Welcome back to Toy Aisle, Gizmodo’s regular round up of the latest and greatest in merchandise from across the internet. This week, Bandai’s Gundam Universe figures go beyond the time, Aliens gets an unconventional model kit, and making the perfect Death Star shot might be harder than hitting an exhaust port with an X-Wing. Check it out!
Good Smile Company Aliens MODEROID Power Loader with Ellen Ripley
The question as to why giant, overly complicated mech suits are a better alternative to simple forklifts for moving cargo on a spaceship was succinctly answered during the climactic finale of James Cameron’s Aliens. You simply can’t defeat an alien queen using a forklift, and, as Good Smile Company proves with this new 12th-scale model, a 10-inch replica of a Power Loader on your toy shelf is going to look a lot cooler than a miniature forklift. Available for pre-order now through Good Smile Company’s online shop, the ~$US83 ($115) collectible is actually a model kit you’ll need to build yourself, but it’s well articulated with working pistons, flexible wiring and hoses, and even comes with a matching scale Ellen Ripley figure who can climb aboard.
Playmobil Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
It’s doubtful that avid toy car collectors would have thought that one day they’d be filling their shelves with Playmobil sets instead of Hot Wheels die-casts, but the other maker of claw-handed figures has been delivering some incredibly detailed replicas from the motorsports world that adult collectors can no longer ignore. What started with a collection of BMWs and Porches eventually blossomed into some excellent pop culture vehicle sets (including the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1 and the Back to the Future DeLorean), and now Playmobil is recreating automotive royalty with new additions that include a gorgeous Mercedes-Benz 300 SL slated for a May 2022 release featuring working gullwing doors. Pricing isn’t known yet, but since these are plastic toys you can expect the Benz to come in at under $US50 ($69).
Bandai Gundam Universe Gundam Shenlong, Master Gundam, and Sazabi
Bandai’s latest wave of 6″ scaled Gundam action figures has been revealed, adding new mecha suits from Gundam Wing, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, and the iconic Gundam movie Char’s Counterattack. From Wing comes Wufei’s suit, the Shenlong, which includes his beam glaive (which can be stored on the suit’s back when not in use), as well as a fully articulated extendable right arm, as it appears in the original anime. The Master Gundam from G Gundam meanwhile eschews accessories outside a swappable “Darkness Finger” to replicate one of its special moves from the mecha-combat-focused series, while the Sazabi — the famous final mobile suit piloted by Char Aznable — includes a rifle as well as a large beam tomahawk as seen in the movie.
The set of three figures — costing roughly $US30 ($42) apiece — is set to release first in Japan in May. [Bandai]
Star Wars Death Star Maze Game
If you thought old Ben Kenobi had a hard time locating the tractor beam controls on the original Death Star, navigating hundreds of miles of seemingly endless corridors is a walk in the park compared to getting this tiny ball-bearing through this nightmarishly complex Death Star maze. Making the challenge slightly less impossible is the fact that you’re only tasked with navigating through half a Death Star in this $US18 ($25) puzzle available for pre-order through Entertainment Earth. No matter what a ghostly voice might tell you, you’ll want to keep your targeting computer switched on while solving this one.
Editor’s Note: Prices within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian prices as soon as we know more.