Review: Fisher-Price Imaginext Dinosaur Dimetrodon

One of my favorite age-inappropriate toy lines to pick up is the Imaginext Dinosaur range. I've had a pretty steady streak at finding these for $7 at grocery stores, which continued with a Dimetrodon late in 2012. As our modern descendant of Dino-Riders, they have some neat play features, helmets, and bright colors. Unlike the originals there are no attempts to amp up authenticity and the age range is such that no retail store worker will ever suspect I'm buying them for myself which, as a toy collector, is a fun thing to watch go down. "I bet someone's been really good to deserve this!" I always say "Yes, someone really has been!" I spoil myself.
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Imaginext Dinosaurs Raptor Revision - Dilophosaurus

The Raptor got a bit of a facelift!  This new version started showing up in mid-December 2012, and as luck would have it I had a camera when I went to Target today.

Called "Raptor," the figure is similar to the previous releases with a retooled head and gear.  Now in bright orange, the little guy has a frilled collar like the spitters from Jurassic Park and the opening mouth has been removed.

The gear seems to be changed quite a bit, and the coloring looks decidedly less evil.

Review: Fisher-Price Imaginext Dinosaur Raptor

Tyco's much-beloved Dino-Riders toys are one of the 1980s properties left woefully unupdated, but at least the preteens of 1988 can take solace that the Raptor in the current range of Imaginext Dinosaurs can work as a decent substitute for their kids now. Eschewing some of the science that makes dinosaurs more feathery and less awesome, the Raptor is as you see it: a red mence with a saddle, helmet, and seating for a single figure. The sculpting is more than a little cartoony and the chunky figures are clearly designed for smaller hands, but for ten bucks you really can't go wrong. (Plus the seats work great for Glyos Armorvor figures, too, if you need to make some customized Rulons for your neo Dino-Rider toy collection.)
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New Imaginext Dinosaur, Store Exclusives Arriving

Your friend and mine Matt D was kind enough to send us some quick pics of recent Imaginext finds at Walmart!

 Pterodactyl & ATV.  Note the flapping wings and giant chomping jaw!  This is not an exclusive.  (And I haven't seen one in the wild yet myself.)

 Imaginext DC Super Friends Batcopter & Mr. Freeze Jet.  This is a Walmart exclusive, and we've seen these come and go locally quite fast.

 Imaginext DC Super Friends Batwing & The Joker Hauler.  This is also a Walmart exclusive, and a nice thing to buy because, let's face it, it's super cool.

Thanks again, Matt!

Review: Fisher-Price Imaginext Dinosaur Ankylosaurus

I can't remember who told me this, but someone in the industry let me know that Imaginext is currently being run by a 1980s toy fiend. So it's no surprise that the Ankylosaurus and his dinosaur buddies all reek of two other great "feature"-driven 1980s toy lines-- Tyco's Dino-Riders (rumored to be owned by Mattel, who also owns the Tyco brand) and Kenner's M.A.S.K. (still owned by Hasbro.) As you can see, what you get here is an adorable kid-friendly dinosaur, a clear yellow mask (similar to the "Split Seconds" line from Kenner) and a bunch of other play gear for about ten bucks. If it came in an enclosed box so it wouldn't be covered in shopper bacteria before your kid buys it to stick in his mouth/up his nose, what you'd have here is a recipe for greatness. As it's marketed to toddlers, it doesn't get a lot of traction with collectors.
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Imaginext Kmart Dinosaur Pack

Charlie Parry wrote in with a picture of the new Kmart Exclusive Imaginext Dinosaurs Set, which should be in stores now. Each set is $24.99 and includes redecoes of the Pteranodon (in blue) and the Raptor (in green).

To date this is the only known exclusive Dinosaurs set (with the Dino-Riders style toys) but as always, we'll keep you posted as we find more!

Imaginext Dinosaurs Doc and Exo Suit Released

In my hunts last week I saw the Imaginext Dinosaurs Doc and Exo Suit set, which repaints the existing smaller "mech" suit and adds a small pterosaur to the mix. Unlike the picture, the sample I saw had the opening canopy section completely vac-metal-- not black and vac-metal silver, but totally silver with a couple of painted details. (It was scuffed, otherwise I'd have bought it.) It ships in the same case as the Ankylosaurus and Raptor sets. Good hunting! A lot of new items are showing up now, particularly at Kmart and Target due to their resets.

This set retails for about $10.99. Previously the Mech Suit has been sold in other colors and with other figures for $5.99-$6.99. Minus the dinosaur, obviously.