A Viable Low-Cost Source? Click N' Play - updated with Part III, December 2022 - Fri May 14, 2021 7:09 pm
Part I - World Peacekeepers Military Life and Sport & Adventure Sets
For Part II see HERE.
For Part III see HERE.
I haven't gotten any of these World Peacekeepers Click N' Play sets from M&C Toy Center for years, but I ran across them recently, and picked up a couple. The Military Life (Woodland) set was under $49 (USD), the Sport & Adventure (Surfer) set was under $23. The sets are sixth scale, and feature G.I. Joe-type articulated figures with appropriate military or sports clothing and accessories. While there is a greater reliance on molded plastic and the sculpts are a little softer than the high-end pricey sixth-scale accessories we are used to, much of the contents lends itself to using for custom kitbashed figures and scenes. Unlike Barbie/Ken items, these are usually not undersized and come in appropriate colors, so a little weathering might be enough to improve their realism.
The Military Life set features bunk beds and a locker, together with a figure, clothing and accessories.
Many of the accessories come attached on a couple of panels stored atop the two surfaces of the bunk beds. There is heavy use of tape and, worse, twisty ties.
The box includes a backdrop, of sorts, onto which the figure and furniture come attached. It is a pity this gets a little damaged in the process, as it is very nicely printed with realistic enough flooring, brick and plaster walls, and even a window. I feel there is a missed opportunity here. With less damage, a little more space (though you can open up the lidless box that this backing constitutes), and a less glossy print, this would have been a very good diorama backdrop.
What you get with the set besides the furniture and the weapon-carrying figure in its fatigures, boots, belt, and dog tags, are the helmet, three extra pieces for the weapon, backpack, pillow, blanket, four coat hangers, a t-shirt, boxer shorts, a white towel, shower sandals (slides), two dumbbells with removable three pairs of plates (and a stopper) each, a shaving cup, a razor, a shave brush, a tooth brush, and a guitar. The most toy-like accessories by far are the pillow and the back pack, which are made of molded plastic (although the backpack has softer plastic for the leather parts of the shoulder straps and elastic cord for the rest). They are sculpted nicely enough, and some repainting might make them appear more realistic. The coat hangers look unrealistic to me, but the rest of the accessories are either very good to begin with or easily improvable with a bit of weathering. Since these are bunk beds, it would have been appropriate to supply a second blanket and pillow.
The figure itself has pretty good articulation (except that the ankles can only bend forward and backwards), but its poseability is poor, as the joints are quite loose.
The head sculpt, while not disproportionate, is not particularly realistic, certainly not when compared to high-end sixth-scale collectibles. This is, of course, very much a toy set. Technically speaking, all the clothing that comes with the set could be put on this one figure (why the t-shirt and boxer shorts are not already on it, I don't know). But you could also spread these items to outfit as many as three figures, which I did below, allowing you to see how each one fits.
I put the fatigues, belt, and boots on a TBLeague M33 body and gave it another head, and also the helmet and weapon that came with the set (snapping the extra pieces into place). I like the way the helmet fits, although otherwise there are some problems with the fit: the sleeves look too short (I tell myself he rolled them up) and the pants are barely buttoned.
Luckily the top fits well over the torso (apart from the sleeves looking short) and the belt (which snaps shut) works well, keeping everything in place. I think if I had used the M31 body, some of the fit would have been easier, although I suspect the sleeves would still look too short. No, TBLeague feet will not fit in these boots.
I put the t-shirt and shorts on another M33 body. The shorts fit easily and perfectly. The t-shirt was a struggle and is a tad short, but in the end it fits.
I love the realistic look and feel of the dumb bells. I already have metal ones, but these look right while also not being awkwardly heavy for the figure. Again, you can place as many sets of plates as you want on them.
I put the dog tags, the towel, and the sandals on yet another M33 body, and had him go shave and brush his teeth. See, you can spread the goods across three figures.
Ideally there should be clothes on the coat hangers, especially if he's just wearing a towel. The towel has the perfect thickness and fabric to look realistic. The unfortunate backpack is the perfect thing to hide in the locker. Speaking of the locker, I love it. You can buy a metal locker of similar appearance for more than this whole set cost, but this one works for me. The same goes for the bunk beds. I should point out that the "mattress" atop each level is a thin layer of foamie -- minimalistic, but it works.
It now occurs to me that I should have shown the guitar some more love... attention. It has individual strings, and looks great from the top, with its faux wooden covering. The rest is a bit boxy and plastic, but a bit of weathering or repaint would probably make it look great.
So that was it for this particular Military Life set; there are various others you can check out. But on to the other example...
The Sport & Adventure Surfer set comes in a much smaller box, for obvious reasons. Everything is safely packed with the use of a single twisty tie.
The figure looks decent, and it uses the same body as the previous example.
Again, despite the good articulation, the joints are quite loose, and it was fairly difficult to get him to stay standing in these poses for the photos.
Switching the body to an M33 and the head to a more realistic sculpt, instantly improves the realism of the look and the ability to hold the accessories and maintain poses. The shorts are a tight but not impossible or overly restrictive fit.
I couldn't believe it. The shirt fit too, and even easier and better than the military t-shirt from the previous set. The sunglasses are cast of semi-translucent plastic, although you can't tell from the photos.
The surfing (or surf training on dry land?) pose was so much easier to achieve and maintain -- practically without effort.
And now he can carry his board to the surf... or onto the beach... or wherever the heck he wants to.
And when he's done carrying it around, he can set it down, towel himself off (another nice, realistic towel), and dig into the cooler for a beer or two.
Speaking of the cooler, it opens and features a removable top trey that allows additional storage below it. And that comes in handy, because as I was putting the set away, I put the towel, sunglasses, and beers in there too. So neat.
All in all, I'm glad I gave these a try. To get more out of them, some items will need a bit of weathering or repainting, but on the whole there is plenty here that will be useful, especially when combined with other items and accessories.
Where to buy? I got mine with free shipping on Amazon. You can also find them at Costwold Collectibles or search the net. I also discovered that one can order specific accessories from these sets (rather than the whole sets) online from the company at https://www.mctoy.com.hk/index.php/i/toyseries/27 (you do need to create an account).
What do you think?
For Part II see HERE.
For Part III see HERE.
#modern #military #sport #surf #male
For Part II see HERE.
For Part III see HERE.
I haven't gotten any of these World Peacekeepers Click N' Play sets from M&C Toy Center for years, but I ran across them recently, and picked up a couple. The Military Life (Woodland) set was under $49 (USD), the Sport & Adventure (Surfer) set was under $23. The sets are sixth scale, and feature G.I. Joe-type articulated figures with appropriate military or sports clothing and accessories. While there is a greater reliance on molded plastic and the sculpts are a little softer than the high-end pricey sixth-scale accessories we are used to, much of the contents lends itself to using for custom kitbashed figures and scenes. Unlike Barbie/Ken items, these are usually not undersized and come in appropriate colors, so a little weathering might be enough to improve their realism.
The Military Life set features bunk beds and a locker, together with a figure, clothing and accessories.
Many of the accessories come attached on a couple of panels stored atop the two surfaces of the bunk beds. There is heavy use of tape and, worse, twisty ties.
The box includes a backdrop, of sorts, onto which the figure and furniture come attached. It is a pity this gets a little damaged in the process, as it is very nicely printed with realistic enough flooring, brick and plaster walls, and even a window. I feel there is a missed opportunity here. With less damage, a little more space (though you can open up the lidless box that this backing constitutes), and a less glossy print, this would have been a very good diorama backdrop.
What you get with the set besides the furniture and the weapon-carrying figure in its fatigures, boots, belt, and dog tags, are the helmet, three extra pieces for the weapon, backpack, pillow, blanket, four coat hangers, a t-shirt, boxer shorts, a white towel, shower sandals (slides), two dumbbells with removable three pairs of plates (and a stopper) each, a shaving cup, a razor, a shave brush, a tooth brush, and a guitar. The most toy-like accessories by far are the pillow and the back pack, which are made of molded plastic (although the backpack has softer plastic for the leather parts of the shoulder straps and elastic cord for the rest). They are sculpted nicely enough, and some repainting might make them appear more realistic. The coat hangers look unrealistic to me, but the rest of the accessories are either very good to begin with or easily improvable with a bit of weathering. Since these are bunk beds, it would have been appropriate to supply a second blanket and pillow.
The figure itself has pretty good articulation (except that the ankles can only bend forward and backwards), but its poseability is poor, as the joints are quite loose.
The head sculpt, while not disproportionate, is not particularly realistic, certainly not when compared to high-end sixth-scale collectibles. This is, of course, very much a toy set. Technically speaking, all the clothing that comes with the set could be put on this one figure (why the t-shirt and boxer shorts are not already on it, I don't know). But you could also spread these items to outfit as many as three figures, which I did below, allowing you to see how each one fits.
I put the fatigues, belt, and boots on a TBLeague M33 body and gave it another head, and also the helmet and weapon that came with the set (snapping the extra pieces into place). I like the way the helmet fits, although otherwise there are some problems with the fit: the sleeves look too short (I tell myself he rolled them up) and the pants are barely buttoned.
Luckily the top fits well over the torso (apart from the sleeves looking short) and the belt (which snaps shut) works well, keeping everything in place. I think if I had used the M31 body, some of the fit would have been easier, although I suspect the sleeves would still look too short. No, TBLeague feet will not fit in these boots.
I put the t-shirt and shorts on another M33 body. The shorts fit easily and perfectly. The t-shirt was a struggle and is a tad short, but in the end it fits.
I love the realistic look and feel of the dumb bells. I already have metal ones, but these look right while also not being awkwardly heavy for the figure. Again, you can place as many sets of plates as you want on them.
I put the dog tags, the towel, and the sandals on yet another M33 body, and had him go shave and brush his teeth. See, you can spread the goods across three figures.
Ideally there should be clothes on the coat hangers, especially if he's just wearing a towel. The towel has the perfect thickness and fabric to look realistic. The unfortunate backpack is the perfect thing to hide in the locker. Speaking of the locker, I love it. You can buy a metal locker of similar appearance for more than this whole set cost, but this one works for me. The same goes for the bunk beds. I should point out that the "mattress" atop each level is a thin layer of foamie -- minimalistic, but it works.It now occurs to me that I should have shown the guitar some more love... attention. It has individual strings, and looks great from the top, with its faux wooden covering. The rest is a bit boxy and plastic, but a bit of weathering or repaint would probably make it look great.
So that was it for this particular Military Life set; there are various others you can check out. But on to the other example...
The Sport & Adventure Surfer set comes in a much smaller box, for obvious reasons. Everything is safely packed with the use of a single twisty tie.
The figure looks decent, and it uses the same body as the previous example.
Again, despite the good articulation, the joints are quite loose, and it was fairly difficult to get him to stay standing in these poses for the photos.
Switching the body to an M33 and the head to a more realistic sculpt, instantly improves the realism of the look and the ability to hold the accessories and maintain poses. The shorts are a tight but not impossible or overly restrictive fit.
I couldn't believe it. The shirt fit too, and even easier and better than the military t-shirt from the previous set. The sunglasses are cast of semi-translucent plastic, although you can't tell from the photos.
The surfing (or surf training on dry land?) pose was so much easier to achieve and maintain -- practically without effort.
And now he can carry his board to the surf... or onto the beach... or wherever the heck he wants to.
And when he's done carrying it around, he can set it down, towel himself off (another nice, realistic towel), and dig into the cooler for a beer or two.
Speaking of the cooler, it opens and features a removable top trey that allows additional storage below it. And that comes in handy, because as I was putting the set away, I put the towel, sunglasses, and beers in there too. So neat.
All in all, I'm glad I gave these a try. To get more out of them, some items will need a bit of weathering or repainting, but on the whole there is plenty here that will be useful, especially when combined with other items and accessories.
Where to buy? I got mine with free shipping on Amazon. You can also find them at Costwold Collectibles or search the net. I also discovered that one can order specific accessories from these sets (rather than the whole sets) online from the company at https://www.mctoy.com.hk/index.php/i/toyseries/27 (you do need to create an account).
What do you think?
For Part II see HERE.
For Part III see HERE.
#modern #military #sport #surf #male
