Toy Review: Commando Snake Eyes

08/10/10

Sigma 6 Commando Snake Eyes

2005 to 2007 was a great time in toy collecting, especially if you were into GI Joe, but weren’t fixated on the old 3.75″ scale. This was the time that Hasbro’s 8″ GI Joe line called Sigma 6 was on the shelves of toystores.

It’s not surprising that the new collectors don’t know anything about this line. It’s dead; cancelled when Hasbro realized how popular the 3.75″ (actually 4″ now that they’re slightly taller) scale still was with collectors. The great response to the release of the 25th Anniversary line of Joes (figures that were based on the old toys, but redesigned to look more realistic and with better articulation) practically sounded the death knell for this bigger scale.

It wasn’t that surprising. The cartoon that supported the line wasn’t a hit (it wasn’t even aired here) and buyer interest in the line didn’t support its continued importation. I understand that reception in the States was just as lukewarm. The last few waves we got locally languished on shelves for a long time before sell through. We basically got the last wave of 2005 and two in 2006. We didn’t even see the 2007 waves.

I’d heard about the smaller 2.5″ scale figures from my collecting mentor who told me that they had insanely high cost/fun ratios. For about the cost of a Marvel Legends figure, I could get a vehicle and 2 small figures with limited articulation. Then I heard about the 8″ line from another friend who told me about all the accessories that they had. I was hooked. Unfortunately, I jumped on the bandwagon late in the game, towards the butt end of 2006 when Zartan and Lt. Stone were just being released at retail. I got most of the figures that were availably locally, but that was it.

The next wave to be released was the new (or old depending on how you look at it) “Kung-Fu Grip!” series. These had spring-loaded right hands and new red foot lockers instead of the old gray ones. I never got a chance at these since the only source I knew at the time was selling the first wave as a set and I didn’t have the income to drop Php 10,000 at one time.

After the announcement of the line’s cancellation however, collectors were selling the figures to make room for newer toys. So, with the help of several of them, I was able to get most of the Sigma 6 figures from the earlier series and I’m working on the ones from the Kung-Fu Grip! line.

Picture found on actionfigure.guidestobuy.com

The Commando Snake Eyes is one of those figures from the Kung-Fu Grip! line. Like my Ninja Armor Snake Eyes figure, I got him loose, which is why I’ve borrowed a photo of the packaging from actionfigure.guidestobuy.com. I’ve talked about how great the packaging is on these figures before on my Adventure Team review, but this one is a little different. Instead of the gray, vaguely futuristic box of the first waves, the Kung-Fu Grip! line came with curvy, red foot lockers. The basic concept of the packaging is still there, but I prefer the old ones better. They feel more military and they stack better. These are a little too garish.

He’s a little different from previous Snake Eyes that were released. Most of those focused on the idea that Snake was a ninja trained by the infamous Arashikage clan. They played with the concept of him and Storm Shadow as adoptive brothers who were at odds which was apparent in the Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow figures of that first 2005 wave.

But if you go back to the original 1982 “straight arm” Snake Eyes figure, you’ll see that he started out as a commando. He didn’t even get a sword until his 3rd toy in 1985. This “Commando” Snake Eyes is a nod to that origin, so all his gear is good old soldiery sweetness.

He comes with a lot of gear, and he can carry most of it on his person. His main firearm looks like a variation on his classic sub-machine gun (SMG), the israeli Uzi (or maybe a Mac-10?). It breaks down into the gun itself, a magazine, a scope, and a surpressor. The different components can slide off the firearm so that you can have different looks for him. It also has a second grip for extra control.

The gun fits into a squarish hole at his hip. At first I thought I was missing something that was supposed to go here (the instructions were missing when I bought it), but it turns out that the SMG goes in here grip first instead of barrel. It’s an odd design and I have to say not all that successful or pretty, but it works.

Snake Eyes also comes with 2 “smoke grenades” that are accented with blue. Fashionable.

They can fit into both his hands and in the big circles that can be found on his chest. I don’t really like how they did the webgear this time. The elastic and cloth webgear of the Wave 1 Snake Eyes was much nicer in terms of look, as well as design. The little “ports” in the old Sigma Suits and accesories acted as a better and less bulky way of storing these little parts on the figures. The bandolier he has here, with its holster and built in cup holders looks way too obvious.

The tonfa is a new weapon in Snake Eyes armory (I don’t remember him having it in the vintage line, nor in the new 25th Anniversary figures), introduced at the beginning of the Sigma 6 line with Wave 1 Snake. The first releases had tonfa handles built into the figures’ swords. This one has sword blades built into the batons. I prefer the old versions better.

You can hang the tonfas on his back off his webgear, but since they’ve each got the post on the same side of the weapons, one points up while the other points down. It’s not really a very integrated look when he stores them, but I do like posing him holding the two.

Another thing that was (re-)introduced with the Sigma 6 line was the BFG (Big F*@#ing Gun), or the missle launcher that you now see with all the Joe figures in the movie line. It’s something that’s for the kids I suppose, but I for one really don’t like it.

This time around it’s a huge two barrelled crossbow. The crossbow doesn’t fit anywhere, he can’t really hold it upright without support, and it’s an odd color. I honestly took a one look at it and threw it in my miscellaneous Sigma 6 accessories along with Firefly’s “trap” and Temple Tracker Spirit’s “snaring device”.

I do like his “listening device” though.

The accessory is essentially a suction cup with a short, plastic hose connecting it to a headset. He can hold the thing out and against a window as if he’s eavesdropping on Cobra leaders behind a wall. Now if that isn’t a creatively re-purposed accessory I don’t know what is.

I will have to warn you though that the headset doesn’t seem to stay on his head very easily. I would have liked them to at least have re-tooled that to fit perfectly and securely.

In terms of sculpt, I’d have to say he’s so so. Although if you read thorugh my other Sigma 6 reviews, you can hear my love of this line, I have to admit that the design aesthetic isn’t for everyone. The Sigma 6 characters all have a cartoony look to them, that is leaning very close to the anime. They’ve all got huge eyes, exaggerated extremeties, and some over the top gear. The general look of the figures is very blocky, with lots of angles and flat planes. If you’re one of those guys who love 1/6 scale figures for their realistic miniture weapons, then this line isn’t for you.

If however, you’re a collector who really just wants toys that you can play with and display in different get ups, then this is a great line to start. They’re essentially heterosexual barbie dolls. Ken dolls with guns instead of ascots.

I also like the fact that they can integrate relatively well with the 7″ Play Arts Final Fantasy figures like Reimi Saionji, Ashe, Tifa and Lightning. Lets face it, the Sigma 6 line is kind of a sausage fest.