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Patronize Me!
And It Does
August 31, 2026 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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  Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Pricing and Where It Goes When You Leave. It's new! Be sure to click through and read the update.
--AP
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Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Sketch Book Series Sy-Klone Action Figure
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  Daily figure reviews return until I am too tired to want to keep doing it! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues and my hopes is it will encourage you to kick in $1 a month to the Patreon which funds hosting for 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter! Help me keep the servers on and the toy pictures a-rollin'.
Clearance! Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Sketch Book Series Sy-Klone Action Figure is also more or less a vehicle, and one that didn't sell well. It was over $30, and I got mine at Ross for $6. It's easily had for under $20 shipped online, which is pretty great for a vehicle with a base and extra parts. If you want or need a creature for your figures, this is an excellent (cheap) option. Read on!
--AP
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Classic Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Despara
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 Something new every day-- but this was posted 10 years ago today! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Posted 10 years ago! Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Despara was the first of (so far) at least three figures to hold the name. The subscription program has multiple heads, extra paint and articulation, and pretty much set the stage for the present in terms of what fans are willing to accept (and pay) for a collector figure. This figure is basically She-Ra (Adora) from her Horde phase, and who hasn't had a Hordeish time of their life when they were young? She has swords, two heads, a cape, and a staff - it's a lot of parts. You can also get Masterverse and Origins scaled Despara figures today, but this is the very first and I'd say probably the one to get.
Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!
--AP
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
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 We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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RIP Peter Cullen, Yayoi Kusama
August 28, 2026 |
Star Wars Review: Nabrun Leids (The Vintage Collection)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Nabrun Leids (The Vintage Collection) . It was a HasLab pack-in, so it is not expected to return to market soon.
This one is interesting in that Hasbro made a lot of pricy additions to the design, like a second set of fully-jointed arms and a secondary hose on the breathing mask. Also, the 2007 redeco of the The Power of the Force figure still looks good. This HasLab version is the very best we'll likely ever see, but that old one came with Kabe and a display stand, and it's certainly good enough to hang out in a diorama. Aside from the straps on the mask having a different configuration on the back of the head, both figures look incredibly similar - so you can always buy the old version if you don't want to spend the cash on the new one. They're both very good, but it amazing to see that if you traded away articulation you could get two figures for a lower price. Tastes change, it would seem.
Read the whole review.
--AP
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Review: Blokees Transformers Defender Version 07 Power of the Beast Leo Prime-Beast Mode Action Figure
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 Daily figure reviews return until I am too tired to want to keep doing it! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues and my hopes is it will encourage you to kick in $1 a month to the Patreon which funds hosting for 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter! Help me keep the servers on and the toy pictures a-rollin'.
A white lion! Blokees Transformers Defender Version 07 Power of the Beast Leo Prime-Beast Mode Action Figure is a figure with minimal paint. Each leg has a jointed hip, knee, and ankle... and the mane can fluff out, too. It's a pretty cute little figure. Read on, and come back Monday for more!
--AP
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Kickstarter: Playmates Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Combinable Dragonzord Funded
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  Via Kickstarter: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Combinable Dragonzord has met its goal. You have three weeks to decide if you want in on this too, as 4,435 people have kicked in a few bucks for this one.
The solo Dragonzord is $50, and several bundles are available to get extras, or other Zords, or other add-ons.
--AP
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Paramount Hiring Toy Licensing Job
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  Via Paramount Careers: Manager, Global Toys - Hardlines Licensing. If you read this site you've probably got opinions on Star Trek or Twilight Zone, and maybe Ninja Turtles or MTV brands or Spongebob. So why not take a look?
I enjoy working where I get to see a little bit of everything, but maybe you'd like to give this a crack. If you get it, you have to tell me. It's the rule, like if you're a cop.
--AP
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RIP Tim Curry, Jaye P. Morgan
August 27, 2026 |
Review: Tomy Zoids Brachios Figure Kit
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
A technically vintage Japanese toy! The Tomy Zoids Brachios Figure Kit is a reissue of a 1980s kit, in slightly different colors with different stickers. I got it because it was far cheaper (and more importantly, actually available) at the time. It walks, the head moves, and it even has an articulated cannon on the back. It's a pretty fun little kit and was fairly cheap for a while - hopefully you got one!
--AP
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Ad: New He-Man Little People at Entertainment Earth
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 Ad: Masters of the Universe: He-Man & Battle Cat Little People Collector Set. It features Battle Armor He-Man, Battle Cat, and a display stand.
  
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RIP Dolly Parton
August 26, 2026 |
Star Wars Review: R2-WRWLF (Droid Factory)
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 Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: R2-WRWLF (Droid Factory). It's new this year, and actually pretty exciting with new printed patterns, exclusive wolf ears, and a big yellow eye. Also, how many plaid robots do you have at home? Probably not many. This is an inspired idea, and while the weird pricing has been annoying it's only $15 today and more importantly, it's still in stock. Get one while you can. Read the whole review.
--AP
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Review: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Bengal
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
New! The Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Bengal just came out last month, but looks like she could have been a 1990s Hasbro figure. This indie release uses Hasbro talent to make an o-ring figure with tiger-stripes pants and a rubber band waist that fits right in with A Real American Hero. She has a separately molded wig and swivel wrist joints, but otherwise looks and plays like a fresh, glossier take on the classic figure format. If you have old vehicles and playsets, you should look into this figure. Read on!
--AP
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Etsy Seller Space Quest III Aluminum Mallard
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  Via Etsy: Space Quest III Aluminum Mallard Ð Lighted, Articulated Vehicle Playset. It's not an official release, but is anything for these games these days?
I was looking at his Blockade Runner and wondered what else he had - and I thought I should post it. Sierra On-Line games were hugely popular among computer users in the 1980s and early 1990s, but there aren't many toys or licensed products. (I believed the IP is technically owned by Microsoft now.) Someone out there should hire me to plan a line of toys from those games, for sure.
--AP
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Akira 4K Restoration, IMAX in September
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  Via our various movie chains and linking to an aggregator: Akira 4K Re-Release (2026) returns to theaters on September 3. The 4K restoration will also be on IMAX-branded screens in some markets, if that's what your in to.
In the 1990s, the 1988 movie was the epitome of cool things someone saw on a school's LaserDisc player. Maybe you had a dubbed VHS, maybe you had a fansub bootleg, or perhaps you saw it at a convention some place. It's also just as likely you never saw it and told your friends that you did. You can correct that now if you like, so you can put some significance behind that McFarlane Toys Kaneda motorcycle you've been sitting on.
--AP
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Toy Fair Stays in New York through 2032
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  Via the Toy Association: The Toy Association & Javits Center Announce Toy Fair¨ Dates through 2032. It's an official press release, and the two big takeaways: it won't be over Valentine's Day, and it is still happening.
I don't post as much from the show mostly because of work obligations and that most of it was covered elsewhere. But one of the things we talk about there, is Toy Fair. (I want to talk about toys, though.) Since the COVID-19 outbreak - and before - a lot of people have been buzzing about wanting to relocate somewhere warmer during a time that wasn't when your spouse would be mad at you being gone and you won't get snowed in (or out.) I guess at least this kind of does that. The Toy Industry has a couple of big buildings in Los Angeles now, so there's also a big September show where there's no press coverage and those of us who go don't talk about it much. A lot of buzz has been people wanting for it to replace the New York show completely, and it would seem this is the biz saying "no no, we're still keeping New York."
One of the drawbacks about the Los Angeles show is that it's more or less a hub with spokes poking out from Mattel in El Segundo. Within walking distance is a big toy building with permanent showrooms, so you can hold a meeting any time you want. Unlike New York Toy Fair, this means a little guy with a board game and a dream can't really set up shop. Los Angeles is primarily bigger guys, taking meetings with bigger stores, with fewer interruptions. Some companies will also set up shop in a local hotel, which you might just happen to wander in uninvited if you want to carry the company where you work much to the astonishment of people in your entourage.
New York used to be a lot more like this. When I started going over 20 years ago, the Javits Center was where all the little guys were. LEGO, Hasbro, Jakks Pacific, Diamond, Gentle Giant, and the like all had permanent showrooms in various high-rises around the city in multiple buildings... almost all of which have since been converted to condos. I think Kurt S. Adler still has a permanent year-round showroom for its holiday offerings, though. Everybody else has converted to the ways of the traveling circus that is Javits Center, sending the most responsible employees without a good excuse to get out of it a few days before the show begins to get things in order.
In short, I'm looking forward to going until I finally get banned.
--AP
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Ad: Old Hasbro, New Blokees and Super7 at Entertainment Earth
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Ad: There are a lot of new toys at Entertainment Earth! Spider-Man Retro Marvel Legends Lizard 6-Inch Action Figure and Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Voyager Starscream are getting rerun in just a few months, and new orders are welcome. Transformers Defender Version 08 Battle Stars Mini Model Kit Display Case of 12 comes packed with Arcee and Windblade, plus Super Megatron and Star Convoy - plus Drift, Tarn, and more. A must for Zone fans.
    
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"Buddy" Was Fine
August 25, 2026 |
Review: Hasbro Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge Cyber Changers Shockwave
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 Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Newish! The Hasbro Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge Cyber Changers Shockwave is a treat, in that it's pretty big for its price. And has some glowing claw parts. Also, it's a dinosaur thing. It is not a complex toy, but it's pretty good for the asking price and even better if you trip over one on a strange early markdown. Read on!
--AP
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More Weekend Movie Ramblings
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  I saw three new movies over the past week.
Buddy was the mystery "Scream Unseen" movie Monday night. Casper "Too Many Cooks" Kelly leads a cast of considerable talent, a few comedy and kid show ringers, and some of the best child actors you've ever seen. Keegan-Michael Key voices the mascot costume, Patton Oswalt is a talking backpack, and you'll probably want the rest to be a surprise. The sets were great, the vibes were right, every single element was cast, craft, and created incredibly well. I felt it was a little long, mostly because there were story elements that required a loop and you really started to feel it. It feels like something we should have had in the 1990s, and missed. If you think this movie is for you, I can pretty much guarantee that it is.
Coyote vs. Acme was put in the vault for three years before getting sneak preview screenings on Sunday. It, too, is a technical marvel with some pretty great bits between toons and reality. I left the theater incredibly impressed by Will Forte's ability to act against not only nothing, but mute nothing in that this Wile E. Coyote "Super Genius" is not one that talks. John Cena was a good (if perhaps obligatory) choice in a movie peppered with in-jokes for fans of the old cartoons. I think classic horror fans will find a bit to like, too. Given that the movie doesn't appeal just to kids, or just to cartoon fanatics, it's probably hard to sell to the masses. I assume that's why WB shelved it, because it's not bad. Maybe an executive just wanted another Space Jam, and this isn't that.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a movie that you probably already know that you need to see. This may be a spoiler, but it's not an actual horror movie - it uses horror and slasher trappings to explore other things. It is not interested in scaring you. It's loaded with layers of stuff regarding fandom, pop culture, identity, desire, and trying to relate to whatever it is you're in to. Also Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Gillian Anderson (your collection of 1990s magazine covers.) Generations of college kids are going to write film class term papers about this one, and the cast is up for anything and everything. You also get Kevin McDonald, Sarah Sherman, and Patrick Fischler in small roles at no extra charge. I will be very surprised if this doesn't wind up being a cult movie. It might not be for you, but someone you know is about to have a new favorite movie.
--AP
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RIP Shelly Fabares
August 24, 2026 |
Star Wars Q&A Updated at Galactic Hunter
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Galactic Hunter has posted Q&A: Star Wars Ships and Prices and Quitting Time, Revisited. It's new! Be sure to click through and read the update.
--AP
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Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Sketch Book Series Hordak & Grizzlor Action Figure
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 Daily figure reviews return until I am too tired to want to keep doing it! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues and my hopes is it will encourage you to kick in $1 a month to the Patreon which funds hosting for 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter! Help me keep the servers on and the toy pictures a-rollin'.
Nice! Mattel Masters of the Universe Sketch Book Series Hordak & Grizzlor Action Figure was one of those exclusives that, at $30, felt like an absolute bargain. Two weird-looking monster figures, with new heads, that could work as additions to your Horde horde? I got it, because why wouldn't I? It's long gone now but can be had on eBay or Amazon cheaply. I'd say it's worth it. Read on!
--AP
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Classic Review: Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men Marvel's Rogue
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 Something new every day-- but this was posted 10 years ago today! Our exciting Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!
Posted 10 years ago! Back then, figures like Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men Marvel's Rogue were a huge deal because we weren't seeing cartoon-specific versions of the X-Men yet. Thanks to X-Men '97, we have a wave (and sometimes some extras) every year giving us cartoon-accurate takes on the reason many 1980s and 1990s kids became Marvel fans in the first place. There are other, better, more specific versions of Rogue now - but for a few years? This was the very best money could buy. Her price has come back down to earth a bit, so if you missed out? Now is your chance.
Do read on, and come back tomorrow for a new one!
--AP
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Support 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter via Patreon
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We're taking donations for server costs! Really. One of the rewards is Q&A a few days early - you can read next Monday's installment as soon as it's ready, which can be as early as 1:00 AM my time on Monday!
Become a Patron!
If you've got a dollar a month to share, please Visit the Galactic Hunter Patreon and help cover our server costs. I'll still put in hours of work, writing, photography, and research - I just need some help making sure that the site costs me only time, and hopefully not money. Thanks for your support!
--AP
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Click Here for News from August!
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