I’ve gone on and on about how much I’ve been enjoying NECA’s offerings over the past couple of years. They’re pumping out some great figures based around licenses that I love, from Predator and Alien to Gremlins, Rocky, and even E.T. I’m eagerly anticipating the the upcoming classic Planet of the Apes figures and Ultimate Freddy Kreuger. NECA is kicking major-league booty.
Even with their impressive track record, there are still holes that need to be filled in some of their various lines. I’m going to list five figures that I need to supplement the toys I already have. While the obvious choice on a list like this might be Ripley, I will say upfront that she’s not on here. However, one figure that will never happen is listed here. So prepare to be confounded.
In no real order:
Articulated Schwarzenegger Terminator.
Man, does this ever inspire “discussions.” NECA has produced plenty of Terminator figures, but these were back in the dark ages when there was no mobility below the waist. The technical term for that kid of toy is “useless.” While they were great-looking toys, they will never enter into my collection because I need toys I can play with and move around. And since the typical response to that line of thinking is “He wasn’t a ninja/Spider-Man/didn’t move all that much in the movie anyway,” I ask you how many of your figures can do this?:
Dude’s just sitting down. OK then. We can start with Arnienator and then move on to articulated versions of everyone else.
Greta from Gremlins
We got the Flasher, we got the Spider, we need the… whatever the hell he/she/it is. If you’re making a list of memorable Gremlin characters from the surreal and wacked-out Gremlins 2, it’s impossible to leave out this wigged-out little monster. The Gremlins line has been one of the most surprising and enduring, kind of an underdog line, and I’m really hoping that they can squeak out a few more before the line kaputs. A prototype was shown, but she… he… whatever… has yet to surface.
Cain From Robocop 2
NECA has released a handful of great versions of Robocop, from battle damaged to spring-loaded holster to the upcoming jet-pack version from Robocop 3. And we got a great villain piece with ED-209. But I won’t consider the line done without his evil counterpart from the sometimes lauded, sometimes lambasted sequel. Because regardless of your thoughts on the movie itself, you have to admit, that would be a killer toy.
NECA’s Shredder figure.
I mean… come on. We were teased so hard. NECA pumped out a quartet of pitch-perfect Turtles with the promise of Shredder and some Foot to come… and then our hopes were dashed with absolute nuclear levels of disappointment. If this line could be reinvigorated just to get that sweet, sweet Shredder, life would make sense again. I don’t even know how this never happened. I can only imagine the world was insane back in 2008, with cats and dogs wearing suits and taking office jobs and such. So yes, this is perfectly relevant to this article because the line existed, this figure almost existed, and the world sucks for the lack of it.
And finally, the nevergonnahappenbutwantanyway:
Dead End Batman
I know, I know… but how awesome would it be if NECA somehow got the rights to produce a one-off, fully articulated version of Batman from the fan-created Dead End short. They’ve already made Predator figures from it… I need a Batman figure that features the best on-screen Bat costume to go with it. Give him all the swanky articulation that they poured into things like the Marines in the Alien line, and we could have an awesome 7-inch scale double-jointed Batman figure that could not only fight Predators and Aliens, but could rumble with Rambo, Dutch, and whomever else you’d want him to go up against.
And there you go! Have some choices of your own? Leave a comment!