#751 GI JOE vs COBRA - SEVERAL CARDED FIGURES (2002)

Here are some of the first G.I.Joes after the G.I.Joe: ARAH era. I remember when they came out around (to Spain) in 2002 or 2003. For some reason they were sold in 2 packs, although later there would be other packages available.

These are the first I ever saw, although then I bought none. I was not thinking about collecting them, and I haven´t bought any except these four blisters which I found at a flea market for maybe 1 or 2 Euros each. For that price I couldn´t let them go, but I have never bought any since them. Well I have a few more that I got in job lots or that friends gave to me, but I will just keep these blisters, and the others will be sold in my toy shop.

The Gi Joe vs Cobra series had a new (supposedly improved) body cast which was a little bit taller and slimmer than the ARAH body cast. The GvC had a cartoon-ish style, when the ARAH had a more realistic approach. The colour of the figures turns again to darker and we find many camo patterns, like during the first half of the 80s.

Hasbro reused many casts from weapons, backpacks and vehicles, although most figures were completely new. Interestingly, some old ARAH casts were reused to create new versions of old figures (but no new figures) and packaged in GvC series. The new weapons are sometimes very similar to the vintage ones, so many collectors buy them to complete old figures. The plastic is, according to experts a little bit shinier and more fragile, but I cannot confirm it, since I only have vintage weapons, and those that I have bought in the internet I do not know where they come from.

The first 6 sets, as depicted in the backcard are:

• Agent Scarlett vs. Zartan
• Sgt. Stalker vs. Neo Viper Commander
• Flint vs. Baroness
• Snake Eyes vs. Cobra Commander
• Nunchuk vs. Firefly
• Beach Head vs. Dr. Mindbender

I have the first four.

 

One of the most amazing things of these blisters are the positions in which the figures are presented, either jumping, or pointing with their guns… really original, would be later used in other toylines, but, as far as I can remember, these were the first.

Some of the new weapons (even when based on old casts) included a lid that could be inserted in some electronic vehicles and would make noise depending on the pattern coded in that lid/weapon. This can be seen very clearly in the staff of Cobra Commander on the left side, although every box has at least one of these weapons.

The first GvC releases were, of course, the most famous characters known from the previous series: Cobra Commander, Duke, Baroness, Snake Eyes... with almost no new characters.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: AGENT SCARLETT VS. ZARTAN, SGT. STALKER VS. NEO VIPER COMMANDER, FLINT VS. BARONESS AND SNAKE EYES VS. COBRA COMMANDER
• Toy Line: G.I.Joe vs Cobra (Wave 1)
• Year: 2002
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: slightly over 3.75’’ or 10 cm

#750 AMIGO - WWF QUARTETTS Nr. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 (1992 and 1993)

I am fascinated with these card sets by Amigo released in 1992 and 1993. Amigo is one of the greatest German card and board game makers. It is surely among the top 5, and because wrestling was hugely popular in that country by the early 90s, Amigo released 8 WWF quartetts with the corresponding license of the copyright owner.

I am not sure how this all started, by I think the first 4 came all at once into the toyshops in 1992, while the other 4 came one year later, a sign that the first four were selling very good. There are at least two editions of each of the 4 first sets, as you can see above, so, at least the first 4 were reissued at some point. Note that some boxes have a signature on the cover, other not (the ones without the signature are reissues), and some cards have in the back of each card a wrestler and text or only text. The example above even has a different cove picture (Papa Shango instead of the Ultimate Warrior).

The numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 are much more difficult to find. I have number 6 only. I´ll buy the other 3 as soon as I find them.

Each set contains 32 cards, plus two instruction cards and three promotional cards (wrestling publications, other Amigo games, and wrestling videogames). Those promotional cards, are very difficult to find, if you are a die-hard "completist". The 32 cards build 8 families, with 4 members each, but in this set, the "family members" are not related in any way... One card shows one wrestler or one tag team, and the next card another wrestler. You can play the classic game with the families or using the back of the card you can play a sort of paper-scissors-rock game with one action on the back of each card. Here “Press” wins “Pin”, “Pin” wins “Body Slam” and “Drop Kick”, an so on…

The game complexity or fun is, in my case at least, unimportant. I just like looking at the great pictures showing wrestlers in action. The pictures are amazing, official promo pictures taken by the WWF themselves. All 32 wrestlers or teams are really well known, and there are no repetitions. The problem is that in the next quartett, you find the same 32 characters, but, fortunately, different pictures. If you collect all four sets, you could have 128 pictures of very famous wrestlers, and 256 pictures with all 8 card sets. In the second set, however, there are a few new wrestlers that were not present in the first 4 sets.

SET 1:

SET 2:

SET 3:

SET 4:

SET 6:

UPDATE1 (JAN/2017): I found set number 8, unfortunately without the promo cards, and with the box a bit beaten, but otherwise great condition!

UPDATE2 (Nov/2019): Here's Set Nr. 7! Also without the promo cards and with some use marks on the box. Now let's go for Nr. 5!

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: WWF QUARTETTS Nr. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8
• Year: 1992 and 1993
• Company: Amigo Spiele (Germany)