Best Toy Deals: July 2007

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Wii all love to play

This, as much as anything else, is for my information. Though I don't own a Wii and haven't purchased a new console in years — I don't even play video games unless it's with my nephew — the popularity of Nintendo's breakout console amazes me.

Imagine that. Using laser technology as a motion detector of sorts. I knew, you knew, we all knew the day would come. And now, with new games on the forefront — tons of gaming companies underestimated the Wii and only now are developing games for the console — the Wii is here to stay.

A quick look at the Toys n' Joys site shows myriad gadgets and accessories to go with the Wii. I can see how it's very Apple-esque and appealingly ubercool. Santa, can I have a Wii this Christmas?

Interestingly enough, though the Wii is sold out all over the U.S. — a Nintendo store in New York claims to sell out early in the morning every day — my nephew informs me that it's easy to find in Honolulu. Better for me. Or Santa.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Hunt for Kamenrider leads to Toys N' Joys

In my search for all things Kamenrider, it was a pleasant surprise to find Toys N' Joys among the very first links.

Toys N' Joys is a Honolulu-based store that is a real, down-to-earth success story. One of the staples of the store, which recently expanded its original Kaimuki location, is Japanese toys and anime. So many cool things in that store, I find myself wandering around for up to an hour even if I go there for just one item. Or none.

But back to Kamenrider. TNJ has 20 pages of items on its site, from other members of the "Rider" family to Shocker Zukkoke (bad guys) action figures. In all there are dozens of Kamenrider and Kamenrider-related items.

One of the gem is a Kamenrider Cyclone (motorcycle) 1/6 scale die cast. The bike was one of the coolest elements of the show (on KIKU TV) when I was a big fan back in the 1970s. It retails for $299.

Fortunately, the other items are quite a bit more affordable and amazingly varied. It's basically a museum of Rider art, and available for purchase. Though Kikaida will always be entrenched in my memory as the first Japanese action hero, the Kamenrider franchise is easily the most complex and compelling on a broad scale even though in Hawaii, we were exposed primarily to V3.

So go to the Toys N' Joys site and check it out. Here are a few samples.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Kikaida, Hakaida

I suppose I'll never forget that Halloween night in the mid-1980s, when I lost my beloved Kikaida action figure (another way to avoid using the word doll). Just goes to show that college life and common sense don't necessarily go hand in hand. I lost my Kikaida action figure on one of our "walking tours" of Waikiki that night. Thousands of people just roaming the streets in all kinds of Halloween outfits. I was the guy with Kikaida hanging around his neck. What a dumb idea.

Anyway, I've read that Max Toy Co. is making a Kikaida action figure.

Kikaida

Max Toy Co. (Japan) $39.99

Then there are the Biliken robot toys made in the 1990s. Wind them up and they swing their arms. A bit poofy looking, but the intense Kikaida memorabilia fan will need these.

Kikaida

Biliken $390

Hakaida

Biliken $325

Then there are the more modern interpretations of Kikaida. Some fans like it. Some fans hate it. Here's a rarity: Side Machine & Kikaider. These photos are from Kevin Comer's site, Plamo-Warrior DX: Super Imaginative Chogokin. This is not for sale, at least not at the Plamo-Warrior DX site. Strictly a collectible.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Doh! The Simpsons movie spurs toy sales

When I began working in Kona right out of college back in 1990, the solitude of a small newspaper in a rural place finally gripped me.

It was especially gripping because I worked nights as a sports editor, working with just one other staffer on the editorial side. He was my boss, essentially, and he made sure that the TV was always tuned in to CNN Headline News. Occasionally, he'd flip stations for Monday Night Football or some other somewhat news-related story.

By no coincidence, 1990 was the year when my habit of watching The Simpsons came to an end. I wasn't in the habit of recording the show at home, and no matter how much I begged, my boss never went for it. Little did either of us know that the TV show would still be running strong 17 years later.

That's a run that compares favorably with any series in TV history. And with the release of The Simpsons movie on Friday, this is a good time to start checking on the brand's toys, both movie- and TV-related.

The Simpsons Movie Action Figure Set, Amazon.com

$95.99

The Simpsons Movie Homer Movie Mayhem Figure, Amazon.com

$15.99

The Simpsons Movie Mayhem Lisa and Maggie, Amazon.com

$16.99

The Simpsons Movie Marge Movie Mayhem Figure, Amazon.com

$19.99

The Simpsons Movie Bart Movie Mayhem Figure, Amazon.com

$14.99

The Simpsons Movie Homer and Plopper "Who's a Good Piggy", Amazon.com

$15.99

Simpsons Nuclear Power Plant, bendable set, Amazon.com

$18.89

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hail Raideen!

The original badass robot was Raideen, which I saw through a weekly cartoon show locally in Honolulu (KIKU) in the 1970s. All the other descendants like Transformers can discover their lineage and Raideen is right there at the heart of their roots.

The name was Americanized to Raydeen in the 1980s with a comic book to boot. Matt Mason's site is a wonderful trip to the gloried past of the great Raideen. The photos (below) speak for themselves.

The '70s were a stupendous time to be a kid who loved cartoon and comic-book action heroes. There was Raideen, operated by a boy would would "fade in" with a chant and an Olympian-level leap to the entrance of Raideen (his face). There was Kikaida and Kikaida 01, Kamenrider, Denjin Zaboga, Inazuman and many more, including comedic, sometimes pathetic Robocon.