We've had an alien already so now it's time for a Predator! Today's installment of The ABCs of 31 Days of Toy Terror is Nightstorm Predator from Kenner's 1990s Aliens and Predator line. I definitely liked the Aliens stuff more as a kid but I had a few Predators in my collection. This wasn't one of them, though. The Nightstorm Predator came out in 1994 and was a repaint of the series one Predator figure Scavage. Kenner definitely reused molds and they did it frequently in the Alien and Predator line to make more figures. Ready for a look at another Predator? Then join me after the break...
The Facts:
Height: 5 1/4ths inches
Articulation: Swivel hips and swivel shoulders.
Accessories: Mask, twin turbo baster, and harpoons
Year of Release: 1994
Original Retail Price: $5-$7 dollars
The Positives:
* The Predators we see in the movies have some pretty intricate costumes and while Kenner went with "inspired by" rather than "based on" for their designs, they had a lot to work with and created some pretty nifty looking Predators. Nightstorm has the same sculpt as the series 1 Scavage but his skin his is black and he's sporting a mixture of rust red and gold colored armor. There's a lot of detail on the armor with a mixture of technical detail and the jagged looking primitive hunter details of the Predator culture.
* Nightstorm's mouth is open showing off his teeth. He looks pretty pissed, too. He's got some long dreads flowing down his back, too.
* There's also one of those lethal little plasma cannons sculpted onto the Nightstorm Predator's shoulder.
By the way, do you think Nightstorm is just a title or designation for this guy or do you think his name is really Nightstorm? I always assumed that Cracked Tusk and Scavage were the names guys from the first series, but could this guy's name really be Nightstorm (or at least the Predator translation of it).
"This doesn't seem physically possible!"
* The Nightstorm Predator has the same massive harpoon launcher that Scavage had, but his is molded in black with white harpoons. It's definitely more interesting looking this way. The skull staff fits in the middle and the harpoons have a string connecting them, firing like a bola to ensnare the Predator's prey.
* The Nightstorm Predator's head doesn't really turn at all as it's blocked by his hair and the cannon. His arms and legs move, though, and they're plenty sturdy.
The Negatives:
* Unfortunately, due to the way his legs are positioned there really isn't much to do with his guy. He looks good in only one standing pose and he doesn't look the best sitting down, either.
* The skull staff functions as a support post for the cannon, keeping the front end up while the back of the cannon clips around the Nightstorm Predator's waist. There are handles but the figure can't grip them at all, so that's pretty lame. Truth be told, this isn't my favorite weapon from this line at all. It just doesn't work well with this figure. It's actually a retooled accessory from the Batman: Dark Knight Collection Deluxe Crime Master Edition Batman with Blast Shield. That's a mouthful, isn't it?
The Negatives:
* Unfortunately, due to the way his legs are positioned there really isn't much to do with his guy. He looks good in only one standing pose and he doesn't look the best sitting down, either.
If you're a fan of the Predator, I've also reviewed some other Predators including the ReAction Predator (Thermal Vision), NECA's Jungle Hunter and City Hunter Predator 2 pack and their vintage styled Berserker Predator, Kenner's Alien versus Predator 2 pack, Lava Planet Predator, and Cracked Tusk, and the Aliens: Hive Wars Night Recon Predator.
For more figures from Kenner's Aliens/ Predator line check out the following:
For more figures from Kenner's Aliens/ Predator line check out the following:
I was so happy when Kenner started releasing Alien/Predator stuff. They finally filled in a huge gap from the 80s. This guy looks amazing, even for a repaint.
ReplyDeleteI remember my childhood friend Freddy (who I've mentioned in some of the other Alien and Predators reviews) had Scavage and these Predators just seemed like such a... mature toy at the time. Like, we were only in grade school, and it felt like maybe these were really designed for an older audience but we had gotten our hands on them. They felt a bit dangerous.
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