The Hall of Fame talking Duke was pretty impressive for its day. Although sound chip toys were all over during the 90s, most didn’t offer the kind of randomization feature included with this figure. Hasbro must have been quite confident in its potential as is featured a full page spread in the 1993 catalog. They hooked me with the toy,
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Who would have guessed that Destro would finally be unmasked as an action figure in the twelve inch format? I was all-in for the Hall of Fame series at its time of release. One the small-scale Joes left retail, I continued to collect older twelve inch Joes as well as the new Classic Collection (with much improved articulation, by the
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Twelve inch GI Joes are making a comeback! In 1993, that is. Of special interest here are the weapons in the hands of the mission gear equipped figures. It’s too bad we didn’t actually get some of these in the final product. I think Duke is wielding a 1/6 scale version of the original Dusty’s rifle. Pretty cool.
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In 1993, the Street Fighter II video game characters made their way into the 3 & 3/4 inch o-ring format (and were officially part of the GI Joe line thanks to a tiny logo on the packaging). The fighting figures also appeared in the revamped twelve inch Hall of Fame format. While the idea of these characters inhabiting the world
Read moreA much as I like the original Storm Shadow figure from 1984, I must admit that the follow-up Ninja Force version also holds a place of distinction in my mind. While the spring-action feature hindered poseability, the design was an interesting departure from the standard ninja pajamas of the 80s. The fact that the Hall of Fame release used the
Read more1993 was an exciting year for the Hall of Fame GI Joe line. The interest created by the previous year’s releases prompted Hasbro to delve deeper into the Real American Hero cast of characters, releasing 12 inch scale versions of some of the most requested iconic Joes and Cobras. The line expanded into carded mission gear and weapon sets, a
Read moreI won’t say too much about the Hall of Fame figures’ articulation; there isn’t much to say. With Barbie cartilage elbow and knee joints that moved about three clicks, the toys were hardly up to the standards of their forefathers in terms of movement. The series appealed to me mostly on the level of costume design. The first series for
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