Snake Eyes - Hall of Heroes (Figure 10 of 10)

So let me get this straight...the Hall of Heroes was conceived as a "Fan Vote" scenario designed to let fans vote for their favorite figures to be included in this exclusive run...and the fans voted for TWO different Snake Eyes figures? Really?

That does seem a bit hard to swallow, but I guess the fact that neither Duke nor Cobra Commander made the cut is at least some solace. With many of the Hall of Heroes figures, even if a lot of them were "been there, done that" there were some interesting new elements that still drove the desirability. I'm honestly not sure what drove this version of Snake Eyes. Perhaps initially fans thought that maybe this would give them the traditional "black" version of Commando Snake Eyes that they wanted, but that version was released in Wave 1 of 2008. Yes, I know this version of the figure is EVEN MORE BLACK, but seriously?

Now, don't get me wrong, when this Snake Eyes came out in the initial run of the Anniversary line, I sang its praises...it was one of the highlights of those first 10 figures. But that was a long time ago, and while the base figure is still a good one, I didn't see any improvements made with the Hall of Heroes release. Sure, the paint apps on the grenade make it a bit more metallic...there are more intricate details here and there. But ultimately this figure remains relatively unchanged from previous versions which makes it tough to rationalize a purchase, other than to just complete the set.

For accessories, what you see is what you get. He comes with the familiar satchel, that does have some nice painted detail, I will give it that. But the rest is just the same pistol, knife, and Uzi that we've already seen.

I don't like to sound harsh...this is really a nice figure and has served the Anniversary line well. Used as the base for most of the Original 13 figures, it has proven its worth, and has provided an awesome sense of uniformity across the Joe team. The webgear is great, I love the removable pistol, and the figure looks pretty cool, even four years after its debut. But honestly, I can't find any reasons why it needed to be included in this run of 10 figures, especially when another (better) Snake Eyes already made the cut. We've got enough Snake Eyes as it is, we certainly don't need one the same or very similar released multiple times in high end packaging for a premium price. Granted, the price ain't so premium these days, but back then, it was, and anyone buying this figure had to be feeling it.

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