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A Phoenix-area grocery store chain has received Autobot Ratchet, one of the final figures to be released under the Heroes of Cybertron line of collectible TransFormers figures. Each includes a piece to build a larger robot and the series includes the likes of Devastator, so be sure to keep looking for these now that they're showing up.

This thread at the 2005Boards has images of an unpainted prototype of what many are assuming will be later named Sunstreaker. The figure, molded in red, appears to be a heavily modified Side Swipe.

--AP

A bundle of older 4" G.I. Joe and Cobra characters are shipping on small, individual packaging as part of the Valor vs. Venom range. These figures have all shipped before, but in some cases with different decoration or accessories. These are not the candy figures as previously reported.

Highlights include individually carded Neo-Vipers and Cobra C.L.A.W.S., so you can amass your armies with fewer unwanted Joes. Also of note, this set includes a hooded Cobra Commander is molded in a much darker blue with different colored paint used for the highlights.

These figures came in packaging with a 2003 copyright date and were spotted, again, at a local chain of grocery stores. There was no price available for them.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look the start of something new with this Clone Trooper Lieutenant Bust-Ups Sample from Toy Fair in New York. Gentle Giant Studios has turned their mini-busts into micro-busts that are roughly the same scale as Hasbro's Star Wars action figures, and this sample is the first of many. It looks great, and will undoubtedly open the door to all sorts of new custom figures. Be sure to check it out in today's review!

--AP

The Onion updated with an all new edition that should delight and amuse.

In case you missed it, the NPR Steven Colbert Interview is now online for your listening pleasure. The interview talks about where young America gets its news from The Daily Show to cable news to, not surprisingly, The Onion.

--AP

Without a doubt, this is the smallest transforming truck Optimus Prime we'll ever see. For about four dollars, you can get this recolor of the old small Robots in Disguise Scourge. Of course, you could originally get both Scourge and X-Brawn in a two-pack for $4.99... but even though there isn't a lot of value in this set, odds are it's cool enough to justify the price. You can see more images, opinions, and comparisons in today's review.

Also, the store Big Bad Toy Store has posted news of some new TransFormers: Universe Battle in a Box sets where two vehicles have crashed into one another. The toys are Armada toys, either redecorated or not, we don't know, and are the $10 toys. Also announced at BBTS was a new Energon toy, Sixshot.

--AP

Item #1: the 2004 Playmobil Easter Eggs are now hitting speciality shops in a case of sixteen. Each case has four of the following: a pirate, a girl with geese, a victorian woman in a red dress, and some sort of knight/crusader. It appears all four are new releases or at the very least new configurations of existing releases.

Above is the flyer that was included with the set. We picked up the pirate with the monkey, and will feature a full review of him next week. Be warned, though, the rubbery little monkey is what makes it worth it. Our pirate was purchased for $4.99 at a Phoenix area Hobby Bench store.

Also, most if not all Target stores are now selling their Playmobil Specials for $1.24, a sale price through the end of April. At that price, it may be worth snagging one just to stick on your desk at work. Various characters are available, such as firefighters, knights, traffic officers, jesters, and even a kid with a go-kart.

--AP

Once again, TVShowsOnDVD.com brings us word of something good. The people behind the Super Mario Bros. Super Show DVDs want your questions for the supplemental sections of those upcoming discs. Why? Who knows? You'll finally get a chance to ask about some of the casting options, and why they waited for the NBC Super Mario toons to show us the wonders of Wendy Koopa's birthday party.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we review another-- and dare we say inadequate-- animated Clone Wars toy with Count Dooku. This Target exclusive really isn't much to write home about with its iffy sculpt, off paint job, and generally clumsy feel. If you only pass on one cartoon Star Wars figure, make it this one. You can see the full dissection in today's review!

--AP

After a bit of an absence that was filled only by Bionicle game cards, McDonalds is once again including LEGO toys in its happy meals... LEGO Sports for boys and Clickits for girls. And of course, we found a press release with pictures at Raving Toy Maniac.

--AP

Phenotype's Zoids Site got word from above that Zoids are on hold until 2005. This explains the recent clearances at Toys "R" Us and the lack of product at Toy Fair in New York. Thankfully, there's still a lot of new stuff coming to Japan... but the final Hasbro items are only showing up in Australia and outside the USA.

We'd also like to extend a hearty hand and say "thank you" to Hasbro for letting the fans know what's going on with the future of Zoids, unlike the masters of some other toy universe which shall remain nameless because we're nice guys.

--AP

From 6 PM to 9 PM tonight only, Kay-Bee stores are having a 20% off everything sale, including sale stuff. You can find a list of restrictions on their Web site.

--AP

Once again, TVShowsOnDVD.com highlights something new and of note. A number of documentaries are being made for the beloved or maligned series, meaning that what we heard before was true: it's coming to DVD in the nearish future.

--AP

CNN is reporting that Toho studios is giving Godzilla a gold watch for his 50 years of service. The classic movie monster is now seen as too old-fashioned, and apparently after a movie that will be released this December, he'll be retired until further notice. The movie is scheduled for a US release, though, which should amuse those who dug the fantastic and entertaining Godzilla 2000.

--AP

News around the Web is confirming that development on the new Sam & Max title has been ended. The game, which looked to be a 3D Adventure game much like the beloved Grim Fandango, was shown last summer at San Diego's Comic Con International and elsewhere to much positive advance reaction. The sequel was also said to have had the original hidden in it somewhere, but it seems the world will never get to see this one given the modern market conditions.

--AP

One of the niftier concepts shown at Toy Fair last month for LEGO was the Xpod. The idea was that this was a small blister carded package containing bricks and a reusable container so you can bring a small quantity of bricks with you pretty much anywhere you'd dare go. Toys "R" Us stores in Phoenix got a few cases of them yesterday, and they seem to be an amusing concept for $4 until you realize that in 1998, you could get a 600-piece bucket of bricks for five or six bucks. Still, it's a neat idea and a nice low-cost way of getting some pieces.

--AP

Today at Hasbro's site, they answered a question regarding the potential reformatting of the character Demolishor. They also revealed a new character, Slugslinger, a Decepticon jet that will be a deluxe toy ($10ish) and looks a lot like one of the later Starcom toy vehicles.

--AP

The Conquest of Cobra Mountain playset from G.I. Joe has been marked down to $9.98 at some Target stores. We found one on an endcap over by the baby toys. For under $10, it's a great deal if for no reason other than to get the figure. As it's based on a modified Star Wars Geonosis Arena playset, we feel obligated to review it at some point in the near future. If you're wanting such a toy, go out and snag it before they all go away.

--AP

A few new markdowns at Toys "R" Us to note. The Deluxe Action Figure Zoids, like Gojulas Giga, are now $3.98. The once $14.99 deluxe Z-Builders kits, like the Phoenix and Brachio Zilla, are now $5.98. If you're a Zoids junkie, your dollar can really go far these days.

Speaking of dollars that go far, we would like to point out something we found vastly interesting. Last summer, we bought and reviewed the Zoids Sea Panther, a nifty little hermit crab kit. Now we found another on eBay, and boy howdy, look at that price. At last check, it was over $200, which is a lot of money for a toy that at the exchange rate when it was released was a little under four bucks.

--AP

A bit of a surprise came in that Kay-Bee Toys added Defensor, a Protectobots combiner team to its Web site for $19.99. The toys were released in Japan recently as Six Turbo and were not issued in the USA before. As such, happy day for fans of small toys!

--AP

This week at 16bit.com, we'll be looking at the recently released Playmobil Pirate Easter Egg as well as at the Goujlas Giga action figure from the recently deceased (in the USA) Zoids line. On Monday, we'll be reviewing a live concert from Supernova that was released on vinyl exclusively entitled Live at the Lava Room.

Galactic Hunter will be getting reviews of the latest issues of Return of the Jedi Infinities as well as Empire in addition to a look at the animated Clone Trooper. On Monday, we'll be posting another Q&A.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted their weekly Q&A column by yours truly and, as always, I'm eagerly looking for new questions. So, feel free to send any in.

This week's highlights include why we're getting more good figures this year than people seem to realize and me reiterating that there aren't more 12" figures coming out this year.

Also, there's another great update from The Swami up that should delight and amuse.

--AP

Remy of TFKenkon added a great gallery of Energon Arcee for your perusal. It looks like a great toy and we hope to get one to review in the near future.

--AP

The mid-1990's were a treasure trove of unusual bands with top-notch showmanship, and Supernova uped the ante as a bunch of really stupid space men. Live at the Lava Room was released by a small mail-order label in limited quantities, but as it's fairly obscure, they still haven't sold out. This live show was recorded roughly eight years ago and is available only on 10" vinyl. This is the only known authorized live recording of Supernova, and you can read up on it in today's review.

I'm totally digging this ongoing Playmobil Specials sale at Target. For the curious, lots of new product seems to be showing up, and while I doubt many who care were holding off for a sale on these guys, hey, it's a decent deal if you need a viking or some of the other guys suddenly making return appearances.

--AP

He-Man.org confirmed more or less what was reported previously as far as the future of Masters of the Universe is concerned. The line is more or less dead in the USA for the forseeable future with some items making the rounds at speciality retailers. The good news is you can trade with your foreign friends, though, as they're still being sold overseas. DVDs are still coming... as is She-Ra as a San Diego Comic Con/ Wizard World Chicago/ Maybe Something Else Exclusive. The image is a rough prototype, and you can see a full picture of Prince Adam in Drag over at He-Man.org.

We kid, we kid. Prince Adam in Drag isn't actually as bad as she looks. If you look closely, it was computer colorized in a program like Photoshop, done badly I might add. The cape doesn't actually exist and the figure is based heavily off of a Teela action figure. The pose of the figure is unmistakably the 2003 Teela figure, but the figure's costume on her torso and lower waist are new. The head's mannish look seems to be a result of the coloring job, and the cape, of course, doesn't actually exist. We're assuming it will be cloth, like last year's Keldor figure. It looks like the face might be just a recolored Teela face with a new tiara and hairpiece. The sword and shield seem to be the same that were included with the oft-mentioned Teela.

--AP

While I thought the concept of Zoids as action figures and not kits was blasphemous, the figure for Gojulas Giga actually turned out pretty neat. While not as nifty as similarly priced TransFormers, it's still quite nifty for what it is. If you like Zoids and like the idea of having a miniature version of one of the line's final flagship toys in the United States, be sure to check it out in today's review. We even have comparison shots with the much larger toy!

--AP

A good friend of ours turned us on to a few interesting news bits today. First, there's a 10th Anniversary special edition double-disc set of the first Weezer CD coming out on March 23. The second disc is full of B-sides, demos, and live tracks and will apparently be a little expensive. Prices seem to be between $23 and $30 online. Also, Best Buy has a note of a "bonus disc," and it is not known if this is a third disc or a reference to the second disc that normally comes with the set. Best Buy stores frequently have bonus DVDs or CDs with their products, so before placing a preorder, it might be worth waiting to see what happens here. It doesn't have a real name, but seems to have been dubbed "The Deluxe Blue Album." It seems to have the whole Buddy Holly UK single's contents on it, thus rendering our copies of that disc useless.

Also on March 23, a Weezer DVD is coming. Video Capture Device/ Treasures from the Vault has stuff from 1991 through 2002. It seems to have all their videos and a bunch of documentary and live stuff, as well as some alternate versions of things. And performances from Letterman. The most awesome SNL appearance where Will Ferrell played the maracas during "Island in the Sun" is reportedly not to be included... but it does have the one video with The Muppets, so it's still OK in our books.

Lastly, an article at Rolling Stone.com says former bassist and frontman of The Rentals, Matt Sharp, is once again on speaking terms with Weezer. With the rotating bass players, this is undoubtedly good news for the band's older fans... who are my age. We're not that old.

--AP, extra special thanks to SC

For Mattel's 2004 offerings, they managed to get out some $1-or-less Batmobile vehicles in the Hot Wheels assortments. So far, we've spotted two of them but we here there are more in addition to a few variations. On the left (2004 car #001), you can see a Batmobile inspired by the designs used in their current action figure line. On the right (2004 car #042), an exaggerated versions similar to a number of recently released Hot Wheels cars.

But first, if you do plan on going to look for these, though, allow us to share a little tip. In the upper left hand corner of the package, there's a big Bat Logo. I missed this at first because, well, I'm easily excitable and distracted by things like the hard to read names on the side of the card. If you're looking for this subset of cars, just take a look for the above image. We made it big and circled it because, for us, a big yellow and black logo on a sea of blue wasn't obvious enough while rifling through the hundreds of cars on the pegs at Wal-Mart.

These were spotted at a few Target and Wal-Mart stores, so if you want a cheap thrill, these are right on the money. Car #031 (not shown) is a black Batmobile that doesn't seem directly inspired by any existing design of the classic vehicle.

--AP

Homestar Runnner added two new things on Monday, a new answering machine and a new puppet feature. Be sure to check them out.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we review a comic book, Return of the Jedi Infinities #3. In it, the topsy-turvy world of Jack Tripper leads him to a confrontation with the Empire and a fight with Mr. Furley. Will Chrissie and the gang save him in time? You can read all about it in today's review!

--AP

Today's toy run revealed that more shipments of Mattel's Masters of the Universe toys are showing up at Tuesday Morning stores. The latest finding was the first edition of the Castle Grayskull playset, at $29.99. While not a fantastic deal, it certainly ain't bad and may indicate more toys to follow.

--AP

The fine folks over at TVShowsOnDVD.com tossed up information on the classic animated superhero show as well as several others, including the Superman program and a few others. Be sure to check it out if you're one of its many, many fans.

--AP

Hasbro's Agent Faces Mail-In Offer expires soon, so if you forgot to send away for one (or several), be sure to do that before the March 31 deadline. The costs is 12 Flag or Battle points per figure, plus $2.99 shipping and handing per order. Limit two figures, blah blah blah. Click here for details.

--AP

The Onion updated with scores of new content in their news and AV Club sections. Be sure to check it out.

--AP

While we found it last week, it seemed only fitting that we show off this fairly nifty Playmobil Easter Egg Pirate. Every year, Playmobil puts out a few Easter Eggs with toys inside. Some years, it's just an alternate way to package existing figures, but this year it's a brand new pirate with some pretty nifty pieces. You can see and read all about it in today's review!

Also, the new Police sets are hitting North America. We found the new Bicycle Police Officer at Target and a local Hobby Bench store. The latter also had the new safecrackers, getaway car, police station, and several other sets that will most likely delight and amuse. (Especially the safecrackers.)

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at Star Wars Empire #17. This installment continues the attack of a bunch of Amanin tribesbeings on an Imperial outpost. The story and art are worth checking out, and because it uses all new or nameless characters, the outcome isn't necessarily obvious. You can read all about it in this review!

--AP

The fine folks over at The Digital Bits went through a recent Time Warner DVD chat and filtered out a list of all sorts of new releases coming in 2004 and beyond. Highlights include a THX-1138 two-disc special edition, a new special edition for Blazing Saddles, and a bunch of other surprises.

--AP

Ben Yee over at Ben's World of TransFormers posted an interview with super-scribe Simon Furman about his latest venture into the TransFormers Universe which is shaping up to be pretty spiffy. There are also a few preview pages of the new DK guide, which should be a welcome sight to anybody that has had the good fortune to see some of their other books for Star Wars and various superheroes.

--AP

We just discovered The Onion t-shirts at our local Sam Goody store. While we aren't sure if this is a Jackie Harvey style scoop, it seemed worth mentioning that you can now buy the "Your Favorite Band Sucks" shirt at your local mall.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at what may be the last ever animated Clone Wars figure, the Clone Trooper. Unlike other figures, he's got a ball jointed neck and for some reason feels like he was designed by an early 1980's jogging suit manufacturer. We dig it, and you can read all about it in this review!

--AP

Our pals at TVShowsOnDVD.com posted the press release for the latest Simpsons season box set, which is coming June 15. Huzzah. Word on the street has it that Conan O'Brien recorded some commentary stuff for the set, and as such we look forward to it with open eyes. Or... something.

--AP

Hasbro comes through again with this preview of Dead End and Tracks Alternators toys. The car everybody asssumed was Sunstreaker, apparently, wasn't A new Q&A was added as well but really didn't shed light on anything all too exciting.

--AP

Well, I rarely go to concerts by myself but last night, The Polysics were playing at Modified Arts here in Phoenix along with a whopping four opening acts for $8. Fancy Pants, Osama bin Sars, and and Peachcake were marvelous opening acts and genuinely entertaining to watch. XOXOX struck me as boring whiners, but the set by Polysics was so amazingly amazing that I'm still amazed. There was no encore, and I got pushed around a lot, and I sweated like a beast, but dammit, I haven't had this much fun in years. I picked up some merch, and they handed out a free sampler CD, but there were no CDs available that weren't already on the US market. (Booooo.) There was a new DVD, though, and that had some new stuff on it. If the band is coming to your town, go see them. Seriously. Best show I've seen in years, and they'll be playing somewhere in Tucson tonight and I'm seriously considering going. But enough tangents for now.

Did I mention it was awesome?

--AP

The fine people behind TVShowsOnDVD.com posted a bunch of news for the latest Curb Your Enthusiasm season box set, which is also coming June 15. (You might recall this is the same date for The Simpsons Season 4.) This time around, no extras are listed nor are any expected due to Larry David's disinterest in participating in such things. The MSRP will be the same as season one, so expect it to cost about the same at whatever discounter you bought the first one at.

--AP

It appears that word around the Web indicates that Megatron is going to be a Wal-Mart exclusive, at least temporarily. That certainly explains why it was showing up there first. For those keeping track, this means that in the month of February, Wal-Mart had no less than nine exclusive products in this line plus a few repackaged items. Factor in how many items had multiple toys included, and that's a mighty impressive offering.

Also, TFW2004 added some shots of the upcoming Micromasters Protectabots. Cool stuff, and given the packaging it's assumed that these might also be sold separartely for $4-6 per in addition to the $20 complete set.

Lastly, a new episode of Energon airs on Cartoon Network tonight, so be sure to tune in if you're so inclined.

--AP

Because you can never get too much of a good thing, I went down to Tucson to visit a pal of mine and see Polysics again. The set was different and the banter was altered a little as well, plus they were kind enough to all sign my copy of For Young Electric Pop, which I might add is quite good.

As our staff got back in Phoenix minutes before 4:00 A.M., this update is a little thin. As such, come back tomorrow for a look at that third Hot Wheels Batmobile.

--AP

The fine people behind Action-Figure.com added this feature with a list of more upcoming figures in 2004. Highlights include a miniature set of figures based on The Electric Mayhem, regular figures of Marvin Suggs, and word of Jim Henson and a real surprise to us-- Uncle Deadly. (So cool, no?)

--AP

It turns out that in late 2003, an indie Japanese record label put out the third album from Spoozys, entitled CE-III. As such, it seems to be available directly from the label only, and none of the usual music importers have it. While this will likely appeal to all of one person who isn't me, it seemed worth posting that the album is on the label God Mountain direct from Japan and can be ordered from them for a fairly decent price. We, of course, will be posting impressions after it shows up.

--AP

This week at 16bit.com, we'll be looking at a giveaway DC Direct Catwoman figure from Toy Fair 2004 as well as some nifty Godzilla figures from Japan. On Monday, we'll be looking at the very first and very rare album from the very obscure band Spoozys. The title? Existance of Super Earth.

After Q&A Monday at Galactic Hunter, we'll be looking at the two new recently released Target exclusive figure-with-cup sets of Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted their weekly Q&A column by yours truly and, as always, I'm eagerly looking for new questions. So, feel free to send any in.

This week's highlights include the futures of animated Clone Wars, Episode III, and more. Lots more.

--AP

Cosmic Rust found out that Hasbro is plugging some new Mini-Cons six packs on their official site, as of yet no images are available and it is unknown what they are, exactly. Word on the street says it's Adventure Team and Sea Team repaints from Armada.

The TFClub boards got ahold of some shots of three of the four Battle in a Box toys from Universe. Each box has two Supercons from Armada in new colors and is expected to cost just under $20. This site has Ultra Magnus (repainted Optimus Prime/Nemesis Prime), Treadshot (maroon Sideswipe repaint), and Smokescreen (now in blue). The colors look great on these toys, and there's a lot of nice touches on them that should delight fans. We're especially pleased with Ultra Magnus. We had some problems accessing the Asian boards, but the 2005 boards mirrored some of the images.

--AP

An entire generation of kids grew up on Devo and The Plastics in Japan, and they've grown up and are making some really astounding music of their own. One of the many bands in this movement, Spoozys, put out their first full album entitled Existance of SUPER EARTH in Japan in 1998. It's not available in American stores, online importers, and from what we can tell, even at online Japanese stores. Heck, we've never seen it online to download. The jerky, sci-fi tinged album combines surf music with space themes and a sense of New Wave sensibility that's sure to delight and amuse those who are a little adventurous when it comes to their musical tastes. Be sure to read all about it in today's review.

Also, the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm was loaded with cameos, including a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance from Jerry Seinfeld. We won't spoil the plot for you, but rest assured, this was one of the good ones. It was lacking in extreme and unnecessary violence, but they can't all be perfect.

--AP

Collectobil tossed up some new images of the backs of some recently released sets, so now you know what other junk comes in the same boxes as your new Playmobil dinosaurs. It looks like a lot of pieces are recycled from the Eskimo sets from over a decade back, but cast in new colors. Slick stuff.

--AP

Well, we found the other one in Tucson over the weekend, so here's a look at 2004 car #31.

As these are showing up everywhere Hot Wheels are sold, keep your eyes peeled. Specifically, we found our sample at a Wal-Mart.

--AP

Remy in Hong Kong tossed up a ton of images of Megatron compared to Galvatron as well as Mirage, which are all shaping up to be killer toys. While you've seen Megatron and Galvatron before, Mirage is new and the Gundam-esque mechanical man is shaping up to look pretty slick.

--AP

I've got some neat ideas. I'll get back to you on them.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at Obi-Wan Kenobi as you've never bought him before-- with a cup. The figure has been offered before with one extra accessory, but the cup is brand new for this set. You can read all about it in today's review!

--AP

Today, we take a look at two small one-inch tall Japanese candy toys from BanDai with Hedorah the Smog Monster, and Ebirah, the Sea Monster.

These two figures were dated 2001, and were sold in small, numbered boxes throughout Japan for roughly 100 yen each. There are several toys in this series, and over the coming weeks we'll be bringing you many more of them.

--AP

Another new release has been spotted at Toys "R" Us in the Xevoz line. (For the record, we have yet to see them elsewhere.) Two "Special Value Zone" packs of an existing figure repainted have popped up with new, special recolored additional armaments. Each pack is $9.99 each, and the recolored toys are Grim Skull (repainted Skull Jack) and a recolored Alpha Ranger whose name eludes us. The new sets are actually quite striking in these colors, and fans of the line will probably be interested in tracking them down.

--AP

Yet another multipack from Middle-Earth has been spotted at Toys "R" Us, this time it's Servants of Sauron. Three wraiths are included... the Witch King, the one that originally came with the horse, and the Twilight Ringwraith. This set appears in Return of the King packaging and has only just started appearing in stores.

--AP

The Onion updated with scores of new content in their news and AV Club sections. In the latter, there's a feature guaranteed to make your skin crawl.

Back in January, we ordered the Famicom Color GameBoy Advance SP along with a copy of The Legend of Zelda, a straight port of the original Famicom/NES game. Yesterday, they finally showed up and let us tell you, these are two slick pieces of gaming fun. We'll be reviewing them next week.

--AP

After some slight delays, the War Within series of TransFormers comics continues with issue #5, which features a number of cameos and a great little in-joke on the cover. (Hint: D-43.)

Also, an unpainted prototype of the new Alternators Dodge Viper vehicle sports the Autobot logo. Hasbro recently showed this toy with a Decepticon logo under the name Dead End, and this may very well mean that this is going to be one of the first cars to come in two color schemes.

Lastly, FanToFan added a number of new Japanese releases including the boxes TransFormers/Microman gift set with STD Convoy and Kicker. Cool stuff, surely.

--AP

It seems LEGO is releasing a bucket of sundry Bionicle components in a big clear plastic tub, so says BZ Power. The enormous bucket has over 700 parts including masks and all sorts of weapons and special pieces for building your own kits, and it isn't known if the contents are random or not as of yet. For $19.99, it's a pretty slick deal since $8 will buy you a single 60-piece set. More as it develops, of course.

--AP

It seems another round of clearances are hitting Target. Lots of cheap housewares, meaning discounted shelving and kiddie furniture are now available. We picked up a shelving unit for 75% off that, so far, is holding our entire legion of Energon toys quite nicely. For under $5, I submit you can do no better.

They Might Be Giants has just announced a new EP with 5 tracks entitled Indestructible Object. TMBG has also stated that two of the tracks will be on their next full-length album. The Barsuk Records page, which is the label that will be releasing it, says it will ship after April 2, 2004.

And over at Homestar Runner, Strong Bad has answered his 100th email this week. Congratulations!

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at Darth Maul with a brand new cup. This Target exclusive set combines a figure from 1999 with a cup from 2004, and the price at $9.99 is only just barely higher than the figure alone cost five years ago. It's a must for Maul fans, and you can read all about it in today's review!

--AP

A post at the 2005 Boards revealed a bunch of names we've heard... and tons we haven't. You can read the full post here, but for some instant highlights of previously unheard of or unconfirmed items:
Energon Basic: Doom-Lock
Energon Deluxe: Kicker (first mention for US release)
Energon Mega: Grimlock/Swoop (set)
Universe Deluxe: Skyjack, Blurr

There are numerous others, including some Alternators, so be sure not to miss this.

An auction has surfaced for Universe Ransack, which appears to be Armada Hoist with the white parts now cast in purple. The Autobot faction logo appears to be unpainted.

Lastly, Hasbro's Q&A updated with a few odd questions that really don't make any sense, such as Soundwave appearing in Armada or Energon.

--AP

In a bit of a surprise, it appears that Toys "R" Us will be receiving the final US Zoids releases from last year after all. Previously unreleased in the USA, the Battle Cougar set has arrived for a paltry $9.98. While his color scheme is significantly stranger than his original releases under Zoids and Techno-Zoids, the price is right and you can always paint this release. The original toy had an excellent walking action and as such, is not a bad purchase if you can find one.

--AP

After doing some more hunting, we discovered that the recently mentioned cheap shelves were not a fluke and are actually appearing at numerous Target stores in our area and in all probability, yours too. Coming in at four feet tall, each one sports four shelves, is stackable, and comes in white or black. Here's an image of a fully assembled unit, which is now on clearance for $4.48. If you collect toys, you can probably come up with a few uses for these.

On the left, you can see what a fully assembled white plastic model looks like when covered with Energon and Dinobots toys. On the right, you can see what the packaging looks like for the black version.

--AP

It seems another round of clearances are hitting Target. Lots of cheap housewares, meaning discounted shelving and kiddie furniture are now available. We picked up a shelving unit for 75% off that, so far, is holding our entire legion of Energon toys quite nicely. For under $5, I submit you can do no better.

They Might Be Giants has just announced a new EP with 5 tracks entitled Indestructible Object. TMBG has also stated that two of the tracks will be on their next full-length album. The Barsuk Records page, which is the label that will be releasing it, says it will ship after April 2, 2004.

And over at Homestar Runner, Strong Bad has answered his 100th email this week. Congratulations!

--AP

Hasbro posted a few new instruction sheets which announced new toys. Oil Slick is a repaint of Armada Sideswipe, and Crystal Widow is another recolored Beast Machines Blackarachnia.

--AP

It seems some off-the-wall stores still have the Slime Pit playset from Masters of the Universe and now have the good sense to mark it down to roughly $10. We snagged one last night and are quite impressed with its construction, sculpt, and decoration. As a matter of fact, we're now a little disappointed that we were given a glimpse at the quality of playset we could have had for Snake Mountain had the line not died.

--AP

The house of Pawlus is currently undergoing renovation. Shelves are good, because now I can actually spread out my Armada junk a bit. Good times. And also why today's update is a wee bit thin.

--AP

Looks like Playmates Toys is going to reissue the four main characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with bonus DVDs, so says this article at TVShowsonDVD.com. If you already bought them, well, this isn't that great of a deal, but five bucks for a toy and a cartoon is a fantastic value.

--AP

Looks like DVD Talk got an advance copy-- and a review-- of the new movie Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, released originally in Japan fairly recently. It comes out on DVD in the USA really soon, so be sure to check out the review if this is one you're considering picking up.

--AP, thanks to EK

This week, we'll be looking at the Famicom Color GameBoy Advance SP which is, to say the least, an awesome gaming collectible. We'll also look at the recently released Polysics DVD from Sick Video as well as the Catwoman from Toy Fair which has been delayed from last week.

After Q&A on Monday, we've got two new action figure reviews. First, there's Luke Skywalker (Jabba's Palace), and later, there's Lando Calrissian (Jabba's Sail Barge). Both are hardworking, and will serve you well.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted their weekly Q&A column by yours truly and, as always, questions are good. So, feel free to send any in.

This week's highlights: figures I want to see reissued, cups, lightsaber color problems, and fingerprints.

--AP

While we usually don't post plugs for stores for non-exclusive or non-clearance product, He-Man.Org now has the three currently available assortments of Snakemen figures in stock at about $47 each. It's about as low as they're going to get, but at the same time Sam Goody stores are rumored to be getting these in for $10 a figure in the coming weeks. Still, this isn't a bad price for what they are, and since there probably won't be more than one or two assortments of figures before the line withers away, it's a good way to polish off your collection.

We, of course, ordered some and yet another round of reviews of these guys is sure to follow. (And, of course, we are now going to be stuck with a bunch of duplicate figures to sell off.)

--AP

A good concert is hard to find, but once in a while a chance comes by to see it through the magic of your TV or computer. Sometimes M2 will show a live Weezer show shot on some camcorder, or a band might put an entire show online in streaming media. Of course, there's more money in a DVD, and Polysics put one out entitled PippikkippippiP in USA just a few weeks ago. The quality varies, but the production styling will seem very Devo to anybody that saw their earliest music videos. If you heard about the band and are curious if the DVD is worth $20, be sure to read up on it in today's review.

--AP

Catwoman is the subject of today's review, and this time she's a sort of blocky pocket four-inch action figure from DC Direct. The purple clad kitten turned out fairly well, with cat ears and tail for your amusement. This particular version was a giveaway at New York's Toy Fair last month, and you can read and see all about her in today's review!

--AP

Monster Zero reports news of filming in Australia of the supposed final Godzilla film entitled Final Wars. Apparently he'll be trampling New York, Arizona, and other American locales... but all the filming for these scenes will be done in Australia.

We American Kaiju buffs are insulted that Godzilla himself would not come to our country to trash it. Has Toho no respect for the integrity and realism that is the rubber-suited lizard that is the hallmakr of the Godzilla franchise?

--AP, thanks to EK

The Horse Rider and action figure assortments at Target are now at 50% off... of course, these are 2003's ROTK toys. So you can get all the Super-posable Gollums and Aragorns as you want, as well as an army of Wargs. If you've been putting off these figures, armored Ewoyn, or a few others, it seems that dozens of figures are showing up at half off all of a sudden that weren't there before.

--AP

The good people of Homestar Runner.com added a new cartoon to their site in the first time since forever. Be sure to check it out, and be sure to sit through the fake endings to see the stuff... after the fake endings.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at Luke Skywalker (Jabba's Palace), which is essentially an update of the 1983 Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) from Kenner. He includes all the same accessories but has a brand new sculpt with so much articulation it'd make your head spin. Heck, Luke's head can spin too, if you twist it around. This is a must for any Jabba's Palace display shelf of figures, and you can see and read all about it in today's review!

--AP

Yet another recent Godzilla flick, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, hit DVD in American stores on Tuesday. Coming in about $20, it seems to be a good time for fans of the genre.

--AP

The 10th Anniversary Edition of the original Weezer CD hit stores with a bundle of new songs and a true treasure trove of goodies for fans of the band.

--AP

The Onion posted its weekly update, which includes a great interview with Arrested Development's Jason Bateman in its AV Club section.

--AP

In 1998, I conceived of 16bit.com as a video game review and merchandising site. Today, we actually post our first ever game review with this look at the GameBoy Advance SP Famicom Color, an Asian market exclusive GameBoy that celebrates 20 years of the Famicom. It plays American, Asian, and European games, runs fine on American power, and comes in the sweetest box to be devised by a mortal man. You can see a bundle of pictures of the best packaging ever, and learn a little more about just what a GameBoy Advance SP can do, in today's review!

--AP

TVShowsOnDVD.com reported a bazillion new series from the decade that brought you... well, pretty much everything you'd read about on this site. A two-disc set is coming for Challenge of the Super Friends, Superman: The Animated Series, a pair of four-disc Batman: The Animated Series releases, more Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Inspector Gadget, and yes, even the animated and live-action incarnations of Punky Brewster. That's right-- Glomer is back. Aren't you in luck.

But wait, there's more! The Digital Bits reports that the first season of The A-Team, 14 episodes of fun, will be coming out June 8.

--AP

If you haven't seen them, TransFormers Universe has had a couple of new releases crop up. You can find King Atlas at Wal-Mart stores as well as Targets, and Skydive has shown up at some Wal-Marts thus far. These are $20 and $10, respectively. Happy hunting!

--AP

Everybody's favorite mayor of Leonardo, New Jersey will be making an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight (Thursday.) Odds are he'll be doing some pre-promotion for his upcoming daily radio program, so it might be worth tuning in to see what's going on there.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at Lando Calrissian (Jabba's Sail Barge), the first of three Lando figures to be released in 2005 and the second version of Lando in this outfit since the new line started. He has a spectacular sculpt, a good array of accessories, and a fantastic paint job. He also sports a ton of articulation, including a ball-jointed neck. You can see more pictures and comments in today's review!

--AP

DVD site The Digital Bits reports that the classic Mel Brooks film is returning to DVD with a new special edition on June 29, and will include a few documentaries and features as well as additional scenes. The real surprise is a TV pilot inspired by the film entitled Black Bart, which we've never heard of. The MSRP is a cheap $19.97, meaning it'll probably be $13-$15 at your favorite DVD discounters when it streets this summer.

--AP

A popular Arizona grocery store chain, Fry's, has started receiving cases of Zoids Battle Cougar toys for about $19.99 a pop. While this isn't as cheap as the Toys "R" Us price of $9.97, it does mean that other stores will be getting these final releases and that other tail-end items could very well show up at any of a number of places.

--AP

Hasbro's TransFormers Site posted some new shots of the new Shockblast toy, which is essentially an updated version of the classic fan favorite Shockwave. He's a satellite, a tank, and a robot. Cool stuff!

Also, in case you missed it, TransFormers Generation One #3 was released on Wednesday, and features the return of Jetfire. Lots of fighting in this one, kids, and robotic good times.

--AP

Don't forget, the expiration date for the mail-in G.I. Joe Agent Faces action figure is next week. For a couple of bucks and some flag/battle points, you can get a pretty nifty figure that doubles as a Cobra army builder. Not a bad deal for close to nothing!

--AP

After Christmas, Target stores received shipments of Dimetra Ptera, the Energy Liger, the Zi-Comm Unit, and a few action figures, right after clearing out everything else. Now, these final items are getting marked down and are 30% off at many (if not most/all) Target stores. Looks like we've reached the end of the line for now, kids, so get while the getting is good.

--AP

He-Man.org has posted news that a UK-based firm, Entertainment Rights, has decided to use the money they saved from coming up with a decent name for their company and sink it into the Filmation animation library. How will this change DVD or TV releases? We have no idea, and unfortunately, neither does He-Man.org at this time. More as it develops.

--AP

The Coens strike again with The Ladykillers, a remake of an old British comedy that starred Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. The new version has a Wayans, one of the Bosom Buddies, Jimmy James, and a bunch of other people you'll probably recognize from any of a number of wonderful comedic ventures. The film's plot is probably well known to most of you by now, and having just seen it, I can safely say it didn't feel like a waste of six bucks and change. If you need to go see something, this one ain't bad. I wouldn't call it gut-bustingly funny, but it is quite entertaining.

Also, it appears a second batch of Looney Tunes action figures from Mattel are hitting clearance at Kay-Bee stores alongside the first. The second batch includes Yosimite Sam and a few other characters that aren't exactly frequently represented in plastic, so if you're a fan, you might want to check your local Kay-Bee, as long as it wasn't one of the ones closing.

--AP

While numerous sightings in Canada for the new Toys "R" Us exclusive Ramjet with mini-cons set have been made, few have been from the USA. We'd like to add one more to the pile as we saw a large number of these in a Tucson, AZ Toys "R" Us on Saturday.

--AP

Kay-Bee toy stores are starting to get in three new two-packs of ol' pointy ears. These are on the green tinged packages that the new Killer Croc wave is shipping with, and two of them feature Bats with either Nightwing or Superman, both of which were basically released previously. New to the assortment is a set with Batman and The Joker, and at first glance it appears that this Joker is the same that shipped individually in 2003.

--AP

While we were in Tucson, we also went looking for Playmobil. We found that the new house sets were available, which included the guinea pigs, new home, swimming pool, and the penguin high chair that were originally sold in Europe last year. They're neat, and reasonably cheap.

For myself, I bought a bison. And it's quite obviously a male.

--AP

Evil Spock is here, kids. As well as the rest of the bridge crew and "Mirror, Mirror" Kirk. You can find these at speciality toy stores like Suncoast, GameStop, and possibly Sam Goody. Keep your eyes peeled, because word on the street is that this will be the end (or near it) of Art Asylum's Trek plans for now... which is a shame if it's true. These are some truly excellent figures.

--AP

This week, it looks like we'll be looking at a female airline pilot keychain from Playmobil that was given away at Toy Fair as well as the aforementioned bison. Why? Because we're lazy. We're also going to give you the rundown of what's on the new 10th Anniversary Edition of the first Weezer CD on Monday. (We don't normally like to review things this quickly after release, but it's mostly old stuff and existing b-sides, and we figure that you'd be curious to know what's on it.)

At Galactic Hunter, reviews are coming for J'Quille, one of Jabba's many henchmen. We also look at Star Wars Republic #62, and on Monday, we've got a brand new Q&A for you. Time permitting, there may also be a review of Master Replicas' Darth Vader FX Lightsaber, which looks pretty slick and sounds decent.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted their weekly Q&A column by yours truly and, as always, I'm eagerly looking for new questions. So, feel free to send any in.

This week's highlights include a definition of the Original Trilogy Collection, ball joints and the men who hate them, and our lack of knowledge of a new San Diego exclusive from Gentle Giant. All in all, good stuff I'd say.

--AP

TFClub supposedly posted a few new links, but as of now, the link is down. Seibertron originally found the link, but TFClub has spotty servers, so check them out for an updated link or hope that the aforementioned link works.

Also, be sure to check out this update on the no longer exclusive Fan Club Skywarp figure. Originally, this was a freebie only with the fan club membership. Due to the required size of the production run, it seems like they're making a heck of a lot more of these, and they're going to be available to anybody for like $11. Not a bad deal!

Lastly, there's a contest in Japan to get a gold repaint of the 20th Anniversary Convoy figure. You can see it at Tfans.com on their message boards... and it looks cool.

--AP

In 1994, one of the most influencial albums to D&D players and guys in glasses was released. In 2004, they released a deluxe version of it. Weezer was rereleased last week with a new remastering job and a bonus disc with b-sides, as well as some nifty deluxe packaging with liner notes. On the whole, it's a neat package, and if you haven't yet bought it you can read more in today's review!

--AP

Today we look at yet another Toy Fair Freebie, but this time, it's one that should be available elsewhere. The Playmobil Female Police Officer Keychain is what it sounds like-- a figure with a keychain coming out of its head. Some minor changes were made from the usual Playmobil people, though, but not too many. It comes in a nice decorative bag, too, so be sure to check it out in today's review!

--AP

After the recently released Famicom Edition, there was buzz in Nintendo Power magazine about a US release. Well, it happened. The NES Edition GameBoy Advance SP and eight games are coming to the USA this summer, and man, is it pretty. You can find pictures and more information at GameSpot as well as GameForms.

Aside from the recolored console, the game packages are more in line with the typical USA GameBoy Advance game packaging, and not the special commemorative Japanese packaging. The two games that were reissued in Japan not coming to the states are Mappy and Star Solider, an early platformer and an early shooter, respectively. The NES Pac-Man should be faithful to the arcade, but if we recall correctly, the NES Donkey Kong is missing a stage. But it's been a while.

--AP

We could look for more. But today, we were given something really cool. And old. Something so cool we'll be reviewing it next week. If you haven't seen it before-- and odds are you haven't-- it'll knock your socks off, because I can tell you, my socks have been knocked. (Hint: like the Playmobil Hobo but arguably better. If you can believe it.)

The quote at the top of today's update is from Shellac, namely, their second album Terraform. And yes, it is indeed awesome.

--AP

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at J'Quille (Jabba's Sail Barge), the first ever toy of this striking, hairy hulking beast. He shares numerous parts with Tanus Spijek as one of many of Hasbro's innovative means of cutting costs, but he still looks great all by himself. He's got a ton of joints, a great paint job, and a nifty-- if rubbery-- rifle. You can see more pictures and comments in today's review!

--AP

This week at Toys "R" Us, you can get a free basic TransFormers Energon toy with a purchase of $14.99 or more. With Landmine showing up in stores now, it might not be a bad deal for people wanting some decent deals.

Also, a number of G1 reissues are marked down to $19.99. Check stores for availability.

--AP

TVShowsOnDVD.com is reporting that these two programs have been delayed a month and will now be released in the USA this July. Reasons were not given, nor does it seem this information has come through official channels. Given the state of DVD releases in general, though, we're inclined to believe it.

--AP

A number of new and new old Zoids shipments are hitting Toys "R" Us and, not surprisingly, are going direct to clearance. The biggest surprise were the repackaged Liger Zero and Liger Zero X, the latter being a recolor of the former with extra parts. Aside from these toys not showing up in the new style boxes before, the kicker is that the normal model is $9.98, but the Zero X is a mere $3.98-- for a large toy, that's quite the steal.

Numerous older cases of action figures and other kits have shown up as well, in addition to the ZiComm Gauntlet for just under $6. Zoids fans are, of course, advised to get while the getting is good.

--AP

The Onion updated yesterday afternoon with its usual delightful satire.

Also, the oddly named Air America Radio launches today at noon Eastern with a program featuring satirist Al Franken. Few markets are broadcasting the show, but you can get online streams as well as an XM feed, if you have access to such things.

--AP