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REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Half-Shell Heroes
Fun Small Scale Vehicles and Figures For The Younger Set...
Review and Photography by David Yeh
If standard figures for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are Heroes in a Half Shell, then this new line by Playmates Toys are quite literally half of that! Dubbed HALF-SHELL HEROES, these smaller scale action figures are tailored for the younger demographic. At first thought, you might think that smaller figures would be more of a choking hazard, but even at half the size (2.5 inches tall), these figures are still twice the size of a LEGO Minifigure. The benefit of that of course is that your kids (or yourself) can get twice the figures at lower the price or two for the price of one essentially.
There’s a variety of different line items available at your retailers right now and we have a handful to share with you. From the Half-Shell Heroes line are figure packs containing single figures with larger-sized accessories, double packs containing two figures, and a variety of vehicles assortments.
We’ll kick things off with Donnie with Luge (you can also get Leo with Glider Wings, Mikey with Skateboard, or Raph with Minibike), priced at about $8.99 retail. The sculpt is quite good, depicting a much younger looking turtle. The proportions of course are more child-like with large feet and hands. The paint is decent although with the way these are packaged, you might get some that have been lightly played with at the store already.
The articulation for Don, and I assume all the turtles and figures, are pretty similar. There’s a neck joint that allows a clean 360 degree rotation, as well as ball-jointed shoulders. While the arms can be posted independently of each other, they do kind of go together, so to speak. Lift one arm and the other will go along with it. The same thing applies to the leg joint, only these cannot be separated. He’s either sitting or standing. No kicking.
The plus side for the articulation is so that he can jump on his purple luge all that much easier. The luge in itself is a large piece of plastic with three colors. There’s the base plastic that is purple, yellow wheels and a claw, and a painted metallic silver portion on the back end. It may not be Donnie’s most elegant invention but it should do the trick in his fight against Shredder. Unfortunately, there are no working wheels so you won’t be able to roll Donnie down any hills. Instead, if you push the front wheels together, the claw action feature can be applied on the enemies.
Speaking of enemies, there are figure 2-packs of both enemies and friends, also priced at $8.99. Here’s a look at Tiger Claw & Newtralizer and Snakeweed & Spider Bytez. The packaging is very similar to the Donnie & Luge, with the figures openly exposed to the elements. That doesn’t mean it’s easier to remove out of packaging, but it does mean kids can clearly see what toy they’re getting without having to open the package.
I have to admit, I’m actually digging these mini versions of the characters from the current cartoon series on Nickelodeon. The sculpts are solid and there’s enough paint to keep it above "Kids Meal" level. The articulation is near identical with Donnie mentioned above, with the exception of poor Spider Bytez with legs that are too stubby to pose. There is countless other character 2-packs available now, all featuring some really fun sculpts.
Last but not least, we have a Mutations Vehicle. It’s Raph with a Fire Truck that turns into a Tank. The exclusive version of Raph included with this vehicle dons an army helmet with goggles. Sculpt is fine, as is the paint, and the articulation is exactly as the other figures in this line. The Tank that turns into a Fire Truck, or vice versa, changes with a few small steps. First, you’ll need to remove the figure, then simply push on the underside until the entire vehicle is flipped inside out - transforming into the other vehicle. The massive wheels remain the same wheels no matter what vehicle mode you decide on.
I personally prefer the Tank mode for the look of it, but the Fire Truck mode has the poseable water canon for added play value. And Raph can be placed onto foot pegs on either side for a more secure footing.
Other Mutations options include the Shellraiser to City Sanitation Truck with Donnie. And then there are other vehicles that come with figures as well.
All in all, these Half-Shell Heroes are great toys for the younger set and a great way for them to be introduced to the TMNT characters, even if they don’t watch the show.
A special thanks to Playmates for providing us a look at the new line of Half-Shell Heroes. You can find out more about Playmates Toys as well as their line up of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles offerings by following and liking them on social media.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TMNTToys
Website: http://www.playmatestoys.com/
Review and Photography by David Yeh
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