Pursuit of Cobra
Commando Snake Eyes
It has been awhile since my last GI Joe review. With the mediocrity of the of Rise of Cobra toy line it’s no wonder that it’s one of the lines that I lost track of. With few exceptions (Desert Ambush Scarlett), most of the figures that came out after the movie were pretty terrible (*ahem* Cover Girl *cough*). I still can’t understand why the costume designers gave movie Snake Eyes a mask with molded lips. Who thought that would be cool? It’s like the Bat-nipples from that Schumacher movie. That and the Big F***ing Guns pretty much ruined the whole line for me.
But then I started seeing shots of Hasbro’s follow up, Pursuit of Cobra (PoC). The new line was focused on re-imagining our favorite characters from the old TV show, much like Transformers Classics did to that franchise. The new figures were more realistic, and sported colors schemes that didn’t look as if a kindergartener had finger painted them. They were also better accessorized, with more guns, more gear, and more display options. With several army builders on the Cobra side, this made the line irresistible to me.
It was too bad they weren’t available here in the Philippines.
Luckily, I’ve met some pretty cool people and one of my fellow collectors was able to get a few figures from waves 1 to 4 shipped home.
The ride home from Megamall was spent looking at these new figures and drooling in anticipation. I couldn’t wait to try them out. As soon as I got back, I started opening them one by one and with each new figure, I was convinced that this really is going to be the best line for 2011. It’s hard to beat the playability of these toys; there’s just so much you can do with each of them. The best one by far though is Mr. Arashikage himself, Snake Eyes.
There are 3 Snake Eyes figures in this line, 2 of them are part of the “Desert Battle” group which features figures geared for Desert Combat. The first was in Wave 1 and was originally set to be the “Arctic Threat” Snake Eyes, but was re-colored and re-purposed. This version is the second version, the “Commando” Snake Eyes from Wave 3.
The packaging of the PoC line is EXACTLY the kind of packaging I prefer for figures. It has clear text on the front identifying the figure and toy line, a large, clear window displaying the figure and it’s accessories in a manner that won’t warp the toy, and no annoying tape or twist ties. The back has an explanation of the line and it’s sub groups, as well as the requisite GI Joe bio card. While I do miss the old cards with all their pseudo-military gobbledygook, I can’t help but be distracted by the unbelievably photography on this card back.
It is awesome. So awesome I feel the need to Google a more potent synonym. How about “splendiferous”? Yes, the toy photos on the back of these cards are splendiferous.
This splendiferousness (splendiferocity?) is that they’ve gone back to what they did with Sigma 6, creating dioramas and lighting the toys in them, taking group photos. This both LOOKS better than the stuff they do on their Marvel lines, and showcases more of the toy line. The photography carries to the catalog included in the pack, too. Underneath the figure stand, folded nearly into oblivion, is one of four old school poster catalogs featuring a scene from one of the missions (Desert Battle, Jungle Assault, Arctic Threat, and City Strike).
Like I said, splendiferous.
Seriously, you must read THE REST OF THIS REVIEW. This is an awesome toy.
