Best Toy Prchases of 2022

My apologies for the significant drop-off of content this year. With restrictions eased now that people stupidly believe the pandemic is over, things have naturally changed for me this year. For one thing, I got a new, better Audio Visual job than the one I was doing before the pandemic and the ones I was doing in the little spaces between lockdowns. In addition, my workload has picked up so much that I'm finally chipping away at my student loan debt from University at long last, and renting a house seems possible. That may seem like a low bar, but when your life was on hold for two years, it felt like a more significant accomplishment than you'd think it would. Sadly, the trade-off is less time to work on these sights. I work on these sites for fun; I don't make a profit on them, meaning that I need to prioritize what does make money.

Anyway, I wanted to do something different this year. Instead of ranking toys in separate lists, I wanted to do a single post cataloguing some of my favourite toys of the year in no particular order. Are these toys all objectively the best? No, but they're enjoyable for different reasons. I've sorted them into categories for you; feel free to skip through to what you're interested in. With that out of the way: 

 

Transformers Collaborative: G.I. Joe Mash-Up, Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank and Baroness: A toy almost 40 years in the making.

Don't call it a comeback...
 
With every toy release, certain things will always be prioritized over others. Some are hard limits, such as budget and complexity requirements; others are goals to strive for over others. Transformers Legacy aims to bring beloved characters from all across the 38-year history of the Transformers brand together into a unified theme. On the other hand, Transformers Studio Series tries to balance accurate robot modes with the accuracy of licensed vehicles from the six (as of the time of writing) live-action Transformers movies. G.I. Joe Classified's primary goal is to modernize the 3.75-inch 80's G.I. Joe toys while sprinkling in more modernized characters and versions of the Real American Hero icons. With every priority, something is sacrificed. Some characters in Legacy either feel too faithful to the originals or not faithful enough, thanks to the attempts at a unified theme. The need for accurate vehicle modes in Studio Series has led to large chunks of (primarily) car mode panels hanging off the robots' backs due to the complexity of the movie designs. Some designs in the Classified line feel too rooted in the 80's aesthetic, making things feel more like a hodgepodge of goals when you start looking at the line as a whole. The point of all of this? Well, it would be an understatement to say that this toy has to do a lot. 

G.I. Joe and Transformers are no strangers to each other. Many eras of comics intertwine the two brands together; references to G.I. Joe have been found in Transformers multiple times, from Marissa Fairborn in the Generation 1 cartoon being written as the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye, Old Snake being an alias of Cobra Commander, and even in Transformers Prime where the military planes Agent Fowler uses in the attack on the Decepticon's base on earth being called Skystrikers. When it came to toys, though, while there were a few over the years, including Energon Snowcat, Combiner Wars Viper, numerous G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles repainted as Transformers characters, and a subscription service figure of Serpent O.R to name a small handful of them, none of it hit the need that a lot of fans of both brands were after. Iconic Transformers characters transforming into G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles that could interact with the 3.75-inch RAH figures. Right before this toy was revealed, I posted an opinion piece on the possibility of getting transforming Joe and Cobra vehicles in the modern Transformers scale, something that would have sacrificed the 3.75-inch compatability for cost and size, as it seemed like getting it all was going to be an impossible feet, something that this toy (depending on who you ask) confirms or debunks that belief. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, transforming into the iconic Cobra H.I.S.S Tank and including... a Retro O-Ring Baroness with it... okay, maybe not the perfect combo, but it does leave the door open for Cobra Commander coming with a possible Starscream. Is it everything fans have wanted? Well, if you got the hint from the very first paragraph, not quite. 

I'll start small and work my way up, which means we're starting with the O-Ring Baroness. "What is it?" "What does O-Ring mean?" effectively, it's a re-release of the 1984 Baroness figure. The only potential difference is that the O-Ring (a name given to a rubber ring inside most of, if not every 3.75-inch G.I. Joe toy from the '80s that held the torso together while giving the figures a waist swivel and ab crunch) is made of a different, apparently more robust rubber. Seeing this next to the H.I.S.S Tank driver that came with the Retro H.I.S.S III, I can see the differences between the two engineering styles. Baroness is noticeably smaller and a bit more restricted in certain areas of articulation, though the only thing I wish she had was a wrist swivel to help make the laser gun she comes with look more natural in her hands. She also helps to highlight the moulding changes they make in the H.I.S.S III to accommodate the taller driver, with things like the foot pegs on the back being a different, smaller size.

 
The sculpting work on her is nice, though there are certain elements where I can see what they were going for, but it doesn't quite work. The sculpting on her boots makes it look like she's wearing baggy pants hidden under black armour, while her glasses look more like large painted circles rather than eyewear. The way the rest of Baroness's face is sculpted as well reminds me of Daria from Bevis and Butt-head. She looks bored rather than threatening. The giant laser rifle looks okay, just awkward in her hand thanks to the way the hands were moulded, and you can't get her to look like she's shooting at someone. The backpack is a nice inclusion, though all it does is act like a decorative screw hole cover, with the only noteworthy thing about it being the sculpted Cobra logo on it. I don't think she's inherently wrong, but I will admit my experience with her figures in the Classified line ahead of time is causing me to be more critical of her. Sometimes it is difficult to objectively judge an older product when you've had more experience with later versions (why do you think I'll never review an original G1 Transformer?). Suppose you're a Joe fan, especially a vintage/ retro collector. In that case, you'll appreciate getting this more than any Transformer fan picking the set up as to them, she comes off more as an accessory, especially with all the ways that the 3.75-inch figures can interact with Megatron. 

 
While usually, I would go from vehicle mode to robot mode when discussing Transformers, I want to save the vehicle mode for last as the vehicle mode is one of the biggest priorities for this figure, even more than the robot mode. You will be disappointed if you're a Transformers fan who wants a Megatron. While this Megatron has an impressive size and mass to him, it doesn't feel like a cohesive blend of Decepticon and Cobra due to the reliance on the Generation 1 look. The black HISS Tank pieces hang off of the mainly grey Megatron, resulting in a very cumbersome-looking robot mode, almost on a level like many Beast Wars figures, especially Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo toys. The plastic choice and lack of weight for what is effectively a Commander Class figure also give the toy a little knock-off feel too it, though I think some who have reviewed this toy already have exaggerated this element of the toy. The toy is, unfortunately, very hollow, with almost none of the H.I.S.S Tank mass trying to hide this fact. Though it might be Commander Class in price, it doesn't feel like Commander Class in hand, likely due to the fact that this wasn't given a Commander Class budget in development due to the need to include The Baroness. This toy feels like a Leader Class toy blown up to Commander Class size, so I recommend getting it at a price closer to that Leader Class price if you can. I got the toy for just under $100, which helps make the figure feel better than it would have at $120.

 
In terms of functionality, there are some interesting elements of play that can be found here. The H.I.S.S Tank's turret is still fully functional, meaning that you can have Baroness or any other 3.75-inch figure man the Diablo Cannons while riding on Megatron's back. Said cannons, along with Megatron's Fusion Cannon, are compatible with the blast effects pieces that came with some of the War for Cybertron Trilogy figures, and due to the cannons being Transformer standard 5mm connections to the toy, you could arm any figure with the cannons, and replace them with many different combinations of Transformers weapons. As inconsequential as that might be for many, I love that because it adds a level of novel stupidity to the toy I genuinely love. Want to give the H.I.S.S Tank a pair of Optimus' Ion Blaster? You can do that. Starscream's Null Rays? Sure. Are you like me and have way too many copies of the War for Cybertron Megatron toy and want to arm the H.I.S.S Tank with multiple Fusion Cannons? Completely doable. The choice is yours and yours alone. Another thing about this toy that is funnier than it has any right to be is the fact that the plugs typically meant for standing figures behind the H.I.S.S Tank still exist on this toy, meaning that when that otherwise meaningless piece of plastic is used as "Megatron's Shield" in robot mode, you can have troopers dangling for dear life while Megatron uses them as meat shields. Sure, none of this is intentional, but it makes the figure more entertaining and helps to cover up its shortcomings in robot mode. 

Many of the shortcomings in Robot mode can be traced back to the need to be as close to a 1:1 recreation of the 1983 H.I.S.S Tank, and in the vehicle mode is where this toy shines, though I think they could have deviated a little more. One of the things I love about this toy compared to the H.I.S.S III release is that almost all the stickers from the original toy are now painted details. The 788 number at the front, the light bar, the Cobra faction logos, and the only sticker missing when compared to the H.I.S.S III is the turret control panel. However, I feel it's a missed opportunity not to have some brand crossover with the decorations. Things like a mashup of the Cobra and Decepticon logos like what they did with the Combiner Wars Viper toy, potentially a "kill count" detail on the side that could show how many Autobots and G.I. Joes have been killed, little things like those to help blend the two brands in this mode. An impressive feat for this toy is that, except for some gap lines on the body and a few Megatron pieces poking out, you can hardly tell that this toy transforms. It would almost effortlessly blend in with a collection of vintage H.I.S.S Tanks without anyone noticing (depending on if you're storing the Fusion Cannon on him, of course, that is a bit of a dead giveaway). The functionality of the original toy is also carried over into this toy, with the cockpit able to house a figure as a driver, the turret able to be manned by a figure, and two more able to ride on the back. A tow hook is also included to allow the tank to tow any of the portable artillery found in the Real American Hero toyline back in the 80s. However, I don't know how compatible it is as I don't own any tow vehicles. Unlike the original H.I.S.S Tank, the Vulcan Turrets can move independently, allowing them to look more dynamic for display and play, further emphasized by the aforementioned blast effects posts. The H.I.S.S Tank mode is undoubtedly the star of the show, but is it worth the complete package?

 
Is this a good H.I.S.S Tank toy? Yes... but there are some compromises for the sake of Megatron. Is this a good Megatron toy? No. You're likely better off getting either a dedicated H.I.S.S Tank or a dedicated Megatron toy. Does this blend the two franchises together in an ideal way? No. Does it scratch the itch? Yes. Yes it does. This is the toy that many have been wanting for decades. While it may not be great, there may be better Transformers characters to turn into a H.I.S.S Tank; there may be better Cobra characters to include as the pack-in, and there may be better ways to incorporate more of what makes the two brands unique. But considering the brief this toy has. Turn the iconic leader of the Decepticons into the iconic Cobra tank that interacts with the '80s 3.75-inch figures in all the ways the original H.I.S.S Tank did, and do it at a leader class budget. It did those to the best of its ability, and it's a great toy as a result. Maverick felt like a collector's piece. Gigawatt felt like a collector's piece. X-Spance, The Jurassic Pack 2 pack, and Dracula all felt like collector's pieces, novelties for those who like the two brands (and none of which I own, so don't ask for reviews). This feels like a toy. This feels like the toy 80's kids have wanted since they were kids. This is as fun as a toy crossing over two wildly popular '80s toy lines should be, so I recommend getting it if you can, especially if you love one of the brands and have been curious about the other.

G.I. Joe Retro Collection Cobra H.I.S.S III (with Rip It): The camera really does add mass.

Apologies for the month's hiatus. A combination of events including a return to work, lack of new toys that I feel could hold up a review on their own (I don't hear many requests for a review of the Lego Microfighters Razor Crest), an upcoming review on the other site for Pokemon Legends Arceus and work behind the scenes on recording more parts of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky for the RAWs channel. I do have something, though, that can be considered almost a prequel for a future review. Announced at the Hasbro Pulse live stream for the anniversary of G.I. Joe, fans of both G.I. Joe and Transformers will eventually be treated to a crossover toy, with Megatron transforming into a Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank. According to the stream, this will be the same size as a vintage H.I.S.S. Tank, as the toy will come with a Retro Baroness figure. So naturally, this got me curious about potentially reviewing a H.I.S.S. Tank, to do something many Transformers fans rarely get to do: compare the toy to the vehicle it's based on. One roughly $90 purchase from Amazon U.S. later, and the H.I.S.S. III is in my collection, as it was cheaper for me to get this than to find a complete vintage H.I.S.S. It even comes in Soundwave blue to act as a nice holdover until I potentially... hopefully... unlikely get that SDCC toy. Anyway, here's a review of the H.I.S.S. III.

I'll start this review by looking at Rip It, who, according to his bio sentences, can't even be described with words like mean and fearless. I might be more impressed if I saw the original card, but thanks to multi-language requirements, all I get is two sentences about how he wants to destroy things before being destroyed. I'm certainly more impressed with this guy than I am with my experiences with the Star Wars Vintage Collection, thanks to all the articulation in him. This figure is, to me, surprisingly agile. The only joint I wish he had (thanks to the Classified line spoiling me) is an inward ankle tilt. While it might be because of the extra vest over the torso, something I am looking to get a better feel of going forward, I don't see the point in bringing back the rubber O-Ring that was used in the 80s to add what would best be described as a waist swivel halfway up the stomach. While I acknowledge that these are effectively re-releases, and changing them would be akin to changing joints on Transformers G1 reissues, it somewhat fails as a selling point for me, as I've seen many other ways to do this style of movement that came out after the '80s. While Rip It and the H.I.S.S. III are 2000's toys; they are re-releases of the original H.I.S.S. Tank from the '80s, with most of Rip It's parts coming from the moulds used for the original H.I.S.S. Tank driver (except for the waist, which came from the 1992 Talking Battle Commander version of Cobra Commander). A potential Quality Control fault of my copy is his inability to stand straight. The legs want to snap back to have him lean forward a little, but this isn't the end of the world as he looks great when sitting down in the tank's cockpit. All it does is make the stand he comes with that bit more redundant for me. Still, he makes for a nice accompanying piece for the tank but wouldn't be anything special on his own.

 

Beauty in simplicity best describes the original H.I.S.S. Tank. While other versions have caught my interest thanks to how they deviate while keeping to the feel of the original (such as the 2005 version and the 2012 versions), there's still a nice charm to the original design. As with most of the parts for Rip It, this is, as far as I can tell, a repaint of the original H.I.S.S. Tank, with the only differences being the plastic colour the main body was moulded in, new paint on the tank treads, and new sticker details. There may also be differences in plastics used between releases, but if all you want is a H.I.S.S. Tank, and don't care about it not being black, then this is a valid version to get, based on looks alone. It is amusing to look at this toy after seeing how insane some of the later Cobra vehicles became in the 80s and 90s, along with how later incarnations deviate from the original look. This tank looks and feels underpowered and reserved in comparison, like looking at a picture of a Star-Wars AT-AT, without the context of the size, and comparing it to vehicles like the AT-TE and the AT-M6. Not the toy's fault of course; time is just cruel. In terms of functions, you have a set of fake wheels to allow the tank to move, though it is a shame that the wheels are locked as pairs rather than four stand-alone wheels as it makes turning harder to do. You also have a rotating turret with the linked guns to angle up and down. A tow hook is on the back of the tank, which gives it compatibility with the tow vehicles from around the time of the original H.I.S.S. Tank, but something I'm not sure can be easily used now as I don't know if said vehicles have been re-released. A figure can be seated in the cockpit quite comfortably with the windscreen able to close over them; however, hairstyle and accessories may become an issue, with three more figures able to hitch a ride thanks to the turret having room for a gunner. Two plugs on the back of the tank give space for two more figures to stand on and hitch a ride. It's certainly not the most action-packed toy, but considering it was likely intended as a moderately priced toy, not the big toy for the year but not one of the smallest either, it does the job very well. I was surprised by how small it was and the box it came in. From what I had seen, I was expecting something a little bigger, with a box much larger. It's making me question if I actually would have the room for one of those Haslab Skystrikers, but even if I did, I didn't order one, so it won't be an issue. 

The H.I.S.S. III is in an interesting position for me when it comes to summing up my views on it and figuring out if it's worth it. Hasbro reissues of Transformers aren't generally worth the cost; I believe they're overpriced for what they are (at least they are here in Australia). The main reason for this is that they've often shared shelf space with the modern versions of the characters that are cheaper, can do more, and are just overall better toys. Rip It would fall into this category as well, as while there is no Classified version of him yet, it's hard to say, "yes, go get a new version of this 80's figure that costs more then the larger figure with more paint applications, more detailed sculpting and more articulation". But there is no modern H.I.S.S. Tank on the shelves right now (at least here in Australia, where there isn't any version of the H.I.S.S. Tank on shelves). Sure, Megatron H.I.S.S. is coming out in a few months, and while that objectively does more than the H.I.S.S. III, it's cheating to do that by being a Transformer. By modern standards, I wouldn't say the H.I.S.S. III is a good toy, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy with it. The H.I.S.S. Tank is an iconic vehicle from the Real American Hero toyline, and just having a version of the tank is a delight for someone who likes the vehicles. Bringing cost back into consideration, I believe this is a cheaper way to get a copy of the toy compared to purchasing a vintage one; however, I'm not in the know when it comes to vintage G.I. Joe toy buying outside of Facebook live streams and eBay (which at time of writing didn't have a vintage copy listed anywhere). In that regard, I do think it's worth it, but in saying that, I wish there were a Classified equivalent line for bringing new versions of the vehicles to collectors' hands (albeit not in a 6-inch scale, some of those vehicles would be massive at that size). If you are a fan of the tank itself, this is a great way to get it.

Hasbro Pulse G.I. Joe (A Real American Hero) 40th Anniversarry Stream: Alas, no love for Mr. Colton yet.

 I swear, at some point, I'll review those minibot trucks and start covering the Golden Disc collection. Anyway, more news this week, and a new two-hour-long stream covering some of the plans for the G.I. Joe (A Real American Hero, the G.I. Joe brand itself has been around even longer) 40th anniversary. There was a lot here, so let's go through almost all of it... I can't bring myself to get through that opening rap...

 

While this won't be in the order shown, this will be in the order of excitement for me personally. We saw more of many of the reveals in January, with the only significant exception that I can recall being the Retro Duke and Cobra Commander two-pack. Diorama shots of Stalker, the Cobra Viper three-pack, Xamot and Tomax were shown, including the reveal of the Vipers coming with blast effect accessories which should be compatible with almost all the guns in the Classified line. The Vipers were also used as an example of Classified's future with plastic-free packaging, with nice looking artwork of a Viper Squad. Stalker and the Crimson Twins also look great, but there isn't much to talk about outside of the reveals of their accessories. Same with the box reveal for the O Ring Cobra Officer and Cobra Trooper, along with the six-inch card backs for Baroness, Destro, Gung-Ho and Lady Jaye.

 

Super 7's ReAction figures were also shown off, within packaging looks at Snake Eyes, Flint, Roadblock, Cobra Commander, Baroness and Firefly, all of which look great thanks to their cartoon styling. I'm curious to see how these figures and the previous two waves (if they're out yet) look alongside the vintage vehicles, as I think the figures are around the same size, just sculpted to look like they do in the cartoon. In other elements of the more expansive franchise, there was an interview with Tom Walts from IDW discussing the new comic series: Saturday Morning Adventure, and a 40th-anniversary special comic that's (for lack of a better way to put it) remaking the iconic story from the original RAH comic run at Marvel: Silent Interlude, with new art by a wide variety of artists, each doing a page each. I'm pretty curious about the Saturday Morning Adventure series. I don't have a copy yet as my local comic shop isn't exactly local, but as with the talk about recent Transformers comics, it's hard to be interested in them when the license is almost over. On the note of comics, what seems like a passion project by some of the photographers is taking iconic G.I. Joe comic covers and replicating them with the Classified figures. You can find those on social media. In other entertainment news, a new Tabletop game is coming called G.I. Joe: Mission Critical, which sounds interesting, but I'll need to wait and see it being played first before I form an opinion on it, and you can now play as Snake Eyes (and Timber) and Storm Shadow in Brawlhalla. The only thing I have to say about this is that, once again, the Transformers team, take some notes. Showing actual gameplay helps to get people excited about playing these games (something many companies, even in the industry, could do to learn). Is it something I'll play? Probably not; if I want to play a Super Smash Brothers style game, I'll play Super Smash Brothers. Still, the presentation was far more interesting than all the other free to play crossovers they've shown off for Transformers.

 

On to the bigger reveals. There wasn't a lot of love for the Retro line this time, though Classified got a lot of attention thanks to eight new digital renders, including one I doubt anyone saw coming; it does give hope for certain exciting things in the future. Zarana for your Dreadnoks, Dusty for your standard Joe team, Python Patrol Viper to provide the Python Patrol with another Army Builder, Tiger Force Recondo and Bazooka joining Outback in the "we hope this gets a normal release in the future" camp, Dr Mindbender for Cobra, with potential hints to Serpentor coming soon based on what they were saying (though I may be reading too much into it) and... Kamakura... a 2003, post RAH toyline character. This was a character made while Devil's Due Publishing had the publishing rights to G.I. Joe comics. However, the basis seems to come from a minor character in the Marvel comics (or maybe he was retroactively retconned in? I'm not sure about this one, though I'll have more info when/ if I review him). It's interesting to see a far more recent character be included in the line, and with them saying in the stream that they would like to do more pre and post RAH characters in this Classified style, it does give hope for more characters other generations of G.I. Joe fans to be included into the line. There's still hope for you yet, Mr Colton! As for the other characters, all of these look good; I can't wait to see the diorama pictures and get them for myself.

 

And now, the big one... damm you Hasbro, you're making it harder and harder to not collect the vintage vehicles (I don't have the space nor money!). While I standby the ideas presented here: https://mediaholicstoybox.blogspot.com/2022/02/opinion-piece-transformers-x-gi-joe.html when it comes to a crossover line of toys, the rumours about Project Trooper being a Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover were true. A desire since the 80s, and long overdue due to that desire, Decepticon Leader Megatron is being released in the G.I. Joe Retro line, transforming into an in scale H.I.S.S Tank, bundled with a Retro release of Baroness. I still maintain that the Cobra Mamba is a better fit, especially as we know Megatron can work as a dual rotor helicopter thanks to Transformers Animated. Still, it's hard to deny that this long-awaited dream for 80's kids is coming true. Does it look great? No, the priorities seem to be "Accurate and functional H.I.S.S Tank first, G1 accurate Megatron second, making that all actually work in a clean way coming third." Megatron doesn't look like he transforms into a H.I.S.S but instead wears a H.I.S.S tank on his back. A part of me would have liked to have seen the tank in silver, akin to the box set Hasbro put out in 2016 where they did a 2005 H.I.S.S Tank in Soundwave colours, but that is a nitpick and would detract from the fantasy fulfilment that this is going for. I've got it on pre-order; I'll aim to do a review of it as soon as I can, though this feels like I'm testing fate. I hope this goes well because I think many people would love to see even more Joe and Cobra Vehicles becoming Cybertronian Robots (plus, I doubt many would oppose getting Marissa Fairborn and Old Snake in the Classified line). 

 

2022 is looking to be a step up from 2021; there seems to be enough confidence in the brand to give it more of a push. I hope this momentum continues (and hopefully improves here in Australia before I start army building P.D Destros to get them off shelves). I'm interested to see what the standout reveals were too many people, though. So what are you hoping for next?

 

 

Top 8 Best G.I. Joe Classified Figures of 2021 (/so far)

The end of the lists and recaps is here. Scaled back from my original plan of a best and worst (for those curious, Roadblock made the worst because for all the repaints and re-releases, it still feels like they're struggling to lock down the character). And now, including a summary of the Fan First Friday that aired yesterday (or tonight at the time of writing this part), it's time to see how the Classified line goes ranked. While it's true for the Transformers lists and the miscellaneous action figure list, I feel I should stress that this is a list covering the Joes I got in 2021. Thanks to the fact that I could still get early line figures last year relatively easily, it's a list that covers both 2020 and 2021. Does this include all of the figures in the line? No, there are some I'm missing and some I do not intend to get. This list is just covering the ones I've gotten. To the retro collectors, I would love to do one of these for the retro line at some point, especially for the vehicles. Unfortunately, I don't have the money or space to collect the retro stuff.

8. Scarlet (v1):

 

 
Scarlet's an interesting case for me. Like her wave mates, she got a reissue with a different paint job to "make her look more realistic and not as futuristic", but except for the head sculpt, I think the first version is far better thanks to the modernization done to her original costume. I think the dark blue better compliments the figure than the black does. The accessories she comes with are also a little clumsy. Her crossbow comes apart easily (granted, it's an anti breaking bit of engineering), and her quiver is awkward in its design. Awkward is probably the best way to describe her, as there isn't anything objectively wrong with the toy, just awkward. I hope if she does get a new toy later down the line, they bring the dark blue back. Another hope of mine is that they give her the articulation that came with Lady Jaye. For those wondering why she didn't make it, out of the two I just prefer Scarlet in terms of an overall upgrade to her original design, even if Lady Jaye is still a solid figure on her own merit.

7. Cobra Infantry Trooper: 

 

 
Representing the army builders is the Cobra Infantry. Better than the Cobra Trooper released in the Cobra Island line? I don't know, there are two figures I'm missing from the 2020-2021 lineup, and that army builder is one of them (the other is Beachhead). While the Infantry Trooper might not be as well-armed as other Cobra Army Builder's so far, I honestly prefer that as it helps identify them as the grunts. The nameless, faceless, rank fillers intended to enforce a "Strength in Numbers" mindset but are more akin to Stormtroopers, "throw enough bodies at the problem and hope it goes away". There's a certain charm in the simplicity of the Infantry Trooper, and what helps them at the moment is that they're so generic that they fit in with basically any member of Cobra. The Vipers seem to be too skilled to not be on their own, the ARC Troopers of Cobra. The Red Ninjas look fine, but they feel out of place without any other Cobra Ninjas. That's why the Infantry Trooper wins out over them, at least in my eyes.

6. Major Bludd: 

 

As much as I joked about how much of a "first boss" feel Bludd has, it's hard to deny how good he looks. The detailing work for him is well done, and it helps define things from the original toy, such as the robotic arm. Bludd makes it to the list as, while it doesn't make me more invested in the character, I can't help but give him credit for trying. He is a solid figure of a needed character, but for all that polish, for better or worse, he still feels like that first boss.

5. Zartan (retail and Pulsecon): 

 

 
Zartan's an interesting case for me. It's a figure where I loved the base retail release but hated the accessories; some felt like mould flash that looked somewhat cool, so they kept them in (these being the monkey's paw and the snake head). When the Convention Exclusive version came out, I thought the colour change gimmick was an excellent nod to the original toy. The silver armour I could take or leave, but the accessories he came with were a significant step up from the retail release. I love the giant sniper rifle and the different heads (the Snake Eyes one I keep on my Snake Eyes figure, as the grey visor looks good on him). I wouldn't recommend what I did; the chances are that Zartan will see another release that combines the two is relatively high. Both are good, though, so there's no definitive "which one's better?" in my eyes.

4. Snake Eyes Movie Baroness: 

 

 
Like I said in my review of the two different Baroness toys, while the Cobra Island release feels more like a faithful, blown up re-release of the original Baroness figure, the Snake Eyes release feels more like what I want to see from Classified. "What if this character was done in the style of the 2020's?" While I know this was because of the movie, and the style of Holywood is, at least for Paramount, to take things in a very different direction in terms of designs (yes, I see you in the corner over there, Bayformers), this feels different enough to the original without being barely recognizable. You can still show the design to a casual fan of G.I. Joe, and they'd go, "Oh yeah, that's The Baroness". While I have gotten some more from the Snake Eyes sub-line, Baroness is still the best of the ones I've gotten (which ironically still doesn't include Snake Eyes himself).
 
3. Duke and Flint: 

 

 

 I think many people gave Duke a hard time when it came to the initial launch of Classified. "G.I. Joe is based on the real army. Get all that sci-fi shit out of here!" I hear people say. To paraphrase a friend of mine, G.I. Joe has always felt like it was on the cutting edge of modern military technology. While Cobra went harder into Sci-fi in terms of weapons and vehicles, the Joes' gear felt like it was brand new, like they get the latest, experimental hardware before the main military gets it. New military hardware is being developed every day; why do you think America spends so much on its military? What was new for 1982 is dated in 2021. Even with that said, Duke doesn't go into Sci-fi. His rifle is just a little shinier. I include Flint here because of how similar the two figures are (Flint uses a lot of Duke's parts, after all). While he doesn't get as much modern tech (probably thanks to the backlash the first wave got), it gives him a more rugged feel, which I think nicely complements Duke as Flint always seemed to prefer the front line instead of leading from behind.

2. Cobra Commander and Regal Cobra Commander: 

 

 
I love how expressive this guy is, considering there's not much to be expressive with. Because of the mirror helmet, it's hard to convey any emotion until you get the hands involved. Oddly, CoCo is the only character to include alternate hands, as all the other figures rely on the heads to carry the expression. While that's not a bad thing, it feels limiting compared to other 6-inch lines, and even when compared to CoCo due to how much personality you can get out of his unique hands. I think all the figures in the line could benefit from a set of fists at least (and I'll have an example coming soon of that point). Still, the expressiveness that comes from both the significant releases of Cobra Commander is what brings him to Number 2. I couldn't pick a favourite out of the two, though; both are equally good.
 

1. Timber. 

 

 
 You may say it's a cheat to include an accessory into this let, let alone have it be the number 1 spot, but it's hard for me to think of anyone else taking up this role. Bundled with the Commando Snake Eyes (based on the first unpainted Snake Eyes toy from the 80's run), Timber is just a gorgeous figure and sets a high bar for not only the upcoming Fiona but also any other potential Classified animals like Junkyard. Timber captures the wolf's beauty while also adding in unique detailing that helps tell a story about what Timber's life was like before befriending Snake Eyes. In all honesty, Snake Eyes feels like an accessory in this set; that's how good of a figure Timber is. Perhaps Commando Snake Eyes would stand out more if it gets repainted into cartoon/ "this is probably what they intended him to look like before his paint was sacrificed to make everyone else better" colours, but even with the generic Snake Eyes bundled with him, you should go out of your way to get Timber. 

 

While working on this list, Hasbro put out a Fan First Friday for G.I. Joe, which was overall solid. A shift to digital renders should hopefully help with the messaging so that they get announced before figure leaks happen. Tomax, Xemont and Stalker all look great (I would absolutely buy a set of the twins in their business suits if they made them). The Viper troop builder pack I'll wait and see how they look with the already released Vipers (as I already have three...), the retro "totally not being released on oversided card backs like Marvel Legends" look ok, the only one that interested me was Destro, maybe Gung Ho, I'm going to wait and see before I make up my mind on them. I don't have much to say about the O-Ring figures, as I don't collect them. Hopefully they interest the retro collectors. From next week on, I'll be going back to reviews. In fact, the following review will keep in the spirit of the Classified line, just not quite what you're expecting. Welcome to the slaughterhouse G.I Joe.

Hasbro Pulsecon 2021 Day 2; G.I. Joe and NERF: A strong temptation to review 3 3/4 inch...

 And welcome back for the Pulsecon opinion pieces on the Hasbro Pulsecon reveals for 2021. While the first post covered Transformers Legacy almost exclusively (purely because I don't think Star Wars content interests a lot of the general audience for my content), this will be a bit more diverse. While the bulk will be focused on G.I. Joe, I decided to include what turned out to be a surprisingly short NERF presentation (I thought they would have shown off more than one new gun and info on a V.R. game). To the one or two people that saw the two Marvel Legends reviews, I'm sorry. Still, because of how badly those did, I won't be covering Marvel Legends here, primarily due to the length of the panel (almost two hours of Marvel Legends according to the YouTube progress bar?!); it would likely be a post on its own. Analytics were not kind to Gwen and Miles' reviews, so I can't justify the work. Sorry guys, but on with the show!

Thank you to HISSTank.com for saving me the effort of making one of these in Powerpoint.

Because of how short it was, I'll cover the NERF panel first. The bulk of the panel was focused on a V.R. game in development called NERF Unlimited Championship. The game itself looks interesting. I can see it having a decent player base, but due to how fractured the V.R. community is in terms of development and how niche V.R. as a gaming platform is, I don't see it having a lot of long term potential. As it stands right now, it's coming to the Occulus Platform for V.R., but if it became more accessible as a general First Person Shooter game on consoles and P.C.'s, I'd probably give it a shot. We know there is a market for more cartoon based shooting games, as evident by things like Splatoon and especially Fortnite. On the more mature end of the spectrum, they revealed the newest addition to the NERF Limited line (a line focusing on recreating weapons from popular franchises as NERF weapons) to be the Halo Needler. I love how it looks; the Needler is one of my favourite designs for a Sci-Fi gun. I love how they have the crystals glow when it's active, though it is a shame that there was no room to have the crystals retract when firing one of the darts. It would have been a nice touch if they made that work. Though I'm not an active NERF gun collector, the only two I have are a Retaliator Elite and a Barricade RV-10 with minor Q.C. issues; it is one I'm tempted to get because of how nice it looks. 

Onto the G.I Joe Panel (though technically panels). They started the stream with Classified, but unfortunately, there were a lot of audio issues, especially for the introduction, the first reveal and an in-depth look at the Pulsecon exclusive: Master of Disguise Zartan. Like with the exclusives in the Transformers panel, I won't be covering Zartan here as I plan to go more in-depth at a later time. The audio issues were very distracting and frustrating due to the first reveal being the Cobra Battle Android Trooper (here on out being referred to as the B.A.T.). Encase the overwhelming focus of Transformers on this site wasn't obvious, I love toy robots, and the B.A.T. looks great. Like a lot of the Army Builders in the Classified line, there's a lot of customization options built-in, allowing for a lot of diversity when it comes to displaying the figure as an army. With the reveal of the regular B.A.T., along with an all-new repaint in one of the replacements to the Cobra Island subline, Python Patrol, I'm surprised they didn't take the time to show off the B.A.T. creator, Dr Mindbender. There's likely one coming later down the line, but it still feels like an odd omission, especially with their focus for releases being somewhat tied to storytelling (at least according to the stream). 

That's not to say that what was shown off was terrible, far from it. Other reveals include a Python Patrol Cobra Viper and the Joe equivalent in the Cobra Island replacement, Tiger Force Outback. Both look good, though I'm curious to see how they handle the distribution, especially given Cobra Island's track record. For general retail (I hope), we got to see a more traditional take on Storm Shadow, Spirit and his eagle companion Freedom, along with a new Deluxe release similar to Commando Snake Eyes and Timber: Croc Master ( with Fiona, Diablo and Georgie). Storm Shadow is about what I expected; I just wish they went a little further with the modernization, similar to what they did with Snake Eyes. However, I appreciate that you can now put his arrow in his quiver; that's a significant improvement over the Arctic Storm Shadow release that I've already reviewed. On the other end of the excitement spectrum, Spirit and Freedom look great. I cannot wait to get those two, the sample shots they've shown look fantastic. However, I can't evaluate how this new toy is as a respectful take on Native American culture. Respecting the culture is something they've brought up when discussing him, but I leave the judging of that element to people far more qualified than a mid 20's Australian white guy. Finally, I'm honestly shocked Croc Master is a thing at all. I've got no idea who he is, but when/ if I get to review him, I'm very curious to learn more about him. 

There was some focus put onto the Snake Eyes movie, nothing major, though. A deleted scene, a look at one of the extras included on the home release (I believe it's included at least) and a Halloween costume... I have nothing more to add to this because Halloween isn't a big thing where I live, but for those wanting to cosplay as movie Snake Eyes, there's an option, I guess? The final two reveals from the panel are from their Retro collection. New versions of Storm Shadow and Commando Snake Eyes, including improvements to try and stop hands breaking along with the return of O-Rings. For those who exclusively collect Classified, I believe O-Rings were used to handle waste swivels and maybe ab crunches for the original toys. I'm not sure of this as I'm not a 3 3/4 inch collector. The O-Rings have apparently also seen a change of material to try and improve durability, and it remains up in the air if they work with older figures and vehicles, though. On the subject of vehicles, the Joes are getting their first Haslab crowdfund project, a new take on the Skystriker, one of the most well-known vehicles in the Joe's arsenal from the '80s (I'm not sure if "one of the first" counts as it was in the second wave of vehicles). A lot of people seem to be viewing this as a crowdfunded re-release. While that's somewhat true, it seems to be a faithful modernization of the original toy, improving engineering elements, introducing new sculpting details, and being a mix of both a licensed Grumman F-14 Tomcat and toy accurate Skystriker. New customization elements for display options and army building potential (I dread to think of how much money someone has if they're willing to army build a USD 230 toy), along with unreleased characters and costumes included in both the base goal and the stretch goals. This thing looks fantastic, and I'm somewhat glad it's not available for pre-order here yet (if at all) because it's tempting to get even though I've got nowhere to put it, and I'm already backing Star Saber. At the very least, I'd love to review this toy, but I cannot justify getting it other then having a representation of the plane in my collection. While I would say there's no chance of there being a Classified scaled version of the plane, less likely things have either become reality, are going to become reality, or are apparently being worked on (seriously Fans Toys, who said a Masterpiece scaled Titan was a good idea?!). I hope it does get made, though, for all of those who want one. 

Between the two days, it does seem like Hasbro is getting better at Direct Consumer marketing, but there is still room to improve (however that could, in part, be because I'm so used to Nintendo Directs). There are many things to look forward to in the new year, so much so that I'm in the process of reworking release schedules or at least coming up with new schedule ideas. I hope you've enjoyed today's content, and I'll see you next week for Kingdom Rodimus Prime.