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Entertainment Earth Podcast
(Powered by 16bit.com)

Execute Order 66-- again! In this show, we examine 12 new Target exclusive Star Wars Jedi, Sith, and Clone figures which are either showing up at your local stores now or will be there next week. Do we like them? Oh yes.

Click here to visit the Episode #91 page at Entertainment Earth.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

But Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Plo Koon's Jedi Starfighter, Pit Droid, Kashyyyk Trooper, Padme Amidala. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the 702nd installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

If you're cheap-- like us-- you'll appreciate the fact that Target is currently marking down a number of video games. The good news is that Xbox games like Star Wars: Battlefront II and nearly all versions of LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy are on clearance. The bad news? Price and selection varies wildly from store to store. (We picked up Battlefront for $4.94, and then saw it at another Target for $9.96.) Other games are on sale too, like Viva Pinata: Party Animals for the Xbox 360 and Ratatouille for the GameBoy Advance. Happy hunting!

--AP

Target's new AllSpark power Transformers are hitting now. For $9.99, they're packaged in a clear canister and are essentially the same as the regular releases from last year, but with some added blue panels. If you're lucky, you'll find Bumblebee, Jazz, Barricade, and Brawl.

--AP

Target's new vehicle exclusives are hitting stores now. We know this because we went to a mall with a Target who had empty shelves and a cart in the mall had them marked up to $30 and a sign that read "Screw You 16bit.com Staff" (we may have imagined the last part.) These are showing up now so if you want them, we suggest you go buy them soon. We'll be hunting for them this week.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has updated Figure of the Day! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Luke Skywalker, Wookiee Warrior. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the next installment in our ongoing series, and for a sneak peek at the new Millennium Falcon!

--AP

If you're looking to see the evil universe Botcon-exclusive Rodimus-- and really, who isn't?-- check out this auction on eBay. It's hard to see the moustache, but apparently it's there on this black-and-purple repaint which will be sold at the show later this month.

--AP

TV site TVShowsOnDVD.com is posting pictures confirmation of a Blu-Ray disc release of this fan-favorite series. No details are available, but as a hi-def DVD release of a cult TV show, it's bound to be popular.

--AP

The guys over at GIJoeclub.com have revealed the Headhunter Guard, the second of many summer convention figures. It's part of a giant boxed set, so be sure to keep checking for more previews as they dribble out in the coming weeks.

Also, the club has revealed Wave 9 which includes 6 new figures: Storm Shadow, the BAT, Snow Serepent, Hawk, Bazooka, and Barbeque. Overall, it's a strong offering. You can also pre-order it at Entertainment Earth as three case revisions are available.

--AP

Shooter fans rejoice, as your game this week is Ikargua! This Treasure shooter was on the Dreamcast and Gamecube, and now you can get it for really cheap-- 800 MS points, or $10. The game's big twist is that you can change the polarity of your ship, which alters how you interact with the enemies and what damage they receive. Were it not for our screaming office pet and our writing to you, we'd be playing it right now.

--AP

This week: It's Yoshi's Cookie for the NES. We remember the GameBoy version of the puzzler to be somewhat entertaining, as you move cookies together on a grid and eventually make them disappear. Also, Bases Loaded was released, and this NES Baseball game has all the excitement of... something. You probably don't want it in your house.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has updated Figure of the Day! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Destroyer Droid, Wookiee Warrior. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the next installment in our ongoing series, and for a sneak peek at a new TIE Fighter that's actually in stores right now.

--AP

Around 1985, Coca-Cola had a whole debacle which resulted in the switching over in its formula from sugar to high fructose corn syrup, resulting in a slightly different flavor. For about one week a year during Passover, in certain cities with a large Jewish population, Coca-Cola distributes that original formula in order to keep a Kosher product in circulation. Certain grains (corn) can't be consumed by observant people, so rather than lose the business, Coca-Cola distributes the original formula with a variant yellow cap. It also features some Hebrew on it, and because we aren't Jewish or particularly culturally sensitive, we have no clue what it says.

Basically, if you're a chaser of that Mexican Coke, it's like that but cheaper and in 2-liter bottles. It's a subtle difference and we like it. Of course, we're also wired as a result of it, but hey, it's good stuff. We got our bottles at a local Ralph's, but if you live in cities with a significant Jewish population odds are you'll find it at pretty much any major grocery store chain. Give it a try, is all we're saying.

Apparently there's a Kosher Pepsi as well but we have yet to sample it.

--AP, image via Off The Broiler

Entertainment Earth Podcast
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Star Wars and G.I. Joe news galore! We talk about the Millennium Falcon and TIE Fighter toys from Hasbro that just surprised us all this week as well as new Hulk stuff, newly announced Dark Crystal items, and much more.

Click here to visit the Episode #91 page at Entertainment Earth.

--AP

Entertainment Earth Podcast
(Powered by 16bit.com)

Reduce, reuse, repaint. This week, we look at the Aayla Secura Jedi Starfighter, currently being offered as an exclusive. This Hasbro Star Wars ship is a repaint of a mold used since 2005, but we still find it pretty cool.

Click here to visit the Episode #91 page at Entertainment Earth.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

But Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: AT-AT Transformer, Emperor Palpatine, Leia in Boushh Disguise. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Or, "Screw you rest of the USA!" According to the Shortpacked! Blog (the midwest's finest toy news source) the first batch of Transformers Animated is actually showing up in Ohio at Kmarts and Wal-Marts. Toys include the same stuff you've seen pre-orders for, including Bumblebee, Cybertron Optimus Prime, Lockdown, Prowl, Megatron, Bulkhead, Starscream, and the Optimus vs. Megatron 2-pack. Other stuff has yet to hit.

The rest of the country expects a release in June. Also, new Transformers undies. We had glow-in-the-dark G1 pajamas back in the day. Because we were cool. And don't miss the Botcon exclusive set box art.

--AP

Fan site Hisstank.com is reporting on several new G.I. Joe listings in Wal-Mart's computer, including Cobra Flint, Pilot Scarlett, Zartan, Mask, Airborne, and Eel. UPCs and more are available here.

--AP

One thing we can always be sure of is that there's never a droid shortage. Since 2005, Hasbro has been getting better with the astromechs, giving us great creations like R4-P17 from Revenge of the Sith. Would you believe it's strangely satisfying to buy the same mold over and over and in different colors? Read on!

--AP

Our sister site Playmoblog has news on a newly released, presently European-only sets featuring lots of animals. Two vet sets and three pet sets are listed with guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, and more. We like the guinea pigs. Click through for the details.

--AP

Through the assistance of one of the lovely and talented people who spends a lot of time in our office, we have managed to snag all three Target exclusive G.I. Joe vehicles. For $10 each-- yes, $10-- you get a box with one figure, one vehicle, and one sticker sheet. Compared to nearly any other toy on the market today, these are fantastic deals and shame everything else you can buy that isn't in a clearance bin in terms of value. This batch includes a blueish Cobra HISS with driver, an AWE Striker with Crankcase, and the Night Spectre with Grand Slam. (Note: no figure stands are included.) If you don't own any Joe vehicles from any era, run to the store and buy these, and leave every comment you can that you want to buy more. If you're on the fence, here are our impressions based on a few hours with them.

The Cobra HISS is a staple in this line and has been for years. The vehicle has been retooled slightly so that the foot pegs on the back of the tank can now fit new figures, and we had no problems fitting the grey/urban camo Cobra driver in any of the four positions to carry figures. The figure has a removable helmet but no guns, knives, or other weapons. It's based on the Cobra Officer mold and fits fairly well. In terms of color, the vehicle is closest to that of the HISS III from a few years ago, or perhaps that Cobra Blue everybody loves. This seems to be the most popular of the three ships despite numerous HISS toys being on the market over the years. If you don't own a HISS, go get this one, and enjoy. (The vehicle alone went for $8-$10 or more when it first came out in the 1980s if our research is correct.)

For the good guys, the Night Spectre is a recolor of the original SHARC submarine. All aquatic elements are gone-- the figure Grand Slam is just a normal guy, there aren't any diving accessories, and now it looks mostly like a little plane. Chunky but cool, this little set is our favorite of the three as we never had the original, or the reissues. Grand Slam fits in it perfectly, and it's a delightful design. It makes us mad they don't make Star Wars vehicles of this size and quality at this price. It's worth noting Grand Slam is a repaint of Sgt. Flash, minus the accessories.

Team Joe is completed by a little buggy vehicle, the AWE Striker. This vehicle also comes out a lot, and this new release is fairly nice-- green with lots of stickers. It feels a little fragile, and its assembly was a real pain because the stickers don't seem like they are thin enough to wrap around certain parts of the vehicle's frame, which leads to frustration. It too has been retooled to fit modern foot holes, but the seating area for the driver Crankcase is a tight fit. Crankcase himself is a fairly neat figure which reminds us a little of Louis C.K. in a helmet. The figure is a mix of parts of Shipwreck and a Cobra Trooper, plus a new head. This is the only vehicle to have a weapon for the driver, a blade which fits in a holster on his hip. Of the three driver figures in the wave, this one looks the most interesting (although he has a massive head.)

--AP

Fortune hath smiled upon thee, for Microsoft hath bestowed Two games unto thee this week. First up is Battlezone, an update to a wireframe tank game which a lot of people loved-- and now it has online support and enhanced graphics. (It's still not Spectre though. There's camera support too, which is a theme this week. The old Atari game will set you back 400 points, or $5.

The other title is Rocky & Bullwinkle, a game we're not quite sure who the audience may be. Not only is their Xbox camera support, but the nature of the game is somewhat hard to wrap our heads around. It's based on a subversive cartoon from a generation who, traditionally, will not play video games. It's a minigame collection. And it's downloadable. We're not quite sure who will play this game, but it's 800 points ($10) and both titles will be downloadable late, late tonight. If we try either, it'll be Battlezone.

--AP

This week: It's Mega Turrican for the Sega Genesis. We never played it, but we hear it's great. Fantasy Zone for the Sega Master System is its companion this week, which we've played only briefly. If you like to blow stuff up real good, this is your week.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has updated Figure of the Day! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the next installment in our ongoing series, and for a sneak peek at the new Millennium Falcon!

--AP

Over at Hasbro, they added four new Transformers as well as stories on their designs. You can see Jetstorm (repaint of Cybertron Jetstorm), Wingblade (repaint of Cybertron Wingsaber), Inferno (repaint of Armada Red Alert), and Mudflap (repaint of Armada Mudflap). We quite like the Inferno.

--AP

Habsro did the unthinkable this week and actually told us something we didn't already know-- lots of something. Like, the whole year's worth of something. Apparently there will be 62 carded basic figures in their 25th Anniversary Collection, and you can see the whole official list here. Included appear to be a few characters from the Devil's Due comics and, if we don't miss our guess, a nod to Kenner's M.A.S.K. line. You see, a figure named "Specialist Trakker" appears on this list. On a Wal-Mart list was a guy just named "MASK." It appears these may be related. We love to jump to conclusions, so hey, who knows. We're hoping to see Matt Trakker appear along-- glee!-- a new Croc Master and the Cobra Eel. Now how about working in Spike and Sparkplug, too?

Now, why did Hasbro post this list? They're posting a ballot so you can vote in their "Hall of Heroes" line, a best-of repack/repaint series featuring the entire range of figures. The kicker is, of course, pictures haven't been revealed for about 20% of the line-- so you're voting blind. Still, letting fans vote on reissues is good times. Voting on new figures is better times, but this is good too.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

But Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Stuff, things you should click on. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Seeing as how the 2002 relaunch of Masters of the Universe was met with huge fanfare and a lot of heartbreak before its near total death in 2003, we're a little shocked to hear that Mattel announced that it's coming back and already has two waves and an exclusive (shown) in the works. King Grayskull will be a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, and his box will unfold to be a replica of-- you guessed it-- Castle Grayskull. His packaging makes mention of fights with Hordak and King Hiss, and He-Man.org has more news on the subject. The line will be similar to DC Universe/Marvel Legends, which is to say, big and totally lacking in action features. And we gotta say, Ram-Man without ramming isn't a figure we think we would like to own.

...but we'll pay good money for a big, poseable Skeletor.

--AP

In a continued effort to provide us with cheap, legal entertainment, the clearance overlords at Target stores have marked down The Simpsons Game, a title published for nearly every platform in 2007. The game features talent from the television series, and we're told it's quite good. (We work hard and have not yet had a chance to plug it in.) We found it for $12.48 in a clearance pile for the Xbox 360 platform, and considering the game's decent reviews, it's probably worth it.

As an added bonus-- and we didn't know this until we got it home-- the Target version, on the back, indicates there's a Target exclusive poster inside featuring some of the core cast and the jovial floating head of Mr. Sparkle. Hey, if that wasn't a good enough incentive to buy this, we don't know what is. Also, score one against Target's marketing goons, because we pay a fair amount of attention to game sales and promotions and this one kinda totally passed us by.

--AP

Over on the official Hasbro Indiana Jones Page you can check out a sneak peek at the Last Crusade wave of Indy toys! Henry Jones, Young Indy, a bunch of Nazis, and more await you. It's a pretty solid wave, we must say.

--AP

Were you wondering how Blitzwing was coming out so far? Well, ACToys.net has a gallery of the new triple changer as well as comparison shots with this 20+ year old ancestor. The new toy seems larger and more detailed, plus the alt modes are pretty convincing. Do check them out.

--AP

This week, you can grab Lost Cities, a German card game thing from Sierra. They've managed to make some super-great ports of German board games, so we may give this one a try. It's US $10 (or 800 points) if you dare grab it when it goes live overnight tonight.

--AP

This week: It's Phantasy Star III for the Sega Genesis. We never played it, and they still haven't released the first one, but it's a classic RPG and people do have fond memories of this one. River City Ransom for the NES fills out this week's roster, and the brawler is insanely popular for reasons we've never quite figured out. Sure, it's fun, but most people would have you believe this is some sort of classic on the level of a Mario or a Zelda. They're both worth picking up, so try 'em out if you haven't yet already.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has updated Figure of the Day! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the next installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

From Spawn.com: "This just in: McFarlane Toys will have two exclusive Halo 3 figures at this year's Comic-Con International, July 24-27 at the San Diego Convention Center. A special edition Spartan Soldier EVA "HellSpartan" will be sold together with an exclusive clear CQB Spartan. Although not packaged together, the two figures will be sold as a set, and cannot be purchased separately."

We totally love the HellSpartan. The clear guy, not so much.

--AP

There's a lot of news out of Botcon and Japan today, and we'll be posting Botcon news via Twitter (below) as we can all weekend long. But for now, here's a ton of news.

• Botcon reveals 2008 Souvenir figures officially. They are: Sideswipe, Blurr, and Divebomb in the first set. Megatron, Rampage, and Rodimus in the second. [via Botcon.com]
• Botcon officially opens and posts a photo gallery. Security guards, queues, and piles of exclusives await you. [via Botcon.com]
• Hasbro reveals new animated toys officially. Grimlock and numerous others can be seen right now. [via Hasbro.com]
• Takaratomy announces Guardian Robot, a blue repaint of G1 Omega Supreme. It's expensive. [via E-Hobby Shop]
• BinalTech continues, this time with a Paradron Medic. It's basically Arcee with some green. [via Fan2Fan]
• Hasbro/Entertainment Earth reveal Wave 1 of Marvel Transformers with a pre-order. Spider-Man looks surprisingly good in the pictures. [via Entertainment Earth]

--AP

As part of our day job, we actually maintain a Twitter page. It's a mix of product announcements, toy news, and random TV/movie/game tidbits-- some of which you'll see on this site. If you do Twitter, we do suggest you check it out. Stalkers welcome.

It is our present plan to update this weekend with tidbits from Botcon as they come in-- so hey, it's something to watch.

--AP

Galactic Hunter has posted a Q&A column this week! Be sure to click through and read up on the latest!

But Figure of the Day has been updated! The daily feature on figures you might have but might not-- either way, here's what you've been missing! Spanning from the original Power of the Force series of 1995 to the latest of the 30th Anniversary Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

From left to right: Stuff, things you should click on. Go to Galactic Hunter for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Reports from around the web indicate that 6 new figures are hitting now, including new versions of Snake Eyes and Duke alongside Wild Bill, Spirit, the HISS Driver, and the Viper. Happy hunting! We haven't seen any yet.

--AP

Wave 1 of the 2-packs will include Ultimate Captain America & Nick Fury, Elektra & Ronin (with variant chase Skrull Elektra), Wolverine & Forge, and Mr. Fantastic & Thing. Expect these in stores this Summer for about $20-$25 a whack.

--AP

There was a shocking array of news this weekend, making this-- and we say this without hyperbole-- quite possibly the most fantosnewsmonious Botcon we've ever had the pleasure of reporting on. (As our monthly budget, which is literally tens of dollars, does not have room for travel.) Between TV news, Hasbro news, and scores of little details, we wish we were there.

Apparently Hasbro is going all-out to make fans of all ages happy, with new tiny Classics, tons of Robot Heroes, and even a G1 style Arcee of sorts in the works. Read on for some of the highlights from this weekend from around the web.

• Botcon Day 3 Hasbro Gallery. Booth shots of Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Prowl, Sentinel Prime, Swoop, Ironhide, Galvatron, Jazz, Grimlock, and a whole mess of new exclusives. We very much like Sentinel "The Tick" Prime. [via Tformers.com]
• Hasbro design panel. Lots of nifty tidbits dating back as far as Beast Machines. Worth reading. [via Tformers.com]
• Animated panel/episode screening notes. [via TFW2005.com and TheAllspark.com]
• TFW2005 has the exclusive reveal of movie-style Bumblebee Mr. Potato Head. [via TFW2005.com]
• Hasbro Transformers Universe feature. G1 Prime reissue, Sideswipe (with wrong head), Silverstreak, Silverbolt, and loads of Robot Heroes. We love the Robot Heroes. [via Hasbro]
• Hasbro Transformers Animated feature. Pics of Swoop, Ultra Magnus, Sentinel Prime, Elite Guard Bumblebee. [via Hasbro]
• Hasbro panel coverage. News on street dates, a new "Universe" Cheetor, word on a Targetmaster Cyclones, and more. Again, worth reading. [via The Allspark]
• Club panel coverage. Club, convention stuff. [via Tformers.com]
• IDW panel coverage. Comics stuff. [via TFW2005.com]

That's the long and short of it-- if there's interest, we'll itemize a menu with all the specific news stuff, but there's so much meat in these articles that we suggest you read them if you like robots and weren't at the show.

--AP

Mario Kart Wii was released on Sunday, and with it were ample supplies of Wii hardware at most stores we visited. We even got a chance to try out the game, and while it seems good, it didn't seem particularly fresh-- much like Madden, it feels like another series succumbing to "more of the same"-itis, which can really only be cured by significant new features, tons of new characters, or fan service to the extreme-- which we didn't get from our time with it. Still, if you're still looking for a Wii, this might be the week to find it.

--AP

Today in Figure of the Day, let's look at the deluxe General Grievous figure from 2005. It's dirty, has four lightsabers, a cape, and a firing rocket. Oh, and it has yet to be reissued-- is this a good sign? Read on!

--AP

A Transformers site, of all places, has a picture of what may be a new chase variant for G.I. Joe. Turns out the new Duke with Jetpack has a big ol' India flag in at least one version of the figure, as can be seen here. More as we have it. Here's hoping it's no hoax.

--AP

This week: It's Double Dragon for the NES. People were gonzo for this like 20 years ago and we're not entirely sure why. It was a weak arcade port of a weak game, so we don't expect you to download it. The game features a sidescrolling beat-'em-up mode, plus a vs. fighting mode-- one of the better NES fighting games, frankly-- where two players could play as different versions of the same guy and duke it out in a crappy arena. The game itself is mostly forgettable, at least as a port goes, but it does have some decent music including the highly memorable track from the Vs. Abobo stage.

--AP

Not content to be left out, Hasbro decided to post a whole mess of new news after the show, complete with extra details and loads of pictures.

The name of the game is mostly repaints-- the only "new" molds are the Titanium items which were molds that were presumed "lost" after the series came and went last year. Good news for fans of Cybertronian alt modes and questionably assembled die-cast metal toys.

• Toys "R" Us exclusive Titanium Series transforming toys of Grimlock and Prowl from The War Within comic series. [via Hasbro.com]
• Target exclusive comic packs and figures based on old Marvel stories, using Cybertron-era molds. We're digging Springer and, we're ashamed to say, Thrust. [via Hasbro.com]
• Wal-Mart exclusive "movie" repaints of deluxe toys. Classics Mirage is Fracture, Cybertron Hot Shot is Breakaway, Cybertron Red Alert is Crankcase. We like these. [via Hasbro.com]
• Kmart exclusive Mini-Cons 12-pack. Basically, it's 12 of the Classics molds repainted in nifty colors. Points for Heavytread (basically Warpath) and more bonus points for Flatfoot's Mini-Con insignia painted on the hood. $19.99 retail. [via Hasbro.com]

That's the long and short of it-- if there's interest, we'll itemize a menu with all the specific news stuff, but there's so much meat in these articles that we suggest you read them if you like robots and weren't at the show.

--AP

We're regular listeners of NPR-via-podcast at the 16bit.com offices as we have a commute to our day jobs and every morning, we make it a point to listen to Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me. We were actually quite surprised to hear that one of our favorite TV personalities (who we've seen pop up in a polka album we fished out of the dollar bin, at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, some viral pro-pot videos on Boingboing, and The Price is Right) has now popped up as-- if we heard right-- a regular panelist on the NPR news quiz. Wow. Click through to their page and if you're so inclined, grab the podcast. We're big fans of fake news, so real news outlets doing a game show are right up our alley. At this rate we expect to see him on Tim & Eric's Awesome Show Great Job by the end of the year and, eventually, guest host of The Soup on E!. It'll happen.

--AP