Hiko (Hu Fei) is an unremarkable toy from a game you haven't ever played.

Hiko (Hu Fei) or Huffei is a new character created for the Street Fighter Online Mouse Generation game. Hiko is based off of a character from the Chinese novel "Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain" He's brought to you today by HobbyLink Japan

Check out the official trailer for the game

Like all Revoltech SFO figures, there aren't many accessories. Included are an axe, some extra hands and a stand.

The paint detail on this figure is pretty awesome. Check out the fade on the pants.

This figure holds together pretty well, and the Revolver joints are not too obvious.

I do however have a few issues with the figure.

For one, what is with the face? He's got such a bland expression, its hard to make any dynamic fighting pose look convincing.

Secondly. The hands. Oh god, look at the hands - they are HUUGE. The hands are bigger than the head!

I can really only recommend this figure to Street Fighter fanatics, or fans of the on-line game. Its a fine figure in itself, but its not a must have for the casual fan. If you want to pick him up, be sure to visit HobbyLink Japan.

More Time Bokan Brave toys - YAY!

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Brave Gokin 22 Time Kuwagattan from Time Bokan - 11,800Yen, due 02/09

180mm long, diecast/ATBC-PVC/ABS/POM

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Bask in the glory of the diecast goodness. Has CM's found its way back?

Ok, at 160mm tall and 90% diecast, I can kind of see the 16,000 yen asking price.

If this is going to be as good as i think it is, I'm all over it.

New Robot Soul figures from Gundam 00

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New Robot Soul figures from Gundam 00 - these look amazing!

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"How could they stop the devouring death...that lived by sucking on living human bones!?"

Island Of Terror was released in 1966 and although it's been a while since I've seen it, I remember it being a rather underrated movie. Or maybe I shouldn't say underrated as much as unknown. It's certainly not one of the movies that immediately comes to mind when you think of Peter Cushing, but maybe that speaks more for his illustrious career than it does against this film.

When I placed my first order with Ultratumba Productions, I decided to have them throw in these little resin figures as well, mostly because they were cheap. I didn't expect to like them as much as I do.

These Creatures of Terror (aka the Silicates) come in a small (approximately 5"x5"x2") cardboard box with a picture of the product on the lid and brief assembly instructions on the side. The figures rest in a styrofoam tray.

The creatures themselves are just these big green blobs that would slither along the ground and attack with their long tentacles. On these figures, the tentacles are flexible and need to be attached, but a small dab of super glue will take care of that. Each piece comes pre-painted. The biggest one (without the tentacle) is a bit shy of 3" in length while the two smaller ones are less than 2" long (not including the tentacles).

One thing that may seem minor, but that impressed me, is that the two little Silicates are actually unique sculpts. You don't really notice it in pictures, but to see them in person confirms it. When I ordered them, I fully expected the same sculpt on both would be used as a cost cutting measure so I was pleasantly surprised to see they they made the extra effort to make them distinguishable from one another, in a way besides just having a differently shape tentacle.

I find that these are great "filler" pieces in my monster display. With their small size, you can fit them just about anywhere and they add a unique flavor to the overall display.

But here's the best part of all.... each individual Silicate has a MAGNET embedded in the bottom!! Yep, if you'd rather not have them on your shelf, you can leave them on your fridge!

The idea of putting magnets in these was a stroke of genius. For a mere $9, these have been one of the better bargains that I've acquired in my monster collection.

Super7 is happy (or terrified?) to announce the Pink Death Zombeard!!

Super7's Pink Death Zombeard!!!

Super7 is happy (or terrified?) to announce the Pink Death Zombeard!!

Another member of the Snakes of Infinity's Zombie army is stepping out of the shadows, unleashed on an unsuspecting populace! Eye witness reports of early attacks were sketchy at best, ranging from descriptions of whirling pink tornadoes to huge furry pink bears. A janitor working the graveyard shift even reported being attacked by a pink mop. The one thing all witnesses agreed on was the blazing bright pink.

The Pink Death Zombeard is 5" tall, and cast in black vinyl with a clear pink vinyl beard-head, with black, white, red and pink spray, and will be offered for sale at $50, Saturday, December 13th, 11am Pacific at the Super7 Store and online.

My favorite character from the 1994 movie "Street Fighter" starring Raoul Julia

Chun-Li was my favorite character in the completely underrated Street Fighter Movie. Man, that movie kicked so much ass. Ming Na is a total hottie.

I mean, what more can you ask for in a movie. Raoul Julia in his greatest role as M. Bison, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile... this movie is totally underappreciated. I also heard they made some videogames for the movie.

This Revoltech toy does not look a THING like Ming Na. I mean, seriously? I thought the Japanese were great toy sculptors. Ming Na must be PISSED.

The dress isn't even the right color...

Aaah sometimes I amuse myself. Seriously though, who does not know Chun-Li? I've been battling her in some form or another since 1991. In a sense, she is my nemesis...

Revoltech SFO Chun-Li is available at HobbyLink Japan

Anyway, this version of Chun-Li comes from the Street Fighter Online Mouse Generation video game. This on-line fighting game is all in Japanese, and requires just a mouse to play. The general consensus is that the game sucks.

This figure though, does not suck. It's actually pretty cool, in my opinion. Sure, she does not come with many accessories, but she just looks great.

Sculpted by Bome and Taichi Katoh, Bome being a name that should be recognizable to figure fans. The character retains her traditional Street Fighter looks, but her appearance is altered to represent her look in the game, which is played with actual on-screen Revoltech figures.

Accessories include variant hands, a stand, and a fireball attack that attaches to the palms of the open hands.

If you are a fan of the classic Street Fighter characters, this is a must have.

You can get your Revoltech SFO Chun-Li at HobbyLink Japan

My Jumbo Dangard Ace obsession reaches new heights!

Or should that be depths?

I've talked in the past about how much I love the Dangard Ace Jumbo Machinder and how that led me to lust after both it and the yellow bootleg from Italy. After finally getting both, I thought the story would end there. But no, eventually I would discover and acquire more Dangard bootleg jumbos from Argentina. Since those toys were produced in two different colors, I was prepared to for the possibility of more in other colors. I was not prepared for what turned up next.

Ironically, on the very same day that I was offered a third specimen of the toys from Argentina (one with green arms), this toy from Peru surfaced. I'd never heard of any jumbos from Peru before this and was very keen on getting it and was fortunately able to do so.

At first glance, this looks just like the other Dangards we'd seen previously, but it's actually quite different. Not only is the color different, but it had some different stickers on the arms.

And oh yeah, about those arms. Would you believe me if I told you that they had a toy gun inserted into them? When I first saw the toy, I could see a trigger on the underside of the arms and could tell that the fists came off. So my natural assumption was that the fists launched like many other jumbos, but just with a unique launching mechanism. But upon receiving the toy, I found out that was not the case at all.

What I saw instead was so insane and crudely primitive that I couldn't help but laugh. It seems that this toy simply had the fists cut off and the shooting mechanism from a toy gun inserted into each hollow cavity of the arms. A slot was cut into the bottom of the arm to allow access to the trigger and a hole was cut into the front of the fists!

I thought I'd see it all, but this takes the cake. And if it were not for the fact that the seller almost immediately found more specimens of the toy that were all the same, I would have thought that this must be a custom.

Did I say all the same? Well, not quite. While 2 more of the same color have surfaced, there's also been a second version that replaces the red torso with white.

Other than the color difference, both toys are exactly the same, right down to the ludicrous gimmick. I'd love to know what was originally shot out of those fists. Missiles unique to this toy? One of those plastic bullets that stick to things? One thing is for sure, whatever it shot, it shot hard. I managed to get a pencil to fly 16 feet out of this.

So, although these two toys are basically the same, how do they stack up against the other existing Dangard Ace Jumbos? Well, naturally they can't touch the original Popy toy, but they are higher quality than the ones from Argentina and maybe even the one from Italy, too. The polyethylene is pretty thick and solid. Also, these are bigger than the ones from Argentina and about equal in height (21.5") to the Italian one. They also stand more upright than the others. Unfortunately, it seems like it might be impossible to find one mint as the stickers are always in really rough shape. This has been pretty common on most of the toys I've gotten from South America. Maybe it's due to the climate?

One thing is for sure, when I first got into this hobby, never in a million years did I think I'd end up with seven different Dangard Ace Jumbos!

And who knows? Maybe some day I'll have more. I know of another from Hong Kong with a yellow body and red head and it will be no surprise at all if more surface from South America.

The main mecha from Saber Riders and the Star Sherrifs!

Lets face it, eighties mecha rocks. Whether you are talking about Laserion, Vavilos, Albegas or even Commpoboy, there is something so cool about the vision of the future at that time.

Bismarck is a classic example of a design from that school. Hard blocky lines, copious amounts of chrome, red and black, this bot has it all. The Bismarck hails from the 1984 TV anime Sei Jushi Bismarck (星銃士ビスマルク Star Musketeer Bismarck) which was brought over to the US by World Events Productions (the same who did Voltron) as Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. In Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, Bismarck was known as Ramrod.

Even though this is a ST or standard) size chogokin, it still has plenty of gimmicks and for a gokin - really fantastic articulation.

First off, you can't ignore the giant guns on the chest. These guns can pivot up and down and are made out of a bendable plastic that resists breaking.

The left arm features a firing fist, while the right arm has some hand articulation that can hold a gun.

When not in use, the gun is stored in a holster at the side.

Just look at the arm articulation. Amazing stuff for a vintage gokin.

From there down the toy continues to impress. There's a waist joint, ball jointed hips, knees that bend, and articulated ankles.

The panels on the sides of the lower legs open to reveal working missile launchers with microscopic missiles.

While this toy does not have as many gimmicks as its impressive larger brother, it is still a great toy in its own right, and is one of the more affordable vintage gokin one can search after.

Enkidu is the Gunmen piloted by one of the main protagonists in the anime Gurren Lagann. Need more info?.......

Today I will be reviewing Enkidu from the anime Gurren Lagann. Enkidu is number 064 in Kaiyodo's outrageously popular Revoltech line. Enkidu comes in the very familiar window box like all the other figures in the Revoltech lineup.

Just in case that you are not familiar with the character, Enkidu is the Gunmen piloted by one of the main protagonists, Viral, in the anime Gurren Lagann. Need more info?....... Read here.

Enkidu comes with the usual Revoltech array of accessories, Including different hands, sickle, shins and stand. The sickle accessory is my favorite, it can attach to the figures head or be held in either hand. The figure and looks really cool when posed holding the sickle.

Enkidu comes courtesy of HobbyLink Japan

As you can see in the pics below, Enkidu is highly detailed and has all the articulation you now expect from a Revoltech figure.

Pierre is another Revoltech from the Japanese video game Doko Demo Issyo. There are five different characters from this line. A dog, frog, cat, bunny, and a robot?......

Pierre is another Revoltech from the Japanese video game Doko Demo Issyo. There are five different characters from this line. A dog, frog, cat, bunny, and a robot. And I must admit, Pierre is a cute toy, he is esthetically pleasant and as soon as Josh asked me if I wanted him I said an immediate yes.

Revoltech Pierre is available at HobbyLink Japan

Because Pierre is a Revoltech, you can expect quality. He has joints with ratchet action, his paint job is done very well, and he has much play value. Like the other Doko Demo Issyo figures there are multiple snap on faces for different expressions depending on how you are posing him and which accessories he is using. Pierre has four different interchangeable faces a smile, a smirk, a laughing, and a content. To change his face is a bit of a pain, you can grasp Pierre by the ears and slowly work the front of the face off. It is hard to do the first time, but I think the toy begins to loosen up a bit after you change it a few times. Maybe there is an easier way to do this but the directions are written in Japanese. This line of Revoltech reminds me a little of the Mr. Potato Head toy I had when I was young.

Pierre's accessories include, a flower, a telephone, a folded up newspaper, a glass of wine, and bandanna, for use with the cat Doko Demo Issyo. Pierre also included a set of the Cat's legs, go figure. ( another cleverly included item to encourage the purchase of the other items in the line) The accessories are easy to implement. They have little pegs that insert into the hands which have a hole for the peg.

Pierre comes with a Revoltech stand, otherwise he could not stand on his own. Like the accessories it is a peg fitting into a hole mechanism.

I found this toy rather pleasant, there was some play value, and if you were to have the whole lot of the Doko Demo Issyo toys they would look good displayed together, not to mention some of the parts interchangeable too.

Like Josh said in the Ricky review, these toys are not for everyone, but there is a definite attraction with women. As Josh's wife and myself both liked these toys. If I had all of the Doko Demo Issyo series I would display them and play with them.

Revoltech Pierre is available at HobbyLink Japan

The first in the "Ray Harryhausen Film Library" line of Japanese vinyl toys.

In something of a surprise move, Japanese soft vinyl makers Beagle and Pilot Ace have teamed up to produce a line of figures based on monsters from Ray Harryhausen movies. The first release was Cyclops from the 1958 movie "The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad".

When this was first announced, I thought it was pretty neat but decided I would pass on it. There were other Cyclops figures out, ready to be had at a cheaper price and while I thought this one looked ok, it wasn't so much better than those that I was prepared to spend the extra money. However, as soon as I saw the second release from the line, the fire breathing dragon, I knew I had to have that one. And if I was gonna get the second release, I decided to circle back and order the first as well.

This release was delayed for a little while, but I finally picked it up last week. Now that I have it, I'm really glad I didn't pass on it and I plan to get all the releases from this line. (Two more, Ymir and Kali, have already been announced.)

Cyclops is a standard size Japanese vinyl and as such stands just a hair, or in this case a horn, over 9" tall. It's made of nice, thick vinyl and articulated at the hips, shoulders and neck. The hair of the legs is painted a dull, matte brown which gives it a bit of a cheaper feel than the torso, which is a glossy beige with metallic silver highlights. White, black and red highlights complete the paint scheme.

As with most vinyl, Cyclops is sold in a bag with a header card. I find the card art to be a bit on the dull side. Furthermmore, I think it looks a bit too psychedelic for the subject matter.

Although the regular release of Cyclops showed up a bit late, there was a limited exclusive version out in time for the summer Wonderfest convention in Japan. This one features a paint scheme with redder legs and yellower torso, with a note on the header card to distinguish it from the normal release. I think that one was limited to 30 pieces. Here is a picture of it that I snagged from Mark Nagata's blog.

Now that I have this, my biggest complaint with it is that it presents me with a bit of a collector dilemna. Do I display this with my Japanese kaiju or with my American monsters?!? I'm inclined to put it with my monsters, but I feel like if I do that, then I have to move my Great Monsters Of The Movies toys, which I've had with my kaiju, there too! Such difficult decisions!

How to embed high-quality youtube video to articles. Updated for HD

How to embed HIGH QUALITY youtube videos in CDX

First, copy the embed code from Youtube on the video page. It will look something like this:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nc2oSCP-jmM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nc2oSCP-jmM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

What you need to do is replace a string after your video id. The video ID ends with the & sign. So, in the example above, the video ID is:

Nc2oSCP-jmM

You need to delete after this string, and replace with a new string:

Nc2oSCP-jmM&hl=en&fs=1 becomes Nc2oSCP-jmM&ap=%2526fmt%3D18

Make sure you replace this in both places in your code.

Finally, change the size of your video to the original size. In this case its 600 x 485. Your final code will look something like this. I've highlighted the changes in bold.

<object width="600" height="485"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nc2oSCP-jmM&ap=%2526fmt%3D18"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nc2oSCP-jmM&ap=%2526fmt%3D18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="600" height="485"></embed></object>

Updated for HD

use &ap=%2526fmt%3D22 instead for HD embedding