More thoughts on Potential TMNT Playsets... From Mattel

 I mentioned mini playsets for some things like Ninja Pizza, 2nd Time Around Antiques. There are other mini playsets that could be done. Even a Modular system for something that can work with the Mini Playsets. Note: Modular system would be able to support up to 3 levels. Nothing more. Any playset made to be higer won't be as modular and may only get a single connecting point at the base (underground)

Sewer System: 

It would allow collectors to create their "New York"

Junctions and paths.

Junctions:

Junctions would be the smallest playset and act as a connecting piece between other playsets.

These would be a 10"³ pieces with 2 modular plastic walls. It also has a plastic roof and base. It can connect with other sewer playsets at any of the four corners. Generic cardboard  backdrops  for the above ground back wall, if a mini playset isn't placed above. Junctions usually have a manhole access. 

Some playsets may require multiple junctions and paths to be connected for support, even if they can't be accessed underground.

Paths:

The paths are twice as long as junctions, but unlike Junctions, they aren't as modular. Junctions are needed to make bends. Also, generic paths have some play features not seen on playsets like the First and Second Lairs, Rat King's domain, or any other playsets added to the sewer system. 

Mouser holes from breakaway walls is the main feature of the pathways.

First Lair:

This is the more traditional looking sewer lair. It's composed of two paths and a single Junction. That means it can be over 50" long or 30"² if placed on an L shape. It has above ground access from the Junction piece. It has a TV with various display screens:

-Shredder being menacing (nod to the games)

-April O'Neil reporting

-Hynes reporting (for the more Mirage inclined)

-He-Man transforming (Because Mattel)

-Scene from Life in the Dreamhouse. (Because Mattel)

-Vanilla Ice music video

Weapons rack with alternative weapons for the turtles.

Training dummy

Furniture and other accessories for a diorama display.

Second Lair:

This one is the Abandoned Subway Station style.

This one is a lot less modular and larger. It's specifically made to house a mini playset above it without needing multiple mini playsets.

The underground consists of a 20"³ main play area based on an abandoned subway station with broken down subway carts. 2 half paths. (Junctions without modularity) to connect to other pieces. A lot of accessories from the First Lair are reused. We get a new Donny workshop where he has plans for turtle tech that will get released.

The TV gets different displays:

-Karai as Shredder being menacing 

-Vernon reporting

-Hot Wheels Stunt Jump (because Mattel)

- Street Sharks (because Mattel)

- Classic Max Steel vs Psycho (because Mattel)

- Hynes interviewing Laird and Eastman (because TMNT)

THE Canister cones here, empty without ooze

Ninja Rap Newspaper.

Extra weapons for Splinter.

Prototype cheapskate.

Rat King's domain:

Like the First Lair, this is 2 pathways with a Junction. For the Mirage purists, the cardboard backdrop aboveground has the Abandoned Site from the comic. The underground is mostly Toon and game based. Aside getting a small breakaway crate with about 20 loose rats unoainted grey plastic. (More non breakaway crates of rats sold separately) there are mounts of mischiefs to add throughout the diorama. There is a crane piece that can be overlayed on the cardboard backdrop to have the crate dropped on an unsuspecting character and be swarmed by rats.

Various rat themed weaponry for the Rat King

The floor of the domain has a sectionwith vinyl conveyor belt where you can pour rats from the back (sold separately or use the 20 from the playset) that rush towards a pit (small depression on the floor) to swarm the turtles or whoever invades. 

Towers:

New York is kmown for its vertical spaces... same here. But we won't be going full clamshell like Classic Mattel Playsets. These will unfortunately be mostly cardboard but with strong pillars to hold multiple floors.

The Bottom floor will be compatible with the sewers. Think of it as a partial junction without surface access.

Oroku Tower:

I'm calling it "tower" since for all intents and purposes is a vertical playset. It's more of a complex really.

It's an L shaped structure with the underground part being one path long and vertically being 20" tall. (About a Junction atop a junction)

The underground level is "sealed off" from the sewers. It contains a Foot warehouse, inspired by the movie with tons of weapons, contraband and accessories for the foot. The upper level has a breakable window and a spot for the challenge sai. The additional anove ground area has a gate to barrocade it and stop intruders from entering.

Stockman Lab:

Another L-shaped playset. About the same size as the Oroku "Tower".

It's designed to be a corner piece on a display due to the Mega Mouser feature.

The lower level is the Mouser factory with the second half having a breakaway wall for the Mega Mouser to bust its head and chomp on the turtles. Think a cross on the vintage Fright Zone minster from Mattel and a grabber arm (since mousers are mechanical a glove wouldn't work here.

Now we're heading for the more expensive playsets.

TCRI Building:

This would be the "biggest tower" playset.

3 units underground "sealed off from sewers"

2 Units on ground level

1 unit above ground level.

This would have the Transmat display piece, Utrom medbay, false office with Utrom android body recharge station. It would come with various Utroms and their tripod bases. Functional Elevator with rooftop access.

Channel 6 building:

This one is awkward as it's  3 units tall and 2 units long. The aboveground first floor is 1.5 units long to fit the entrance and reception. The studio is underground due to space issues and it's got a breakaway wall that leads to the sewers. Top floor is the office are with breakaway window for villains to escape. 

But TMNT is not only new york... I have an idea for a few standalone playsets.

The Farmhouse:

This one will be a clamshell playset. 1 half grayskull, one half Dreamhouse.

This one is aimed more to be a diorama piece.

Inside the Technodrome:

An actual Technodrome playset wouldn't do it justice.

It would be up to 3 levels high by buying 3 sets.

Like the Sewers it would consist of hallways and junctions... in addition to certain key play areas:

Krang's Transmat room, Transport Module Bay, Shredder's quarters...

All this sounds cool and all, but it would be a logistical nightmare.

Mattel TMNT: what I'd like to see:

 I am Talking about an adult collector line... WWE Scaled. I mentioned this before.

I want a MOTUC Approach, but not necessarily tied to a storyline. I want versions INSPIRED by each era... in addition to the hodgepodge new era.

I want my humans mostly in realistic proportions. That means Hun won't be a Juggernaut, but more like Brock Lesnar sized.

Now let's talk Turtles:

I want the classic idea that they pretty much look the same. But the main differences would be their belts and weapons.

Leonardo:

His would be the Closest thing to a pure Mirage design. Very Ancient Ninja looking. Second head can hold a kunai on his mouth.

Donatello:

His belt and bandolier would be more Utility belt-like with pouches. His Kneepads are moee of workshop kneepads than fighting pads.

Second head has goggles with a purple band

Raphael:

His would be more Modern Ninja with a Militarized look. That extends to his pads.

Seocnd head has him without Bandana but he has dark red greasepaint on his face.

Michelangelo:

His would lean more into a Fred Wolf insipired lookalmost Superhero-looking. His pads looking brightly colored, his belt emblazoned with a large M. Second head is an orange cowl.

The idea is to have a somewhat  vanilla turtles, but they have a bit of their personality flowing through.

Leo is the Purist. He keeps the traditions alive. He believes that Mastwring the fundamentals allows for self-improvement.

Don is the tinkerer. His passion is building and disassembling things to study them. That allows him to MacGyver everything the Turtles have.

Raph is the badass. Point him to an ass, and he will kick it. He lives for the battle.

Mikey is the silly one. He sees all this ninja stuff as a Saturday Morning cartoon superhero thing... He wants the spotlight in a world of shadows.

Tackling Splinter is hard. Because if we go with the Mutated Rat look, clothes become nearly pointless, so a burlap sack worls for him. If we go for the mutated Yoshi, then clothes make sense, as there is still Yoshi.

My Proposal:

Both Soft goods clothes should come with him.

A poncho type outfit for the mutated rat and the traditional gi top for Yoshi.

His weapons would be his walking stick and a wakizashi.

April:

This one will be heavily based on Fred Wolf, but not be Fred Wolf accurate. By that I mean her jumpsuit. It'll be soft goods and removable...

Not for the reason you're thinking.

Base body will have a white blouse that shows same amount of cleavage as toon April. She'll be wearing blue jean shorts and white sneakers.

Soft goods yellow jumpsuit based on fred wolf

Soft goods yellow blazer and skirt for her News reporting. Yellow oversized t-shirt for downtime. Nods and callbacks to fred wold, 2012, and live action movie.

Casey Jones:

We go Mirage for the most part, visually.

Masked and unmasked heads.

Accessories:

Removable hockey chest pads

The standard Casey weaponry.

Shredder:

90s live action helmets... movie 1 and SOTO helmets as his heads in Mirage Colors. His Armor blades can be like the movie but in Mirage colors. He is wearing a black undershirt to match his tights and has a soft goods red Tunic and black belt. For weapon a katana.

The Foot:

I touched Shredder before the Clan... not remotely what I meant.

Foot Soldiers vs Foot Ninja:

They will share heads and soft goods tunics.

The torsos and limbs will be similar, but not the same.

The difference is Panel lines. Just as Revelation's Tri-Klops has cybernetic details on his arms, I want the Foot Soldiers to have those.

This would also apply to the Shredder Elites.

Hattori (Tatsu):

Less Toshishiro Obata, more generic bald Japanese man. This is a chance for Mattel to test Hakama bodies for the eventual Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi.

Hun and Chris Bradford:

The American Enforcers. In Bradford's case, I want him Shredder Sized, as I intend to suggest an Impostor Shredder Bradford, as well as other impostors (Mirage clones, Lady Shredder Karai, Raphael as Shredder, etc.) In Hun's case, I want him to be as tall as Shredder but more muscular... think of an HBK figure having the Shredder body type, whiel Brock Lesnar sized body is Hun's.

Karai:

There would be 2 figures of her: 

Normal and Lady Shredder.

Normal Karai would be visually inspired by Tournament Fighters, while Lady Shredder is just Karai wearing a Shredder outfit just as the OG Shredder from this line.

I already mentioned that I want the mutated animals to be huge for the most part on the bad guy side, whole the good guys seeming smaller. Creating a David vs Goliath kind of thing. Pizzaface would be the exception for the bad guys being generally larger. He should be very malformed, but Danny DeVito short. Also, he should be exclusive to the Ninja Pizza Mini Playset.

I guess I'll have to tackle the mini Playsets:

These won't be HUGE Clamshell playsets like MOTUC Grayskull. These would be akin to the backstage WWF/E From Jakks that were part plastic part cardboard... but crossed with MiWorld stuff. 

I'm thinking a Pizza flinging oven, breakaway glass. Collapsible turtle flattening sign. Various flingable pizzas plus Pizzaface and his accessories (his various peg legs and x-tra large puzza bag shield.)

2nd Time Around Antiques:

A mini playset like Pizzaface's but instead it comes with a "Mirage Perm April" a Dark skinned redeco of April with a new head, blue tshirt, jumpsuit, Blazer, and skirt. (Lazy Mattel Logistics at play) The idea behind this playset, aside getting Mirage April, is to toss in an accessory pack and diorama with waxky accessories that wouldn't be released with figures. 

Larger Playsets? Highly unlikely... I just can't see Mattel doing sturdy big Playsets a la Grayskull...

Medium Carbiard and plastic hybrids maybe.