Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Lord Dactus

When toy lines run for a few years, it can become hard to think of new things to say about what become increasingly old toys. Sure, some details might be different and represent different characters, but the underlying architecture is still the same. Like adding vinyl siding to an old house, you can change the appearance, but only so much. Masters of the Universe Classics was a line designed from the ground up to use as few original parts as possible. In theory, this leads to more affordable figures and happier collectors. In practice, at least in Mattel's case, this leads to premium prices for figures that often feature at more two or three new parts.

Hasbro Transformers Beast Hunters Commander Class Optimus Lime 2013

I've been on a roll with good Transformers reviews lately. Springer is an all-time, immediate classic that is often rated as the very best Transformer ever made. The various Commander Class figures that I've looked at have featured great appearances and wonderful articulation. Because of this, I figured while Amazon had the figures on sale, I'd go ahead and grab my very on Commander Class Optimus Prime. Of course, it was a "stealth" mode that just happened to be lime green.. and that really should have been my first hint. Just so you know, I refuse to call this character Optimus Prime. No, this is Optimus Lime. I like to think of him as the Randy Quaid character from the National Lampoon movies.

Hasbro Transformers Voyager Class Springer 2013

Transformers has been on toy shelves for 30 years. Let that sink in... for 30 years, Transformers have been valid and popular toy options. Naturally, some years have been better than others, and come concepts have been rather, well, lacking, but the constant reinvention of the line has been key in making sure that children of many generations all enjoy the characters. While lines like Masters of the Universe and Cabbage Patch Kids struggle to exist, Transformers and GI Joe keep trucking on.

Mattel '66 Batman and Robin 2-Pack 2013

When Mattel announced they had the license to make toys based on the television show, Batman, there was immediate joy at the idea of finally having figures of Burt Ward, Adam West, and all the other fantastic actors involved. This lasted for about forty-five seconds before those same people then realized that it was Mattel making the announcement. We knew, then, that it probably wasn't going to end well.

Transformers Beast Hunters Ripclaw 2013

It's been a little while now since Transformers: Beast Hunters has been on the air, but it still is a very memorable toy line. While there were a few misses, most of the figures were well sculpted, unique, and featured great paint applications. Current toys are in the process of dialing back on articulation and paint (as well as plastic quality) in the interest of cost-cutting, but Hasbro has done a pretty good job of avoiding that with their Transformers toys so far.

Mcfarlane Toys Ratonhnhake:Ton 2013

After a brief hiatus, we're back with another toy review, and this one is unlike any I've ever done before. This one is of the character Ratonhnhake:Ton from the game Assassin's Creed III. I don't have a lot of experience with the Assassin's Creed franchise - the first one was a bit off-putting and I never could figure out which Assassin's Creed II I was supposed to play.. apparently there were about fifteen of them. I did play Assassin's Creed III, however, and really enjoyed the experience. Because of that, when Amazon.com offered one of the figures for less than five bucks, I jumped at the chance to pick one up.

Hasbro Transformers Beast Hunters Cyberverse Commander Huffer 2013

Thanks to the Amazon.com Christmas sale, I was able to snag some pretty nice Transformers at a REALLY nice price. The ones that impressed me the most at that time were the Cyberverse Commanders. These are smaller figures with limited paint applications and a lower entry price, but still retain a lot of play quality. After my first couple of purchases, I decided to get some more and found Huffer for a steal. Since it's been a while, I figured today was as good a day as any to take another look at a Transformer, so let's check out Huffer! (Also, just a reminder - most of the images I upload to my reviews are pretty massive.. feel free to click on an image if you want to see it larger and in more detail!)