Mega Bloks and Mattel are offering some new 80’s style Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sets this year, which were all previously unannounced. The new sets include Samurai Leonardo Battle Pack, Rock Soldier Battle Pack, single packs of Rocksteady, Baxter Fly, Michelangelo, and Raphael. All of these sets are available at some online stores and brick & mortar locations like Toys “R” Us. While most of these have been somewhat easy to obtain, the battle packs, especially the Rock Soldiers remain to be the hardest of them all, as this is very first time that anyone has made Rock Soldiers figures like these inspired from their animated appearance. We hope to see these available to give more fans an opportunity to purchase them, but right now stores cannot seem to keep these in stock.
During New York ToyFair 2017 in February, we had the opportunity to talk with some of the Mega Bloks team members, and learned that one that were no additional sets planned for this classic cartoon series. Besides what they shown at ToyFair, we are not clear as to what the plans are at this time for additional sets based on the current series. However with the current series ending this year, it is very likely that Mega Bloks will have sets focused on that new show.
Leonardo’s samurai training is put to the test against a gang of maniacal Mousers! The Turtles’ leader is geared up in ceremonial garb for a showdown fit for a warrior! Build his adversaries, a team of four Mousers, and ready Leonardo in attack position to prepare for an automated onslaught! Connect Leonardo and these wretched robots to the buildable pipes backdrop with ’87 animated series-themed high res panels to create a radical, ancient Turtles display! Ideal for ages 10 and up.
Thank you to Mattel for sending along their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Samurai Leonardo Battle Pack and a single pack of Donatello for review.
Availability: January 2017
Since last year, Mega Bloks have introduced fans to sets based on the ’87 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, and even gotten to some classic sets such as the Party Wagon and the Technodrome. This year however are only a hand full of sets compared to last year, with the two battle packs, and the single packs that were mentioned above.
The Samurai Leonardo Battle Pack features 80 pieces and includes a Leonardo figure with removable samurai armor, four mousers that were previously included with the Technodrome playset by Mega Bloks, and a diorama base with pipping and images hanging of Samurai Leonardo fighting the mousers.
Samurai Leonardo has some very nice detailed armor inspired from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 movie that was released in 1993. The armor covers his head and has the blue bandana attached to it, shoulders, chest, and lower legs. Included with Leonardo are two katanas. The figure has some difficulty standing on his own, which is why we needed one of the figure stands to stand him during the photography. This is likely due to his die cast metal shell on his back, along with the way his feet are sculpted and no ankle articulation.
The mousers are the same as what we saw that came with the Technodrome, and in this set you get four of them. The mousers make great army building options especially if you were able to track down Baxter Fly, you can recreate some classic scenes from the animated series. The mousers are articulated with an opening mouth, swivel hips and ankles.
The Donatello figure that came in last years single pack will be the same figure offered in the Rock Soldiers battle pack. The figure will not include the base you see in the gallery in the new battle pack, but will come with his iconic bo staff and three awesome looking Rock Soldiers that we just have to own. The single pack version of Donatello also includes a figure base with the pipping and images of Donatello fighting Krang in his android body.
Overall, this is an excellent set and a great army building option for those of you that want to make your own Baxter’s lab, as it would appear that will be on set that Mega Bloks will not be offering. Samurai Leonardo has some great paint applications applied to the armor and we love all the detail provided here.
Purchase:
