Playmates TMNT WWE Ninja Superstars Review

Review Advent Calendar Day 4: Playmates TMNT WWE Ninja Superstars

My favorite vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle variants were always those crossover ones like the Star Trek, Universal Monsters, or just the figures where they turn into dinosaurs. I’m actually a bit surprised that TMNT never crossed over with the WWE before. It just seems like a natural fit. Thankfully, that wrong has been righted and Playmates has released a wave of WWE Ninja Superstars as a Walmart exclusive this holiday season!

Preternia’s Review Advent Calendar 2016 Day Four:
Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles WWE Ninja Superstars
things-to-do-between-christmas-and-new-year-s-what-s-up-amsterdam-4owu6g-clipart

The first thing you will likely notice when running into these guys is how big they are. They are packaged in a window box that is the same size as the classic movie turtles, who are also Walmart exclusives! Each package has a picture of the wrestler that the turtle is representing: Leonardo is John Cena, Raphael is Sting, Donatello is the Undertaker, and Michelangelo is The Macho Man Randy Savage. They all come packed with a generous helping of mostly character-specific accessories like championship belts, fire extinguishers, etc.

These releases kind of blur the line between a “collector” and “child” toy. They are really trying to cater to both demographics with these WWE Ninja Superstars. Playmates generally sides on being child focused, and they are really good at it. They have occasionally branched out with their classics line, and this series of figures is a little bit of both. They use the NICK bodies (albeit larger) as a base, but the figures sport a higher price point, more accessories, and much more detailed paint applications. I’m sure the licensing with WWE has some effect on the price as well.

I think Playmates did a good job selecting the wrestlers to be represented in this series. There is a little bit of new with John Cena, then a little neo-classical such as Sting and the Undertaker, and of course a pure classic like the Macho Man. If they do a second series I could totally see one of the turtles dressed up in Finn Balor’s demon makeup, or a Rowdy Roddy Piper would be neat as well. Those characters with the larger-than-life visuals always tend to transfer well in this crossover medium.

When I brought the four turtles home my son (who hates when I watch wrestling) was way into them. He said they looked like the coolest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles he’d ever seen. I’ve also since surrendered them all to him …

Playmates TMNT WWE Ninja Superstars Review

What I’m getting at with that is that these are fun. They aren’t the most articulated figures that I’m going to be able to put in wrestling poses, but they make up for it by being fun diversions from super-serious toy collecting. Honestly, I’d rather have a set of these over a plain old Mattel WWE action figure anyway. It’s a great set I can either sit on my shelf and admire, or give to the kid and he can have a blast playing with. TMNT mashups have been a thing since the vintage (is it considered vintage now?) line, and I’m glad they got to do it with the WWE.

I want to thank Playmates for providing a few of the figures used in this review. If you are looking to grab these guys they are a Walmart exclusive, so hit up your local store. Of course there are also the typical online options as well.

Final Verdict: NICE!things-to-do-between-christmas-and-new-year-s-what-s-up-amsterdam-4owu6g-clipart

Nice listAT-AT Driver, Inferno, TMNT WWE Ninja Superstars
Naughty listSymbiote Spider-Man

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