additional (tighter-grip) right-hand, 1x holy cross, 1x detachable scythe, and 1x "spine" of scythe.

You can tell how much love and labor went into this figure. The details of Dante's armor, bloody stitch-work, and even the inclusion of the "shredded" cloth (sculpt) wrapped all over his arms and wrists (actual cloth material) make this an exceptionally video-game accurate figure.

The "holster" which houses the holy cross accessory is attached to Dante's right hip, and it actually works pretty well. It takes a little bit of patience to pull the straps out. But once you get it out, it's very easy to insert and remove the cross accessory.

I'm glad that NECA removed their licensing information from the soles of Dante's feet and instead placed them on the "inside" of his torn "skirt". You can see the continuation of the leather straps wrapped over the chain mail around his feet without any interruption.

I really like the inclusion of Dante's "holster" on his naked back which can hold his deadly scythe without trouble (you'll need to remove the top portion that has the blade from the "stem" portion in order to fit the entire scythe in the "holster").

While the material used for the top bladed portion of Dante's scythe feels like cheap plastic, the design mechanic (being able to move the blade itself) is pretty impressive. I had a slightly hard time moving the blade so it would stick out a little further, but it works.

The Bad:

The "ab-crunch" joint doesn't really work. If I try to have him bend forward, the ab-crunch literally springs him back to his upright standing position. And the "ab-crunch" joint is designed in such a way that Dante can't even bend backwards. Can someone remind me why Dante even has an "ab-crunch" joint? EDIT: I finally got the "ab-crunch" joint to partially work, and it stays in place. However, I'm still disappointed that it only moves a tiny bit.

Although the paint application is MUCH improved from all of NECA's previous figures, there are paint splatters (and dots) here and there. But the ever-so-slightly annoying part are the joints. For example, if you look at Dante's elbow, you'll notice that the front part of the joint is applied with flesh-colored paint. However, if you look in the back, the joint is colored bright orange. Whoops!

If you examine Dante's "armpits" (where the joints are), you'll notice under the left arm that flesh-color paint has been applied with a little red smeared on it (most likely from Dante's bloody stitching job). However, something horrifying awaits you under Dante's right arm. Apparently, Dante forgot to shave under his right armpit, because the black or brown smears all over the joint look kind of "hairy".

Due to the shape of the scythe's handle (the "spine" portion), I had a hard time placing it (aka shoving it) into Dante's pre-posed grip. I really don't like shoving accessories into a figure's hand(s) because it may warp the grip over time, making the pre-posed grip pretty much useless.

While Dante's left knee joint is given slightly more leeway, his right knee joint lacks that mobility. You can do better than that, NECA.

The Ugly:

There's absolutely nothing ugly here, folks.

Additional Notes:

This figure is a "pre-order exclusive" which you can receive by ordering through Blockbuster and Gamestop (this is the only way to get this limited item for those of you living in the U.S.). Rather than coming packaged in your typical clamshell, Dante comes poly-bagged. But don't worry, the accessories will more than likely arrive unmolested due to an additional piece of plastic molded to fit the "detachable" scythe and additional right-hand accessories.

Although I don't have a problem with Dante's facial sculpt, it would've been nice if he were given an "angry/battle-cry" face. When you think about it, the calm but slightly grim face looks a bit ridiculous when he's about to brutalize some demons in the heat of battle.

I would've loved to seen an alternative Dante figure sculpted in his "Crusades" uniform and armor prior to his descent into Hell.

The "spine" portion of the scythe is actually made of bendable material.

As I mentioned earlier, this only came as a "pre-order exclusive" from either Blockbuster or Gamestop, so there isn't a price for this figure. If I had to guess, I would say this type of figure would go around for at least $19.99 or so. If you live in the United States, the only version of Dante you'll get is the poly-bagged one. The ones in clamshell packaging* can be found overseas.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT BLOCKBUSTER OR GAMESTOP. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

I've got to hand it to NECA. They've really done an amazing job with this figure. The level of detail, the character-appropriate accessories, and fairly large amount of articulation make this figure a MUST-HAVE. As expected, there are relatively few minor paint applications, but nothing too serious enough to detract the overall value of the figure. These babies are being sold on eBay like hotcakes. Better get yours before they're all sold out!

Score (out of five):

Masters of the Universe Classics: Skeletor: Evil Lord of Destruction Figure Review

2010-02-07T20:43:00.000-05:00

Being a late comer to the "Masters of the Universe Classics" line, I had the misfortune of missing out on Skeletor when he was first released earlier last year. When I heard that Mattel was going to re-release an "improved-version" of Skeletor as a "bonus" figure, I was given a second chance. I used to own the old-school Skeletor, but had the bad luck of losing him (twice)! I lost one while playing with him with the car window down (for some reason), and suddenly (due to a bump or my own clumsiness) dropped Skeletor on the road. Man, that was really heartbreaking.

Although I missed out on He-Man, at least I would be able to finally get my hands on one of my most beloved villains. When it was noon, I wasted no time and ordered myself Skeletor. Surprisingly, my order went through very smoothly. Even more surprising, Skeletor was still available a couple of days after his re-release. He was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on January 27, 2010.

Flavor Text:

"Skeletor, Evil Lord of Destruction

Real Name: Keldor

Mortally wounded in a battle with his half-brother, Captain Randor, Keldor turned to his dark-arts master Hordak to save his life. Merging Keldor with the extra-dimensional being Demo-Man from Despondos, Keldor was forever changed into Skeletor, Overlord of Evil! He gathered together many of Eternia's greatest outcasts and evil warriors in his quest to gain entry into Castle Grayskull and to obtain what he believes is the universe's ultimate power source."

The Good:

Skeletor has 20 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel "boots", hinged ankles, and hinged "side" (left) ankle.

He comes with four accessories: removable chest armor, sword, half-sword, and Havoc Staff.

This is yet another definite "nostalgia-inducing" figure from the MOTUC line (yeah, I'm aware it's called "Masters of the Universe Classics" for a reason). The Four Horsemen have "modernized" Skeletor: his body is proportional (no more "neanderthal-looking" Skeletor!); his "loin-cloth" is wider and less "pointer-looking"; Skeletor no longer wears boots by showing off his beautiful three-toed clawed feet; and his armor is no longer plain purple, instead it has different shades of purple in certain spots.

Although I'm quite pleased that the Four Horsemen retained most of Skeletor's old-school appearance, I'm especially glad that Skeletor retains his "hyper-masculine" appearance (the impossibly bulging musculature).

You can see how much thought and detail went into sculpting Skeletor's face: the space between Skeletor's ghoulish face and his hood gives off the illusion that all there really is under that hood is a skull.

As advertised, Skeletor has a tight grip on both his right and left hand, which can hold the sword and staff in each hand.

Skeletor's Havoc Staff is extremely well-sculpted (the skull of the ram creature), and the staff itself is made of slightly thick, sturdy plastic.

The Bad:

The paint application on Skeletor has gone completely awry: purple-colored dots scattered all over Skeletor's body; a white dot on Skeletor's back (right above the ab-crunch joint); a visible streak of red paint on his face; "dirt" marks all over Skeletor's arms and legs; and "scuff" marks on Skeletor's sword.

Streaks of left-over dried glue can be seen on Skeletor's elbow joints and on one-side of his sword.

Due to the horrible weapon-packing design, Skeletor's "half-power" sword arrived curved inward.

I'm starting to notice a pattern here of weak ankle joints in the MOTUC line. Skeletor has a really loose right ankle joint which on occasion decides to give-in, sabotaging Skeletor's pose.

The Ugly:

You can see the letter "R" and "L" on Skeletor's respective hinged knee-joint area.

Additional Notes:

Skeletor came packaged with a small plastic "rubber-band" wrapped around the ball-jointed neck for some reason. I had to remove his head in order to get rid of the plastic.

This re-release (the second) of Skeletor has several running changes: his biography mentions "Demo-Man from Despondos"; there are slight changes in paint application for Skeletor's face; and his hands are sculpted to have a "tighter" grip on his weapons.

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for approximately $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax). Due to the popularity of this "bonus" figure, it is no longer available for purchase on MattyCollector's website. Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will (once again) price-gouge you, because they can. Don't go shopping for this on Amazon; the last time I checked, these unscrupulous sellers were pricing him at the $55.00 and up range.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, BIGBADTOYSTORE, OR AMAZON. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.

I feel bad for those on the MOTUC subscription (I believe the costs run over $100.00) because it seems Mattel has a habit of re-releasing their "limited run" supply of figures. At the same time, I'm grateful because it allows collectors like me to get in on the MOTUC action. Despite the paint application flaws, curved "half-sword" and weak ankle joint, I really love this figure. Blame it on nostalgia and my love of skeletons. This figure is one classic that you shouldn't pass on.

Score: (out of five)

Bioshock 2: Big Sister & Little Sister Figure(s) Review

2010-01-30T17:50:00.006-05:00

Although I don't own many video games, I've got to say that Bioshock is one of those first-person shooters that have a really catchy storyline (Halo and Half-Life included). It's one of those games that I can't stop playing over and over again. With the upcoming release of the sequel to the original Bioshock, I proudly present a review of NECA's "Big Sister & Little Sister" action figures.

Flavor Text:

"Big Sisters are Rapture's fiercest predators. Despite being covered in armor they possess deadly agility and can strike from anywhere. Charged with protecting Little Sisters, Big Sisters keep an eye on all of the ADAM in Rapture and punish anyone that disrupts the balance. Able to throw objects telekinetically, leap off walls for powerful melee blows, throw fireballs, execute devastating charge attacks and even extract ADAM directly from living Splicers, Big Sisters are the worst nightmare of anyone unlucky enough to draw their ire.

Little Sisters are young girls who have had ADAM producing slugs implanted into their bodies, enabling them to drink the blood of dead Splicers and extract usable ADAM from it. This makes them incredibly valuable in Rapture, where Splicers crave ADAM enough to kill for it. Because of this they are accompanied at all times by Big Daddies, hulking protectors in diving suits who will defend Little Sisters to the death. Little Sisters are driven mad by their constant exposure to substance ADAM but are not beyond redemption, in the right hands they can find salvation and be turned back into the innocent little girls they once were."

The Good:

The Big Sister (BS) has an impressive 16 POINTS OF ARTICULATION: swivel head, ball-hinged shoulders, ball-hinged elbows, quasi ball-hinged wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel legs, ball-jointed thighs, hinged knees, and ball-jointed ankles.

We finally get a Little Sister (LS)! She has an amazing 10 POINTS OF ARTICULATION: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, hinged elbows, ab-crunch joint, swivel legs, and hinged knees.

Accessory-wise, the Big Sister comes with a removable canister with "Little Sister cage". The Little Sister comes with her trademark "ADAM harvesting tool".

The package design by NECA is similar to the previously released Big Daddy "Sneak Preview" figure but with slight differences. The "Bioshock 2" logo is displayed prominently on the front, off-center. There's also a silver-colored sticker labeled "Toysrus Exclusive" near the upper right corner. The backdrop of the figures portray a watery background, most likely the seas of Rapture. The right-side of the package grandly displays the "deep sea diving" Big Sister's face and the eerily-cute Little Sister's face as well. Although the size of the clamshell packaging is wider than usual (to accommodate both figures), it's surprisingly a lot thinner and compact.

If you look carefully examine the BS's canister, you'll notice several different pictures: several different types of fish and one BS holding the hands of two LS.

NECA is well-known for their great attention to detail, and their sculpt of the BS is no exception. The minute details on the "diver suit" areas of BS are just phenomenal. The leather straps with the metal belt buckles wrapped all around BS's slender feminine body and her legs are also sculpted with an overload of details. Her right arm sports a "harpoon"-type weapon whereas her left arm has an over-sized "ADAM" harvesting tool.

This time around, I had a far easier time inserting the BS's slender canister into her back. Due to the large "Little Sister cage" with the ribbons decorated all around it, I worried that it would snap in two. Just becareful when you shove in the canister. You've been warned.

The paint application is a lot better than NECA's usual fare. I only noticed a few out of place: the red holes bleeding out onto the BS's diving suit mask, and a splotch of conspicuous white paint on her right backside (right next to the canister indentation).

The Bad:

It really is unfortunate that NECA decided to go with the "swivel head" articulation. It would've been better if they went with the "ball-jointed neck" route. This would've given the BS a lot more potential poses.

Although the BS has an ab-crunch joint (which most definitely enhances the overall figure), I wish NECA also included a "swivel waist" joint. It just makes sense, at least to me to include the most basic articulation.

The lack of depth in the BS's "eye-hole" bothers me quite a bit. The applied red paint further cheapens the overall look of an otherwise excellent figure. If NECA's sculptors hollowed out (scooped out) the "eye-hole" area a little bit and placed a translucent piece of red plastic (look at NECA's previously-released excellent Dead Space figure) inside, I think it would've made their BS even greater.

Probably because of the thinly sculpted arms, the BS couldn't bend them completely at a 90 degree angle. It's a little irritating for collectors like me, especially since I like to pose them a lot. However, I understand the issues NECA would've had to face.

There were more than a few problems regarding the LS. Paint application was a problem: even before I removed the figure from its packaging, I noticed a big white dot on the LS's right side of her head. If you examine both sides of her head, you'll notice the hair sculpt continues until it reaches the back of her ears. Unfortunately, the paint application stops a bit too early. There's also a little "creative" paint application near the LS's forehead on the left side. The LS's pre-posed hands have a really hard time holding onto her "ADAM harvesting tool". I don't understand how this could've happened.

It would've been nice if the LS was given "swivel wrists" and perhaps "hinged ankles" articulation.

There's a glaring inaccuracy regarding the paint application for the LS's "ADAM harvesting tool". For some reason the tube is colored brown, when it should be glowing pinkish-red.

The Ugly:

Nothing ugly here, folks.

Since these figures are a "Toysrus Exclusive," you will only find these at Toysrus for $19.99 (price doesn't include S&H and tax). Although their shipping took a day or two longer than was expected, it arrived without any other problems. The box it was shipped in is approximately the same size as the clamshell packaging, so there were no packing materials inside the box. The clamshell was intact (just a few minor scratches) and the figures weren't broken. I haven't seen these online elsewhere, so Toysrus is your best bet to snag one of these.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT TOYSRUS. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Although there are problems with these figures, NECA has continued to impress me with their Bioshock 2 line. The level of quality and care is apparent and will have the most appeal with adult collectors. I eagerly look forward to the rest of NECA's Bioshock 2 lineup.

Score:

NEWS: Star Wars - Vintage Collection

2010-01-28T22:41:00.005-05:00

I normally don't do this, but I was excited to find out that JediNews.co.uk have posted OFFICIAL images from the first wave of action figures in Hasbro's Star Wars: "Vintage Collection"! There were rumors and then news of this for some time, and finally the long wait is over (partially)! Apparently, these "vintage" figures will be packaged with the old "classic" Kenner cardback design. This "vintage" collection will include the prequel trilogy and the expanded universe. JediNews.co.uk has separate thumbnails which reveal the figure in closer detail. The first wave is based on "Star Wars: Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back" which include: Luke Skywalker (in Bespin gear), Princess Leia (in Hoth gear), Dengar (the badly scarred bounty hunter who is briefly seen on the Super Star Destroyer, who also has beef with Han Solo), and the AT-AT Commander General Veers!

I've got to say that the worst of the bunch by far is General Veers. The previously-released Veers figure is more accurately sculpted than the current not-yet-released one. How strange...

Masters of the Universe Classics: Battle Armor He-Man: Most Powerful Man in the Universe Figure Review

2010-01-26T23:47:00.002-05:00

After being impressed with Mattel's "Masters of the Universe Classics" (MOTUC) Teela, I figured it was time to purchase the main character. Now that I look back, I regret not purchasing the original He-Man figure Mattel had offered several months ago. He was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on January 15, 2010.

Flavor Text:

"Battle Armor He-Man, Most Powerful Man in the Universe

Real Name: Adam of the House of Randor

To adapt to new enemies and situations, Adam has learned to tap further into the great power which his sword unlocks. The combined Power of the Universe and the Knowledge of the Elders is used by Adam to imagine and create new forms of armor and weapons to combat evil. His BATTLE ARMOR was created to protect He-Man during his early battles with Skeletor and his evil warriors. Using the Power of Grayskull, He-Man - The Most Powerful Man in the Universe, is now shielded by his mighty BATTLE ARMOR!"

The Good:

Battle Armor (BA) He-Man has 21 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel boots, hinged ankles, and hinged "side" ankles (for lack of a better term).

He comes with a decent number of accessories (a total of 5) for a 6-inch figure: battle armor, armor breastplate, slightly-damaged armor breastplate, heavily-damaged armor breastplate, and battle-axe.

This is another one of THE definite "nostalgia-inducing" figures from this line (yeah, I know it's called "Masters of the Universe Classics" for a reason). I used to own the old-school BA He-Man with the "rolling" armor breastplate action feature. It would make a "clicking" noise each time you turned the breastplate. Thankfully, the Four Horsemen opted not to incorporate the same "action feature" but instead [brilliantly] settled with "snap-on" armor breastplates. I've got to say that the detailing on the three variations of He-Man's breastplates are superb! The "H" symbol on all three breastplates is consistent and well-designed. Even the "damage"detailing is just breathtaking!

As expected, BA He-Man's right hand is sculpted perfectly to fit the battle-axe accessory without any "looseness" in his grip.

You know how with most figures (including Teela) their detailing stops right at their feet? Well, the details on BA He-Man don't stop there, but instead continue on the soles of his feet. The straps wrapped around his boot continue around the soles of his feet. Little things like that boost the overall score of any figure in my book.

The Bad:

For some reason, He-Man's head sculpt reminds me of Ken from Street Fighter. It could be the hair and quite possibly the grim facial expression.

There are small but noticeable holes or "air bubbles" in He-Man's hair. There are also dashes of dried and smudged paint on both his left and front sides. The more I look at it, the more flaws I see on He-Man's hair. Way too many smudge marks, especially in the front.

This is nitpicking: while his battle armor is on, He-Man's head is limited to swiveling left and right; also due to the battle armor, He-Man's bulging arms can't be placed all the way down to his sides.

There are brown spots and smears on He-Man's: inner right thigh, inner left thigh, on the back of his left arm, strap closest to his elbow joint on his left arm.

I really wish Mattel didn't apply silver paint on He-Man's body (underneath the battle armor), but instead applied it with flesh-color paint. This would give collectors the added incentive to purchase "The Goddess" figure (basically a "green-colored" Teela) who comes with He-Man's regular armor.

Although BA (Battle Armor) He-Man comes with several accessories, it would've been nice to include his shield. Even the picture of BA He-Man on the back of the packaging has him carrying a shield in his left hand.

The paint job on the battle-axe could've been a lot better. Using plain gray-colored plastic cheapens the overall superior quality and overall sculpt of the figure.

He-Man's thumb on his left hand (on the inside) has been smudged and mangled.

The paint job on the left hand is weird: his hand is tan-colored from the wrist up to his knuckles. The color gets noticeably lighter from the knuckles all the way to the fingers. It sort of looks like He-Man's left hand got scrapped and lost some skin on something sharp, maybe from his battle axe?

The Ugly:

Unfortunately, BA He-Man has really loose ankles joints. If the knees are straightened, He-Man will fall flat on his face. At least the knee joints are solid.

Additional Notes:

There is one major mistake on the back of the packaging under He-Man's bio: "Real Name: Adam of the of House Randor".

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for a total of $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax). Due to the popularity of this "bonus" figure, it is no longer available for purchase on MattyCollector's website. Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will (once again) price-gouge you, because they can. Despite the somewhat high cost of individual figures like this, Teela is one figure that you can't miss.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.

Although I wasn't thoroughly impressed with BA He-Man at first, the more I look at him and (yes) play with him, he's becoming more and more one of my favorites from the "MOTUC" line. The Four Horsemen sure don't disappoint. With pretty decent sculpts and quite a number of accessories, $28.00 seems like a good deal.

Score: (out of five)

Biohazard 5: Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version) Hot Toys Figure Review

2010-01-18T22:55:00.003-05:00

Being extremely disappointed with NECA's attempt to recreate Sheva Alomar in figure form, I was excited to hear Hot Toys would be making their "1/6th scale fully poseable collectible figure" of Sheva. I'd seen the preliminary photos of their Sheva figure and was thoroughly impressed. Although Sheva's facial sculpt wasn't exactly "video game accurate", it looked far better than NECA's feeble attempt. Despite the high price for this line of collectibles, I figured "why not?" and plunged head-first into Hot Toys "Biohazard 5" line.

Flavor Text:

"Age: 23
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 115 lbs.
Sex: Female
Organization: BSAA Western Africa Division

Sheva Alomar is an agent with the BSAA West African Branch. Sheva's parents are killed in a factory accident. Later she joins an anti-government guerilla group, but is rescued by a government agency and sent to live in America. She joins the BSAA after graduating from a university. She is assigned to the current mission to assist Chris Redfield, who is unfamiliar with the area. A versatile fighter with extensive experience, her ability to use firearms is on par with Chris. Her highly conditioned body allows her to pull off physical attacks that Chris could never do."

The Good:

A better sculpted and fully poseable Sheva Alomar figure with loads of accessories has finally arrived!

Sheva has approximately 16 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, bendable arms, ball-jointed wrists, ball-jointed torso, ball-jointed hips, swivel upper thighs, hinged knees, and hinged ankles.

Due to Hot Toys's "rubber body" technology, those ugly [and sometimes bulky] joints no longer protrude, thereby softening the overall look of the figure. This allows Sheva to retain her overall feminine look without giving up articulation.

Tons of accessories: H&K PSG-1 rifle, M3 shotgun, Ithaca M37 shotgun, S&W M29 magnum, M92F handgun, knife, VZ61 machine-gun, AK-74 machine-gun, Red Hawk 30 pistol cartridge, Jackal parabellum sub-machine gun cartridge, flash grenade, 2x additional sets of right hands, 1x additional left hand, 2x sets of joints, necklace, radio headset, radio pouch, ammo clip pouch, 2x decorative strips, 1x backpack, 1x shoulder holster, and "Biohazard 5: Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version)" base and stand.

Like Albert Wesker's (Midnight Version), the Hot Toys packaging design is standard. The "Biohazard 5" (also known as Resident Evil 5 in the U.S.) logo is off-center with a well-known picture of Sheva holding the Ithaca M37 that overlaps onto the right-side of the packaging. Hot Toys incorporated the magnetic flap which can be easily opened and closed. Opening the flap reveals the beautiful display of the figure and its accessories. The right-side displays the entire figure, while the left side displays all of the weapon accessories in neat fashion. A scene of the marshlands (Chapter 3 in the Resident Evil 5 video game) serves as the backdrop for the weapon accessories display.

The sculpt of Sheva's hair, the separate sculpt of her earrings, her gloved hands are all equally impressive. Her fingernails are also painted without any stray marks. The belt buckles and leather straps all over her legs are intricately-detailed as well. The detailing on all the [weapon] accessories are top-notch and they even have movable parts as well!

Sheva's hands (including the additional ones) are sculpted in some sort of sturdy yet pliable plastic, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to insert all sorts of weapons into her pre-posed hands.

I'm really impressed with Hot Toys handling of Sheva's bust size. They made it pretty accurate to her video game counterpart. I was surprised that she was even given sculpted nipples (her chest area is slightly pliable). I have to say that her chest certainly feels like fake tits (don't ask).

The Bad:

Although Sheva's face is nicely sculpted, something doesn't look quite right. The preliminary photos of Sheva looked far better than the one I have in front of me. However, both facial sculpts don't look exactly similar to her video game counterpart.

The "instruction sheet" that came with Sheva isn't exactly comprehensive. The "directions" are printed on an approximately 6" x 8" paper, one side in English, the other side in Chinese. Putting Sheva together was just like putting together a lawn mower or bookshelf. I had to figure it out by myself by examining the picture on the box and through trial-and-error. This process with Sheva took nearly an hour and a half! I wasn't aware that Sheva's belt-buckle was actually functional, so I was confused as to how in the hell I was supposed to attach certain accessories onto Sheva's belt. However, what consumed most of my time was pulling Sheva's head off and putting it back on (I had to do this in order to place her damned necklace on). My God, it was like pulling teeth!

Because Sheva is Hot Toys's first female figure to utilize the "rubber body" technology, there were instructions (the same instructions I mentioned just before) that ranged from "do not fold up the arms over 180 degrees" to "do not raise the arms aside over 80 degrees". I was overwhelmed by these "do not" warnings that I was afraid of even touching the figure.

Sheva's holster can be "opened" (by "popping" out the straps) in order to accommodate her M92F handgun, but it can't be closed. Maybe I'm doing it wrong because I end up with my fingers hurting like hell with the straps still "open". DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use tweezers to try and close the holster straps. I tried that and nearly ripped off the entire flimsy holster strap.

Certain pouches can be "opened" as well. Unfortunately, once you open them, it'll take all the luck in the world to get them closed... or someone with dexterous fingers.

Because Sheva's pants are accurately (and attractively) tight, her leg movements are restricted. If I try to place her in an "open-stance," the velcro at the "fly" of her pants will start pulling apart, thus revealing the quite not-so-attractive naked spot.

This is really nitpicking, but Sheva's top is supposed to be colored purple, not blue. I have no idea why or how this happened.

Because Sheva is wearing high-heeled boots (women and the men who design women's footwear!) she has a much harder time standing up on her two feet.

There are two specific things "Accessories Supervisor" TS Wong screwed up on: 1. The design and sculpt of the Ithaca M37 Shotgun; and 2. Not including Sheva's well-known Dragunov SVD Rifle. At first, I couldn't recognize one of the shotgun [weapon] accessories (the M3 shotgun was easily recognized), but because the brown-colored "forend" (forearm) with the grooves in it, I knew that had to be the Ithaca M37. After all, there are only four shotguns in the entire Resident Evil 5 video game. For some reason though, the Ithaca M37 accessory was sculpted with a much shorter barrel and stock. While having the H&K PSG-1 rifle accessory is nice, it would've been nicer if Sheva was given the Dragunov SVD (I guess it's a matter of preference). Hey, at least NECA gave us one with their Sheva figure!

The Ugly:

As I've mentioned before, the lack of detailed instructions made "assembling" this figure much harder and complicated than it should've been.

The way most of these accessories (pouches, clips, etc.) are designed, it's very difficult to attach or "clip" them onto their appropriate spots. While I was trying to clip Sheva's radio/walkie-talkie set on her shoulder holster, the wire piece connecting the head piece and radio snapped off. As much as I tried, there was no possible way to re-insert the damned wire. I ended up with frustration and aching finger. There has to be an easier way.

This collectible figure is not only pricey, but involves particularly hard work. Make any sense? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

I pre-ordered Sheva from eBay at a slightly high price of $178.88 from a seller in China. Despite the risks (of pre-ordering anything from eBay and buying from a seller residing in China), I strongly urge you to do your research. Look around online what the going prices are for these figures. Check the eBay seller's reputation. Does he/she have any negative feedback recently? If so, what were the buyer's reasons? Last time I checked, Hot Toys Sheva is now available for purchase from CornerStoreComics, BigBadToyStore, and other retailers.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, CORNERSTORECOMICS, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Despite the overwhelming negatives surrounding Hot Toys Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version), I'm taking quite a liking to her as my new addition to my Resident Evil collection. Although the facial-likeness can use a lot more work, the amount of articulation and accessories (her nice bust and sculpted nipples helps!) makes up for the high price and large amount of effort to set Sheva up. If you've been disappointed with the lack of quality Resident Evil figures, I suggest you start looking into Hot Toys's offering.

Score:

Masters of the Universe Classics: Teela Warrior Goddess Figure Review

2010-01-18T19:16:00.001-05:00

I admit I have no real interest in Mattel's "Masters of the Universe Classics" (MOTUC) line. But when I heard much buzz about the upcoming Teela figure, I found myself just a tad bit curious. I checked those forums and found myself falling in love with the sculpt of Teela. Now, don't get me wrong. When I was much younger, I loved the MOTU. I had almost every single action figure from the old school line from back in the day. Heck, I even had an old-school Teela (you know, the one with the wide hips and big butt). Seeing an updated version of Teela had me sold. Luckily, I was able to snag one for myself. I figured she would sell out in seconds, but she lasted for a week or possibly more. She was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on October 15, 2009 for public consumption).

Flavor Text:

"Teela Warrior Goddess

Real Name: Teela

The adoptive daughter of Duncan, the current Man-At-Arms, Teela grew up in the palace of King Randor. Trained from an early age in the ways of battle, at 18 she became Captain of the Guard, leading Randor's troops and acting as a defacto member of the Masters of the Universe. She has yet to become aware of her true heritage as the magically cloned daughter of, and heir to, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull. She carries the Staff of Ka which was once used by the Snake Men in their epic battles against the Horde and King Grayskull during the Great Wars. Teela uses her magical staff to track her foes' every move!"

The Good:

Teela has 19 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, jointed shoulders, swivel upper arms, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, quasi-swivel/hinged legs, hinged knees, swivel boots, hinged ankles with hinged "side" ankles (for lack of a better term).

Teela has an astounding amount of accessories (a total of 7) for a 6-inch figure: regular head, "battle-mode" armored head, snake armor, sword, shield, Staff of Ka, and Zoar the falcon.

Zoar the falcon has 4 points of articulation: hinged wings and swivel claws.

The facial sculpt of Teela is very well done. Her calm and yet feminine demeanor is befitting of a warrior goddess. All action figure sculptors take note, this is how you sculpt a woman's face (particularly you, NECA).

Earlier on, I thought Teela had a bit too much blush on her cheeks, but as time passed, its presence grew on me and I've come to accept it.

This is one of THE definite "nostalgia-inducing" figures I've owned so far. I used to have the old-school Teela figure (you know, the one with the over-sized hips and bright pink lips). It's nice to see The Four Horsemen keep the "classic-look" of Teela's armor intact, but with more "bells and whistles" detailing.

Although Teela is missing a crucial point of articulation (the ab-crunch or swivel waist), her "multi-hinged" ankles more than make up for the loss.

Teela's left hand is sculpted perfectly to fit the sword in her hand without any sort of "looseness" in her grip. Her right hand is sculpted a bit too tight for her to hold the Staff of Ka, but with a little persuasion, it manages to fit in perfectly.

Teela's chest is sculpted just right, and I'm glad that she wasn't endowed with any over-exaggerated features (like double "D" chests). I've heard people complain that her chest area was a bit lacking, but I think it's perfect. After all, it's armor she's wearing over it.

The Bad:

You'll notice the back of Teela's neck is "sticking out" allowing the ball-joint to be seen on both sides of her head. Also, if you examine the back of her head, you can definitely see where her head and neck ball-joint meet look unbalanced/off-center. While this isn't too much of a big deal, this is probably the only real negative aspect of this otherwise flawless figure.

It's strange, but Teela is sporting the "sun-burned" look around her neck and upper-chest area. She must've forgotten her sun-screen or something.

The paint application in certain spots is just plain sloppy. The gold paint is smeared between Teela's circular belt around her waist in the back. Paint around her armored wrists are either scratched off or haven't been applied properly.

The overall paint application for Zoar the falcon is okay but there is a noticeable smear on the right-side wing right where the hinge is. There is also a black dot near the back of its head.

I had a hard time placing Teela's shield on her armored right wrist. Due to the design of the shield, I was afraid of scratching the paint off of the already problematic armored wrist area. I wish the "snap-on" shield were sculpted more tightly.

The Ugly:

Not surprisingly, there's nothing ugly about this figure.

Additional Notes:

I've heard that some people have received their Teela's without her ponytail attached. Luckily, I haven't had that problem.

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for a total of $28.00 (price includes S&H and tax). My review of this figure has been late, so you will no longer be able to purchase Teela from MattyCollector directly. Your only recourse is eBay or other online retailers such as BigBadToyStore who will obviously price-gouge you, because they can. Despite the somewhat high cost of individual figures like this, Teela is one figure that you can't miss.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL, eBAY, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.

Teela is the only reason behind my sudden interest in the "MOTUC" line. She is one of the finest female action figures I've ever seen sculpted so. It may come as a surprise to you, but Teela actually looks like a woman (you know who I'm referring to ::cough:: cough:: NECA). The Four Horsemen have done one hell of a job. With great sculpts and large number of accessories, my $28.00 is well-spent.

Score: (out of five)

The Dark Knight Movie Masters: Survival Suit Bruce Wayne Figure Review

2010-01-02T16:15:00.011-05:00

From my previous purchases with MattyCollector.com, I've come to a sobering conclusion that anything I buy from them will yield nothing but lost cash and broken dreams. Despite all this, I decided to purchase a few figures from them yet again to see if anything had improved. From their available choices, I opted to purchase Survival Suit Bruce Wayne (it was made available for sale via MattyCollector.com on December 15, 2009 for public consumption).

The Good:

Survival Suit Bruce Wayne has 19 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel upper arms, hinged elbows, swivel hands, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, swivel/hinged legs, swivel thighs, hinged knees, and ball-jointed ankles.

The belts and straps that make up Bruce's "survival suit" are detailed enough that it gives the illusion of a separate sculpt from the rest of the body (if you examine under the belt from the back of Bruce's torso around the waist, you'll see that a thin piece of black plastic is molded in-between the waist).

The "ski mask" accessory actually fits Bruce's head. When I first saw images of this on various toy websites, I was worried that the mask would make his head look bigger than the rest of his body. It seems Mattel addressed this issue by making the "ski mask"of thin rubbery plastic that actually fits Bruce's head and doesn't make his head look big.

Although the Bruce head sculpt has been re-used (it was first used for the Batman "Chase/Variant" unmasked figure) it accurately portrays a very concerned or very pissed off Christian Bale. Just looking at this figure's face reminds me of Bale's rant on the "Terminator Salvation" set heard all over the news.

We finally got a Survival Suit Bruce Wayne figure! How about that?

The Bad:

I haven't mentioned this before, but the package design (if you can call it that) is very boring. The words "Dark Knight" and the bat symbol smashing through the top-center of the packaging is the only dynamic piece, everything else is plain.

Let's talk about accessories. Repeating the mistakes of the previous Movie Masters figures, Survival Suit Bruce Wayne comes with an over-sized accessory (which in this case is the "ski mask"). Despite the fact that the "ski mask" is made of pliable material, I doubt (and rather not risk) the over-sized accessory can fit on anyone of those larger figures, such as Hot Toys. In a more brilliant move, this "MattyCollector exclusive" doesn't come with an "evidence baggie" as seen in the previous releases of their Movie Masters line. The removable "ski mask" for Survival Suit Bruce Wayne is a nice touch, but it needs a little more, such as a few scaled-down batarangs that can fit in Bruce's pre-posed hands.

Although the mask fits perfectly over Bruce's head due to the material used, it also attracts dust and all sorts of grime like a magnet. The over-sized mask accessory also has the same "dirt attracting" problem.

Despite the $5.00 decrease in overall price, $15.00 (not including S&H and taxes) is still too much.

The paint application is all over on this figure. Bruce's left eye has a bit too much white paint, which gives him a weird look that I really can't describe. Also add a very visible dab of brown paint right next to his left eye. Lots of black dots all over Bruce's left ear as well. The paint applications on Bruce's "survival suit" (mainly the belts and straps) are carelessly applied: too much black paint, too little gold paint, etc.

For some reason, there are specks of gold paint splattered all over the top of the over-sized mask accessory.

Bruce's left wrist joint is stuck (my Batman Begins Movie Masters figure had the same exact problem with his right wrist and it broke off). That is unacceptable.

Bruce's swivel/hinged legs are way too loose for a new figure that's just been removed from its packaging.

You'll notice that SS Bruce is leaning on his left foot. This gives him the "hunched over" look. This looks more like a design flaw than an intended sculpt because it makes Bruce Wayne look like... an over-roided Carrot Top.

As you can see from the picture above, Mattel's quality control team is sleeping on the job (what is the Joker as Gotham City Thug doing on the back of the Survival Suit Bruce Wayne figure?).

The Ugly:

I mentioned the $15.00 price-tag earlier, but I'll mention it here again. If I'm expected to cough up that much cash, then the quality control and level of sculpt should match that price. Who's ever heard of paying $15.00 for a mass-produced toy? Mattel must be out of their minds. There's no way of justifying the sale of an action figure of this quality for $15.00. There's just no way.

Additional Notes:

Survival Suit Bruce Wayne is noticeably shorter than both his unmasked (Dark Knight suit) and masked (Batman Begins suit) counterparts.

Although SS (Survival Suit) Bruce Wayne re-uses the same "unmasked" head sculpt as the chase/variant figure of the "Dark Knight," SS Bruce's face is noticeably less tan (or more pale), whichever way you look at it.

I purchased this figure online via MattyCollector for approximately $23.00 (price includes S&H and tax; I recommend purchasing more than one figure if you find something else you like mainly because it "justifies" the S&H costs). I recommend waiting for these figures to be released at Toysrus around sometime in May 2010.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT MATTEL. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAME.

Because of the overwhelmingly negative aspects of this figure, this is a definite "pass" for me. Paying approximately $23.00 for this sub-par figure is absolutely ridiculous. For a toy line pretentiously named "Movie Masters," it has absolutely failed to live up to that name. The high price and interestingly (and quite questionable) "kiddie" accessories (oh sorry, I meant accessory) makes this line a complete failure.

Score: (out of five)

Biohazard 5: Albert Wesker (Midnight Version) Hot Toys Figure Review

2009-12-27T02:40:00.001-05:00

Being a huge fan of the Resident Evil series, I was extremely excited to hear that Hot Toys acquired the rights to produce 1/6th scale Resident Evil figures. What was more exciting was the fact that the Resident Evil antagonist, Albert Wesker, would be one of a few that were selected to be released for mass consumption. Now, I've seen the photos of Albert Wesker (Midnight Version) and wasn't too impressed by the facial sculpt. I was also worried that the head would be bigger than the rest of the body (look at Sideshow's Star Wars figures for reference). Despite my fears, I went ahead and snagged one of these to see for myself.

Flavor Text:

"Age: 48
Height: Unknown
Weight: 198 lbs.
Sex: Male
Organization: Unknown

Albert Wesker is the former leader of the Raccoon City Police Department's Special Forces Unit known as S.T.A.R.S., as well as a former member of Umbrella's information department. Wesker is calm, highly intelligent, and possesses keen decision making skills. Wesker exploited S.T.A.R.S. for his own gains in what later came to be known as the Mansion Incident. Following this incident, it is believed that Wesker went into hiding but continued to manipulate events related to the fallout of the Mansion Incident.

Wesker encountered Chris Redfield again at an underground laboratory in Antarctica, but the superhuman abilities Wesker had gained from exposure to the T-Virus meant Chris could barely hold his own in the fight."

The Good:

An updated Albert Wesker figure from Resident Evil 5 makes its long-awaited appearance in plastic form!

Wesker has approximately 22 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, ball-jointed hips, swivel upper thighs, hinged knees, swivel boots, and hinged ankles.

Loads of accessories: Wesker's (trademark) sunglasses, Wesker's coat, PDA accessory, PDA clip, watch, shoulder holster, two sets of additional hands, two sets of joints, L. Hawk magnum, S&W M500 magnum, H&K MP5 machine-gun, Hydra shotgun, H&K P8 handgun, Wesker's knife, knife holster, Laser Targeting Device, two sets of ammo clips, and "Biohazard 5: Albert Wesker (Midnight Version)" base and stand.

The package design seems pretty standard. The "Biohazard 5" (also known as Resident Evil 5 in the U.S.) logo is off-center with a picture of Wesker in his "Midnight" outfit aiming to shoot someone that overlaps onto the right-side of the packaging. Hot Toys has incorporated the magnetic flap which can be easily opened and closed. Opening the flap reveals the "meat and potatoes" of the packaging design. The right-side fully displays the collectible figure for your viewing pleasure. The left-side displays all of the [weapons] accessories in neat fashion with the picture of the hangar area where you battle Wesker for the second time in Resident Evil 5 (videogame) that serves as a backdrop.

The sculpt of Wesker's hair, the creases in his forehead, and slight wrinkles around his mouth are quite the masterpiece. You can even see his veins protruding from his arms! The slight creases in the leather gloves and boots are also done in very subtle manner. The detailing on all the weapons are equally impressive.

The paint application is superb beyond belief! I'm quite blown away by this collectible figure at this point.

The Bad:

Although the sculpting is truly top-notch work, something about Wesker's face doesn't seem quite right. I can't seem to pinpoint the exact location. Maybe I'm just imagining things.

The battery-operated "light-up" eyes is a bit gimmicky for my tastes. Why on Earth would I want Albert Wesker to look like the Terminator? Instead, I would've preferred Hot Toys paint Wesker's eyes reptilian (mixture of red, orange, and yellow) as seen in Resident Evil: Code Veronica. It would've also been nice if Wesker actually came with said batteries.

Hot Toys really should've included an additional head with a "seriously pissed" look on his face. Perhaps with gritting teeth and a nasty-looking snarl. Although Wesker has been cool and rational throughout the Resident Evil series, he clearly lost any trace of this in Resident Evil 5. We need another head that shows this.

The sculpt of Wesker's chest area bothers me a lot. His chest seems to be placed a lot lower than the average person. There's a pretty wide gap (about the length of my thumbnail) between Wesker's neckline and where his chest begins.

Wesker's shoulders also seemed to be placed quite lower than usual. It's either that or the slightly bulky (and not that tight) "Midnight" outfit is a little too big.

If you look closely, the "temple" (the hinge part of the glasses) aren't designed to be straight as it should be, but rather angled upwards. I don't recall Wesker's sunglasses ever being designed like that in any of the cinematics from Resident Evil 5 (the videogame). My guess is that Hot Toys head sculptor Kim Jung Mi either didn't or couldn't sculpt Wesker's ears in such a way to provide enough space to accommodate the "temple" part of Wesker's sunglasses.

Although I do appreciate the amount of accessories that Wesker came with, some of them don't belong or are missing. For example, why does Wesker have the Laser Targeting Device? He definitely didn't use that (hint: Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar did). Where is Wesker's handgun which he used in the videogame to fire cheap shots at Chris and Sheva? Why didn't Hot Toys include at least one rocket accessory, which Wesker effortlessly throws at our protagonists? That would've been one hell of a killer (no pun intended, seriously) accessory. What about the serum shot filled with Wesker's daily dose of the "Uroboros cocktail"?

The Ugly:

I mentioned this before, but I'll say it again: the "light-up" eyes feature has got to go. It's a stupid and terrible idea. Just paint his eyes in a reptilian manner and call it a day. None of this "light-up" crap.

This collectible figure is on the pricey side.

I purchased this figure online from eBay at a slightly higher price of $150.00 (+ $30.00 S&H charge). I must admit that I don't feel comfortable with this "doll"around the house, but Albert Wesker is my favorite Resident Evil villain. Against my better judgment, I ordered this from a seller located in China. Why did I saw "against my better judgment"? Most sellers from China sell loads of bootlegged items for dirt cheap prices. But they also sell bootlegs for extremely high prices to ward off any suspicion that their items are fakes. It's my understanding that Hot Toys collectible figures are made in factories located in China, so I took a chance and purchased it from a seller with a very high satisfaction rating. If you don't want to take that chance, I'd order this from either Cornerstorecomics or Bigbadtoystore (they have it for $139.99, not including S&H).

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, CORNERSTORECOMICS, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

This being my "first" (I purchased Wesker many months after I pre-ordered Hot Toys Sheva Alomar) Hot Toys collectible figure purchase, I'm pleased with the overall quality and value. The loads of articulation and accessories (not to mention the detailed sculpts) just about makes up for the high price. If your Resident Evil collection is starving like mine has, I suggest you save up for either (Midnight Version) Albert Wesker or (S.T.A.R.S. Version) Albert Wesker. You won't be disappointed.

Score:

Bioshock 2: Big Daddy (Sneak Preview) Figure Review

2009-12-20T12:36:00.008-05:00

I was first introduced to Bioshock almost a year ago by a close friend who had an Xbox 360. For the 5 minutes I played, I was thoroughly impressed with the graphics and gameplay. A year passed and I soon forgot about it. Suddenly, I began to thirst for news of first-person shooters that had great graphics, gameplay, and [especially important] a great story. I looked up Bioshock on Amazon.com and happily discovered the game was being sold at a heavily discounted price. "Why the hell not?" and I ended up with my very own copy. I played this game so many times and all levels of difficulty and still haven't tired of it. Coincidentally, NECA mentioned that they were going to produce Bioshock 2 figures for 2010 by first releasing the [well-known] Big Daddy as a "sneak preview" deluxe figure. If you're like me, then you've grown quite fond of the hulking BD with numerous near-death encounters. Having missed out on owning an exclusive small figure of Big Daddy (which was released with the Special Edition version of Bioshock), I so badly desired my very own articulated BD.

The Good:

Big Daddy has an impressive 12 POINTS OF ARTICULATION: ball-jointed shoulders, ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed [left] wrist, swivel [right hand] drill, swivel legs, swivel [left] knee, hinged [right] knee, and hinged ankles.

The overall package designed by NECA is quite breathtaking. At the bottom front of the packaging displays the "Bioshock 2" logo. The upper-left hand corner sports a sticker labeled "Sneak Preview" in retro colors and font design. The backdrop of the figure portrays the beautiful underwater city of Rapture. There's also a corpse of one of the inhabitants (quite possibly a Splicer) of Rapture. The right-side of the package grandly displays the "deep sea diving" Big Daddy's face as well. And yes, the size of the packaging is much bigger than we're used to. And it's even heavier than usual.

NECA has been known for their scrupulous attention to detail, and their sculpt of Big Daddy is no exception. The minute details on the "diver suit" areas of Big Daddy are just phenomenal. The bolts and little screws sculpted all around just shows how much love and labor that has been poured into BD's creation.

The "broken" [left] knee guard is so convincingly [excellently] sculpted that I thought one of those Chinese factory workers screwed up during the mass production of the BDs. Imagine my surprise (and relief) when I discovered it was originally sculpted to look like that. Silly me.

Surprisingly, the paint application on this figure is consistent for once! It took quite some time for that to happen, but nice job, NECA!

The Bad:

I had a really hard time inserting the smaller [of the two canisters] into Big Daddy's back. No matter how much I pushed and shoved the damned plastic into its designated slot, it refused to move in. I gave up for a few weeks until today. I examined inside the slot and noticed the indentations on the "peg" part of the canister matched the indentations found deep inside the slot. Determined by this discovery, I violently shoved the damned thing, and eventually succeeded. This problem may have been exacerbated by the coat of paint applied around the indentations of the small canister. Interestingly, inserting the larger canister was a breeze.

Although I understand why NECA decided to exclude it, giving Big Daddy some waist articulation would've been nice. This would've allowed me to pose BD in his "shoulder bashing" move as seen in the videogame, Bioshock.

The lack of completely bendable knees is also disappointing, but the hinged ankles sort of make up for it.

The gauge meter (protruding from the smaller canister) lacks the detailed readings (numbers and such) seen in the videogame as well as on the game cover. Little details like this make or break an action figure. Interestingly, NECA decided to leave that part out.

Although Big Daddy was released as a "deluxe" figure, I really had hoped that NECA would've released him as a two-pack with a Little Sister. If you've played the game, you'll know that a Little Sister is always accompanied by a Big Daddy. This would've understandably increased the price, but I'd most definitely pony up some serious cash for that. Thankfully, we'll be getting a Big Sister and Little Sister two-pack sometime early 2010 as a Toysrus exclusive. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Ugly:

Nothing ugly here, folks.

Additional Notes:

I'm really surprised that NECA didn't release this Big Daddy figure with a "chase/variant" figure of an enraged (you can tell by the red-colored eyeholes and his aggressive behavior towards you) Big Daddy. This surely would've increased interest and quite possibly more sales. Heck, I know I'd definitely pay good money for a "chase" version of that.

I purchased this figure from CornerStoreComics.com for $18.99. (price doesn't include S&H). I recommend ordering this figure from CornerStoreComics.com (last I checked, they charge the lowest price of $18.99 individually). They're really good about packaging and sending out items in a timely manner, and they seem to get their items a little earlier than most electronic retailers I've dealt with. Interestingly though, I've noticed that they no longer notify you (by e-mail or anything) when they ship these out to you. You can also find these on eBay at a slightly higher cost (damn you pesky S&H)!

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY OR CORNERSTORECOMICS. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Overall, NECA's Big Daddy is one hell of a beginning into the Bioshock 2 franchise. Despite the lack of articulation (in some areas), this is one figure you'll most definitely regret not purchasing. If you're still on the fence about this figure, keep in mind that this Big Daddy figure will no longer be released with the rest of the Bioshock 2 figures in 2010.

Score:

Kaiyodo's Revoltech Queen's Blade Series No. 004: Nanael Figure Review

2009-12-12T19:04:00.011-05:00

I've never seen or read about the Queen's Blade series. Apparently, the anime (Japanese animation to the uninitiated) has already been released and is quite popular in Japan. For more than a year, I've mainly seen PVC figures (statues) selling for over $70 a piece which is a bit expensive for my tastes. However, I was excited to see Nanael as a Revoltech figure because the character design is really cute.

The Good:

Nanael has loads of articulation: jointed neck, jointed shoulders, jointed angelic wings (the larger left wing also has another joint allowing Nanael to spread open her left wing), jointed elbows, jointed wrists, jointed upper-chest, jointed hips, swivel upper thighs, jointed knees, and jointed ankles.

The package design for the Revoltech Queen's Blade line has changed considerably in size, color, and quality of the package. The QB package measures 8.5 inches by 8.5 inches as opposed to the Fraulein Revoltech packaging measured 8.5 inches by 4.5 inches. The front packaging window is large enough to view the entire figure with some of the accessories appearing on both sides of the figure. The back of the packaging reveals all sorts of photos of Nanael in various poses with her accessories.

Not knowing anything about the character, I think the sculpt is pretty good. I especially love Nanael's cute "surprised" or "clueless" expression, which conveys to me her lack of experience or just plain innocence. The sculpt of Nanael's armor is also pretty good, considering the simplicity of its design. The sculpt of Nanael's hair is okay, but more on that later.

The paint application is fairly consistent, which is really no surprise considering the high level of quality control Japanese toy companies have over their factories in China. There are however, few stray marks on Nanael's left wing and stray paint applications on Nanael's right knee and the back of her left leg.

Let's talk accessories. Nanael comes loaded with: 1x belt with a bottle of milk attached, 1x sword, 1x torn white dress, 1x regular white dress (Nanael comes with this on), 1x milk "splashing" effect (which can be inserted into the milk bottle to further enhance the "splash" effect), 1x "torn" underwear, 1x regular underwear (Nanael comes with this on), 1x additional pre-posed left hand (the other left hand is already on the figure), 1x additional pre-posed right hand (the other right hand comes attached to Nanael), 1x alternate face with "splashed milk" effect, 1x official Revoltech plastic mini-storage [and stackable] box, 1x "10" Revoltech points chip (which can be redeemed to get other nifty Revoltech items), and 1x plastic base.

The Bad:

On the both sides of the packaging, there is a drawing of Nanael wearing a blue hair pin. So why is her plastic counterpart sporting a pink-colored one? I understand that there may have been changes made to the figure before or after production, but if you do something like that, try to make the picture match the figure or vice versa. It just looks sloppy [and unprofessional].

Although this isn't really terrible, I wish Nanael's front side bangs were a little longer as shown in the picture at the bottom left corner in the back of the packaging.

There is thin piece of plastic "string" or perhaps leftover glue sticking out of Nanael's right elbow joint. I don't know how that happened, but it's visually annoying.

The lack of instructions regarding how to replace and remove accessories is also problematic. I had to figure this out through trial-and-error, which is risky because it leaves me open to possibly damaging the figure in the process. There are plenty of "brochures" advertising other Revoltech figures that come with Nanael, but no instruction booklet or manual. I even I had to put in some guess work regarding how to assemble various pieces of the base together. Something that may be considered common sense should still come with some sort of basic instruction.

The awful [and strong] smell of plastic makes me feel a little nauseous at times.

Nanael's right hand has a tendency to get loose and eventually fall out when I'm not looking.

One of Nanael's left hands is posed in such a way that it looks like she's doing the Star Trek "peace and prosper" hand sign which is often associated with Spock.

The Ugly:

Oh boy! Apparently, the Queen's Blade series contains plenty of "ecchi" (dirty) and risque situations, and Nanael is ripe full of them. The torn dress, torn underwear, milk "splashed" alternate face, and the milk "splashed" torso are your obvious clues. Also, innocent-looking Nanael has sculpted breasts (nipples and all) for your pleasure and/or embarrassment.

Additional Notes:

There is another [Revoltech] joint in Nanael's right wing. Apparently, this joint allows you to insert her sword at the hilt to give off the illusion of the sword floating alongside Nanael. Why? I have no clue.

I purchased this figure online from Hobbyfan for a total of $38.24 ($32.99 + S&H charge of $5.25). Hobbyfan is usually good with their shipping, but have most recently been having problems with correctly packaging their items to ship out to customers. Much to my dismay, I received Nanael with her packaging banged up in an over-sized box with one small piece of bubble wrap placed on top of the package. Needless to say, I was annoyed. I e-mailed a complaint to Hobbyfan, fully explaining the problem. Within several days, I received a response from a Hobbyfan representative quasi-apologizing and excusing themselves because they had a "new" packaging person. The representative suggested that I request for more protection in the additional request form when placing an order. Before this "new" packaging person, I never had to do that sort of thing. I've never had to do that with other respectable online retailers. Even [I should say most] eBay sellers know how to package their items carefully. Unfortunately, I still have something pre-ordered with them from a while ago. Hobbyfan just lost a customer.

I recommend purchasing anime figures of this sort from Toyslogic, which is also based in California. I've never had shipping problems like those of Hobbyfan's and almost always TL offers the best prices on most of their [import] items. I very reluctantly suggest using eBay for anime figures mainly because there are a lot of bootleg versions of these figures being sold by eBay sellers residing in China. If a price is too good to be true, it usually is.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT HOBBYFAN, TOYSLOGIC, OR eBAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING (OR IN THIS CASE DISCOURAGING) THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

Overall, Kaiyodo's 5 inch Revoltech figure is a fine addition to my collection. Despite the highly suggestive nature, the decent sculpt of angelic Nanael and the loads of accessories more than match the purchase price. Please keep in mind that such figures are definitely NOT for children under 18 years of age. With that said, I think I'll stay away from the rest of the Revoltech Queen's Blade series.

Star Wars Legacy Collection: Imperial Scanning Crew Review

2009-11-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, there's a figure that I haven't really expected would come out but does. This is one of those "I've got to have this!" figures for two reasons: 1. I don't have this figure and the sculpt looks decent enough; and 2. I can use this figure as a kit-bash custom for my AT-ST vehicle! The Imperial Scanning Crew has been released twice: Once as a Kenner "exclusive" found and sold only with the "Star Wars Power of the Force: Millennium Falcon Carry Case" and once as a stand-alone figure from Hasbro's "The Original Trilogy Collection". The main differences in Hasbro's ISC consist of (the good) the superior sculpt and articulation, (the bad) few accessories (and especially poor choice of one particular accessory).

Flavor Text:

"Imperial Scanning Crew BD32

An Imperial scanning crew checks the Millennium Falcon to make sure no one is on board. The two-man crew brings the scanner onto the ship and quickly discovers the vessel is not as empty as it first appeared to be."

The Good:

The Imperial Scanning Crew (ISC) has 22 points of articulation: ball-jointed head, ball-jointed/swivel shoulders, ball-jointed/swivel elbows, swivel wrists, swivel waist, swivel hips, ball-jointed/swivel knees, and ball-jointed/swivel ankles.

The facial sculpt of the ISC is top-notch. His face is distinct enough and yet at the same time forgettable enough, just like those cannon-fodder Stormtroopers. However, the only thing that [slightly] bothers me about his face is... well, he looks very upset and arrogant for an ISC. His facial expression fits better with an Imperial Officer of some sort. Despite the shortcoming, I do like the nice change of eye color (the ISC's eyes are blue) and his funky sideburns.

Accessory-wise: remember the news that the ISC might not come with the scanner? Well, he DOES come with one! It doesn't stop there, because he's also got an BlasTech E-11 Imperial blaster pistol, and 1x BAD (Build-A-Droid) right "leg" of R3-A2.

The Bad:

One of the major downsides is that his little cap isn't removable like Captain Needa's. It is rather sculpted as part of the ISC's head. I'm extremely disappointed with this because I so badly wanted to use the ISC as an alternative AT-ST driver for the "Walmart-Exclusive" AT-ST vehicle (the AT-ST driver's helmet fits on the ISC's head surprisingly well).

This is really nitpicking, but the ISC's hands seem a bit too big. You know what they say about people with hands bigger than their face...?

The BlasTech E-11 Imperial blaster pistol doesn't fit snugly in its holster. If it doesn't fit, then what is the point of having one in the first place?

Dammit Hasbro! I wish they would stop "rubber-banding" the blaster to the figure's hand (especially the hand that can't even hold the weapon in the first place). I'm on to you, Hasbro. As I've mentioned in my previous review, this "rubber-banding" warps the shape of the plastic permanently. The blaster that came with the ISC kind of looked like it could use a little Viagra.

The Ugly:

Remember the scanner accessory? Although Hasbro relented and included the scanner, it's just terrible. The photo of the accessory depicted on the back of the card looks nothing like what I got. Also, I don't recall ever seeing the contents of the scanner, but I'm pretty sure it didn't look like the accessory that comes with the ISC. What further cheapens this accessory is the fact that Hasbro has even gone even further by adding two "wheelies" to help the ISC with his duties. Why couldn't Hasbro given us a repainted version of the scanner within the container found in Star Wars Power of the Force: Millennium Falcon Carry Case with Imperial Scanning Crew Figure?

Additional Notes:

At first glance, it looked like and certainly felt like the ISC couldn't move his arms all the way up due to the "deceptive" sculpt. However, my frustrations got the best of me which led me to force his arms all the way up, which he complied with some resistance. I promise, you won't break your figure. Or I'm extremely lucky.

I purchased the Imperial Scanning Crew online via BriansToys* for approximately $11.00 (price doesn't include S&H, which they charge separately for some reason). At this time, I recommend shopping around through eBay and other fine online retailers like BigBadToyStore for these. I've seen some sellers on eBay price them at $6.99 to $14.95 (not including S&H). Or else, the old-fashioned way of visiting your nearest Walmart or Toysrus is another way to go (if you have the patience and long for the adventure), which may sell them for $7.00 a piece.

*From my past experiences with BriansToys, they usually charge ridiculously high prices for regular Star Wars figures. However, almost always they deliver the figures in C-8 or better condition.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, BRIANSTOYS, BIGBADTOYSTORE, AND OTHER PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED STORES. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.

What really hurt this figure is the lousy scanner accessory.
Note to Hasbro, it's better not to include something that isn't "movie accurate" (or even recognizable) rather than include it and cheapen the overall [collector] value as a whole. However, the Legacy Collection's Imperial Scanning Crew is another solid entrance in "figures that need updating for quite some time" category. I really hope Hasbro releases a newly sculpted AT-ST driver using the same body as the ISC. Although $11.00 is asking for a bit much, this is one figure you can't ignore.