Irwin Toys has brought another foreign toy line to us, in Predasaurs: DNA Fusion. I know they originally were released in Europe, where I am not sure. The gimmick is simple: They took two species of dinosaurs, and "fused" their DNA together to make a vicious looking hybrid.
The figures average 2" in height, with the chase figure Vulltarex standing at 3". They are made out of a firm rubber, and have a fairly substantial weight for their size. The rubber is weighty, and has just the right amount of give. Some of the figures are one solid piece of rubber, and some of the figures are two pieces glued together. Well, haha, maybe I should add that EVERY figure has their teeth piece glued in. Kind of necessary, though... The teeth are cast in glow in the dark rubber.
The paint applications are pretty nice, not the greatest in the industry, but miles ahead of a lot of the competition. The paint schemes are layered, and have metallic effects. With the standard earthy tones used on the base rubber of the figures, the metallic greens and maroons used really stand out... However are never distracting.
As far as accessories, each figure comes with a hand-held weapon ranging from clubs to axes. The weapons are also painted with metallic effects, and have a peg that goes into a discreet fitting on the inside of each figure's palm. The pegs are all uniform, making weapon-swapping an easy reality.Several of the figures in the blind packs come with weapons that have a plastic "gem" embedded in them, for a nice effect.
The blind packs retail for $2.99, and I believe that they are worth that sum. Each figure is highly detailed, made out of a sturdy rubber, and comes with a weapon and a gameplay trading card.There are also blister carded 2-packs available, with both figures in full view; the 2-packs also come with a putty accessory (blue, green, and metallic colors available).
I believe that these are worth the retail price, and the coolness factor is definitely there. There is no articulation to speak of, although that just adds to the "Little Rubber Guys" appeal (in my opinion).
Glow in the dark teeth, flexible rubber, nice paint, and a strong premise? I just hope these do well enough to substantiate bringing over the Insect Fusion subset.
Anyways, those are my two cents. I am interested in knowing what you folks think of them!
-R
"What big teeth you have!"
ReplyDelete"All the better to rip your still-beating heart out of your torso and eat it in front of you as the light fades from your eyes!"
Even the vegetarians in this line have some bite! I know that I usually prefer my dinosaurs with a little more realistic slant, but I think I might find some enjoyment out of these. They look more interesting than Dino Magic did once I had those in hand, at any rate, but not as crazy-fun as the later Dinofroz stuff. Now there's a dinosaur line I'd love to see hit the US.
Still, first chance I see these, I'll grab a couple on your recommendation.
I am 100% with you on Dinofroz! I love those! I just wish they weren't such a pain in the ass to get, here in the states. I've been trying to score a Temptelphas for my best friend, for about a year now.
DeleteDinofroz Combact is an amazing series, and unlike the original Dinofroz set that the UK got, actually live up to the awesome character art too. If I had the money lying around in PayPal I'd grab two Temptelephas (one for me) and a couple more from that Italian seller to make the shipping slightly more worthwhile.
DeleteThanks for the awesome review :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review man.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about these at LRG i was unsure about them, but after reading your review i think i'll look out for them next time im at TrU.
And Dinofroz,,, well theres something else im gonna have to look out for, thats fudging great man, another toyline to swallow the contents of my wallet.
Oh, forgot to add "HELL YEAH"
DeleteThis will be a line I might be picking up. I have to get a sample pack first. Do you know if the ones in the single packs overlap with the ones in the carded two-packs? Perhaps the weapons and paint schemes differ? Thanks for the review this is the extra info I needed to lean me towards buying these guys.
ReplyDeleteThe two-pack figures are the same sculpts as the blind-pack figures, but there are different color schemes available. The two pack figures have a more brightly themed color scheme, while the blind-packed variations have a more earthy tone.
ReplyDeleteThese are great! I'll be keeping my eyes open for sure.
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find these in the states? My son found a single pack at Target and loves it...can't find anymore though....
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find the states? My son picked ONE package up at Target and loves it, but they don't sell them anymore....help!
If you can't find them at Target, look for them in Toys R Us, in the trading card aisle.
ReplyDelete