JoeCanuck
General Section => General Joe Talk => Topic started by: canprime on May 27, 2012, 08:45:52 AM
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Well they have finally hit the shelves.
What are your thoughts?
I picked up:
Cobra Trooper, Black CC, GI JOE Trooper, Red Ninja, Hiss Tank and Fangboat.
Here are my thoughts:
Black CC. In person, I actually don't like the design all that much. The helmet isn't as cool as I originally thought, and his outfit, while better hidden by all black, is I guess a little too "busy". The blue version probably won't look much better in person. The best part of this figure without a doubt is the Cobra head staff. It is a great little accessory, but even better it is very nicely sculpted and looks outstanding.
Red Ninja. A pretty good figure, I don't have Renegades SS to compare, but nicely detailed and the Zipline is actually kind of neat. I could see kids having fun with it and trying to recreate the mountain battle.
GI JOE Trooper. Hello Master Chief prototype! Oh sorry, my mistake. What looked like a good troop builder, upon opening is a disappointment. He is accessorized to the hilt which is awesome, but it just don't work. Personal opinion of course. The heads are great, but again the helmet is a little too Halo. The cape is just odd as an accessory. I understand the logic behind it, but is seems out of place. The backpack and gear are what really stand out. The negative? The connecting piece to the figure is too long so it doesn't stay on tight. The shovel is neon orange for some reason and the gas mask is too small for the head it is supposed to go on. The positive? Nice large size pack with 6!!!! spots for weapons. Overall this figure, in my opinion, just misses the mark.
Cobra Trooper. Another figure that just misses the mark somewhat. It is a nice figure, with a good design, but I think the colour scheme and helmet really detract from the figure. Frankly the head is better suited to V4 of Snake Eyes than the one coming out at Dollar General in the US. Don't get me wrong, the colours are nice, but the powder grey and light blue just don't work together for me. They look almost a little too cartoonish, which I know is ironic. The helmet is also very soft and I find it takes some doing to get it to sit just right, but then I noticed that it is actually warping a little from sitting on the figure's head. It may just be one, or it could be a future ongoing problem for most. The best part? The PARACHUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This thing is incredible. Not only does it have a giant Cobra logo, it is sturdy fabric and not cheap plastic or thin material. I could see this thing outlasting the figure itself. I already tested it out and it works great, but you need to be outside and give it a good throw. I could see young kids not being able to get it high enough to open. I am going to seriously look at using the parachute with a Rattler, or maybe the ARAH Night Raven.
Fangboat. I actually wish the grey on this was darker. The overall design is ok, the extra launcher can be removed which is a good thing and the colour combos are good. It is a nice additon to the ranks, however..... The Swamp Viper. What should have been a great figure falls way, way, way short. Why? Articulation of course! Others have said it, but now I see it with my own eyes. 5 POAs? Unacceptable. The line has been great since 2007, but this is just not worth the money. It is a great, unique design that gets totally lost on a brick of a figure.
HISS. The significant changes to the vehicle are easy to overlook and make me still rank it as a great vehicle. Yes the lack of moving treads and the removal of the raising feature are significant. Also the new canopy looks nice, but I actually like the old one better. The added weaponary is actually really nice, and gives the vehicle a sense of firepower that I felt was somewhat lacking on the earlier versions. The fact that a figure can sit exposed in the turret is funny in that it is a throwback to ARAH when lots of figures sat exposed in vehicles with no sense of danger!!! ;D The CC suffers again like the Swamp Viper. I read somewhere that this version would make a nice update to the Armored CC, but since it is a 5 POA brick it suffers.
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I only have the basic Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.
Both figures represent a very modern and cool incarnation of the Arashikage sword brothers.
Each is well sculpted and they're pretty fun to mess around with while watching TV. The abundance of articulation points really allow for some cool action poses.
They don't come with much in term of equipment, but the smaller gear load makes them easier to play with since there's not a ton of small parts that might fall like with Renegade SS and the PoC Snake Eyes. Kinda brings me back to the good old days.
SS comes with a cool little backpack that holds his swords and a zip line apparatus.
SE has a sword, a blue gun which looks like it's straight from an accessory pack and a body armor with wings which are also missile launchers. I would have appreciated a small scabbard for SE's sword.
While they are both another representation of characters we already have multiples of, I think that both figures are worth their price tags.
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Personally I found the G.I.Joe trooper down right awesome and one of the best figures I've seen for a while. I've always hated when you have a billion weapons and no place to store them. This guy, aside from the extra head has a place for everything.
I think the problem you had with the back pack not fitting well is that it is intended to go through the cape. I tried it without the cape as well and yes, it will stand too far off his back if set like that. I had to fiddle with the cape for a couple of minutes to get it to line up right the first time, but after that it works. I'm also glad the cape and spare mask are tan and not blue. It ties the figure together better and makes it more realistic.
The Cobra (parachute) trooper is also a great toy. Dalton and I have had lots of fun throwing him around the pack yard. I agree the colours could be better, maybe more traditional Cobra Blue and red highlights might give him a more traditional look. Still, I'm enjoying the figure a lot, even if he's missing a bunch of articulation.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is the lack of action figure stands. There aren't any. Good thing I have a bunch of spares. ;)
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I've managed to pick up a few figures so far. Here are some of my thoughts.
Cobra Trooper: I agree about the lack of more traditional colors and articulation, but seeing it in person, it has grown on me. The parachute is really fun. I like that two sets of webgear are included so he's not always wearing the parachute.
Cobra Commander: I was looking forward to this one. I was thinking of turning him into a VvV type Viper and army building him, but having him in hand has changed my mind. He's not as cool as I thought he would be. I agree that the staff head is a great accessory and would look cool on top of a Cobra throne or something.
Red Ninja: Another one that I was very much looking forward to. I managed to snag a few. Unfortunately, he's lacking in the accessory department. Aside from the zipline accessory (which is cool, but not needed in multiples), he comes with two swords and... nothing to store them with. A small backpack to attach the swords is too much to ask for?
GI Joe Trooper: I wasn't looking forward to this one, but having it in hand has changed my mind. IMO, it's probably the best figure in wave 1. He is loaded with gear and super poseable. The 3 rifles are fantastic, the cape is a bit weird. Also includes 2 knives, 4 pistols, a gas mask and the spare head (that will be used to make a custom Dreadnok). It has a few flaws (that Canprime has already mentioned), but still a very solid figure.
OB
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I like the Black CC, but more as a trooper type, like a Shadow Guard. BUT his lack of ankle articulation really bothered me more than I thought it would when trying to pose him. He cant stand in any pose without a stand(which is lacks) that isnt standing straight. The single knee articulation doesnt bother me at all.
The Red Ninjas are better than I thought they would be, I love posing them, just wish they had more weapons.
I got the Slice from the 3 pack and hes pretty cool looking, I havent checked out ss or se from the same pack yet, they look well articulated but stylistically kind of meh. They will be going to my neice and nephew.
I haven't opened my cobra of gi joe trooper yet.
Im judging whether to get the Kamakura, Rock and BH 3 pack, but Kamakura doesnt look as good as the ROC one, Rock looks good and I think has the normal articulation? BH is a throw away.
I will say that the price of the fang and awestriker is very attractive and kind of understand why they gyped us on the driver articulation to get it to that price point. Though I would have paid a bit more to get an articulated version of some of those drivers.
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So far I've just picked up Snake Eyes and the GI Joe Trooper. I agree with the earlier comments about the stupid orange shovel and the long peg on the backpack. Also, all I could find was the blue caped version, which looks dumb.
I really like the simple design of Snakes and I think the Retaliation SE is a great figure. I haven't hooked up the zipline yet but it looks fun. Not a fan of the bright blue gun and accessories, however.
While I know others like the new ankle joints, I'm not a fan. The restrict the figure's feet from rotating side to side when standing upright. Having the figures' feet point directly forward while standing straight up makes them look goofy & unnatural. I'd rather sacrifice the slight articulation improvement & have them look more natural standing up
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A few more thoughts.
3-packs: These definitely include the best figures of the line. Articulation is standard on all of the figs (except Roadblock that has no ankles) and they didn't skimp on accessories either. I'll definitely try to pick up a few more of these packs. The BH/RB/Kama one is the strongest of the two IMO, but you can't go wrong with the SS/SE/Slice one either.
AWE Striker: I like the retooled parts, they help differentiate it from all it's predecessors. The designers even included foot pegs to attach a figure on the back to man the gun. That is a nice touch IMO. I'm not crazy about the fact that the Arashikage clan symbol is printed on the vehicle's hood. I would have prefered a sticker, then I would have simply not applied it. It's not that big of a deal since I'm planning on repainting it anyway. In the end, it's still another AWE, but it's been changed enough to make it interesting. However, the Snake Eyes figure is totally useless.
Fang Boat: Basically a repaint, the only part that has been retooled is the spring loaded launcher. Unfortunately, it looks huge and ugly on the side of the boat. Fortunately, it's removable. I'll probably buy a second Fang Boat just for the small cannon. At 16$, it not too hard on the budget and the Swamp Viper head will be great for customs.
HISS: Call me crazy, but I like the changes that were made to the POC HISS to create this vehicle. The main body has been retooled. It has a main turret that can house a figure, it has two extra chain guns for the sides, the glass canopy looks great, even the color is pretty good. The downside is losing the rubber threads, but it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. The CC figure is pretty boring. At a quick glance, his head looks to be more movie accurate that the single figure, so I smell a custom in it's future.
I didn't pick up the Ghost Hawk, not sure if I want it. Also passed on Zartan, Duke, single SE and single SS. Zartan looks dull, Duke looks horrible and SE and SS have better versions in the 3-packs.
OB
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I only got the Single CC. I passed on the only Joe trooper I saw and the two Cobra troopers as well. I did hold the Joe one for a while but the goofy Halo helmet(as mentioned earlier)and the lack of camouflage didn't impress me. The only thing I liked was the extra head and backpack that can hold all the gear. And with the Cobra trooper-helmet was wonky, colour was bad,weapons didn't do anything for me and I have two fisher price nylon parachutes already(no cobra logo though). Zartan nah torso too long, duke and Rock UG, red ninja looks cheap, SE and SS look ok but I have too many already. For me the $10.99 price tag just doesn't warrant buying them.
The Rock 3 pack did look cool but again too pricey. And after Morgs review of the Hiss I'll wait on that one.
Besides, I'll most likely buy what ever movie stuff if and when I decide to get them from one of the site sponsors like HJL.
On another note I received the 2012 SDCC Kim "Jinx" Arashikage figures last week and to be honest the Zarana figures last year blow these ones away.
From what I see(didn't open them) the limited paint detail and the plastic looks soft making the figures appear cheaply made and somewhat boring.
On the positive side both figures come with their own accessory other than the two swords common to each figure, both different colour hilts and sheaths though. The dojo outfit figure comes with a sickle and rope while ninja jinx comes with her original staff.
Also, a nice touch is that this year the card backs are different. Once again they depict a comic scene with jinx in action but this time the scene is appropriate to each figure. However I think there was a misprint because jinx in her ninja outfit states that the scene was from comic #24 Ladies Day issued in august 1989 and the dojo jinx scene states it's from comic #59 Divergent Paths issued may 1987. Both are in star cases again with the SDCC Sticker on the front.
All in all, not bad figures but not great exclusives either. Unless you are lucky to get them for retail or close to it, I'd give it some thought as to whether you want to pay ebay prices.
When I get some time I'll post a couple pics. Hopefully this week.
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Man these figs are pricey...for what you get, it's a tough pill to swallow. With tax, it's almost $13 a figure.
I did bite the bullet and pick up a few figs. I'm passing on all the vehicles. I think everyone just needs to calm down instead of going bananas rushing to stores trying to find these. Most stores have just begun to put out the figures. These figures will get re-released next spring. I can't see Hasbro skipping this wave next time around and starting with wave 2...but who knows.
Red Ninja: Well if you loved the 30th SS, you'll love this figure too...but less haha. Unfortunately, this fig only comes with 2 katanas and a spring loaded zipline. If you have the 30th SS, then you can share some accessories.
Zartan: I don't know why, but I really dig this figure and the gimmick. The figure does not really portray the movie version, but it's neat. Comes with a decent amount of accessories and 3 alternate heads. The only thing that bothers me is knees down. No double jointed knees and no ankle articulation. I plan on fixing this.
Joe Trooper: Love alomst everything about the figure. It has all the articulation you've come to expect from a joe. Good amount of accesories. The only things that bothers me is the long peg for the backpack. It really only fits if you've got the "cape" on, that and the fact that the knees and lower legs appear to be of a cheaper/softer plastic. With the top heaviness of the fig, he tends to topple over...thanks for no figure stands Hasbro.
Cobra Commander: I liked this figure initially, but as soon as I opened him...that all faded. I still dig the helmet/head, but the rest of the figure it really lacking. The all black look really hides a lot of the flaws. Limited articulation on the knees and no ankle articulation. Crappy gimmick accessory. Tough to get in a great pose.
Cobra Trooper: Same like CC. Liked it intially until I opened it. Don't plan on getting any more. Love the head, but the rest just fails for me. The figure is extremely short...much shorter than the rest of the figures. Even stature wise, seems a little small. The lower arms just looks odd and the figure can't really hold his accessories and look cool. Lack of articulation on the knees and no ankle articulation really make this figure really limited in posing. Parachute gimmick would be fun for kids.
Roadblock: I only got this because I like the Rock. Figure is decent, but has the same articulation on the lower legs like Zartan, CC, trooper. No accessories other than the gimmick and his right hand is useless without the gimmick. Plan on swapping out the hands.
Overall: Higher prices, less accessories, less articulation, no figure stands, cheaper plastic on certain figure parts and accessories, generic card packaging, no file cards. If you are a die hard joe fan you'll pick and choose. Better bargain if they go on sale.
I wasn't caught off guard with the figs. I knew what I was getting, but am still somewhat disappointed with some of the figs.
Don't plan on getting Duke, SE, SS or anymore than I have unless these things go on sale, but I'd still probably pass. Same with the vehicles.
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To further expand the thread.
What is your favourite, and least favourite item so far from the line? (figure, vehicle, role play, whatever)
For me, out of what I have picked up so far:
Favourite:
The HISS. A nice update to a pretty good mold. I have actually come to REALLY love the colour. That blue is pretty swanky, and I would love for Hasbro to start using it a little more with Cobra vehicles. There is a little bit on the Fangboat, but with the HISS it really "pops".
An honourable mention, only because I really, really like it. The Cobra head staff that comes with CC. Man I really want to get a bunch of these and have them mounted as security turrets for the Cobra Temple!!!
Least favourite:
The armoured CC that came with the HISS. This was, unfortunately, a tough choice which doesn't speak well about the line so far. I considered the GI Joe Trooper and the Swamp Viper, but in the end it was CC. The design is a little too funky, and the colour choice is again pretty bland, but what of course put it over the top was the lack of articulation. It just isn't right with all the fantastic stuff we have gotten since the 25th line began.
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I've picked up pretty quite a bit so far. I don't have the bikes, the Ghost Hawk II and the off scale stuff (10'' figures, masks, etc) and I skipped Duke, Zartan, single SS and single SE. Of this list, Duke and Zartan are eventual maybes for custom fodder (if I can get them on sale, but if I miss them, I wont be disappointed) and the rest are no-gos. So here are my picks.
Favorite figure:
GI Joe Trooper. The hands down winner. The helmet looks cool, he's loaded with accessories, the 3 rifles are great, the backpack can store all of his gear and he's super-poseable. Honorable mentions to Cobra Trooper (lost points for reduced articulation), Red Ninja (lost points for lack of accessories) and 3-Pack Snake Eyes (lost points for being in a 3-pack and also for being another Snake Eyes ;D).
Favorite vehicle:
HISS: This one is a tougher choice. I also really like the Fangboat. It has awesome colors and the Swamp Viper head is good for customs, but it loses points for having a big honking spring loaded launcher on the top. It's removable, but it shows that something is missing. Points in favor of the HISS are: it's huge, it has more weapons than the PoC version, the added turret is great, I love how they added the gunner station and the spring loaded launcher isn't as obvious if you remove the missile. Also, the price (21.99$Can) is pretty terrific. The only downside is that the CC figure is crap. The head will be used to make a Ret accurate CC, but that's it.
OB
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I bought everything for wave one, except the motocycles.
The only figures I've opened and examined yet are Roadblock, Duke, Cobra Commander and G.I. Joe Trooper.
It is a disappointment that the figures don't come with filecards, stands and reduced articulation on the figures. I hate spring loaded weapons, so there's another negative there.
But I see a lot of positives with the figures.
First off after opening Duke, Roadblock and Cobra Commander I noticed the knee joint only has one articulation point, and there isn't a pivot point in the ankle anymore. I was disappointed at first then I put the figures on my shelf. They didn't fall down. With the lower leg being rigid, I don't need a battle stand for the figure. This is a benefit to me because I can fit more figures on the shelf. Other ROC/25th/30th/POC figures with the extra articulation in the lower legs keeps falling down on my shelves, so I need to use the battle stands.
I don't like Roadblock's weapons or right hand. I replaced the right hand with one from an extra ROC Heavy Duty I had laying around. I then geared up Roadblock with some extra ROC heavy machine guns.
Duke's weapons are not very good either. I ditched them very quickly and he is now geared up with some ROC extras as well.
I like the sculpting of Cobra Commander. Only the black version was available when I bought my Cobra Commander. I like the sculpt of the figure and the black colour scheme really works. His weapons are nicely designed.
G.I. Joe Trooper... this is just a really nice figure which will fit in perfectly in my collection with all my Steel Brigade figures.
I don't mind the lower quality plastic utilized and the loss of articulation. Yes the figures are expensive, but I think Hasbro lost a bunch of money on the 30th anniversary figures. With the amount of detail used and the articulation, they were the best figures ever produced for G.I. Joe. Those were made for die hard fans. Retaliation toys are made for kids. IMO Retalition is comparable to Valor Vs Venom for quality.
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I think Hasbro lost a bunch of money on the 30th anniversary figures. With the amount of detail used and the articulation, they were the best figures ever produced for G.I. Joe.
If money was indeed lost, it's the awful distribution is what made them lose money. The toys were amazing, yet people had a really hard time finding them.
In Canada it was even worst. Look at how long it took for the Stalker wave to finally hit the stores. It felt as if Canada became the dumping ground for the Blowtorch / Cobra Commander wave.
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I think Hasbro lost a bunch of money on the 30th anniversary figures. With the amount of detail used and the articulation, they were the best figures ever produced for G.I. Joe.
If money was indeed lost, it's the awful distribution is what made them lose money. The toys were amazing, yet people had a really hard time finding them.
In Canada it was even worst. Look at how long it took for the Stalker wave to finally hit the stores. It felt as if Canada became the dumping ground for the Blowtorch / Cobra Commander wave.
It's unfortunate that the later figures haven't come out yet in retail. Lifeline is one of the best figures ever made. The amount of accessories and details on him are amazing. I can't see Hasbro making as much profit when they sell that figure for $10.99 compared to the profit margin for Retaliation Duke which has less accessories and is a lower quality figure.
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Well, I went to TRU today and got new toys.
Red Ninja: The figure being almost the same as the Renegade Storm Shadow, it's awesome. The new armored lower arms and legs are pretty cool. Gear wise, it feels a bit naked. It comes with two cool swords, but no sheaths to carry them around. It comes with the sash/belt combo that SS had and I would have liked the simple belt better.
Zartan: Surprisingly, it's a pretty fun figure. Very sleek and simple, it's a nicely designed suit. Might not be used as Zartan, but more as another assassin. The gear load is simple yet effective.
I played with it and I'd have to admit that I don't really mind the simpler level of articulation. All the Joe basics are still there, plus swivel wrists which makes it a more awesome figure than a lot of action figures that are on the market right now.
The glowing eye gimmick is nice, but the big "window" on the SS and Joe heads make them pretty useless outside the hood.
Snake Eyes and his bike: Yes I did get one of the bikes. I liked the design and I watch Street Hawk the other day, so I bought it and I'm not regretting it one bit. The crank and let go gimmick is something my nephew will love so I'll probably get him one. The figure is barely articulated as we all know, but the knees can bend which gives the figure a whooping 7 PoA. The bike has little pins that connects to the figure's legs which hold it in place once on the bike which is pretty cool.
Thank you Retaliation for giving us some pretty fun toys.
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So I caved and bought a Ghost Hawk II today on sale.
UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This "thing" is garbage. From the vehicle, to the colours, to the missiles, to the driver. Garbage from top to bottom.
THIS is what we get completely new from the line??? Remolds of every other vehicle, and the best the design team can do with the vehicle, which I know appears in the movie so they can't stray too far from it, is this??
The sad part is I have an idea for a custom that if I do go ahead and start, it will require me to buy another Ghost Hawk II!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and the Duke figure? Congrats, you beat out the CC from the HISS as worst figure yet!!! Great job.
Honestly I hope kids like it because I can't see it moving otherwise.
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Got to look these over in the flesh this afternoon; bought two GIJOE Troopers ( tan cloaks), A Cobra Trooper, and a Ninja Showdown set.
That is more than I told myself I'd buy.
The Ninja showdown set is the best value for the dollar right now (with the TRU sale), and the Joe Troopers are a close second.
I like the look of the COBRA trooper, but I have no use for the parachute, and he comes with only one rifle and a pistol. very light on gear, which is common throughout the line. A pity. He doesn't hold his rifle that well, but I've not yet fully fiddled with him to find the sweet spots. Plastic is a bit rubbery, but not alarmingly so.
Detail-wise, the figures are good to excellent. Articulation is good in the ones I bought, with the exception of the Cobra trooper--he needs the articulation in the ankles. Its absence hurts the figure's appeal. I'm going to scrounge through my parts boxes to look for added gear to spruce him up. He's really just one or two more items from being a really nice looking figure.
The Showdown set has lots of gear, and the Snake-eyes therein is the best in the ( Retaliation) line yet. I bought the set because he comes with the vest, as the single carded figure does not. The vest makes this figure, imo. Of note: the suppressor fits BOTH the Uzi AND the H&K MP-5K--and gives the latter a unique look. I don't know if that has been cited before.
The red ninja here is a good figure, with two other character options via the extra head gear.
The Joe Trooper is a decent figure, but all that gear on the pack is both neat and a pain in the arse at the same time. I have apparently lost one of the small pistols taking the figure out of the package, and the rifles attach to the pack in a flimsy way. Its a good-looking figure one assembled, but sturdy is nowhere in its lexicon. I have loads of stands to fit these guys and found appropriate ones in my parts boxes.
That's all I'm going to get though, looking over the rest of the figures..........pfft......little else interests me. Having bought the COBRA trooper, I have zero interest in COBRA Commander as a figure, even though he LOOKS interesting in terms of details. The missing articulation is, as expected a buzz-killer for me.
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Some additional thoughts: The lack of accessories. Rather, the lack of well thought-out accessories.
The single carded figures are most plagued by this, but the 3-figure sets have it too. On the face of it, the Ninja Showdown set looks like it has plenty of gear.....but its a mish-mash of weapons and kit. The dire "need" to get the really stupid spring-launched grapple-line item into the set makes little sense, because that is likely to be tossed early on. Granted the small parts like the throwing darts will be easily lost too, but the set could have used some packs to hold some of the gear. Storm Shadow or the Red Ninja could have used.......say, POC Desert Storm Shadow sword-holding pack--a part that is unlikely to see much re-use over time. The Red Ninja's choice of head gear could have been spread between the 3-pack and the single carded figure.
Snake-Eyes is the only figure with a scabbard for his swords, something the others figures could use too.
The GIJOE trooper has a LOT of gear........I'd be tempted to say TOO MUCH gear, but no.........I like a lot of choice, and I'm okay with left overs.
The other single-carded figures just lack. Duke and RoadRock have very little except their gimmick weapons, and if they have any other accessories, they are integral to the gimmick.
The other big thing missing: stands. this is really a step backwards, because for about the past.........oh....10+ years, we been told by Hasbro that GIJOE has strong aspects of a collectors line, and this figures are meant for play, and display. The stands foster the latter, and their inclusion over many years supported that philosophy.
But now, with Retaliation......the philosophy is.........nope, going cheap this time, forget established tradition-cut cut cut to the almost-bone.
Granted, I've got baggies full of stands for 25th and newer figures. I can take a GIJOE trooper figure and place it with a "Steel Brigade" stand, or a "code name: G.I.JOE Trooper" stand. Not every collector has that kind of stockpile on hand though, and the stands are nice to have.
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Thanks for your comments, Arrow. This is exactly why I'm not spending my $ on this line. It all just feels off, this is not my GI Joe.
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Thanks for your comments, Arrow. This is exactly why I'm not spending my $ on this line. It all just feels off, this is not my GI Joe.
The figures are okay.........if you are willing to make concessions.
If you have stands for them.
If you have extra gear, packs and/or weapons for them.
If you don't mind losing some articulation (ankles)--they can fit just dandy as vehicle crews, for example.
If you want to kitbash new characters, or paint some of the brightly coloured parts.
Most importantly: if you can get them on discount. Paying $10-$12 for these figures is not getting good value--exception for the GIJOE trooper.
I've bought all that I'm going to buy, until wave 2/3 appears. I'm sticking to my guns about the vehicles......none of them interest me, and those drivers.......whew. Uh-uh. I refuse to accept the reasoning for them, and I'm voting against them by abstaining with my wallet.
( I understand what is being said about how drivers need little POAs because they just sit in the vehicles. I get that, but I refuse to accept 5 POA figures as a product I will buy. I demand more POAs, not less.)
My emotional impressions of what I saw/bought:
The GIJOE trooper and NS Snake-Eyes fit right in. The trooper is an ideal other Steel Brigade operator, maybe a Alpha, Beta or Gamma. He's got a good design in line with the modern version of the green-shirts. He could have been a POC figure and no-one would have blinked twice.
Snake-Eyes in the NS set just feels complete, as he should. The single-card is missing chest rig gear. The other two ninjas compliment the set--great POAs, but a mish-mash of gear. They fit in just fine too, but Storm Shadow has a definite "new-era" ( Valor vs Venom etc) vibe to his look. I'm okay with that.
The Cobra Trooper, has most of the right elements, but the wrong colours. He's too bright......but I can live with that. Its not a deal-breaker for me. I'm sticking with the POC Vipers and COBRA soldiers for my army--this trooper is a specialist of some kind that I'll figure out later.
The rest of the figures......the ones I left on the pegs........their various warts and omissions.....kill them. The Rock......just trash with that molded hand ( one of the few things I do not have spares of is spare figures to cannibalize, otherwise I'd have done the hand swap. Beside, I'll just wait for wave 2.....), and Duke.......what he comes with it garbage, imo. The other figures I have in the sets I bought, or they just hit me with too much "meh".
There's no spark here, unlike POC which was just "wow" after "wow" for the most part.
In-hand, Retaliation is exactly what I thought it was from months ago....another timid movie-tie-in toy line.
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Interesting to read your comments on the GI Joe Trooper. I am kind of on the fence with ...I like the mohawk, but thought the cape and bright accessories were just wrong.
I was concerned he might stand out, in a bad way, if i put here near Steel Brigade. Though you suggest otherwise....have not seen him in the wild yet to form an opinion....
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Interesting to read your comments on the GI Joe Trooper. I am kind of on the fence with ...I like the mohawk, but thought the cape and bright accessories were just wrong.
I was concerned he might stand out, in a bad way, if i put here near Steel Brigade. Though you suggest otherwise....have not seen him in the wild yet to form an opinion....
The only bright accessories he's got are the orange entrenching tool ( which is actually PAINTED orange), and the extra gas mask and cape, but the latter two items have a tan coloured variant. The entrenching tool is mounted on the back of the back and cannot even be seen from the front. Everything else is muted tones/colours.
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Went to my local TRU today, arrived in front on Retaliation toys. Was confronted to the dilemma of buying them or not. Could not find a good enough reason to buy any. There was no Hiss tank though. Overall somewhat disappointed. I think Hasbro was depending this time too strongly on the movie to build some hype around the merchandise.
My first and only impressions for now: Without a movie in sight to promote it further, it is clear to me that their current offerings lack the imagination and magic that the gi joe franchise has been known to capture. The bigger vehicles look better than the figures IMHO. I wouldn't mind the figure's generic lack of cardart, had it had better artwork...
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Apparently, there is a store very close to me that had the Joe Trooper yesterday. I am heading there tomorrow AM to check him out. I liked the head sculpt with the mohawk, so I'll see. I did not realize he was painted in muted colors....that could work better with the rest of my Joes.
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I've had them for a week now. I already had The Rock, Cobra Commander, SE and SS from the Amazon packs so I didn't feel the need to buy them again. I just bought a bunch of Red Ninja, Cobra Trooper and Joe Trooper and 1 Zartan.
Zartan has sat one the shelf doing nothing. I thought I was going to hate the figure and I do. It's not Zartan at all. I just a bad looking toy.
Red ninja is good. The lone from the 3 pack is waaaay better then the one in the single pack. He just looks cooler even if it is the exact same mold.
I like the Cobra trooper. My son loves the parachute. I usually army build in sets of 3 but I bought 4 of him so my son can enjoy one.
Joe trooper, I love this figure. He has really grown on me. I agree he looks more like a face character then a troop builder. I wish Hasbro would give the collectors a break some day and offer up a 5 or 10 pack of plain heads. Just make it an Big bad Toy Store exclusive or something. That would inspire the adult collectors to army build more. Anyhow, love the Joe trooper. I took one and cut the peg on his back a bit so it fits better when he doesn't have the cape on. This is the best of wave 1 IMO.
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The only bright accessories he's got are the orange entrenching tool ( which is actually PAINTED orange), and the extra gas mask and cape, but the latter two items have a tan coloured variant. The entrenching tool is mounted on the back of the back and cannot even be seen from the front. Everything else is muted tones/colours.
Saw him at a local store today and he looked pretty good. I like that you do not need to attach the cape and the orange shovel is on his back, so out of site. However, the store, an independent toy store in Manhattan, was charging $15 for him. Tack on another 9% for sales tax. Good look with that......I passed. I'll pick him up at a more reasonable price. That was just silly.
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The only bright accessories he's got are the orange entrenching tool ( which is actually PAINTED orange), and the extra gas mask and cape, but the latter two items have a tan coloured variant. The entrenching tool is mounted on the back of the back and cannot even be seen from the front. Everything else is muted tones/colours.
Saw him at a local store today and he looked pretty good. I like that you do not need to attach the cape and the orange shovel is on his back, so out of site. However, the store, an independent toy store in Manhattan, was charging $15 for him. Tack on another 9% for sales tax. Good look with that......I passed. I'll pick him up at a more reasonable price. That was just silly.
Yep, that's asking too much. Only reason I bought what I did was because of the TRU sale and my step-son's employee discount--my original plan was to buy ONE Joe trooper and that was it.
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I hit 2 WMs and they are already gone.
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People have complained about the plastic and I thought they were being crazy. To be honest, they are right. Something is off with it. Just feels cheap....not like a RoC / PoC figure....more like a generic dollar store figure. I wonder if the Dollar Joes suffer from the same indignity. My GI Joe Trooper is very difficult to pose and his feet are crocked.
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Joe Trooper: Love alomst everything about the figure. It has all the articulation you've come to expect from a joe. Good amount of accesories. The only things that bothers me is the long peg for the backpack. It really only fits if you've got the "cape" on, that and the fact that the knees and lower legs appear to be of a cheaper/softer plastic. With the top heaviness of the fig, he tends to topple over...thanks for no figure stands Hasbro.
Ha! Thought it was me. Had the exact same problem. The legs are cheap and he topples over. His feet seem off too, as in not straight. I finally put him in the back of the Vamp II and propped him up against the machine gun to stand straight. I was 98% satisfied with the pose and then wait to move him b/c I am neurotic. Then discretion was the better part of valour and I just decided to leave well enough alone....I knew if I tried to move him to go from 98% to 100%, he would just collapsed. Cool mohawk, weak parts. Done with this line.
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People have complained about the plastic and I thought they were being crazy. To be honest, they are right. Something is off with it. Just feels cheap....not like a RoC / PoC figure....more like a generic dollar store figure. I wonder if the Dollar Joes suffer from the same indignity. My GI Joe Trooper is very difficult to pose and his feet are crocked.
For me, the plastic isn't a problem. Its consistent enough with what has gone before and is good quality. Cheapo plastic will have catastrophic problems, like sheering in mid-part, or along "fault lines" and are common in knock-off toys. I've bought dollar store toys on occasion and often the plastic is so cheap that the toy will break taking it out of the package, break on first pose and then literally crumble under ANY stress.
But that is why its so cheap, right? Off-shore toys, like some Japanese toys used to have this problem too.
Bear in mind that the Joe trooper figure has the rocker ankles, I believe--so he can pose in some wonky-looking positions. The trick is to put him on a stand and he'll hold a pose just fine. If you don't have stands, my trusty alternative is a small dollop of poster putty--works just as good as stands in many cases.
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I'd like to revisit my earlier comments:
Come to think about it I haven't seen Zartan, the joe trooper, the Cobra trooper and the Hiss tank so I can't judge too fast on what the little I've seen.
I'm still disappointed with the graphic quality on the packages.
Just looking now at what fellow Prince-de-Liu did as a Sgt. Slaughter custom using for the body the Retaliation Roadblock figure, all of a sudden my appreciation of that figure just went up by a couple of notches.
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I'd like to revisit my earlier comments:
Come to think about it I haven't seen Zartan, the joe trooper, the Cobra trooper and the Hiss tank so I can't judge too fast on what the little I've seen.
I'm still disappointed with the graphic quality on the packages.
Just looking now at what fellow Prince-de-Liu did as a Sgt. Slaughter custom using for the body the Retaliation Roadblock figure, all of a sudden my appreciation of that figure just went up by a couple of notches.
if you can get Roadblock from the 3 packs, it doesn't have the molded shoulder straps, it will work even better for a slaughter custom
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I picked up the red ninja and joe trooper while they were on sale. I really like the red ninja, he looks great in the ninja battles diorama. If these ever make clearance, I'd snap up a few more. I'm really curious to see how the line does with this movie delay. Walmarts near me got exactly one case and I have not seen any movement on them since they got them in. $11 and no movie tie in equals warm pegs.
I like the joe trooper as well. Haven't messed around with him much yet, but he's a pretty cool looking figure. I do like that he has lots of gear. Lots of gear is always good. Fits in pretty decently with the PoC stuff.
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If you get the Dojo battle 3 figure set, and you want to make Beachhead distinct, then use the un-masked head from the single card GIJOE trooper.
The Sideshow Toys 12" figure has an extra unmasked head that shows that Beachhead has a Ranger-style mohawk, so using the trooper head on the Dojo beachhead figure would work just fine. The only thing missing then would be the (incorrect) red beret tuck into the shoulder epaulet.
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that Joe trooper Mohawk shuold make it easier for people to do modern sculpt Soap MacTavish customs...
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I finally opened my Fang Boat, and for being a retooled Water Moccasin, it is a very decent toy.
Before I opened my Fang Boat, I contemplated returning it. I have the POC with Copperhead and Swamp Viper. I also have my original from when I was a kid. After putting it together I really like the design of it. I even dig the colours. Even though I hate spring loaded weapons, the launcher works on the Fang Boat.
I even hate to say it but the Swamp Viper that comes with the Fang Boat is one of the best 5 POA figures I've ever seen. For what they lack in articulation, they make up for it in sculpting detail. The hands were done really well on that figure. He also has a really cool head that I am debating doing a head swap with another figure.
The price is right on that vehicle too. Under $20 after tax, for a classic G.I. Joe vehicle. You can't go wrong.
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that Joe trooper Mohawk shuold make it easier for people to do modern sculpt Soap MacTavish customs...
I was looking for the "like" button. ;)
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Without reading of the above posts. I really have to say that out of all the figure lines, these I am let down the most. POC was the best yet, and I'm a ARAH O-ring collector at heart, but POC let me dabble a little into the Modern Era. Since then everything has just been not up to par. GO ARAH!
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I've only picked up a handful of series 1, but here's my initial thoughts:
The Good:
Zartan: awesome take on the character, and as a low-involvement customizer I always welcome the extra heads. The double holster for throwing knives is cool.
GI Joe Trooper: He looks like a very familiar video game character, but that's a big plus for me. And the extra head is a fairly unique, or at least rarely used, head sculpt, which lets me create new characters.
The Bad:
Snake Eyes w/ Ninja Speed Cycle: I bought this mainly for the bike, which is okay, but I cannot forgive the permanent hand positions of the figure.
The Ugly:
Roadblock: Big, big, BIG disappointment. I've been looking forward to adding The Rock to my collection for the past year, but I can't do much with him because he has a gun permanently attached to his hand! And it's on a unique peg size, so I can't swap it with the empty hand of another character. This design, with objects fixed into hands, is a fundamental violation of the GI Joe design principle, and is unforgivable. :(
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Without reading of the above posts. I really have to say that out of all the figure lines, these I am let down the most. POC was the best yet, and I'm a ARAH O-ring collector at heart, but POC let me dabble a little into the Modern Era. Since then everything has just been not up to par. GO ARAH!
Agreed.
The Retaliation figures are a huge step back compared to the POC versions. "Cheap" is one the word I use to describe the Retaliation figures (and it's not the price).
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The Ugly:
Roadblock: Big, big, BIG disappointment. I've been looking forward to adding The Rock to my collection for the past year, but I can't do much with him because he has a gun permanently attached to his hand! And it's on a unique peg size, so I can't swap it with the empty hand of another character. This design, with objects fixed into hands, is a fundamental violation of the GI Joe design principle, and is unforgivable. :(
If you pick up the 3-pack with "Night Ops" Roadblock, Beach Head, and Kamakura, the hands will swap easily and you will have a normal-handed Rock/Roadblock. And you will get an awesome black Resolute Roadblock/Night Adder vest to put on him making him look even beefier.
I bought the set mainly for the Roadblock hand swap, but Beach Head is pretty cool. Kamakura is just ok. But the set does come with a TON of gear, and that awesome minigun is also included. If you're not into Kamakura or Beach Head they can always be traded or used for customs fodder. I was pleased with the three figures and tons of gear for $19.99 though.
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The Ugly:
Roadblock: Big, big, BIG disappointment. I've been looking forward to adding The Rock to my collection for the past year, but I can't do much with him because he has a gun permanently attached to his hand! And it's on a unique peg size, so I can't swap it with the empty hand of another character. This design, with objects fixed into hands, is a fundamental violation of the GI Joe design principle, and is unforgivable. :(
If you pick up the 3-pack with "Night Ops" Roadblock, Beach Head, and Kamakura, the hands will swap easily and you will have a normal-handed Rock/Roadblock. And you will get an awesome black Resolute Roadblock/Night Adder vest to put on him making him look even beefier.
I bought the set mainly for the Roadblock hand swap, but Beach Head is pretty cool. Kamakura is just ok. But the set does come with a TON of gear, and that awesome minigun is also included. If you're not into Kamakura or Beach Head they can always be traded or used for customs fodder. I was pleased with the three figures and tons of gear for $19.99 though.
Thanks for the tip. I'll visit TRU and Silver Snail this wknd and see what I can find there. Not thrilled about having too many doubles of masked characters in my collection (takes away from the uniqueness of SS and SE) but I'll see what's available.