Dollar General Snake Eyes
by KansasBrawler
My brother and I both collected and played with G.I. Joes growing up. Being three years older than me, he started collecting the line sometime in either 1985 or 1986…the halcyon days (though a few figures do predate that time frame because of how long Hasbro would produce figures back in the day). However, it seems odd that the 1991 version of Snake Eyes was the first version either of us had in our collection. The 1991 Snake Eyes was my brother’s and he saw a lot of play when we’d pool our Joe resources for big adventures in the basement. As such, I have a lot of fond memories of that mold and I secretly kept hoping Hasbro would make that version of Snake Eyes as well somewhere during the modern line. The 25th Anniversary collection gave us Snake Eyes’ three fan-favorite early looks, the Rise of Cobra line gave us some movie-based versions plus an early look at the Resolute Snake Eyes, and the Pursuit of Cobra line gave us a nice desert version with a great short coat (that began its life as an arctic figure) and the even more amazing second Desert Battle Snake Eyes that could fulfill almost any collectors’ need for Snake Eyes, but I always still wanted to see that blue, black and gray 1991 Snake Eyes come out in some form. Imagine my surprise and delight when the first pictures of the Dollar General assortment of figures were released and contained a familiar looking version of the Joe team’s premiere ninja.
The main problem I’ve always had with Snake Eyes figures is his color palate, or more accurately his lack thereof. I understand the importance of black to a ninja, but I really like it when Hasbro mixes it up and does something different with Snake Eyes’s color scheme and that is something that was definitely lacking for the most part during the modern era. Of that brief list of Snake Eyes figures, really only the Resolute/Rise of Cobra City Strike Snake Eyes ever deviated from the black-on-black color scheme and I think that’s why that particular version of Snake Eyes stayed on my display shelf for so long. Don’t get me wrong, the second Desert Battle Snake Eyes is also in a prominent place because that figure was just so well-executed, but I did appreciate that Hasbro tried to do something different with the Resolute/RoC City Strike version. And trying to do something different is what I appreciate about the Dollar General Snake Eyes as well. The 1991 look for Snake Eyes was definitely unique and the design team did their best to recreate with the parts they had on hand. I think they did a relatively good job with finding parts that give the idea of the bracers with ninja stars and the leggings that the 1991 version had, but there is a part of me that wishes the design team could have been let completely off the chain and been allowed to sculpt some new pieces if necessary. I understand that wasn’t possible for a wave of figures sold exclusively at a chain of dollar stores, but there is a little bit of “what might have been” syndrome that affects this Snake Eyes just because the part choices get so close and yet are just off enough that it throws things off for me. First and foremost, I would have preferred that they’d used the torso from really almost any other version of Snake Eyes. I realize they were trying to go for the mesh look that the 1991 version had from his vest, but the crosshatched parts from the Paine Brothers’ Snake Eyes torso are obscured by the vest and the hole for mounting the knives in its original iteration is still front and center on the torso. Considering this torso saw reuse as Hard Master, I wish they would have remolded it back then to get rid of the hole so it could be used later. I know, the fact that they made an arrow that fit in the hole was a nice Easter egg, but I’d rather see a good torso reusable in a larger variety of situations than I would that particular, slightly morbid though somewhat amusing, Easter egg. Night Fox’s vest looks very good on this figure, however, it does magnify a small problem and creates another—the head from the second Desert Battle Snake Eyes is slightly undersized and looks a bit smaller when flanked by the large vest and the pouches keep Snake Eyes from putting his arms down all the way to his side in a neutral pose, which does look kind of awkward. When that head is placed on the body it was originally designed for, it looks fine, however the Dollar General Snake Eyes is slightly bulkier than that mold already thanks to the beefy Action Attack Storm Shadow arms and when you add in the bulky vest, it makes Snake Eyes look a little pinheaded. I’ll also admit that I wasn’t a big supporter of this choice of a head in general even before noticing that it made him look a little micro cephalic. I think the Resolute Snake Eyes head did a much better job of capturing the look of the 1991 Snake Eyes and think it would look better here than the Desert Battle Snake Eyes head. That said, the Night Fox vest was a great way to recreate the 1991 version’s pocket-y vest and I doubly appreciate it since it’s a nice piece that I don’t have in my collection since I wasn’t really impressed enough with the PoC A.W.E. Striker to ever pick it up.
For a figure with only four different paint colors (or five if you count the vest’s gray as an additional color), the Dollar General Snake Eyes does a really good job of aping the 1991’s design. Aside from turning the bracers a solid black because there weren’t straps on the original molded pieces, color placement is almost a spot for spot recreation of the 1991 version and I really appreciate that. The only thing that could have made it look more like the 1991 Snake Eyes is had the sword been molded in a crazy neon, reddish orange color. The sword is really the only accessory Snake Eyes has and I’m a little disappointed in that. I would have liked to have seen him come with some sort of silenced submachine gun—my candidate would be the one that Pursuit of Cobra Beachhead came with. I realize that the Night Fox vest probably ate a lion’s share of the accessories budget on him, but considering Shipwreck still got a nice weapon out of the deal when he came with his dive backpack and mask, I think Snake Eyes could have been afforded a gun as well.
Despite my nitpicks, I really do like this version of Snake Eyes for what it is, a nice throwback to the unusual-looking 1991 Snake Eyes. It’s surprising that using parts from only three different figures and a bare minimum of paint apps Hasbro was able to create a convincing reproduction of the most original-looking Snake Eyes figure the line made. While it’s not a perfect reproduction, it definitely passes the squint test and there’s no mistaking what version of Snake Eyes he’s meant to represent. While I would’ve liked a little better choice on the head, he’s a solid figure though his lack of accessories do make him feel a bit more like a dollar store figure than some of the others from that wave.
Pingback: » Field Report Friday: Dollar General Snake Eyes
I thought it odd that of all the versions of Snake eyes to update, this one was the choice. I wonder if that Dollar general Stormshadow was also picked as in the DIC episode “The sword” has them both in thier “dollar general” costumes. It is a pity he doesnt come with a neon sword and a grappling hook bazooka.
My first Snake eyes was the Ninja force one. My little brothers was the shadow ninja repaint [which crumbled in his hands instantly after he opened it]
1993 Ninja Force Snake Eyes was my first Snake Eyes as well. My brother definitely got the better of the late-line Snake Eyes figures. NF Snake Eyes was nice, but the loss of articulation really did hurt him in terms of getting play time.
What version of Snake Eyes was Hasbro trying to emulate with the green Dollar General version two Snake Eyes?
I think it might be an homage to the Heavy Assault Squad Snakes. That one used the ’91 SE body
Dollar General Snake Eyes… lurking behind unknown aisles, waiting for Cobra shoplifters to make their move before he strikes. But why is the ninja commando beholden to the Dollar General store? Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries which shall go unanwered….
Anyway, I agree the 1991 Snake Eyes was memorable, but I think the big red goggles hurt him. Had it been a very dark, subdued red, it might’ve done better. This figure does look to do that 1991 Snake Eyes justice.
Question, if the 1991 Snake Eyes was your 1st, were the others all that hard to find? I remember the 1985 Snake Eyes being the most impossible figure ever from the 80s to find in my experience, but 1989 wasn’t too hard. I think it was only hard for a time to find, at least around me.
Great review, KB. Congrats on landing the new Friday spot here.
Being an old timer compared to most of you guys, my first Snake Eyes was the ’83 swivel arm version. As such, I grew up with the iconic black versions. But I remember seeing this figure on the shelves in ’91 and thinking he made for a nice change of pace. It’s a neat design for sure.
I ordered the Dollar General set through BBTS since there are no stores in the OC but got stuck with the repaints instead. I’m hoping to pick up the blue version at some point in time, eventually.
@ Little Boa– You know, I don’t really know why we didn’t have Snake Eyes until then. I think part of it was neither of us was really into the comics (where he had a lot bigger presence) so I don’t think we were really interested in the character all that much. We both really enjoyed the cartoon but I don’t remember seeing the original miniseries in reruns which was the one place Snake Eyes got to shine as I recall. I know a lot of my early figures were characters that were big in the cartoon like Flint, Lady Jaye and Roadblock.
I would’ve gone with the resolute head as well, and use the upper legs of the resolute cobra trooper. The vest actually came from the ROC Aero-Viper.
The dust bowel i grew up in was a dumping ground for unsold toys, from all over the world. The old miser who ran the local toy stole only ever got in “old” stuff as he was too cheap to buy anything new. This never bothered me as i was the only kid in the early 90’s who didnt care about turtles or horrible actors in spandex, my little brother did though. After he saw the 3rd TMNT movie, he really wanted a Michelangelo but the only two figure from that franchise the shop had was Aprils boss [the fat guy, i dont remeber what his name was].
Anyway, after i first saw the original miniseries, i managed to pick up a few of the “old” Joe toys the shop had. I really wanted the Snake eyes from ’83 but i had to make do with the Ninja force one instead.
On the subject of Snakes eyes in the MASS device. He must be invincible. He walks from the North pole to what logically must be Canada [whilst radiated] Has he got skin made of led?
@ Skymate
And Australia was a dumping ground for other unwanted things too. Some of the rarest Neo Geo (AES) games ever have been traced to being originally sold in Australia (the ones that go for like $8000-12,000 per cart).
@ Little Boa
I wasnt sure what to get my Brother and his wife for a wedding present last year. I looked around and nearly bought them the old Atari E.T game but decided not too. They collect video games but i dont think they were that desperate for E.T. Looks like a few of them survived being burried in New Mexico.
Stupidest thing i ever did was sell the Transformers Brainmaster, Lightspeed for $7.00 AU. I’ve been kicking myself ever since i found out how hard he is to find in any other country.
Snake Eyes wasn’t THAT big to us kids back in the day. I’m hard pressed to pick out others that stood out more, but I think 1986 was probably my age groups GIJoe year. That years cartoon had the most impact on us, and as I think about it, that’s probably the “most” year for which years toys we had the most of us.
The ’89 Snake Eyes was my first Snake Eyes, and in those years, even my best bud asked me why I even bought a ‘Joe (but he did buy a ’90 Sub Zero, so we know he was still in.) But I don’t recall in my memory the character or figure really standing out. I’ll admit, at that with the 1989 figure, I was wondering if Snake Eyes could talk or not as I played with it. That’s how much Snake Eyes did not stand out to us.
It wasn’t until 1991 that I even had a GIJoe comic, and it was like issue 119, which I bought with a four pack of older GIJoe comics.
And somewhere about that time, 1991 Snake Eyes became my 50th GIJoe figure in my collection.
Despite the orange, and never used spring-launched grappling hook, I thought the figure was very cool and I’m not sure if it was the really muscular build or the more commando-like vest with tactical goggles and faceplate mixed with a little bit of ninja, but I pretty much much stopped using my 1989 Snake Eyes.
The repainted VvV figure from this mold is my favorite with its more subdued hues now.
This Dollar General figure is one I wouldn’t mind having, along with the “good” version of Storm Shadow. For some reason, my personal GIJoe characters have really stuck more with their evolved versions from 1988 and 1991 from the comic story lines.
Nice sword!