Nightfighter Guile (1994)

At times I like to stretch the premise of this site and reach out into other corners of what could be considered connected to GI Joe. I’ve always been interested in history in general, and that interest also sometimes strays into toys. I’m amazed by the number of times that Hasbro reused GI Joe figure and vehicle parts over the years, especially after the Real American Hero line ended. Sites like Yojoe and Joe Declassified have been instrumental in revealing just how many toy lines produced by Hasbro and its affiliates used Joe and other toy lines’ pieces over the years. Before the internet age however, we just had to look at the toys themselves and do our own detective work. Some were obvious in the old days, like the Stargate line’s reuse of the AWE Striker, but others were a little more obscure.

The movie Street Fighter line, though not branded with the GI Joe logo like the previous video game centered assortments, extensively used Joe parts and accessories. Of course this is apparent, as the Jean-Claude Van Damme figures were made up of Dusty, Wet Suit, Blizzard and other Joes. This one uses ’91 Snake Eyes, one of my all time favorite figures. It’s a quite tasteful repaint, in black and grey, and aside from the plunging neckline, could make a nice looking (and easy) mostly black ’91 Snake Eyes custom if one were to switch out the head from the Desert Patrol Squad set. The black molded Bullet-Proof helmet doesn’t fit Guile’s head too well, which is odd, considering they both have impressively high flattops.

The 1991 Snake Eyes weapons also make an appearance, albeit in a festive gold color. If this figure had been released in the 70’s, his gear would have been right at home in my parents’ kitchen. My favorite goofy weapon inclusion with this figure however is the working compound bow and arrow set. Originally an accessory of T-Rex Turner, a figure from the same year’s series of Jurassic Park figures, it’s obviously not designed for 3 & 3/4 inch GI Joes. Poor Guile can’t really hold it, other than to cradle it on his arm and hold the string. On the positive side, it really does fire, and fairly well for what it is. Variations abounded in the movie line, and this figure came with either black or white missiles. T-Rex Turner would have been so jealous of Guile’s arrow color selection. Now that I’m in a dino state of mind, Guile could be a candidate for a Street Fighter/Dino Hunters crossover. Pardon me, I gotta go find my cans of canary yellow and safety orange paint.

11 comments

  • Though shops in my area got in vast quantities of surplus street fighter stuff, i never saw much of the “movie” tie in figures. The only one i had was Guile and Bison 2 pack which didnt last long [Bison was made of gold plastic]

    When it comes to this guy, you could mistake him for an “unmasked” snake eyes. Oh and is that Scoops helmet?

  • @Skymate: That’s actually Bullet-Proof’s helmet. The head sculpt does look more like a generic depiction of Duke than Van Damme himself.

    The Street Fighter movie line is a bonanza of riches for customizers, seeing how most figures are all made up of recycled Hasbro molds. But this was also the time that Kenner was merged with Hasbro, leading to the Ohio team who ran Kenner to take over for the good folks over in Pawtucket, RI, G.I. Joe’s longtime, real-life headquarters. I guess this explains why a Jurassic Park weapon ended up in a 3 3/4 inch line. It’s a cool design, but way too oversized for Guile and company when it was meant for a larger-scaled Kenner figure such as T-Rex Turner.

  • I know this figure is definitely going to be used for customs (if I ever get one or two…). There is a head you could use without disrupting the flow of the mold for the Desert Patrol Squad or Heavy Assault Squad Snake Eyes figures–the Winter Operations Snake Eyes.

  • @Clutch
    Where any of the street fighter head/facescultps used for Joe characters? Now that i think about it, i think my battlecorps Wetsuit is “scuba” Guile

  • Sagat and Zangief’s heads were used for the 2004 convention Dreadnoks Demolisher and Crusher, respectively; M. Bison’s was used for the Black Major from the 2010 con set; and Blanka’s was used for the 2008 convention Hotwire. The only other heads that weren’t Joe were Mortal Kombat-based: Sonya Blade’s for the convention Natalie Poole, Liu Kang’s for the Dr. Venom from the Collector’s club, and the Mortal Kombat ninja head for the 2003 Black Dragon leader.

  • Nice mold (except the face!)…

  • If not for the flesh colored, exposed chest, this figure would be an essential acquisition for any vintage Joe collector. Still, a quick swath of black paint will fix that and give you a great body for a custom Snake Eyes. The black helmet is a also a good match for the Brazilian Tiro Certo since he didn’t include the helmet.

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