Welcome back to Toy Aisle, Gizmodo’s regular round up of the coolest toys and collectibles around the internet. This week: Spider-Gwen swings into the MAFEX line (and brings a friend with her), Hasbro turns to some Transformers who cannot transform, and yes, get ready to bop The Mandalorian’s lil’est star. Check it out!
Hasbro Transformers R.E.D. Six-Inch Figure Series
If you’re among the loyal devotees who firmly believe that a Transformer isn’t a Transformer if it can’t actually transform, then you’ll want to move along. Arriving in September, Hasbro’s new R.E.D. — or Robot Enhanced Design — Series is a collection of Transformers figures based off the characters’ robotic appearances in the original ‘80s Transformers animated series. To ensure they look as close to the cartoon versions as possible, these new figures, which arrive in early September for about $30 each, don’t have alternate modes they change into. Gasp! However, the first two, Megatron and Optimus Prime, do include loads of articulation, swappable hands, and accessories like the Matrix of Leadership and energon cubes. “Autobots!… err, carry on in robot mode!”
WWE Mr. T Elite Collection Action Figure
Originally slated to be a San Diego Comic-Con 2020 exclusive, Mattel and Entertainment Earth have made what will probably be the definitive Mr. T figure for years to come, available early for $45 with shipping expected sometime in July. (Pity, but pre-orders are already sold out, fools!) Based on the iconic ‘80s pop culture icon’s first appearance in the WWF (now the WWE) when he served as a tag-team partner at the first WrestleMania, the Mr. T Elite figure includes loads of articulation, a suitably mohawked and intimidating head sculpt, a camouflage jacket, and of course lots and lots of gold.
Hasbro Bop It! Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child Edition
As both entertaining and upsetting as it was in The Mandalorian when delivered by a couple of doomed Scout Troopers, we can’t condone any physical abuse or violence against a Force-enabled baby of unknown origin. But we’re happy to look the other way when it comes to playing the latest version of Bop It!, arriving later this year. There are three distinct ways to physically interact with the Child as instructed by the Mando himself, which each trigger adorable sound effects from the tiny character. The more you play, the faster the $25 game gets, and when you eventually lose we presume you’ll have to face the wraith of a reprogrammed assassin droid. (That or you have to start over from the beginning again while your score is reset.)
Medicom MAFEX Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Spider-Gwen and Spider-Ham Set
Medicom’s jaw-dropping Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker figures in the MAFEX line are due out soon after a year’s salivating over press pictures, so it’s perfect timing that we learn of two more Spider-Heroes joining them. Well, two in one set: Gwen and Peter Porker are a two-pack, thanks to the fact that it’s only really Gwen that’s a full-on, 6-inch-scaled MAFEX action figure.
Aside from being fully articulated, she comes with alternate face masks to replicate various eye expressions, two unmasked portraits, webbing to swing from, and multiple hands. But just because he’s not a true action figure doesn’t mean Spider-Ham misses out! His head is still articulated, and he features multiple swap-out arms to pose him ready to thwip or clobber someone with a mallet. Sadly, said mallet probably doesn’t fit in his tiny plastic pockets. Spider-Gwen and Spider-Ham will cost you around $135, and are projected to hit shelves in Japan in April 2021. [Toyark]
Hasbro G.I. Joe Cobra Commander and Snake Eyes Life-size Helmets
It looks like Hasbro is really serious about its G.I. Joe revival. In addition to the highly detailed new collection of Classified Series figures, the company is also introducing cosplay items including life-size versions of both Cobra Commander and Snake Eyes’ iconic masked helmets. Details are slim at this point; we don’t know if the masks can be worn or are only destined to permanently sit on included display stands featuring the G.I. Joe and Cobra logos. What is known is that they’ll both be a $US120 ($175) Gamestop exclusive in the U.S. and delivery is expected sometime in October. Stay tuned for news of an Australian release.
NECA Richard Simmons Eight-Inch Figure
Kudos to NECA for realising that action figures don’t have to be only based on movie, TV, comic book, or video game heroes. Arriving in September is the 8-inch, articulated version of America’s most iconic diet and exercise guru. With a pair of swappable heads, tank top, and Richard Simmons’ trademark almost too-short shorts, this figure is as pure an example of Americana as you’ll ever find. You won’t be sweatin’ to the oldies, but you will be sweatin’ to grab one of these once pre-orders are officially available.
Playmobil Grand Castle of Novelmore Playset
If knights and castles were your thing as a kid, you had two options available to you: Lego and Playmobil. But while Lego’s medieval offerings have dwindled to being near non-existent in recent years, Playmobil has dialed things up to 11. The company’s new Novelmore theme is about as close as you can get to kid-friendly Game of Thrones toys, and the new $290 Grand Castle of Novelmore is a suitable stand-in for King’s Landing. At nearly three feet wide it’s gigantic, and in addition to accessories like horses, wolves, catapults, cannons, arrow-shooting ballistas, and four figures, the castle itself features secret passageways and a working drawbridge.