ReZourceman Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 LEGO Black Dragon is just.....unrelentingly awesome.
The Bard Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 This thread is an ode to an unfortunately dying pastime. One of these days, in the near future, people are going to have a tough time explaining the concept of "toys" to children.
Iun Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Lego. I had an epic space saga of trust, betrayal, genetic engineering, lost hope and the death of a corrupt institution with high-minded ideals blighted by a dogmatic adherence to law. I'm turning it into a book.
MoogleViper Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Lego. I had an epic space saga of trust, betrayal, genetic engineering, lost hope and the death of a corrupt institution with high-minded ideals blighted by a dogmatic adherence to law. I'm turning it into a book. I just used it to make a car.
Shorty Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 The Power Ranger Megazords were immense. They just don't make toys of that quality these days. The way you essentially had 5 toys that combined into one, just like on the show. Then you could buy the dragon, tiger or ultra zords and make insane combinations of them all. Even the ninjazords were awesome, with that cool white falcon thing. I sold all my Power Ranger toys once for pittance. I remember getting something like £26 in total from a car boot sale and at the time, thinking that was a great price. Now looking back all I did was pawn off my memories for pocket money. And the amount of sheer effort it took for parents to get those standard figures in the thick of the power rangers' hayday. It was Jingle All The Way x100 and IRL. Toys 'R' Us was a warzone.
Jonnas Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 @EddieColeslaw: While the new Kinder containers are practical, I kinda miss the way you could just pop the old containers open with just two fingers. True nostalgia, I suppose, yearning for the old times, even if there is little solid reasoning to do so. @Shorty: Despite the fact that they were all separate sets of toys, I loved that you could use the four little zords to turn the Red Dragonzord into this Or you could go the awesome route and turn the White Tigerzord into this These guys were my ultimate weapons, among all my toys. None could face them, ever. But I also enjoyed these guys: Because A: They actually looked like Power Rangers and B: Because their transformation sequences allowed for some weird flexibility, and combined with my imagination, awesome fighting sequences. And then there's Beast Wars (which were much better than robots who turn into vehicles), but that's for another time.
Paj! Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Jonnas that the only megazord I ever had! (the last image) I too loved how they were stunning figures in their own right. I loved just feeling them in my hands. I CAN STILL FEEL THEM NOW.
Shorty Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 This thread is an ode to an unfortunately dying pastime. One of these days, in the near future, people are going to have a tough time explaining the concept of "toys" to children. Yesterday I saw a kid buying two Action Man figures in a charity shop, I was pretty impressed because tbh I thought the time you were describing was already here. But then really, why should it arrive? We had video games when we were younger, but still played with toys. Children have such active imaginations.
Beast Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 My top five toys in no particular order: Had the Photo Mission, Ocean Mission, Ninja Kick and the Bungee Jump Extreme. I had one similar to this but you had to press a button (also, he fails in the video, it's Lumos, not Leviosa! :p)
MoogleViper Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 And then there's Beast Wars (which were much better than robots who turn into vehicles), but that's for another time. But they didn't really transform. They just opened up to reveal a robot inside. I had Razorbeast which went from this: To this: Which just looks like he's killed the warthog and is wearing him as a cape.
Jonnas Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) But they didn't really transform. They just opened up to reveal a robot inside. Which just looks like he's killed the warthog and is wearing him as a cape. When I say they were better than "Classic" Transformers, I just mean the concept. Robots who turn into vehicles are just robots with a method of transportation, but being half-animals gave my imagination more to play with. Yeah, Razorbeast was just lazy design (and wasn't the only one like that). But there were others, really good and creative ones, like Claw Jaw: The claws on his chest move if you flick a switch on his back, but what I loved about this guy is that he could "move" like a squid in robot form, because his limbs were so flexible. (Pictures found here) Or the awesome Cybershark, which had a simple transformation, but could fire his own shark head as a missile. And then that head became his robot chest, and you could launch it in that form as well. Or just use a regular missile. He also used his tail as a close-range weapon (some sort of claw-thingy). (Awesome pictures found here) Like the Zords I posted about above, these transformers were versatile enough for me to come up with several different fight scenes (depending on how much I could push the toy to its limit. I recall actually switching limbs around on some of these robots, because some happened to be the same size). Man, I loved my childhood. Edited February 21, 2011 by Jonnas
Paj! Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I had the squid one too! Jonnas, you're like my spiritual toy twin. I remember being really ambivalent towards it though, I barely saw the TV show and it was the only figure I had from BW. I felt like it had no context.
Iun Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Transformers used to be a LOT less complicated - you just stood the car on-end and pulled the legs down, arms out and flip off the top to reveal the head. ... ... Sounds like a Saturday night...
Magnus Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 My favorite toys were the hand-painted Kinder Surprise figurines. What started as an Aladdin ripoff ended up as an eight-year epic with adventure, drama and so, so many poor plot decision - like introducing an object that could bring people back from the dead. So much fun, though. I only wrapped things up when I went off to university, at which point I figured I was too old to play with toys. The biggest problem was that someone over at the Kinder Surprise empire hates women, so if you were lucky you got maybe two female characters per set. And since you get a random toy in each egg, the odds of actually getting a female character were slim.
chairdriver Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Yeah, I don't understand how toys can get away with such blatant sexism.
ReZourceman Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 But they didn't really transform. They just opened up to reveal a robot inside. I had Razorbeast which went from this: . He was my one and only Beast Wars toy.
Paj! Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Yeah, I don't understand how toys can get away with such blatant sexism. With action figures especially, I think it's the fact they're marketed at boys, so they figure male action figures will sell better to boys. I remember the most obvious example of this was with a series of Fantastic Four toys (might've been for the movie? Or maybe the cartoon years before), where instead of incuding Invisible Woman (as a character concept there's already questionable whiffs coming from that powerset in relation to her gender, if you care to explore that issue) in the first series, they put in another version of The Thing.
Hamishmash Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Will be very surprised if anyone knows or remembers this little beauty from the 80s (Mr Odwin am looking at you, otherwise I'll just feel old!!) Oh God! I had this! The shark attack game? The noises... those horrible, beautiful noises..
chairdriver Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 The main reason boys aren't interested in female characters is because there are rarely awesome female characters in children's TV. They always pander to shite stereotypes.
Jonnas Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I had the squid one too! Jonnas, you're like my spiritual toy twin. I remember being really ambivalent towards it though, I barely saw the TV show and it was the only figure I had from BW. I felt like it had no context. I watched a few episodes of the TV show. To my disappointment, there was no squid or shark. Not like that ever stopped my playing sessions. P.S.: I highly doubt that Kinder toys were exclusively targeted towards boys. The lack of female characters there has probably to do with the same reason Smurfette is the only girl Smurf: designers can't come up with varied female designs. That excuse is holding less and less water as time marches on. Those Kinder figures are still awesome, though.
chairdriver Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 designers can't come up with varied female designs. That explanation is even more sexist, lol.
Magnus Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I'm amused by the thought of a Fantastic Four toy set without an Invisible Woman. I love the idea of a generation of little boys growing up with Mister Fantastic and The Thing 2 in a committed relationship when they play with their action figures. The lack of female characters there has probably to do with the same reason Smurfette is the only girl Smurf: designers can't come up with varied female designs. This is my favorite example of blatant Kinder Surprise sexism: Oh, how I coveted that nurse dinosaur.
Paj! Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Smurfette is the only girl Smurf: Bitch don'tcha be forgettin' SASSETTE. Nanny Smurf is also crying out for attention.
Jonnas Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 That explanation is even more sexist, lol. As ugly as it may be, the truth needs to be told. Bitch don'tcha be forgettin' SASSETTE. Nanny Smurf is also crying out for attention. ....huh? Never heard of them. It is a bit shameful for kinder that the smurfs now have more female designs than a single toy set :p
Magnus Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 It's a bit sad/weird how the extent of Smurfette's personality is that she's 'the girl'. It always creeped me out how she was created by Gargamel and made beautiful by Papa Smurf. Apparently Sassette was created in much the same way (though clearly Papa Smurf never got his hands on her, or she'd be a blond bombshell too). God knows how Nanny Smurf was created.
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