do you have any figures/toys?

[The Mollusk]

Does it work? Got a neighbour's cat who is a cheeky fucker and who keeps trying to get into the flat. Was gonna nail a cucumber to the front door but perhaps Edd The Duck is the answer.

My cat - who has been known to kill squirrels and large rats and regularly attacks his sister for the sheer malicious fun of it - is a total melt who's scared of a laser pointer and squints fearfully and leaves the room when I spray deodorant on, so he's probably not a good point upon which to gauge the success of scare tactics!

[madhair60]

i want the world to know that I bought the nendoroid figures of Inugami Korone and Nekomata Okayu, and they come with a special hand piece each that lets them hold hands with one another.

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Are there any figures/toys you remember from childhood that you never had, and that you now occasionally wish you had but know that if you did you'd experience them as rubbish and they would annoy you?

The Real Ghostbusters toy that seemed very desirable to me in the Argos Catalogue was the figure 'Mail Fraud'.  It's a postman that with one simple pressing action transforms into a very effective monster.  His shirt pockets become eyes and his waistline opens into a toothy chomping mouth.



Lovely stuff.  The best toy transformations occur in as few steps as possible, and this was one single press.  My idealised version of this toy occupied my mind so much that I ended up making one with two toilet roll cardboard tubes, with one of them cut and taped to make it slightly narrower so the other one could slide over it and replicate the transformation action.

Occasionally I search for it on eBay, and nostalgia makes it look desirable for a few seconds, but I very quickly come to my senses.


Anyone else?

[popcorn]

Are there any figures/toys you remember from childhood that you never had, and that you now occasionally wish you had but know that if you did you'd experience them as rubbish and they would annoy you?

I longed for a Megatron as a child, I never even knew any mates who had one, in fact I think it's possible it was made illegal as you could use him to hold up a bank.

I occasionally think about buying one on eBay now as if it's going to bring some sense of fulfilment, but I bet I would now experience it as rubbish and what's more today's bank staff are probably well trained about Megatrons.

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I always found it odd that, in a world of cars and trucks appropriately scaled to each other and the robots themselves, Megatron would transform into a handgun for what would be to them a giant's hands.

In fact I may have lost some many childhood nights dwelling on that.

[RetroRobot]

Are there any figures/toys you remember from childhood that you never had, and that you now occasionally wish you had but know that if you did you'd experience them as rubbish and they would annoy you?

Those 90s Kenner Aliens toys. They're quite cheap on ebay though so maybe I'll bite the bullet and get the Mantis Alien and the Crab Alien. The Snake one looked ace too...

But I own too much plastic shite as is.

[RetroRobot]

I always found it odd that, in a world of cars and trucks appropriately scaled to each other and the robots themselves, Megatron would transform into a handgun for what would be to them a giant's hands.

In fact I may have lost some many childhood nights dwelling on that.

Didn't he shrink in the cartoon so the other transformers could use him as a gun? Still wouldn't be a human sized gun mind but eh.

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Didn't he shrink in the cartoon so the other transformers could use him as a gun? Still wouldn't be a human sized gun mind but eh.

I love that.  Why not just store a normal handgun inside the parts of their robot selves that become glove compartments?

Instead their actual leader wilfully transforms his entire body into an immobile gun that could easily be left behind on purpose if him and his gang have a fall out.

[RetroRobot]

I love that.  Why not just store a normal handgun inside the parts of their robot selves that become glove compartments?

Instead their actual leader wilfully transforms his entire body into an immobile gun that could easily be left behind on purpose if him and his gang have a fall out.

It was always a bit confusing because the baddies that used him as a gun had their own guns in the show too. They shot the same lasers too so why would they use their boss as one if functionally its the exact same as their regular guns...?

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Those 90s Kenner Aliens toys. They're quite cheap on ebay though so maybe I'll bite the bullet and get the Mantis Alien and the Crab Alien. The Snake one looked ace too...

But I own too much plastic shite as is.

I had the Snake Alien when I were a lad! Can confirm it was ace. No idea where it went. Charity shop or something I suppose.

[buzby]

i want the world to know that I bought the nendoroid figures of Inugami Korone and Nekomata Okayu, and they come with a special hand piece each that lets them hold hands with one another.

I've got the Nendoroid Hachiman and Yukino figures coming in a few months:

The Hachiman figure is the only merch that's ever been made of him (the main character of Oregairu - not much money to be made with male merch on a series that's basically been turned into a self-insert harem to make money through 'waifu' worship), and the Yukino figure is one of the few examples where she's fully clothed (which is laughable considering how insecure and reserved her character in the books and anime, never mind the fact that she's a schoolgirl)

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I'm still strangely jealous of the fact that my little brother had all four of the primary werebears and I had none of them.  He still keeps them now on a shelf, along with his Ecto 1.

I had no concept as a child that teddies would last longer than Boglins.  Somebody should have made a public information film for kids showing latex rotting.

[popcorn]

It was always a bit confusing because the baddies that used him as a gun had their own guns in the show too. They shot the same lasers too so why would they use their boss as one if functionally its the exact same as their regular guns...?

I think the implication was that Megatron was somehow an extra specially powerful gun.

The Transformers were derived from a Japanese toyline of transforming robots that had no animated series or whatever. When they marketed them in the west they created the cartoon and comics and had to come up with jobs and characters for all the robots after the fact. I suppose they tried their best with the robot that turned into a pistol but definitely less useful than turning into, eg, a big car.

[Norton Canes]

No love for these fellas?



Had all three figures, a pack of Cyber-weapons and a change of cossie for Muton. All long gone now, of course.

[FredNurke]

I think the implication was that Megatron was somehow an extra specially powerful gun.

The Transformers were derived from a Japanese toyline of transforming robots that had no animated series or whatever. When they marketed them in the west they created the cartoon and comics and had to come up with jobs and characters for all the robots after the fact. I suppose they tried their best with the robot that turned into a pistol but definitely less useful than turning into, eg, a big car.

Specifically, two Japanese toylines (both made by Takara): Diaclone (piloted robots that mostly turn into vehicles), which is where the larger Autobot cars, the Decepticon planes, the Dinobots, etc., come from, and Micro Change (actual toys at 1:1 scale that turn into tiny robots), which is where Megatron, Soundwave and his tapes, and the smaller Autobot vehicles come from - the Megatron figure was originally a toy gun that turned into a little robot, the Soundwave figure was a microcassette player that turned into a little robot, Bumblebee was a penny-racer styled toy VW Beetle that turned into a tiny robot, etc. Then Hasbro also licensed transforming robots from other companies, such as Jetfire (from Bandai) and Shockwave (from ToyCo). The first toys designed specifically to be 'Transformers' were the ones for the 1986 movie, I think.

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I think the implication was that Megatron was somehow an extra specially powerful gun.

Was there a specific trustworthy Decepticon tasked with carrying him around and not losing him?

[Famous Mortimer]

I got the blue one of these, from "Wonder Showzen" producers PFFR:



It claims to be a limited edition of something very small (25, I think?) but I wouldn't put it past those cheeky scamps to have made a load and just pretend they're limited.

[popcorn]

Was there a specific trustworthy Decepticon tasked with carrying him around and not losing him?

Why yes - Starscream, the most trustworthy of all Decepticons!

[idunnosomename]

Those 90s Kenner Aliens toys. They're quite cheap on ebay though so maybe I'll bite the bullet and get the Mantis Alien and the Crab Alien. The Snake one looked ace too...

But I own too much plastic shite as is.

i dont have mine anymore but they pale next to inexpensive toys today. Mostly just coloured plastic with minimal paint jobs. The snake was the nicest one of those, although inevitably the bendy tail got cracked a bit if you actually played with it.

The Jurassic Park first wave big dinos are still spectacular though. I kept the T-Rex junior when I sold all mine

[Neomod]

No love for these fellas?



Had all three figures, a pack of Cyber-weapons and a change of cossie for Muton. All long gone now, of course.

Is this thing on?

Had a few as a kid. Star Wars first run, obviously. Captain Peg-Leg, Bullet Man, Steve Austin, Cyborg, Muton and Android, countless Little Big Men (ooh er) and was handed down some Action Men from my cousin.

[RetroRobot]

i dont have mine anymore but they pale next to inexpensive toys today. Mostly just coloured plastic with minimal paint jobs. The snake was the nicest one of those, although inevitably the bendy tail got cracked a bit if you actually played with it.

The Jurassic Park first wave big dinos are still spectacular though. I kept the T-Rex junior when I sold all mine

Maybe but I find their exaggerated designs and bright colour schemes more fun than say a NECA alien. It's why I bought the big purple kids toy of the queen over a collectors one. Reminds me of the old Alien V Predator arcade game.

[Norton Canes]

Is this thing on?

Sorry

So how was your repackaged Henshin figures experience? Quite liked Cyborg's little accessories, though I had the tracked feet replacements which made him very difficult to balance. Muton's costumes were less engaging - I was lucky to have the X-Akron, which at least looked like a full ensemble compared to the Amaluk's body stocking and the Torg, which was just head and arm bits. Android always felt like a bit of a latecomer to the party and didn't really fit in, with his spindlier body and non-translucent head. I could never work out whose side he'd be on - would he work with Muton, or would they be as hostile towards each other as they were to Cyborg? Or maybe they'd all just fuck off from Earth and shack up together. 

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Is this thing on?

[Poobum]

Thread triggered a Proustian rush. Not thought about these for ages and am now flooded with happy memories of playing in the bath with the detachable submarine.

[Neomod]

Sorry

So how was your repackaged Henshin figures experience? Quite liked Cyborg's little accessories, though I had the tracked feet replacements which made him very difficult to balance. Muton's costumes were less engaging - I was lucky to have the X-Akron, which at least looked like a full ensemble compared to the Amaluk's body stocking and the Torg, which was just head and arm bits. Android always felt like a bit of a latecomer to the party and didn't really fit in, with his spindlier body and non-translucent head. I could never work out whose side he'd be on - would he work with Muton, or would they be as hostile towards each other as they were to Cyborg? Or maybe they'd all just fuck off from Earth and shack up together. 

They all just ended up in the bath with me.

[Catalogue Trousers]

At least it's not full of spunk

Give it a fortnight.

I've got Dex-Starr on top of a book shelf in my living room. He's a good kitty.



Also, affirmative, I have a large RC version of this good dog on a lower shelf near the telly.

[The Mollusk]

Re: the Kenner Aliens, I had a few of them and the deluxe flying queen was absolutely the best one.



Looks great, sits in the hand nicely with ease of pushing the wing button, and the flapping of the wings was a massive powerful swoop, the mechanism for it was solid.









^{*opens eBay*}