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TMNT Wave 1

We've got a new guest reviewer tonight - Alex Felts!  He brings a terrific review of the entire wave of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to us.  If you'd like to see my thoughts on the line, check out this week's review at Movie Poop Shoot. Take it away Alex! 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back and just in time for the new show.  The entire wave one has been released featuring all four turtles and Shredder, Foot Soldier and Splinter.  The non-turtles appear to be short packed and thus harder to find than the originals.







Packaging - ****
The packaging is just your standard bubble pack however the design is an awesome feature. The actual turtles in the line feature their own face on the top of the card while the three non-turtle figures feature all four turtles images on the top of the card. This makes it easy to spot, which figures are on the pegs when at the store.

Sculpting - ***
The sculpting on the new turtles line is way better then ten years ago. The whole line has a "cartoony" feel but it fits the figures well. I think the sculpting is just right in terms of the line, not too realistic but not too simple nonetheless. The turtles all feature different head sculpts and separately sculpted sheaths and belts. I will review each figures sculpt in terms of best figure to worst.

Shredder is definitely the best sculpt of the line his lack of articulation is made up for by his detailed armor. Shredder looks much more menacing and bad ass than he did before his head is just awesome and I can't wait to see him on the new cartoon.

All of the turtles' are pretty similar in terms of sculpting except for the head.  All of the turtle's faces look good and look ready to fight.  All the turtles feature soft plastic bodies, which are actually pretty cool, and they also have big feet so they can stand up pretty easily.

The Foot Soldier looks awesome and doesn't look like some purple slob this time around. His outfit looks really cool and flows naturally and his gloves and boots are really detailed.  The foot emblem and his gold eyes also are very cool. The only downfall with this figure is that it's hard to stand up which is really annoying.

Splinter is the worst figure of the group but is still very cool. His head sculpt is a little too "cartoony" for me, and this is the only figure that I like the old version better. He features a cloth robe that is pulled off pretty well and his tail looks cool.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint is great on these figures but splotches and leaks that can be found on almost every figure of the line ruin it. If this problem did not exist I would have given them four stars because the paint really is great. The turtles are all different shade of green and the headbands are the same vibrant colors as before which is awesome. This time around the armbands and knee bands on the turtles are all brown but its still cool.  Shredder also looks cool with his silver and bluish armor and the Foot Soldier pulls off the simple look well.  Splinter is pretty bland with just a simple gray coat that could have been improved with some different shades. All accounted for these are pretty nice figures but if you're used to McFarlane or LOTR figs then you'll probably be disappointed.

Articulation - ***
The articulation on this line is O.K. I really hope it improves with the new line even if they just add knee and heel articulation I would be drooling. 

That being said all of the turtles feature 9 points of articulation, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, and leg. This configuration allows for a surprisingly high number of poses even if they are hard to fit in the Battle Shell.

The foot soldier also has 9 points like the turtles. Shredder totals up to eight because he lacks an elbow join so his arm is straight and Splinter features 8-point whit the absence of elbow joints but the addition of an articulated tail.

The legs in this line are limited in terms of movement but all of the joints are solid for playability.

Accessories - ****
Accessories are where these figures shine. Each figure of course comes with weapons but most figures come with a lot more. 

Michelangelo comes with two nunchakus, two ninja stars and a climbing box. The climbing box is really cool, you pull the string and the figure goes up.

Leonardo comes with two katanas, two ninja stars, and suction cup wall climbing thingies.
 
Raph comes with two Sais, two ninja stars, a zip line, and rope. Zip lines are the coolest.

Donatelo comes with two Bo staffs; two ninja stars and a sword and an axe that he can either hold or they can be connected to a staff to form Don's Super Ninja Bo Staff.

The Shred Head comes with two swords, two Foot throwing stars and a big staff with a blade at the end.

The Foot Soldier comes with a stupid crossbow that can't fire, two swords, and two ninja throwing stars.

Splinter also comes with a stupid ninja bow that cant fire, a quiver of molded on arrows, a container of ooze with a poor sticker on it for the ooze and a walking stick that transforms into a sword.

Value - ****
Prices vary from store to store but KB toys seems to have the best price at $5.99, Gamestop is charging $7.99 which I would not pay for these figures so if you buy them at KB it's a very good value.

Overall - ***1/2
I love these figures, they bring back so many good memories of playing with the old ones that I got a little choked up when I first saw them. Overall though if you were into the series you have to get these figures, better sculpting, better paint, and better weapons. However if you weren't into these toys before and you're not a kid you will probably not enjoy these figures.

Where to Buy:
So far these have been pretty available in my area so far I have seen them at, KB Toys, Target, Toys R Us, Gamestop, and Suncoast. With KB Toys being the cheapest at $5.99.

- Amazon.com has all the figures listed available for shipment right now, including the Foot Soldier and Shredder.  They also have pre-orders for April and the Smart Car.

About the Reviewer:
I collect TMNT, Masters of the Universe, LOTR, and Star Wars toy lines.

Keep scrolling down for more photos!



Figure from the collection of Alex Felts.

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