Complex Blog » Toys

They Shootin’! 5 Nerf Guns to Bust Caps With This Weekend

jerwin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:28:31 +0000

Yeah, it’s a holiday weekend, and for you, that prolly means pool parties on the reg, frozen drinks on the reg, and way too much meat in your mouth (what else is new?). For us, though, Labor Day means a dark specter on the horizon: our seven-year-old nephew Carl, a snot-nosed, shit-smelling little rat-faced rat fink who makes Latarian Milton look like Annie and insists on bringing his little snot-nosed, shit-smelling schnauzer Puddles to every family get-together.

As you may have gathered, we’re not real fond of our brother’s demon spawn. Maybe you have a younger relative just like Carl. So, what can you do? You can’t smack him around in front of the family, and whenever you get him loaded on Jello shots and throw him in the pool, everyone gets mad at you. Well, it’s not perfect, but last year we stumbled on a good recourse—Nerf guns. That’s right, keep pegging the little fucker with foam darts, and eventually he’ll fall the fuck back. To that end, we’ve reviewed 5 Nerf Guns to Wield This Holiday Weekend…

N-STRIKE BUZZSAW ($14.99)
Crank up the Buzzsaw and shoot four balls in rapid-fire fashion. Use this strictly as a warmup gun: your nephew will think it’s all fun and games, then bust out the heavy artillery.

N-STRIKE RECON CS-6 ($19.99)
If your nephew is as sneaky a little shit as ours, you’ll need a gat with some flexibility. The Recon breaks down into 5 configurations for easy adaptability.

N-STRIKE LONGSHOT CS-6 ($29.99)
So it’s 2:30 on Monday afternoon, and pinging Nerf darts off your own nephew’s temple hasn’t slaked your sadistic impulses yet (or said nephew’s bitchin’ about a cluster migraine). How to get your jollies off for the rest of the day? Shoot at your neighbor’s nephew of course! The N-Strike Longshot has a range of 35 feet and comes with two clips of 12 darts. If you’re taking your Nerf beefs outside the fam though, you may want to invest in a pair of non-Nerf brass knuckles.

N-STRIKE UNITY POWER SYSTEM ($39.99)
By now you’ve pissed off the greater part of your neighborhood, so it’s time to quit fucking around. The UPS is a three-in-one blaster, featuring the Scout IX-3 Blaster, the Hornet AS-6 Blaster and the Titan AS-V.1 Blaster for long range destruction.

N-STRIKE VULCAN EBF-25 ($42.99)
Perfect for the Battle of Hamburger Stand Hill, the Vulcan is a fully-automatic, piston-powered reign of Nerf terror. Shoot three darts a second in automatic mode, or set up the collapsible tripod and strafe your foes with precision hits. Whatever you do, take no prisoners!

Yao Ming Transformer Is Awesomeness In Disguise

jerwin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:12:12 +0000

Want to get an ill toy for your five-year-old cousin this Christmas and are sick of the regular Power Rangers/Jonas Brothers/Tera Patrick fleshlight fare? Check out this Yao Ming-Transformers doll, fresh from the shores of China (no lead).

We’re a little iffy on the details (our Mandarin being what it is, namely, nil), but apparently it’s a plastic basketball that transforms into a Yao Ming-with-giant-wings type thing. Yeah, the face looks a little like Sylvester Stallone, but eff it, it’s an effin’ Yao Ming Transformer. Check out the full metamorphosis below…

[Click on any image to view full size]

[HoopChina via Freshness]

The V-Cube Will Leave You Puzzled

treats — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:52:53 +0000

The original Rubik’s cube is f-ing hard to solve. Before we had YouTube clips that gave away the secrets to solving ErnÅ‘ Rubik’s color-coated block, the challenge stumped many an '80s baby. Now, true brainiacs are gonna have to step their game up if they want to solve the V-Cube, a 7 x 7 x 7 upgrade from the traditional 2 x 2 x 2 cube.

In May 2003, Greek engineer Panagiotis Verdes started sketching designs for a 5 x 5 x 5 flip of Rubik’s design. This year, his so-called “21st Century Cube” hit the market in three different sizes'the V-Cube 5, 6, and 7. On October 26th, he’ll be putting puzzle solvers to the test with the V-Cube’s first brain-busting competition in Germany. Start practicing now by copping one HERE, and watching a speedcuber in the video below…

[V-Cubes Via Technabob]

Reel In A Japanese Robot Fish

treats — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:45:18 +0000

Fishing isn’t as easy as the saying, “hook, line, and sinker.” You’ve got to spend hours dangling your rod, waiting for that bite (not unlike bagging a chick in NYC). To keep your skills sharp, Japanese toy company Nakajima has released “Dynamic Fishing,” a robot engineered to mimic real bass fishing.

The tool for dedicated bass hunters made a splash at this year’s Tokyo Toy Show and is now available on Amazon (Japan) for a mere $27. And no, this isn’t just some toy'only seasoned fisherman will be able to catch the evasive fake fish. See a video demo below.

[Crunch Gear]

Tropic Thunder’s Bobble Head Brigade

Bradley — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:41:10 +0000

To help get buzz going on Tropic Thunder, which comes out next Friday, Dreamworks has been dropping clips from the new film as well as seeding out a slew of promotional materials.

The newest hype-tool for the film comes in the form of these 6-inch bobble heads that ended up in our mailbox. See toy versions of the movie’s stars'including Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black and Nick Nolte'close-up below.

Bill Hader is Rob Slolom and Danny McBride is Cody

Jack Black is Jeff Portnoy and Brandon Jackson is Alpa Chino

Robert Downey Jr. is Kirk Lazarus and Jay Baruchel is Sandusky

Ben Stiller is Tugg Speedman and Nick Nolte is Four Leaf Tayback

Kaws’ 4 Foot Companion Finally Comes To America

treats — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:57:30 +0000

The cartoon-style work of street artist Kaws has been seen all around the world. Yet for one whole year, Americans couldn’t get their hands on one of his most coveted designs, the Grey 4 ft Companion, which was originally released only through Japan’s OriginalFake retail store. Today, collectors finally got a chance to get their mitts on the life-sized figure (produced by Medicom) via Kaws’ website for a cool $3000. It’s already sold out (duh), but a few will no doubt pop up on eBay in the coming months. See more full-size shots of the companion below.

[Click each image to view full size]

Collect All The Cubeecraft Paper Toys

Joe — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:48:01 +0000

Cubeecraft.com is a site dedicated to pumping out free paper figures of iconic animated caricatures for artsy folks who still like to fiddle around with toys. Fans of the paper art need only to download, print, cut and fold the toys into their interlocking tabs to have the models stand straight up on their desk.

Besides fresh drops that include Mario, the O.G Batman from the '60s, and Peyton Manning (yes he actually made the cut), there are also other models that are only available for a limited time. We're thinking these things may just put bobble heads out of business as soon as the creator decides he wants to make some real paper. See more crafted cubes after the jump.

[Click on an image to view full size]

[Like Cool]

Sket One Unveils Board Game Dunnys

bfred — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:55:08 +0000

Tonight, graf artist/designer Sket One is revealing a new set of Dunnys and Munnys inspired by 8 classic board games, an expansion on his original Operation Munny. The new installation, called “Snake Eyes,” will be at the Kid Robot Room in Toronto’s CiRCA club. After the jump, get a preview of Sket’s tribute to Clue and Trouble.

[Kid Robot]

Gary Taxali’s “Oh No” Toys Will Fix Your Face

treats — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:57:51 +0000

The cartoon creations of artist/illustrator Gary Taxali already look like they were made to jump out of the canvas and into your hands. In fact, they’ve been doing just that since 2005 when the Canadian made his first vinyl figure, The Original Toy Monkey. On May 8th, he will release two more characters “Oh No” and “Oh Oh” from his classic “Oh No!” piece at the Magic Pony Gallery in Toronto. See more of Gary Taxali’s art (including the original Oh No) after the jump.

[Click each image to view full size]

Batman And Joker Get The Be@rbrick Treatment

treats — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:34:56 +0000

Next month, Japanese designer toymakers Medicom will be releasing these brand spankin’ new Batman and Joker Be@rbricks. Although The Dark Knight is about to hit theaters on July 18th, these new figures are actually a throwback to the 1960s blue-suitted Bat from the light-hearted Adam West TV show. After the jump, see the backs of the new toys, and watch the trailer for the upcoming Lego Batman video game, which is also based off the old school ’60s TV show.

[Vinyl Pulse]

Barbie Could Get Banned In Iran

Joe — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:01:52 +0000

Apparently Barbie has Iran's main prosecutor shook. In a letter to Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi, General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabada said that the plastic doll leads to negative social consequences. Duh!

The sensitive prosecutor said “The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter…are all warning bells to officials in the cultural arena.” When dressing, Iranian women are required to cover their whole body, a rule Barbie’s skanky ass has yet to follow. One of the Middle East's answers to Barbie has been Fulla, a “classier” chick who remains fully covered at all times. To see Fulla in action, check her commercial after the jump.

[BBC]

God Save The Sex Pistols Kubrick Toys

bfred — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:51:36 +0000

left to right: Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook

Back in 2006, Japanese toy manufacturer Medicom released their first set of Kubrick figures modeled after iconic '70s punk rock band Sex Pistols. Two years later, they’re back with a new and improved series that features all four members in new outfits. For some reason, Paul Cook seems to look pretty much the same as in the original toys, so we’re assuming that must be the only outfit that the real life drummer ever wore. The set supposedly goes on sale at Gentle Giant this week for around $40. See more shots after the jump.

[Vinyl Pulse]

Adult Swim x Kid Robot Mini Figures

bfred — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:37:43 +0000

Last night, Kid Robot and Adult Swim held simultaneous parties in New York, Atlanta and L.A. to celebrate the release of of their first Mini Figure collabo. All your favorite Cartoon Network characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Frisky Dingo, The Venture Bros., Metalocalypse, Robot Chicken, Squidbillies, Moral Orel and Assy McGee are all represented in vinyl form. Get 'em online or at a Kid Robot store for $7.95 each in blind boxes, meaning you might have to buy a bunch before you collect 'em all. After the jump, see pictures of the rest of the characters.

[Click on an image to view full size]

[SF Weekly]

Watchmen’s Toy Story Continues

treats — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:30:42 +0000

Now that the The Watchmen film is knee-deep in production, the rest of the franchise is finally getting its just due. Today, EW premiered the first pictures of the new action figures for Night Owl and Rorschach, which are just part of the set that’s being debuted at this weekend’s New York Comic Con. Nerds might remember back in 2001, when an original line of Watchmen toys were abandoned after creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons had a dispute with DC. After the jump, see pictures of these never-released figures.

[Click on an image to view full size]

Images: WatchmenComicMovie.com

Hard Sell’s Juke-Bot Is HUGE

bfred — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:50:41 +0000

Bigshot Toy Works just sent over a preview of one of their new creations, the Juke-Bot. This seven-foot tall monster was created especially for DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist to take along on their international “Hard-Sell” tour. It was modeled after original poster art created by Paul Insect, and it was sculpted into its vinyl incarnation by Scott Wettershneider.

They haven’t revealed the full Bot yet, but check out the original poster art, the juke-bot on tour and another detail shot of the toy after the jump…

LEGOs Need Guns Too

bfred — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:03:55 +0000

The constitution protects your right to bear arms, but what about your LEGOs? Who’s gonna protect them when the revolution comes, hm?

In response to the LEGO company’s overwhelming lack of firepower, custom toy designer Brick Arms has created an amazing line of deadly weapons for your figurines. Their products'which include everything from WWII guns to James Bond spy pistols to suitcase uzis' are created using the same plastic as LEGOs and are designed to fit right into the hands of the characters. They even produce some custom “minifigs” to go along with the guns, which include characters modeled after terrorists, German soldiers and spies. Check out more pictures after the jump…

[Click on pictures to see larger version]

[Crave]

Kanye Loves Stuffed Animals, Spongebob Squarepants

complex — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:00:52 +0000

We think it might be time for ‘Ye to cool out for a while. Sure we know he loves all things Japanese and ain’t afraid to step a little outside the mainstream, but did he really just co-sign this Nickelodeon inspired stuffed animal? The best thing about the Bathing Ape x Spongebob Squarepants plush toy is that’s it’s only available at select Bape boutiques. Hopefully, it’s also VERY limited edition, and almost impossible to get, cause with an offering like this, less is more.

[Source]

‘Friends’ In High Places

complex — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:37:56 +0000

Plush toy maker crowd favorite, Friends With You, has teamed up with designer flash drive figurine infuser, Mimoco, to release this new set of mimobots. The collabo features the iconic Malfi, Buddy Chub, Mr. Phantom and other characters spawned from dynamic design duo Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval. Like all the artist series drives, the Friends With You version come preloaded with all sorts of goodies like soundBytes, icons/avatars, and desktop wallpapers. While the “super limited edition” Mr. Phantom and Buddy Chub are available now, don’t expect to see Malfi in his many manifestations surfacing till March.

Ghostface’s Toy Commercial

complex — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:39:16 +0000

If only networks would run spots like this. Ghostface Killah hypes up his doll in this funny ad. He dubs the limited edition toy'that doesn’t really look like him'the “perfect f*cking holiday gift.”

[Source]

Kozik Puts Stalin On A Pedestal

complex — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:00:02 +0000

Last time we checked in with artist/designer/provocateur Frank Kozik he mentioned having like “200 different releases” in the pipeline, and this bust of what is arguably one of the cruelest dictators of the 20th Century, Joseph Stalin, must have been one of the many. It was created in collaboration with Uberbot and Kid Robot and: sits 14.25 inches tall, comes smothered in army green, and is extremely limited edition (50pcs). Like the Labbits and Chairman Mao with Mickey Mouse ears, the Stalin head comes complete with Kozik’s trademark ‘cigarette hanging out of its mouth’ signature. We’ve got a close up of the murderous “Man of Steel,” painstakingly detailed to capture all his evil glory, after the jump.

$200, uberbotonline.com

[Source]