From Mega Marines to Battleforce 2000 to Eco Warriors to Python Patrol and even D.E.F. there's been plenty of fun sub teams in G.I. Joe. Which is your favorite and which team would you like to see completed in the Classified Series line?
I knew that there were some wild sub-lines to the GI Joe series but I never really looked into them. Probably because they came out around the age where I was getting out of toys, and back then, the bright colors and weird designs threw me off, so I didn't give them a much thought. I have to say, watching you go through each of these sub-lines in this video was a fun history lesson though, and now as an older collector, I can see how fun some of these could be, especially with a classified series spin on them. The ones that stood out to me the most were the Battleforce 2000, the Mega Marines/Mega Monsters and Yes, even the Star Brigade! Space seems like the next logical Theater of War and I would love to see some GI Joe Space soldiers! Maybe they could say Cobra La were originally an Alien Race? Fun video!
Thanks RetroRobo! It was fun working on this one and doing a deeper dive on those wild characters. I think a lot really could work in the CS format. I think those space gear could work if they're streamlined.
Ninja Force all the way for me! I was born in 1990 so those were on shelves and all thought they were cool looking. Ninjas craze was real in the 90's and I was definitely on that bandwagon. Mortal Kombat characters such as Sub Zero, Scorpion etc only made me that much more a fan too.
@@LylesFigureFiles I want to say Nunchuck because he was not only my first Gi Joe figure, but my first Ninja figure. And looking at him now as an adult, he makes the most sense in terms of design and color. That said though I always thought T'J Bang was cool looking and Slice v1 sporting that all Red my favorite color. Scarlett and Snakeyes could have been badass if not for the stupid spring loaded kicking gimmick that ruined their articulation.
Jeffrey, you are a wild man for doing all of these. Any Joe topic is a good topic, but I definitely appreciate whenever you you do my ideas for topics. Like you, I'd take them all, but I was not into some of the latter day sub-teams. I would hope for some serious redesigns and/or color changes on some of them. I did pick a few of the same ones you did... I've always thought Bulletproof had a decent design. He could've actually fit in back in like 85 or 86, minus that ridiculous launcher of course. I actually have a Bulletproof figure proudly standing on a shelf right now. I was into Battle Force 2000 and The Renegades. I think Altitude was the only Sky Patrol guy I got. I was not a fan of Ninja Force at all back then, but I've actually always like Nunchuck's design. I guess he's the most "boring" as you said, but he was the most practical. The others were so out there, BUT I would like to see what Lenny and the team would do with those designs today, in 6 inch scale. As for Mega Marines, Eco Warriors (ugh), and (faceplam) Star Brigade, if those must be done, please please please tweak them to me much more interesting designs... I do want to see Robo Joe, though to be honest. By the way, no Dino Hunters? 😉
Maaan, you know I had to do this one. I've had it on my to-do list since you suggested it! Nunchuck does make the most sense. I think his color scheme was just sorta boring although the most practical. I'm sure Lenny and crew would have a blast redesigning/tweaking the NF characters. For some reason, I loved the idea of Robo Joe. I considered them, but I had to draw the line at Dino Hunters ;-)
Im going to save so much money if Classified ever gets to this point. I think the Classified team is also skeptical of these characters and design and will choose to make up new characters to produce or give some of these characters all new looks. Either way I only want 20-25 remainimg characters across the line and only 5 of them are must haves, then I'm bowing out.
Same, I'm pretty much done soon. Hasbro crossing more and more into the territory that killed the line in the first place where I have no interest in what-so-ever. I'm not interested in comic characters, I'm not interested in gender swaps, I'm not interested in made up characters that are just full body swaps with another name, I'm not interested in retro line to double and triple dip with zero original true load outs.
@LylesFigureFiles t That's true. I think they are still playing it on the safe side with Tiger Force, Python Patrol, Night Force, Slaughter Mauraders. Tiger Force, Python Patrol, and SM seem to end up at Ross a lot. If Hasbro was to fully lean into Battle Force or Eco Warriors at this point, I don't see those selling well at mass retail.
...respect from a go go fan in Nashville Tennessee! This was a better discussion than I expected! I was out of the line and probably heavy into transformers by time most of this came around. You made some great picks. I could definitely see any one of them in the line since few can predict what the hasbro Joe team will offer up. Edmund Honda won't show because Jada toys got street fighter on LOCK!
LOL, trust me the SF characters are low, low, low on my priority list for the line. But if I've gotta include them, he'd be my choice just for a different body.
I didn’t care for the Joes in Eco Force, but I absolutely love the Cobra side of this story. I hope Classified gets to the “Leaky Suit Brigade and the zombies, sooner rather than later! On the Joe side, I wouldn’t mind seeing Clean Sweep and Ozone, but my definite first choice is Cesspool!
In the years we were kids I'd probably say Battleforce 2000 or Night Force since I can't pick the OG 13. If bad guys are on the table then the GOAT is the Iron Grenadiers bar none. They even made sense - Destro becoming the third faction between Joe and Cobra.
I probably should have included IGs, but it seems like Hasbro is already cranking them out with Metal-Head and the announced IG. Gotta figure Destro is coming soon as well.
I think Tiger Force is when I realized toy companies just repaint things to sell them. As a kid I thought that they actually repainted existing toys sitting in a warehouse. And never liked the colors. Eco was bad I thought, and the ones with the big noise backpacks for Joes who like spinal damage. And I think I suffered from ninja fatigue. I was okay up until Jinx, and then everyone was a ninja.
@@LylesFigureFiles I bought those at the tail end of my childhood Joe collecting. They were good figures. And I immediately ordered the Classified Jinx.
I wanted that monster blaster. But the neon colors turned me off. Many neon stuff I wasn’t crazy about. And grew out of collecting. But I still have my originals.
@@LylesFigureFiles yessir, the gliders were a blast and you only had 6 figures to collect. 3 joes and 3 cobra(2 army builders and a leader. The night vultures look like a badass purple and orange Snake Eyes.
I always wanted an Arctic, Jungle , and dessert of the main vehicles like the Hiss, mobat, mauler, vamps. Didn’t need to do these sub groups. When they do come out. I usually get them. I have a bunch of Vamps and HISS. Just some in crappy colors.
Good video, as always, Jeff! I always felt like the Mega Marines was G.I. Joe trying to do the Colonial Marines from ALIENS in a PG format. Mega Marine Gung-Ho's outfit even kind of looks like a Colonial Marine with neon colors. And I think there's a way that Hasbro could incorporate elements of Mega Marines, Star Brigade, and Battle Force 2000 into sci-fi tech heavy G.I. Joe narrative set 25 years in the future. As a kid, I was the perfect age for Ninja Force. I liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There was a kids movie called Three Ninjas that came out at that time. My friends and I came up with this game/play called Ninja Babies. Ninja Force should have been the zenith of my G.I. Joe fandom. And yet... Something about Ninja Force always felt wrong to me. For one thing, I didn't like any of the designs. I liked the way Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes' NF looks were drawn in the comics, but not as much as their previous looks. But I thought Dojo, T'jbang, and the rest were goofy looking. I hated the spring-loaded arm and leg features that totally ruined Scarlett and Snake Eyes' figures. I thought NF Zartan looked horrendous. But none of that was the worst part. And I couldn't explain in 1993 why I thought Ninja Force was so wrong. It wasn't until I saw The Incredibles and heard the villain say, "When everyone is special... no one is" that it crystalized for me. (Also, yes, I see the irony in that statement being made by the villain and therefore potentially flawed logic.) Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were awesome because they were unique. They were the few badass ninja assassins on a team of a hundred badass killers. But then they kept adding more. Okay, we'll allow Quick Kick because he sort of fits a different niche. Okay, we'll allow Jinx because we need a girl. Wait, now Cobra Commander's son is turning into a ninja? Who the hell is this samurai-looking Budo dude? Wait, why is Zartan a ninja?!! Just because he murdered a ninja he gets grandfathered in? There's a whole team now?!! There's a second wave of the team now?!! Why does Ninja Force Zartan look more like a Dreadnok than a ninja? Why does Night Creeper Leader look more like Big Boa's tag team partner than a ninja?!! I thought the designs were bad, but mostly I thought the core concept was missing the point. It's a classic example of a corporation seizing on what was popular and oversaturating that thing until it wasn't desirable anymore. So that's a long way of saying miss me on Ninja Force. Forever. But everything else--even D.E.F. has value.
Thanks Ryan! You absolutely nailed the issue with NF. I liked Banzai's look, but whew the Joes did not need 20 ninjas. I liked Slice and Dice as the Cobra answer to Snake and Storm, but the others felt redundant. NF Zartan definitely was just another Dreadnok in my collection.
I'm glad i found your channel. I was never a fan of repaints. So, i agree with your opinion on Tiger Force, Python Patrol, and Slaughter's Marauders. I felt those were just cash grabs for repainted figures and i am not a fan of that. As far as the Renegades, i'm 50/50 because those were based off the cartoon movie. I prefer the characters being based off the comics line. Otherwise, i like your opinions.
Thanks so much for checking out the video! Larry Hama didn't incorporate all the characters from the toy line into the comics, but he did for most of them. Don't think he was a big fan of Sgt. Slaughter which explains his very brief run in the series.
Renegades are my favorite sub-team. I like all three characters, and they'd be at the top of my list. I do like Night Force, but I have never liked Python Patrol or Tiger Force.
Night force is my favorite slightly above bf2000. Ironically I didn't even know nf existed as a kid or marauders but I had TF & PP and bf2000. I started in 82 so idk how i missed NF 😮😢 I would love to see dee jay and avalanche in classified, sooner rather than later.
The thing is if do any of these need to be con exclusives or hasbro pulse ez just don't see alot of mass market appeal for alot of these beyond the 1 to 2 characters per subteam
I am surprised we are getting the marauders before the renegades. The marauders have such an awful color scheme they aren't going to sell to anyone but people who had them and completionists. They didn't sell particularly well back in the day to my understanding. not like nightforce and tigerforce. I think we might have gotten Ninja Force scarlett by now but they needed to take their fourth shot at doing scarlett right... 0.o I liked T'gin's color even thought the orange is a bit off. but he looks the most like a ninja after nunchuck.
The Marauders made sense with them being repaints, but yeah I'm a big Renegades fan over them. I think they can wait on NF Scarlett for a bit since there's some other women that don't have figures yet.
love a battlefront 2000 haslab but it would be the set with no tiers just everything included just make minimum order required higher. Would only want it if was complete would back out if full set didn't get made
