Welcome back to Toy Aisle, our collection of the coolest toys and merchandise we’ve seen this week. This time we’ve got some seriously cool Dinobots, some very weird Justice League cars, and an impressive (most impressive) recreation of Darth Vader’s iconic helmet. Check it out!
Transformers: Generations Power of the Primes Deluxe Class Dinobots
Ask any child of the ’80s who the best Transformers character was, and they will usually either answer Optimus Prime or Megatron. But ask them who the second best was, and the answer will almost always be the Dinobot Grimlock. That’s why we’re incredibly excited to see that Hasbro is reviving a Dinobot line, with the addition of a new velociraptor bot called Slash, and that they now all transform and connect together to form the Dinobot Combiner character, Volcanicus. The Transformers: Generations Power of the Primes Deluxe Class Dinobots will be available this fall ranging from $US10 ($12) for Slash, to $US30 ($37) for Grimlock.
Godzilla Humidifier
Godzilla is known for his deadly atomic breath, spitting nuclear fire wherever he goes. Now you can have a slightly less painful version (a lot less painful, really, though we wouldn’t recommend getting it sprayed in your eyes) in the form of this absurdly cute Godzilla humidifier. The adorable little kaiju blasts water vapour into the air, illuminated by two little lights hidden in his mouth, to make your environment much more pleasant than if he decided to spray atomic fire instead. Bonus: he also plays music from Godzilla movies and makes sounds (roar!) Lil’ Godzilla is due for release in November for the equivalent of roughly $US70 ($87) in Japan. [Godzilla Store]
Hot Wheels Justice League Character Cars
What if, instead of flying or dashing at supersonic speeds, Superman and the Flash drove around Metropolis and Gotham in their own self-branded vehicles like Batman does? That question continues to be answered by Hot Wheels’ character cars series with the addition of new rides for Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. We’re pretty enamoured with the transparent wheels and undercarriage on Aquaman’s new whip. All of these vehicles should be available now for about $US4 ($5) each.
Star Wars Millennium Falcon Coaster Set
Following up on those Star Wars Death Star and Star Trek: Enterprise stackable coasters from a few weeks back, there’s now a Millennium Falcon version revealing the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy’s guts as you stack and unstack the glass layers. For $US20 ($25) you get six rubber-footed coasters, and an intimate look at Solo’s ride for anyone not willing to spend $US800 ($1,000) on Lego’s new version. [ThinkGeek]
Wonder Woman SWAT Shield with Sound Effects
Now that toy companies have finally realised that it’s cool to be a female superhero, we’re starting to see more and more Wonder Woman merch hitting shelves. Factory Entertainment’s SWAT series of foam props now has a $US40 ($50), 18-inch replica of Diana’s shield as seen in this summer’s Woman Woman blockbuster. It won’t deflect bullets since it’s made of fabric and foam for safety reasons, but it does include motion-activated sound effects as you swing it around, or make impact. [ThinkGeek]
Star Wars Black Series Darth Vader Helmet
After giving us Poe Dameron’s helmet earlier this year, Habsro’s next high-end helmet replica is the most iconic one of all: Darth Vader’s. Releasing sometime next year, the full-scale replica is based on Vader’s mask as it appears in Return of the Jedi. Featuring sounds to recreate Vader’s breathing and the sounds of the helmet being sealed up, the mask can actually separate into three pieces — the upper helmet, the mask itself, and the lower “jaw” section — connected together by magnets.