Top 10 Action Figures From the Original Playmates Toyline

[mikey0]

Here is my top 10 list of figures from the vintage Playmates toyline:

1. Basic Donatello
2. Basic Raphael
3. Baxter Stockman
4. Krang in Mobile Life Support System
5. Metalhead
6. Ace Duck (he grew on me)
7. Muckman
8. Basic Splinter
9. Wacky Walkin’ Mouser
10. Usagi Yojimbo (another one that I came to like)

Runners Up:

1. Basic Leonardo
2. Leatherhead
3. Casey Jones
4. First Release Basic April O’ Neil (all yellow jumpsuit)
5. Fugitoid

What are your top 10 favorite action figures from the 1988 to 1997 Playmates toyline?

[I Crave Pizza No More]

1) Classic Rocker Leo
2) Lt. Leo
3) Shogun Triceraton
4) Shogun Shoate
5) Slash
6) Gate Keeper Rocksteady
7) Warrior Bebop
Cave Turtle Leo
9) Ray Fillet
10) Dwarf Don

Runners Up:
1) Sumo Raph/Mike
2) Chrome Dome
3) Warrior Winged Don
4) Sewer Samurai Leo
5) Panda Khan
6) Super Shredder

[garsh]

Donatello (original)
Raphael (original)
Slash
Fugitoid
Mutagen Man
Muckman (and Joe Eyeball)
Pizza Face
Baxter Stockman
Krang (original)
Mutatin' Tokka

Not 100% sure of order.

Honorable mentions in no order:
April O'Neil (blue stripe)
Ninja Newscaster April
Movie Star Splinter
Metalhead
General Traag
Rat King
Genghis Frog
Napolean Bonafrog
Leatherhead
Wingnut & Screwloose
Foot Soldier
Super Shredder
Slice N' Dice Shredder

Glad to say I still own all of my originals of all these, and many others, except Mutatin' Tokka which was only acquired last year.

[italianice388]

Ray Fillet
Wyrm
Merdude
Doctor El
Half court
Slash
Mondo Gecko
Triceraton
Baxter Stockman
Antrax

Runners up:

Sandstorm
Wingnut & Screwloose
Scumbug
Hothead
Warrior Bebop
Jim Lee Raph
Wolfman Leo
Cyber Samurai Don
Muta Force Mike
Super Shredder
Foot Soldier
King Lionheart
Pizza Tossin' Leo
Storage shell Raph
Ninja Action Raph
Warrior Metalhead
Sergeant Bananas
Killer Bee

[ToSte]

Muckman
Mutagen man
Wingnut
Pizza face
Mondo Gecko
Bebop
Warm
Space Usagi
Baxter
Surfin Mike

[sleeplessknight]

1-4. All four of the Ninja Action Turtles in no particular order. It's the name of the line, and they have ninja action and Mirage styling. IMHO they're the best version of the turtles in the original toy line.
5. Slice 'n Dice Shredder. The DEFINITIVE OG Shredder figure. I always hated the original shredder figure. Why is he not wearing a shirt? Why were his paint apps so weird? The original version looks nothing like the Shredder I know. The Slice 'n Dice version is the way to go.
6. Rocksteady
7. Bebop
8. Wacky Walkin' Mouser. It walks! And it's a mouser. What more do you want?
9. Krang in android body. This figure came so late in the line. It really should've come out earlier.
10. Foot Soldier. I army built these guys. There's no way you can't have multiples of the basic henchmen!

Honorable mentions.
All four of the movie star turtles. They look pretty good and I like the rubber texture of their skin.
The original four turtles. It's the name of the line.

[D Piddy 1982]

1 - Surfer Mike – one of my favourite figures.
2 - Metalhead – loved robots as a kid, still love them now. So a Ninja Turtle robot (with chrome effect) is a no brainer.
3 - Leo – a nostalgia pick, my first basic Turtle.
4 - Bebop – maybe not screen accurate but Bebop was my favourite character from the show so loved this figure (although I actually owned Rocksteady first…)
5 - Mondo Gecko – Just a great figure. The NECA screen accurate one shows how brilliant this figure still is.
6 - Krang in his bubble walker
7 - Space Cadet Raph – this range of Turtles was great. Loved his clear bowl helmet.
8 - Undercover Don – as with all kids, we simply craved screen accurate figures. One of those we always wanted was a Turtle in a trench coat. And here he was.
9 - Mouser – another nostalgia pick. My very first Turtle figure (I didn’t choose it, my mum came home with it one day).
10 - Baxter Stockman – never had this guy as a kid, but got him from eBay about 15 years ago. He’s a great figure! I was even very nearly tempted to get the Super7 version…

Special mentions to Ray Fillet and Wingnut and Screwloose - never had these as a kid either so couldn't include them along with Baxter S. But great great looking figures.

As you can see I'm pretty much a wave 1 and wave 2 sorta guy.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by D Piddy 1982

1 - Surfer Mike – one of my favourite figures.
2 - Metalhead – loved robots as a kid, still love them now. So a Ninja Turtle robot (with chrome effect) is a no brainer.
3 - Leo – a nostalgia pick, my first basic Turtle.
4 - Bebop – maybe not screen accurate but Bebop was my favourite character from the show so loved this figure (although I actually owned Rocksteady first…)
5 - Mondo Gecko – Just a great figure. The NECA screen accurate one shows how brilliant this figure still is.
6 - Krang in his bubble walker
7 - Space Cadet Raph – this range of Turtles was great. Loved his clear bowl helmet.
8 - Undercover Don – as with all kids, we simply craved screen accurate figures. One of those we always wanted was a Turtle in a trench coat. And here he was.
9 - Mouser – another nostalgia pick. My very first Turtle figure (I didn’t choose it, my mum came home with it one day).
10 - Baxter Stockman – never had this guy as a kid, but got him from eBay about 15 years ago. He’s a great figure! I was even very nearly tempted to get the Super7 version…

Special mentions to Ray Fillet and Wingnut and Screwloose - never had these as a kid either so couldn't include them along with Baxter S. But great great looking figures.

As you can see I'm pretty much a wave 1 and wave 2 sorta guy.

The figures in wave 1 and wave 2 are unforgettable. After that, there were some great allies, foes, and variants here and there. Don, the Undercover Turtle is a must have. It displays really well on the street part of the Sewer Playset. Mike, the Sewer Surfer can catch some waves with Genghis Frog. Raph, the Space Cadet would look great against a space backdrop with Fugitoid, Triceraton, and Space Usagi. Wacky Walkin’ Mouser seems like a real threat to Splinter since it is out of scale. Baxter Stockman and Scumbug are excellent insect villains. This was a fun toy line, especially in the earliest years.

[Powder]

Punker Don
Muckman
Scumbug
Pizzaface
Wyrm
Mutagen Man
Wingnut
Dirtbag
Slash
Mondo Gecko

[D Piddy 1982]

Originally Posted by Powder

Punker Don
Muckman
Scumbug
Pizzaface
Wyrm
Mutagen Man
Wingnut
Dirtbag
Slash
Mondo Gecko

Damn, how could I leave Slash out of my top 10!?! He is probably in my top 2 with Surfer Mikey! Would probably relegate Baxter from my list into the special mentions branch with Ray F and Wingnut, to make way for Slash.

You've got a nice selection there Powder, not many wave 1 or 2 figures!

[Zachatello00]

Oh man, I love these kinds of threads!

10. Raph - Green Teen Beret
9. April - Ninja Newscaster
8. Sewer Swimmin’ Don
7. Breakfightin’ Raph
6. Slam Dunkin’ Don
5. Bebop
4. April (92 version)
3. Shredder
2. Donatello
1. Leonardo

Honorable Mention:
1. Shell Slammin’ Mike (still have my original!)
2. Krang’s Android (5 inch)
3. Dimwit Doughboy Rocksteady
4. Storage Shell Leo
5. Rock and Roll Raph

[funatic]

1. Mondo Gecko
2. Slash
3. Hot Head
4. Walkabout
5. Sgt Bananas
6. Scale Tail
7. Wyrm
8. Antrax
9. Leatherhead
10. Triceraton
(11. Punker Don)

I always loved the rando-animal mutations, especially the later lines.... and Don with a mohawk.

[mikey0]

Playmates could have made the 1989 to 1993 basic assortments into a spin-off toyline. Seriously, Ghenghis Frog, Mondo Gecko, Sgt. Bananas, Anthrax, and Mona Lisa are far off from being wave 1 figures. I think some people only recognize the aforementioned figures as TMNT action figures because they are 5 inch anthropomorphic animals. It’s good that Archie made some of the mutant allies and foes into a group named Mutanimals.

[italianice388]

Originally Posted by funatic

1. Mondo Gecko
2. Slash
3. Hot Head
4. Walkabout
5. Sgt Bananas
6. Scale Tail
7. Wyrm
8. Antrax
9. Leatherhead
10. Triceraton
(11. Punker Don)

I always loved the rando-animal mutations, especially the later lines.... and Don with a mohawk.

TOP notch taste.

[Oculus Orbus]

All 4 original Turtles
Muckman
Mondo Gecko
Rat King
Slash
Baxter Stockman
Mutagen Man (I never had this one, but love it nonetheless)

[mikey0]

Everyone loves Mutagen Man. I hope NECA makes a Mutagen Man for their Target 2-Pack exclusives.

[I Crave Pizza No More]

Originally Posted by Zachatello00

Honorable Mention:
1. Shell Slammin’ Mike (still have my original!)

Pink or orange?

[TCRI]

Favourites are Wacky Action and Movie Star lines. Sold most of the other vintage ones I had. I'm a bit picky.

Always wanted a Krang's Android Body. Luckily NECA has one lined up.

[Chris]

This is gonna be tough!

1-4 - Movie Star Turtles
Whilst I have a soft spot for the originals once I got the Movie Stars they became my main Turtles. I loved the look and feel of them

5 - Slice n Dice Shredder
Like sleeplessknight said, he was dressed and stood up straight! Throw on the standard Shredder's cape and he became my main Shredder

6-7 - Bebop & Rocksteady
Hard to argue with the originals here

8 - Krang's Android Body (Deluxe)
I remember my dad buying me this at Disney's MGM Studios (back when the Turtles had a show there)

9 - April (Blue Stripe)
Maybe not the greatest figure but she accompanied my Turtles on so many adventures

10 - Fugitoid
I hadn't read the comics at that point, I didn't even know his name, but I remember loving this cool gold robot that I had so just for that he makes the list

Honourable Mentions
The original Turtles for starting it all. I still remember Mikey being my first and my mum getting me Leo for a present when we went to Spain

Splinter - cool figure and essential part of the family but I also remember really wanting the movie star version to match my Turtles so I guess not a favourite

Walkabout - Just because my dad bought him for me whilst we were on holiday