MYSTICONS

The characters of the popular nicktoons animated show MYSTICONS are jumping from the television screen into children's hands to play with through a new line of action figures from Playmates Toys.  These figures that revolve around the four principal characters in this TV series geared for girls between the ages of six and eleven years old, Arkayna, Zarya, Em & Piper, stand 7" tall and feature 10 point of articulation making them great for imaginative play.  Playmates kindly sent my nine year old daughter two of these new figures along with a box filled with MYSTICONS swag. She has been having a good time playing with these MYSTICONS toys!

MYSTICONS is broadcast on nicktoons Saturday mornings at 8am. Reruns are also shown on Nick Jr. and Nick Teen. The cartoons are set in a futuristic sci-fi setting filled with magical beings that include dwarves, elves, fairies, griffins and more.  The animated series follows the adventures of four ordinary girls who are chosen to become transformed into legendary warriors tasked with a quest to save their world from an evil threat. These heroines are called the Mysticons.



Each of the 7" MYSTICONS action figures comes with a weapon to wield.  Arkayna comes with a magical staff. Zarya includes a bow and arrow. Each of the toys also comes with an animal companion.  Arkayna watches over a baby dragon while Zarya is joined by her trusty pet foz. Playmates Toys' Mysticons action figures are available on Amazon.com as well as at Walmart and select comic book and collectible toy shops.

Check out the free app by Nelvana, Mysticons: Secrets of Gemina, that is available for Apple and Android devices which expands upon the show's stories and lets players join in on the characters' battles through a role playing game. Note while the game can be played entirely for free there are in-app purchase opportunities parents should be aware of when your kids are using the app. Each of these Playmates 7"  action figures also comes with an exclusive Topps collectible card for the character that includes a scannable code on the back that unlocks special FREE bonuses within the Mysticons: Secrets of Gemina game.



Keep an eye out for Mysticons Fun Packs from Topps at retail outlets as well.  These packs are filled with collectible cards include more bonus codes to unlock loot chests and provide special power ups in the Secrets of Gemina game along with other fun stuff.  Each Topps Mysticons Fun Pack includes four Base Story or Character Cards, one Activity Insert that is either Stickers, Coloring Cards or Temporary Tattoos, and a Character Code Card.  Fans of the show will really enjoy this app and these Topps cards.

Heading on a trip with a child who would enjoy these?  A few packs of these cards and this game are a great way to keep girls, and boys (my son likes the TV show too), amused while traveling. A great way to avoid the number of times you hear the phrase "are we there yet" on the way to your destination!

Playmates Toys' action figures are a great way for kids to imagine they have been transported into the world of the Mysticons and engage in creative play. The Dungeon and Dragons vibe with a female perspective as the lead characters provides a rich fantasy theme for action adventures.  The Mysticons are strong, confident, smart, witty, and funny characters making them a great inspiration for kids and earning the television show and toys A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

For more information about the television show head over to nick.com. Download the game on the App Store (ios) or Google Play (android). And to learn more about Playmates Toys MYSTICONS action figures visit playmatestoys.com

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles + Usagi Yojimbo Toys

 ** A Geek Daddy received the featured toys for free**

One comic book features a samurai bunny on a warrior's pilgrimage wandering an ancient Japanese landscape inhabited by anthropomorphic animals instead of humans.  The other features ninja turtles living in the sewers of modern day New York City protecting mankind from a variety of terrors.  Both comic books, Usagi Yojimbo created by Stan Sakai and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, originated in the 1980's and each have developed a passionate fan base. This year the two comic book universe's are coming together in a special one-shot comic book story, a three episode story arc on Nickelodeon's TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES animated television series, and a collection of action figures from Playmates Toys.

The man behind Usagi Yojimbo, Stan Sakai, has written and illustrated a special one-shot issue of IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series which sees the main character from Usagi Yojimbo, rabbit samurai Miyamoto Usagi, cross paths with Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.  Miyamoto Usagi is on a quest to save Japan from the maniacal Jei and joins forces with the Heroes in a Half-Shell to save the day.  Look for this one-shot comic which was released in July at your local comic book shop or you can purchase a digital download of it from Comixology. You can follow the ongoing adventures of Miyamoto Usagi in the Usagi Yojimbo comic book series from Dark Horse Comics and The Teenage Mutant Ninjas in their series from IDW.

In Nickelodeon's fifth season of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sakari has come together with Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman to bring their characters together within the animated series.  The Ninja Turtles find themselves in another dimension inhabited by animal warriors! Disguised as samurai, the Turtles ally themselves with a ronin rabbit named Usagi Yojimbo. Together they must save a young prince from a band of Neko ninjas led by Jei, an evil sorcerer.  Season 5 is airing now!  Tune in to the Nickelodeon cable channel or look for these episode on their website or the network's mobile app.

Playmates Toys has also released a collection of 4.5" sized action figures based upon the Usagi Yojimbo story arc in Nickelodeon's Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Available at most major toy retailers is Usagi Yojimbo along with Leo, Don, Mikey and Raph dressed as samurais.  Each comes with weapon accessories plus the turtles have removable samurai helmets and masks.

Walmart also has some exclusive items available from this Playmates Toys' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles /  Usagi Yojimbo collection.  Look for an 11" Usagi action figure and a 4.5" Usagi in samurai armor while you are shopping at Walmart.  Also keep an eye out for the Walmart exclusive 4.5" samurai Usagi with horse toy set.

To share my family's excitement about these great Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Usagi Yojimbo crossovers, A Geek Daddy is hosting a very special giveaway.  One lucky winner will receive the Walmart exclusive 4.5" samurai Usagi with samurai horse toy set with a special twist!  The toy package is signed by Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai!  To enter to win this very unique prize complete the entries below before 11:59 pm on Friday August 18, 2017.  Must be a U.S. resident over 18 years old to be eligible to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer & Rules:  A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the Playmates Toys TMNT / Usagi Yojimbo toy collection for personal use. The prize is provided by Playmate Toys and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per mailing address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  If you have already won this prize through another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. Playmate Toys will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner.  A Geek Daddy is not responsible for delivery of the prize.

VOLTRON Legendary Defender Toys

Season 2 of DreamWorks VOLTRON Legendary Defender animated television series arrived on Netflix today and Playmates Toys sent us some of the show's themed toys for free to make the debut extra special!  VOLTRON follows the adventures of five young heroes who pilot mechanical lions against the evil Galra empire which is attempting to enslave the population of the whole galaxy.  When their foes present more of a challenge than the five lions can handle individually they can merge together to create a giant super robot with incredible powers called Voltron.  Can this team of heroes restore peace and security to the galaxy against some very formidable foes?  You'll have to either tune into Netflix to watch this animated series from DreamWorks Animation Studio or pick up some VOLTRON toys from Playmates Toys for your kids to engage in their own imaginative play adventures to find out!

My kids had a lot of fun playing around with the Playmates Toys we received while we watched the new episodes of VOLTRON Legendary Defender together as a family.  They pretended to act out the scenes with these toys as we watched the action unfold on the TV screen.  Playmates Toys VOLTRON Legendary Defender six inch basic action figure collection is durably constructed as my kids tossed and threw them about our house and dropped the toys a few times too but they've yet to break.  Available in the assortment are the Blue, Red, Black, Green and Yellow lions featured in the Netflix show, each sold individually, plus a monster they face off against called Myzax.  These lions do not combine though to create a Voltron toy though.  The toy line also includes two 6" variations of the Voltron robot as individual action figures.  One wields a sword and shield while the other has a shooting lion fist action feature to it.

We received a Green Lion -- Guardian of the Forest mech that my son has been playing with quite a bit since we he got his hands on it.  The Green Lion's legs have basic articulation so kids can position them in a variety of poses to pretend leaping or striking its paws at an opponent.  The mouth also opens and closes plus there is a "vine beam" that shoots a plastic bolt to imitate one of the lion's special powers from the television show.  There isn't much force from the item flying out to present a danger but it still will hurdle a few feet so I wouldn't advise looking straight into the mouth with either of your eyes. To activate the missile launching feature just pull back on the shield emblem on the lion's back causing the vine beam to fire so kids can imagine wrapping up an evil adversary.

 

Playmates Toys also sent a Basic Voltron Lion Attack action figure our way.  My daughter has really been playing with this toy a lot.  It is a 6" action figure that is the same size as the basic collection lion toys that in the show streamed on Netflix merge to create it. While it is obviously not to scale, it still portrays the five lions merged together as the robotic warrior Voltron.  A child can imagine the adventures of the giant robot while playing with this toy in the palm of his or her hand. This hand held sized version of Voltron provides plenty of imaginative play punch for kids to have countless hours of fun with it.  It is a great size for storing around the house or taking along with your child while the family is on the go without having to worry about putting away or packing up some giant toy.

This toy has a head and waist that swivels plus it has joints in the knees and elbows so kids can position the arms and legs so that Voltron is in action poses.  The action figure also has a shooting fist feature.  Kids can squeeze the toy's legs to launch a representation of the Green Lion's head which makes up Voltron's left arm.  As with the individual Green Lion toy that is available from Playmates, there isn't a lot of power behind the projectile but it still flies far enough you don't want to aim it straight at anyone's eyes within a few feet of the toy.  Also you absolutely don't want to lose the plastic Green Lion Missile because than Voltron is missing its left hand and the representation of one of the five lions that merge together to create the robot warrior.

 

 Playmates Toys VOLTRON Legendary Defender basic action figure collection is screen accurate to the television show characters, durably constructed, conveniently sized for playing with and priced affordably to collect.  As I've mentioned my kids have really enjoyed playing with these toys that are recommended for children 4 years old and up.  For more information about Playmates Toys VOLTRON Legendary Defender basic action figure collection, please CLICK HERE.