Category Archives: Toys

Dragon’s Lair X RepliCade Overhaul Edition

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Another long wait is over!!!

I ordered this little beauty nearly a year ago, and it arrived a few months ahead of schedule. Dragon’s Lair was originally released in 1983 and was one of my favorite games growing up. I spent much of my limited arcade money on this game, as it took two quarters to play a game that usually ended in just a minute of play. Dragon’s Lair used laserdisc technology and animation from the legendary Don Bluth, offering greatly superior graphics compared to other video games at the time.

This miniaturized 1/6 scale cabinet features a control panel with authentic ball-top joystick and action buttons, a cabinet constructed from premium materials including wood, metal, and plastic, illuminated marquee and coin doors, high-resolution cabinet art reproduction on quality 3M vinyl overlays, and a LDV1000 Mini LaserDisc player replica prop with rear cab storage drawer.

It plays the original 1983 Dragon’s Lair LaserDisc arcade game running on Daphne emulator on a gorgeous traditional 4:3 aspect ratio 4.2-inch screen. This tiny reproduction has HDTV Connectivity with screen mirroring, amplified multi-speaker audio with volume control, USB controller support, a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery, an operator’s menu featuring dip switch settings and cabinet controls, and a fully functional digital scoreboard displaying players’ scores, lives, and credits.

Crazy right?

The gameplay on this little cabinet is incredible. Using the tiny joystick and buttons is actually pretty easy and the game is perfectly playable even at its small scale. I think it even plays better than my 3/4 scale Arcade1Up version I picked up last year.

New best friends!

Oh yeah, I also ordered a 3/4 scale cabinet from Arcade1Up last year which also arrived way ahead of schedule. I’ve been meaning to post up about the new arcade cabinet, but it’s much too heavy to bring out to my normal photo location on my patio bar. 🙂 I’ll post up more info on this beast later but now back to its little brother.

New Wave Toys has really hit this one out of the park, creating a small scale replica that is true to the original arcade version in both looks and playability. Adding a retro arcade fluorescent carpet pad and scale stool perfectly finished off the set.

Can’t wait to see what New Wave Toys comes up with next… Oh yeah, that’s right! I also ordered another Don Bluth classic “Space Ace” which hopefully will ship next month.

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Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Proton Pack

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OMG, It’s finally here!!!!

I ordered this bad boy way back in 2021 when Hasbro offered it up via the Haslab crowdfunding platform. They needed 7,000 backers to proceed and they received over 19,000 eager Ghostbusters fans with the product scheduled for release in spring 2023.

Well it’s truly hard to believe that even with all the Covid related delays and supply chain issues, the good folks at Hasbro managed to get this out earlier than expected.

The pack connects to the previously released and awesome Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand which I had already purchased way back in 2020. They both work together and the pack actually responds to the actions of the wand. This is truly unexpected as the original wand was created as a stand alone item, with no plans at the time to create the entire pack.

Here’s a quick video of the pack in operation.

Of course I’ve made a few little modifications to bring the beast closer to the actual movie prop, but this thing is pretty darn cool right out of the box.

Owning a full size Ghostbusters Proton Pack has been a dream of mine since first seeing the movie way back in 1984. Until Hasbro produced this beauty, the only option was to gather up all the parts, assemble, paint and install all the electronics yourself, or pay someone thousands of dollars to build a pack for you. Although the Hasbro pack is not as authentic as these more expensive options, it’s definitely good enough for me and well exceeded my expectations.

Hasbro teased us Ghostbusters fans by hinting that they may be offering up another item later this year. I’m hoping it’s a ghost trap, or preferably an updated PKE Meter that also doubles as a ghost taser as seen in the Afterlife film.

Until them, “We have the tools, We have the talent…”

Who ya gonna call?

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Well that didn’t take long… Unleash the beast!!!

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While I was recently digging through and organizing my RC parts, I was surprised to find a stock Traxxas motor. I must be getting old because I can’t remember why I had an extra, but I hooked it up and it seems to work great.

I picked up an old school Traxxas speed controller (ESC) super cheap and hooked it up to a radio receiver I also had lying around. I tried to keep it simple by keeping the chassis all black but when I swapped around a few different shocks from the other trucks, I really dug the looks of the blue springs with this body.

I just fixed a broken controller which I also had stuffed in the bowels of my parts bin. You see honey, I knew I should keep it all these years just in case I needed it one day… well today is the day and now the truck is officially complete.

Ready to hit the shelf!

Yup, just like my fancy 30th Anniversary Grave Digger, these tires will only be touched by carpet, linoleum and maybe a few wood or tile floors.

Hail to the one that started it all, baby!!!

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The one that started it all!

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The first monster truck, Bigfoot, started out as a family Ford F-250 pickup which was modified until the tires reached 66 inches, as well as adding heavy duty suspension and four-wheel steering.

Often seen crushing regular cars under its weight, this humungous truck provide a thrilling source of entertainment that was loved across the US and beyond.

Fresh out of the box!

I was thrilled to see that Traxxas brought this classic to their lineup a few years ago, but I just couldn’t see spending the money on yet another Traxxas Stampede with a fancy shell. Well after patiently waiting for years, and searching eBay for just the right price, I finally purchased the shell and built this roller using 90% parts I already had. I even found an incredible price on a LED light set that is only found on the most recently released version.

It’s just a roller now, no motor, computer(ESC) or controller… but let’s be honest here, I’m sure this thing will be 100% up and running before you know it. 🙂

Almost there… stay on target!

I’ll be perusing eBay for the remaining parts needed for the beast and digging through what’s left of my parts in the hopes of finding anything else I can use for the build.

Hopefully soon this thing will be fully functional.

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30th Anniversary Grave Digger… from roller to remote controller

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Well, after getting all the RC’s out and cleaned up this past week, I decided to change this beauty from a simple rolling chassis to a full blown radio controlled beast.

I ordered and installed the last remaining parts needed to truly drive this thing, along with a few visual enhancements to spruce it up, and this monster is finally ready for the road.

Just before the transformation.

Well, actually… it won’t see any dirt, asphalt, gravel, or cement under its wheels and there will definitely be no roll-overs to scratch this beautiful body as this trailer king will only be driven under safe conditions that can only be accommodated by in-door driving.

Too pretty to bash!

Yup, these tires will only be touched by carpet, linoleum and maybe a few wood or tile floors.

Hail to the king, baby!!!

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A Baby Bronco just for me!

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That’s right, I got tired of the limited seat time I’ve been getting in my wife’s new Bronco Sport so I bought my own.

This bad boy is sporting a high lift, huge off-road tires, gargantuan push bar up front, and this baby is 100% electric.

Charge time is only 30 minutes which produces about 20 minutes of drive time. Needless to say I’ll be spending most of my drive time close to home.

If you happen to see me out and about in this beauty, make sure you say hi and give us a big thumbs up as you pass by! ??

Update (2/4)

I was so excited to find one in Cyber Orange, and it’s an actual Badlands Edition!!!

Cyber Orange Badlands Edition!!!

Don’t they look cute together?

I’ve decided to keep both and only drive the Cyber Orange Baby Bronco on Sundays!

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Wow, this thing is a beast!

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With the help of my daughter, this Lego Ghostbusters Ecto-1 from the new “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” movie took me about 8+ hours to build, spread out over a few days. Lot’s of tedious little pieces to assemble, but it all comes together nicely.

Lots of really cool features like a very detailed engine compartment.

Storage for remote trap with deploy action.

Gunner seat that can be spun around and popped out.

Steering, moving sniffer, and rotating antenna all work as the tires roll.

This is truly an incredible build. I was on the fence for days trying to decide whether I wanted to drop so much on a “toy”, but I’m sure glad I did.

This kit will be prominently displayed in my collection and I’m so thankful I decided to pick it up.

Who ya gonna call?

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Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

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So, after thinking I was done with any more major mods to the Ghostbusters pack, I changed my mind and decided to do the wand and sound upgrades.

It wasn’t like I didn’t have any extra time on my hands since everything is still closed. 😉

The sound upgrade wasn’t much of an effort and I had no issues with the install, but the wand upgrade required a lot of cutting and drilling to fit all the lights and electronics. I took my time and made all my cuts with care which resulted in a job well done.

I added a few extra buttons to disable the continuous hum, and also switch between single pack and dual pack (slime) mode which were currently only accessible via a jumper on the sound and wand circuit boards.

I replaced all the stock stickers with weathered versions I found on Etsy. It’s amazing to me how much support there is out on the world wide web for these things.

I added a large frosted LED for the shutdown affect, which flashes through the holes where speaker used to sit. Since I upgraded to the new sound board, I didn’t need that tiny little speak any longer. 🙂

Believe it or not, I still have a few other things I’m going to add before I can call this one complete.

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We got one!!!!

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Wow, this thing is huge!!

I just couldn’t resist(and believe me I tried) this massive Lego 2352 piece “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” inspired Ecto-1 measuring 8 high, 18 long and 6 wide(last picture for box scale).

This thing features working steering wheel, trapdoor, ghost trap, an extending gunner seat, and more awesome details from the converted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance used in the new movie.

Can’t wait to dig in over the long weekend and get this thing built.

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A few final mods to accommodate the new Spengler wand

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More work on the Ghostbusters pack. I wanted to be able to swap out the Rubies wand I use for display, and the Spengler wand I’ll be using for my costume.

I first swapped out the 3D printed v-hook setup I was using with a standard Dixie® Cup bracket that would accommodate both wands. The new v-hook setup strengthen the mount on the inside of the pack, as the Spengler wand is much heaver than the Rubies version.

I added a small four pin quick release connector at the bottom of the pack which allows the four wires needed for the Rubies wand to remain functional when connected. The connector I chose fits prefect in the stock hole, so no additional drilling or modifications was needed.

I didn’t like the way the electrical tape looked on the end of the extra afterlife cable, so I removed the tape and cleaned up the faux plug a bit to make it more presentable. 🙂

The Spengler wand hooks in using the same type of plug, but I didn’t wire anything up as the wand itself handles all the sound. I know a lot of people have opened up the Spengler wand, tied into its speaker and routed it to the pack, but I’m just not ready to do that yet. At this point, I’m happy with the sound emanating from the wand.

I was planning on doing the whole wand light and pack sound kits, but I think I’m happy with the way everything turned out. I’m going to switch my focus towards a full sized pack. Although I love my little Rubies setup, a full size pack with all the bells and whistles is where true Ghostbuster happiness is found. 🙂

Who ya gonna call?

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Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand

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Okay, I know I said I would be taking a break from all the Ghostbuster stuff but OMG I just picked up one of the most incredible toys, in the history of incredible toys!

Check out this Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand, a replica of the wand used in the upcoming “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” movie.

Sure it looks great, but the lights, sounds and motorized feedback really make this thing shine. It comes with four stream modes including the classic Proton Stream, Slime Blower, Stasis Stream, and Meson Collider. It will also perform an overheat/shutdown sequence when the thrower has been operated too long.

I love how the end of the wand pulses when idle and also shuts down automatically if left on. The switches must be engaged in the correct(movie accurate) sequence for the wand to function properly, and the power knob actually works as it will adjust the power with sound, vibration and visible LEDs.

I’ve been waiting so long for this thing and OMG Hasbro has hit this one right out of the park. Sure, there may be a few things the true Ghostbuster purest might find fault with, but for the price of this mass produce “toy”, you can’t deny that they have set the bar high with the launch of this awesome product.

I’m looking forward to see what Hasbro has in store for the rest of their Ghostbusters line, but for now I am extremely please and impressed with this true piece of art.

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Okay, last Ghostbusters post for a while… I promise

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Well, my quest to create my own motherboard for the Rubies/Spirit Pack was a little harder than I thought. Living in a rural area I couldn’t obtain the MDF I needed to use for my pack. I had seen a pre-cut MDF motherboard on eBay but it was very expensive… but thanks to an eBay coupon that popped up I was able to get it down to a price I could live with.

I was going to go with a larger cut, more like the movie boards that stick out a bit wider than the pack shell, but for this 80% pack I actually like the way this board fits inside the shell. I utilize Doug’s (ghostlab42) A.L.I.C.E. frame mounting hardware so I had to measure and cut out a little rectangle for the middle mount, but after that I threw on a few coats of paint and it was done.

So much better than that flimsy cardboard/cloth motherboard the thing came with. I was finally able to put the “Danger” sticker on the back which I feel really finishes it off.

For now, I think I’m done. I’m pretty happy with the way it looks and I think I will wrangle my efforts into creating a true full size replica.

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Another quick mod to my Ghostbuster trap

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I swapped out the on/off button on both my Rubies and Spirit Ghostbusters traps. It was nice to get rid of the “try me” mode on the Rubies trap, and now it’s so much easier to switch the trap on/off with one hand while holding the handle.

This mod is super easy. You just need to un-solder the existing wires and solder them to the new switch. The Rubies trap with the remote pedal actually has four wires going to the stock switch (two extra used for the “demo” mode), so you’ll only need to re-solder the green and yellow wires to the new switch.

The nice thing about these switches is they fit in the current switch spot without cutting off the stock mounts. You do need to enlarge the stock switch slot a bit, but not much. I simply used a flat head screwdriver and twisted a slightly larger hole.

The last image shows the connections for the Rubies Trap (w/pedal), the Spirit trap will only have a black and grey wire connected to the switch.

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New mods to my Rubies Ghostbusters trap

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Not screen accurate by any means, but I love how this quick mod looks on my Rubies Costume Company Walmart exclusive Ghostbusters ghost trap.

I found a 10ft thin coaxial cable with BNC male connectors already on each end, a pair of mountable BNC female connectors and wrapped it up with 10ft of 1/8 inch split loom.

Finished it off by adding some red electrical tape and a few little zip ties to each end, similar to how they look in the films.

Now I can trigger the trap at a much greater distance than the short little wire it came with out of the box.

Next I think I will work on creating a new motherboard for my Rubies Costume Company proton pack as I truly lament over the lamo cardboard and cloth board it came with.

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A few more mods to the Proton Pack

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Added a ghostlab42 Dale PH-25 Replica Resistor and Wand Tube Upgrade to my Ghostbusters pack. Also added a foam neck pad and wand sticker kit. I hooked up the replica resistor to a rotary switch, so now I can easily turn the pack on and off.

Future upgrades include replacing the motherboard with masonite and both the ghostlab42 wand and sound board kits when they are back in stock.

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Hey, anybody see a ghost?

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Phase one of the new Ghostbusters Proton Pack. This is a Rubies proton pack that has been modded to look and perform more like the theatrical version. So far I added the light kit, cosmetic dress up kit and full ALICE frame. Next I will concentrate on the Neutrino Wand, adding a clear tip and sticker pack.

Soon, I hope to do a full feature upgrade to the wand, and sound board for the pack which will really bring this thing to life.

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Am I worthy?

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Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.

I finally picked up a Hasbro Legends Mjölnir Electronic Hammer. This life-sized replica lights up, makes sounds and will answer if you are worthy.

My wife’s first question, “are you keeping it at home or at work?”… Secretly hoping that my answer would be the later as I ran out of room at home for such things a long time ago.

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