[CaptainTriumph]

I like the set but I would have perferred four (or five) episodes from the second half of season two since Rhino never released them in a collection.

[canprime]

I can't honestly say for sure, but if you take a look at the CLAW from 84 and compare it to the one from the DVD set , they look like 2 different molds.

There are just so many small differences, that I don't think Hasbro modified the original mold, but rather went with a completely new one that is pretty close to the original.

[mako]

I don't know. For a "Best Of..." compilation, most of these episodes seem awfully weak. Seriously, "The Viper is Coming?!?"

[Magic 8 Ball]

canprime, on Sep 13 2008, 07:52 AM, said:

I can't honestly say for sure, but if you take a look at the CLAW from 84 and compare it to the one from the DVD set , they look like 2 different molds.

There are just so many small differences, that I don't think Hasbro modified the original mold, but rather went with a completely new one that is pretty close to the original.

On one hand, I haven't personally handled a CLAW in years, so I recognize that I'm not the authority anyone who own it is- that covers many people here, I'd wager.

But to me, it doesn't look anything like the old mold to me. You can clearly see ribbing on it, especially around the edges, which intones that it's one piece, while the old CLAW has a top and bottom piece to hold in various bits like the handlebars/front gear, wingtips, etc. The thrusters appear to be part of the main body (same color), probably meaning it's the same piece as the main body. The flaps and wingtips do not seem to be movable, again suggesting a single piece. There are also two extra missile attachments than the original. The detailing (especially on the fuselage) just doesn't seem to be there. If it is indeed the same mold, it's been so heavily remolded that it may as well be something new.

Compare the picture below to those given in the article, and you can clearly see what I mean.



(image from yojoe.com)

[BrotherShane]

Magic 8 Ball, on Sep 12 2008, 09:43 PM, said:

RecklessEndangerment, on Sep 12 2008, 09:15 PM, said:

Anybody care to give a brief synopsis of what each of these episodes were about? I don't remember any of these just by the titles.

From Wikipedia.com, and heavily edited because the person who wrote these was pretty bad at it...

"Skeletons in the Closet" Lady Jaye receives a letter that she has inherited a Scottish castle. Unknown to her, it is Castle Destro, and she stumbles on Destro's family reunion, which involves sacrifice to a supernatural creature that lies slumbering beneath the castle.

"The Viper is Coming" Barbecue gets phone calls from a man who calls himself "The Viper" who seems to be a Cobra agent giving G.I. Joe information. Naturally, the Viper's messages bring G.I. Joe to Cobra areas causing unrest to Destro, Major Bludd and the Crimson Twins.

"My Favorite Things" Serpentor begins collecting artifacts from his former lives to gain power, and Leatherneck is poisoned trying to stop him. Wet-Suit and Lifeline risk their lives trying to recover an antidote from Serpentor's blood.

"The Phantom Brigade" Cobra Commander and the Baroness hire a Gypsy to summon three ghosts; a Roman Centurion, a Mongolian warrior and a WWI American ace, to destroy G.I. Joe. However, Cobra Commander relieves Baroness of her duties after the ghosts deliver on their part. With the Joes' backs against the wall, Baroness tells them to get the Roman coin, wedding ring and heart-shaped locket from Cobra Commander and bury them so the ghosts will be no more.

Check out JoeGuide.com for summaries and screenshots from all the episodes.

[Viper Hunter]

Magic 8 Ball, on Sep 13 2008, 09:44 AM, said:

canprime, on Sep 13 2008, 07:52 AM, said:

I can't honestly say for sure, but if you take a look at the CLAW from 84 and compare it to the one from the DVD set , they look like 2 different molds.

There are just so many small differences, that I don't think Hasbro modified the original mold, but rather went with a completely new one that is pretty close to the original.

On one hand, I haven't personally handled a CLAW in years, so I recognize that I'm not the authority anyone who own it is- that covers many people here, I'd wager.

But to me, it doesn't look anything like the old mold to me. You can clearly see ribbing on it, especially around the edges, which intones that it's one piece, while the old CLAW has a top and bottom piece to hold in various bits like the handlebars/front gear, wingtips, etc. The thrusters appear to be part of the main body (same color), probably meaning it's the same piece as the main body. The flaps and wingtips do not seem to be movable, again suggesting a single piece. There are also two extra missile attachments than the original. The detailing (especially on the fuselage) just doesn't seem to be there. If it is indeed the same mold, it's been so heavily remolded that it may as well be something new.

Compare the picture below to those given in the article, and you can clearly see what I mean.



(image from yojoe.com)

Wow! That's pretty telling right there. The NEW one sucks, compared to the original. I know there's no decals on the image of the newer one, but even so, the lack of detailing and difference in overall design (showing clearly it's a NEW mold) rates it very poorly imo.

I'd rather they leave out the DVD and just give us a good set of figures and vehicles. I have no serious input to share on the cartoons installed in these sets as to which ones I'd prefer or think would be better because....well, i just don't give a sh@# in that department. They were dumb the first time around so i doubt they've gotten any better over the years. It's the toys and nothing but the TOYS...for me.

Hell, Johnny Quest cartoons were made almost 20 years earlier than these G.I.Joe commercials, and they were actually pretty well done, VIOLENT, action PACKED and cool. I watch THOSE cartoons still today and can suddenly feel inspired to get out my DEVILFISH load it up with a Joe figure, make it fly at a high speed thru the swamp until ramping some debris in the water going airborne until violently smashing into some Cobra EELS in a raft killing them dead, but losing control himself and crashing into the shore only to be chased throughout the jungle by a weirdo fella named Croc Master tugging along with a couple of large Crocs on a chain leash, hot on his trail.

OH the FUN!!

wait..what were we discussing again?

[Blackmada]

Just to clear up the CLAW situation some more....

The CLAW in this pack is different from the old 80's CLAW but it is still not the same as the new one coming with the FANG.

We basically have 3 different CLAWs now with the vehicle pack CLAW being the same as the old one but with improvements.

This Entertainment pack CLAW is so "cheap" looking because they needed to put a smaller cheaper one in the pack. Adding a small vehicle to the pack wouyld have ben too much so instead we get a watered down CLAW. It's still not that bad looking, it just lacks the extra stuff the others have like more moving parts and more detail.

Alpine looks great to me and CC is perfect. I like the straps on Dukes jetpack. The camera and bomb are nice extras and are welcome additions for dio makers. Duke and CC were the focal points of the intro so it makes alot of sense for them to be in the pack. And who can't have enough Troopers?

Overall I think the pack is really good.

[ARROW]

Quote

One thing I like about the intro is that a LOT of Cobras actually DIE....wonder if anyone noticed? There is a point at which a Flight Pod piloted by a Viper gets blasted and Gung-Ho in a Sky Hawk goes rushing throught the smoke. It sure didn't look like the guy bailed. Or the guy that Snake Eyes kicked out of HIS pod. Or all those guys on the Morays that were blown up by the Conquests. Or even all the support personnel on the Cobra ship that Duke blew up.

None of them die.

They all drop into the waters surrounding the Statue of Liberty Island.

[canprime]

Blackmada, on Sep 13 2008, 01:33 PM, said:

Just to clear up the CLAW situation some more....

The CLAW in this pack is different from the old 80's CLAW but it is still not the same as the new one coming with the FANG.

We basically have 3 different CLAWs now with the vehicle pack CLAW being the same as the old one but with improvements.

This Entertainment pack CLAW is so "cheap" looking because they needed to put a smaller cheaper one in the pack. Adding a small vehicle to the pack wouyld have ben too much so instead we get a watered down CLAW. It's still not that bad looking, it just lacks the extra stuff the others have like more moving parts and more detail.

Alpine looks great to me and CC is perfect. I like the straps on Dukes jetpack. The camera and bomb are nice extras and are welcome additions for dio makers. Duke and CC were the focal points of the intro so it makes alot of sense for them to be in the pack. And who can't have enough Troopers?

Overall I think the pack is really good.

Um, I hate to burst your bubble, but the CLAW from wave 3 is exactly the same as the DVD pack.

http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?mode=vie...800&start=0

There are no "improvements" to this CLAW. As far as I can tell it is a completely new mold that is fairly close to the original, but quite honestly looks like it is a cheaper version than the original.

[Viper Hunter]

ARROW, on Sep 13 2008, 01:35 PM, said:

Quote

One thing I like about the intro is that a LOT of Cobras actually DIE....wonder if anyone noticed? There is a point at which a Flight Pod piloted by a Viper gets blasted and Gung-Ho in a Sky Hawk goes rushing throught the smoke. It sure didn't look like the guy bailed. Or the guy that Snake Eyes kicked out of HIS pod. Or all those guys on the Morays that were blown up by the Conquests. Or even all the support personnel on the Cobra ship that Duke blew up.

None of them die.

They all drop into the waters surrounding the Statue of Liberty Island.

There were sharks in there though? Weren't there?

[Wheeljack35]

Here take a look again

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_AYvg9VWmyQ

[Viper Hunter]

Wheeljack35, on Sep 13 2008, 04:34 PM, said:

Here take a look again

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_AYvg9VWmyQ

I think Major Bludd should have bitten the dust in all of that chaos. His high velocity speed, plus his added trajectory from the exploding Trouble Bubble, in ADDITION to the height upon which he had to fall from before going splat into the bay....i think he could have been toast. Not to mention any occupants on those exploding Hydrofoils?

DEATH and MAYHEM everywhere!

[pesatyel]

Viper Hunter, on Sep 13 2008, 04:50 PM, said:

Wheeljack35, on Sep 13 2008, 04:34 PM, said:

Here take a look again

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_AYvg9VWmyQ

I think Major Bludd should have bitten the dust in all of that chaos. His high velocity speed, plus his added trajectory from the exploding Trouble Bubble, in ADDITION to the height upon which he had to fall from before going splat into the bay....i think he could have been toast. Not to mention any occupants on those exploding Hydrofoils?

DEATH and MAYHEM everywhere!

That's what I was thinking.

I saw NO guys jumping from any of the Morays, nor did it look like guys in the Flight pods had parachutes.

[Viper Hunter]

Maybe G.I.Joe cartoons are a little cooler and a little more VIOLENT than I was discrediting them for?

[Blackmada]

canprime, on Sep 13 2008, 12:44 PM, said:

Blackmada, on Sep 13 2008, 01:33 PM, said:

Just to clear up the CLAW situation some more....

The CLAW in this pack is different from the old 80's CLAW but it is still not the same as the new one coming with the FANG.

We basically have 3 different CLAWs now with the vehicle pack CLAW being the same as the old one but with improvements.

This Entertainment pack CLAW is so "cheap" looking because they needed to put a smaller cheaper one in the pack. Adding a small vehicle to the pack wouyld have ben too much so instead we get a watered down CLAW. It's still not that bad looking, it just lacks the extra stuff the others have like more moving parts and more detail.

Alpine looks great to me and CC is perfect. I like the straps on Dukes jetpack. The camera and bomb are nice extras and are welcome additions for dio makers. Duke and CC were the focal points of the intro so it makes alot of sense for them to be in the pack. And who can't have enough Troopers?

Overall I think the pack is really good.

Um, I hate to burst your bubble, but the CLAW from wave 3 is exactly the same as the DVD pack.

http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?mode=vie...800&start=0

There are no "improvements" to this CLAW. As far as I can tell it is a completely new mold that is fairly close to the original, but quite honestly looks like it is a cheaper version than the original.

OK, I was wrong and stand corrected, thanks for pointing that out. That is the first time I have seen that exact picture of the new one. Evey other picture I had seen prior to that was small and not the clearest. The stickers make a little difference in the appearance too.

[pesatyel]

Viper Hunter, on Sep 13 2008, 06:25 PM, said:

Maybe G.I.Joe cartoons are a little cooler and a little more VIOLENT than I was discrediting them for?

Heh, maybe that's why the intro is the best part of the whole movie.

[canprime]

Blackmada, on Sep 13 2008, 06:29 PM, said:

canprime, on Sep 13 2008, 12:44 PM, said:

Blackmada, on Sep 13 2008, 01:33 PM, said:

Just to clear up the CLAW situation some more....

The CLAW in this pack is different from the old 80's CLAW but it is still not the same as the new one coming with the FANG.

We basically have 3 different CLAWs now with the vehicle pack CLAW being the same as the old one but with improvements.

This Entertainment pack CLAW is so "cheap" looking because they needed to put a smaller cheaper one in the pack. Adding a small vehicle to the pack wouyld have ben too much so instead we get a watered down CLAW. It's still not that bad looking, it just lacks the extra stuff the others have like more moving parts and more detail.

Alpine looks great to me and CC is perfect. I like the straps on Dukes jetpack. The camera and bomb are nice extras and are welcome additions for dio makers. Duke and CC were the focal points of the intro so it makes alot of sense for them to be in the pack. And who can't have enough Troopers?

Overall I think the pack is really good.

Um, I hate to burst your bubble, but the CLAW from wave 3 is exactly the same as the DVD pack.

http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?mode=vie...800&start=0

There are no "improvements" to this CLAW. As far as I can tell it is a completely new mold that is fairly close to the original, but quite honestly looks like it is a cheaper version than the original.

OK, I was wrong and stand corrected, thanks for pointing that out. That is the first time I have seen that exact picture of the new one. Evey other picture I had seen prior to that was small and not the clearest. The stickers make a little difference in the appearance too.

It really just sucks. This is the first mold that I am sad about. Every vehicle has either been a near exact copy of the original, or had some improvements. The CLAW just looks cheaper and less detailed than the original. Granted, these are early pics and the CLAW may be better in person, but so far I am wary.

[Magic 8 Ball]

canprime, on Sep 14 2008, 01:19 AM, said:

It really just sucks. This is the first mold that I am sad about. Every vehicle has either been a near exact copy of the original, or had some improvements. The CLAW just looks cheaper and less detailed than the original. Granted, these are early pics and the CLAW may be better in person, but so far I am wary.

Well, to be perfectly frank, my experience with the CLAW as a kid was that it was cheaply made. I don't know of a single kid who had it that didn't lose pieces due to it popping apart all the time. I think a new mold with less parts will hold together better. Also, I don't really feel that it's a 'signature' vehicle for Cobra. The HISS, Rattler, FANG, etc, I'd get upset about, but this... not so much.

I'm not really upset that it's new, I just think that fact that it IS new needs to be recognized, as it looked like many were under the impression that it's just the old one with a few changes.

[Samantha]

The Claw may not be as detailed as the original but they look like you can, at the very least, stand a figure up and not have them fall over from the weight of the pack. I hated having to prop up the original claw all the time or display it on it's wheels. The new mold looks accurate to the cartoon version unlike the original also. I am just glad we are getting the Claw in any incarnation. I personally want four to five of these for my Cobra Army display. Here is something to consider, is it better to have a highly detailed item that costs much more or a less detailed item that is cartoon accurate and costs less.

[pesatyel]

Well if this C.L.A.W. IS inferior to the other one with the F.A.N.G., people aren't getting this set for THAT anyway. They are getting it for Alpine and the Mass Device piece.

Most people will be getting the one in the set with the F.A.N.G. if they want multiples.

I contend that it is just the lighting that is making it seem less detailed.

[Shogunfox]

Does anybody know the name of the episodes where G.I.Joes and Cobra teamed up to fight the Toy Man and all his toy arsenals?

[duke togo]

How is this the "Best of the 80s episodes" set when it clearly looks like "stuff from the opening scene of the movie" instead?

Every single part - save for the MASS Device part - is from that part of the movie. Don't get me wrong, that opening montage is arguably the best animated 3 minutes of GI Joe, but this box should be called "The Movie", come with said movie on DVD, and be done with it.

[Magic 8 Ball]

duke togo, on Sep 15 2008, 01:26 PM, said:

How is this the "Best of the 80s episodes" set when it clearly looks like "stuff from the opening scene of the movie" instead?

Every single part - save for the MASS Device part - is from that part of the movie. Don't get me wrong, that opening montage is arguably the best animated 3 minutes of GI Joe, but this box should be called "The Movie", come with said movie on DVD, and be done with it.

That was the original plan. For whatever reason, the set was changed from 'The Movie' into 'Best Of'. However, the figures remained the same. Presumably, the reason that the opening of the movie is on the DVD is to justify not changing the figure selection.

[Blackmada]

Shogunfox, on Sep 15 2008, 10:14 AM, said:

Does anybody know the name of the episodes where G.I.Joes and Cobra teamed up to fight the Toy Man and all his toy arsenals?

Is that the one with the robot Cobra Commanders and the balloons that popped with gas in them? I am thinking it was called The Games Master or something like that.

[Magic 8 Ball]

Blackmada, on Sep 15 2008, 05:13 PM, said:

Shogunfox, on Sep 15 2008, 10:14 AM, said:

Does anybody know the name of the episodes where G.I.Joes and Cobra teamed up to fight the Toy Man and all his toy arsenals?

Is that the one with the robot Cobra Commanders and the balloons that popped with gas in them? I am thinking it was called The Games Master or something like that.

Two different episodes.

"The Gamesmaster" involves Flint, Lady Jaye, Cobra Commander, and Baroness being kidnapped by a toy-obsessed genius. Those kidnapped AND the organizations they represent team up to win the day.

"The Funhouse" is the one Blackmada's thinking of, where Cobra traps a handful of Joes in what amounts to a booby-trapped carnival.

Both episodes, IMO, are pretty darn good. Two of my faves, at least.