While I do love the NES figures, my absolute favorite NECA product is their Kenner inspired additions to the Predator line. With a bit of new tooling and paint, they’ve been able to update some of the bizarre 90’s toys into a more realistic look without losing the original feel that made those figures so fun.
I’m not sure how many new pieces were used to make the figure, but the folks at NECA did decide to go with the Super Predator body type. This makes the figure taller and lankier than his normal sized brethren. But even with the slimmed down torso, he still comes across as more imposing.
I really love Nightstorm’s head sculpt. With his mandibles splayed out and mouth open, he looks like he’s screaming in rage. The squinted eyes just add even more to his angry look. But it’s how the head interacts with the helmet that really impressed me. NECA designed the helmet with two openings, one on either side of the mouth piece. This allows the mask to fit around the mandibles while still covering the mouth.
The copper looking mask has a definite stag beetle feel with those to large horns on top. While the outside has some really great sculpted panel work, the inside is where the crazy amount of detail can be found. All these interestingly sculpted techno bits make Iron Man’s helmet display look primitive. They also demonstrate just how much love went into the making of this figure.
This amount of sculpt is also found in the rest of his armor. The upper chest has a neat shoulder pads and high collar look. It even comes down and curves around his back for more protection. His wrist blades also took inspiration from the Kenner figure. Proportionally they’re much larger, but they have this great toy-like exaggerated quality. Surprisingly, these two huge blades can even extend just a little bit. Nightstorm is clearly a badass, and they wanted his weapons to spell it out as clear as possible. Continue to page 2…
Again, excellent review and pics. And again, it was SO hard to turn these down, but I had to in the end.
Had they released him with a double-barrelled bola-launching cannon, though . . . .
aaaHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!
Thank you. Kenner sure loved them some Bola launchers. I swear it was their default ‘action feature’.
. . . and grappling hook launchers and capture claw launchers. With Dino-Buddy!
Still got all my Kenner Aliens and Predators, including the original Nightstorm Predator. And the bola-cannon still works, too. };D
oddly, i don’t know what happened to two of my preds, yet their bola launchers… still in the collection. they’re like the necronomicon, i’ve tried burning them, burying them, throwing them in the trash, but every morning, on the porch, staring up at me… bola launchers.
What you must do is take them and give them to a current make figure. DCU or MOTUC would do.
Give them and let those lucky figures be the MASTERS OF YOUR COLLECTION.
Then you shall have peace.
This is for all the unmade Bola launchers.
SWEET! Dude looks blingy bad-ass!
just a tip for the next time you’re reviewing a hot piece of toy ass like this vaultie… more pics! 🙂 otherwise, job well done. this dude is triple cool!
I love this guy. I wish the leg articulation was better, but even so, this is a great remake of one of my favorite figures.
Cool review! I remember this Predator from the Kenner line but never had him. The update looks cool. I always thought these 1st Pred bodies just had the V crotch with no thigh rotation so I always held off on buying them, but if they have thigh rotation he might worth picking up! And I agree about Kenner loving them some bolas Lol!