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.

Deal: Imaginext Toy Story Pizza Planet, $17.49 at Amazon

Amazon.com has the Imaginext Toy Story Pizza Planet set on sale for $17.59. (It's been as low as $15 tonight.) Prices may vary, but you might want to consider grabbing it if it's still marked down. The set is usually around $45.

Seen any other deals?  Let us know!

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.)
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW AT 16BIT.COM ]

Imaginext Hornet Copter Is Awesome

While not an exclusive, the Imaginext Hornet Copter looks like a swell toy with spinning blades and a cockpit for your Imaginext (or Glyos, if I know my readers) figures.  Check it out!

Another big thanks to Matt for pointing these out to us as we have not yet seen them in our stores.  If you appreciate Matt's contributions, and are 14 or older, be sure to check out his own figure line!

Imaginext Toy Story Expands with More Exclusives

 Once again our pal Matt sent in a ton of new photos of new exclusive and non-exclusive Imaginext.  Thank you Matt!  For starters, Toys R Us has a sub-line of space-themed exclusives like Woody with Spaceship.  Woody is in a futuristic outfit and includes one of the sentries from the beginning of Toy Story 2, plus a rocket for some reason.  I like it.

 On the non-exclusive front, we're seeing Army Men and Buzz Lightyear with Jetpack in non-movie colors.  The Army Men are particularly interesting in that we are now seeing toys of superlative quality designed to recall the cheapest of the cheap plastic toys.

 Buzz Lightyear now has his Star Command playset, another entry in Toys R Us' growing suite of exclusives.  It comes with a small starship modeled after the Buzz Lightyear packaging from the Toy Story films, plus numerous moving parts and some sort of elevator.  Buzz comes in unique colors here.

Rounding out this batch of exclusive photos is the delightfully demented Rex with Spaceship, which finally gives you the dinosaur-and-vehicle play you were denied in the 1980s when Galoob opted not to pick up the Dinosaucers option.  A small Zurg Sentry is included here as well.  Thanks again for the pictures, Matt, we really appreciate it here!

New Imaginext DC Comics Super Friends Exclusives Spotted

Our pal Matt strikes again with tons of new pictures! Part of the ever-growing Toys R Us exclusive Gotham City sub-line of DC Super Friends, this Batwing is showing up now.  There are several other vehicles, including an armored van for Two-Face, and some new mini vehicles.

This duo of Cyborg & ATV and Batman & Rover recycle existing vehicles with new deco, although I'm pretty sure this is the first Cyborg figure in the line.  The Rover has been used for Green Lantern as well as the space line before, and these are exclusive to Toys R Us.

While not exclusive, it appears Batman & Sub is showing up as well as Aquaman & Robo Shark at Target stores for about $7.29.   Costs are going up, but hey, that's the toy market!

Rounding out the new DC offerings is a Mr. Freeze Headquarters, significantly larger than the mini one we saw at Toys R Us a couple of years back.  This doesn't seem to be an exclusive, and it includes both Mr. Freeze as well as a snowy Batman.  Happy hunting!

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.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]