Baxter Stockman & Usagi Yojimbo Final Paints

[VaughnMichael]

this is from Toy News International
"We gave you an early look at these last month, now here is what the final versions of Playmates new Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles Baxter Stockman and Usagi Yojimbo figures will look like."
http://afigures.com/b/Baxter.jpg
http://afigures.com/b/Usagi.jpg
ok now let me add my 2 cents in here....I'm sorry but Usagi Looks like a turd....the baxter has gotten better and I can't wait for him no matter what anyone says....
also about Usagi you can tell he has sword chopping crap action or some stupid feture.....man they are really messing these toys up with these things...he's stuck in that stupid pose....I mean I don't care that much about it but the things that really bother me are the lack of any detail what so freakin ever! his head looking like utter crap! and the fact that it seems his hands and belt are made of glow in the dark plastic....man this toy can not get any worse ....well besides the blow apart gen figure :roll:
enjoy in any case
-Vaughn Michael

[Alien Hominid]

Agreed; the "sword swinging action" is silly. I was hoping for more from Usagi, although he's definitely on my to-buy list.

Can't say the same about Baxter, though =P

[Spitfire]

Wow Usagi looks very possable(NOT) What happened with the new toys did they get lazy and decide they didnt need to move much? I mean the first series rocked but these newer ones suck

[JaffleMan]

Iv'e been very defensive of the way Playmates have been running things until now. It just looks like they aren't putting in the effort anymore. :(

I was really looking forward to usagi with the first few images but now I'm dissapointed. I feel as if theyv'e let me down. :cry:

[kj6754]

i am extremely disapointed. the usagi figure lacks articulation and detail.

[Anarchistguy]

Will you people stop acting like spoiled babies? OK, Baxter's not the best toy we've seen thus far, but Yojimbo looks AMAZING. Just for that, I'll buy him. You guys keep forgetting they make those things for C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N.

[tmntman]

Will you people stop acting like spoiled babies? OK, Baxter's not the best toy we've seen thus far, but Yojimbo looks AMAZING. Just for that, I'll buy him. You guys keep forgetting they make those things for C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N.

Actually the Antartic Press Usagi looks amazing, that looks like a happy meal toy.

[Spitfire]

Will you people stop acting like spoiled babies? OK, Baxter's not the best toy we've seen thus far, but Yojimbo looks AMAZING. Just for that, I'll buy him. You guys keep forgetting they make those things for C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N.
Yes they make these things for children, in fact they made the old ons for children and I assure you all the old ones had more movement then you could get out of the new figures. Further more complaining is our right espcially since at first we were given such wonderful things and now we get a Usagi toy where you probly cant even move his feet and he has "Swrod swinging action" big deal this toy sucks and Im not paying 6 freaking bucks fro it. The only reason Im buying Leatherhead is because hes my fav character no other reason. And if you think about it toys that move less should be better for collectors but thats just lame. How the hell is a kid going to play with that thing? And Baxter I would buy that just because it is quite possibly the worst toy idea since "Stinktor" came out. In case you dont know stinktor is a He-man toy made in the orgnial line that had skunk scenet miked in with the plastic so it actually smelled really bad.

[Sanjuro]

These are the worst two TMNT toys I have ever seen. To Usagi's defense Baxter looks REALLY F!%#ING ridiculous. Still even Usagi would make Ronald McDonald pround, a cheap product for his cheap happy meals.

While I'm still glad to see a figure, if ALL the toys were like this I wouldnt mind as much, but the sudden change baffles me.

[FireFly]

http://afigures.com/b/Baxter.jpg
Baxter i like :evilgrin: :D
http://afigures.com/b/Usagi.jpg
:x OOOOH MY GOD Usagi SUCKS :x

[Anarchistguy]

You know, this is the ONLY forum that doesn't like thes figurines (the Usagi one at least). I can ONLY antcipate then.

[Eye of Sarnath]

I guess I'm alone in saying I like Usagi then.

[Kid Icarus]

Wow Usagi looks very possable(NOT) What happened with the new toys did they get lazy and decide they didnt need to move much? I mean the first series rocked but these newer ones suck

I think it all went downhill from the Casey Jones toy. Then again, at least he had ball-jointed arms... April and Hun didn't even have that (Hun's a little understandable, and even April is too... still.).

At least the paint job fixed baxter looking like a bunch of spare toy parts glued together.

[malignant]

Usagi looks more like a damn statue than an actual figure that moves.

[Spitfire]

I emailed them about this and the guy says that Laird hasnt approved these toys yet so these might not be the finial products

[Anarchistguy]

I guess I'm alone in saying I like Usagi then.

No, you're not. I like him too.

[Dane E5R]

Usagi looks great if you ask me. He looks just like he's supposed to. I wish they'd painted his hands and belt before showing him to the public. Baxter still looks horrible, though. I want my exo-skeleton Baxter, you bastards. :x

[Triceraton]

Usagi looks ok... he's in a weird pose though. I don't mind limited articualation when the figures in a good pose, but he's not. Of course I'll still buy it though. I don't understand the articulation complaints, never have, the line is still brilliant. These two are poor examples, but even Usagi I wouldn't say is that bad.

Baxter... well, the only thing that could've been good with him was the head. And they managed to mess that up too(his "eyepatch" is supposed to be red, not green), seemingly just to make sure the figure has nothing at all done correctly. I'll still buy it, more than one even, but mainly to use the head for customs to make a halfway acceptable Baxter figure.

[Kid Icarus]

*just noticed that Usagi's arms arn't even articulated*

Well, now I'm REALLY not going to buy this. Yes, you can REALLY not buy something, instead of not buying it. :P :lol: That sucks... and it looks like his arms are made out of squishy plastic. wtf?

[Alien Hominid]

Will you people stop acting like spoiled babies?Well, in all fairness, just about everyone who's said they're displeased with Usagi has at least shared their reasons. That ought to make the negative opinions as valid as your positive comments =)

Like both Spitfire and Sanjuro mentioned, it's the decline in (perceived) quality that's worrisome. Usagi may look different by the time he's packaged and on the shelves, but at this stage, the original turtles/armorized shredder/etc still look much more detailed and articulated than this model does.

[Poona]

Hmm.. that's a shame. I was looking forward to Usagi, but it seems you can't pose him at all really. He should be like the Turtles!

And what's with his hands and arms being a different type of colour to his head? Surely these aren't final? Seems to be really laking in colour, and stuff.

[Wes]

Well, hey, at least most of us still have our old Usagi figures, right? :lol: Actually, I don't think this new one looks too bad. Articulation looks pretty limited, true, but honestly I didn't think that the other Turtles figs (with the exception of the fightin' gear gang) were all that well articulated either. In fact, the arms -- which seems to be where the bulk of complaints about this Usagi are focused -- have consistently been the least articulated parts of all of the Turtles figures (fightin' gear figs included). So I dunno.

Baxter doesn't look too bad either, though admittedly a toon-based figure (that wasn't the brain version) would've been nice. And I prefer that Usagi to that Baxter any day.

And I've gotta disagree with Spitfire... Stinkor RULED. :lol:

[VaughnMichael]

well with me the thing I don't like about Usagi is his sculpt that body sculp is horrid for starters....and don't get me starte don the cockeyed constipated face hes got.....don't have any idea wtf thats all about...
but the anarctic press usagi is much better I am so glad I got him when he came out .
-VM

[milweskee]

I like Usagi. His pose is cool I think. The articulation sucks, but so does the rest of the TMNT line. It's going to look nice in the packaging. Baxter is just stupid, and makes no sense whatsoever.

[bufo]

And what's with his hands and arms being a different type of colour to his head? Surely these aren't final? Seems to be really laking in colour, and stuff.
yeah it seems his arms & belt aren't painted yet...but that doesn't change the fact that the pre-production shots looked more convincing
I'm still going to buy him though, I don't think it's that bad

[Zachatello00]

Cool! I like 'em. Baxter looks awful shiny

[SlayerX]

If you don't like it, it's simple...

DON'T BUY IT!

God, all you people at thetechnodrome.com do now is whine and complain. That's one of the reasons I stopped posting here in the first place.

If you don't like something, stop looking at it, and don't buy it, simple as that!

[Jester]

If you don't like it, it's simple...

DON'T BUY IT!

God, all you people at thetechnodrome.com do now is whine and complain. That's one of the reasons I stopped posting here in the first place.

If you don't like something, stop looking at it, and don't buy it, simple as that!
sheesh...can't people voice their opinions....man...thats the one thing that reallymakes me whine is the people who jump down peoples troths just for voicing opinions....u may not agree, but please be nice about it....
now back on point. Baxter is not toon accurate but still kinda cool....i kinda like him...i'll buy him. Usagi has lousy articulation but i like the head sculpt....almost wish i still had my old usagi...he was pretty articulated...so anyone got pics of this other Usagi they've been posting about?? i'd like to see him....

[Snailman]

Wow Usagi looks very possable(NOT) What happened with the new toys did they get lazy and decide they didnt need to move much? I mean the first series rocked but these newer ones suck

Yeah, seriously. I mean, he doesn't even look like his arms can move up & down, only turn at the shoulder. The first wave of the new TMNT figures wasn't that bad, I mean, at least they all had ball-jointed shoulders so they could move. If Usagi had those types of shoulder joints, he'd be good to go.

Sculpting wise, he's not that bad, but decent shoulder joints would have really helped the figure. Having non-posable legs that prevents him from sitting down, but lets him stand perfectly is alright in my book- so long as the arms can still move in a decent way. Otherwise, he'll look like a scarecrow with his arms sticking out.

The old Usagi figure had 7 points of articulation & that was designed for kids to play with, this new one appears to have less articulation then that. Although, since it is a prototype, things could change (for all we know, his shirt could be a rubbery material that slides over the figure & is covering up the shoulder articulation :-?).

-Snailman

[Anarchistguy]

If you don't like it, it's simple...

DON'T BUY IT!

God, all you people at thetechnodrome.com do now is whine and complain. That's one of the reasons I stopped posting here in the first place.

If you don't like something, stop looking at it, and don't buy it, simple as that!

That's EXACTLY what I've been trying to tell them.

[Jester]

http://afigures.com/b/Baxter.jpg
ok...anyone notice what looks like an action buutton on the bottom of baxter's exo-suit??? wonder what it does....

[malignant]

Is there a reason Usagis Arms and hands match his Belt color...(plasticy see threw, that makes sense)...and not his head or the rest of his body?..

Gosh..that looks good... :roll:

[Donatello]

the see thru is probably just on this proto, and i am a little disappointed in usagi. i like the sculpt, but he's immoble. and baxter looks awful

[Kora]

Ooh now, he's not THAT bad. I like the vintage usagi better... but this one isn't that bad, really. need I say the Casey Jones and Hun figures aren't all that posable eather, and I find it a challenge to make the Casey one stand up on its own, but I like them all the same. Of course, tis but my opinion.

and also, yas seem to forget that these are still just the prototypes. They rarely ever look exact to the final market products... so the paint job could eather become better, or worse.. but I wouldn't stress myself over it

[Spitfire]

Did no one read the post I made saying that these toys have not yet been approved yet?
> I’m sure you have gotten plenty of complaints about the Baxter
> Stockman toy but I just don’t see where you guys were going with that
> one.

Actually, we haven't gotten any complaints - the pictures that were
posted on the web (I think at figures.com) aren't necessarily the
finished piece. I don't know if Peter Laird approved that design or not
- so my advice is to wait to see the finished piece before getting
upset.

And heres what he said about the ammount of control they have
> Thanks for taking the time to read my letter I had no idea that all of
> this was really out of your guys hands.

Unfortunately we don't have near as much control over what happens as
people think we do. Typically to get deals made, you have to surrender
control over what happens, so basically we only have the right to
reject things. Unfortunately some products are on such tight deadlines
that if we reject them, the licensee will cancel it completely. It's a
complex business, but Peter Laird does his best to stay on top of
things and keep the merch quality as high as possible.

[Brodie]

God, all you people at thetechnodrome.com do now is whine and complain. That's one of the reasons I stopped posting here in the first place.


Maybe you should be consistant in not posting...
Onto something more important
I think Usagi looks cool, but yeah, the articulation looks shabby, but so what? We're lucky to be getting a friggin' Usagi toy. And so early too, considering we won't even see Quarry for a friggin' year.

And as for baxter? Snag him and snag an extra Utrom android when they come out and custom that **** up.

[VaughnMichael]

ok...anyone notice what looks like an action buutton on the bottom of baxter's exo-suit??? wonder what it does....
my guess it it makes him spin around or some stupid crap like that.
-VM

[tOkKa]

-->> .. ahh.. Usagi .. he's..

.. he's kinda cute..
..gee whizz..in all the time i've been collecting Usagi stuff.. i don't think i ever said that 'til now.. gee!!

http://www.mybunnies.com/images/baby_bunny_express_day27.jpg
..all aboard the 'bunny bus'!! :goofygri:

[tmntman]

ok...anyone notice what looks like an action buutton on the bottom of baxter's exo-suit??? wonder what it does....

I believe that is the back of a third leg.

[Dane E5R]

If you don't like it, it's simple...

DON'T BUY IT!

God, all you people at thetechnodrome.com do now is whine and complain. That's one of the reasons I stopped posting here in the first place.

If you don't like something, stop looking at it, and don't buy it, simple as that!

That's EXACTLY what I've been trying to tell them.

You're both foolish if you think people will stop posting their opinions after you've insulted them.

Brodie, my only problem with customizing is the fact that more often than not, after I've customized something a bit more to my liking, a bit later down the road they'll release the figure exactly how I wanted in the first place, and of course they always look much better than my custom. So yea, I'm a bit paranoid. :goofygri:

[Stevan]

The Baxter figure stinks :(
Usagi figure is not much to look at. I prefer my old Usagi figure any time :)
And by the way Stinkor rules :D

[Usagi'sChick]

<hmm>

I love Usagi! He looks a lot like his self from HIS book, sorry if you guys were expecting something like the 1st TMNT Usagi figure...now he's something to be desired.

I think many true Usagi fans also love him, check out Stan Sakai's site. He has a forum as well.

Baxter....yeah, whatever.

[VaughnMichael]

<hmm>

I love Usagi! He looks a lot like his self from HIS book, sorry if you guys were expecting something like the 1st TMNT Usagi figure...now he's something to be desired.

I think many true Usagi fans also love him, check out Stan Sakai's site. He has a forum as well.

Baxter....yeah, whatever.
actully that body may look like usagi's from the books but that face sure as hell does not....I still say the best usagi toy to date has been the anartic press one that toy was beautiful!
-VM

[BigApple3AM]

-->> .. ahh.. Usagi .. he's..

.. he's kinda cute..
..gee whizz..in all the time i've been collecting Usagi stuff.. i don't think i ever said that 'til now.. gee!!

http://www.mybunnies.com/images/baby_bunny_express_day27.jpg
..all aboard the 'bunny bus'!! :goofygri:

Whoa that's my couch!!!

It's kind of a shame that these toys look worse than the ones made 15 years ago, seriously take a look at marvel legends, mattel's he-man or batman, toybiz spider-man, hasbro's alternators, they all look so much better than this AND they're sold both to children and collectors/older people. If you think toys are still for children, wake up and get out of your mutha's basement. One day the toys will be buying PEOPLE! :o j/k

Seriously though with video games the action figure market towards children has really declined and adult collectors has really raised. I'm not liking these pieces of crap figures and i'm not gonna buy them. Stan Sakai (Usagi's creator) is probably crying himself to sleep looking at that garbage. The only people buying these 2 toys are the blind. I'm sorry if i'm acting like an asshole but it just makse me angry that they started this line pretty decently (not perfect but it was a great start) and it all just went down hill. If they keep putting out crap like this, what's going to be the future for TMNT action figures? If you're waking down a toy aisle and you see this piece of plastic statue and then you see this super posable super detailed figure next to it, which do you choose?

I mean it's sorta sad that mini mates (block figures that are 2 inches tall) have 10 points more articulation :(


Edit: btw this is the toy the guy above me is talking about:

http://www.usagiyojimbo.com/collectibles/coolcollectibles/actionfigure.html

[malignant]

The sad part is, the Piece of crap plastic statues in the turtle line sell for the same amount as a fully posable, more time spent on.....other line action figure.. :|

Makes sense, dont it?

[jestergoblin]

This line is seriously going down hill. Its like the first wave was made by a different company.

My 1st release Leo doesn't look like he belongs near Razor Fist or Leatherhead...

[Triceraton]

My 1st release Leo doesn't look like he belongs near Razor Fist or Leatherhead...

True, because that Leo isn't nearly as well sculpted as Razorfist or Leatherhead. The Turtles from this line don't look like the ones in the new show at all, and so they stick out compared to figures that do fit in.

It's kind of a shame that these toys look worse than the ones made 15 years ago, seriously take a look at marvel legends, mattel's he-man or batman, toybiz spider-man, hasbro's alternators, they all look so much better than this AND they're sold both to children and collectors/older people.

Marvel Legends are overarticulated to the point where they're almost worthless. ToyBiz has serious issues with loose joints and joints breaking, and about half the articultion isn't really useful anyway. Same goes for Spider-Man, only that line is even worse because it consists of almost nothing but Spider-Man figures.

As for the new Masters of the Universe, they're ok. But they look like the new cartoon did. So do the new TMNT, for the most part. The ones that don't, like Baxter, are the real dissappointments of the line.

For that matter, it's quite unfair to compare TMNT to a line like Marvel Legends. A better comparison would be to an animated property(like The Simpsons figures that Playmates did). The best comparison would be to an animated property with a unique style, aimed at kids, like the Justice League figures. Compare those to TMNT and you'll see TMNT is better.

If you're waking down a toy aisle and you see this piece of plastic statue and then you see this super posable super detailed figure next to it, which do you choose?

Depends on what they are. While I prefer articulated figures, I'm far more likely to buy a "plastic statue" like what McFarlane's doing these days than something like a Marvel Legends figure.

I mean it's sorta sad that mini mates (block figures that are 2 inches tall) have 10 points more articulation

And it's sort of sad that now we're judging figures by articulation only. It's an important aspect of a figure, but certainly not the only one, and definitely not the most important one. Minimates are my least favorite of the current minifigure/block figure trend, because there's no need for that much articulation on a block figure, and I prefer detail work to be sculpted on instead of painted on. Now minimates are still ok, but I don't like them nearly as much as say, the Mez-Itz from Mezco, or Kubricks for that matter.

[FireFly]

http://afigures.com/b/Baxter.jpg
think Baxter will be in the 3th season :D :D

[BigApple3AM]

True, because that Leo isn't nearly as well sculpted as Razorfist or Leatherhead. The Turtles from this line don't look like the ones in the new show at all, and so they stick out compared to figures that do fit in.


Leo is much better sculpted. These figures have NO detail, at least McFarlene has detail, these look like they were hand made with clay and never smoothed out. While they're going for the animated look, they still look nothing like the show. They look like blocky pieces of crap toys next to pictures of the cartoon. I think it would have been much better to have gone with detail and/or articulation instead of neither.



Marvel Legends are overarticulated to the point where they're almost worthless. ToyBiz has serious issues with loose joints and joints breaking, and about half the articultion isn't really useful anyway. Same goes for Spider-Man, only that line is even worse because it consists of almost nothing but Spider-Man figures.


Yeah but they still look better than the tmnt figures detail wise. Plus you can put them in any pose you want. So far I've had no problems with Marvel Legends or Spider-man (although I agree there's too many spider-man figures).


As for the new Masters of the Universe, they're ok. But they look like the new cartoon did. So do the new TMNT, for the most part. The ones that don't, like Baxter, are the real dissappointments of the line.


Baxter isn't the only one from what I've heard. The space turtles look nothing like the cartoon either. The masters of the universe was unique (and one of the best selling toy lines until Mattel created a drought of He-man and skeletor variants) because it looked BETTER than the cartoon, AND it had a decent amount of articulation.


For that matter, it's quite unfair to compare TMNT to a line like Marvel Legends. A better comparison would be to an animated property(like The Simpsons figures that Playmates did). The best comparison would be to an animated property with a unique style, aimed at kids, like the Justice League figures. Compare those to TMNT and you'll see TMNT is better.


Not really, they're all action figures and they're all competing in the same aisle. I could understand a DVD against and action figure being unfair, but they're both action figures, one is just better than the other... I don't buy the justice league figures because I don't care for those characters, but they're starting to put in a decent amount of articulation while looking more like the show than the tmnt figures ever did.



Depends on what they are. While I prefer articulated figures, I'm far more likely to buy a "plastic statue" like what McFarlane's doing these days than something like a Marvel Legends figure.


Not I, I'd much rather have a super articulated figure, but I guess it really comes down to different tastes. McFarlene shoudln't even be considered ACTION figures, where's the action?



And it's sort of sad that now we're judging figures by articulation only. It's an important aspect of a figure, but certainly not the only one, and definitely not the most important one. Minimates are my least favorite of the current minifigure/block figure trend, because there's no need for that much articulation on a block figure, and I prefer detail work to be sculpted on instead of painted on. Now minimates are still ok, but I don't like them nearly as much as say, the Mez-Itz from Mezco, or Kubricks for that matter.

Articulation is what makes an action figure an ACTION figure. If you're going to have crappy poses and not be able to move, I'd rather have a more detailed STATUE. It's funny because both mezco and kubricks dont' sell NEARLY as well as mini mates do. And imo the articulation is pretty needed if you ever want them to be posable.

http://www.za-cd.com.tw/PLUS/SugarSugar/image/p_marvel_sp_1.jpg
http://www.artasylum.com/images/spider_pack03.gif

I guess it really comes down to tastes and opinions in/about action figures. I'll tell you why I chose mine, with articulation you don't have to display your figures in the same lame pose if that's what you like to do with action fgiures. If you open them up and play with them, articulation is probably hands downt he most important feature. Although you do want a resemblence, it doesn't have to be uncanny. No action figure has really ever looked like it's cartoon counterpart, it would have to be 2D and have no articulation, which is basically paper. If you want paper dolls well that's fine, me I'll hold out until someone starts putting out quality tmnt figures.

Sorry for like the page long post, just wanted to voice my opinion.

[Triceraton]

Leo is much better sculpted. These figures have NO detail, at least McFarlene has detail, these look like they were hand made with clay and never smoothed out.

Leo is not sculpted better. I don't really want to aruge, but he looks nothing like the character, the proportions are all wrong. Compare him to Turtle Titan, which captures the stance and proportions of the new Turtle designs much better. I'm not going to argue that the rest are really detailed though. Simply put, if you're looking for good detailing and massive articulation, TMNT can't compete.

Baxter isn't the only one from what I've heard. The space turtles look nothing like the cartoon either.
I know, I was just using Baxter as an example.

Not I, I'd much rather have a super articulated figure, but I guess it really comes down to different tastes. McFarlene shoudln't even be considered ACTION figures, where's the action?

And I agree. I was just using the extreme opposite of ToyBiz's overarticulated figures as a comparison. The best action figures on the market IMO are in between the two extremes, with around an average of 10-20 points of articulation each. More is usually too much, less usually isn't enough.

So does that mean, I don't consider TMNT one of the best action figure lines around? Yes, and I don't expect it to be the best right now, it can't be as long as it's aimed at kids and the mass market. I'm not buying these for articulation or highly detailed sculpts; I'm buying them because I'm a big TMNT fan, and the new cartoon is amazing. As far as I'm concerned, Playmates is doing an adequate job. It could be better, but it's nowhere near as bad as some people are making it out to be.

You don't seem to understand what I'm saying though on the articulation issue. I'm a big supporter of articulation in action figures, not one of those anti-articulation McFarlane fanboys. I just don't like ToyBiz style overarticulation either. The important thing is to match the articulation to the line. My collection is extremely varied, I've got some Marvel Legends, and I've also got "action figures" with no articulation at all. As I said before, it depends on what it is, very very rarely will a figures articulation make any difference in my decision to buy it or not.


It's funny because both mezco and kubricks dont' sell NEARLY as well as mini mates do.

You are correct about Mezco's mini figures, though I'm sure the reason there is that Mini Mates have the Marvel characters, and not everyone likes the stylized look of Mezco's product(even though it's my favorite style for mini figures). I'd say you're wrong about Kubricks though, no American mini figures can even come close to the amount of popularity and sales that they have.
My point on the mini figures issue was that just because something is more articulated, doesn't automatically mean it's better. For what it's worth, the only joints that Mini Mates have that the others don't are elbows and knees. I just don't think those are really needed on a mini figure.

[BigApple3AM]

That's true, Kubricks do sell a lot better over in like Japan, but I was referring to this area where it costs around $20 to get a kubrick lol. Plus I think the style of mini mates are much better.

I agree, sometimes overarticulation can look bad, but I'm really digging the marvel legends line and I don't think they look bad at all. That's another reason I buy tmnt, because I grew up on (mostly) it and it's one of my favorite things of all time. These action figures pare in comparison to almost any action figure out there right now, but maybe that's playmates strategy. Release crappy figures as fast as they can, pull in the dough, and ride on the tmnt name.

I don't want to argue either, but overall I think we could both agree that the TMNT line isn't what it could be.

However I totally disagree with the turtle titan, that figure still doesn't represent the cartoon very well, except now he's standing up straight and is in the dorkiest pose possible. I think perhaps you thought it looked more like the show because he's taller, but that's only because the regular turtle's knees are bent somewhat.

I think Playmates was heading in the right direction with the battle armor super articulated (supposedly :roll: ) tmnt figures, but they added joints in the wrong spots, the hands were fine. It would have been best to make the elbows bend and the legs be a ball joint... It was a step in the right direction and then they released the "bricks". I think the most annoying thing about this line is the fact that they aren't remaining very consistent. They'll have some figures have some decent articulation and sculpt and then they'll put out a brick that looks really bland. If it was all one or the other I don't think I would mind it as much... but then again maybe not.

I'm glad we can see things from a different view and still respect each others opinions. :)

[Triceraton]

However I totally disagree with the turtle titan, that figure still doesn't represent the cartoon very well, except now he's standing up straight and is in the dorkiest pose possible.

It's a good pose, you just have to fix it, because it's packaged wrong. Turn the upper arm upside down from the packaged position, and you can get him the pose that was intended, with his left hand on his hips. That left hand bothered me too until I figured that out.
Other than that, the legs and arms just look better in proportion, the headsculpt matches the new show better, and the torso appears slightly thiner and taller.
I do like that his knees aren't bent though, if you're going to sculpt something with bended knees, it really should have enough articulation to take a neutral standing pose as well. This is one thing I really don't like about the first Turtles. They're stuck in action poses, regardless of what you do, and because of the shells interferring with the ball joints on the legs it's impossible to get them in a neutral position unless they're sculpted that way.

With ToyBiz, I have a love/hate relationship. Their figures do look pretty good, for the most part. But a lot of times the articulation feels like it was added just so they could say the figure has a lot of joints, I rarely use all of them. And because of all the joints, I've had more ToyBiz figures break and have stability issues than any other companies figures.

A great example of this are the fingers and toe joints on some ToyBiz figures. I hate these joints, they never help the figure, and always cause problems. And then Playmates went and used those for their "super articulated" Turtles, which would've been pretty good otherwise(they still needed real elbow joints though, not a cut joint).


But you're right, TMNT could be better. But it's not that bad right now. I look at the rest of this year's lineup, and I can't wait for the Triceratons, Utrom, Mouser 6-Pack, Fugitoid, and the Shredder Clones. When Playmates is giving us a line up like that, in one year, I find it hard to complain too much.
Now if 2005 is nothing but figures like Baxter, and figures who are hurt by action features like Usagi and Gen, then I'll complain.

[BigApple3AM]

That's true, the triceratons do look pretty good. I agree with hand joints, the only figure I think really benefits from it is Iron Man cuz of his hand blaster thing. I can't stand it on the tmnt because they always drop their weapons.

[jestergoblin]

Spider-Man benefits from hand articulation too. I mean, he needs to be able to make a fist AND the web motion.

[Albrecht]

http://afigures.com/b/Baxter.jpg
think Baxter will be in the 3th season :D :D


Dude, he's currently a brain... how could he get his face back?

[FireFly]

Dude, he's currently a brain... how could he get his face back?

Clones and biomite treatment :D :D

[tmntpower2003]

I think they are just fine!

[Orochi Chimera]

I still say the should have released a regular baxter figure in a lab coat with detachable head to be put it various robots.