Pixel Dan's Ten Toys From 2015 That He Absolutely Loves

by Jay Cochran
January 01, 2016
By: Pixel-Dan

As 2015 draws to a close, it’s time to once again reflect upon the past year. It’s at that point you realize “Wow. I spent a lot of money on toys this year!” But hey, at least we got some really great stuff in 2015! No regrets here and certainly no judgement!

So here I am trying to compile a list of the best toys of 2015. This is never an easy task, because with so many releases it’s often hard to narrow down the toys that could be considered better than the rest. And what is the best way to actually assemble such a list? Do we apply specific rules, such as only including one figure per toy line only? Or one toy per company? There’s just too much to think about for something that is ultimately a completely subjective list anyway. Everyone has their own tastes. One collector’s list may look completely different than another’s. Or they may be similar. But either way, neither is wrong.

Rather than trying to come up with a definitive “Best Of” list, I opted for something a little different. So without further ado I present to you ten toys that were released in 2015 that I truly love for various reasons!




Masters of the Universe Classics Snake Armor He-Man by Mattel
Masters of the Universe is indeed my all-time favorite property, and the Classics line has become quite an amazing collection, despite the many bumps along the way. The selection of characters, all done in the same style, complete with vehicles and playsets make for a collector toy line like no other currently out there. 2015 was mostly dedicated to wrapping up the characters from the vintage line. While still some great action figures, this did impact the year as a whole since we’re now scraping up these last remaining characters. But there were still standouts, and Snake Armor He-Man is my personal pick for favorite MOTUC this year.

Released as part of a 2-pack with a 200X style King Hsss back in February, Snake Armor He-Man gave us something we were always told we would never see in Classics: a short haired, 200X-style He-Man head. Thanks to the easy interchangeability, you could easily pop this head on a standard He-Man body if that’s the version you more preferred. But in addition to that, the Snake Armor itself is just such an amazing sculpt. Add to that some amazing paint deco, and you have one of the most beautifully detailed figures in the line. Seeing the Four Horsemen work their magic with the 200X style in Classics has been a real treat in 2015, and this particular He-Man figure is my personal favorite of that bunch.




Legends of Cthulhu 12” Cthulhu Figure by Warpo Toys
Warpo Toys broke onto the scene in 2014 with a Kickstarter campaign for their Legends of Cthulhu toy line. The line essentially asked the question “What if we were given a toy line based on the characters of H.P. Lovecraft back in the 1980’s?” The Kickstarter was a huge success, and the final product delivered some of the best retro-styled 4” action figures we’ve seen yet.
However, there was one stretch goal I was very excited for during the Kickstarter Campaign that was never reached. Luckily, Warpo made the announcement that despite not fully hitting that goal, a giant 12” version of their Cuthulhu figure would still be released in 2015. And it was. And it is glorious!

Talk about a figure that makes you feel like a kid again! This massive Cthulhu action figure brings back the feeling of past toy lines such as Inhumanoids. He’s clunky, solid but not too heavy and just feels so awesome in your hands. I challenge you to pick this toy up and not immediately start flying him around the room, or bashing him into your vintage Tendrill figure as they do battle. It’s not only a very well-made, awesome looking action figure, but it’s also fun. And that’s what it’s all about, my friends.




Alien Ripley in Nostromo Jumpsuit by NECA Toys
It finally happened! We finally got a Ripley action figure from NECA Toys! Multiple Ripley’s, actually! That alone is worth celebration, as Sigourney Weaver held out on her likeness rights for quite some time, leading many of us to believe we’d never see Ripley in this excellent toy line.

While the Aliens version and Nostromo Space Suit versions are equally awesome, the standard Nostromo Jumpsuit version based on her appearance in Alien easily breaks into my top 2015 toys list. As is the norm for the company, NECA nailed the likeness here. The sculpting on the jumpsuit itself is wonderfully detailed, and the paint deco really brings the whole figure together. Not to mention she comes with one of the best accessories ever in Jonesy the cat! If you’re a fan of Alien this is a must-have figure for your collection.




NT-01 Cerebral by First Gokin
Transformers collectors are no stranger to 3rd Party companies making unlicensed toys that could fit right in with their official Hasbro/Takara figures. While I personally don’t dive into much Transformers collecting, in 2015 First Gokin brought the 3rd Party toy concept to a property that I do heavily collect: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Their NT-01 Cerebral figure is their vision of classic TMNT villain Krang in his android body, heavily influence by the way he appeared in the classic cartoon series. Since this is not an officially licensed TMNT product, there was some debate on if I should really include him on the list. But since I’m ultimately making a list of the toys that made me most happy in 2015, I decided there was no way I was leaving him off.

This figure is awesome. The sculpt has a modern, more detailed twist while still maintaining the classic look of the character. He features a mix of plastic and die-cast metal parts, LED lights, and even a removable and articulated Krang figure. For many long-time TMNT fans, this figure gave us a taste of the type of toy line we have long been wishing to see from our Heroes in a Half Shell.




Mortal Kombat X Sub-Zero by Mezco
As a longtime fan of the Mortal Kombat games, I’ve always enjoyed seeing action figures of these characters dating all the way back to the G.I. Joe-style figures. When Mezco revealed that they would be doing a new line of action figures based on the Mortal Kombat X video game, I immediately knew I wanted them.

Highly detailed and nicely articulated figures were something we were sorely lacking for Mortal Kombat. I was so delighted by how much I loved these figures when I got them in hand, especially Sub-Zero. Even though he’s never been my first choice character to play as (Liu Kang FTW), I’ve always loved the look and story surrounding him. His action figure also became the standout in Mezco’s new line, featuring interchangeable hands, ice weapons, and a really solid and detailed sculpt that brought to life the look of the modern games.

When the line was originally announced, Mezco was planning on going deep into the roster and possibly even releasing some figures based on the older games. We haven’t heard much about that ever since Toy Fair 2015, and I fear that this line may already be coming to a close. But I’ll hold out hope for more, because I really love what Mezco has done here.




Mega Man X by TruForce Collectibles
This is another figure on my list that came about from a Kickstarter Campaign. This one felt like it took ages to finally end up in my hands, but the final product is so, so good. TruForce Collectibles created an amazing looking new action figure of Mega Man X, who originated in games on the Super Nintendo back in the 90’s. A Capcom artist came up with the new interpretation of the character that this figure is based upon, so while he still looks like X he definitely has some new details we hadn’t seen before.

The figure features a nice blend of die-cast metal and plastic parts, and features multiple interchangeable hands, faces, and an arm canon with LED lights. The figure is incredibly poseable, and even features some really cool articulation effects where parts of the armor seem to open up and move along with his body. Throw in a couple of blast effects and a sturdy display stand that allows for some aerial poses, and you have yourself arguably the best Mega Man figure we’ve ever been given. Now if I can just convince TruForce to give us some Robot Masters for X to do battle with…




Star Wars Black Series 6” Captain Phasma by Hasbro
We’ve all been swept up in the madness of Star Wars the last part of 2015. But I’m perfectly ok with that! It’s been so much fun being excited about Star Wars again! The Force Awakens has not only breathed new life into the franchise, but it’s also sent us all back on the hunt for new toys. And if we’re going to be talking about hunting, we have to talk about the figure seemingly everyone was looking for.

Captain Phasma, the silver-clad female Stormtrooper, immediately became a fan favorite, having what I like to call “The Boba Fett Effect.” She looks awesome. She’s mysterious. Everyone wants an action figure! When the 6” version of the character was released as part of the second wave of figures, she immediately became the one everyone was after.

It has been a long time since I got this sucked into “the hunt.” I found myself going from store to store several times throughout the week hoping to score this new white whale! The day that I finally found her hanging on the peg brought forth a feeling of toy triumph I don’t think I’ve experience for quite some time. Plus, like many of Hasbro’s recent TFA 6” figures, she’s a really great toy! I love the figure. I’m happy to have her. But the excitement of the hunt definitely thrusts her into being one of my most memorable toy purchases of the year.




Christopher Reeve Superman by NECA Toys
Much in the way NECA surprised us with the incredible Michael Keaton Batman figure, out of nowhere came Adam West Batman, Heath Ledger Joker, and Christopher Reeve Superman! All three of these figures are gorgeous and deserve mention as being some of the coolest toys of the year, but I’m giving the nod to Superman specifically.

Just as Keaton is THE movie Batman to many fans, Reeve is THE movie Superman. So getting an action figure in this scale is a bit of a dream come true for many fans. The one blemish on this release was the many reports of breakage from this specific figure. I’ve definitely been lucky that my figure is holding up just fine. And the figure itself is quite the piece of art. The little details on the costume are unlike any Superman figure in this scale. And just as we have come to love about NECA, the actor likeness is amazing.

Having this guy on your shelf alone is awesome, but there is also something so special about being able to pose a 7” Christopher Reeve Superman figure alongside a 7” Michael Keaton Batman figure.




Star Wars Black Series First Order TIE Fighter by Hasbro
Since I’m primarily a 6” figure collector, I‘ve been excited by the Star Wars Black Series since it was first announced. After nearly 20 years (!!) of collecting the 3.75” figures, it was awesome to get something new. One thing I never expected to see, however, was creatures and vehicles. Hasbro proved me wrong fairly quickly by releasing Jabba, Speeder Bikes, a Wampa, and a Taun Taun! I was happy enough with that, but then they revealed their biggest piece yet: a TIE Fighter for 6” action figures!

This thing is massive. Standing around 21” tall and being able to hold two 6” figures in the cockpit, you practically need your own docking bay to be able to display this ship! And while the lack of display space might scare many away, it certainly didn’t stop me from scooping one up!
The size alone is impressive, but the overall ship is also a really well made toy! It looks great, and while the wings are a bit wobbly due to the size, overall it still feels nice and solid. The details on the inside of the cockpit are really great, and we even get a pack-in First Order TIE pilot! I still haven’t found a proper place to display it, but picking up and holding this TIE Fighter makes me feel like a kid again every time!




The Dark Knight Returns Batman One:12 Figure by Mezco
As awesome as many of the high-end collectible figures from companies like Hot Toys always look, I’ve never really collected them. They just aren’t my style of action figure, despite how amazing the details are. So when Mezco announced that they were going to release a 6” line of figures that will be given the same type of detailing, I thought it was a fun idea…but still not for me.

My mind was completely changed when I got my hands on their Batman One:12 action figure. Based on his appearance in the popular The Dark Knight Returns comic, this figure might be one of my absolute favorite Batman action figures ever released. The figure perfectly captures the art style from the comics he is based upon, and features a well-made cloth costume. That seems odd for a 6” action figure, but I was amazed by how well it works! The figure features a great amount of articulation, and the cloth suit is made in such a way that it does not at all hinder that articulation, but still form fits the figure perfectly so it doesn’t look too baggy. The cape might also be the best cloth cape I’ve ever seen on any action figure, made of a really great material that is cleverly weighted a bit so that it feels and sits like you would expect a cape to hang. In addition to all of that, Batman also comes with interchangeable hands, comic specific accessories, and a display base! I love this figure so much, that he might be THE figure of the year for me. I know, that’s quite a statement to make. But Mezco really made something special here, and completely changed my mind about this type of action figure. I’m anxious to check out more of their One:12 figures in 2016!



So there you have it: ten toys released in 2015 that I absolutely adore! Maybe you feel the same way about some of these. Maybe your list is completely different than mine. Either way, that’s great! We all love what we love, and that’s the way it should be. But something I think we can all agree on: 2015 had some really great toy releases. And with New York Toy Fair fast approaching, we’ll soon have a whole new year of exciting plastic to spend our money on!
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