Post by misterd on Dec 23, 2005 0:12:55 GMT -5
Ordered it through BBTS, and on the day it arrived, saw it in TRU (Middletown NY).
First off the DVD - I haven't watched it, but I have seen the episode (#6). It's ok, one of the better eps in the series so far, but not completely appropriate. It focuses more heavily on the ninja cycles and should have been included with one of them. Also, I remember early rumors that there would be two eps, the other being the first ep. Alas, that turned out not to be true. Would it really have cost them that much more to include episode 1? (Admittedly, not the best one to spotlight the characters as SE is not in his S6 uniform, but at least it shows off "gray arms" Storm Shadow).
The figures are, naturally, repaints of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. Storm Shadow was the one who had me worried. The new black sash was a nice, subtle touch, but the gray arms - cold weather insulation - looked out of place. In person, they don't look so bad, and I got used to them rather quickly, but I can't help thinking that they would have looked better in black. Note that his "naked" legs have gray paint apps, so the arms look less out of place when he's pantless (if you happen to like that look). Also, given that he's supposed to be wearing gloves, they should have used hands without visible fingernails. There's nice gray detailing on his arm and shin guards, and the traditional markings on his left arm are much larger, but otherwise the rest is the same as the original figure.
Snake Eyes is the more radical departure. The look is a recognizable but strikingly different Snake Eyes, and I like it. His suit replaces the dull green highlights with white, and has exposed fingers. His "tatoo" is done in black on the right forearm, highlighting the connection between the two toys. Rather than the original's harness, NBSnake Eyes comes with black pants with white buckles. On the down side, these pants are almost certainly Heavy Duty's, so they seem a bit oversized. I'm not sure why they didn't use Spirit's instead (CORRECTION: they actually ARE Spirit's pants (no snap button), but for some reason they make SE look like MC Hammer). His head has been resculpted so that his visor is not removable. I am guessing this was a cost saving measure, but I'm not sure remolding the head saved them much more than the inclusion of a cheap accessory.
Unfortunately it seems some corners were cut in other places too. Paint apps tend to be sloppy, esp with SE's visor. SE doesn't come with his Joe Dog Tag (the first S6 Joe figure to be so dishonored), and the mix of accessories is just a bit disappointing. We get the following:
Snake Eyes:
2 Tonfa swords w/ black handles. The blades are silver, but no blue highlight.
Knife, colored as the swords.
Grappling hook w/ black cord. Other than the cord the same as SS's.
Bo staff - a black and silver recolor of SS's staff. Can't be used with SE's weapons, so I don't know why they chose to make this HIS accessory.
Storm Shadow:
Katana and wakazahi, touched up with gold diamonds on the hilt, and all silver blades.
2 sais with silver blades and silver diamonds.
Blade-chucks with black cord and blueless silver blade.
2 silver climbing claws with red handle
An okay assortment if they were original weapons, but this is the third time we've seen many of them (original characters and then the ninja bikes). For those who bought the early SS with the black claws and sais, this may be a good way to get the silver versions (which I think look much sweeter). What's really obvious, especially to those who have the originals, is what is missing. No scabbards, so SS can't really put his sword on his back. No peg on SE's swords (like on the Ninja Bike) so he can carry them without the sheaths. And no connectors for SE's weapons.
With $20 price tag, it's an attractive package, but there is a reason for it's cheapness. In a quick time S6 earned a rep as a high quality line. This does not live up to that standard. I know the price seems cheap, but I think if you took each of these figures on their own, and compared them to the similarly priced Tunnel Rat or SCUBA Duke, you'd find them lacking. Given that the set offers nothing new save the paint job, more care would have been put into the paint apps and choosing the accessories.
For kids, who won't have as discearning an eye, and would lose the dog tag anyway, this isn't a bad deal. Give 'em two of the shows most popular characters, plus a taste of the tv show, all in one package. For collectors, though, it's hard to justify the cost unless you are particularly fond of the new color schemes (as I was with SEs) or are a mindless completist. EVen so, I'd suggest hunting them down in a B&M store and checking out the paint jobs yourselves.
First off the DVD - I haven't watched it, but I have seen the episode (#6). It's ok, one of the better eps in the series so far, but not completely appropriate. It focuses more heavily on the ninja cycles and should have been included with one of them. Also, I remember early rumors that there would be two eps, the other being the first ep. Alas, that turned out not to be true. Would it really have cost them that much more to include episode 1? (Admittedly, not the best one to spotlight the characters as SE is not in his S6 uniform, but at least it shows off "gray arms" Storm Shadow).
The figures are, naturally, repaints of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. Storm Shadow was the one who had me worried. The new black sash was a nice, subtle touch, but the gray arms - cold weather insulation - looked out of place. In person, they don't look so bad, and I got used to them rather quickly, but I can't help thinking that they would have looked better in black. Note that his "naked" legs have gray paint apps, so the arms look less out of place when he's pantless (if you happen to like that look). Also, given that he's supposed to be wearing gloves, they should have used hands without visible fingernails. There's nice gray detailing on his arm and shin guards, and the traditional markings on his left arm are much larger, but otherwise the rest is the same as the original figure.
Snake Eyes is the more radical departure. The look is a recognizable but strikingly different Snake Eyes, and I like it. His suit replaces the dull green highlights with white, and has exposed fingers. His "tatoo" is done in black on the right forearm, highlighting the connection between the two toys. Rather than the original's harness, NBSnake Eyes comes with black pants with white buckles. On the down side, these pants are almost certainly Heavy Duty's, so they seem a bit oversized. I'm not sure why they didn't use Spirit's instead (CORRECTION: they actually ARE Spirit's pants (no snap button), but for some reason they make SE look like MC Hammer). His head has been resculpted so that his visor is not removable. I am guessing this was a cost saving measure, but I'm not sure remolding the head saved them much more than the inclusion of a cheap accessory.
Unfortunately it seems some corners were cut in other places too. Paint apps tend to be sloppy, esp with SE's visor. SE doesn't come with his Joe Dog Tag (the first S6 Joe figure to be so dishonored), and the mix of accessories is just a bit disappointing. We get the following:
Snake Eyes:
2 Tonfa swords w/ black handles. The blades are silver, but no blue highlight.
Knife, colored as the swords.
Grappling hook w/ black cord. Other than the cord the same as SS's.
Bo staff - a black and silver recolor of SS's staff. Can't be used with SE's weapons, so I don't know why they chose to make this HIS accessory.
Storm Shadow:
Katana and wakazahi, touched up with gold diamonds on the hilt, and all silver blades.
2 sais with silver blades and silver diamonds.
Blade-chucks with black cord and blueless silver blade.
2 silver climbing claws with red handle
An okay assortment if they were original weapons, but this is the third time we've seen many of them (original characters and then the ninja bikes). For those who bought the early SS with the black claws and sais, this may be a good way to get the silver versions (which I think look much sweeter). What's really obvious, especially to those who have the originals, is what is missing. No scabbards, so SS can't really put his sword on his back. No peg on SE's swords (like on the Ninja Bike) so he can carry them without the sheaths. And no connectors for SE's weapons.
With $20 price tag, it's an attractive package, but there is a reason for it's cheapness. In a quick time S6 earned a rep as a high quality line. This does not live up to that standard. I know the price seems cheap, but I think if you took each of these figures on their own, and compared them to the similarly priced Tunnel Rat or SCUBA Duke, you'd find them lacking. Given that the set offers nothing new save the paint job, more care would have been put into the paint apps and choosing the accessories.
For kids, who won't have as discearning an eye, and would lose the dog tag anyway, this isn't a bad deal. Give 'em two of the shows most popular characters, plus a taste of the tv show, all in one package. For collectors, though, it's hard to justify the cost unless you are particularly fond of the new color schemes (as I was with SEs) or are a mindless completist. EVen so, I'd suggest hunting them down in a B&M store and checking out the paint jobs yourselves.
