Well, this is it: I've finally decided to start reposting my old "Alexx Shorts" G.I. Joe reviews. They're the reviews that lead to what eventually became this blog! I'll be posting them in straight copy-and-paste format, separating them with bold dotted lines so you know where they begin and end, and then I'll post some final thoughts on what I think of the figure currently.
For those unfamiliar: I used to take random pictures here and there, but by the time the Rise of Cobra toys came out, I was getting annoying with how much people had been bashing the figures which were clearly better than the previous 25th Anniversary offerings. I set out to show people how awesome they were, and things went from there, forming into "Alexx Shorts", named so because I thought I was going to keep to a short format with a few pictures. I did not do that.
Another great one, early in the line!
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Like I need to sell this one! I wanted to only take pics, honestly, but I will say a few words about him.
He is certainly the coolest SE to come out yet! Nonetheless, the coat is stiff and gets in the way of certain things. You can move him around and all that, but the best poses usually come out to be the ones where he's standing! I kinda wish the coat had been a bit more rubbery (like v1 Storm Shadow's coat) so that it would drape around him when he kneels. He also comes with a great gun, but can't hold it with both hands. I can't say I wasn't expecting a tiny bit more than what I got, but it honestly doesn't matter. Sometimes (for folks like me) the look of a figure severely overrides any tiny details! He's just cool! His headsculpt is cool! His jacket is cool! Nothing about this figure will really do you wrong once he's in your hands. He's good for parts, and he's good for a Snake Eyes that finally does something different, even if it's mostly just a coat.
Oh, here's some headswaps I've seen people asking about:
Finally, why can't Timber get some ninja time as well?
Go buy another Snake Eyes!
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I didn't say much about this one, back then, but at the time, I felt it spoke for itself. It still kinda does, because we don't really have any other Snake Eyes figures with a trench coat. He's still unique! Plus, I bought another because he made for great fodder - there weren't many trenchcoat-wearing figures in G.I. Joe, period! So in the end, I should still suggest this guy, but I feel like they've made a lot of other notable Snake Eyes figures since this one. The coat, as stated back then, does still get in the way a bit, so technically you don't have a lot of options with the legs. I pulled him out again, and honestly, he's still cool, but it only led me to other Snake Eyes figures that were a bit cooler. I wouldn't be surprised if you found yourself with one of these for fodder, but not for Snake Eyes.
Not that he's a bad Snake Eyes! You'll just be a bit limited, though the look is still totally cool. One thing it did well was get rid of that spooky mask-mouth on the figure before this one (which I do go over, later). I never liked that idea, and this one has a really wicked Snake Eyes head that they used a few times after this - and rightly so.
In the end, I could still suggest this, but I do still feel he got bowled over and left in the dust by many SE figures after him.
Best ROC SE!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, just in RoC, I'd say this was definitely the best one. I don't think anyone passed this up, back then.
DeleteThis was the figure that broke the storm for Me. I love everything about that helmet/head. Trenchcoats are always useful. The few seconds he wore the coat in the movie were a great look.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite SE is the Target Rescue pack. Everybody loves that Resolute/City Strike SE, but that in all black with this Paris Pursuit helmet- god damn golden. I added a red ribben like a Shinobi scarf of ass-kicking. This Paris Pursuit is then him in more casual gear.
As casual as one gets in a ninja helmet.
Why aren't awesome helmets and masks a more popular fashion statement in the real world? All the cool kids in GI Joe and Star Wars are the ones with the masks. It's even half of what makes Kamen Rider so great.
YES, Target Rescue Pack version was fantastic, and still a really cool one. It was certainly a favorite for the time, and though that awesome one came out later (with the ribbed turtleneck and aaaaaallll those accessories), it still couldn't compare, since the later one had accessory holding problems. The Target Rescue Pack one had GREAT hands, and unrestricted articulation. He'll probably be coming up semi-soon in the archives.
DeleteAnd yes yes YES on helmets and masks! I am freaking ALL about that, and have been since I was a kid. I was never a fan of unmasked figures, and always picked masked ones for my personal characters. Plus, when you're playing out other stories, masked guys can easily be robots whenever you want.
And yeah, Kamen Rider got me interested simply because of that awesome mask, originally.
"It still kinda does, because we don't really have any other Snake Eyes figures with a trench coat."
ReplyDeleteAlexx, you REVIEWED the Renegades 4-pack! :)
LOL
DeleteGimmie a break, there's been a lot of these!
And DANGIT if that ain't a great figure, too!
Are you being real about the ball joint on another ball joint alt text? Like that's so ridiculous I think it's a joke but somehow could also be real
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Alexx1083/0%20Joe%20Reviews%200/PPSE%20neck%202.png
DeleteYup! One has the double joint as described, and the other has the top ball cut off, which allows you to fit Star Wars heads on there, like so:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Alexx1083/0%20Joe%20Reviews%200/PPSE%20neck%201.png
I assume it was some sorta mistake in sculpting that they had to fix on the fly.
sssoooooooo weeeeird
Delete