RETRO REVIEW – HASBRO GI JOE NINJA FORCE – SCARLETT

Posted by Mighty Mike on July 22, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

Ninja Force was a martial arts-themed sub-line released in the early 1990s. The toys featured built-in spring-loaded “Real Ninja Action” that allowed them to perform kicks or chopping attacks. The toys also featured bright colours and divided fans at the time, as it moved away from more realistic military-style toys.

Name: Scarlett
Line: Ninja Force
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 1993
Price: Then: $4.99 USD, Now: $30 – $100 USD
Scale: 3.75 Inches in height
Accessories: Multiple weapons

When I first saw the Ninja Force toys in store, I was drawn towards them by the hot pink packaging. I picked up Night Creeper as my first figure from that series, as I really liked the look of the character, and he remains one of my favourite GI Joe toys ever.

I didn’t get too many more of the Ninja Force figures when I was younger, unfortunately, but did collect them later in life. 

I intend to cover most of the Ninja Force figures on my website at some point, and I’m starting with Scarlett.

SCULPTING

This is probably going to be a general complaint of GI Joe female toys – most of them really didn’t look that good, and Scarlett unfortunately doesn’t look as good as she could be. Compare her to the Chun Li toy also released around the same time, and they could have done a little bit more to make her look better, like they did with that figure. 

The body, however, is pretty good! Plenty of small details all over. I kinda think this was a missed opportunity to make a female asian ninja character instead. But it is what it is. 

I’m not a fan of the figure’s head sculpt, but the rest of the figure is good.

PAINT

Paint is mainly used for the details on the costume, and it’s used fairly well. You have the dark green and flesh tones, as well as black and gold for the armour. Overall, it’s very neat and not too sloppy. But sometimes you will get a bit of slop here and there.

ARTICULATION

Scarlett has most of the standard GI Joe articulation – except when it comes to her legs, which have her “real ninja action” feature of being able to kick. This limits her leg movement a little bit. Which is a shame because these figures would benefit from the standard GI Joe articulation the most.

You can still get her in a good number of poses, and she can hold most of her weapons quite well. No problems standing up either.

ACCESSORIES

Scarlett comes with a lot of weapons that are all cast in bright yellow plastic. They stand out a lot, but also some suit her too. You get a number of swords and other ninja-themed weapons. There’s a good amount of choice here.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I don’t think you will have too many problems with this figure. The Ninja Force toys can’t be taken apart easily due to having spring-loaded features inside them. Which is a bit of a let-down, but I can understand why that is the case. However, that will make it pretty much indestructible.  

PRICE

I got Scarlett for a good price loose, and she’s not too expensive carded either, compared to other figures. Considering that Ninja Force is not necessarily liked by GI Joe fans, I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble tracking this figure down.

OVERALL

This is a good figure, but not a great one. There are things I like about it and things I don’t. It’s not the worst figure ever made, but I think a lot more work should have gone into its design. I think it’s only worth picking up if you are putting together a Ninja Force collection and aiming for completeness of that collection.

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

Posted by Mighty Mike on July 14, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

Vega is a Spanish masked claw fighter and uses fast acrobatic attacks. His fighting style combines Japanese ninjutsu and Spanish bullfighting. His signature moves are the Rolling Crystal Flash and Flying Barcelona Attack. He first appeared in Capcom’s Street Fighter II and numerous other sequels. Vega is obsessed with beauty and sees fighting as an art form, often looking down on anyone he considers weak or ugly. 


Name: Vega
Line: Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
Manufacturer: Jada Toys
Released: 2025
Price: $40 AUD
Scale: 1:12
Accessories: Multiple interchangeable parts

When I go to Japan, I always want to pick up a figure that’s been recently released if possible. When I went to Japan last September I was able to purchase Jada Toys Vega Street Fighter figure. Firstly, I could check the paint applications before I buy and secondly I liked the idea of buying a toy from an iconic game in said games country of origin.

Also, I haven’t really seen Vega in any Australian retail stores. So that helps too. Jada Toys have almost completed their line of Street Fighter II figures and it’s been fun collecting my favourite characters and anticipating which character will be announced next and what they will look like and so far Jada Toys have not disappointed on making each character look great and mesh well together.

SCULPTING

Just like with E Honda, Jada Toys have once again done an amazing job with the sculpting on the figure. This is a really good representation of Vega that looks just like the video game it’s based off.

PAINT

Minimal paint and that’s what I enjoy about Jada Toys figures released so far – Everything is cast in the colour it’s meant to be. With paint mainly adding detail where required. If I were to nitpick anything it’s that either the length of his eyebrows or placement has been changed and it’s a bit noticeable. Otherwise, everything else like the snake tattoo and yellow line down the side of his pants is great.

ARTICULATION

Vega comes with what we should call at this point “Standard Jada Toys Articulation” which is: a ball jointed head and neck, butterfly joint shoulders, swivel and hinge joint shoulders, double jointed arms, swivel and hinge joint wrists, ball-jointed upper torso, ball-jointed waist, ball-jointed hips, thigh swivels, double jointed knees, calf swivels, ball-hinged ankles, ankle rockers and toe hinges. All in all an excellent amount of articulation and gives you the ability to pose Vega almost anyway you want in a realistic way that doesn’t make the sculpting of the figure look weird either. Also the fabric shash is a nice touch.

ACCESSORIES

Vega comes with a lot of great accessories. Firstly, he comes with an alternate head sculpt with the mask attached to his head, the mask by itself that he can hold in f need be, his claw by itself, a slashing effect and some open and fist hands. There’s plenty of options here for how you can display him and I think Jada Toys did a good job giving him everything you need to play and pose with this figure.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I don’t think you will have too many problems with this figure. I didn’t have any issues with mine.

PRICE

I got mine for about $40 AUD after conversion. That’s the standard retail price and I’m happy with that. 

OVERALL

This is another excellent figure from Jada Toys. I really can’t fault it at all. They are definitely doing a great job and if you are a Street Fighter II fan you need these toys. They are just that good.

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RETRO REVIEW – HASBRO/TAKARA THE TRANSFORMERS ONSLAUGHT

Posted by Mighty Mike on July 9, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

Onslaught is the leader of the Combaticons team and transforms into a missile trailer. He is capable of launching 6500-mile range photon missiles. He believes the key to a mission’s success lies in the perfection of its planning. As commander of the Combaticons he is a relentless and furious fighter and forms the main torso and head for Bruticus.

Name: Onslaught 
Line: The Transformers (G1)
Manufacturer: Hasbro/Takara
Released: 1985
Price: Then – $11.99 USD Now – $30 – $300 USD
Scale: 19 cm in height in robot mode.
Accessories: Gun and multiple parts to make Bruticus
Motto: “The mind is the greatest weapon”

My brother was the bigger fan of Onslaught than me. When growing up being a twin, we often had to decide between each other who got what, in terms of sharing certain Transformers – for example, my brother owned Onslaught and Sliverbolt and I owned Motormaster and Hotspot.

Out of the Combaticons I had Brawl and Vortex, while he had Onslaught, Swindle and Blastoff. When you have a sibling you just make it work. 

I appreciate the character of Onslaught even though I technically didn’t own him as a kid. However, that hasn’t stopped me later in life tracking down a version for myself.

My brother is still the Onslaught expert owning at least three or more versions of the original toy, it’s definitely one of his favourite characters along with Thundercracker and Hot rod.

SCULPTING

Onslaught is very nicely sculpted. There is a good amount of detail in both vehicle mode and robot mode.  He’s a very long vehicle and also a pretty tall robot too. I always liked how long the missile trailer was and that you could put other Combaticons on the back as well.

PAINT

Not a lot of paint on Onslaught and the stickers make up a lot of the interesting details on him. What paint there is on my figure is nice and tidy – no slop here. I do really like the black camo pattern on the vehicle mode it really adds something special to the deco.

ARTICULATION 

Like most Transformers from this era his articulation is just a trade off from the transformation. You can move his arms, head and technically his legs too. But he’s pretty much a brick, but a cool looking brick at least.

The transformation is very fun and straight forward, you are just folding out and folding up certain parts of him and extending other parts. Not too hard. But still pretty satisfying for what it is.

ACCESSORIES

Onslaught comes with his sonic stun gun, a ramp and all the parts to help you build Bruticus (head, chest pieces and two hands and feet) all are nicely detailed and well-made. Obviously, the parts are great because they enable you to assemble a larger robot if you have the other Combaticons.

There are also a couple of slight variations to Onslaught/Bruticus mainly being the colour of the grey plastic – it comes in sliver and a light grey. I have both variants and they are great in their own individual ways.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

There are definitely a few things to watch out for with onslaught, he’s always been a little bit fragile even when brand new. And gets even more fragile the older the plastic gets. Definitely be gentle when transforming him as the navy plastic can get brittle and easily break if too much force is applied. And don’t lose that small chest plate for Onslaught either!

PRICE

I paid for a second hand Onslaught from a reputable Transformers reseller that included the box with my purchase. So the price was a bit high after the exchange rate. However, it was in absolutely excellent condition and I’m glad I paid a little bit extra for it. Always with vintage Transformers: pay  a price you are happy with or even purchase a reissue.

OVERALL

Onslaught is not a perfect Transformer toy. But he does have his strengths and weaknesses in his design. He looks great in vehicle and robot mode and helps to form a really cool looking combiner, being Bruticus. Just watch out for possible weak arm and leg joints as you don’t want to break him. He’s definitely a fun toy to have and looks great with the other Combaticons on a display shelf. 

REVIEW – BANDAI S.H.FIGUARTS OCHACO URARAKA

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

My Hero Academia’s Ochaco Uraraka is a naturally cheerful, compassionate and caring student hero. With her Zero Gravity Quirk, she can make objects and people float by touching them with her fingertips.  She’s highly perceptive, quick to read emotions, and unafraid to act decisively. Despite her kind personality, she’s brave and works hard to improve herself and protect others. Overuse of her quirk causes nausea, which she eventually learns to manage. 

Name: Ochaco Uraraka
Line: S.H.Figuarts
Manufacturer: Bandai/Tamashii Nations
Released: 2025
Price: 9,900 JPY
Scale: 1:12
Accessories: Various accessories included

I’m not the world’s biggest My Hero Academia fan, I know of the anime and its basic concept and know about some of the characters too. What I’m a fan of is some of the character designs from the manga/anime. 

The character of Ochaco Uraraka being one such design I liked the look of and wondered: what figures and statues were out there to purchase? Even though I am a bit late to the party, I think my timing is still good as recently Bandai and Banpresto have released some quite good figures and statues for My Hero Academia.

In my research when deciding what Ochaco Uraraka figure to buy I noticed that Revoltech and Figma had also released their versions previously. So you have at least three choices depending on what style of figure you like the most. I was initially going to try and hunt down a Revoltech version when in Japan during May.

However, after not finding any and coming across the Bandai version, I realised the Bandai version would be more to my liking overall proportions-wise. 

So I bought that version and I also bought a Banpresto Ochaco Uraraka statue from their Glitter & Glamours line. Now that I am back in Australia I have been able to play around with the figure a little bit more in hand it’s quickly enduring itself to me.


SCULPTING

The sculpting on this figure is definitely just a cut above the previous efforts in my opinion, because Bandai have done a better job with the more voluptuous proportions of the character. I think this is important because, as a collector, sometimes it’s really essential that a toy or figure capture the essence of the character physically somehow, and I think Bandai is really putting effort into little things like proportions, which goes a long way in making the figure stand out above what’s been done previously.

Also, the size of this figure is really quite small, too, the arms and hands feel very delicate due to their size. Unfortunately, I don’t have other S.H.Figuarts figures to compare this one to. But, you should be satisfied with the appearance of the character, and it closely matches the anime very well.

PAINT
Overall, I would say the paint is very crisp and cleanly applied where it has been used. But it is used sparingly at best, which is what I prefer too. It’s up to the usual standards you would expect from Bandai, and I don’t think you’ll have any real issues here.

ARTICULATION
This figure has a lot of articulation and not only that but it is incorporated well into the sculpt of the figure to not be too distracting either, for example you get a good range of motion in the foot/toe articulation, that is not obvious straight away until you start posing the figure. I had no trouble posing her for my photos and no trouble having her hold the poses too. 

Also, the joints were nice and tight and stayed that way so far, so that’s a good thing too. The design of the outfit does not hamper the articulation too much, with possibly the forearms getting in the way a little bit, but overall, she is engineered very well.

ACCESSORIES
You get quite a number of accessories for Ochaco! Besides different face plates and hands, you also get a few character-specific accessories too. I’m surprised you don’t get a display stand included with the figure. But it’s not a deal breaker for me. 

It’s also worth noting that the wires for her arms are bendable too. I also think we get a good amount of different expressions, too, that are varied enough.

You should have no problem changing out the hands or face plates, and there is enough variation to find a combination you are happy with. 

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
I really don’t think I’ve bought an SH Figuarts figure before, besides a couple of Godzilla figures and due to their size, they stay in the box. So I personally can’t really say what potential problems these types of figures tend to have.

When posing the figure for photos, I didn’t really find too much to worry about. Joints stayed tight, and everything seemed pretty solid. My concern was the wrist joints, as they required a bit of pressure to remove and change them over. Normally, you wouldn’t be doing this all the time. But, still something to watch out for. 

That, and potentially losing any of the accessories if you aren’t too careful.

PRICE
I paid around 9,900 JPY when I was in Japan just recently, in May, for my copy of this figure, from Hero Gangu in Osaka. Even though there are stores in Australia selling this figure, they are overpriced compared to the price I paid in Japan. Also, when it comes to Japanese figures, I do want to support the Japanese stores.

This is due to Australian sellers sometimes selling knockoffs. Unfortunately, you have to be careful sometimes, especially when you pay a lot of money for these types of figures. But, if you were going to buy in Australia, I think HobbyCo would be a good choice to avoid a knockoff.

OVERALL
For my first proper S.H Figuarts figure, I’m very happy with it and genuinely blown away by the level of attention to detail, skill and craftsmanship that has gone into making this figure. In my opinion, this is an excellent Ochaco Uraraka figure and the best one made so far, and I would recommend picking one up for your collection if you haven’t already.

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RETRO REVIEW – KENNER JURASSIC PARK DINO SCREAMS VELOCIRAPTOR

Posted by Mighty Mike on June 23, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , .

The Dino Screams Velociraptor was one of the many dinosaurs released in the first wave for Kenner’s original Jurassic Park line of toys, based on the hit movie. The velociraptors are technically some of the main antagonists in the latter half of the movie after escaping their enclosure.

Name: Velociraptor
Line: Jurassic Park (Dino Screams)
Manufacturer: Kenner
Released: 1993
Price: First released – $12.99. Now – varies $200-$250MOC
Scale: About 4 Inches in height
Accessories: JP Collector card #12.

My brother and I, like most kids our age, watched the original Jurassic Park in the cinema when it was first released. We had a choice of that or The Lion King, and obviously, hands down, Jurassic Park was winning that battle. 

I vividly remember other kids at school talking about the movie as they had seen it before us, but that didn’t matter because we didn’t have to wait too long to see it and loved it upon first watching it. Truly one of Steven Spielberg’s greatest movies and excellent dinosaur creations from Stan Winston Studios that helped bring the creatures to life.

And what felt like a common practice, it was a trip to the toy store to buy some toys after watching said movie. This particular version of the Velociraptor I didn’t have as a kid, my brother had this one. I had the brown slightly smaller one instead. 

However, I always liked the look of this one as it seemed to imply it was the leader of the escaped Raptors, being it had a different paint job and was slightly bigger overall compared to the other version.

So, later in life, I managed to pick one up from eBay MOC while reclaiming my childhood toys and figures.

SCULPTING
As like the majority of Kenner’s Jurassic Park line the sculpting on this toy is absolutely excellent and a highlight of the toy. Whoever worked on the sculpting for all the Dinosaurs really did an amazing effort and I thank them for not only making the Dinosaurs look realistic, but matching how they looked in the movie very closely too. This Velociraptor is an excellent representation of the ones seen in the movie.

PAINT
The paint is probably the only questionable aspect of the toy, not because it’s bad, it’s done very well. But, because like some of the other dinosaurs from this line it doesn’t match the source material as well as it could. But, I understand that it’s more “toyetic” this way and I definitely agree that it is and these are aimed at kids, not collectors. 

It’s still a pretty iconic colour scheme for this toy and the combination of colours really makes the toy stand out but still look somewhat realistic when with other toys from the same line. The red/brown stripes and white underbelly work well with the orange/tan base colour, and the green eyes really stand out. The black claws and talons and off-white teeth round out the colour scheme nicely.

ARTICULATION
The Velociraptor has a small amount of articulation; you can move the arms and legs. They swivel pretty well and aren’t too loose. The head and tail are stuck in place. For this particular figure, the articulation works fine. It’s just enough to add play value and still a lot more than the average dinosaur toy would have.

It’s also worth mentioning that this particular toy’s gimmick was that when you pushed down the torso from the tail end while supporting the legs, the arms would stretch outwards in a grabbing motion and the Dinosaur would make noise, hence “Dino Screams” This is a pretty neat feature and made playing with this toy very fun.

The batteries needed changing in mine, and it was very tricky to get them out, so I couldn’t be bothered putting new ones in to check if the electronics still worked or not, as I didn’t want to damage the toy trying to get the new batteries out later. But seeing the old original batteries hadn’t leaked, I’m pretty confident the electronics would still work if tested.

ACCESSORIES
None. Unless you are counting that collector card, and I wouldn’t count that.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
There isn’t too much to watch out for here, besides paint rub and it’s somewhat tricky to get the batteries out of their compartment if you want to replace them.

PRICE
I paid what I felt was a good price for one, new mint on card, because I wanted my copy to be in the best condition possible. It’s still fairly readily available on the secondary market, and the price is not too outrageous.

OVERALL
This is one of the classic and iconic toys from Kenner’s original Jurassic Park line of toys. It’s an excellent sculpt. Great paint scheme and fun play feature make it a really great toy. If you are looking to start a vintage Jurassic Park toy collection, you need to make sure you have this toy in your collection, it’s great!

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RETRO REVIEW – HASBRO BATTLE BEASTS WEB SLINGER SPIDER

Posted by Mighty Mike on June 17, 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 1980’s, 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: Web Slinger Spider
Line: Battle Beasts
Manufacturer: Hasbro/Takara
Released: 1986
Price: Then – around $5- $10 (estimate) Now – roughly the same loose, more MOSC
Scale: 2 inches in height
Accessories: Blade/sword weapon

I discovered Battle Beasts when I was in primary school. I was in the school library looking through the magazines there and came across a full-page colour ad. Now, this magazine was pretty old and this was the mid 90’s, so there was no way to learn more about these cool-looking toys. I do remember I liked the look of most of the toys, Web Slinger Spider being the best. Fast forward to today, and with the internet, it’s pretty easy to rediscover and find things you remember from your youth. Thanks to Alex Bickmore and Super Toy Archive, I now not only know more about these toys, but I was also able to buy them too.

SCULPTING

Considering the size, the detail on the figure is quite good. They are small in height, but fairly wide little toys. You have some nice detailing on the armour, plenty of grooves, panels etc. Overall, I would say it has a lot of smooth surfaces. The standout features of the figurine are the extra legs sticking out from the back, and the great detail in the Spider’s face.

PAINT

The toy is cast in grey plastic, with paint added for the armour and details on the head. As for the application of the paint, it certainly isn’t a standout presentation; however, it is satisfactory. Apart from a few stray dots of paint, I would say it looks pretty good. One thing to watch out for would be paint being rubbed off on the top of the head or the corners of the armour.

ARTICULATION

Web slinger spider only has two points of articulation, his arms. That’s it. You aren’t going to get him into any dramatic action stances, that’s for sure. But it is possible to get a few nice poses out of him.

ACCESSORIES

Just one accessory for this toy: his bladed weapon. I would describe the sword as very smooth, with no sharp points, and it has a nice shape to it. It fits easily into his hand. Sometimes it will fall out if you’re not careful.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Not really anything to worry about with this toy. Just make sure you don’t lose the weapon, as it is small and a dull grey colour.

PRICE

Buying one of these battle beasts won’t cost you much, unless you want one MOSC, then you’ll have a harder time tracking one down for a reasonable price.

OVERALL

I quite like Web Slinger Spider. Once I finally found out more about these 80’s figures, I wasn’t too disappointed. The print ad from my childhood didn’t set me up for any unrealistic expectations, thankfully. You get to really enjoy these toys more when you have a group of different characters together on a shelf; that’s when they start to look really cool. However, even by itself, Web Slinger Spider is still cool in my book! They will look great mixed in with some Transformers Pretenders or any Transformer post the original Transformers movie. I would recommend giving Battle Beasts a try if you have fond memories of them like I did, or if you are into collecting cool-looking little toys.

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COLLECTIONS – GACHAPIN

Posted by Mighty Mike on June 11, 2026
Posted in: Collections. Tagged: , , , .

Gachapin is a green dinosaur Japanese mascot character who appears on kids’ TV shows with his friend Mukku. Who you may have seen at least once if you’ve been to Japan. While there havn’t really been a lot of toys or figures of him. Over the years, I’ve been able to collect a small amount of Gachapin collectibles. Definitely one of those characters you always associate with Japan!

REVIEW – BANDAI MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM ROBOT SPIRITS RX-78-2 GUNDAM (Ver A.N.I.M.E)

Posted by Mighty Mike on June 9, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

In Mobile Suit Gundam, the RX-78-2 Gundam is a powerful experimental mobile suit developed by the Earth Federation during its war with Zeon. When his colony is attacked, teenager Amuro Ray accidentally becomes the Gundam’s pilot and uses its advanced weapons and armour to protect the battleship White Base. The series became famous for portraying giant robots as realistic military weapons and focusing on the human cost of war.

Name: RX-78-2 Gundam (Ver A.N.I.M.E)
Line: Mobile Suit Gundam Robot Spirits
Manufacturer: Bandai
Released: 2016
Price: 5,500 JPY
Scale: 12.5 CM in height
Accessories: Numerous accessories included 

Obviously, everyone in this day and age should know of Gundam or at least be able to recognise the original design, as by this point, I think it’s become quite iconic. It’s definitely a toy/figure/collectible that is associated with Japan quite strongly. I’m not a fan of building model kits very often. So I was holding out for a figure version I could happily buy and own.

The classic anime design was released back in 2016, but thankfully rereleased in 2025. This happened to coincide with my trip to Japan last year, when I was actively searching for one. If I can walk into a store and buy one, I feel that’s a lot more rewarding than just buying one online and thankfully, I found one at Nakano Broadway when I was there last September, which I found on one of my last few days there.

SCULPTING

Excellent sculpting for this figure. Seeing as this first Gundam has such an iconic look, Bandai have done a really good job matching the Anime appearance almost perfectly in my opinion. Plenty of fine detail, line work, smooth surfaces and sharp edges. You will be happy to have this figure on your shelf.

PAINT

Paint is overall clean and crisp. Neatly applied and little to no slop. The colours really pop too. Most of the figure is cast in the colours it’s meant to be, and that’s great in my opinion. What paint there is, you shouldn’t have an issue with.

ARTICULATION

As expected, this figure has a lot of articulation! You can easily put the figure in most poses that you would put him in. Moving the arms and legs is smooth and easy. There’s even some added articulation in the chest to hold the sabre close to the body without the chest getting in the way. So this Gundam figure really excels with the articulation.

ACCESSORIES

This figure comes stacked with a number of accessories! Numerous hands, gun and sword effects, a bazooka, a beam rifle and a shield. You really have a lot of choice here and can really have a lot of options for how you want to display your Gundam figure.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I don’t think you will have too many problems with this figure. The hands can be a little bit fiddly to change – that and the missiles on the head to change over. But otherwise, I think it’s very well made with quality plastic parts as expected from Bandai. 

PRICE

I got mine in Nakano last year for about 6,000 JPY, not a bad price, considering I was having a little bit of trouble tracking one down in person. As this figure has been rereleased in 2025, you should not have too much trouble getting one, even outside of Japan.

OVERALL

This is a really excellent representation of the Mobile Gundam Suit from the original anime. It is expertly sculpted, has great articulation and paint and numerous fun accessories. If, like me, you just want a reasonably sized Gundam for your display shelf that looks like the anime, then this is the one to get.

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REVIEW – REAL X HEAD RYUSEI NINJA

Posted by Mighty Mike on June 3, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , , .

Real X Head is a small Japanese company run by Mori Katsura, who makes vinyl toys. Over the years, there have been a number of figures and variations released, as well as collaborations with other people or stores. One such collaboration is with the store Ichiban –Boshi, which sells new and vintage vinyl toys.

Name: Ryusei Ninja
Line: Ichibanboshi Ninja Gaiden
Manufacturer: Real Head X Ichibanboshi
Released: 2006
Price: First released – unknown, now – $50-$60 MOC
Scale: 5.5 Inches in height.
Accessories: One eye patch

I became aware of the Ryusei Ninja when thumbing through the excellent ‘Tokyo Underground 2 Toy and Design Culture in Tokyo’ it really is a great book and I cannot praise it enough as it has made my trips to Japan so much easier than if I was relying on some unhelpful internet guide with Google maps links. (You know who you are.)

Even though there was a very cool photo of some Ryusei Ninjas in the book, I never actively searched for them until my third trip to Japan.

I ended up buying a black version which sparkles in the light and a flesh-coloured version on that trip. Since then, I’ve added a glow in the dark one and the subject of this review, the clear grey Ryusei Ninja to my collection.

SCULPTING

This is a category where the Ryusei Ninja stands out! It is cast in a semi-clear grey vinyl material and looks awesome! The details can be a little hard to make out at first due to the dark material, but the sculpting, as expected, is top notch! There are some great details on the face, including a star in the middle of its forehead and some solid work on the chest armor/torso with some good details added to this part of the figure. The arms and legs look great too. With an uncoloured version, you can really appreciate the details a lot more.

PAINT

Seeing the figure is cast in clear grey vinyl, there is no paint to talk about.

ARTICULATION

The figure has a grand total of three points of articulation: swivel neck and swivel arms. That’s it. You can still get a couple of nice poses out of him.

ACCESSORIES

The Ryusei Ninja comes with an eye patch which in most cases, all Ninjas will come with this accessory.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

There are none at all – this is an adult designer toy after all. It is made very well, so there are no issues with it.

PRICE

I picked this particular Ryusei Ninja up from a neat little website called Vicious Fun, they carry a large range of vinyl figures and the prices are quite good too. If you aren’t living in the USA, it’s best to send them an email to make your order, as the shopping cart can be a little troublesome.

The Price I paid was around $50 USD and that’s what I would expect to pay for this kind of figure, considering nowhere else had this particular version – worth every penny in my opinion!

OVERALL

I think the Ryusei Ninja is a very cool looking vinyl figure! It looks really cool in my display cabinet with a number of other vinyl figures next to it. The best part is that there are a number of variations and colours so you can always find something you like. I would recommend picking up one if you can, as they are too good to pass up!

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RETRO REVIEW – KENNER LAVA PLANET PREDATOR

Posted by Mighty Mike on May 28, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , .

The Kenner Predator series was released during the 1990s and is loosely based on the designs of the Predator movies – and I do mean loosely!  There were at least two series of predators released:  a version more faithful to the film for series one, followed by one far more creative or crazy, depending on your opinion, series two. The Lava Planet Predator was released in series two.

Name: Lava Planet Predator
Line: Alien Vs. Predator
Manufacturer: Kenner
Released: 1994
Price: Then: $5 -$7, now: $30-$40 MOC
Scale: 14cm in height.
Accessories: Blazing rocket launcher

When I was a kid, my brother and I had Kenner’s line of Aliens and Space Marine toys, and then one day, after my mother and brother had gone out shopping, he brought home with him Cracked Tusk and Scavage Predator toys. I picked Scavage Predator for myself. Later on, I clearly remember getting the Lava Planet Predator from Toys R Us in Parramatta. I was instantly drawn to the figure because of the red translucent plastic. I really enjoyed playing with him as a kid, and I thought the design looked really cool, even if it didn’t make sense based on the first series of Predator figures released looked so much more realistic.

SCULPTING

This is the same sculpt as the Cracked Tusk Predator. So, if you own that one, you have it. Now, this time it’s in clear red plastic. Even though there’s not a lot of paint to bring out the details, Kenner still did an excellent job sculpting these toys. There’s a lot of detail on the skin and armour, and I feel they really tried to give each Predator a unique look with the armour and Predator itself.    

PAINT

Mainly being cast in red plastic, there’s not a lot of paint on this figure to speak of. Just a little bit of black spray on the head and some paint on the chest. The yellow eyes really stand out against the black, and the design on the chest looks cool too.  

ARTICULATION

The articulation is identical to the rest of the Kenner Predator line, with moveable head, arms and legs. All articulation points are cut/swivel joints, and there is generally a good range of motion from each. However, there is still some restriction, allowing for only a handful of decent poses. This is mainly from the lack of articulation, and sometimes from the sculpt itself. If only Kenner threw in some hinge joints, then we would be talking!

ACCESSORIES

This Predator figure comes with the same shoulder cannon as Cracked Tusk. Only now it’s been cast in mostly metallic red. Some parts are grey as well, which kinda ruins the overall look though. The Lava Planet Predator also comes with a red mask, the same one again that came with Cracked Tusk. Both mask and cannon look great, and the firing feature is quite strong even to this day.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I don’t really see too many issues with this toy. He’s pretty rock solid.

PRICE

I paid a reasonable price for mine. But not a lot of money. If you hunt around (no pun intended), you can find yourself a deal for one. It’s not the type of toy you should be paying an arm and a leg for.

OVERALL

I think the Lava Planet Predator is a good use of a mold as a repaint. Even if it might look a little bit silly to most Predator fans. On its own, it’s a pretty cool looking figure, and to me, it always will be cool because of the red translucent plastic it’s cast in, but, if you know me, I’m a sucker for toys in translucent colours. If you are a Predator fan, I don’t think it’s worth chasing this one down, unless you are a completest.

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