Mike T. stopped by to share the latest entry in his Forgotten Figures series – This time around, he introduces us to the Clear Shadow Ninjas Prototypes. From Mike –
A great many collectors hate the Shadow Ninjas. Actually, that’s probably not overly accurate. It’s more correct to state that most collectors are indifferent to the existence of the Shadow Ninjas. They may own a couple that were acquired in lots of better figures. But, few people actually collect them and fewer still consider them an integral part of the Joe line.
It appears, though, that the Shadow Ninja concept morphed a bit in the design process. Instead of the color changing plastic that was released at retail, Hasbro originally considered clear figures for the series. A few samples of these clear version made it out into the world and you can see examples of Snake Eyes, Stormshadow and Night Creeper below.
While the idea of clear figures would have been novel at the time, the design would have run its course quickly. Maybe if one of the figures in the set had been “invisible”, it would have been a cool gimmick. But, a whole series of them quickly showed the fad’s limitations. You can see the inner workings of the figures. And, since these molds all had spring loaded features, there’s a lot of guts to see.
There’s no real info as to why this concept was abandoned for the color changing plastic. We can speculate that the color changing gimmick was better received than the clear plastic. But, we don’t know for sure. These figures are an interesting look into what might have been, though.
What are your thoughts on these clear Shadow Ninjas? Would you have preferred this gimmick, or was the color changing option the better route to take? Sound off after the break!
Mike T says
This week I look at the 1985 Parachute Pack Mailaway:
Forgotten Figures: 1985 Parachute Pack - Mail Away
A neat little toy, though it has some limitations.
Mike T says
This week's profile is the 1993 Bazooka figure:
Forgotten Figures: 1993 Bazooka
Enjoy!
Mike T says
This week's profile is of the 1994 Shadow Ninja Snake Eyes figure:
Forgotten Figures: 1994 Shadow Ninja Snake Eyes
The different construction lessens the figure, but the design is kind of fun and would be a great Snake Eyes if it was standard design.
Mike T says
I'm back for the new year with a profile of the 1983 Hiss Driver:
Forgotten Figures: 1983 Hiss Driver
Enjoy!
Mike T says
This week showcases the 1984 Battle Gear pack: a great idea often poorly executed.
Forgotten Figures: 1984 Battle Gear Pack #2
Mike T says
This week's profile is the 2005 Cobra Imperial Guard:
Forgotten Figures: 2005 Cobra Imperial Guard
Good idea, bad execution.
Mike T says
This week's profile is of the Street Fighter Movie Edition Dhalsim figure:
Forgotten Figures: Dhalsim - Street Fighter Movie Edition
Odd construction, but a solid look for a villain that's somewhat useful to have.
Mike T says
This week is the Plastirama Airborne from Argentina named Condor:
Forgotten Figures: Condor - Argentine Exclusive Airborne
I love the Airborne mold. But, the low quality of this figure was kind of a bummer.
Mike T says
This week's profile is the 1988 Toxo Viper
Forgotten Figures: 1988 Toxo Viper
He's a chilling concept, if a bizarre in execution.
Steevy Maximus says
Glad to see you're still doing these profiles, Mike
Keep reading: Mike T's Forgotten Figures Reviews - Updated Weekly! - Page 2
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