NECA's 2012 Exclusives

We've been posting some pretty amazing figures from NECA Toys, shown at this year's International Toy Fair, but there are still more surprises laying in wait for your sweaty little, plastic loving palms this year! NECA appears to have teamed up with Toys R Us to deliver a power pack of exclusive action figures across their most popular lines. The lineup may include...



From the movie Gremlins 2: The Lightning Gremlin
From the video game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood: Rome Edition Ezio
From the video game Bioshock 2: Brute Splicer
A Jungle Hunter Cloaked Predator
and note this last one was a hell of a translation... Night Fighter Robocop!

We say "may" because NECA have not confirmed this wave of figures, nor have they even hinted at them in our notes from Toy Fair. We've seen the Lightning Gremlin and Brute Splicer a couple of times now, so no surprised there as they were slated for general release anyway but are clearly now set on another path, and either way, we are glad NECA found a means to get them to frantic fans. Now work on bringing us that Spider Gremlin!! It's never enough, is it?

The Rome Edition Ezio, Jungle Hunter Cloaked Predator and Night Fighter Robo are completely new to us. We are told the last one will GLOW IN THE DARK!!! Must have toy for 2012? I think yes. Our tipster points out that this Robocop must be a homage to a certain classic Kenner item. One look at the E.T. line will tell you how NECA feels about classic toys! At any rate, if all goes to plan, these items should show up on the pegs at Toys R Us this Summer, with a limited supply dished out to international chains.

Toy Fair 2011: Video Game Legends

The toy industry is always watching for pop culture trends to convert into bobble heads and other shiny trinkets, but when it comes to characters for action figures, the vast history of video games reins supreme. Sure, they get their fair share of immobile statues as well since those gamer drones love their mini gods to pay homage to, but nothing beats an action figure of your favorite digitized action hero or monster. 2011 will see its fair share of arcade icons on the pegs, so here's a run down...

JAZWARES

Browsing the pegs of your favorite geekery, you'll be sure to notice Jazzwares Sonic the Hedgehog line of action figures. Jazwares will continue to push heaps of fuzzy fury in your direction through 2011, so let me just drop the whole damn list on your head indelicately...

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 5" Sonic 1991
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 5" Sonic 2011

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Classic Sonic with Motobug Badnik -Green Hill
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Classic Tails with Grabber Badnik -Chemical Plant
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Modern Sonic with Spiner Badnik -Speed highway
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Modern Shadow with Mono Beetle -City Escape
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Modern Knuckles with 1.5" Eggpawn Badnik -Seaside Hill
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Modern Silver with Bitter Badnik -Crisis City
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 3" Modern Tails with Sandworm (Nal) -Planet Wisp

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 4" Modern Eggman with 2 Egg Fighter (Badnik)

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - Collector Tin with 2" Figure

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 10" Vinyl Modern Sonic
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 10" Vinyl Classic Sonic

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Sonic Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Tails Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Amy Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Eggman Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Knuckles Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 7" Classic Metal Sonic Plush

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - Modern Comic Book (3" Shadow/3" Silver)
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - Classic Comic Book (3" Amy/3" Sonic)

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 12" Modern Sonic Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 12" Modern Shadow Plush
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 12" Modern Tails Plush

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 15" Classic Sonic Plush

- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 6" Super Poser Sonic
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 6" Super Poser Shadow
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 6" Super Poser Tails
- 20th Anniversary SONIC - 6" Super Poser Knuckles

To this day, Jazwares are one of the few companies to tackle Mortal Kombat in a super posable action figure format. Now they get back into the battle with lines of 6 and 3 and 3 quarter inch action figures based on the new upcoming game (April 19, 2011) as well as some classic ninja characters.

Mortal Kombat 6" Modern Figures

- Raiden
- Johnny Cage
- Scorpion
- Sub Zero

Mortal Kombat 3.75" Classic Figures

- Sub Zero
- Smoke
- Scorpion
- Reptile

Mortal Kombat 3.75" Robot Cyborg Box Set
- Smoke
- Cyrax
- Sektor

It's been some time since Street Fighter has seen a decent amount of plastic love. NECA kept the license in the thoughts of collectors everywhere with a release of a Chun Li here or Ryu there, but there was never any full line to the extent that SOTA toys created some years back. Now Jazzwares steps up to change all that, and in collecting a whole new universe, you'll have to start from scratch in a whole new scale. 3 and 3 quarter!!! Yes..you six inch purists hate them but the toy industry loves it. You can fit more figures into what little real estate stores like Walmart and Toys R Us allow you on their pegs if your guys are pint sized. Jazzwares hopes to release an extensive collection in two packs covering modern and classic installments of the game kicking off with...

Super Street Fighter IV 2 pack- Modern Figures

- Abel VS Guile
- El Fuerte VS Seth

Street Fighter 2 pack- Classic Figures

- M Bison VS Akuma
- Ryu VS Sagat

SQUARE ENIX is also getting in on the World Warriors tournament this year with their own line of Street Fighter IV action figures in a 9.5 inch format. This series kicks off with Chun-Li and Ryu this summer. SE also premiered a new line of Deus Ex: Human Revolution action figures including Barret, Adam Jensen and Fedorova dropping this Fall.

Over to NECA who consistently pump out mind blowing action figures based on the hottest games blowing up your X Box. I realize that sounded dirty and I'm not ashamed. The denizens of Bioshock continue their march with a new wave of Splicers on the way in May/June including Crawler, Brute, a new version of Ladysmith Splicer (with a new deco, accessories and a new mask) plus a refresh of the Big Daddy Bouncer light up figure (3 way lights with red, yellow and green effect just like in the game!) Randy Falk of the NECA stormtroopers says "you can leave the light on one specific color, so leave the light on red if you're in a bad mood at your desk and hopefully everyone will leave you alone." See? They do God's work. NECA will also be handing figure duties for Bioshock Infinite in 2012.

Gears of War has its third installment dropping this fall and NECA will be there! They've had the license for three years now and I can say without hesitation they are the ONLY TOY COMPANY ON THE PLANET who would have made a figure at the exact moment his head is being blown off his shoulders...and for that, we applaud them. All of the characters you love are getting new looks with new armor (Dom has longer hair and a beard), so its a great excuse for NECA to go back in and update the crew. These are ALL NEW figures with all new parts and articulation. 30 POINTS OF ARTICULATION IN EVERY FIGURE!!!! I think I'm going to be collecting Gears of War figures now! Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird and for the first time ever, Anya, all heading your way this fall with the third Carmine brother. You'll also see a Thrashball Cole statue around the same time! Since the game got moved to fall, there will be another Gears 2 lineup this Spring with Kantus Priest, Skorge, Cog Solider (with a new, more articulated body) and Boomer Mauler.

It's been 10 long years, but the man who steals his lines from Roddy Piper has returned. Duke Nukem Forever drops this April and his little plastic counterpart will be there to greet him. He'll be backed with is gun, a cigar "and his bad ass attitude." Claptrap from Borderlands will follow soon after this May.

GAMESTAR COLLECTIBLES appeared seemingly from out of nowhere and dropped a small scale line of action figured deep in the heart of Toys R Us. Their video game lines kicked off with Crysis 2 with a C.E.L.L. Assault Unit, Grunt Alien Infantry Unit, Alcatraz Nanosuit 2.0, Nomad Nanosuit 1.0, Heavy Alien Devastator Unit and a Stalker Alien Assault Unit. Upcoming lines include Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Red Faction: Armageddon and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

At NY Comic Con 2010, DIAMOND SELECT premiered their Sony minimates with characters from Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Resistance: Fall of Man and Uncharted. These will be Toys R Us 2 pack exclusives this April. DS follows this with a Jak and Daxter action figure 2 pack this July.

DC Direct/ Unlimited continue to crank out some high quality action figures, now tackling the insanely popular God of War franchise with figures of Hades, Kratos, Hercules and Zeus dropping this May. You'll also get new figures for Starcraft with Kerrigan and Tychus Deluxe Action Figures this December.

There are half a billion toys coming out for HALO, as usual, so we are going to give that its own article. Stay tuned!!

More NECA Bioshock On The Way

Yes, NECA have made some fantastic Predators toys, but anyone watching the forums knows the REAL buzz has been on NECA's video game collectibles line up! Bioshock has been getting a steady stream of deep dive suit warriors and the monstrosities they face off against and now, NECA toss in some items that let you LIVE THE TERROR!!! ...well not really live it..but you can put on a mask and freak out your mom. That much, they are good for!

Bioshock Gift Set : Sinclair and Little Sister with Red Dress and life size Bunny Mask - This deluxe set includes a full size resin “Bunny” Splicer mask, over 12” tall, that can be worn or hung as wall décor. Also included are 2 exclusive new figures of the Sinclair Big Daddy from the Alpha Series and a Little Sister in red dress. The figures are fully poseable and include the following accessories: Grenade Launcher, ADAM Syringe, and Miniature Subject Delta doll. These figures and mask are available only in this set and are a limited edition exclusive.

We are also including some updated pictures of the Replica Splicer Welding Mask. Both masks are due to hit this Fall (and to be more specific..around October/November).

SDCC 2010: NECA and Their Niche

There are only so many hours in a day and at San Diego Comic Con, those hours fly by at twice the speed of sound. At Toy Fair, we have all day to shoot action figures...but at SDCC, we get put in rooms with the most awesome people you could imagine working on projects we love, so we've got to plan our attack wisely! Unfortunately, some companies get left behind as result. By the time we got back to NECA on Sunday, they'd already decided to call it quits and the newest prototypes were packed up, leaving behind tiny little footprints in the dust where they once stood. Luckily, we've got some sales shots of these new figures as well as NECA's own Twitterifications live from the show.

Coming to the pegs in the near future...

Predators Action Figures: Series One should be hitting stores right now and Series 2 including the Tracker, Unmasked Berzerker and a Battle Damaged Classic Predator. I'm not sure how the rest will be released, but we also saw a Cloaked Predator and were told the Predadogs would get a separate release. We shall see. Expect Series 2 this October. Then in November, we get a classic Alien VS Predator 2 pack! It's been a long time since anyone put the pair together, so expect them to sell out all over. Translation..pre-order NOW.



























Bioshock: Alpha Sinclair wields a trusty Grenade Launcher to scatter the plastic beasties this year as the Splicers look on, wondering if they can make themselves prettier by collecting those spare body parts! Is it clear I know nothing aboit Bioshock? I'm a good faker. At any rate, I don't recall this many Splicers in the lineup before, so get ready to snap up all you can handle. NECA have announced Crawler and Brute joining the fight and debut'd little masks we hadn't seen at the show. Want full sized masks allowing you to terrorize the noisy neighborhood children? FEAR NOT!! NECA rises to the occasion with Lady Smith and Welder Splicer Masks.

Twilight: Ahhhh..Twilight. The itch at the back of your throat that won't go away. Like it or not, these pups must sell TONS of units at Toys R Us, so alongside the standard Edward, Jacob and unsmiling femme fetale action figures, they do their best to introduce a new character with every wave. For Eclipse this October, not only do we get some new sculpts for the crew, but a new character in Rosalie. At this rate, we'll get Jasper in December of 2012.

Harry Potter continues with the Deathly Hallows lineup featuring 3 new figures. Included are Snatcher Chase Harry Potter (which sounds all sorts of dirty) with Glasses, Wand and Backpack, Fenrir Greyback and Severus Snape. Watch for them this November.


Player Select: Rounding out the coverage is NECA's video game action figures. Bioshock and Gears if War get their own line, but Altair of Assassin's Creed 2 will join the core line, wearing his signature white and black outfits. We showed you the Splinter Cell and Borderlands toys last time around, and nothing new to report on that front save the small detail that Sam Fisher will come with his Tri-Goggles. I guess begging does make a difference, huh?



For Gears Fans, expect new figures of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. Looks like a slender year for the Gears.




As a side note, we'll also be getting a new Jason Voorhees from the last, updated Friday the 13th film. He'll be packed wearing the sack head and mask randomly, but each figure will contain both heads.

NECA's SDCC Exclusive Lineup

NECA jump into the battle with a small grouping of San Diego Comic Con exclusives that represent the movie and video game properties they crank out product for all year long. This year's lineup includes...

Cult Classics: Terminator 2 T-1000 Liquid Metal Version Action Figure
Gears of War: Jace Stratton Action Figure
Bioshock 2: Eleanor Lamb Unmasked Version Action Figure
Predators: Berzerker Predator Cloaked Version Action Figure

Unfortunately, that's all we've got for now, but when we get a hold of edition sizes and further pics of the Predator, Bioshock 2 and the packaging, we'll be sure to do an update.

In other NECA news, there have also been announcements of Assassin's Creed 2 action figures featuring a standard and black clothed Ezio and a Bob Marley figure from "Live at the Rainbow" in 7 and 18 inches.

Toy Fair 2010: NECA

NECA gobbles up licenses like a fat kid going after a tower of Twinkies! This year world domination continues with new Video Game licenses, a bolstered lineup for Terminator 2, a hungry pack of Predators (beginning with new figures from 1 and 2), killer Jonah Hex figures, enough Twilight merch to make a little emo girl cry sparkly tears and THE MOST INCREDIBLE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET COLLECTIBLE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN!!! Hit the links and try not to go into geek fits!

• Twilight Merchandise
  
• Street Fighter Action Figures
• Terminator 2 Action Figures
• Predator 1 and 2 Action Figures
• Gears of War Action Figures
• Bioshock 2 Action Figures
• Wizkids Marvel and DC Heroclix, Gremlins and More
• Jonah Hex Action Figures and Props
• Dante's Inferno Video Game Action Figures
• Nightmare on Elm Street Action Figures and Props
• Clash of the Titans Action Figures and Props

Thanks to Randy and the NECA crew for showing us around and giving us access and Heather Buckley for her interview super powers! Note: Figures pictured are often not finished product. Final items may look different.