In 1984 the vintage Masters of the Universe toyline had three new vehicles for the Heroic Warriors, my favorite of which has always been Stridor. I still have a
picture of me on Easter morning at 3 years with the vintage Stridor and Fisto 2-pack next to my Easter basket. Stridor has been one of the more popular vintage vehicles to make a reappearance in modern Masters of the Universe lines and this year Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins line has revisited the robotic horse. Masters of the Universe Origins has released some truly impressive vehicles in the line and Stridor is another hit with improved articulation and lots of fantastic accessories. Seriously, this guy is really, really cool. Ready to take a ride with Stridor? Then join me after the break...
The Facts:
Dimensions: 8 inches tall, 10 1/2 inches long
Articulation: Hinged ankles (x4), hinged knees (x4), swivel hips (x4), swivel tail, swivel rear turret, swivel neck base, balljointed mid-neck, balljointed head, and spring-hinged jaw.
Accessories: 2 cannons, 3 energy bursts, reins, 2 helmets, and base.
Non-Scalper Price: $30-$33 dollars
The Positives:
* At a glance the MOTU Origins Stalker looks quite similar to the
vintage toy. The colors are a bit brighter, though, and the legs have silver paint highlights to bring out the details on them. Stridor has always been a really cool looking toy and the Origins version captures everything cool about a robotic horse armed with laser cannons and subtly improves upon it.
* He's also quite nicely articulated. The legs each have three points of articulation, the tail swivels, and the neck has a swivel and a balljoint with a balljointed head. Pair that with the rotating cannons and Stridor is far more mobile than the originl toy.
* The two laser cannons that sit aside Stridor's neck are removable. They also rotate up and down so they can be used for blasting straight ahead of Stridor or for fending off aerial attacks. They're simple but quite neat looking. Sturdy, too.
* I love Stridor's blue mechanical eye as it just adds some welcome personality. Do you think Stridor has a personality or is he just a mechanical horse? I've always wondered myself. Sometimes Stridor has been portrayed as one of many with multiple Stridors but I've always preferred him to be unique. Well, more unique, perhaps, as Night Stalker exists. Anyways, his headsculpt is really cool with only minor updates from the vintage toy.
* The vintage Stridor wore a red battle helmet and that's what we get here. It's pretty cool looking and adds a nice splash of color to the front of the toy. The plastic is definitely thicker than on the vintage toy but otherwise it basically looks the same.
* Check out this crazy alternate red helmet that is far more elaborate than the standard helm. Where did this come from? When Matttel released the
Masters of the Universe Classics Night Stalker they included a new helmet for him. When Super7 released the
MOTUC Stridor, they also included the Night Stalker helmet, but in red. That's what this one is based on. It's a cool alternate look for Stridor. I think I'm still going pure vintage but this gets me pumped that Night Stalker ought to be coming soon, right?
* There's plenty of sculpted detail on the side and a pretty solid recreation of the vintage shield sticker, too.
* The control panel and the back of the seat are also stickers, just like the vintage toy. They're colorful and feel very retro and classic.
* Stridor's tail gun rotates to fend off any Evil Warriors pursuing him. I've always thought this little gun turret was a cool detail.
* So get this: How do you make Stridor's laser cannons even cooler? Use these included energy effects! They're translucent blue pieces that simply fit over the barrels of the guns. They're a bit heavy but they look cool and are a really fun extra.
* There's a third laser blast included for the turret on the back, too.
* Here's another new included item for Stridor: Some reins! The plastic handles are on a piece of rope and the bit is plastic and moves freely on the rope. What a neat idea.
* Stridor has a spring hinged mouth so he can snugly hold the bit. Giddy up!
* Mattel has included cool bases with a number of vehicles and Stridor also comes with one. The green color is similar to Castle Grayskull and the package does state that it attaches to Grayskull. really, you can slide one end of the base under the playset but there is no actual attachment point. This piece has a stand for Stridor and two small fences, almost like a little place to tie the robotic steed up. It's a pretty neat extra.
* Even better, the stand plugs into a port on Stridor's belly and helps you to pose him with his front legs up in the air. How cool is that? Whoever has been working on the vehicles in MOTU Origins really is doing a great job.
The Negatives:
* My one negative with Stridor is that the figures tend to sit a little lower in it than I'd prefer. They don't look like they're riding Stridor so much as sitting down inside a cockpit. With a little futzing around you can make it work better, but it's still a bit of a negative.
I've loved all of the vehicles released in this series so far but Stridor might be the best. He looks fantastic and really improves on the vintage toy (more paint apps, more articulation) while also adding in some cool new features. The addition of the laser blast effects, an additional helmet, and the reins really just make this a more fun toy. Oh, and the base. Whether you just want somewhere for Stridor to chill or you
want to pose him up on his hind legs, this is a cool extra. Mattel really is doing a great job with Masters of the Universe Origins and I'm excited to see what they've got in store next. This is an Epic Stridor figure and it makes me hopeful for Night Stalker. Oh, and Rio Blast. I usually pair Fisto with Stridor but a Rio Blast would be really cool, too.
If you're a fan of Stridor make sure to check out my reviews of the vintage
Stridor, the Masters of the Universe Classics
Stridor from Super7, and the Eternia Minis
Fisto and Stridor set.
For more Masters of the Universe Origins reviews check out the following:
I've loved all of the vehicles released in this series so far but Stridor might be the best. He looks fantastic and really improves on the vintage toy (more paint apps, more articulation) while also adding in some cool new features. The addition of the laser blast effects, an additional helmet, and the reins really just make this a more fun toy. Oh, and the base. Whether you just want somewhere for Stridor to chill or you
Yeah, I can't imagine that we'll see Stridor in Masterverse while Origins is still going. Might be a good choice.
ReplyDeleteThat is annoying. I haven't seen them anywhere yet or had mine ship from BBTS yet. Hopefully soon.
ReplyDeleteHow well does he work with 7" figures like MOTUC and Masterverse?
ReplyDeleteI've often had Masterverse Fisto sat inside this Origins Stridor.
DeleteYeah, it's not to bad. The MOTUC Stridor is obviously the better option but the MOTUC figures and vehicles are so chunky that the thinner Masterverse figures can typically make them work.
Deleteyeah, though the Origins Stridor has the benefit of being much, much cheaper. Not just in it's original price point but especially in the clearance aisles you can often find it in. :P
DeleteClassics vehicles are... not cheap. :P
That's for sure. Some of them have skyrocketed.
Delete