A Pokemon Celebration

With the upcoming release of Pokemon X and Y, I feel nostalgic. I've been playing Pokemon since its heyday in the late 90s, and I have a collection of Pokemon toys that shows it. So, as a celebration of Pokemon's continued flourishing, I've put together some photos (and a few Poke-memories to go with them!).            

Now what child of the 90s doesn't remember "Pokemon Battle Figures" (or the wallet-friendly slogan on the back of the blister cards: "Become a Pokemon Master - Collect each set!")? Sure, they lack poseability, but I always preferred these vinyl beauties to the more "action-figure" type toys that would come from Generation 3 onwards. I must have played with my collection of Battle Figures every day as a kid... I'm surprised they're still in such good shape! I've added some Ebay-found figures into my collection in the years since. Yes, I'm still trying to collect each set so I can "Become a Pokemon Master!". =D

Now here's a familiar scene... (Too bad I didn't have a Nidorino figure. :P)

Choose!

Wild Pokemon lurk in tall grass! You need your own Pokemon for protection!

I still hear Pokemon Snap music when I look at this photo...

For that matter, what person who was even around in the 90s doesn't remember the huge Burger King promotion that accompanied the U.S. release of "Pokemon: The First Movie"? Or at least the bizarre Poke Ball recall that followed (I never handed mine over; as I remember it,  my parents found the entire recall beyond ridiculous, and stated that drinking cups posed about the same suffocation hazard as the Poke Balls... which is entirely true). My local Burger King was constantly running out of toys due to demand. By the end of it they were handing out display posters and sheets of cards in lieu of them. My dad even marched back into the restaurant and demanded a toy after they decided an advertisement flyer was a good substitute (they conveniently "found" a few in back to appease him). I still have my entire Burger King collection, plus some that I've bought more recently.

Poke Balls came in two different sizes. The slightly larger ones were made to accommodate taller toys like Charmander and Gengar. Mewtwo came instead with the tank he is seen in at the beginning of the "Mewtwo Strikes Back" film.

Towering over the other BK toys at nearly twice most of their heights, Mewto is the obvious centerpiece of the collection.

And that tank is just epic!

 On the topic of Burger King, remember the gold-plated Pokemon cards everyone bought back in the day, anticipating future value (yeah, those ones selling on E-bay for $2.99 + S&H)? A poor investment they may have been, but I still love mine. They're so shiny. =D And I mean, come on... they came with a certificate of authenticity. That means they HAVE to be rare and valuable, right!? XD

Pokemon plush toys were also a popular item; still are! I had enough assorted plushies as a child to fill a room (alright... I still do), so I bought up Pokemon's stuffed releases like a kid in a candy store. Here's some plush from various Pokemon generations.

This Shadow Lugia Poke Doll was free when you pre-ordered Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness at pokemoncenter.com. I miss that store. :(

This little Lickitung has a zipper that allows him to be turned inside out and transformed into a Poke Ball.

Who remembers Pokemon marbles? They came in either translucent glass or metallic finish, and each featured a tiny picture of a Pokemon. They also came with little collector's bags to store the marbles in; these were quite pretty and also featured Pokemon images.

These are just a sampling of my collection; I have a whole drawer-full. XD

The little satchels feature art that seems  to be from the anime; note the scarf on the Butterfree from the episode "Bye-bye, Butterfree!". 

And last but definitely not least, a collection of some of my favorite strange and obscure Pokemon merchandise! These items show just how much licensing was done in the late 90s and early 2000s. The text beneath the photo has a bit of info on each item.

Corresponding to the numbers in the photo, here's the scoop on each item/s:

1: Yes, Pokemon lip balm.

2: Pokemon gluestick, too!

3: This is a Mew "Pokemon Power Bouncer". Basically, they're little rubber bouncy balls with Pokemon figurines inside. To the frustration of children everywhere, the figure could not be removed from the ball.

4: What's weird about this one, you ask? Why, it just looks like a normal Arbok figure. But it isn't. This Arbok toy, along with a selection of other Pokemon figures, came as cereal box prizes. Your instructions for using the toy were to slide Arbok's tail (which as you can see, creates a hook shape) over the edge of your cereal bowl while you were having your breakfast. ...Because getting milk and cereal all over a toy that gets in the way of your eating is just so much fun.

5: A Latios keychain flashlight.

6: These little cardboard cut-outs came from the backs of boxes of Pokemon Macaroni & Cheese. As a child, I ate vast quantities of said food to collect them all. XD

7: Pokemon spinning top party favors.

8: A Chansey keychain (I removed the chain when I was little) that flashes a blinking red light when turned on. Turning it on (or off) is an unintentional test of skill; you have to rotate a flattened, disc-like mechanism on the bottom of the figure. As much as I liked these keychains, I've never figured out why a Chansey lights up...

9: Not exactly obscure, but remember the Pokemon Mini? It didn't do well, apparently, and was discontinued quickly. I always enjoyed it, though. :)

That's all for now, thanks for reading! ^_^

Smell ya later!

Any Poke-memories you'd like to share? Post it in the comments! ^_^

Coming soon: an in-depth look at the different types of Poke Ball toys that have been manufactured through the years...

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The Zelfs Debut: Medium Dolls and Venus Flytrap Spin Salon Review

The Zelfs are a new small doll line featuring Troll-esque, super-styleable hair, vibrant color schemes, and adorable "follow-me" eyes.

Their story is focused around a magical garden called Zardenia, which appears only at twilight. Each Zelf has their own personality and powers (described in their individual leaflets). The art of "Zardenia" featured on the packaging and inserts is lovely and just a touch gothic. If you have plans to display these in their packages, you're in luck; they're gorgeous. Even the blister bubbles are shaped like leaves. :)

Refreshingly, the series does not dwell exclusively on a given theme (such as monsters, fairies, vampires, etc.), instead featuring a wild and almost eclectic range of characters. There's a werewolf Zelf, a forest elf Zelf, a pegasus Zelf, and, yes, a vampire Zelf. But there's VARIETY, which sets this line apart.

Here's the medium Zelfs I purchased (all 12 of the normal release; no Miss Clover):

And here's the Venus Flytrap Salon (the packaging can be preserved in deboxing, and makes a lovely display for the set!):

Beauty Shop of Horrors

The Zelfs

These are super-easy to unpackage; just tear the plastic off the blister card and cut two small elastic bands. Each Zelf comes with a colorful, leaf-shaped comb, a unique charm, a leaflet, and three rubber bands (for styling that epic hair!).

The leaflets feature some basic info on their respective Zelfs (Zelves?), as well as a checklist of other Zelf products.

The Zelfs aren't particularly poseable, but what do you expect from 3" of rubber? ;) Their arms and legs can rotate and their heads can turn, giving them the ability to sit down, hug, raise their arms "surprise!" style, etc..

The images in their leaflets show a different hairstyle for each character, but they all come with the same standard Troll 'do. I had a lot of fun playing around with their hair and trying to replicate the styles shown in the art. :) The hair pretty much holds whatever shape you put it in.

The paint apps match their themes, giving each Zelf a greater individuality (Flamy has scales, Elfa features painted on plant designs, etc.).  Molds have variations such as ears, fins, and various types of wings. The characters generally look pretty distinct, even those that share molds.

The aforementioned follow-me eyes are a cute feature:

I'm not exactly sure what you're supposed to do with the charms, to be honest. The leaflets and packages bear no elaboration on the subject, either. The Zelfs /can/ wear them as necklaces, but they hang past their feet. Still, if this is their intended purpose, they would HAVE to have that long of a string in order to fit over the Zelfs' large heads.

Bottom line: These are extremely cute toys that look even nicer in person than in photos. The quality is excellent, and the price is right at just 7.99 USD. :)

As for the Venus Flytrap Spin Salon!...

The Venus Flytrap Playset is elaborate, adorable, and looks lovely on display with the Zelfs. However, the hair-styling aspect is hardly worth mentioning. So far, none of my experimentation has been able to replicate the gorgeous, spiraling hairstyles shown on the box. In fact, I haven't been able to get the spin feature to make much change in my Zelfs' hair whatsoever. Nonetheless, it is not a purchase I regret in the least. The playset is very cute and comes with lots of nice accessories. :) It also exclusively comes with my favorite Zelf out of the entire series, Tressa.

Plus, my Zelfs now have everything they need to put on a theatrical production of "Little Shop of Horrors".

"Let her go!!!"

I truly love this playset. XD It's cuteness can't be denied, and it makes a great Zelf home (or "fabitat", as they're called). You can also close it with a Zelf still sitting in the styling stool, making it look like the Zelf's hair is some sort of strange plant sharing the flowerpot with Audrey II the Venus Flytrap.

The little rooms created by the two sides of the open flowerpot are pretty fun, featuring a little set of drawers on one side (great for storing the tiny, vacuumable hairclips that come with the set) and a rack for hanging the (also vacuumable) hair extensions on the other.

As for Tressa, she is, as I said before, my favorite Zelf. :) Her colors are rich and complimentary, and her little flytrap markings are adorable (as are her little pointy teeth!). Her art shows her eyes as blue, but they're actually a brilliant amber color (which I think looks much nicer).

Finally, here are the accessories. You get a  leaf-shaped brush, a crown, a small hairclip, two Zelf-sized "hair extensions", and Tressa's charm (all flytrap themed). Tressa's leaflet is also included. Isn't the hairclip cute? ^3^

Bottom line: This set is cute and original, but don't buy it for the gimmicky "spin-'n'-style" feature--it's a bit of a disappointment. Regardless, the playset more than redeems itself with aesthetic value, fun accessories, and one of the nicest looking Zelfs in the line.

"'Feed me Seymoouur... Feed me alll night looonng..."

Note: Salon Playset does not include watering can and miniature flowerpot; those are merely props my Zelfs used in their stage production. ;)

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Equestria Girls Are Here! Full Initial Release Photo Review!

First off, the brushes: I LOVE them! Yes, it is a bit strange to be so ecstatic over brushes, but... they remind me of the cute, colorful brushes that came with 80s toys like Sweetie Pups, Fashion Star Fillies, and of course G1 MLP. :)

The dolls also come packaged with "ID Cards", stickers, and a small pamphlet listing other Equestria Girls products:

The first thing you may glean from the photo below is that these dolls actually stand on their own. Their boots are heavy and large enough to keep them up on a flat surface. Don't get too excited, though. They don't stand particularly solidly, and I think bumping into this table would have easily dominoed them all. They also have to be posed just so or they'll fall (in the photo below, they're all tilted a little forwards). I'll probably still buy some doll stands when I get a chance. :/

The initial release contained six single-packed dolls and one two-pack.

Deluxe dolls (which have jointed elbows and knees, larger detachable wings than the basic dolls (for pegusi/alicorns), and come with lots of accessories) are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Each doll comes with wings, a hair clip-in, a pair of earrings, a bag, an extra dress and an extra pair of boots.

Basic dolls (which have no elbow or knee articulation and feature partially painted-on clothing) are Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack. Basic dolls come with one accessory each (Twilight: wings, Pinkie: headband, Rarity: sunglasses, Applejack: hat).

The two-pack dolls (Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer) seem to fall somewhere between deluxe and basic. They have all fabric clothing and lots of accessories (two pairs of earrings, a handbag, a waistbag on a belt, and a crown), but they both lack knee articulation and only Sunset Shimmer has elbow joints. This two-pack is the only doll or set to come with Twilight's Element of Harmony crown (which is, of course, the catalyst of the Equestria Girls film).

Interestingly, none of these dolls have clothing that is strictly accurate to the Equestria Girls film. The closest would be Sunset Shimmer, but even she has major differences with her animated counterpart (boots in particular). Some of the other fashions are obviously inspired by the movie, but fall far short of "screen-accurate".

This may or may not be an issue for you. I myself am not too troubled with it. Oddly, the artworks on their individual boxes show their movie outfits--not what the given doll is actually wearing.

The hair has a nice fiber quality. I can't be certain, but it feels like the same hair used on the normal G4 MLP toys. Styling is generally pretty nice, as well. The problem is that it can be a little unruly. Rainbow Dash's bangs, in particular, wouldn't stop falling in her face when I was trying to get these photos. Strands tend to hang in front of Rarity's face as well, and it can be difficult to get the hair to remain where you comb it.

Another point of interest would be their feet... or lack thereof. Equestria Girls utilize a feature similar to Bratz dolls for changing their shoes: peg-feet. Admittedly, it would be a pain to cram plastic doll feet in and out of tall boots (which seem to be the only footwear available at Canterlot High), so I can't really complain. Shoe changes are pretty smooth, and I'm sure this makes things a lot easier for kids. Also, they get to have awesome looking knee-boots without the giant slits in back that most other fashion dolls necessitate. ;)

Arr...

Head sculpts are nice, though there doesn't seem to be a lot of variety. This is pretty common in fashion doll lines with a large cast of characters. The wildly varying skin tones, cutie marks, and eye colors/shapes go a long way towards giving them individuality. One cool detail is that each doll has little designs in her eyes modeled after her cutie mark. :)

And that's the waaay they became the Pony Bunch...

As for their body sculpts and jointing, both are good but not exceptional. As always is with fashion dolls, these are pretty skinny, but isn't that a given? Arms are a softer plastic, giving some flexibility to the fingers (so as to avoid breakage). And of course, arms and legs on all dolls can be rotated in their sockets.

The wings DO fall out. A lot. Hasbro should have employed a better mechanism for keeping them in, as this would be a huge frustration to a child. If you're a collector, it's not a big issue. They'll stay in place if the doll is still, but so much as picking them up often causes the wings to slip out of their socket.

Here's an interesting bit, though: ALL of the dolls have a slot in their back to insert wings--whether or not the character actually has wings. So you can let Rarity borrow Fluttershy's butterfly wings for a "Sonic Rainboom" look, or turn Pinkie Pie into a pegasus like her G1 counterpart, Surprise. 

Overall: I'm very satisfied with these dolls. They're cute, colorful, and have fun little accessories. They're also pretty distinct from most of what's on the fashion doll market ATM (while Equestria Girls are obviously an attempt to compete with Mattel's popular Monster High brand, I can't think of these as "copycats". The only real similarities are unusual skin colors and the fact that they're dolls). Their hair can be a little hard to keep in order, and their wings fall out unrelentingly, but these are minor annoyances, especially if you're a collector who intends to put them on display and be done with it.

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