2k12 Playmates Turtles

[mikey0]

I recently saw this article on Toy box: http://thetoybox1138.blogspot.com/20...ninja.html?m=1

Did anyone here like this ode to the original Playmates line? Aside from the happy meal looking toys and unreleased figures—were there some things Playmates did better with this line than the ‘88 and ‘03 toy lines? Do you feel that it is too soon for this thread to be up?

[Coro]

Beyond the 4 turtles this line wasnt great either. There are clear cost cutting signs all over the place...


Missed paint apps, crappy single color weapons,etc, all typical playmates stuff that hits the 12$ price mark. The longer the line ran the worse they got-removing articulation (looking at metalhead), etc.


Its playmates that continues to not even look into the IPs they are dealing with...they just dont care. They are running an 80s game in the wrong years.


They are clearly just running a failing business at this point, and have completely lost touch with their customers.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by Coro

Beyond the 4 turtles this line wasnt great either. There are clear cost cutting signs all over the place...


Missed paint apps, crappy single color weapons,etc, all typical playmates stuff that hits the 12$ price mark. The longer the line ran the worse they got-removing articulation (looking at metalhead), etc.


Its playmates that continues to not even look into the IPs they are dealing with...they just dont care. They are running an 80s game in the wrong years.


They are clearly just running a failing business at this point, and have completely lost touch with their customers.

All good points.

I liked the packaging for the Tales of the TMNT “Samurai” and “Monsters + Mutants” sub-waves, but that was it.

[IMJ]

I remember back in '12 or '13 many of us (myself included) made many a post here regarding how the Nicktoons line, which was initially so cool, diminished very quickly into bad rotocast toys that resembled the kind of solid plastic crap you'd get out of a 25 cent machine that dropped those little plastic bubbles with other crap toys in them.

I've got quite a few of the early Nicktoons line, moc but I dropped the whole line completely a couple of seasons in before they first refreshed the cardbacks.

[mikey0]

Should Wyrm have been made for this line?

[go_ninja84]

Between the constant variant releases we got instead of different characters I don't care for the line. Honestly I'm ashamed I own most of the line too I hated the fact we got stupid variants of the turtles when characters like Pigeon Pete, the Kraang suit, Biotroid, Kraang Prime, Savant Romero, Creep, and the Mutants 3 pack, but we get Spittin, Ooze chucking, and stupid gimmick figures

Then the whole blocking other companies from making stuff adult collectors wanted I despised them

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by go_ninja84

Between the constant variant releases we got instead of different characters I don't care for the line. Honestly I'm ashamed I own most of the line too I hated the fact we got stupid variants of the turtles when characters like Pigeon Pete, the Kraang suit, Biotroid, Kraang Prime, Savant Romero, Creep, and the Mutants 3 pack, but we get Spittin, Ooze chucking, and stupid gimmick figures

Then the whole blocking other companies from making stuff adult collectors wanted I despised them

The 2k12 toy line was much worst when it came to turtle variants than all of the Batsuits made for the Kenner BTAS line in the 90s.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by go_ninja84

Between the constant variant releases we got instead of different characters I don't care for the line. Honestly I'm ashamed I own most of the line too I hated the fact we got stupid variants of the turtles when characters like Pigeon Pete, the Kraang suit, Biotroid, Kraang Prime, Savant Romero, Creep, and the Mutants 3 pack, but we get Spittin, Ooze chucking, and stupid gimmick figures

Then the whole blocking other companies from making stuff adult collectors wanted I despised them

Yup.
I'd say the best piece we got from that line was the Mouser Multipack - the were so well done that those particular figs can span several TMNT toy series and be correct. Also, the little kid Turtles were alright.

It's crazy because I love that line of figures, but hate them terribly. I think it's because the show turned out so good that I have some affection for it.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by IMJ

Yup.
I'd say the best piece we got from that line was the Mouser Multipack - the were so well done that those particular figs can span several TMNT toy series and be correct. Also, the little kid Turtles were alright.

It's crazy because I love that line of figures, but hate them terribly. I think it's because the show turned out so good that I have some affection for it.

The first Nickelodeon Turtles show and toy line appeared to be a nice throwback for people who grew up with the first two movies (2k12 Foot Soldier), original MWS show (Napoleon Bonafrog), Mirage comic books, action figures (Mutagen Man), and even the 2k3 Fox Box series (toddler turtles). In other words, perfect for XYers and Yers who are now parents.

[cloud]

I collected quite a bit of the 2012 series toys. I really liked the play sets. Even though they didn't sell very well. The pizza pop up play set was my favorite.

The way I see it. It's a kids toy line and the main thing was to keep the price point affordable which Playmates were very good at doing for the better or worse. I felt like they could have upgraded some of the figures as comic con exclusive like they did with the Usagi figure but not in stupid limited numbers.

There were a lot of turtle variants that I liked such as the LARP turtles, and monster turtles. The figures suffered scaling problems that has been existing since the 2003 line. A lot of the figures had good sculpt that can really shine with a decent paint job.

There were certainly characterse that I want to see made but didn't. I understand the turtle variants and I don't think them as taking up a spot that could have been for a new character. Instead I think they could have included more new characters in the assortment mixing some turtle variants.

Also loved the mirage turtles that were mixed in the 2012 line up.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by cloud

I collected quite a bit of the 2012 series toys. I really liked the play sets. Even though they didn't sell very well. The pizza pop up play set was my favorite.

The way I see it. It's a kids toy line and the main thing was to keep the price point affordable which Playmates were very good at doing for the better or worse. I felt like they could have upgraded some of the figures as comic con exclusive like they did with the Usagi figure but not in stupid limited numbers.

There were a lot of turtle variants that I liked such as the LARP turtles, and monster turtles.

I've got to say that at least the turtle variants were born of use on the show (or maybe the other way around), but either way running gags like "Mikey Turflytle" were a great way to do the variants.

Originally Posted by cloud

The figures suffered scaling problems that has been existing since the 2003 line.

I remember we talked about that here for a while. This line just begged for Build-A-Figures. I think it could have really blown up had they take it even a degree or two more seriously.

But then after a while, every single release was a rotocast toy. It was incredibly disappointing, especially given how good the animated content the line was born from was.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by IMJ

I've got to say that at least the turtle variants were born of use on the show (or maybe the other way around), but either way running gags like "Mikey Turflytle" were a great way to do the variants.


I remember we talked about that here for a while. This line just begged for Build-A-Figures. I think it could have really blown up had they take it even a degree or two more seriously.

But then after a while, every single release was a rotocast toy. It was incredibly disappointing, especially given how good the animated content the line was born from was.

I agree the themed turtle variants of the basic assortments like ‘Mikey Turflytle’ were great alongside the villains of that basic assortment like Baxter Stockman. Unfortunately, like many on here are saying, so many of the toys like Baxter Stockman resembled modern fast food toys.

It is quite sad that there were Mutations Mix and Match figures, but not any Build-A-Figures for the basic assortments. Some of the Mutations Mix and Match figures (like Metalhead) were even better than the actual basic assortment figures. Still, the best toy line for TMNT toy fans will always be the original from 1988. Playmates seems to have difficulty changing with the times. Adult collectors are buying their children any Hasbro Marvel Legends figures they see that they want in this day and age. At the same time, you would never know that by looking at the top selling Christmas toys of the past 10 years. Action figure companies are not fairing well in this time like they did towards the very end of the last century.

[TommyT]

The truth is, kids don’t play with action figures like we did. If you’re in the toy game today, DETAILED products is not an option, it’s a requirement. The 2012 turtles were already 3D models. Playmates blew it. They refuse to change their standards, and its painful.
@Mikey0, tell them they suck.

[IndigoErth]

Cool article, thanks for sharing.

I bought so many multiples of these things, and continued to do so up through the first repackaging era of the line. I must have had fifteen plus full cases of figures before finally reassessing my life, and downsizing drastically. Mind you, I never bought them with the intentions of selling. I was just ravenously hording.

This guy, or rather the local version, is why I could never find that darn Monster Hunter Leo. The one and only figure I wanted that I never located. (And though I'd still like to have it, hell no I'm not paying those eBay prices.)

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Cool article, thanks for sharing.


This guy, or rather the local version, is why I could never find that darn Monster Hunter Leo. The one and only figure I wanted that I never located. (And though I'd still like to have it, hell no I'm not paying those eBay prices.)

You’re very welcome.

I’ve never seen Monster Hunter Leo in any store in 2017. The latter action figures in any toy line are usually the hardest to find because children generally lose interest after 2 to 3 years of collecting.

The Monsters+Mutants sub-wave would have been better with the unreleased Savanti Romero figure. I guess Playmates expected the children of the 2010s to somehow find a 2005 Paleo Patrol Savanti Romero and substitute it for the one that should have been in an earlier basic wave or the Monsters+Mutants sub-wave.

You should look through 2k12 TMNT lots on eBay every and now and then for a loose Monster Hunter Leo. I imagine it should not be incredibly hard to find a loose MH Leo at a decent price.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by TommyT

The truth is, kids don’t play with action figures like we did. If you’re in the toy game today, DETAILED products is not an option, it’s a requirement. The 2012 turtles were already 3D models. Playmates blew it. They refuse to change their standards, and its painful.
@Mikey0, tell them they suck.

I don’t work for Playmates. I only look at what’s on the market.

[TommyT]

Okay, but you seem to think they're great. They brought TMNT to market, and had a great designer(s) in their day, but at this point, it's legacy goods, and a roadblock for the quality goods that should be easier to access. It's their license that is gumming up the works, all so that they can turn out a sub standard product.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by TommyT

Okay, but you seem to think they're great.

The first wave from the original toy line and everything that went with it (toy store dividers, Collector’s Case, VHS store adverts) was great along with some of the items of the original line released from 1989 to 1992, but that’s it. The original toy line changed everything for action figure fans of all ages. It’s not everyday you see a boys toy line that spoofs the ones that came before it like you did with the 1988 TMNT line. It was brilliant in it’s heyday (late 80s and early 90s).

Originally Posted by TommyT

They brought TMNT to market, and had a great designer(s) in their day, but at this point, it's legacy goods, and a roadblock for the quality goods that should be easier to access. It's their license that is gumming up the works, all so that they can turn out a sub standard product.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[mikey0]

Did anyone dislike the newly updated cardbacks from 2015? Were the original 2012 cards best for this toy line?

[TommyT]

Originally Posted by mikey0

It was brilliant in it’s heyday (late 80s and early 90s).

That's the point. Time for them to walk away.