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Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Battle Droid Commander figure. The 2007 repaint is particularly gorgeous. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Pervy? The McDonalds Toy Story 2 Hamm Action Figure is excited to see you and may pop his cork. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Konami was kind enough to send us the cover art for Xbox 360 shooter Otomedius Excellent, a Gradius-inspired shooter due July 19. There will be both regular and limited editions, the LE comes with the obligatory creepy pillowcase. Konami's press info said this:

"KONAMI today released the launch date and Special Edition information for Otomedius Excellent, which is now slated for release in July 19, 2011. Also announced today is the addition of a Special Edition version of North American release of the Gradius-inspired series, which includes a 2-sided pillowcase featuring the girls of OTOMEDIUS, an exclusive art book, and a single disc OTOMEDIUS soundtrack. The standalone game will retail for $29.99 while the Special Edition will be available for $49.99. More details of the Special Edition will be revealed at a later date."

So it's a toss-up-- if you want a new Gradius-style game (it even has the Gradius logo on the box!) you're going to get some looks from the lady at the register. I'll probably buy it. If you missed our look at some early screen shots, click here to see Otmoedius Excellent in action. And by action, I mean inaction.

--AP

Fan site Glitterberri has an amazing 1990s Q&A with the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past team that will knock your socks off. The English translation covers cross-pollination between Mario and Zelda and there are all sorts of fun things about the game and elements cut from it-- like a third world (but no specifics on that). Worth reading, I'd go as far as to call it required reading.

--AP

The first new Botcon exclusive has been revealed! Botcon Customization Class Transformers Animated Minerva has been revealed by Twitter. It has remolded bits on the head, and there are two different takes on the head.

They also revealed the Transformers Timelines #6 comic book cover showing Motormaster and his Stunticon pals. The add-on at-show toys haven't been officially revealed yet, but Twitter posts last night indicate that Shattered Glass Galvatron plus Thundercracker are likely to be shown shortly. Also new is Ironfist in Animated style.

Our pal Phil directed us to this post claiming Reveal the Shield Legends hit a Wal-Mart in Wisconsin. Not sure I believe it but it'd be the first US brick-and-mortar sighting of these guys at a major retailer.

In not-licensed news, the iGear Ratchet and Ironhide-Alikes have been revealed. They seem partially inspired by Universe Inferno/RTS Grappel, maybe it's just my imagination and the arms.

--AP

MTV Geek-- really, that's the name?-- has an interview with Val Staples and specifics on Power-Con and ThunderCon for He-Man/She-Ra/Thudnercats fans. All three properties will be at one big show in Los Angeles, September 24 and 25. Because that's prime time to do a convention, but it might tie in with the launch of the new ThunderCats program.

--AP

Totally official, ClubDevo.com has word of MacBeth Red or Blue Dome Devo Slip-On Shoes look pretty darned cool. If I thought they'd fit by mail I'd order a pair. Super-limited-edition, vegan, 250 pair edition size. Check 'em out, or don't.

Also notable is "Weird Al" Yankovic's album Alpocalypse hits June 21. The complete track listing of the CD and/or DVD are up on Wikipedia, many of which you might recognize from online videos or releases over the past two or three years. The polka lineup looks particularly exciting.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

From 1997, back when life was worth living, the BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Barett Wallace is a very large man with a gun fist. And yes, this is the Japanese release. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the R5-P9 figure from earlier this year. He's cool-- and grey, very grey. I like it. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

Also exciting: the skinny on the 2012 Star Wars convention. Hope you like Florida!

--AP

The Articulation Times is showcasing a Comic-Con Exclusive Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Minimates set that looks pretty slick.

Figures include a Gold Arthur (Ghouls & Ghost fame), Dante in white (Devil May Cry), White Phoenix (X-Men), and a yellow Deadpool (various). Nice! Read the story for more info and pictures, pricing and edition sizes are not yet known.

--AP

The BotCon news is coming in through Twitter, of all places. User GogDog posted several Fisitron (Ironfist) images and it's superb. Like incredibly cool. You'll be sorry you weren't there, as this was the at-show freebie this year.

The other at-show exclusives are confirmed to be a Shattered Glass Galvatron and Thundercracker 2-pack (not animated, 1,800 sets), Sideswipe (Rodimus repaint/remold) with Toxitron (Optimus repaint, 1,500 sets), and an Autotrooper set (Cybertron Ratchet/Fisitron/Ironhide mold, 1,500 sets).

Traditionally, more is revealed on Friday and Saturday so check your favorite news sites for more!

--AP

For music nerds, today's a good day. As seemingly part of a shoe promotion, Macbeth.com posted a Polysics-remixed Devo "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man) MP3 for freesies. I assume they want you to buy shoes, but whatever. Polysics plus Devo equals yes.

--AP

Good or bad, I don't care. I'm going to link to this new Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer because a gorilla chucks an axe at a cop car. It's a great series with a few hiccups, so hopefully it'll be good. It certainly LOOKS fun.

--AP

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

Be sure to send in your questions for next week's thrilling update-- or a few weeks down the road.

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Aayla Secura figure from 2005, to date the best version of the Jedi from the movies. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!

Most famous for his portrayal of Frank Zappa in 200 Motels, the McFarlane Toys Yellow Submarine Ringo Starr Action Figure is one of the best of the line-- which isn't saying much as the sculpts usually don't match the models. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Over the weekend I stumbled on numerous Wal-Marts with G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Wave 5 (remember, wave 6 hit a few weeks back). The new figures include Steel Brigade, Cobra Commander, Cobra Trooper, General Hawk, Jungle B.A.T., and the first version of Blowtorch (yellow and red).

The Steel Brigade figure is amazing, and made mostly of existing parts. The helmet is removable, and taken from the movie Pit Commando figure. The body is mostly the Cobra S.W.A.T. figure from earlier this year, and the head under the helmet looks a lot like the many of the masked figures sold in Joe recently. It also has a little "______________" fill-in-the-blank so you can put your name on the file card. Nice!

--AP

Couldn't make BotCon, or too lazy to leave the house? I understand completely. Let's look at some of the highlights from the show, as reported around the web this past weekend.

Habsro - The Panel
The big news: Classics isn't dead, Cyberverse will continue into Prime, very little will be discussed until post-movie, and Hasbro doesn't seem to realize that the hard-to-find Transformers toys of early 2011 have been shipping and hitting online and Marshall's. Great write-ups of the panel: The Allspark, OpenYourToys.com, TFW2005.

While nothing was explicitly confirmed for Classics/Generations, there was a quote to the effect of "something cool for Generation 1 Arcee" by the end of the year. Whatever that means.

Habsro - Dark of the Moon Deluxe/Voyager/Leader/Ultimate
I'll be referring to this gallery a lot, as this seems to be the most comprehensive look at the Friday gallery launch. Cyberfire Bumblebee looks like someone at Hasbro really loves Ghost Rider, and after seeing the deco, I want one of these. Specialist Ratchet was also shown, sporting a new MechTech weapon and what appears to be Patch Adams' clown nose. The Voyager-class Fireburst Optimus Prime has an awesome-looking axe accessory, and Leader-class Ironhide seems to be an amazing piece as well.

Habsro - Cyberverse
On Friday, Hasbro gave fans their first look at Guzzle based on a movieverse-styled incarnation of the Last Stand of the Wreckers/G1 character in the larger "Commander" class, along with the first official look at Optimus Prime with his energon swords, Hatchet, and some "Legion"-class toys-- namely Flak, and the previously-reviewed-by-Ben Yee Roadbuster. The entire Friday booth may be viewed here.

After the movie will not be G1, but rather Transformers Prime. The joyless cartoon will see characters like Ratchet, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Ironhide.

A number of gift sets including a lot of wild, wacky, and weird repaints are also on deck. In particular, this Optimus Prime has knocked my socks off. The green Decepticon repaint of Powerglide looks nice too, as do most of the little cars getting new paint jobs.

Habsro - Transformers Prime
While it was nice to see packaged samples of Bumblbebee, Arcee, and Starscream on Friday the real surprise was a July 2011 release date. I'm trying to verify this was not in error. UPDATE: It's an error, November/December launch. These toys sport foil graphics and "FIRST EDITION" on there, infecting the previously-clean Transformers brand with the same collectible nonsense we've seen infect Star Wars, Hot Wheels, and other brands over the years.

The first release will be Optimus Prime at Comic-Con, packaged in a box, and inside that box is a wearable Matrix insert. Cute?

Habsro - Human Alliance
While not shown at BotCon, the first glimpse at HUman Alliance Leadfoot with Steeljaw appeared on Autobase Aichi early in the morning. A number of new small-size figures were shown including the adorable Reverb with Sgt. Detour, which seems to turn into a little cardinal ride-on. Half-Track with Major Altitude, Crosshairs with Sgt. Cahnay, Dragstrip with Master Disaster, and others can be viewed on this gallery.

Habsro - Rescue Bots
Pre-orders for this line have been up for a few weeks, so get a look at the in-person shots. It's a new storyline with no Decepticons as of yet, but Bumblebee and Optimus Prime will make an appearance alongside new Autobots as part of the new Hasbro effort at rebooting its Galactic/Robot/etc. Heroes lines. The new human figures are compatible with the Millennium Falcon and other releases, and the bulk of the Autobots can actually transform. Optimus Prime in particular looks pretty slick.

Habsro - Kre-O
Most of the toys shown on Friday were previously seen elsewhere, but there was an exclusive Optimus Prime figure with Matrix giveaway at the show.

Habsro - Exclusives
The previously confirmed Toys R Us Exclusive Masterpiece Rodimus was finally revealed in person, complete with US-exclusive Targetmaster buddy. (In other words, glad I waited.) The Wal-Mart exclusive Deluxe Optimus Prime as well as NASCAR-Inspired repaints of ROTF Bumblebee and Sideswipe were shown, but these are hitting stores this weekend-- so keep an eye out. At the bottom of this gallery are the Target exclusive Revenge of the Fallen Voyager molds of Starscream and Ratchet redecorated for the new movie as well as some other items you may have already seen in stores.

The Saturday announcements were pretty great, but the most shocking thing is that Amazon.com got G1 Unicron. (In recent years, online-only Hasbro exclusives fared... less great than they probably should.) The Target exclusives-- including Space Case-- will all be cast in translucent plastic for some reason. Perhaps because they will be harder to keep nice. Target will be getting Human Alliance Leadfoot with Steeljaw as well as Deluxe Leadfoot with Twin Twist (Topspin redeco), largely thanks to the fact that Target's logo is on the car in NASCAR and in the movie.

On Sunday, a few new items were added like this Toys R Us exclusive Rage on Cybertron gift set, with translucent repaints of War for Cybertron Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron with a little added color and energy bolts. While not as good as the originals from last year, this will no doubt be cheaper than buying them on eBay-- have you checked Prime's price there lately? It ain't cheap.

And take a big grain of salt for this, but TFormers.com reports New York Comic Con will have non-movie Transformers exclusives. Hasbro hasn't had much of a presence there, but could this year be different?

IDW - Panel
Well, there was an IDW Panel giving vague ideas as to what you can expect going forward. There's a strong fan interest in more Animated, it seems.

Club - Panel
A lot of things were mentioned, but there were three product announcements. Tformers.com has pics of Generations Runamuck, Generations Runabout, and Shattered Glass Drift. Runamuck is the club freebie, and both he and Runabout will be remolds of Wheeljack. Drift is, well, Drift but with guns.

Prime - Panel
Just scan this over for the skinny. They confirm it's meant to appeal to a wider audience than previous cartoons, and... well, you can read it.

Hasbro Brand Development - Panel
You can scan this over at TheAllspark for more on continuity, the orignal 13, and other stuff which may be of interest. No real toy news confirmed, but there are some confirmations of unproduced, unreleased toys from G1. For a more extensive take on the panel, check TFW2005.

Other Convention Happenings
As to the Hall of Fame, which I think exists solely to charge people a lot to get in to the announcement of said Hall, Waspinator wins. It sounds like Hasbro may have been prepping for Erector.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Today's figure is Hasbro Transformers Generation 1 Flamefeather Action Figure, which is this awesome little beast of a toy. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Jawa figure from 2004. I love this repaint. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

It's the season for news, so here's some news.

1. Wal-Mart Exclusive Dark of the Moon Toys are hitting in good numbers when they hit. I've been to several stores and seen them in abundance, including the new Deluxe Optimus Prime. Review incoming. The other two new ones are NASCAR-inspired Bumblebee and Sideswipe repaints, using the old Revenge of the Fallen deluxe molds.

2. Wal-Mart Power Core Combiner restock seems to be happening. Loads of Steamhammers and yes, Grimstone are showing up in stores all of a sudden for $13-$15. Good hunting. That's him on the left, and he's a portly fellow.

3. The new Transformers Collector's Club Magazine is here and it has about the usual quotient of content. An interview with the creators of the club's Transformers Animated comic is pretty great, and there's a two-page spread on the two exclusive SDCC Optimus Prime toys as revealed over the weekend. One is the Ultimate-class MechTech Optimus Prime packed out in vehicle mode with a bonus sticker sheet, and the other is a metallic redeco (or pre-deco) of Transformers: Prime Optimus Prime packaged in a too-big box complete with a Matrix-shaped insert you can wear around your neck. So you didn't miss much.

4. A new "almost" remake of Soundwave from BTS called Sonicron is on the way and TFW2005.com has a review with lots of pictures. It's a really nifty piece, but it looks like the quality may not quite be there just yet. The recorder mode is quite gorgeous.

5. Today was the official on-sale pre-order date for the Kre-O line of (not LEGO) construction toys, despite being on Toys "R" Us for a few weeks. They look a lot like the links below, which are also sponsor links, meaning we get a cut of the sales, which means that we might be able to afford lunch next week if seventy people buy something. The two smaller sets don't include figures, but the bulk of the sets have at least two. It seems to me that the figures are going to be the true selling point, and from the look of the packaging you'll want to be checking to make sure someone didn't swipe them out of the box and return it. While most of the minifigures, called "Kreons," are based on G1 it seems Megatron is not. His helmet is a mix of the movies and animated designs.

--AP

According to the news flying out of E3, Sony's next handheld is off to an interesting start before its non-software library provides a second boring generation. The name will be PlayStation Vita (previously "NGP" in the press) and it will come in WiFi and 3G versions for $249 and $299, respectively. Insert a joke about a smaller hardware revision called the VitaMini here.

I kid about the software library-- sort of-- as the original PSP's software library had precious few gems. The big deal announcement was that Capcom will be releasing Street Fighter x Tekken for the handheld, which does not have me hopeful as fighting games on the handheld aren't always well-received. Here's hoping it's great-- although competing against the Apple devices and their $1 games may be difficult if not impossible over the next decade.

--AP

This week's WiiWare offering is Ubongo. It's $8/800 points, and is some sort of gem-based puzzler.

The Virtual Console has nothing, continuing a proud tradition.

--AP

This week's batch: GO Series Picdun, Dreamwalker, and Crazy Cheebo: Puzzle Party. Each is $2-$5 and can be yours... if you have a DSi. As weeks go, this seems to be one of the more interesting with some bizarrely interesting licenses or almost-licenses. I mean, Valet Parking?

Some sort of 3DS store was supposed to launch but I don't think that happened this week as of yet. Maybe after E3.

--AP

We were afforded the opportunity to ask Hasbro three questions, and they sent back two answers. Check out this month's update which covers exclusives (there aren't any) and how many figures to expect in 2011 (but not really).

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the General McQuarrie figure from 2007, a great Easter Egg in the line and a nice addition to your McQuarrie Concept figure shelf-- as this is the artist, as seen in the movie. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Another classic from my toy box! The Tomy Zoids Wardick is a big, mean fish with a fantastic name. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

iGear is making Wreckers Presser which is not Impactor, and it looks like they made the toy based on the engineering of the swell Generations Warpath toy, but were heavily inspired by the IDW artwork from the Last Stand of the Wreckers Impactor toy. The size, price, and release date aren't known but pictures are on the facesbook if you have a facesbook.

I'm also hearing buzz that Kre-O toys are actually hitting-- not just pre-orders, but actual toys, actually out, actually now. Click here for more at TheAllspark.com. That was fast.

--AP

There's so much going on at E3 this week that I can't begin to cover it all, but I can bring out the important stuff so you can pretend you know what's going on.

1. Nintendo Announces the Wii U as the next-generation high-definition Wii successor. The system has a (presumably expensive) controller with a built-in touchscreen that will no doubt raise peripheral prices once more, like the Nintendo 64 did with controllers in the 1990s. It has high-definition graphics for real this time and an HDMI out, but prices and release dates are unknown. As you can see in the picture, the controller looks like an iPad with buttons and the console looks like a chunky Xbox 360.

2. New Nintendo 3DS software (in addition to the store which launched today with retro GameBoy downloads) include Mario Kart 3DS and Super Mario 3D.

3. Valve signed with NECA for licensing. This press release has the scoop, but basically what it means: NECA can make Portal toys.

4. Capcom released the "Arcade Edition" Super Street Fighter IV stuff. I'm lazy, here's the press release: "SAN MATEO, Calif. � June 7, 2011 � Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced the digital upgrade of Super Street Fighter IV with Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The add-on is now available as a download via Xbox LIVE online entertainment network and PlayStationNetwork. The entire Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition experience will also be available as a standalone product at retailers across Europe on June 24 and North America on June 28."

5. Square-Enix announced it has sold 100,000,000 units of the Final Fantasy franchise worldwide which ain't bad, even considering how many titles are in it these days.

--AP

New to download this week: New Adventure Island, Soldier Blade, the next Back to the Future chapter, and lots of DLC. The new games are $5.99 each... and the new Adventure Island sure seems neat. No new PSOne games this week.

--AP

New to the PSP this week include full games like Soldier Blade, New Adventure Island, and Pool Hall Pro. These run $5.99-$9.99.

New PSP Minis include: Zombie Racers and Cohort Chess. Each is $2.99-$6.99.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Rohlan Dyre figure. The figure was on the chopping block until Hasbro gave Entertainment Earth (read: my day job) the chance to bring it to production and to you, the consumer. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Cobra Commander 2012? The Hasbro G.I. Joe Comic-Con Exclusive Cobra Commander is potentially more interesting and less evil than the GOP candidates announced thus far, so why not check out his action figure from a couple years back? So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

The big news today is that HK-TF has a gallery of the Target Exclusive Human Alliance Leadfoot with Steeljaw and it looks great. The Target logo seems missing so this may not be final, but it does have Tums and Energizer logos plus the robot dog, which the human driver may ride. Adorable.

Transformers Collector Club Exclusive G2 Ramjet is shipping now, as some customers are getting notices of this guy going in the mail this week. (I didn't get mine yet.)

--AP

Blah blah blah He-Man.org posted a Mattel Q&A Round-Up for Masters of the Universe Classics. Worth reading, some interesting tidbits to be found here.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

From 1997, back when toys were often still actually playthings, the Kenner Jurassic Park The Lost World Chasmosaurus Action Figure was a nice big roaring pile of fun. Look at him! Adorable. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Clone Trooper Lieutenant figure from the very, very delayed final retail wave of comic packs. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

Also exciting: New Hasbro Star Tours Figure Packs Out at Disney Parks. I got mine! We'll be looking at Ace next.

--AP

The big Dark of the Moon Leader-Class Ironhide has hit Toys R Us here in Phoenix and boy oh boy, is it impressive and big. Do check it out and try the "Try Me" parts. I think you'll be impressed.

For Voyager-class toys, Voyager Sentinel Prime and Fireburst Optimus Prime were released online at least. I haven't seen them on retail shelves yet, but we got them in where I do my day job activities.

The other big news is (as expected) it seems all of the missing Reveal the Shield toys are turning up, from grocery stores to Ross to T.J. Maxx and Marshall's. (Yes, including Grappel, Lugnut, and Windcharger.) If you have any of these stores in your area, check the toy sections and you just might get lucky. This is traditionally the final dumping ground so after this, it's online or bust. So far the final Power Core Combiners have not shown up anywhere. It's extremely unlikely you will see these at Kmart, Target, Toys R Us, or Wal-Mart, so hunt off the beaten paths.

Traditionally, more is revealed on Friday and Saturday so check your favorite news sites for more!

--AP

For TV fans, this multi-part overview of season 2 of NBC's Community on TheAVClub.com is pretty amazing. Series creator Dan Harmon is going over each and every episode of the season, offering all sorts of insight into the process of making a great show.

--AP

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

Be sure to send in your questions for next week's thrilling update-- or a few weeks down the road.

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Ace-38 figure from just last month, now showing up at (and exclusive to) Disney theme parks. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!

So new! I bumped today's FOTD after this showed up in the mail on Saturday. The Hasbro Transformers Timelines Generation 2 Ramjet Action Figure is exactly what fans asked for in terms of deco, but it doesn't exactly fit together perfectly as a vehicle. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Last week a HISSTank.com user posted 6-inch Prototypes of Cobra Commander and Short Fuse, basically making them closer in scale to Marvel Legends and other similar figures. Fans were asking for this scale, and it's neat to see Hasbro actually considering it.

The article dates these as having been planned for 2001-- meaning that ship has long since sailed, but it's neat to see isn't it?

--AP

While not shown at BotCon, these Target Exclusive Cyberverse 2-Packs are hitting stores now, so says TFW2005. One set has Bumblebee with a redecorated (Motormastery) Megatron, while the other has Leadfoot with a repainted blue Ironhide. No word on price yet, but odds are you'll be seeing a bunch of these inside a day or two.

The Bumblebee/Megatron set has been revealed before, but I believe this is the first we've seen of Leadfoot and Ironhide. Which continues the unbalanced lineup of too-few Decepticons in this scale, dating back to Legends a few years back. Each set is $10.99, not bad when considering a Commander-class toy is $7.99 and a Legion-class toy is $4.99. (So $2.00 off.)

Also exciting are Transformers Scouts in Generations-inspired packaging, which have been spotted at Big Lots! stores here in Phoenix and elsewhere. The assortment includes Cybertron molds of Backstop (heavily repainted), Wreckloose (blue key instead of green), and Undermine (no obvious changes) for about $8.50 each. These are also being sold at some online toy stores, and I expect the likes of Family Dollar, Ross, T.J. Maxx, and/or Marshalls may get them if previous repacks during Universe are any indication. Big Lots! also received new shipments of single-packed mini-cons including Swashplate and yes, Pan-Handler-- they were about $5 each.

Most amazing, though, are three hand-painted galleries of new (to you and me) Generation 2 prototypes. Check out Mirage, Desert Ramjet, and Yellow Sideswipe. These seem to be hand-painted, possibly one-of-a-kind items.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Today's figure is LEGO Minifigures Series 3 Gorilla Suit Guy, which is something you are going to want to have on your desk. Trust me. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Bom Vimdin figure from just last week. It's so new I don't think many people have seen them at retail yet! Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Breaking a proud tradition since 2006, Nintendo will now release new downloads for the DSi, Wii, and 3DS on Thursdays every week. So there's nothing new today to speak of, other than that, and we're done with it.

--AP

I try hard to avoid dumping videos on you fine people, but this video of Conan O'Brien's commencement speech to the Class of 2011 at Dartmouth is too good to ignore. 25 minutes, check it out!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Kettch figure, a Wal-Mart exclusive Ewok with armor. Awesome. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

Also, Hasbro's Latest Q&A Is Here! Check out the latest questions, this time focusing on Bly deco issues and Galactic Heroes' actual, final, deadly death.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

New-ish! The Hasbro Transformers Generations Warpath Action Figure hit big around April, dried up, and is expected to hit big again shortly. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

If you're like me and very curious/skeptical about Hasbro's new brick line, take a gander at the Optimus Prime Kre-O Instruction Sheet with Full Piece Breakdown at the end. The $60 set is just now hitting some stores, but the Kre-O brand is kinda new and Hasbro's last construction effort is generally best forgotten. The new one is reportedly much better, and if you want to see wh at you're getting in to, check out the instruction PDF.

--AP

The site TVShowsOnDVD.com confirmed Parks & Recreation Season 3 comes to DVD September 3. 3 discs, many episodes, and Li'l Sebastian. This good news comes with a cost-- Outsourced will be released the following week, sullying up retail shelves everywhere.

--AP

New to download this week: Akimi Village, Greg Hastings Paintball 2, Midnight Club Los Angeles: Complete Edition, Outland, Magic The Gathering: Duels Of The Planeswalkers 2012, and lots of DLC. The new games are $9.99 - $19.99 a whack. No new PSOne games this week.

--AP

New to the PSP this week include full games like The 2D Adventures Of Rotating Octopus Character, Babel: The King Of The Blocks, and Run Ghost Run. These PSP Minis run $2.99-$3.99.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Storm Commando figure. It's one of at least four black repaints of the Scout Trooper. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Interestingly, not the first one. The LEGO Minifigures Series 3 Mummy is (of course) a repaint, but it's significantly different from the many mummy figures made over the past 13 or so years. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

The Bathing Ape News site updated with BAPE Transformers Toys and Clothing which is presumably not a hoax. The big deal is a G1 Optimus Prime remade with green and camo, plus a Bape logo on his shoulder. Adorable. Expect imports to be at least $85.

Also, the rest of Kre-O is hitting now. I saw the bulk of the line (if not all of it) last night and picked up the basic (read: no figures) Optimus Prime kit. I built the robot and early impressions are favorable for the asking price ($7.99). Interesting to note: the head is basically a scaled-down 2006 Voyager Classics Optimus Prime head, cast in a more rubbery plastic with bright blue eyes and a silver mouthplate. I'll try to bump something next week to fit it in to FOTD.

--AP

A New Matty Collector Sale with Whiplash, The Faceless One, Battleground Teela, and Grizzlor from Masters of the Universe Classics went up yesterday. Whiplash sold through quickly, and Teela is expected to be gone around the time you read this.

If that bores you, go read He-Man.org's What Fans Want to Know Q&A update with ToyGuru and Mattel. Good stuff.

--AP

Xbox 360 owners, it's time to look into Adventures of Shuggy, a $10/800 points 2D platformer that actually looks pretty neat. Microsoft says:

"Shuggy has just inherited a castle full of goblins, ghouls, zombies, and robots. Help him clear out over 100 rooms to make his new home liveable again! Every room in the castle is different, letting Shuggy fly, float, swing, spin, change size, and more as he explores the Dungeon, Boiler, Clocktower, Gallery, and Graveyard. Play an online match full of power-ups as Shuggy or one of his quirky relatives, and try to collect more gems than your opponent. Play 36 twisted two-player levels in the offline co-op mode, with puzzles that can only be completed through cunning and teamwork."

Also new is Magic: The Gathering � Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 for $10/800 points. Cards are(n't) involved.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

This is timely, because he just got reissued and sold out this week. Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Whiplash is a super-cool ogre/lizard dude with lots of cool gear and two heads to pick from. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Jacen Solo figure from the delayed final wave of The Legacy Collection which ended up being a shared exclusive between Toys R Us and the internets. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

Also exciting: Official Site Adds New Clone Wars Season 4 Video. Is that Ackbar?

--AP

Despite this not being BotCon there's a huge amount of news to digest today. The big EZ-Collection Series 5 has been revealed to include Legends-Class Thundercracker as well as other rereleases and repaints from the movies and G1-ish Legends molds from here in the USA. It is not known if these are the final paint jobs.

For Revoltech fans, Revoltech Movie Optimus Prime was shown at the International Tokyo Toy Show. The Cybergundam Blog has pictures of what I presume to be the repaint of it. More pictures from the show can be found here including a deluxe-class Dark of the Moon Skywarp, presently unconfirmed for a US release.

I can't read Japanese but people who can insist this listing at Amazon.co.jp is for Reissue Devastator and is not a bad choice.

Finally, HK-TF.com has lots of shots of Human Alliance Drag Strip and Half Track toys. Drag Strip turns into a giant shield which looks way, way bigger than the many repaints of the Armada-era Skyboom Shield.

--AP

This week's WiiWare offering is Snail Mail. It's $6/600 points, and has the misfortune of being put next to another entry in a somewhat significant game series.

The Virtual Console has Mega Man 5, the NES classic for $5/500 Wii points. Obviously, this is a good deal.

--AP

This week's batch on the DSi Ware Shop: Gold Fever, Zimo: Mahjong Fanatic, Beach Party Craze, and Hidden Photo. Each is $2-$8 and can be yours... if you have a DSi.

Also up for the Nintendo 3DS: Donkey Kong from the GameBoy/Super GameBoy for $3.99, which is odd, as it's an actual dollar amount. The game (also referred to as Donkey Kong '94) was the launch title for the Super GameBoy in 1994 and is a fantastic title well worth owning. It's part of the 3DS Virtual Console library.

--AP

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

Be sure to send in your questions for next week's thrilling update-- or a few weeks down the road.

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Super Battle Droid figure from last year, and it's not at all bad as repaints go. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!

So new! I picked up the Hasbro Kre-O 31143 Transformers Basic Optimus Prime last week and initially loved it... until I realized what a pain taking apart the wheels to "transform" him can be. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Apparently BotCon was kinda meh because they were hanging on to stuff for Japan. TFW2005 has tons of coverage of Tokyo Toy Show with G1 Devastator, new DOTM, and other stuff. It's exciting. Except for the news that the deluxe Dark of the Moon Skywarp is another Japan exclusive, that's not so exciting.

The big deal from the Tokyo Toy Show was the new Masterpiece Convoy videos showing off transformation and other doodads. It's neat. Maybe not $300 neat though. Also, Vortex has hit Japan and all signs point to it being exclusive to that market.

Galleries are now up for the black repaints of Darkside Megatron and Darkside Optimus Prime. Both are Decepticons, interestingly.

Also exciting are new Target exclusive Transformers Toys hitting now, specifically a pair of Cyberverse 2-packs and a pair of Voyager repaints. An Allspark.com user Blindmouse posted shots of a variant of the Voyager Starscream-- he may have a clear or opaque canopy. I've seen both side-by-side at the same store, so neither is "rare" as of yet.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Today's figure is Mattel DC Universe Infinite Heroes Green Arrow Action Figure, which is part of a three-pack you probably bought just for Hal Jordan. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

Also, the next season of The Clone Wars is coming to DVD/Blu-Ray on October 18.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Shadow Trooper figure from a German convention that eventually wound up online and then didn't sell so great. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

A few years ago, someone approached Robert Smigel to pen a comedic adaptation of The Green Lantern to star Jack Black and now there's an interview about it at Vanity Fair! Hot damn. Read it. And before you think it's the worst thing ever, it could be a great way to introduce a character to a generation of fans who doesn't know what a Hal Jordan is yet.

--AP

In the USA, Burger King stores have Transformers: Dark of the Moon toys and they're actually quite large-- like, almost Mighty Muggs-large. I picked up one of eight, Optimus Prime, during lunch on Monday and the toy is basically a giant head with a body inside which folds out. The toys all have electronic features, based on lights or sounds. Optimus has a snippet of Peter Cullen (or the best soundalike) saying "Autobots, Roll Out" while others like Shockwave project Decepticon symbols and stuff like that. It's essentially free with the meal.

ClubBK.com has the toys up now and Burger Kings (or Burgers King?) have two at a time. Optimus stands a hair over 5-inches tall, and even at the "throw away the food" price of $3ish it's probably one of the better desk decor toys you could hope to have. (I've got him in front of my work PC while FOTD #1, Pop! Vinyl Funko Force Batman, stands at the Mac.) Actually, this feels a lot like Funko's Pop Vinyl line. So yeah, go get one.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Tusken Raider (Red Clan) figure, a Toys "R" Us exclusive in nifty red robes. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

Also, Hasbro's Latest Q&A Is Here! Check out the latest questions, this time focusing on Bly deco issues and Galactic Heroes' actual, final, deadly death.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Nice! The Takara-Tomy Transformers Animated Ironhide (Bulkhead) Key Chain is an adorable little mini-figure with the slight issue of having metal sticking out of his head. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

The site THR.com confirmed Green Lantern is coming to Cartoon Network. Most exciting of all may be the look of the show-- not only is it a fancy CG series, but the character designs are from Bruce Timm, who had a lot to do with the look and feel of the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series. So toy collectors, say hello to your new habit.

--AP

New to download this week: Alien Zombie Mega Death, $7.99. No new PSOne games this week, so I guess they weren't stockpiling them during the PSN outage.

--AP

New to the PSP this week include minis Brick Breaker, Solitaire, and Labyrinth. These PSP Minis run $3.99.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the R3-A2 figure. It's a 2009 remake of a figure you probably missed in the earlier part of the decade. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

It all started here. The LEGO Bionicle 8534 Tahu Action Figure is one of the very first Bionicle toys, and was my very first purchase in the line. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

A fantastic 2-part The Secret Origin of the TRANSFORMERS feature was posted by Marvel maestro Jim Shooter. Extra-juicy is Part 2, with lots of dirt on Stan Lee, the marketing people Hasbro had working at the time, and Marvel's role in entertainment and toys. Very interesting stuff, including the role of Spider-Man as a source of pride-- or shame-- depending on where you worked in Marvel. Do read this.

--AP

Xbox 360 owners, it's time to look into Trenched, a $15/1,200 points 3D shooting thing. Microsoft says:

"Protect humanity from the evil Monovision menace in this Tower Defense Shooter from Tim Schafer�s Double Fine Productions. Join The Mobile Trench Brigade! Use a combination of mobile firepower and stationary defenses to turn the tide of war in our favor. Customize your trench with thousands of possible loadouts. March side by side with allies from around the world as you fight your way through Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. The Mobile Trench Brigade. Walk with us. "

Also new is Lucha Fury, a Mexican wrestling-themed beat-em-up. It's $10/800 points.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

How can you make a fat figure when using the same body for 30 years? LEGO Minifigures Series 3 Sumo Wrestler tries to make a portly sports hero with clever use of paint, and succeeds. Nicely done. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Rystall figure from that brief period where you could actually get new figures from new scenes in the old movies. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Now this is what fan clubs are for. The G.I. Joe Collector's Club unearthed the previously thought to be largely unproduced Mail-In Pursuit of Cobra Cobra Commander Figure on the Rise of Cobra packaging template with the previously unreleased HISS Tank Drone. Basically, this is an item for packaged collectors, rare item fans, or those into unique accessories. The drone was though to be gone, and yet, here it is.

Packaged samples of this version sold for a few hundred bucks, but now? $18.00 (for members) plus shipping. It still may be out of your desired price range if you bought the 2010 carded version of the figure, which is largely similar to this one, but you'd basically be buying it for the accessories and/or packaging. While I won't be buying one, I applaud the club for coming through with a hard-to-find item that appeals squarely to the collector market. Well done!

--AP

I try to limit my "third party" items but Maketoy has new Seaspray and Powerglide-inspired toys that were too beautiful to avoid discussing. The maker "MAKETOY" is also doing an upgrade set for the 2011 Reveal the Shield G2 Laser Optimus Prime toy.

In addition to that, I made a sighting of the newest Dark of the Moon Cyberverse Legion toys at a grocery store. I noticed Flak, Starscream, and an abundant number of the mostly-black repaint of "Stealth" Bumblebee, which ships at three per case. It's going to be overkill. You're going to see pegs and pegs of this guy reminding you that you missed Flak.

Finally, TheAllspark.com has a gorgeous Dark of the Moon Vortex gallery that is just amazing. Do go see it.

--AP

This week's WiiWare offering is The Mystery of Whiterock Castle. It's $5/500 points, and actually looks pretty dang nice. Visually. It's a hidden-object-finding game.

The Virtual Console has nothing, as Nintendo hates you.

--AP

This week's batch on the DSi Ware Shop: Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!? , Stratego: Next Edition, Beach Party Craze, and Delbo. Each is $2-$5 and can be yours... if you have a DSi.

Delbo appears to be heavily inspired by the Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble series. And Stratego looks like Stratego. Just like it, actually.

Also up for the Nintendo 3DS: Tennis from the GameBoy for $2.99. It's a 1989 launch and is not one of the arguably superior Mario Tennis games, so fair warning there.

--AP

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

Be sure to send in your questions for next week's thrilling update-- or a few weeks down the road.

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Hoth Rebel Trooper figure from last year, this one's a bearded mold repaint. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? Probably not!

Often repainted! Well, for BotCon. I picked up the Hasbro Transformers Animated Rodimus Minor Action Figure last year and it's a fine example of why Animated toys are increasingly popular with collectors these days. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

That's pretty much it actually-- if you didn't get the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Steel Marauder or Cobra Deviant, Ross stores are getting them for about $8.99--- cheap! While mechs may not be your ideal Joe purchase, Kickstart is a fun figure and the mechs do require a fair amount of stickering-- and they're fun!

This does not bode well for the unreleased second wave which, at this point, you can probably expect to see as a collector club exclusive or never. I'm banking on never.

--AP

After discussing the My Little Pony male fanbase calling itself "Bronies" last week, it only made sense that NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me would ask Bill Clinton about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in their "Not My Job" segment this week. This is why you need to support public radio.

--AP

Some fans are finding the Botcon Exclusive Optimus Prime Kreon in the large Prime construction set. This is, obviously, a factory error and cannot be determined prior to opening the set to examine it.

Also notable is that the Cyberverse Ark Playset is hitting stores now-- I saw them over the weekend at Toys R Us.

In "third party" news-- and I use the term loosely-- is this new Dinobots Combiner toy which seems to be partially inspired by "The Beast," a one-off of G1 Grimlock and company combining in a very forgettable overseas-exclusive comic book. Except these don't look like G1 colors, really. So who knows. Maybe it's just an original thing, which would be nice, not infringing on Hasbro's IP and all.

Transformers Dark of the Moon Deluxes are $9.99 and Voyagers are $17.99 at a shruggable Target sale this week.

Finally, Reveal the Shield Trailcutter and Prowl Legends are in stock as singles at my day job/sponsor, Entertainment Earth, for $5.99 a whack.

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Today's figure is McFarlane Toys Yellow Submarine Jeremy, which is some sort of plucked chicken with clown make-up. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Anakin Skywalker figure from a Naboo Star Skiff last year, which is getting repackaged this year, because it's awesome. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Despite rumors that said it should've been out by now, TheDigitalBits.com has details on an October 2011 release of Jurassic Parks I-III on Blu-Ray this October and it seems there will indeed be a premium edition (pictured). The bonus item is a statue with the T-Rex, which should be a nice bonus for those who didn't get all dino-toy-ed out from the last Hasbro releases. You should go to their site, but since deep linking can be difficult, here's what they wrote-- and what you should read over there:

Due October 25, price unknown.

--AP

Toys R Us actually sent us a product announcement, which is why you get to read Toys R Us Goes Tropical With Exclusive Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation Toys today. The short version: Mattel made Barbie & Ken, Thinkway Toys made Buzz, Woody, and Jessie, and that's all you're gonna get. Click for pics and the full press release.

--AP

To no one's great surprise, TheAllspark.com has word that the Transformers Collector Club Exclusive Side Burn has been delayed. Initially expected before BotCon, the club is now blaming both a manufacturing and a customs delay-- so assuming it has indeed been manufactured, it could be showing up "soon" if it's in customs, but it is not clear that this is the case or if the item is just plain ol' delayed for one reason or another.

Over at Target.com, find a Transformers microsite with coupons. It's touchy-- if you're a Mac user, it's going to insist you use Safari. The highlights are $3 off a Voyager toy, $10 off a Leader toy, and $1 off two boxes of Granola Bars. Since Voyagers are on sale this week for $2 off ($17.99), this coupon brings it down to $14.99, which ain't bad.

IDW will be restructuring its Transformers titles again according to Chris Ryall in a Comic Book Resources News interview. He says: "But it�s basically building to big event called "Chaos," which is the biweekly thing we�re doing through the end of the year, and then out of that is a relaunch of two new "Transformers" titles, and there�s very important reasons in the Transformers universe why these titles are becoming two, how they�re splitting and what�s going to happen from there." How exactly you can relaunch a new title is unclear.

In quasi-licensed maybe-knockoff news, X-Transbots seems to be offering Remakes of Jizai Toys Powerglide and Wheelie, which are different than the ones mentioned previously. These are remakes of kits which were sold under a limited 1-day license at a Japanese hobby show, and it's unknown if they're somehow licensed, or if they're just tweaking the Jizai Toys designs. Notable: the joints seem to be refined and the figures seemed to have been enlarged slightly. They look... well, certainly interesting, but the packaging and pictures make it seem like we're skirting more IP here.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the EVO Trooper (Camo) figure, a Toys R Us exclusive in nifty faux-muddied armor. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

The first! The BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Tifa Lockheart was the first action figure based on the character... and there have been many more, and better, releases since. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

By using a regular Mighty Muggs figure as Giant Man, Hasbro's 2011 Comic-Con Exclusive Avengers Mighty Muggs Set is nothing if not clever. Giant Man bursts through his own packaging, and is joined by the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. It's a nice set, and will be on sale in July next month.

--AP

If you've been looking like us, you'll be glad to know the Toys R Us Exclusive Mer-Man & Aquaman and Hawkman & Stratos 2-packs are out now, potentially at a Toys R Us near you. Maybe.

--AP

Ad: They're available now! While some stores haven't received anything past the first wave, Entertainment Earth has Thor Movie Basic Action Figures Wave 2 and 3 from Hasbro, in stock while supplies last!

Thor Movie Basic Action Figures Wave 2	Thor Movie Basic Action Figures Wave 3

Also, feel free to pre-order Star Wars figures, props, and collectibles. Sites like this one get a kickback from the sales, so if you were going to order them anyway, please order them from this link-- it helps!

New to download this week: Streets Of Rage 2, Puzzle Dimension, Gatling Gears, and Beyond Good And Evil HD. No new PSOne games this week, but there is a Duke Nukem Forever demo to be had.

--AP

New to the PSP this week include minis Tetraminos, and as it turns out, that's it. It's $3.99.

--AP

Figure of the Day has updated once again! 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 Vintage Collection, it's almost like a history lesson!

Today we look at the Paploo figure from 2009. It's a 2009 upgrade of the 1984 and ca. 2001 action figure. Go to Figure of the Day for the next update, with the latest installment in our ongoing series!

--AP

Something new every day-- unless it's old! Our exciting non-Star Wars Figure of the Day continues for you lucky people! Is there anything we won't cover in this column? So far, only Star Wars!

Sometimes it takes me a while to get to stuff. The Playmobil Top Agents Secret Agent Action Figure is a freebie from Toy Fair 2011, and will be in stores now-ish in the USA. So read on, read our Star Wars one too, and come back soon for more!

--AP

The fantastic Art Asylum blog added shots of Ghostbusters Marshmallow Man and Statue of Liberty statues which should be out later. They say:

"Luckily we at DST have shrunk the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man down to a much more manageable size - 7 inches! Not only that, our mini-statue version lights up, to add a pleasing glow to your collection at night. Isn't that much nicer than stepping on churches? Check out out new in-package pictures below, plus a pic of the upcoming Statue of Liberty light-up statue! Look for Mr. Stay-Puft in July and Miss Liberty in October!" Sounds good to me!

--AP

The perpetually delightful NCS has shots of the Afro Cookie which they do not seem to be importing. The picture pretty much is the extent of the news. Funny, though.

--AP

Ad: They're available now! While some stores haven't received anything past the first wave, Entertainment Earth has Star Wars Stop the Zillo Beast Action Figure Battle Pack and the Capture the Droids Action Figure Battle Pack from Hasbro, now available for pre-order! Also available are the Star Wars Wisecracks Figures from Funko, a new line of amusing, stylized gifty figures.

Star Wars Stop the Zillo Beast Action Figure Battle Pack	Star Wars Wacky Wisecracks Yoda Man Figure	Star Wars Wacky Wisecracks Darth Vader I Love You Sith Much Figure	DC Universe Classics Wave 18 Action Figure Set

Also, feel free to pre-order Star Wars stuff. Because why not?

Add Ross back to your toy runs, because Ross stores are getting G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra AWE Strikers, Ice Cutters, Ghost Hawks, and Doom Cycles for about $8.99. It's cheaper than the $15-$17 asking price at the big box stores, so if you've been holding off now might be a great time to pick these up.

Unofficial and somewhat interesting, something called Coil Con is having a meetup/swapmeet in Indana. What's particularly interesting is a low-run "custom" exclusive called the Sidewinder. I usually don't post about regional events and DIY exclusives, but if you see the picture, these guys have interesting hats. The event takes place July 23.

--AP

Xbox 360 owners, it's time to look into Galaga Legions DX, a $10/800 points shooter, presumably very similar to the previous Galaga Legions and hopefully slightly better. Microsoft says:

"GALAGA LEGIONS returns with greater features! Three years after the release of the sensational remake; GALAGA LEGIONS. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of GALAGA, a sequel to a classic title! Like the previous sequel, the world renowned Pac-man CEDX development team has worked on the title! With more intuitive and smoother controls, experience the great gameplay of famous battles with immense swarms! Compete with your friends for high scores! Once you start playing, you won't be able to stop! Why don't you give it a try?"

Also new is Half-Minute Hero, which boasts 62 30-second RPGs in it. Sounds ridiculous or awesome. It's $10/800 points. It's joined by BackBreaker Vengeance, which is football, and football is boring. It's $15/1,200 points.

--AP