The whole "Anniversary" series looked just...wrong. I understand, they played the nostalgy card, but they could earn more $$$ if they just released good old 3 3/4 O-ring figures. New figures looked odd, bland and the color palette looked washed up. There were some interesting designs, but nothing that would look as good as '82-'94.series.
When I got back into collecting in 2011 BTR Hollow Point (his only version at that point) was a desired character but the actual figure wasn’t. Thankfully the Club in one of the later rounds of the Figure Subscription Service released his version 2 as the mystery thirteenth figure so my having subscribed to most of the series meant I was able to fill that void with a superior version. Hollow Point v1 was so obscure a collecting buddy of mine asked me who he was.
Admittedly, I don't have a problem with the modern figures being taller, but that's probably because I only owned about a dozen figures from the original line. And when I pulled those out in the late 90s _all_ of them had either snapped O-rings, snapped crotches, broken thumbs or all three at once.
Besides being taller, I'm surprised you didn't mention the janky body proportions and the awful "ab crunch" articulation point of modern figures. They look awful
I did collect in the 25th Anniversary line for a while, and I still display some figures, but looking back, it's kind of meh. I don't have any O-ring figures to go with them, but I do amusingly have a couple of vintage vehicles. The size difference is definitely a factor there, as the 25A HISS driver basically has to be crammed in to fit into a vintage HISS cockpit (the 25A version set the seat back a little bit; I do have one of each). I got disillusioned, though, with the ridiculously overpriced Subscription Service figures (especially since there were many that were exclusives that I wanted, but I wasn't going to pay FIFTY FREAKING BUCKS A FIGURE, much less secondary market prices), and with the new-mold 50th Anniversary figures being TALLER AND LANKIER STILL. Seriously, compare 50A Storm Shadow (v2 urban camo-style) to any of the 25A figures! It's ridiculous! (Though "Ultimate" Storm Shadow from the Retaliation line is the best version of Storm Shadow in the 25A style, hands down.)
I got a bunch of them and even a couple two packs and just stopped. I was gonna pick collecting back up m, especially after seeing a few collectors club exclusives, then simply said fuck it and lost interest.
6th worst innovation, new sculpt legs and shoulders... The legs were too long, and the shoulder joints were huge, making their shoulders too wide, and attracting too much attention to the rivets.
If BTR came out 10 years earlier than it did I would have loved it 🙂 . . . I’m surprised the noise backpack thing wasn’t mentioned, but I didn’t even know about that as a kid so . . . I can understand why it wasn’t even an honorable mention
Honestly, as a kid I really loved the BTR sets I had. I had the Wet Suit and Hollow Point set from discount at Target. I played with them a lot in the bathtub and those guys got a lot of use in! Honestly you can put “post 2007 figures” at the top for me. I really do not like the more modern figures. Those tiny hands! The chest cut! The travesty!
Changing scales is the worst innovation. Joe should have stayed 3.75. Don't get me wrong, the Classified figures are great. I love how they immortalize all the great designs and characters from Joe, but I'd trade them in a minute if it meant bringing back the glory of the O-ring days. You just can't beat all the great vehicles and playsets of the 80's.
To me the slightly taller “modern” figures were good for characters that were supposed to be bigger than normal, like Sgt. Slaughter, Nemesis Enforcer, and others.
Swivel arm was definitely a game changer for the toy line. But the worst part probably was drifting away from more realistic military stuff, and introducing too many different characters. Re-issues were pretty good, but maybe more of an emphasis on new vehicles and playsets with a core group of characters you stick with would have been better. After all, Star Wars did okay when the core story was about two guys, a girl, two robots, and scores of disposable storm troopers.
I do dig the spring loaded rocket launchers, but not the weapons tree recycled accessories in all sorts of wacky colours. Am a massive fan of the Toxo Viper V2 but my figure looks like cr@p now because the colour change has become a permanent fixture on the poor guy
The "modern" design should be a "best" entry, even with the little size change, since added more articulations and excellent accessories, specially more realistic weapons. The 25th Anniversary line is a little goofy, as the Rise of Cobra, but from Pursuit of Cobra and beyond, the figures got more robust, realistic and better designed, with even giving us new characters. The worst innovation should be the "lollipop" launchers. The spring loaded accessories are bulky, ugly and useless. You could spin on the "nerf" launching vehicles wrecked by this gimmick, like the Rise of Cobra Night Raven.
The whole "Anniversary" series looked just...wrong. I understand, they played the nostalgy card, but they could earn more $$$ if they just released good old 3 3/4 O-ring figures. New figures looked odd, bland and the color palette looked washed up. There were some interesting designs, but nothing that would look as good as '82-'94.series.
When I got back into collecting in 2011 BTR Hollow Point (his only version at that point) was a desired character but the actual figure wasn’t. Thankfully the Club in one of the later rounds of the Figure Subscription Service released his version 2 as the mystery thirteenth figure so my having subscribed to most of the series meant I was able to fill that void with a superior version. Hollow Point v1 was so obscure a collecting buddy of mine asked me who he was.
Never heard of that Built to Rule thing. It does seem crazy. Thanks.
Admittedly, I don't have a problem with the modern figures being taller, but that's probably because I only owned about a dozen figures from the original line. And when I pulled those out in the late 90s _all_ of them had either snapped O-rings, snapped crotches, broken thumbs or all three at once.
I've never heard of build to rule before this.
😆
As we get older, we all get shorter and lose articulation.
Favorites/best: swivel arm battle grip, ball jointed heads, and O-ring construction
Least favorite/worst: non-O-ring construction
Besides being taller, I'm surprised you didn't mention the janky body proportions and the awful "ab crunch" articulation point of modern figures. They look awful
I did collect in the 25th Anniversary line for a while, and I still display some figures, but looking back, it's kind of meh. I don't have any O-ring figures to go with them, but I do amusingly have a couple of vintage vehicles. The size difference is definitely a factor there, as the 25A HISS driver basically has to be crammed in to fit into a vintage HISS cockpit (the 25A version set the seat back a little bit; I do have one of each). I got disillusioned, though, with the ridiculously overpriced Subscription Service figures (especially since there were many that were exclusives that I wanted, but I wasn't going to pay FIFTY FREAKING BUCKS A FIGURE, much less secondary market prices), and with the new-mold 50th Anniversary figures being TALLER AND LANKIER STILL. Seriously, compare 50A Storm Shadow (v2 urban camo-style) to any of the 25A figures! It's ridiculous!
(Though "Ultimate" Storm Shadow from the Retaliation line is the best version of Storm Shadow in the 25A style, hands down.)
I got a bunch of them and even a couple two packs and just stopped. I was gonna pick collecting back up m, especially after seeing a few collectors club exclusives, then simply said fuck it and lost interest.
6th worst innovation, new sculpt legs and shoulders... The legs were too long, and the shoulder joints were huge, making their shoulders too wide, and attracting too much attention to the rivets.
Another great video ❤
Good list!
If BTR came out 10 years earlier than it did I would have loved it 🙂 . . . I’m surprised the noise backpack thing wasn’t mentioned, but I didn’t even know about that as a kid so . . . I can understand why it wasn’t even an honorable mention
Honestly, as a kid I really loved the BTR sets I had. I had the Wet Suit and Hollow Point set from discount at Target. I played with them a lot in the bathtub and those guys got a lot of use in! Honestly you can put “post 2007 figures” at the top for me. I really do not like the more modern figures. Those tiny hands! The chest cut! The travesty!
Zartan not coming with the swamp skier for the 25th anniversary and classified series was a real kick in the junk. 🤷🏾♂️
Changing scales is the worst innovation. Joe should have stayed 3.75.
Don't get me wrong, the Classified figures are great. I love how they immortalize all the great designs and characters from Joe, but I'd trade them in a minute if it meant bringing back the glory of the O-ring days. You just can't beat all the great vehicles and playsets of the 80's.
To me the slightly taller “modern” figures were good for characters that were supposed to be bigger than normal, like Sgt. Slaughter, Nemesis Enforcer, and others.
Swivel arm was definitely a game changer for the toy line. But the worst part probably was drifting away from more realistic military stuff, and introducing too many different characters. Re-issues were pretty good, but maybe more of an emphasis on new vehicles and playsets with a core group of characters you stick with would have been better.
After all, Star Wars did okay when the core story was about two guys, a girl, two robots, and scores of disposable storm troopers.
I do dig the spring loaded rocket launchers, but not the weapons tree recycled accessories in all sorts of wacky colours. Am a massive fan of the Toxo Viper V2 but my figure looks like cr@p now because the colour change has become a permanent fixture on the poor guy
#4 has always bothered the hell out of me. I can’t stand the size difference.
Stalker has a A team gun. Nice touch
I don't think that HISS has left your side
I kinda liked the btr idea maybe if it was better executed
😎👍
Cool Video
The "modern" design should be a "best" entry, even with the little size change, since added more articulations and excellent accessories, specially more realistic weapons. The 25th Anniversary line is a little goofy, as the Rise of Cobra, but from Pursuit of Cobra and beyond, the figures got more robust, realistic and better designed, with even giving us new characters. The worst innovation should be the "lollipop" launchers. The spring loaded accessories are bulky, ugly and useless. You could spin on the "nerf" launching vehicles wrecked by this gimmick, like the Rise of Cobra Night Raven.
BTR sucked... the bricks didn't stay together way on top of the stuff looking dumb.