My brother and I saved up our money and got this when we were kids. It was an mail-order only item at the time we got it and I'll never forget when the huge boxes showed up at our house that contained the set. I still have it, although it's missing pieces and the launch gantry doors are heavily damaged. Still, my son plays with it now and loves it as much as we did when we were little. It was seriously the coolest toy we had.
I'd like to personally thank Kevin for producing this 3-part Defiant review. His videos not only educate me on the history of the toy, but he also gives valuable consumer awareness of what to look out for before spending your money. Through carefully watching this 3-part series, I was able to make an informed and educated purchase for a Defiant online. I knew what to look for in terms of it being complete, and I also knew what risks could be involved during transit/shipping. I was able to establish a clear conversation with my seller on what parts needed care during shipping to minimize the risks of breakage. When my Defiant arrived, the only piece that was broken was one of the wheel housings which I was able to easily replace from a helpful member on the HissTank forums. The biggest concern I had during shipping was the safety of the Gantry/Crawler and the big blue gantry doors. I am so proud to be an owner of a 100% complete Defiant in near-mint condition that has absolutely zero discoloration/yellowing. It just needs a thorough cleaning/polishing and a set of fresh new stickers from CobraStickers and I will be able to do a professional photography shoot of this beast. Thank you so much for your time and effort Kevin as always. My safe purchase would not have been possible without your efforts and help. Regards, Michael
+Michael Cabrera I could never afford this set, but yeah, Kevin's reviews are great for making an informed decision before buying online. They've saved me a lot money and disappointment.
I Still remember buying this HQ in 1991 in NJ for $100 at Toys R Us. But damn, that box was big like a refrigerator. I still have it since Im planning to use it for my animation project. :) Your videos are the most informative I've ever seen and it's great there's other collectors out there :) rock on!!
What a shame about the poor quality of the crawler. It actually makes me glad I never got this toy as a child. If it had broken on me, I would have cried for days!
Kevin! Help! How would I go about pulling the retainer bar out of the gantry doors in order to detach them? Any advice or insight would be much appreciated! Thank you. -Steve
I don't have the crawler myself, but from what I saw you need to tap out the metal hinge bar. I would suggest lubricating it first (with an anti-rust spray like WD-40) and then using a small flat-head screwdriver to push it forward from the blocked end toward the open end, after which you should be able to pull it out by hand.
one of the big 8 playsets/vehicles everyone that played with .gi Joe wanted. terror dome, rolling thunder, mobile command center, shuttle complex, flagg, Joe headquarters, tactical battle platform, and killer whale( if you consider it big). I only had the battle platform as a kid. acquired rolling thunder, Joe headquarters, and killer whale years later. had to sell my collection. only have a few figures left.
Excellent review. I never had this set as a kid. Growing up, I didn't know anyone else who had it either. I'm surprised to hear the crawler was made out of such thin plastic and is so fragile. Most GI Joe vehicles from the 80s are very sturdy and well built.
I heard there was a comic book issue where the joes take the defiant to destroy an asteroid on course to crash into earth can anyone tell me the exact issue? Thanks
Aaaww that's a shame you had to cheat. I hope some day you're able to get a good example of the crawler and gantry with your own hands. I know UA-cam user STRYDENT showed his own video detailing those portions of the play set, but I'd still like to hear what you think about it after you've had it in hand as well someday.
My brother and I saved up our money and got this when we were kids. It was an mail-order only item at the time we got it and I'll never forget when the huge boxes showed up at our house that contained the set. I still have it, although it's missing pieces and the launch gantry doors are heavily damaged. Still, my son plays with it now and loves it as much as we did when we were little. It was seriously the coolest toy we had.
I'd like to personally thank Kevin for producing this 3-part Defiant review. His videos not only educate me on the history of the toy, but he also gives valuable consumer awareness of what to look out for before spending your money. Through carefully watching this 3-part series, I was able to make an informed and educated purchase for a Defiant online. I knew what to look for in terms of it being complete, and I also knew what risks could be involved during transit/shipping. I was able to establish a clear conversation with my seller on what parts needed care during shipping to minimize the risks of breakage. When my Defiant arrived, the only piece that was broken was one of the wheel housings which I was able to easily replace from a helpful member on the HissTank forums. The biggest concern I had during shipping was the safety of the Gantry/Crawler and the big blue gantry doors. I am so proud to be an owner of a 100% complete Defiant in near-mint condition that has absolutely zero discoloration/yellowing. It just needs a thorough cleaning/polishing and a set of fresh new stickers from CobraStickers and I will be able to do a professional photography shoot of this beast. Thank you so much for your time and effort Kevin as always. My safe purchase would not have been possible without your efforts and help. Regards, Michael
+Michael Cabrera I could never afford this set, but yeah, Kevin's reviews are great for making an informed decision before buying online. They've saved me a lot money and disappointment.
they don't make toys like this anymore!!!
I got this for Christmas when it came out. To this day its my favorite gift I ever got.
Thank you for the memory rewind.
Check out the Crawler in action on TheDarthValen's channel: ua-cam.com/video/0iwZC_dWR-w/v-deo.html
Is there any backstory behind the scenes information involving Hasbro's decision to produce this? That would be such an interesting read.
I Still remember buying this HQ in 1991 in NJ for $100 at Toys R Us. But damn, that box was big like a refrigerator. I still have it since Im planning to use it for my animation project. :)
Your videos are the most informative I've ever seen and it's great there's other collectors out there :) rock on!!
What a shame about the poor quality of the crawler. It actually makes me glad I never got this toy as a child. If it had broken on me, I would have cried for days!
Kevin! Help! How would I go about pulling the retainer bar out of the gantry doors in order to detach them? Any advice or insight would be much appreciated! Thank you. -Steve
I don't have the crawler myself, but from what I saw you need to tap out the metal hinge bar. I would suggest lubricating it first (with an anti-rust spray like WD-40) and then using a small flat-head screwdriver to push it forward from the blocked end toward the open end, after which you should be able to pull it out by hand.
Thanks Kevin!
Sweet I had that as a kid,brings back memories,but my shuttle had a tank that had 2 big middles inside it was school
Cool! I do have this yet! Do you have one you can sell or part wIth???
Wow, this thing is massive.
one of the big 8 playsets/vehicles everyone that played with .gi Joe wanted. terror dome, rolling thunder, mobile command center, shuttle complex, flagg, Joe headquarters, tactical battle platform, and killer whale( if you consider it big). I only had the battle platform as a kid. acquired rolling thunder, Joe headquarters, and killer whale years later. had to sell my collection. only have a few figures left.
Excellent review. I never had this set as a kid. Growing up, I didn't know anyone else who had it either. I'm surprised to hear the crawler was made out of such thin plastic and is so fragile. Most GI Joe vehicles from the 80s are very sturdy and well built.
@formbx257 will you do a review for the MCC or Mobil command center the base in place of the pit?
Holy crap! I got one of these for Christmas one year but had to get rid of it before we moved overseas.
This is a massive toy. Great to See. Thanks for the reviews
Another great review.
Such a shame about the crawler!
I heard there was a comic book issue where the joes take the defiant to destroy an asteroid on course to crash into earth can anyone tell me the exact issue? Thanks
+aaartnaz Issues #146 - 148. When I did a review of the comics, I noted two movies (Deep Impact and Armageddon) stole their plots from these comics!
Pure Awesomeness!!!!
Thanks buddy
Thanks kev
great review
Aaaww that's a shame you had to cheat. I hope some day you're able to get a good example of the crawler and gantry with your own hands. I know UA-cam user STRYDENT showed his own video detailing those portions of the play set, but I'd still like to hear what you think about it after you've had it in hand as well someday.