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All posts for the month April, 2026

REVIEW – JADA TOYS TONY THE TIGER

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 27, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , .

Tony the Tiger is the iconic mascot of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes that debuted in 1952. The anthropomorphic tiger features a muscular build with his classic red kerchief around his neck, and is a sports enthusiast with his familiar “They’re Gr-r-reat!” catchphrase. 

Name: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Tony the Tiger
Line: N/A
Manufacturer: Jada Toys
Released: 2025
Price: $29.99 USD
Scale: 1/12
Accessories: 5 alternate hands, cereal box, cereal bowl, basketball + spinning effect part

I occasionally would have Frosted Flakes as a kid – but definitely too much sugar for me. It would also sometimes be my go-to meal for breakfast when in Japan too. I’ve always liked the Tony Tiger character and wondered if we would ever get a decent Tony tiger figure. For the longest time the Medicom Kubrick Tony tiger was enough – purely because there was really nothing else out there. However, now that Jada Toys is making breakfast cereal mascots, we’ve finally been given potentially the best Tony Tiger we’ll ever likely get.

SCULPTING

The sculpting is terrific! There is no mistaking this for Tony the tiger, Jada Toys have definitely done a great job translating Tonys 2D image into a 3D figure! I don’t think they could have done any better and the proportions are spot on too.

PAINT

Overall, the paint on Tony is excellent. However, his whole body is painted over the plastic. Not something I am a fan of. Mainly because it can chip or flake and look bad, especially if you are just moving the joints to pose him. There are also a couple of minor blemishes on my Tony’s face. But other than that, he’s ok.

ARTICULATION

This is another category where Tony shines. He’s got a great amount of articulation and is a joy to pose. You do have to use his tail to balance him though as that’s the easiest way to keep him upright and he can be a little top heavy naturally. But, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting Tony into most of the poses you would want to put him in and him being able to hold those poses well. The cloth kerchief is a really nice touch too!

ACCESSORIES

Tony comes with a decent number of accessories. You get five alternate hands, a cereal box, a cereal bowl and a basketball and spinning effect for the basketball. My main grip is that you don’t get two of the same hands – for example no left and right fists or relaxed hands. That bothers me, but its not necessarily a deal breaker. Everything else he comes with is great! And you can get a good variety of poses with the parts you are given.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I would say the main problem would be that you can scuff the paint when posing Tony, but that’s just the risk you’ll take as the body and head have both been painted. Just be careful when posing him. Also, stiff joints – make sure you heat up anything too tight before trying to move it.

“They’re Gr-r-reat!“

PRICE

I paid 29.99 from Big Bad Toy Store for my Tony, I’m happy with that price, I wouldn’t expect to be able to buy Tony here in Australia, so just source him from wherever you feel comfortable to buy him from, it shouldn’t be too hard to track one down.

OVERALL

This is a great figure! (no pun intended) and the best Tony tiger figure made thus far that hasn’t been a statue. If you are a fan of Tony the tiger, don’t hesitate to pick one up and add him to your collection. He’s definitely one of those random figures that looks great on a shelf with a bunch of other random figures.

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RETRO REVIEW – KENNER SGT. APONE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 26, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , .

Please note: Originally posted back in August 2014, but I’ve gone back and retaken the photos so it matches the most recent Kenner Aliens figures photo sets and just in time for Alien Day too!

Kenner’s line of ‘Aliens’ Space Marine toys were fairly short lived. After only 1 & 1/2 series of figures the Marines were dumped in favour of Predators instead to do battle with the Aliens. What marines we did get however were quite cool and in most cases had action features to add more play value. Apone, a character that appeared in the Aliens film franchise, also received a figure in this toyline.

Name: SGT. Apone
Line: Aliens
Manufacturer: Kenner
Released: 1992
Price: Then: $10-$16.  Now: $10 – $26 MOSC or less if loose
Scale: 4 -5 Inches in height
Accessories: Machine gun, two grenades

I really can’t remember why my brother and I decided to collect the Kenner Aliens toys when we were kids – being a toyline based off an MA 15+ series of movies – but they did look cool. The Alien designs were nice and there were a variety of figures. But you can’t just have Aliens… You need Marines as well! Regardless of what collectors at the time and collectors now think of this toyline, I still like what Kenner did with about 90% of the figures they made. Now on to the review!

SCULPTING

Kenner has taken a lot of liberties with their interpretation of each space marine character; they sure do not look like how they appeared in the movie. However, to me, what they have come up with, is still in its own way charming. The sculpting overall is pretty solid there are a lot of nice details on the figure, like the robotic arm or the harness or even the leg armour. I also like the head sculpt too. It may not be the best likeness of Al Mathews, but it still provokes the character of SGT. Apone to me. Like Ripley he has been sculpted in a set pose with articulation added later.

PAINT

The paint on Apone, isn’t too bad, there is the occasional slop here and there, like on the silver shoulder pad on the chest. However, the bulk of the paint is quite good – which is another thing I enjoyed about Kenner’s toys, they were always well painted and well made. The colour scheme is a bit funky too: bright yellow shirt with teal pants and a red cap to top it off. The colours really didn’t bother me too much as a child and I still have a soft spot for Apone even now; but I can understand to some collectors this is one of the main deal breakers for this figure.

ARTICULATION

Apone sports a whopping six points of articulation, swivel head, arms and legs. The waist does swivel too, but it’s only to help with the action feature so it will snap back into its normal position once moved. Apone’s action feature is that he “throws” the gold grenades he comes with, which involves placing a grenade in his hand, raising his robot arm up and then turning his waist and letting it snap back, theoretically throwing the grenade away.

He may have a robotic arm enhancement, but it doesn’t help him throw grenades very well at all. Apone should just stick to using his machine gun and that’s it.

ACCESSORIES

Apone comes with a couple of accessories, his machine gun and two grenades. Besides holding each item in his hands, he can also store them on his back or store the machine gun on his leg too. This is pretty neat as he doesn’t always have to be carrying all his weapons in his hands all the time.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

None that I can think of; Apone is rock solid. What would you expect from a early 1990’s toy? Just make sure your one has a good paint job before you buy it.

PRICE

I was happy with the $10 + shipping costs; however, I wouldn’t pay too much for this figure, as he is not worth any large amount of money.

OVERALL

Apone has a couple of faults and short comings; he’s not a very good representation of how the character appears in the movie and his action feature is a bit weak. But like Ripley I think he really captures the idea of the character well, which is a battle hardened space marine sergeant. The toy’s colours may be a bit funky for collectors these days, so I really think he’s only worthwhile if you are buying him to reclaim your childhood or if you really want a set of retro Aliens marines in your collection.

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This post was originally published on August 18, 2014.

RETRO REVIEW – HASBRO/TAKARA THE TRANSFORMERS SLIVERBOLT

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

Sliverbolt is the leader of the Autobot Aerialbots team and transforms into a Concorde SST jetliner and can reach speeds of Mach 1.9. He is also afraid of heights and tries his best to overcome this fear. As commander of the Aerialbots he is a mature and responsible leader and forms the main torso and head for Superion.

Name: Sliverbolt
Line: The Transformers (G1)
Manufacturer: Hasbro/Takara
Released: 1986
Price: Then – $11.99 USD Now – $30 – $300 USD
Scale: 20.3 cm in height in robot mode.
Accessories: Gun and multiple parts to make Superion
Motto: “Don’t look down, look straight ahead.”

I was fortunate enough to have Sliverbolt when I was a kid; most of transformers I had were from the European Classics line. My brother and I were lucky to have all the original “Scramble City” combiner teams when we were young, as well as a few Autobots and Decepticons between us. I definitely remember having a lot of fun playing with the combiner team toys. They are definitely some of my favourite toys put out by Takara, and I’m glad they found a home after the Diaclone line finished because the concept of putting together teams of robots that combine to make a larger robot that you can swap the limbs of with each team is a very fun one, in my opinion. 

SCULPTING

Sliverbolt has excellent sculpting details as a robot; he has plenty of panels, vents and line work. As a plane, he looks great and is fairly proportional, too. He’s very detailed and visually interesting, too, and he’s got a pretty unique face sculpt, too. He’s a great-looking toy.

PAINT

Not a lot of paint on Silverbolt. I guess you could count the vac metal as paint, perhaps? Sliverbolts’ details are made up with stickers mostly. If you are buying a used condition piece, make sure to check the chrome condition of its arms and legs.

ARTICULATION

Like most transformers any articulation with these first transformers toys are going to be part of the transformation process. His arms move about 90 degrees, and his head can look down. That’s about it. He is definitely a brick with questionable legs to stand on. The legs have always been a bit weak and flimsy – even when brand new as I remember the one I had as a child having loose legs right out of the box.

His transformation is quite easy, as you are mainly flipping and folding parts of his plane mode around onto his back, and a little bit tricky leg transformation can be annoying, but it does seem fairly unique. 

ACCESSORIES

Sliverbolt comes with his electrostatic discharger rifle, a ramp and all the parts to help you build Superion (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 Aerialbots.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Sliverbolt can have a fair few problems even when it’s almost brand new. The biggest problem being you can break his legs if you are really unlucky. This was the fate of the first Sliverbolt my brother and I received as kids. Other than normal wear, yellowing of the off-white plastic can be a big problem, too. I would say he definitely feels delicate and best to handle him with care. But, also be aware of misplaced or wrongly placed stickers as well!

PRICE

I was happy with the price I paid, but I did pay collector’s prices. You can find Sliverbolt in various conditions, which will affect the price. Just pay what you are comfortable with.

OVERALL

Sliverbolt has its fair share of problems and design flaws. However, I still think he’s a great addition to anyone’s G1 transformer collection. He looks great as a robot, transforms into a neat-looking plane and combines with his fellow Aerialbots to form a larger robot. There’s definitely a lot to like about the amount of play value you get with this toy. Just make sure you handle him carefully.

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RETRO REVIEW – KENNER LT. RIPLEY

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 18, 2026
Posted in: Retro. Tagged: , , .

Please note: Originally posted back in April 2014, but I’ve gone back and retaken the photos so it matches the most recent Kenner Aliens figures photo sets!

Kenner’s line of ‘Aliens’ Space Marine toys were fairly short-lived. After only 1 & 1/2 series of figures, the Marines were dumped in favor of Predators instead to do battle with the Aliens. What marines we did get, however, were quite cool and in most cases had action features to add more play value. Ripley, the main character in the Aliens film franchise, also received a figure in this toyline.

Name: Ripley
Line: Aliens
Manufacturer: Kenner
Released: 1992
Price: Then: $10-$15.  Now: $15-$25  mint on card,  less if loose
Scale: 4 -5  Inches in height
Accessories: Flamethrower, Small gun, set of stickers and comic

I really can’t remember why my brother and I decided to collect the Kenner Aliens toys when we were kids – being a toyline based off an MA 15+ series of movies – but they did look cool. The Alien designs were nice, and there was a variety of figures. But you can’t just have Aliens… You need Marines as well! Regardless of what collectors at the time and collectors now think of this toy line, I still like what Kenner did with about 90% of the figures they made.

SCULPTING

Kenner’s sculpting has always been pretty solid. There other lines of figures like Jurassic Park or Star Wars featured good, if not great, sculpting. The Aliens line and Ripley figure is no different. What I like the most about this sculpt is that, even though it’s not a very good likeness to actress Sigourney Weaver, I believe it still captures the feel of the character. Also, this is one of my favourite female head sculpts for a small-sized figure.  The rest of the figure is also well done, albeit that she’s stuck in the one pose. But this is mainly due to the action feature the toy has.

PAINT

Not too much paint here. It’s mainly used for detailing on the figure, and that’s about it. The paint application is fairly crisp; minimal to no slop on this figure. One thing to look out for is the placement of the eyes. They seem to be a bit of hit and miss, and in some cases, really aren’t applied very well at all.

ARTICULATION

Here, we have fairly standard Kenner – and to an extent, most 1990s articulation – swivel head, arms, waist and legs. Due to the figure needing to hold a two-handed weapon, most of the articulation suffers due to the need to cater for this function. The action feature is quite neat and works well. On the flamethrower there is a small red peg, which is placed into the yellow pouch on Ripley’s leg, when you turn Ripley’s upper body, the flame “shoots” out of the end of the flamethrower. I always liked the action feature. It does its job flawlessly by adding more than enough extra play value to this figure.  Below is a scan of the instructions that came with the figure, showing you how to use the action feature.

ACCESSORIES

Ripley comes with a small number of accessories. The big ticket item is of course, the flamethrower. It’s slightly oversized and not really a good representation from the movie. But, It looks great in its own right. The other accessories are a small gun and a comic (the comics weren’t very good, but did help establish the characters a little bit as there was no TV show tie-in for these toys). There are also stickers included, but my problem with these are they don’t tend to stick very well.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

I can’t see there being too many problems with this figure, beyond getting one with a bad paint application. It’s well-made and durable, nothing really too fragile here.

PRICE

I was happy with $10 + shipping costs; however, I wouldn’t pay too much for this figure, as she is not worth a large amount of money.

OVERALL

I have fond memories of playing with this figure and the other marines/aliens/predators from this line. I feel the figure itself, although limited in some aspects, still stands up fairly well today for children’s toy standards. From a collector’s point of view, this is only worth picking up if you want to reclaim your childhood or like having a variety of Aliens collectibles, both old and new, in your collection.

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This post was originally published on April 24, 2014.

REVIEW – JADA TOYS ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II: THE FINAL CHALLENGERS – E. HONDA

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 11, 2026
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

E. Honda is a Japanese sumo wrestler with lightning-fast strikes and powerful throws. His signature moves are the Hundred Hand Slap and flying headbutt attack. He first appeared in Capcom’s Street Fighter II and numerous other sequels. Honda is focused on becoming the greatest sumo wrestler of all time. He entered the Street Fighter tournament to prove that sumo wrestlers rank among the greatest fighters in the world.

Name: E. Honda
Line: Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
Manufacturer: Jada Toys
Released: 2026
Price: $50 AUD
Scale: 1:12
Accessories: Multiple interchangeable parts

I was never really a big fighting games fan back in the day. Mainly because I don’t think I’m any good at them and prefer team-based games. But I do remember playing Street Fighter II on Mega Drive at a friend’s house and definitely loved how excellent the gameplay was. I’m definitely a fan of the character designs from the game, so I’m mainly going to buy my favourite characters from the game.

SCULPTING

The sculpting is excellent! You can tell a lot of effort has been put into getting Honda just right by Jada Toys. It’s definitely easily recognisable as E. Honda and has all the details you would expect and bulk that E. Honda needs in good proportion.

PAINT

Paint for Honda is kept to a minimum, and that’s just how I like it! What paint there is, is clean and neat. The paint on the Yukata is great, and the face paint looks amazing!  

ARTICULATION

This figure has a stack of articulation! Butterfly shoulders, double-jointed elbows and knees, good range of motion in the ankles and same goes for the neck and torso. You can get Honda in a number of great poses, but you are restricted by the yukata and it does make some pose and leg positions difficult. But, overall he’s a joy to pose.

ACCESSORIES

E. Honda comes with the following accessories: Hundred Hand Slap effect piece, a pair of open palm hands and an alternate head sculpt. The Hundred Hand Slap effect piece is great! It’s done really well. The extra “angry” head sculpt is excellent. The extra hands are a nice addition and helps vary the poses you can do. I do wish we got maybe one more pair of hands to use, though.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

The only issue I’ve had is that some of the joints are a bit tight (the arms) and the ankle joints are a bit too tight. I was wary of changing the hands out as the pegs are quite small, but the plastic feels pretty strong. If in doubt I’d just heat them up with a hair dryer.

PRICE

I paid $50 AUD for my E. Honda and I was happy about that price and supported a local business at the same time. Obviously, if you can get him for a cheaper price, all the better. But, considering the exchange rate for these figures it can get pricey sometimes.

OVERALL

This is an excellent figure and another home run for Jada Toys and their Street Fighter II series of figures. I really feel they are doing a great job at making quality well-made figures at a good price point. If you aren’t already buying these figures its definitely time to jump on board. E. Honda is amazing and is really fun to play with and looks great with the other figures from the series.

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