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EXP figures a little... crappy? |
Etrigan
Posts: 95
Location: UK
Joined: 23.06.06
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| Posted on 24-08-2006 15:55 |
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I just bought a couple of the TB EXP figures, as they are 2 for 1 at a shop near my home. I got the Camo Tek Batman and Knight Strike Batman. For probably the first time for Mattel, I'm not impressed.
For a start, the new head sculpt looks stupid. It looks too small, and makes TB look like a child.
Then there's the whole 'power key' thing. The accessories I have, being an identical zipwire launcher with each figure, are awful, the one I recieved with Camo Tek doesn't even fire to the end of it's 5 inch tether.
And to top it off, on the accesory instructions on the back, as both figures have the same accessorie, both cards feature Knight Strike Batman in the pictures. Camo Tek Batman isn't even in the checklist on his own backing card.
I've loved all of the Mattel ranges so far, with the possible exception of the slightly boring Batman Begins line, but this has really disappointed me.
Newest Figure: Batman TAS: Combat Belt Batman - Kenner
Newest Comic Book: Supreme Power 3 (vol 13-18) |
 
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RE: EXP figures a little... crappy? |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 25-08-2006 22:27 |
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The Batman EXP line is not that bad. The new head sculpt is only slightly different than the previous The Batman figures. Most noticeable is the cowl over the nose. It sticks out farther than before. The eyes are just a touch bigger and the jaw is not as pointed as before.
Every two or three The Batman EXP figures share the same accessory, and the same Card Back for that matter. There are only a few different ones. As you noted you got two with the same accessory, in your case the Batarang. Most of the time the accessories are painted different from the other same ones, but they all work the same way.
The Power Key is a gimmick for kids. These are not collector figures and they don?t try to be. They are basic action figures with decent articulation and oversized accessories so kids fingers can operate them.
Overall they are pretty good figures and a solid play value. Most of the other older Batman figures that fall into this category had less articulation (no elbows or knees) and did not always have kid friendly accessories.
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RE: EXP figures a little... crappy? |
Caleson
Posts: 1631
Location: Rockville, IA
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 26-08-2006 16:52 |
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FlaBat wrote:
The Power Key is a gimmick for kids. These are not collector figures and they don?t try to be. They are basic action figures with decent articulation and oversized accessories so kids fingers can operate them. Yep. That's an important aspect that a lot of collectors seem to forget in terms of action figure criticism. Personally, I can't bring myself to buying every Batman figure that hits the market (the ones in my area anyway); I just get all the basic styled figures, vehicles, and a couple cool looking variations. There are more important things to to spend my money on than a neon green action figure with gigantic accessories. Plus, I just don't exactly have Franklins overflowing the pockets.
My 900th Post! 
Edited by Caleson on 26-08-2006 17:02 |
  
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RE: EXP figures a little... crappy? |
Etrigan
Posts: 95
Location: UK
Joined: 23.06.06
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| Posted on 27-08-2006 17:03 |
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I do accept these as kid's toys. But so were the first series of TB figures, and they were a lot more impressive. And with the power key thing, I was mainly complaining that the accessories fire about 4 inches, and I can't help but wonder if they would go further with an ordinary firing mechanism. That, in turn, would make for better play value.
And as for collecting goes, I'm the same as Caleson. I bought these two because the Knight Strike Batman was a basic style, and the Camo Tech figure looked like a cool variation with the green hooded cape. I tend to wait for the prices to drop, and then buy the rest in bulk lots on ebay (where I just got the TB batmobile, batcycle, batboat, firefly, hammer strike joker, antifreeze batman, battle wing batman and magna suit batman, along with the re-issued Mattel 6" Batmobile with the rounded wing tips all for ?20).
Congrats on the 900th post bro
Newest Figure: Batman TAS: Combat Belt Batman - Kenner
Newest Comic Book: Supreme Power 3 (vol 13-18) |
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RE: EXP figures a little... crappy? |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 27-08-2006 22:56 |
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Etrigan wrote:
I do accept these as kid's toys. But so were the first series of TB figures, and they were a lot more impressive. And with the power key thing, I was mainly complaining that the accessories fire about 4 inches, and I can't help but wonder if they would go further with an ordinary firing mechanism. That, in turn, would make for better play value.
Honestly, I don?t see that much different in the EXP versions and the older The Batman figures. The major change seems to be the accessories. I liked the older accessories myself, I hate the Power Key gimmick and the older ones were more unique to the figure than the EXP ones which are shared among certain figures.
My guess is safety reasons are why the new accessories do not have the same spring loaded firing action that most in the past did. While the The Batman EXP accessories do have springs to trigger the action they seem to be smaller or less powerful than some in the past.
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RE: EXP figures a little... crappy? |
spencer1984
Posts: 1271
Location: Upstate NY
Joined: 30.06.05
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| Posted on 28-08-2006 11:50 |
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FlaBat wrote:
My guess is safety reasons are why the new accessories do not have the same spring loaded firing action that most in the past did. While the The Batman EXP accessories do have springs to trigger the action they seem to be smaller or less powerful than some in the past.
I think you pretty much hit it. The same problem plagues Transformer toys, which used to have wonderful sharp projectiles that could fire through 1/2" drywall at 100 paces (not all of them, admittedly, but there were a few that really worked great). Now we get big, soft, plastic missiles with rounded ends and either "marble" launchers (where you have to fire the missiles by pushing on the back of the projectile until it frees itseslf) or weak springs. That seems to be the same across all toy lines. |
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