REVIEW – SUPER7 REACTION FIGURES SESAME STREET – BIG BIRD

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 19, 2026
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Big Bird is a large, eight foot tall, friendly yellow bird, most well known for appearing on Sesame Street. He is kind-hearted, curious, and often sees the world with a childlike sense of wonder. He is one of Sesame Streets most recognisable and beloved characters.

Name: Big Bird
Line: Reaction Sesame Street Series 3
Manufacturer: Super7
Released: 2025
Price: $35.00
Scale: 3.75 Inches
Accessories: Milkshake cup

Super7 originally announced their Sesame Street Reaction figure line back in June of 2023, it wasn’t until 2024 that Big Bird was announced to be included in the line, specifically series 3, being released around June 2025. 

I picked up my Reaction figure of Big Bird in September 2025 while on holiday in Japan at a store in Ueno, it ended up being a last minute purchase, as I still had a bit of space in my suitcase and a little bit of spending money left. Also it helped having the luxury of browsing a few of these in person to try and get one with reasonable paint apps. 

Big Bird is such an iconic character from most peoples childhood and to have a good representation of that character that isn’t a plush toy and that doesn’t take up too much in your collection is definitely neat and desirable too.

SCULPTING

Super7 have done a good job with the sculpting of this Big Bird figure. Even at this smaller scale, it’s a very detailed sculpt even the feathers are very well done. It’s not always easy to take a character and make it an action figure. But in this case Super7 have succeeded well.

PAINT

Paint on the other hand, could have been better. There’s a bit of slop on my figure. Even though I did eye it over pretty carefully before buying it in person. I really think that paint application is where Super7 needs to improve in general for their products.

ARTICULATION

 The classic five POA for this figure. You can’t do too much with him. But there’s just something fun about being able to move the head, arms and legs even if you can’t really pose this figure much. 

ACCESSORIES

Big Bird comes with a sliver Milkshake cup which in some places has been referred to as a “birdseed milkshake” it’s a nice little accessory and fits in Big Bird’s hand without and trouble.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing really to worry about here. Just inspect the toy in person if you can for quality control issues.

PRICE

I paid 3,500 JPY when I bought this figure back in September of 2025 when on holiday in Japan. I was happy with the price and being able to inspect the figures available in person is always a plus.

OVERALL

In my eyes this is a pretty great representation of Big Bird and I also like that it’s very small too, so doesn’t take up a lot of space. I think in general this is the charm of Reaction figures when they are done well. It definitely reminds me of Medicom’s Kubricks figures and it’s nice to have a small sized representation of such an iconic character on my display shelf.

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REVIEW – HASBRO GI JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES – COVER GIRL

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 16, 2026
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Cover Girl is a skilled G.I. Joe mechanic, vehicle specialist and driver, best known for operating the team’s powerful armoured vehicles. Originally a fashion model before joining the military, she combines her mechanical expertise with strong combat skills and is a dependable member of the G.I. Joe team.

Name: Courtney “Cover Girl” Krieger
Line: GI Joe Classified
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2025
Price: $49.00
Scale: 6 inch
Accessories: various accessories included 

I’m trying to stay away from collecting GI Joe Classified and just stick to vintage GI Joe figures. However, once Hasbro started releasing Ninja Force figures the dam finally broke and I’m slowly buying the figures I like one by one.

Cover Girl retro card-back version, being the first of possibly many to come. I had held off buying her, but at least in the box the figure really looked good. I’m not a fan of the older classified head sculpts but everything newer that Hasbro is putting out just looks so much better and that makes it very hard to say “no” to them.

SCULPTING

The sculpting of this figure is pretty good! In my opinion it’s definitely an improvement from the previous version and lately Hasbro have been doing a lot better with their female head sculpts. This is supposed to be Cover Girl from the animated series of GI Joe, so she’ll look a lot different. The clothes have plenty of fine detail and creases and the hair is nicely done too.

PAINT

The paint application is what we would expect from Hasbro. It’s nice and neat and used only when needed. 

ARTICULATION

 Cover Girl has great articulation, double jointed elbows and knees, butterfly shoulder joints and ankle rockers etc, means you shouldn’t have too much trouble posing her. Her long hair can get in the way of her head articulation though. But, everything else work just as expected and is good.

ACCESSORIES

She comes with a few accessories, a rifle, hand gun, wrench, sledgehammer and display stand, as well as alternative hands and head sculpt.

The extra head sculpt is the obvious stand out here. You can choose whether you want her smiling or serious and change your hair preference too. It’s great and gives you more options with how to display her.

All the other accessories are great and fit in her hands without too much trouble as well.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing to worry about with this figure.

PRICE

I paid what would be considered retail price in Australia. I had a friend of mine pick her up from Kings Comics for me as I didn’t buy her last time I was there, and changed my mind. Even though the box had a light layer of dust on it when I was there, she was worth picking up. Definitely a good deal for retail price or less.

OVERALL

Technically I would say Cover Girl is my first GI Joe Classified series figure purchase. I’ve been on the fence for a long time about buying any classified figures. But, perhaps I might buy more now. They are very enjoyable figures – fun to play with and photograph and come with plenty of accessories. I’m really liking this figure of Cover Girl and enjoyed taking photos of her, I guess she lived up to her model backstory, as I felt she was very photogenic. I would definitely recommend picking her up as she has a lot of fun play value and improves upon the previous release greatly.

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REVIEW – JADA TOYS ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II: THE FINAL CHALLENGERS – AKUMA

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 14, 2026
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Akuma is a mysterious and powerful martial artist who first appears in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret alternate boss character. Driven by the deadly power of the Satsui no Hado, he has abandoned compassion in pursuit of ultimate strength. Akuma seeks only to test himself against the world’s strongest fighters, making him one of the most feared opponents.

Name: Akuma
Line: Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
Manufacturer: Jada Toys
Released: 2026
Price: $45 AUD
Scale: 1:12
Accessories: Multiple interchangeable parts

Continuing my reviews of Jada Toys Street Fighter figures is Akuma. I was able to pick him up last May, locally, as he was fairly easy to find. I’ve never played as Akuma in any Street Fighter game, but I do think he looks like a very cool character design, and I couldn’t say no to picking him up after seeing him in store. Yes, I knew he would be good, because Jada Toys always do a great job.

I don’t think I will be reviewing every character released, as I only want to buy the characters I like. But, I will try and review all the ones I have or will buy in the near future.

SCULPTING

As expected, Jada Toys have done another excellent job with the sculpting of this figure. Even if I’m sure there is a bit of reuse from Ryu and Ken figures. The head sculpt, even by itself, is great! 

PAINT

Paint is kept to a minimum, but what has been painted is up to the high standard expected. No slop or over-spray etc. just nice and neat. 

ARTICULATION

 Like all previous Jada Toys figures I’ve bought, the articulation is fairly standard and only restricted by the clothes of the character. You can pose Akuma almost any way you want and he’s fun to pose. I had a lot of fun posing him for this photo set and I wouldn’t even call myself an Akuma super fan either. But, that’s one thing I do like, when I can easily take photos and it doesn’t become a chore to do so.

ACCESSORIES

My complaint here would be Akuma’s necklace as it just doesn’t sit right. But I think this is more from the plastic used to hold it together. I changed mine out for string and it’s marginally better. But still a work in progress to find the best solution.

Besides this minor issue and/or personal preference, he comes with extra head, hands and a fire ball and stand for it. 

It’s a nice variety of options and all are made well.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing to worry about with this toy. Besides an annoying necklace, everything else is great and problem-free.

PRICE

I paid $45 for my copy from my local EB Games store. That’s pretty much the standard retail price in Australia at least for my local toy shops.

OVERALL

If you are a Street Fighter fan, it would definitely be worth your while picking up this figure. He’s an excellent Akuma figure and looks very menacing. He’s also very fun to pose and play around with and up to the expected standards from Jada Toys. I would not sleep on this figure if you are an Akuma fan.

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REVIEW – HASBRO GI JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES – NINJA FORCE – T’JBANG

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 9, 2026
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Ninja Force was a martial arts-themed sub-line released in the early 1990s. The GI Joe Classified toy line started in 2020 and has slowly been releasing retro version of various figures from the original GI Joe: A Real American Hero toy line in a 6 inch scale. Recently, Hasbro has slowly been releasing updated characters from its Ninja Force sub-line.

Name: T’JBang
Line: GI Joe Classified (Ninja Force)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2026
Price: $99.00
Scale: 6 inch
Accessories: Various accessories 

The second figure included in the recently released Ninja Force two pack is T’JBang. Apparently he’s Storm Shadows second cousin and has taken an oath of silence. I’ve always thought he looked pretty cool even if I didn’t know much about the character. I liked his mask and blue and yellow colour scheme and it’s good to see he’s retained his tan, even if it could have been a little bit more darker.

So it’s great to see both T’JBang and Scarlett under the Ninja Force label in GI Joe Classified. I’m really looking forward to any Ninja Force figures that are produced, but top of my list is NightCreeper. So hopefully we don’t have to wait too long to receive a toy of him.

SCULPTING

Just like Scarlett, the sculpting on T’JBang is excellent! I feel Hasbro is doing a pretty good job at updating the character’s designs from 3.75 inch figures to 6 inch sized figures and modernising them as well. It’s a very detailed sculpt and you will be quite happy with the amount of detail, yet it still matches the original toy very well.

PAINT

Most of the time Hasbro do a pretty good job with their paint applications. I really think they are making their figures look really collector friendly with top notch paint applications and T’JBang is no different.

However, what I don’t like is that his mask doesn’t appear to be separate from his head so his eyes have been painted on over the yellow of the mask – once you notice it, you can’t unsee it and it takes away from the figure a little bit unfortunately.

ARTICULATION

 T’JBang has a lot of articulation and most of it works pretty well. However, his lat muscles really limit how much you can pose his arms, unfortunately. He definitely can’t hold any swords to his chest with two arms. Other than that, the rest of articulation works well and you can pose him pretty easily. I was even able to recreate his pose on his original box art without too much trouble as well.

ACCESSORIES

Just like the original toy, T’JBang comes with a lot less accessories than Scarlett. He comes with his two swords, that can be combined together and a single ninja claw and hook. He also comes with a mask accessory, but I don’t much care for these at all. It would be nice if he came with a second claw and another sword he can use for himself. Otherwise the amount of accessories is fine.

I didnt bother changing his hands over from the gripping hands to the included extra fist hands, because he really doesn’t need them at all and they become a bit of a chore with his bracers on his arms already getting in the way too.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing to really worry about with this figure. Perhaps a bad paint job if you are unlucky and can’t get one in person.

PRICE

I paid the Australian retail price of $99 and was happy with that. Honestly the prices for single figures aren’t too bad either at about $49.00.

OVERALL

This is a great update to the original T’JBang figure that was originally released. It’s not perfect, but it does its job. I think the lack of extra accessories bothered me the most and the poor choice of painting the eye sections of his mask are my only issues really. He’s still a solid addition to the ever growing Ninja Force sub-line of GI Joe Classified Series of figures.

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RETRO REVIEW – BATTLE BEASTS HORNY TOAD

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 6, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , , , .

Battle Beasts was a toy line consisting of small anthropomorphic animals in body armour; each toy came with its own individual weapon. Released in the mid-1980s, each Battle Beast would have a heat-sensitive sticker on its chest, which, when rubbed, would reveal the symbol of wood, fire or water. You could then play a rock, scissors, paper-type game using the toys with your friends.


Name: Horny Toad/Drillfrog
Line: Battle Beasts
Manufacturer: Hasbro/Takara
Released: 1987
Price: Then: $3.99, Now: $20-$25 
Scale: About 5cm in height.
Accessories: One weapon

Continuing my reviews of Battle Beasts toys is Horny Toad. This is one of my favourite designs when it comes to Battle Beasts, even if the name is a bit unfortunate. There’s a handful of designs that really stand out to me, and this is one of them. 

No interesting story on how I acquired this toy, just bought him off eBay a while ago. As mentioned before, I never had Battle Beasts when I was a kid, so unfortunately, I don’t have any memories of playing with these guys growing up.

I do, however, love the design and size of the Battle Beasts and have quite a few in my collection, but nowhere near a complete collection either. I just buy my favourites, and that’s enough for me. 

SCULPTING

This is a standout category for Horny Toad; he’s excellently sculpted and has a lot of cool little details on him. The skin texture is pretty detailed, and his armour looks really cool too. It’s also pretty cool he has a weapon arm too, as opposed to an additional hand.

PAINT

Paint is mainly used for his armour colour and extra details like his weapon arm. It’s a red/brown colour that really pops in contrast to the green skin tone, and the warm yellow highlights really help bring it all together visually.

ARTICULATION

 Like all other Battle Beasts, Horny Toad has a total of two points of articulation: you can swivel and rotate both his arms, and that’s it. Seeing he’s such a small figure, my expectations for a lot of articulation is pretty low. Sometimes with these older toys, it’s just cool to have any articulation at all, which is better than no articulation.

ACCESSORIES

Horny Toad comes with his silver scathe weapon, which fits nicely in his hand. It’s also a pretty big weapon and a little bit oversized in my opinion. But still looks cool nonetheless.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing to worry about with this toy. 

PRICE

I paid roughly market price back in the day. But I’m pretty sure the price for these toys has gone up a little bit over the years. Just pay a price you are happy with, and hopefully the condition of the toy will be good too.

OVERALL

Horny Toad is another solid Battle Beast toy. He looks great and is very visually striking and interesting. They definitely catch my attention in a display of other random figures. I have a soft spot for toys that are 3.75 inches and smaller, so I think the size and the design are always going to be a home run for me. Definitely worth picking up this toy for your collection.


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REVIEW – HASBRO GI JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES – NINJA FORCE – SCARLETT

Posted by Mighty Mike on October 2, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , , .

Ninja Force was a martial arts-themed sub-line released in the early 1990s. The GI Joe Classified toy line started in 2020 and has slowly been releasing retro version of various figures from the original GI Joe: A Real American Hero toy line in a 6 inch scale. Recently, Hasbro has slowly been releasing updated characters from its Ninja Force sub-line.

Name: Scarlett
Line: GI Joe Classified (Ninja Force)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2026
Price: $99.00
Scale: 6 inch
Accessories: Various accessories 

It wasn’t too long ago, I finally got around to posting my Ninja Force Scarlett review for the original toy released way back in 1993. Hasbro have been going strong with their GI Joe Classified line of 6 inch figures and announced new version of this figure to be included in a two pack with T’Jbang which was released recently. Being a fan of these two characters and Ninja Force, obviously I was looking to pick one up, if just for the new Scarlett figure alone.

SCULPTING

Let’s start with the best part of this figure: the new Scarlett head sculpt. It’s amazing! Hasbro has done a really good job here. It’s definitely the right balance of tough, determined and beautiful. The rest of the figure is also just as nice. Good proportions and nice detail all over the figure. Apparently there is reuse for this body, but it all works really well to make the figure look original.

PAINT

Paint application overall on this figure is pretty good. The paint application on the head sculpt is excellent. It definitely adds more to an already excellent sculpt. The rest of the figure appears overall nice and neat. Nothing too unusual here.

ARTICULATION

 Hasbro’s GI Joe Classified Series features a ton of articulation for its 6 inch GI Joe figures. Double jointed elbows and knees, butterfly joints in the shoulders and deep ankle pivots in the feet among your standard expectations for modern articulation. 

I didn’t have too much problems posing Scarlett how I wanted, once the joints are freed up she’s fairly easy to pose. I just wish her pony tail would have been a ball joint not a swivel. 

ACCESSORIES

You get a number of ninja themed accessories, but one thing I noticed from the original release – no nunchucks! Which is a shame. Other than that you get a good number of weapons for Scarlett to weld – a sword, some extended claws, kunai knives and an alternate head sculpt too. They all fit in her hands without too much trouble and add to your display options.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I can’t really see any issues with Scarlett, Hasbro did a pretty good job with the overall product and quality control.

PRICE

I paid the current Australian retail price of $99.00 which is fair. It’s not an exclusive here and can be found in most Zing/Eb Games stores and other various retailers like The Gamesmen or Kings Comics.

OVERALL

I think this is an excellent update for a figure that was originally very underwhelming when released. Hasbro has really put a lot of effort into updating the Ninja Force Scarlett figure. Definitely a must have, figure if you are a Ninja Force fan.

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REVIEW – NECA TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES – RAPHAEL IN DISGUISE

Posted by Mighty Mike on September 29, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , , .

Raphael in the original 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film, was hot-headed and quick to anger, making him sometimes bite off more than he could chew. Armed with his twin sai, he is the toughest of the four brothers. But beneath his rough exterior, he has a strong sense of loyalty and deeply cares about his family and friends. 


Name: Raphael in Disguise
Line: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 Movie Version)
Manufacturer: NECA
Released: 2020
Price: $90 – $120 AUD
Scale: 7 inch
Accessories: Various accessories 

This Raphael figure originally comes in a two-pack with Casey Jones and hasn’t been released by itself in the 7-inch scale yet. So if you are looking to buy it, you will need to buy the two-pack to get it.

When NECA originally announced their TMNT line of figures based on the original live-action movie, like a lot of collectors, I was all in. NECA quality control be damned. 

Because they just looked that damn good. After buying most of the figures, I’ve scaled back a little bit. I’ve mainly kept the figures produced from the second movie, as that movie I remember more fondly than the first one.

But the figure of Raph in disguise is just too cool to let go of. Especially with a cloth trench coat included with the figure as well.

SCULPTING

This is one of the main selling points of this figure, NECA have really done an amazing job at producing TMNT figures that look absolutely excellent. Raph looks just like he does in the movie. It’s definitely the most screen-accurate TMNT figures produced so far. NECA have done a great job of blending sculpting and articulation.

PAINT

NECAs paint can always be a bit hit or miss, unfortunately, more often than not. However, they have improved a lot over the years. The paint on Raph is a pretty good example of how they have improved. The paint work on the skin tone is definitely excellent and looks amazing in person.

ARTICULATION

 This is where we have a couple of small problems. Raph’s arms are restricted by his arm pads, and they are glued to his elbows. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to pose his arms as easily as I would have liked. But besides that, the articulation is great and also well hidden. Just watch out for NECAs classic loose ankles. Thankfully, this figure does not suffer from that.

ACCESSORIES

Raph comes with his weapons, a few extra hands, a bandanna end options and a slice of pizza. I didn’t have too many problems with swapping the hands, but I stress, always be careful, as NECA’s quality control always is questionable. His weapons look great, and the number of hands gives you a lot of options for posing him.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Well, it’s a NECA figure, so that means there’s always a potential problem with the figure. Overall, this figure is fine. Just be gentle with it when posing it, and heat up any joints before moving them if required.

PRICE

I paid the retail price for this figure back when it was released. And as far as I can tell, at least in Australia, it’s still able to be purchased around that price point. 

OVERALL

This is a really great standalone figure of Raph in disguise. Definitely worth liking up to add to your TMNT Movie collection. He’s just a really cool, fun figure. Even if you do need to be a little bit gentle with him because of NECA’s terrible quality control.

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REVIEW – MATTEL MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE CHRONICLES TRI-KLOPS

Posted by Mighty Mike on September 25, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

Amazon MGM’s 2026 Masters of the Universe Live-action movie stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, who returns to Eternia after being hidden away on Earth to embrace his destiny as He-Man, mastering the Power of Grayskull and saving his home world of Eternia from the evil forces of Skeletor by discovering the courage and responsibility needed to become its greatest hero.


Name: Tri-Klops
Line: MOTU Chronicles 
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: 2026
Price: $35.00
Scale: 6.5 inches in height
Accessories: Various accessories 

Lastly on my list of Chronicles figures we come to Tri-Klops. I have purchased Battle Cat, but I’ll review him later. Tri-Klops is the last of wave 1 and I guess technically Evil-Lynn and Orko are Wave 2 in my eyes. I have both on pre order and will review them once I have received them. 

I’m never the type of collector to buy every single character, I buy the characters and toys I like. I’m not too focused on being a completist. So, that means all the chronicles figures I’m not overly impressed by, will be moved on from my collection as I need the space.

But I do feel it’s quite an achievement for me to review all the figures from a wave for once. 

SCULPTING

Much like the previous figures Mattel have done an excellent job creating how Tri-Klops looks in the movie as an action figure. He figure is quite detailed and looks pretty cool too.

PAINT

No real issue with the paint on this figure, it’s neat and there doesn’t appear to be much slop if at all. 

ARTICULATION

 Tri-Klops has pretty much the same articulation as all the previous MOTU Chronicles figures I’ve covered already and that means he’s very fun to pose and play with. Unlike some of the other figures, Tri-Klops has no loose joints at all.

ACCESSORIES

You get an additional pair of fist hands and a sniper rifle for Tri-Klops to use. He holds the gun without too much trouble and the hands swap out easily too.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I can’t see too many issues that you could have with this figure. 

PRICE

I paid the current retail price for this figure and I’m happy with that. 

OVERALL

I think Tri-Klops surprised me, because my expectations were low. He’s a pretty cool design and a well made figure that looks really, really cool. Definitely worth buying to give Skeletor more minions to boss around.

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REVIEW – CHARA PRO – KENSUKE SASAKI

Posted by Mighty Mike on September 24, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

Kensuke Sasaki is best known for his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he became a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and won the G1 Climax tournament twice. He also competed in WCW during the 1990s, where he won the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. Sasaki was known for his powerful, hard-hitting wrestling style and was one of Puroresu’sleading heavyweight stars during the late 1990s and early 2000s.


Name: Kensuke Sasaki
Line: Deluxe Figure Collection
Manufacturer: Chara Pro
Released: 2005
Price: ¥4,200
Scale: 5-6 inches in height
Accessories: N/A

Kensuke Sasaki is the first man to hold all three of Puroresu’s three major titles, AJPW, NJPW and NOAH respectively. To western audiences he wrestled in WCW in the 1990s and tag teamed with Road Warrior Hawk as Power Warrior too.

I originally bought this figure loose, off eBay. Normally this Sasaki figure comes in a deluxe two pack with his wife, Akira Hokuto. There are also other versions with different wrestling tights colours available too. However, I don’t believe it’s too common to find this two pack even in Japan. 

It seems like this style of wrestling figure is pretty hard to find certain wrestlers and are often popular with overseas collectors as well. However, not impossible to find with Yahoo Auctions JP and eBay etc. But, if you are looking for certain figures it can take some time to find them.

SCULPTING

This Kensuke Sasaki figure appears to be 3D scanned from the real life wrestler. Which means it’s going to be very accurate to how he looks in real life. Definitely a cool feature of these types of Japanese wrestling figures! Even if it’s basically a statue with minimal articulation, it’s still very cool how good the scan is!

PAINT

Paint on this figure of Kensuke is expertly applied and neat. Mainly just for details like hair colour and tights/boots details. You with hardly have any issue with the paint, unless it’s a loose figure and roughed up.

ARTICULATION

 Like the majority of these Japanese wrestling figures you have a grand total of three points of articulation, at the shoulders and the waist – all swivel joints. It’s not much but it’s better than nothing.

ACCESSORIES

No accessories are included.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Nothing to worry about with this figure.

PRICE

I paid a reasonable price many years ago for this figure. I did a quick search and couldn’t find any currently available through the usual channels but that doesn’t mean he’s not available every now and then. Just try and shop around and pay a price you are happy with. Is my advice.

OVERALL

If you have bought any of these types of Japanese wrestling figures before, you know exactly what you are getting. This figure might not be for every wrestling fan. But considering there haven’t really been any great Japanese wrestling figures before or since they remain the standard set. This is an excellent representation of Kensuke Sasaki in all his wrestling glory and a very realistic representation of him as a figure. Definitely worth it, if you are a fan of Puroresu and want some neat versions of legendary japanese wrestlers for your wrestling figure collection.

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RETRO REVIEW – TAKARA TRANSFORMERS THE HEADMASTERS – SOUNDBLASTER

Posted by Mighty Mike on September 22, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , , .

Soundblaster is a Decepticon intelligence officer and an upgraded version of Soundwave. Originally introduced in the Japanese Transformers: The Headmasters cartoon series, he has a darker colour scheme and a larger cassette compartment that can hold two cassettes at once. He is a ruthless spy who can read the thoughts of others through their computer brainwaves and uses his cassette troops to gather information for the Decepticons.


Name: Soundblaster (reissue)
Line: The Transformers Collection #18
Manufacturer: Takara
Released: 2005
Price: ¥4,980
Scale: 26cm tall
Accessories: Jaguar + Buzzsaw + Vibration Blaster Gun
Motto: “Volume intact, destructive power doubled.”

Soundblaster is the upgrade version of Soundwave. Originally I never much cared for Soundblaster. But, don’t get me wrong, as Soundwave is one of my favourite Transformers ever, which I was also lucky to have as a kid. But, I just didn’t see the point of Soundblaster really and the extra cassette space just felt like a tacked on gimmick to me.

After watching the Headmasters cartoon series, I warmed to the character a little bit and eventually would end up buying the Transformers Collection reissue a few years ago from Mandarake, as I wanted to fill some space on my Japanese exclusive Decepticon Transformers display shelf. 

After receiving the toy and transforming it and playing around with it, I definitely had more of an appreciation for the Soundblaster toy and character and he does look pretty cool with the darker colour and red chest piece.

SCULPTING

Soundwave is one of the most iconic of the original G1 Transformers toys and Soundblaster, minus an upgraded chest piece is exactly the same mold. There’s a lot of details throughout the toy and his size makes him stand out among most other G1 Transformers toys.

PAINT

Excellent neat and crisp paint work on this toy. This is what I love about Takara’s reissues – the paint work is pretty much flawless. Having a brand new one really feels special as it looks and feels like a premium product.

ARTICULATION

 Soundblaster is definitely a brick, no way around that. He however, has great arm articulation and some head and leg movement, even if these are just trade offs from the transformation process. It still makes it fun to be able to pose him even just a little bit. Soundblasters’s transformation is intuitive and fun, its not to hard to figure out how to transform this toy, the reissue’s joints are as smooth as butter to transform, it really made it enjoyable that nothing felt fragile when being moved.

ACCESSORIES

You get both Buzzsaw and Jaguar included in the box! Honestly that is pretty great deal. Also included are Soundblaster’s vibration blaster gun and shoulder rocket launcher.

Getting two cassette troops is an excellent inclusion and a highlight when it comes to accessories for Soundblaster. His weapons are exactly the same as the original Soundwave toy, obviously now in a darker colour.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I can’t see you having too many problems with this reissue of Soundblaster, he’s sturdy and tough.

PRICE

I paid not too much above the original retail price from Mandarake for this second hand Soundblaster. But the condition was pretty much unused, so it was a good purchase.

OVERALL

I think Soundblaster might always be a bit of a hard sell as a toy and a character as he’s very similar to Soundwave. However, he’s still very cool as he has a dark colour scheme and extra storage space. Probably more suited to Japanese exclusive collectors more than anyone else. Still a nice variation of the original Soundwave mold!

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