G.I. Joe: Classified – Snake Eyes

by generalsjoes | May 26, 2020 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

From whispered rumors and fandom hopes, the time has finally arrived. The new G.I. Joe: Classified six inch action figure series from Hasbro has officially been released.

And as usual, I’m starting off with a somewhat boring one so I can save the best for last.

Boring isn’t fair, though. At its core, the Snake Eyes figure is a great figure, it just so happens that a far better one was already released a short time ago.

This Snake Eyes is a standard retail version of the figure we got as a Pulse Exclusive a short while ago, and the base figure itself retains all the cool sculpting and articulation that the first figure did. The main differences between them are the color scheme (this Snake Eyes leans more towards the pure black of old rather than the healthy variation of browns and grays) and the accessory compliment.

Depending on your perspective, this could be a negative or a positive. Personally, I much prefer the Pulse Exclusive, not just for the weapons rack, amazing ninja weapons and Snake Eyes’ trademark Uzi, but because unlike many other opinions I’ve seen floating around, I actually like the variation in colors instead of black from head to toe.

That being said, this figure has merits, and lots of them, especially for folks who didn’t take advantage of the Pulse pre-order and are now looking at hefty secondary market prices. Breaking down the base figure, this version of Snake Eyes is still really cool.

DESIGN

From a design perspective, you need to look at the sculpting first– it absolutely shines. No this isn’t a regurgitated 1985 Snake Eyes at a 6″ scale, it’s so much more. This is, by and large, a new conceptualization of the familiar Joe Commando, it just happens to have the right amount of vintage flair.

As I’ve already mentioned here, and in my review of the Pulse Exclusive, the sculpting and concept work on this figure is spectacular. There seems to be just the right mix of standard military and ninja super hero. His face mask is a great combination of the knight’s visor look and the Commando version, coming together in a head sculpt that looks remarkably like the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Battle Kata Snake Eyes.

(That’s a good thing).

The battle armor sculpted throughout the figure is sleek and non-intrusive, but again adds some terrific modern elements to the figure that I really appreciate and enjoy.

As mentioned above as well, the colors here are far more straight forward, going with a mostly black color scheme with just some minor hints of silver, mostly on the buckles and clasps. He has his red Arashikage symbol as well, of course. The result is a figure that feels much more like the Snake Eyes most people remember, which is fine, I just happen to prefer a little extra variation in my color schemes. In my opinion the Pulse version managed an attractice aesthetic without going overboard, where this figure feels a bit more bland, color-wise.

This version of the figure has the same removable parts as the previous version, though none of them really get in the way, so I don’t find myself desperate to take them off. Customizability is great, though, offering some opportunity for artistic Joe fans to take the base figure and spice things up a bit with other mix and match parts.

Impressive concept, amazing sculpting, littered with spectacular and fine details. The overall design of this figure is great, just not as colorful as the previous version (which to some people might be a good thing).

ARTICULATION

I’m in love.

Ever since first hitting the scene in the 1960’s, G.I. Joe has been a landmark in articulation and playability. For many, many years, G.I. Joe was a cornerstone. A hallmark of ingenuity and play that other toy lines desperately tried to emulate.

Well, Marvel Legends (among others) beat us to this one, but Snake Eyes still wears it well.

The articulation on this figure is simply incredible. Ball joints abound and if you can think of a pose to put Snake Eyes in, you can more or less do it. Ball joint waist, torso crunch, butterfly shoulders, ball joint neck (at the shoulders and at the chin) as well as double-jointed knees and elbows. Wrists and ankles have added articulation as well.

Because the figure is sculpted relatively sleek, he is able to maintain a number of different action or stabilized positions and I couldn’t be happier with the way the sculpting and articulation integrate.

If I had any complaints, it might be with the rocker ankles. I love rockers, but because the ankles can’t swivel, it’s a bit of a balancing act (figuratively and literally) to get him to stand in certain positions. Of course you generally have a choice – rocker or swivel, simple construction prevents the ability to have both, and ultimately I think rocker is the right choice.

ACCESSORIES

So… here’s the biggest point of consternation among the fans right now, and its certainly not directed at only Snake Eyes. In fact, Roadblock is probably an even bigger target where this hot topic is concerned.

Unlike the Pulse exclusive Snake Eyes, this version doesn’t come with the extra ninja weapons (which was more or less expected) but an even bigger detraction is the fact that Snake Eyes’ trademark Uzi is replaced with a laser pistol sort of thing, and his standard sidearm is also replaced with a more laser-looking weapon (though it still fits the silencer, thank goodness!).

The Uzi replacement looks somewhat similar to a weapon that Retaliation Snake Eyes came with, while the pistol has some elements that remind me of the Rise of COBRA laser pistol.

First of all, I understand why they did this. The Pulse exclusive Snake Eyes is a figure geared towards collectors. Adults (I use that term loosely) who collect action figures as nostalgia driven entertainment. As such, Hasbro has more leeway about what sorts of weapons they can include. I have to imagine for figures being marketed at mass retail, for Walmart, Target, etc.. there is apparently a desire (quite possibly on the retail side) to include more fanciful weapons with the figure, rather than authentic looking machine guns.

I won’t get into the politics of this here, but considering the climate in America, I can totally see why this decision might be made to avoid any conflicts with potential customers. You can agree with it or disagree with it, but I would bet a lot of money that this is the reason why the figures come with these outside-the-box weapons.

Ultimately, while it would certainly be nice to see more “real world” sort of guns, I don’t get all that twisted up over it. Easy for me to say because I’ve got the Pulse exclusive so I still have the Uzi, but ultimately, the figure is what drives my enjoyment and the figure maintains its quality even with strangely chosen weapons.

All that aside, just looking at the weapons themselves I think they’re pretty neat, even if they are more future-focused. Snake Eyes’ weapon designs are fun and he holds them both well, and as I mentioned above, the silencer still works on the pistol, which is pretty cool. I also like the added peg and hole on the larger laser, which allows it to be held on the backpack, but then for the sheath to attach as well.

He also still comes with his knife, sword, backpack and sheath, so he’s got a decent amount of the same gear.

Are the accessory choices perfect for an adult G.I. Joe fan looking to recapture their youth? No. But they work well for a newer audience who isn’t so attached to the gritty realism of a Cold War anti-terrorist force and I’m not going to belabor that decision here.

PRESENTATION

While the presentation with this figure isn’t quite as ornate and elaborate as the Pulse exclusive, I definitely still appreciate the design aesthetics of the packaging. The artwork is really nicely done, though I have seen some legitimate complaints about the differing styles from box to box. I can understand some of those complaints, though individually I really love what I see with each box.

CONCLUSION

It feels like forever since we got a truly new and original approach to the G.I. Joe mythology, and man, G.I. Joe: Classified delivers in spades. I’ve had a ton of fun with this figure (and the others) even though I just spent hours on the Pulse exclusive review not that long ago.

Of course, in my humble opinion, if you have a choice, I would lean towards the Pulse exclusive as a purchase rather than the standard retail version, mostly because of the accessories and the more interesting color scheme. But at this point, the Pulse exclusive is sold out and is quite a bit pricier on the secondary market, so that being said, I think the standard retail release makes a fine substitute.

I know there’s been some disagreement within the fandom about the shift to six inches, and I can appreciate the opinions of both sides. I grew up with the 1:18 scale and still have a strong appreciation for that, but I’ve seen a TON of exposure to these figures mostly based on the fact that they’re now six inch collector-grade toys, and I think that’s only a good thing for the brand.

It certainly helps that the toys themselves are a hell of a lot of fun, too.

General Gallery

Group Shots

G.I. Joe: Classified – Snake Eyes (Pulse Exclusive)

by generalsjoes | Mar 7, 2020 | G.I. Joe Classified 6" Line, review-no-frontpage

How’s that saying go? Things can change in an instant? It wasn’t that long ago that the G.I. Joe community at large was questioning just what sort of life was left in the brand. I’m not sure that specific question has been answered, but at least we know there’s something to look forward to in 2020!

In fact, if my suspisions are correct– there is a LOT to look forward to in 2020, not the least of which is Hasbro’s new 6″ G.I. Joe: Classified line.

I know, I know… “but GeneralsJoes, we grew up on 3.75″ G.I. Joe’s in the 1980’s why fix what ain’t broken??”

Well, let me start by saying– just because there’s a 6″ line coming doesn’t mean there isn’t a 4″ line coming. There’s still a lot of time left in 2020 leading up to a brand new movie in October, so I think given the next few months, 4″ G.I. Joe fans will have something to look forward to as well.

Now, as for this figure.

Holy crap. I mean, you all knew I was going to love it, right? Anyone who has followed my site for any length of time knows that my love of G.I. Joe isn’t necessarily restricted by scale or format. I was one of the biggest fans of Sigma 6 (both 8″ and 2.5″) back in the day, and as long as the toy is cool, I like it.

This toy, Joe fans, is damn cool. It also marks a milestone. For the first time in G.I. Joe’s 50+ year history, we are getting figures in the 1:12 (or 6″) scale. Figures that can stand alongside Star Wars: Black, Marvel Legends, DC Heroes, Power Rangers, etc…

Let me just say at a 6″ scale, this Snake Eyes figure is fantastic. I mean, I had high expectations as it was, being a fan of Marvel Legends, but I have to say this figure surpassed them.

DESIGN

First of all, the design work. Where Hasbro could have easily just taken a blow-by-blow replica of the ’85 version and done it in 6″ scale (and made many Joe fans happy) they went a different route and made something totally new. Granted, there are elements of the ’85 version here, with the knight’s visor and the bandolier, but there’s also a heavy influence from his Resolute version, which is one of my favorite looks for the Joe ninja commando, with just the right hints of the Retaliation version mixed in.

He’s got a good mix of body suit and military style, with baggy pants, shin-high boots mixed with knee and shoulder armor, gauntlets and some awesome layered armor sculpted on the torso (alongside the removable bandolier, belt and secondary webgear). On the surface and at a quick glance, the figure could easily be mistaken for a more modern version of the ’85 figure, but in truth, when you really look at him you realize just how new and different the figure really is, and I couldn’t be happier for that fact.

The color scheme is subtly fantastic as well. On first blush you figure, oh it’s another Snake Eyes, another black figure, big woop. Well, one thing I didn’t notice with other images was just how rich this figure was in different colors and hues. The brown leather harness and brown straps around the armored forearms and fingers really adds some nice different elements to the figure and takes away from that same old same old black Snake Eyes blandness.

Along with the overall design and sculpting work, Snake Eyes has a few functional holsters/sheaths, one for his pistol, one for his knife, as well as sheaths for his swords. He can’t hold everything he comes with, of course, but he’s got that handy weapons rack that I’ll talk about a little further down. The straps with pouches on his arms are removable, as is the bandolier, and if you were an enterprising enough customizer (I’m not) his belt and thigh holster/sheaths would be removable as well.

So, yeah, the sculpting is pretty amazing throughout this figure with all sorts of excellent details worked in which are even more evident on the larger 6″ scale. I guarantee if they did this exact same figure in a 4″ scale, G.I. Joe fans everywhere would be losing their minds.

ARTICULATION

Here is where I am totally blown away. Being a Marvel Legends collector off and on for a while, I know what sort of articulation is possible on a 6″ figure, which was a big reason why I was so excited for this line. But trust me when I say Snake Eyes goes a step beyond even my own high expectations.

The joints are tight and double jointed pretty much everywhere. He’s got great range of motion in all ball joints and is not at all restricted by any of the sculpting from what I can tell. Nearly any pose you can think of, Snake Eyes can achieve, and perhaps the best thing is that due to the tightness and fit of the joints, the figure has amazing balance, to boot. It’s one thing to be able to pose a figure, but to be able to balance him in those poses for display is another thing entirely, and this version of Snake Eyes hits that mark in spades.

The ab crunch isn’t noticeable at all with the armor sculpting, and he’s got very subtle swivel cuts in the thigh and calf which give his legs some nice range of motion. Ball joint hips, shoulders, rocker ankles and wrists– yeah this guy is crammed full of articulation.

His impressive elbow and shoulder articulation allows for any number of fantastic weapons holding poses, including rifles (courtesy of Marauder “Gun Runners”), swords, submachine guns and pistols.

ACCESSORIES

Uh. Holy crap. Now, granted, this version of Snake Eyes was designed as an exclusive to Hasbro Pulse, so he naturally comes with a lot more gear than the standard retail release figures will. That being said, he comes with a LOT of gear.

There’s a smaller group of accessories that come within his single box, that I believe will likely come with the retail figure as well, which includes those in the last image of the gallery you see above. Basically it’s an Uzi and pistol (which share a common silencer) a knife, two replacement hands, a backpack with sheath and his sword.

I’m thrilled to see that he does come with his trusty Uzi, which seems to be almost a miracle considering what Roadblock is saddled with. Along with the Uzi is a pistol with removable silencer, a sword that looks amazingly like the original ’85 classic, plus a bevy of other ninja-oriented bladed weapons. These weapons all helpfully fit on a very nicely designed ninja-themed weapons rack.

He also comes with a nice military backpack, and his bandolier is removable, so I guess we’ll consider that an accessory as well. Lastly, he’s got removable hands, one in a “karate chop/salute” pose (which actually has ninja climbing claws sculpted to his palm) and one holding a ninja shuriken. You want it, you got it with this version of the G.I. Joe ninja commando.

PRESENTATION

Normally I don’t talk about this much– after all, I’m primarily a loose collector so the way the box looks doesn’t matter to me a whole lot. But I felt like I had to mention it here. The design of the box, the artwork and everything surrounding this figure is top notch. You can tell a ton of thought and effort were put into it, from the Timber influences on the included paperwork to the great embossed detail of the packaging. The interior package is more similar to the retail releases, though the subtle differences in color schemes may be an annoyance to some.

CONCLUSION

When it comes to G.I. Joe, there is a time and place for nostalgia, but as a fan, I love seeing new concepts and new ideas. This version of Snake Eyes seems to walk that line very nicely. The larger scale provides a robust canvas for impressive sculpting, detail work and accessory integration, and the articulation of this figure is some of the greatest I’ve seen throughout G.I. Joe’s long and storied history.

Yes, the larger scale will upset some people, and yes, the chance of a widescale vehicle line for these figures is very slim, but taking a step back and looking at this version of Snake Eyes for what it is, I love it and I’m eagerly looking forward to having another retail G.I. Joe line to support throughout 2020 (and hopefully beyond!)

General Gallery

Outside Shots

Comparison, etc…