Want a good deal on a great toy?
How about free?
Spin through the Jack in the Box
drive thru, and six kids' meals later (or six bucks), you'd have
yourself
an Exploration Ship. You could be forgiven for passing up the offer.
How
exciting does an Exploration Ship sound? And it's free--how good could
it
be? But look at all it does. The six components in the second picture
combine
to make the ship in the first picture, but they each do something too.
From
left to right, top row: Strata 6; Argus 4; Nexus 5; left to right,
front
row: Manta 2; Sentry 1; Triad 3.
Pull back and release Strata 6, and it runs forward while
the drill spins. Push the button on Argus 4, and the scanner dish pops
up and rotates as
you push it along the floor. Push Nexus 5 forward and sparks shoot up
under
its clear dome. Push a button on Manta 2 to eject the space glider.
Press
the button on Sentry 1 and its dual laser LEDs light up. Give Triad 3 a
shove and it rolls across the floor.
Put these all together into the ungainly looking ship in
picture one, and how much still works? Push the button and the space
glider still ejects. Push the button on Sentry 1 and now its lasers
shine through engine ports in Manta 2. Surprisingly, pull the whole
ship backwards and let it go and it races across the floor a lot better
than Strata 6 did by itself. So
three components, Strata 6, Sentry 1, and Manta 2 still operate.
Arguably,
Argus 4 and Nexus 5 don't do anything in the transformed ship, unless
they
help stabilize it (and it would look odd without side engines). Triad 3
looks
the oddest, riding piggy back at the rear, but it does provide a second
dome.
Jack in the Box brought back space-themed giveaways in a big way with
this
2003 follow-up to its Create-a-Bot line of robots with interchangeable
parts.
You're alright, Jack!
Soon destroying a universe near
you.
Dr. Who's nefarious nemesis, the
Daleks, invaded the new millenium via Britain's Product Enterprise
Ltd., the new BBC licensee for Dr. Who. Left is the talking Dalek, with
five authentic Dalek commands and flashing LEDs. Reminiscent of the
early Marx talking Dalek, the new models are very well-made, available
in three colors and retailed at around $40 US. Wreaking havoc
since 1963, the Daleks may be celebrating a fortieth anniversary of
destruction. Not to be outdone, the three little roll-a-matic Daleks
shown here plot
the Doctor's demise. "Menacing Motor Action! Fully Articulated! Highly
Detailed!" touts the ad copy, but that is almost an understatement.
They
are very-well made and finely detailed, and have pull-back motors. Four
different sets, each with three 2.5 inch daleks were available for
around
$25 US per set of three. Product Enterprise also released talking
Davros
and Cyberman, and a radio command Dalek.
