I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Robimus

Even with half the figures missing the mark, Classified is still easily the class of the six inch collecting world in my opinion.

The level of detail, the amount of accessories, and now serious vehicles incoming. It be working!

I agree 100% which makes me VERY worried for its future. I hope it?s sustainable, but given Hasbro?s track record I can?t help but feel that we will be getting less for more in the coming years. I hope I?m wrong though.

[Team Jetfire]

983-2
Diamond Select- Avatar: the Last Airbender: Sokka.





If you are a fan of Avatar you know there is a lot of talk about balance and it is convenient that the toys emulate the same message that is portrayed on screen. Unlike the balance that Aang and company needs to deal with, Diamond is showcasing more of a balance between good action figures and frustratingly bad action figures and unfortunately Sokka seems to be one of the worst and one that I had very high hopes for. It just seems as though Diamond ran out of money that they wanted to spend on the development of this later in the series figure which is a total shame given that he could have been way better. I?ll run through the issues in my Pros and Cons, but one of my pet peeves is when a company includes an accessory that was likely part of a larger piece, but due to cuts scales it back making it relatively non-usable. The example that I?ll point to for Sokka is the opaque disk looking accessory that is SUPPOSED to show his trademark boomerang in flight, however there is no boomerang molded in the plastic, nor is there any way to attach the included boomerang on it. I can see what they were trying to do, but it just feels incomplete to what it could have been.

Pros: The best part of Sokka, and most Diamond Select figures, is the solid sculpt. Sokka looks to be a bit more realistic, or rather has a less ?animated? look than his line mates that I think works really well for the character. I also appreciate the 2 weapons and boomerang storage as well as the clear plastic stand.

Cons: Unfortunately detail in the sculpt has created an issue with the articulation and overall ability to pose. I?m also annoyed with the boomerang effects given that there is no way to effectively pose them with the character. Overall, it just feels that Diamond had a plan for Sokka that they were unable to properly execute for whatever reason. All I know is that I had high hopes there were not met.

[Team Jetfire]

[canprime]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

I agree 100% which makes me VERY worried for its future. I hope it?s sustainable, but given Hasbro?s track record I can?t help but feel that we will be getting less for more in the coming years. I hope I?m wrong though.

All lines reach that inevitable point where the ROI isn't worth it anymore. That's when things go south and we pay more for less, and the quality usually dips as well.

Also there will be a time when they run out of both top tier characters, and well known characters. Usually by then most collectors have abandoned ship.



Thankfully Joe has such a large cast, and now vehicles as well, that they should be good for at least a couple more years.

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by canprime

All lines reach that inevitable point where the ROI isn't worth it anymore. That's when things go south and we pay more for less, and the quality usually dips as well.

Also there will be a time when they run out of both top tier characters, and well known characters. Usually by then most collectors have abandoned ship.



Thankfully Joe has such a large cast, and now vehicles as well, that they should be good for at least a couple more years.

I?ve seen this IRL with the Sigma 6 line. The first wave continues to be some of the best toys ever released, but the releases thereafter got measurably worse over time. Big difference that most people actually like Classified and will probably continue to support it.

Personally if Classified ended tomorrow, I would be fairly happy with the releases to date as they?ve made many of my favs, but there are so many more to pick from that I hope they get to.

[Team Jetfire]

984-2
Mattel- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Origins: Stratos




Well, today I learned that Mattel has its online sales website and they ship to Canada for a VERY reasonable $13? Ok, I?m lying, I knew that they had an online store and that they shipped to Canada, but just assumed that their products would be 1. Priced well out of reach of standard retail and 2. Shipped at some astronomical rate (not unlike Pulse and Disney) for Canadians and I have to say that on both accounts, it is not too bad. Would it be better for them to supply stores with a decent amount of stock that would meet demand? Yes. But given that this is Mattel and they have never been able to master distribution of the He-Man line, I may have to rely on their web site to get the stuff I really want.

Pros: I mean, it?s Stratos with improved articulation. What more could you want? Sadly I would want more?

Cons: I mean, it?s just Stratos with improved articulation. I know that the original figure did not come with a weapon, but this could have been a good opportunity to improve on the original.

[Team Jetfire]

985-2
Jazwares- Fortnite Legendary Series: Rust Lord.



It has been years since I got into collecting Fortnite toys and I’m still impressed with these Jazwares figures. They are not perfect, and Hasbro has them beat on every single Fortnite release, but I will be god-dammed if these aren’t some great figures that deserve way more love then they got. I say “then” because I don’t believe that they have the license any longer, but I also think I saw a Facebook post with a new 6” figure released at Target in the states, so who knows. The bigger question is if I will actually pull the trigger on them if I see them on the shelf, but time will certainly tell on that. The reality is that Fortnite isn’t going anywhere and continuing its reign of popularity coupled with Hasbro’s dropping of the line re-opens the door for Jazwares to get the license back and hopefully learn a thing or two from their initial run.

Pros: Honestly one of the best Jazwares Fortnite figures that I’ve opened in a while. And while they all tend to have great sculpts with lots of great accessories, some figures just feel better than others. As an example Rust Lord has tight joints, but not tight in a way that I think I’m going to break an arm off while trying to achieve a simple pose. Also, for whatever reason, the weapons just work better with the silly finger articulation that these figures have. I’m still not positive that if every Fortnite figure was as good as this that they would have been embraced by general audiences, but I sure would have liked them more.

Cons: Bit of an issue with the ankle articulation given that his sneakers don’t allow for a full range of motion, but doesn’t have a huge impact on pose-ability.

[Team Jetfire]

84-S
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Blue Marvel.




Quick update for anyone who cares: I?m still playing the mobile card battle game Marvel Snap, still have not dropped a dime on it and still can not achieve Infinite level for any given season. For those unaware, Marvel Snap is an app based game where you use digital cards to battle opponents for cubs that you can use to level up. As with all mobile games, it?s a touch more complicated and there is a bit of a learning curve, but once you get it, its really fun, frustrating and lightly addictive. However one of the coolest things is that all the cards are based on Marvel characters that span decades and include many that you have never heard of before, including Blue Marvel. And while I don?t really know too much about the real Blue Marvel, the card is extremely useful in giving all the other cards played a 1 point power increase which has won me a lot of matches over time, so it stood to reason that when I saw that Amazon had Blue Marvel on sale for $15, I just had to pick him up.

Pros: While this is not the version of Blue Marvel that I am super familiar with, I do like the overall look of the sculpt. Articulation is decent and unencumbered (which wouldn?t have been the case if they produced him in his more traditional caped costume) and allows for some nice poses and I love the energy effects that were included. A surprisingly good figure for the cost.

Cons: Outside of his head sculpt, I doubt that there is a unique piece of plastic on him. I mean, kudos to Hasbro for repurposing, but is this really worth the $35 that they are typically charging?

[Team Jetfire]

Welcome Friends!

I’d like to take this time to wish you all a happy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas! And as is tradition, it is time for some holiday inspired reviews, but first I wanted to take a stroll down memory lane with all my previous holiday reviews.

2019
272.5-2 Crackshot

http://www.actionfigurenews.ca/board...&postcount=477



2020
482.1-2 Range Trooper

http://www.actionfigurenews.ca/board...&postcount=802



482.2 Snow Trooper

http://www.actionfigurenews.ca/board...&postcount=803



2021
S-5 Holiday Joker

http://www.actionfigurenews.ca/board...postcount=1200



S-6 Slushy Soldier

http://www.actionfigurenews.ca/board...postcount=1209



2022
Christmas 1- Abominable Wookiee

https://www.actionfigurenews.ca/boar...postcount=1439




Enjoy!

[Tonestar]

Merry Christmas to you as well Great Job as usual, looking forward to next year !