Monday, September 12, 2011

Toy Review: Toys R' Us Exclusive Collection Set

It's probably no surprise that I'm more of a fan of the molded ponies than the brushables.  This is primarily due to lazyness, and a lack of interest in hair care.   After a few weeks of searching the brick and mortar stores, wave one finally popped up on Toys R' Us.com, so I immediately ordered it. 

I'm going to through this step by step after the break for those on the fence about it, so check it out below!


Right now, this is the only way to get the entire set of mane cast ponies all in one place.  Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash came in a four pack a while back, while Fluttershy was part of the blind bags that were floating around outside the USA.


Along with our fan favorites, Hasbro threw in a bunch of other blind bag recolors.   For the most part, they aren't bad, in fact I even like a few of them (Above Coconut Creme for example).  A few quick mods and I'm sure any artist out there could have these looking like the actual background ponies from the show.

It's still a bit of a wasted opportunity though.  I'm pretty sure the majority of us would go nuts over a Lyra/Bonbon/Scratch bonus in this pack.   I don't know what the legal requirements on that sort of thing are, but considering The Hub has officially declared DJ-Pon3's name, I doubt they are that serious.  But I'm not a toy designer, and can't really comment on that professionally.  Mint colored Lyra paint just might be twice as expensive as pink for all I know.

For those that like to preserve boxes, there is an actual open tab.  I totally destroyed mine, so I thought I'd point that out!

Each pony is snuggly fit into their own plastic "prison".  I say "prison", because they are REALLY stuck in there.  As you can see in the image, Pinkie Pie's leg is actually bent in a really awkward position because of it.  The pegasus wings also come out a bit off center sometimes.  Luckily the plastic isn't completely stiff, so you can carefully shift the limbs back into position, but at first glance I thought for sure her leg was doomed to uselessness. 

Getting them out of the plastic was a bit difficult, though I may have just been paranoid.


Each pony also comes with a backer card.  The "collect em all" pokemon trait ingrained into my brain as a kid is slowly kicking in again.  Confound this subliminal marketing!


And here are the real prizes! Molded mane 6! I kept this image larger so you can see all the near little details.  there are actually 5 primary molds that the recolors use as opposed to what looks like 4.  Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie are the obvious ones, but even though it looks like Applejack is running with Rainbow Dash's model, she actually has a few unique differences in the hair/overall shape that actually make her original.    Fluttershy on the other hand got completely ripped off.  Poor girl...


Coconut Cream is best pony out of these side ones obviously.

One thing that surprised me when I got my sparkly Twilight Sparkle a while back was the size on these things.  They are pretty tiny!


And there you have it! That's a ton of pony for any desktop.

Positives
  • All six of the mane cast can finally be bought in one package.
  • The material seems durable enough. 
  • Well detailed for their tiny size with full cutie mark in tow.
  • Not a bad price for SO MUCH PONY. 
Negatives
  • Packaging can be a bit of a pain to work with, and can mold the limbs into awkward positions.
  • Only a few of the extra ponies really stand out.
  • Fluttershy desperately needs her own blind bag model.
  • No Trixie
Overall I'd say they were worth the money, especially if you don't like the brushable ones. I'm hoping they expand it a bit some with a few of the other ponies in the show.  Hell even a Gilda blind bag toy would be neat.

88 comments:

Joey Wonton said...

No good fluttershy, no deal.

TenchiFreak5 said...

I'm still waiting for the flimsiest of pretexts to go pick one of these up.

sewagebiscuit said...

I have this, and it is great. And Sethisto, Peachy Pie is the best recolour.

Luke said...

It's not just you, they were very very hard to get out of the plastic.

mrjoshmacintosh said...

I found these the other day and subsequently bought them :D

I now have all 6 brushables, and these!

mrjoshmacintosh said...

I am also very hesitant to open them, idk if I even want to take them out of the box

GreenGuy said...

"COCONUT CREAM makes delicious pies to share at parties and picnics. The only thing she wont share is the secret ingredient!"

I'm going to go ahead and guess.
Is the secret ingredient coconut?

Dark Pivot said...

Mine just arrived today. I know what you mean, it really is a prison they're stuck in. I ended up cutting them out carefully with scissors. I love them though, they're awesome!

Roman500 said...

Welp, since you say they are worth the weight erm... money I guess I shall buy one.

G.Buddell said...

@TenchiFreak5
I've gone to our local Toys R Us twice with no pretext whatsoever to try and find them, with no luck. Each time the pony section has been smaller. And now it's sold out online again. I think someone is taunting me.

Bastas said...

I want this set for two reasons. One - I get all 6 of the mane ponies. Two - I get 6 recolors that I can play with and try doing customs on. Plus I can hopefully get good enough that I can make Fluttershy a good Fluttershy.

Gozer the Equestrian said...

oooh, includes 6 of Hasbro's OC ponies!

Draco Dei said...

Gilda would require them to start their CAD modeling or whatever along a completely different line, not to mention the double and triple-checks necessary to make sure the claws come out dull enough (easy) and unlikely to snap off enough to be child-safe... or is that level of safety actually a concern in the target demographic?

Pacce said...

I would love it if they used these tiny plastic dudes and made more molds for stuff like Trixie, Big Mac, and of course my beloved Gilda and Derpy.

Pinkie Pie said...

No plastic 'prison' can ever hold me, the Great Pinkini!

Nämahs said...

Oh come on Seth, brushables are the way to go.

You don't have to do any 'hair care' as you put it, but when you are bored your hands have something to fiddle with.

*brushie, brushie*

bronydash said...

Not bad as far as accuracy goes. I might consider buying these.

Nämahs said...

@GreenGuy
Also, thanks a lot dude. I burst out laughing for some reason and drew strange stares from everyone else in the room >.>

Bobbyzero said...

I love the non-mane6 ponies, why? There wouldn't be as many awesome customs without them.

Gratlofatic said...

UHG I WANT THIS SO BAD.

Bob from Bottles said...

There was an open tab?
I feel like a moron now.

jodyjm13 said...

Thanks for the review; I took a chance and ordered a set when they became available again online (briefly?) last week, and it's nice to know that the risk paid off. I'm considering trying my hand at customizing ponies, and figured the 6 extras in the set might make decent, cheap practice figures, though I might leave Coconut Cream as is...

dw1482 said...

I already have the five, but I was searching all over Calgary for this just for the Fluttershy.... I obsess over completion, just a little. *Eye twitches*

Cyber.Kuriboh said...

This is good but needs more plushies

Sandman said...

This is kinda funny, driving one of the people who does repaints on the 3rd, we stopped at a Toys'R'Us and they had only three of these left.
Needless to say, she bought them all and left proud in the fact that children were denied toys. I thought the whole thing was hilarious.

Kenko706 said...

When... oh, when will they release an Applejack with her HAT?

Ferrous_Oxide said...

I bought this. I now carry Pinkie Pie wherever I go.

Vimbert the Unimpressive said...

Out of stock?! CURSE YOU, TOYS 'R US!

CoffeBlack said...

I need to get this... somehow. (Nothing is avalible in canada! D:)

ElementalOgre said...

I'm really enjoying these figures. They're so tiny and adorable. I was lucky enough for my friend to surprise the hell out of me with two of these(one of them is going to another friend of ours.) Oh no... Collection fever... kicking in... Give us more... Hasbro!!

PhysicallyPossible said...

I gotta admit even before the fluttershy blind bag comic Ive always thought fluttershy looks 20% cuter.with short hair

Commodore Z said...

Why must this be out of stock? Why? All my money.

sybliaidi said...

Already ordered mine B)

Snow Flurry said...

I found them facing sideways (yes the side of the box facing you, WTF TRU) this past weekend. I had hit two other stores that did not have them before hitting a third near my work. (For reference to my location, the first two were in southern Mare-y-land, the third was in MoCo.) There was a second one in the store in MoCo, not sure if it's their but be nice DC bronies.

As for the figures themselves, they are nice. Fluttershy is a bit of sore spot but she is still so cute. The remaining six aren't bad. Coconut Cream is probably top of them with Beachberry second. Sweetsong, Skywishes and Gardenia Glow are good, but really don't have that woohoo design. Peachy Pie *sigh* is really a awkward clone of Pinkie. Overall the set is worth it, if you can get your hands on it. I'm not good with the arts and stuff, so I will be keeping everyone as they are. I do have some ideas involving one of my other collections. Anyone else think Pinkie Pie looks good with Wreck-Gar?

alienbobz said...

Yeah I had difficulty with getting the ponies out too. My favorites re-colors are Sweetsong and Skywishes.

Applejinx said...

No hat?? And Pinkie's stuck in an uncomfortable position? Oh no!

jodyjm13 said...

And what a co-inky-dink, I just got an email saying that my set was shipped today! Now, can anyone point me in the direction of some tips/tutorials on customizing ponies? (And yes, I did see the video yesterday about that awesome Applejack mod, but more info is always appreciated.)

Dehydrated Water said...

I went to Toys R' Us to get this. When I couldn't find any sign of it, I actually asked a worker. He told me that the store was phasing MLP out. When I picked my jaw up off the floor, I left. That night I ordered my ponies off the net.

DRTJR said...

I am saving up enough monny for these dang it I will make the needed ponies out of these and keep one set of the Mane six.

Umandsf said...

Should I be concerned that I saw a couple of these at the store when I went to get a replacement Rarity brushabke and didn't get it? Hopefully, they'll still have it next weekend and I'll pick it up before Chess Club.

Pinkie Pie said...

@Applejinx
I'm actually not that uncomfortable. My leg fell asleep a while ago, so I don't even notice it.

baschotaria said...

I just got this too! I got mine as a prize at a meetup though, so it was a much easier sell <_<

Marrock said...

I got two sets of them this morning from the Toys-r-us down the highway.

http://i.imgur.com/H4TAw.jpg

Duskfly said...

I... I need this set. O.o

>Out of Stock

Aww, man. =(

Cal said...

@Bob from Bottles Dude, me too. I just ripped it apart with a strength I didn't know I had when I got them a little over a week ago. But I got them out :-)

Berry0 said...

I hate you, Seth. You have the purple sparkly Twilight Sparkle. Damn you to the moon.

Draksune said...

So...can't order online it seems /sadface

Azarias said...

Got my set on saturday after a meetup, we all raided (25 of us) a Toys R us and practically cleaned the MLP isle out.

What made it even better is that we all stood in a single checkout line. The lady in the line didn't actually mind, just was asking us about FIM.

Nathan said...

Might pick these up this weekend. Don't know.

Derpypaws said...

I got mine in the mail today! I just got back from work and I'm opening them soon /)^3^(\ . Thanks for the heads-up on the packaging.

Big Bob said...

I'm the type of guy who would buy toys of this show, but I honestly haven't seen anything that appealed to me. Why six random ponies, and not more favorites from the show? Why does Pinkie come with a mouse and not an alligator? Where is Applejack's hat? SHE NEEDS THE HAT.

Timey Wimey said...

I saw these in a store last Friday. The Fluttershy looks like a recolored Rainbow Dash, not like Fluttershy, so no deal.

I'm waiting for the upscale, show-accurate licensed vinyl figures to be manufactured by some enterprising brony.

Octavia said...

I've been meaning to get this set ever since they were first released. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten to that yet. But hopefully soon! <3

Fyrestorm58355 said...

We seriously need a "Derpy's Hair Care Guide" because well...let's just say Photo Finish wouldn't want a thing to do with my brushable Fluttersy. I can't wait till my collection arrives!

redspade said...

I am gonna get a visa gift card tomorrow so I can buy this.

Unknown said...

AHHH MUST GO TO TOYS R US TO BUY PONIES!

ShortyBoo said...

I just got my set in the mail today. I don't have a TRU near me, so I had someone pick up the set for me and since she opened the ponies and stuck them in a smaller box, it saved me on shipping. I already had the main ponies besides Fluttershy, but I really wanted her, as well as Coconut Cream, Sky Wishes and Sweetsong.

EHeroFlareNeos said...

Oh, I found a few of these at a Toys R Us not too long ago. I can't wait to get one of my own.

Woof Hooves said...

i went down to my local one when the coupon was posted here...they had atleast 30 of these on the shelf...after seeing just how small they were and the clear "ripoff" modeling done on alot of them...i didnt get it...yet....tho i was digging for a brushable dash and rairity with no luck finding....i still question why twilights "pack" doesnt come with spike....you gotta get the ballon and shy no bunny WTF

Sun Ray said...

Not gonna buy molded until they give Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash their own models and not plastic copies of each other.

Woof Hooves said...

on a side not i need to pickup a pair of celestia's..1 to paint WHITE dam you hasbaro....and another to derp

Sdash said...

Hah, I'm so glad I found the last one at store around me a while ago, when that 10% discount came along that other time, I knew had to go find it.
Sure I had to go into a store, find it among many things in the girls aisle, have countless peeps stare at me, but those 12 were worth it.

Let it be a test for true bronies to walk out and really love and tolerate and get it at a store. It was an adventure for me ;)

Sins Of Hope said...

I had to call every damned Toys'R'Us in a 60 mile radius to find this pack. Ended going about 38 miles out of my way to get my hands on it. Ended up also picking up the Twilight Sparkle plush which was on sale for $14.99 ;)

Sins Of Hope said...

@Dehydrated Water

This is surprising since mine said they are ordering more then ever before to keep the stock up due to demand. Perhaps it's just that store or someone screwing with you?

Mike said...

darn... I only have $13, and it's $24. still, DO WANT

Mike said...

hm... Fluttershy will have to be modded.

ultra8 said...

It's nice to have a complete mane 6, but are the re-colors the same from the blindbag list?
I don't remember a skywishes or Sweetsong from the non-US blindbags.

Beth said...

I just got this set over the weekend, and they are INSANELY hard to get out of the plastic. I think I spent a half hour trying to pry them out of their little plastic prisons. O_O

Firleycat said...

Well, I've had stuff like that before and packaging is always a pain in the ass to deal with. Sounds like it is a really good deal for something that is usually hard to get(I still don't think there is any Blind Bags in Ireland so I really hope this comes over here.)

ShortyBoo said...

@ultra8

The other six are exclusive to this set. So, no, they're not in the regular blind bags. They're actually just remakes of G3 ponies.

metalrev said...

This needs to be available in Europe.

Johuotar said...

I'd get one if I were man enough.

richfiles said...

Mane 6
6 TRU exclusives
24 wave 1 blind bags - Mane 6 =18
24 wave 2 blind bags - Mane 6 =18

6+6+18+18=48 UNIQUE blind bag style ponies.

And we're 12 in here in America...

We have a LONG way to go!

richfiles said...

I was man enough for 2!!! Gonna show up today!

woo, yay

Ryuu said...

does not ship international

sad brony here :(

NikeXTC said...

Molded ponies! Yay!

As soon as this comes out in Italy, they're gonna stay on my desktop at work. Too bad Applejack hasn't her hat and Fluttershy hasn't her haircut, but whatever... Molded ponies!

Ryuu said...

I just retuned from E-bay. found a seller in Germany who sells 24 models in one go.

zero 1343 said...

recomended for age 3-5
hahaha...yeah

Rix said...

@sewagebiscuit

Agreed. I could imagine Peachy as a cousin of Pinkie.

Cory said...

Going to TRU tomorrow to see if they find a set. LIKE A BOSS.

Unknown said...

Note you can sell the recolors to collectors because it is an exclusive set.

who knows? who cares? said...

Confound that flutterdash I need one flutterdash to get the mane six complete on my desktop

Rix said...

Hmm... I've set my ponies up on a shelf and discovered something odd. I have them facing either left or right so their cutie marks show (they are only on one side). For most of them this means they're looking left or right, perhaps at a slight angle, but Pinkie's head is at almost ninety degrees to her body.
She's staring straight at me!

redspade said...

Is there anywhere online I can buy this if I'm in canada?

gloglablyn1 said...

I just got mine in the mail today, and Gardenia Glow is missing one eye! I guess I'll have to rename her. Does anybody know any god one-eye names?

Oni no Tenshi said...

I bought a couple of sets of these and created keychains out of them (they look pretty awesome if I do say so myself).

If anyone wants instructions (or is interested in buying their favorite one), I am selling each individual keychain so you don't have to buy the whole pack. PS: I included Spike from the Twilight Sparkle Balloon Set. I also already made a Scootaloo out of one of the "extra" ponies and I'm looking to make my own Derpy. :)

Check out here for photos: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v382/Oni-Angel/My%20Little%20Pony%20Friendship%20Is%20Magic%20Keychains/

You can contact me at nanasha@gmail.com. I will be placing them for sale on ebay when the month rolls over to October.

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