The Ninja Turtles Are Ready For Dimension X

Playmates’ latest TMNT action figures bring the Heroes on the Half Shell to a new dimension.

The new season of Nickelodeon’s hit animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will introduce Dimension X to the new Turtles-verse, as our heroes meet new friends and foes in the otherworldly new dimension.  Playmates Toys is getting behind the new sci-fi spin of the show in a big way, with an all new theme for their awesome action figure line, which is kicking off with new Dimension X-ready toys of the reptilian brothers, as well as their robotic ally Fugitoid, and new foes such as Mozar and Lord Dregg (the latter two of whom are Wal-Mart exclusive action figures).  We’ll be looking at the new bad guys very soon, but in the meantime, let’s check out the new Turtles and Fugitoid.

When traversing this new dimension, it’s good to have some protection, and the Dimension X Turtles are fully geared up and ready for the adventure.  Each Turtle features removable space armor, complete with a hinged dome helmet, shoulder pads, a color-coded utility belt, and arm and leg armor.  The armor has a neat design, with just the right amount of detail to offer a Jack Kirby-esque technological design that’s very comic book-y and fun.  The pearlescent gear is uniform across all four Turtles, and the overall shapes and layout of the armor is similar but not identical between all four figures.  This makes each Turtle visually distinct, yet uniform when they’re all together in their space gear.

As if the armor weren’t enough, the Turtles’ weapons also get a sci-fi upgrade for their new adventure.  Each Turtle’s new weapons are made of color-coordinated translucent plastic, and take the basic concept of the brother’s classic weapon, but with a robotic, technological twist.  Leonardo’s twin katana are the most familiar, while Raphael’s sai get a sleek new revamp.  Donatello’s bo staff gets an energy bulb on one end, while Michelangelo trades in his nunchucks for some cool bladed tonfas.

Joining the Turtles on their trek to Dimension X is the Fugitoid, the cybernetic scientist who has appeared in virtually all iterations of the TMNT mythos.  Professor Zayton Honeycutt’s modern design is very familiar to his classic look, with a circular head with spherical black eyes and spindly arms and legs.  He makes for a really cool figure, and his design allows for lots of useful articulation– Fugitoid gets a swivel neck, ball shoulders and hips, and swivels at the forearms and shins.

Fugitoid’s design is mostly the same pearlescent white as the Turtles’ space gear, with gold and black accents.  This ties him nicely to the space-faring team, and leaves him with an appropriately sleek, robotic finish.

It’s fun to see Playmates launch a core theme to their latest wave of TMNT figures, and the Dimension X tie-in seems like a perfect format considering the TV show’s ongoing story arc.  The space gear Turtles look interesting, and their design feels more organically tied to the Ninja Turtles’ universe than some of the past, sillier Turtle variants we’ve seen.  My one complaint is that the Dimension X Turtles use the Storage Shell figures as their base, and while their shells can’t open due to the non-removable utility belts, the hinge that holds the shell in place gets in the way of each figure’s right arm, greatly limiting the figures’ poseability.

Overall, the Dimension X TMNT figures are very cool additions to this great toy line.  I love the concept of tying the current TV show’s theme more closely into the toy line, and as a long-time TMNT geek, I’m stoked to see Dimension X finally included in this new telling of the Turtles’ story.  The Dimension X collection is just starting to hit retail right now… The Turtles and Fugitoid are available everywhere, while Target is offering a pretty cool box set of all five with an alternate chrome-plated color design.  Some of Dimension X’s most dangerous villains, Lord Dregg and Mozar, the Triceraton Commander, are also hitting retail now, only at Wal-Mart.  Keep an eye out to add them to your collection, and check back soon for our spotlight on the big bad guys of Dimension X.

Thanks to Playmates Toys for giving us the opportunity to review these awesome TMNT action figures!