Like the Line shared by both Mattel and Super7, Masters of the Universe Classics, TMNT Ultimates has made vintage figures WITHOUT their action features. Biggest examples:
-Mutagen Man cannot be filled with water or slime, because he has a leaking problem.
-Muckman is AFAIK, not able to get ooze flowing through his chest and mouth.
So, we have a precedent of forsaking action features for articulation. In fact most of the gimmicks involving the wacky action are based on different articulation from the normal toys.
Now I'm not saying that they have to relieve wacky action figures in 2022. This is more of a maybe 2025-2026 to refresh some classic characters.
Splinter, the Turtles, Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop. This "keeps the value" of the originals, while it allows newcomers to kinda get the classic characters. Those who have the original versions can get some benefits from these variations too!
The Turtles themselves only need new heads and accessories. In some cases new heads aren't necessarily needed. Raphael's standard head is close enough to Sword Slicing Leo.
All S7 has to do is include a set of traditional weapons for the turtles with their wacky weapons. To differentiate from the original releases, the weapons should mimic the Wacky action colors:
-Leonardo gets gold Katanas with the weird yellow from the Wacky action toy.
-Mikey gets neon green nunchucks with real chain.
-Raphael gets metallic Blue gray Sai with dark blue handles.
-Donatello gets his Bo Staff with light blue tape.
That way you don't HAVE to use the wacky action weapons if you're a newcomer.
Now Wacky action Splinter is a different ballgame. He is very different from the original version and would require a lot more stuff to "mix and match". The only real differences between vanilla and wacky action splinter are:
Head
Armor
Hands
Kneepads
The chainmail tunic can be made of plastic AND be removable to allow the changing of tunics. (Giving him an extra tunic based on the vanilla version.)
His left hand is wrapped in bandages, but tossing 1 or 2 left hands with no bandages can help make a vanilla version.
Personally I would like swappable arms:
Pair 1 is the wacky action arms and pair 2 are sleeved kimono arms for vanilla Splinter's kimonos from wave 1.
Toss in a second head, like the original in Wacky Action fur colors and boom! A "vanilla Splinter" different from vanilla Splinter.
If you need a cane or the bow and arrow, you have to get them from vanilla Splinter.
Unfortunately for Shredder, there's no way to go Full Vanilla. But a more "Traditional" Shredder's could be achieved with Alternate Shoulder spikes. The traditional spikes should attach to his shoulders in the same way the rotating spikes would. As a bonus, an Oroku Saki head would be a nice extra.
Rocksteady and Bebop are mostly repaints with a few new parts added. Bebop would require to have a hole on his hair for the "Hurricane Hordak" styled accessories, hinged jaw and articulated tongue to simulate his head spinning action, in addition to the hinged glasses. Add the Drill gun in red with silver and grey accents.
Rocksteady already has guns, well how about making the knife on his new belt unsheathable, as a nod to the knife the Other Rocksteady carries.
This leaves one Wacky action toy: Mouser. Super7 could "cheat" and say the Multipack is their take on the Mouser.
Personally, I'd go for a "Mega Mouser" closely based on the Wacky action Mouser.
A Larger Mouser with removable had and legs. The idea for these pieces to be removable involve Battle damage effects like the BATs from GI Joe. The removable head would allow for a Battle Damaged second head. A head and a couple of spark effects a $55 figure does not make... well, let's give the Mouser some accessories! The Mouser 5 pack has a pair of Raphael Sai... well, let's expand on that:
Remember Panthro's twirling nunchuck effect?
Well toss in 2 similar effects for Michelangelo.
One made for Donatello and his staff.
2 slashing sword effects for Leonardo and 2 hands for Raphael with Sai throwing effect.
This could also be the "secret way" for the wacky action Turtles to get their traditional weapons.since these are "wacky action" figures, the weapons are "made in action"...
Of course this is highly unlikely to become a thing. Especially with the higher price tags on these.
But I feel like I NEED 3 more figures in order to have the equivalent of "3 full waves".
So let's make up 3 variants that would could have been "wacky action versions" of other characters.
Grand Slam Casey Jones: a version of Casey that if he was made in the 80s, he'd have a mighty swing action like the spring loaded Power Punch from MOTU. He'd be a Mirage colors repaint of Casey with his head having the mask above his forehead. That would allow for S7 to give us 2 heads for Casey. His accessories would be a bat, a golf club, a hockey stick and a Jai Alai Cesta that if he was made as a vintage figure would allow Casey to throw small jai alai balls.
Chopping and dicing Slash:
Think Baraka's slicing attack but for Slash, who would be in Archie comics colors. His accessories would be blades, lots of them.
Mega Smash Traag
A more cartoon accurate Traag (reddish brown body without weird crap sculpted on his back) the idea is that you'd pull back his arms and locking them in position, wind the figure and wait until Traag unleashes his mega smash on the enemy standing in front of him. His accessories would be melee weapons for smashing and two small laser guns that paired with his action feature, it would look like cool dual weilding spray attack.
There you have it. I tried to make a valid case for wacky action figures, but given the reailty of the current year and Super7 constantly increasing prices, these would be unlikely.
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