Aliens and Predators, Always Fighting

Both the Aliens and Predator movie franchises list really highly among my list of 'most awesome things ever'. However, I tend to distance myself from the movies released after the 90's for personal preferences. When it comes to Aliens, a lot of my exposure to them came from their use in video games... mostly unofficially. The Xenomorphs poped up in almost everything for awhile, or inspired creatures (it was totally them). To be fair, Aliens, Predator, and Terminator all had unlicensed appearances in a lot of video games during the 80's and 90's. So it's probably not a stretch to imagine how I'd appreciate a video game from the 90's that pit Aliens vs Predator in a setting that looked more like the unofficial efforts.

The games story is actually based on an early draft of the Aliens vs Predator comic book that would have tied into the movie. The game was intended to be out around the release of the movie... however things changed and the movie came out a decade later with another script. In this game, San Drad (translation error from San Dorado), California is overrun with Aliens. Major Dutch Schaefer (now a cyborg) and Lieutenant Linn Kurosawa of the US Colonial Marine Corps have been abandoned and are fighting the swarm alone. They are joined by two Predators (Hunter and Warrior) and take on the Aliens leading to facing off with the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corporation. It's a pretty fun story line that fits the game well... but admittedly might have been too far out for a movie (I would probably loved it).

Game play is a 3 player belt fighter with 4 different playable characters (mentioned above). Like other Capcom side scrolling beat 'em ups, it never gets boring thanks to interesting levels and constantly changing enemies. You'll go from fighting Aliens to Space Marines as the scenario changes to fit the story. There's even 'Infectoids', zombies created from face hugger host bodies. They make me think of Masterforce. Like other Alien games, I appreciate the alternating colors on Xenomorphs. It gives them a lot of character rather than just being black. It's a great game and a fun time, but there wasn't any home ports. A 32x version was planned, unfortunately not released. That's a shame, this would have been a great weekend rental.

Walton Vs Predator

Lanard has been really knocking it out of the park in recent years. I've been speaking nothing good of them here for a reason. Lanard has always made low priced toys, most notably their 'The Corps!' line which can be a lot of fun. However since 2017, they've been doing more licensed lines in addition to some really far out cool original ideas. 

Last year their 90's flavored Aliens line captured a lot of attention which lead to a more premium collectors aimed Aliens figure series. This year they've followed that up with The Predator and I'm pretty happy that they did. So far the line consists of a large 12" figure ($20) and three smaller 7" figures ($10 each). Like other Lanard toys here in the states, they're a Walmart exclusive.It's hard to complain about going into your local Walmart and finding cool toys like these for not a lot of money.

The figures a super nice with lots of accessories and plentiful articulation. They're well sculpted and have a lot of paint detail. The three 7" figures are each based off a different Predator from the different movies with very distinct differences. The masks on the 7" figures are not removable, but is on the 12" toy. The 12" toy also has a few extra play features like a light up laser for his shoulder mounted cannon as well as opening mouth. The mask thing is obviously a result of the lower prices as is the more sparse paint details on each figures backside. It's not super concerning to myself, though I'm sure some in the more premium figure crowd isn't going to like that. Personally, a great Predator figure for $10 is pretty awesome.

Skyquake in Germany, jack crap in Georgia

I'm pretty jealous of the countries that got Skyquake, Thunder Clash, and all the other Transformers from that era of that didn't get released here (the dark times). Though I'm pretty sure others are jealous of my super powers of finding old ass commercials. No? Well... just pretend you are. Because I'm not pretending, even though I later got these molds in other releases, I still wish I would have had the option of getting Skyquake at my local Walmart back then. This German commercial really shows off the robots and even has a touch of stop motion. I absolutely love the colors of this era, but love the all around look and build of Transformers of this time even more. Keep your overpriced MP, give me a early 90's robot any day.

GiG Predators and Turbomasters commercial

I've made my love of late European G1 to all of G2 Transformers known more than on a single occasion. The design style that started in that nebulous area between the end of G1 in European countries (oh the things we missed out on here in the States) and went through Generation 2 (with those European molds surfacing in Machine Wars and Universe). It's just perfect to me, the ideal evolution of that Diaclone/Microman genesis to original Transformers. Even now with all our fancy engineering in modern Transformers, if something makes me think of that era, I gravitate towards it.

It's a major reason why I like the more simple toys that come from lines intended for smaller children (Turbo Changers, Authentics, Cyber Battalion and so on), it's that they are extremely similar to this era of design and that's just something I love. Take that Authentics Bumblebee, despite all his budget restrictions slapping you in the face, he's got the skeleton of a G2 car bot. The various more simple toys of Robots in Disguise are 100 % seemingly lost in time relics of this era. Hell, there's a couple of 3 Step larger versions of Optimus Prime from RID that would blend right on in with a Victory or Brave figure. Whenever people say they wish Transformers were made like they used to be, all one has to do is point towards those. There was a Fast Action Battler toy from Age of Extinction, Vehicon, who was pretty much a remake of Stormtrooper Rage.

Occasionally I get asked why I like these oddball toys, and I usually just answer that I just like the random stuff (and I do), because sometimes folks just don't get it. They don't have too, it's all subjective and really not important. Everybody enjoys things differently, and this is one of the ways I enjoy things.