Review: Stargate

Before Universe, before Atlantis, even before SG1, there was the 1994 Emmerich-Devlin film. It wasn't great. Independence Day, this film was not. But hey, it had a cool theme by David Arnold!

To tie in with the film Hasbro released a line of toys. Hoping, no doubt, for a repeat of the success of the Star Wars line, was this toyline as good as that? Or more like every other film toyline; barely breaking even and quickly forgotten?

Review: Eaglemoss Star Trek Starships collection #3

Welcome to my third and likely final review of the Eaglemoss Trek range. Why last? Well, with this issue the price jumps to £9.99 which, at a fortnightly release, puts it out of my price range...or at least out of my price range when you take into consideration the Masters of the Universe sub, Transformers Masterpieces, etc. Oh, and utility bills. Apparently they have to be paid too. And food. Yes, seems the children like to be fed occasionally and the 'free school meals' don't kick in until next September.

The giant piece of cardboard is gone with this issue, leaving the magazine and model packaged one in front of the other in a plastic bag. This means you look slightly less ridiculous leaving a shop after having purchased it.

Review: Masterpiece Soundwave

In the UK we had to wait a million billion years for MP-10 aka Optimus Prime to make his way across the Atlantic. Many - me among them - had completely given up ever seeing him, but earlier this year, a little after Christmas (that was well timed) he finally arrived on the shelves of Toys R Us.

Due to this, when it was announced that MP-02 aka Soundwave (yeah, the numbering is completely messed up) was going to be released in the UK, everyone expected this to be in 2025. But no! He actually arrived in Toys R Us only a couple of weeks ago - barely a few months behind the US. It was a miracle indeed.

Review: Eaglemoss Star Trek Starships collection #2

Two weeks have passed and thus it's time for the second issue of the Starships Collection to be released, accompanied by a price jump to £6 (next issue it's up to its full and regular price of £10. Eep!). Since it's an Enterpise issue I've walked to the newsagent and bought it.

Sadly, after the great start with the last issue, I'm half wondering if it was worth the walk for this one.

Review: FT-03 Quake Wave

There are a load of 3rd Party 'fan' companies producing transforming robots inspired by the Hasbro originals. Some good, some bad, all improving with each subsequent release. It's wise to be wary when a brand new company produces something. There's bound to be flaws - plastic quality, breakages, poor paint... the list is endless.

Rules, exceptions and all that. Despite being labelled as #3 (the first couple of things they designed/announced have never gone into production), Quake Wave is the first release from new company Fan Toys.

And it's perfect.

Buy it now.

What, you want more? Fine...

Review: Tonka Town Fire Station

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was a young lad hanging about after my primary school's jumble sale, waiting for my mum to finish tidying up. I was pushing back and to on the table a battered, old, unsold and rather large Tonka truck. One of the helper mothers asked if I wanted it. A little later I was walking home, truck under my arm.

This was in the 80s (although the truck may have originated from before then), when Tonka produced big construction vehicles, usually involving a large amount of metal. Send my (newly repainted) truck rolling down the sloping driveway and pity anything that got in its way. It was a monster. An indestructable monster that survives to this day. Although Tonka produced a number of other toys in its time, including dolls, this is how I - and many others - remember Tonka: producing big, chunky, strong and tough trucks.

In 1991 Tonka was bought by Hasbro and now HTI have licensed the brand to produce a new range of vehicles, figures and playsets called Tonka Town. They're not made of metal (what is these days?) but they retain their strong, tough roots and have expanded from construction to also include police and fire. To accompany the new line there's a website (www.tonkatown.com) and a Tonka Town magazine launching in mid-October - the first issue of which comes with a Tonka Town figure.

The fire station is the largest set in the range, costing just under £40. It's a 3-level playset, with garage, command centre and training tower. It's big and colourful and, having given it a reasonably good kicking for testing purposes, it seems to hold up to the strong & tough nature you'd expect from something branded 'Tonka'.

Review: Eaglemoss Collections Star Trek Starships collection #1

This is not a toy. It probably says that somewhere on the model Enterprise that comes with issue 1 of the new Star Trek ship collection from Eaglemoss Collections. But, hey! I'm going to review it anyway (and attempt to keep technobabble to a minimum so everyone understands which part of the ship I'm talking about when describing it).

I first heard about this last year at Star Trek Destination London, though it was likely being advertised before that. Finally the first issue (of 70 planned + specials) has been released for the bargainous £2.99.

Upon handing over your shiny gold coins at the newsagent you'll be given a rather large (these things always are) piece of cardboard. On one side is a magazine, on the other a 'die-cast' model of the Enterprise-D, as seen for seven years flying through space in Star Trek: The Next Generation.