Review: Star Wars Micro Machines (2015 versions)

Force Friday, eh? That was...well, I suppose it was a nice idea having all the new toys be revealed and on toy shop shelves at exactly the same time. It was a nice piece of marketing for Hasbro, getting it international press coverage, but really, when you think about it, Star Wars merchandising sales were always going to be HUGE - they always are!

So despite Hasbro's mandate that no toys were to be revealed before 4th September, this being the 21st Century, images of absolutely everything had turned up online beforehand. Which is a good thing, isn't it? What's the point of turning up to a midnight opening only to discover that you don't really want any of the toys on offer.

No, instead everyone turned up wanting Star Wars Black figures only for them to be as scarce as...something really really scarce. Gold dust. Yeah, that one gets used a lot in simile situations such as these. Or maybe something more Star Wars Universe appropriate...

I, however, was more interested in the return of one of my favourite toylines from the past: Micro Machines, and it was this that I spent my pennies on on Force Friday. I've talked about why Micro Machines are the perfect scale for Star Wars toys in the past and I've always been puzzled as to why they disappeared from shop shelves after the Phantom Menace.

Review: Spartacus A Game of Blood & Treachery

Game of Thrones seems to get all the attention, but there was another definitely-rated-18 TV series a few years ago that was equally as good and tuned the adult themes up to 11 - Spartacus: The Stuff They Never Taught In School!

It was a troubled production, with lead actor Andy Whitfield sadly being diagnosed with cancer, delaying the second season in favour of a flashback mini-series while he underwent treatment. Production on the second season recommenced when Whitfield was declared cancer-free, but the cancer returned and he died on September 11, 2011, with Liam McIntyre stepping into the role.

The series ended in 2013, but for those wanting to immerse themselves in the world of Spartacus, beyond rewatching the episodes, there's a table top game.