Microsoft Xbox (Microsoft)

Xbox
Microsoft
2001 -  2008

In a day and age when the console wars had pretty much determined the victor, one would enter the arena to shake them all...

It was 1999. Nintendo was at the top of its game with systems like the N64 and Gamecube, and Sony was right on their back with the Playstation and Playstation 2. Sega continued to struggle along producing such flops as the Saturn and Dreamcast. That's when Microsoft took center stage with their announcement that they too would be stepping into the arena for their share of battle in the console wars.

Pictured above (TOP) Origianl Xbox
(MIDDLE) Limited Crystal Edition and Limited
Halo Edition (BOTTOM) Give Away Prize
Mountain Dew Edition)

The Xbox first edition was initially developed by a small Microsoft team that included game developer Seamus Blackley, and was slated for a 2000 release. However, consistent delays would end up pushing the systems street date back almost a full year.

It wasn't until November 15, 2001 that gamers would get their hands on the coveted new gaming machine. Gamers were immediately blown away with such impressive launch titles as Dead or Alive 3, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, Halo: Combat Evolved, Fuzion Frenzy and Project Gotham Racing, which help to make Xbox a household name literally overnight.

The Xbox was the first major console to incorporate a hard disk drive, used primarily for storing game saves compressed in ZIP archives and content downloaded from Xbox Live. This eliminated the need for separate memory cards, although they were still produced for gamers interested in taking their saved games from console to console.

Pictured below (TOP) Original
larger controller, and resized smaller
version (MIDDLE) DVD Movie Playback
Kit with package and packaged
smaller sized controller (BOTTOM)
Steel Battalion three piece controller
and Dance Dance Revolution play mats


One of the most notable differences in the initial launch of the Xbox as opposed to later releases is the controller. The first, which has been dubbed names such as "The Flying Saucer, "Frisbee", and/or "Bulk Piece of Shit," is rather large, and was actually the cause of much frustration to gamers. The shear size of it alone made it difficult to hold, let alone use with much skill. Fortunately Microsoft listened to the complaints of the consumer, and a slimmed down, more gamer friendly version of the controller was released, while production ceased on the original. This smaller versioned controller would see many different color variations over the years, but the model would remain the same.

A fault of sorts to the Microsoft Xbox would be the lack of ability to play DVD's without the use of the DVD Playback Kit. It wasn't that the system couldn't read DVD's without this kit, it was that the game controller didn't navigate the menu screens. For this, Microsoft was "generous" enough to release the Playback Kit which included a DVD remote controller, and a sensor which needed to be attached to a controller port on the front of the system. Despite the cost, the kit was a much appreciated and sought after asset for the system - Particularly to hardcore gamers 100% ready to back Microsoft and push the Xbox to the number one gaming system in America.

Other game specific peripherals would come and go for the Xbox. One of the most expensive, and most highly collected by gamers is the three piece Steel Battalion controller and game. box set. Originally retailing at $200.00, the box included the original Steel Battalion game, as well as the three piece controller, and foot pedals. Because the game was exclusive to the Microsoft Xbox, and produced in such low quantities only increases the secondary market value these days.

Not exclusive to the Xbox were the DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) play mats. The mats would come in various styles and colors with each updated release of the game. Noteable is that the quality of the mats also increased with each release.

Pictured below (TOP) Memory
Unit (BOTTOM) RF Unit

The biggest complaint with Xbox owners would be the memory cards. Because the games were so large, there were a large number of them that didn't fit on the cards, and therefore could not be saved to them. Sure, this problem wasn't necessarily a huge issue since the hard drive more than accommodated your vast library of games. But, since the memory cards were for the gamer on the go, this eliminated a lot of options in games that could be saved and taken to a friend’s house.

Also available for those yet to make the jump to stereo TV's was a typical RF unit - Though not many of these sold as coaxial televisions were a bit of a thing of the past by 2001.

If there was one thing that helped push the Microsoft Xbox out in front of all the other consoles on the market it was Xbox LIVE. LIVE allowed players to play across the Microsoft Gaming Network with people around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not only could you play with friends in a different state or country, but with the communicator set (AKA a headset), you could also talk directly to them. No more typing out sentences while trying to play games. No bringing up individual chat screens. All of this simply by plugging your headset into your controller and speaking.

Pictured above (TOP) Communicator
headset and Halo Communicator headset
(MIDDLE) Packaged headsets and Wireless G
Router BOTTOM Various LIVE kits

There were several 3rd party headsets to choose from, but most users chose either the official Microsoft version, or the limited edition Halo version.

For LIVE users who didn't have a router readily available to them at the source of their XBOX, a Wireless G router was released. While it wasn't an official Microsoft product, the package informed buyers that it was licensed by Microsoft, and designed specifically for the Xbox. Though, as with anything wireless, signal played a large part with the problems the router, and several users who used them experienced lag time in games, and a lot of times couldn't even connect to gaming sessions. In the long run, it was determined that a direct connection via USB produced the best results.

Over the years of the Microsoft Xbox there were several LIVE starter kits released. Most contained either a three or twelve month subscription card, as well as a headset. Others included the above items as well as specific games that were considered to be "hot" at the time via LIVE. When Xbox Arcade was officially launched, the starter kits began packing in various arcade games such as Pac Man or Hexic.

But, what's a console without games? If there's one thing the Xbox didn't lack, it was games. Over eight hundred games were released between 2001 and 2008. The first being Halo: Combat Evolved, and the last being Madden 09. In between those games were a variety of any genre a fan could want.

Rather than list them all, please feel free to take a look at the complete library as collaged below in the nine photos. Cause after all, it's far better to see something than have to read it. All are listed in alphabetical order.

ENJOY!











For me personally, the Xbox was an item of much enjoyment. So much so that it became a hobby of sorts. I personally owned about four hundred games before cashing all of them in for the 360 upon its launch.

It was a great system, and unlike the 360, I never experience any major issues with it. Sure the disc drive broke when I slammed it after a particularly frustrating session of Ninja Gaiden, and I even had to update my system with a later model after about three years (due to some of the later games not being able to be read), but even then, it was well worth it to me.

If the NES is my favorite gaming system of all time, I can honestly say that the Microsoft Xbox isn't far behind it.

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Thundercats (LJN)

Thundercats
LJN
1985 - 1987

Thunder
Thunder
Thundercats! Hooooooooo!

Thundercats was one of the biggest hit cartoons of the eighties. A cartoon which contained futuristic technology and alien worlds, merged with the fantasy of ancient evil and monsters. This show was close but quite different than He-Man and still remains a favorite amongst eighties nostalgic collectors.

Following up the 130 episodes was an incredible line of toys produced by LJN. The figures stood at an average of 5 inches tall and represented each character from the series better than any toy line for its time. LJN produced 3 main series of figures, with three sub series. All cast characters of both good and evil were produced. This would include the honorable Thundercats team to the vile Mutants and Mumm-Ra, and also included many characters that appeared in anywhere from one to all of the episodes.

LJN did not hold back on their extreme detail of sculpting, allowing each figure to look exactly like the character from the show. Almost every figure had a "Battle-Mattic" action feature which was basically a lever in the back which when pressed the figure would move their arm or other various body parts. Other figures had options of spinning or lighting up.

Probably the biggest mistake that LJN made when producing the Thundercats toy line was that they produced the entire main cast (both good and evil) in the first series. While fans were happy to gobble them up from retail stores, this left little to no reason to purchase anything past this series unless you were a die hard fan of the show and easily recognized all the obscure figures that would follow.

The first series of Thundercats included;

Lion-o
Tygra with Wilykat
Cheetara with Wilykit
Cheetara
Panthro
Tygra
Mumm-Ra
Jackalman
Monkian
S-S-Slithe

Each figure came with accessories and weapons that were dead on to the original show. This made it even easier for children to incorporate the toys into their imaginations based on what they were already very familiar with. Interesting was that Tygra was sculpted to resemble his younger version as seen briefly in the very first episode of the series.

Hot on the heels of the first series was the inevitable second. An additional seven figures were produced which included a newly sculpted Tygra that more resembled the character portrayed in the cartoon. Several figures from the first series were repackaged for the series, and all the cards included a mail away offer sticker at the bottom right corner.

As we said above, the second series (and each additional series) was not as popular as the first. While it contained some known faces, one had to be quiet a fan of the series to recognize all of them.

The new figures produced were;

Lion-O with Snarf
Tuska Warrior
Snowman of Hook Mountain
Hachiman
Mumm-Ra with Ma-Mutt
Grune the Destroyer
Ratar-O
Vultureman

Ratar-O was produced with both black and silver weapon variants.


When the final season of the Thundercats cartoon aired, several new faces were introduced in hopes of reviving the series for further episodes. This included creating a whole new story arch which included a second group of Thundercats stranded on the same planet. These characters were eventually found by the original Thundercats and invited to join the already crowded Cat's Lair.

The third and final series of Thundercats included;

Jaga
Ben Gali
Lynx-o
Pumyra
Mongor
Safari Joe
Captain Cracker
Captain Shiner

During the second series of figures, LJN produced a few sub sets. One of these subsets included "Companion Packs".

Companion Packs comprised of seven smaller figures from the series (four of which were previously available with the larger figures), but were newly sculpted to better represent the characters on the show.

The Companions Packs included;

Wilykit
Wilykat
Snarf
Ma-Mutt
Berbil Bill
Berbil Belle
Berbil Bert

Another sub series which hit shelves were the four Berserkers. Each Berserker came individually packed in a much larger carded bubble than the original figures and boasted some pretty fancy upgrades which included spinning action and rev up and go.

The Berserkers were introduced late in the series in an attempt to shift the focus off of Mumm-Ra who was getting to be a very tired out villain. They were basically a group of sky pirates bent on pillaging and stealing, and mainly took out their aggression on the Berbils.

The four Berserks released were;

Hammerhand
Ram Bam
Top Spinner
Cruncher

The third and final sub series released, which came out during the third series of toys were the Ram-Pagers which consisted of Driller, and The Stinger. A third Ram-Pager, Mad Bubbler was slated for release, but the series was cancelled prior to production.

As with most toy lines, LJN offered an exclusive mail-away figure of Mumm-Ra as a mummy. This figure was available between the second and third series by mailing in a set amount of proof of purchases as well as a small shipping fee. The figure was mailed in a plastic bag inside of a plain brown box and came with a staff.

With the exception of his arms being able to go up and down, the figure was a solid piece of plastic.

Most of the vehicles available in the Thundercats line were seen in the show, but there were a handful of them created by LJN specifically for the toy line. Obviously the more highly sought after ones by kids were the Thundertank and Cat's Lair as those were seen daily on the show.

The vehicles included throughout the entire Thundercats line were;

Thundertank (first series)
Mutant Skycutter (first series)
Mutant Nose Diver (first series)
Thunderclaw (second series)
Hovercraft (second series)
Mutant Fistpounder (second series)

Two creatures were also produced for the series; Tongue-A-Saurus (third series) and Astral Moat Monster (first series).


Two playsets were produced for the series during the second series of toys; The Cat's Lair and Mumm-Ra's Tomb Fortress.



During the third series, LJN produced a small line of accessories, the Lasersabers. They were essentially four of the same backpack, but in various colors;

Blue
Black
Red,
Orange

Red is the hardest to come by, and all are fairly difficult to find mint in their packages.

A final set of toys released in the third series was known as "the transporters". These included;

Luna-Lasher
Thunderwings
Stilt Runner

The Thunderwings and Luna-Lasher were also released on bubble packages with Lion-O (packed in with Thunderwings), and Mumm-Ra (packed in with Lunar Lasher). They are incredibly hard to find.

LJN had planned many more figures and pieces to be produced. These unproduced prototypes were so close to production, that they were even featured in catalog inserts with the toys.

We remember Thundercats fondly. Right along side He-Man, it was one of our favorite cartoons growing up.

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July 2009 Recap

Below is a recap of all the post we've covered in July 2009. If you missed any, or simply want to see them again, click on each "title" to be taken directly to that post. As always, thanks for reading.

GoBots
Battle Beasts

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Battle Beasts (Hasbro)

Battle Beasts
Hasbro
1986

For those true children of the 80's, Battle Beasts should ring a bell. They were small one inch tall figures released by Hasbro in 1986. Each Beast had a heat sensitive sticker on their chest. When rubbed, it would reveal if the Battle Beast was Fire, Wood or Water. It was advertised that fire Beasts could beat wood Beasts, wood Beasts could beat water Beasts, and water Beasts could beat fire beasts.

Between 1986 and 1987 Hasbro released a total of 76 different Battle Beasts over three separate series. This started with Pirate Lion (#1) in series one, and ending with Ossified Orangutan (#76) in series three. The series also spawned a handful of sub series, but most were never released in the United States.

The series originate in Japan, and was initially a tie in to Transformers. Some of the characters from Battle Beasts even made appearances in the Japanese Transformers Head Masters TV show. However, the two were never associated in the United States.


For the first and second series, the figures came packed in random two packs on bubble cards. This made collecting a full set incredibly difficult to do, while at the same time avoiding duplicates.

The first Series of Battle Beasts contained 28 figures. Each figure was individually numbered on its back, and carried a unique weapon which ranged in color from silver, to bronze to grey. However, the names of the characters were anything but unique, and were often times as uncreative and cliché to the character they were attached to.

Series one include; Pirate Lion, Deer Stalker, Ferocious Tiger, Colonel Bird, Killer, Carp, Triple Threat Snake, Horny Toad, Sledge Hammer Elephant, Rocky Rhino, Roamin’ Buffalo, Grizzy Bear, Blitzkrieg Bat, Gargantuan Gorilla, Swiny Boar, Gruesome Gator, Sly Fox, Hardtop Tortise, Rubberneck Giraffe, Prickly Porcupine, Sawtooth Shark, Danger Dog, Hare Razing Rabbit, Sir Sire Horse, War Weasel, Bloodthirsty Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Webslinger Spider, and Crusty Crab.

The second Series of Battle Beasts contained 24 figures. These came out towards the beginning of 1987. Like the first series, each figure was individually numbered (picking up where series one ended) and carried a unique weapon which ranged from gold to bronze colored. Towards the end of the series, the newer figures were updated with new artwork on their chestplate symbols.

Series two included; Icky Iquana, Armored Armadillo, Jaded Jag, Humungous Hippo, Major Moose, Delta Chameleon, Kickback Kangaroo, Octillion Octopus, Wolfgang Walrus, Powerhouse Mouse, Dragoon Raccoon, Antic Anteater, Run Amuk Duck, Minder Mole, Cutthroat Cuttlefish, Eager Beaver, Slasher Sea Horse, Knight Owl, Hunchback Camel, Pillaging Polar Bear, Squire Squirrel, Sabre Sword Tiger, Bludgeoning Bulldog, and Pew-Trid Skunk. As you can see, the names didn't get any better either.

Series two also began the promotion of the Sunburst Warriors. Essentially what it came down to was randomly packed figures that had a new symbol on their chest that was incorporated in the element system. This new warrior was capable of defeating any of the three elements of the other beasts. Rather than produce new figures, Hasbro simply slapped this symbol on prior released figures. The tactic was completely random, and it's difficult, if not impossible, to say just how many different figures received this new symbol.

When series three was produced, Hasbro ceased releasing the figures in two packs, and went for the more direct approach to parent's wallets. Now available as only eight packs (still randomly packed), the figures were highly overpriced (at the time), and the toys saw little movement in sales.

This final "official" Battle Beast series came out during the middle of 1987 and ran through the fall season. A total of 24 figures were released in the third series, each with the same attributes as their predecessors.

The series included; Panzer Panda, Leapin’ Lizard, Killer Koala, Tarsier Tyrant, Black Panther, Torrential Tapir, King Cobra, Manic Mandrill, Pixilated Pointer, Pillager Pig, Rowdy Rooster, Musky Ox, Tangin’ Pangolin, Slowpoke Sloth, Ardent Aardvark, Bodacious Bovine, Zealot Zebra, Harrier Hawk, Diving Duckbill, Crooked Crow, Frenzied Flamingo, Fleet-Footed Antelope, Pugnacious Penguin, and Ossified Orangutan.

Shortly after series three the name "Battle Beasts" was dropped (in Japan) and replaced with Laser Beasts (known as Battle Beasts: Shadow Warriors in America). The figures were also revamped removing the heat sensitive stickers and replacing them with orbs which depicted each individual figures power. Only ten figures from the Laser Beast series ever hit store shelves in the United States, and shortly afterwards, the series fizzled away into the deep, dark pit known as 80's retro.

While numerous vehicles and playsets were produced throughout the entire line, very few saw release on US shores. Out of almost a dozen Battling Chariots produced, only three saw a release in the USA; Battling Big Horn, Battling Deer Stalker, and Battling Tearin' Tiger.

Much like the figures, these were released on bubble cards, but contained a new background for the logo. The words, "Battle Chariot" were also present underneath the logo.

These chariots are incredibly difficult to find these days in mint in package condition. In fact, we dare say it's next to impossible.

While they're considered playsets, these next three toys actually closer resemble the Battle Chariots.

The Shocking Shark Transport Station, Blazing Eagle Transport Station, and Wood Beetle Transport Station each came packaged in a cardboard box, and contained a unique figure.

Like the Chariots, one was released (in the USA) to represent each element.

The final item to hit US shores was the Bandolier, which was more of a make shift carry case for the figures. It was a relatively unpopular item at the time, and today is a pretty common item on secondary markets.

Opened ones can fetch anywhere from ten to twenty dollars, and mint in box ones don't go for all that much more.

Battle Beasts were somewhat hot for their time. The line certainly had a unique marketing approach by means of not necessarily selling the figures based on who they were, but rather on the secret identity of their powers which could only be identified by purchasing and opening the package. I suppose the lure was more from curiosity as opposed to desire.

While it may not be remembered by many today, it's certain that there are still collector's out there looking to complete their sets from their childhood, or simply rebuild them from scratch. A two pack can fetch as much as one hundred to two hundred dollars depending on the figures inside. That's a considerable mark up from the original retail price which ranged from eighty-nine cents to a dollar fifty depending on the store you went to.

For all you Battle Beast collector's out there, you have an expensive journey ahead of you, and a tough on too. We salute you for your efforts!

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GoBots (Tonka)

GoBots
Tonka
1984 - 1987

If your family didn't necessarily have a lot of money in the 80's it didn't exclude you from the "Transformers" crazy that hit in 1984. GoBots were the only true rival to the Transformers, and remained so throughout the 80's.

What ended up hurting GoBots the most was the while both they and Transformers had their own animated series, the Hannah-Barbara produced GoBots often came off as less "mature" than the Transformers. Granted kids were watching the series, but facts were that Transformers was just a little more stimulating to the brain.






The GoBots toy line originally began in Japan. The series creator Popy Planning was actually a division of Bandai, which is the well known company behind the infamous Power Rangers. Rather than being called GoBots, the series was called Machine Robo. The story lines and animation were far superior to the U.S. versions, but then again, they usually are.

When Machine Robo finally aired in the U.S., kids went ravenous for the "in" toy line of the 80's. Toys that transformed from robots to cars, planes and other various machinery were like crack cocaine. The series became so popular that like Transformers, a movie for the theaters was eventually released. This springboard gave Tonka the opening that they were looking for, and several other sub series were released under the GoBot logo.

However, we're going to only look at those related to the TV show.

Seventy three standard GoBots were released between 1984 to 1987. Unlike Transformers, the series remained one size, and one size only. Being the equivilant of the smaller Transformer, Tonka somehow managed to not only make the figures more durable, but also managed to include great detail, something sorely missing in it's competator's line.




On top of the 73 standard "figures", Tonka released two vehicles, and two playsets. This was by far impressive when compared to the amount of "figures" that were released, but it kept the series relatively affordable for most lower income families.

As the years pressed on, several sub series hit shelves. This would lead to the eventual downfall of GoBots as oversaturation in the market would eventually catch up. It didn't help that all these additional lines had no show or movie to back them up, thus leaving kids unsure of what they were. The series included; Super GoBots, Combiners, Dread Launchers, Secret Riders, Boomers, Power Marchers and Arco Bots.





GoBots eventually fizzled out in 1987. Tonka pulled the plug on the toy line when the show was cancelled. What's great about this series is that while it was ending once the bug like creatures began hitting the market, you can definitly see where this design style stayed with later Bandai products.

For whatever it was worth, GoBots put up a good fight against the Transformers, but due to marketing strategies and the intelligence level of the show, the series just couldn't hold on.

But, that's our look at GoBots. I hope you enjoyed it. Check back next time for a look at another great toy series from the 80's!

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