New Space Toy: Imaginext Alpha Cutter

Right now, Kohl's has Imaginext for 50% off.  As an added bonus, they're getting new stuff like the Alpha Blade (pictured).  It includes a small vehicle and a new sculpt pilot, with a removable helmet and a gun that can be held in his hand or mounted on the vehicle.  Kohl's normal price is $9.99, but on sale for $5 it becomes a real bargain.

The vehicle has a wheel on the bottom, so when you roll the vehicle on the carpet the blade spins around like a UFO or a buzzsaw.  It's a lot of fun!

Older collectors will be delighted at the "Alpha" naming convention, which Fisher-Price used previously in its Adventure People line of the 1970s and 1980s.  I had an Alpha Star as a kid and it's a beautiful toy.

A review of this toy is forthcoming - big kudos to reader Matt for the tip on it being out!

New Imaginext Space - Ion Vehicles

Your friend and mine Reader Matt wrote in today to inform us that Kohl's has begun stocking new-for-2014 Imaginext Space sets, and he was kind enough to send along pictures of his various finds.

The big ship to the right is the Ion Orbiter, and that other sets include the Ion Crab and Ion Scorpion. The Ion Crab's armor is reversible.

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!