For something that, as Dutch pointed out, was an ugly brothertrucker, there have been some gorgeous Predator toys. This one is no exception.
NECA has taken advantage of the fact that a ton of their current cinematic properties received video game treatment on the original Nintendo Entertainment System by releasing a handful of figures colored just like the original sprites. VeeBee reviewed an earlier video game version of Jason from Friday the 13th HERE, and fireball 13z took a look at their funky-colored Robocop HERE. So now we’re bringing you a look at the Predator figure.
The packaging differs from the standard by replicating the look of the old Nintendo boxes, which is a very neat touch that adds to the overall nostalgic gut punch.
There’s not a lot to say about the figure itself, mainly because it doesn’t bring a whole lot of new to the table. It’s the standard Predator body that those of us who have been collecting the line are fully aware of, with a full complement of articulation. The selling point of this figure rests on two things: your nostalgic attachment to the video game, or your love of awesomely colored Predator toys.
I never had the original Nintendo system, so I have no nostalgic attachment, but I do dig pretty Predators, and this is a striking-looking figure that fits well with the Lava Planet Predator. The various tones of blue with sporadic touches of purple give off just enough of an 8-bit effect to him while still retaining the Predator feel. Where some of the other video game-styled offerings are very clearly one-offs that don’t quite fit into the universe they’re a part of, there’s really nothing about this Predator’s coloring that doesn’t allow him to stand with the rest of the Predator army. He’s just a little blue, but that’s just nighttime camouflage, right? I don’t really care. He’s snazzy, and snazzy needs no excuses!
