Pursuit of Cobra Awesomeness...

Surprisingly, the Toy makers at Hasbro continue to impress me. The new Pursuit of Cobra line has actually been a pleasant surprise to me. When I first heard of this line and saw some of the early prototypes I was rather disappointed, I mean how much better can they make Zartan look the 20th time or snake eyes the 100th time. It just didn't seem that appealing to me to see the same characters again redone over and over, specially after Hasbro had done such a great job at re-imagining them while at the same time staying loyal to the original looks of the characters with their 25th anniversary line.



Turns out Hasbro's toy magicians still had some surprises in their hat, specially when it comes to the new vehicles. Let's take a look at my two favorite vehicles from the new line and the best looking figures from the Pursuit of Cobra assortment which in my humble opinion are Spirit and the wicked cool Jungle Viper.



One of the most impressive vehicles in the new assortment is the new HISS TANK. By now I've lost count of how many Hiss Tanks Hasbro has released since the 80s but this one features the most different and daring design of them all as well as a pretty cool action feature. The new Hiss Tank can carry 2 figures and can transform from scout mode to attack mode by the push of a button. Once transformed, the cockpit and missile launchers elevate a couple of inches off the ground giving the vehicle a meaner battle ready look.



The design of this new Hiss Tank is pretty sleek and in my opinion should've been used in the terrible Rise of Cobra movie rather than those dull black Hummers. This is what a kick ass vehicle for action figures is all about. It takes me back to the glory days of the line.



The Joes have a new ride to meet the Cobra threat and challenge the HISS TANK with the new 4X4 Vamp -- a redesign of a fan favorite from the original vintage line. This new take on the Vamp is sleek and powerful, it reminds me a lot of the Argo All Terrain Vehicle from Star Trek Nemesis. I like it a lot. It can fit up to 10 Joes and maybe even more if you remove the missile launcher in the back and use that cargo space for extra troops.



The vehicle has some fun features including a grappling hook and retractable winch, two missile launchers, weapons, gasoline tanks, and multiple ports throughout the chassis to snap in more weapons. This is the kind of vehicle I loved as a kid. The interior is very detailed, specially the dashboard, and the figures fit perfectly in the seats which is usually a problem in many vehicles for other action figure lines.



I'm amazed at the level of detail Hasbro keeps putting into their vehicles. Just when you think they've done as much as can be done they go ahead and release vehicles like the new VAMP and HISS to surprise you once more. Both vehicles come with driver figures including a new version of Clutch with the VAMP.



The VAMP looks rugged and ready for tons of action. Kids can have plenty of fun with these bad boys out in their yards. They both offer multiple play possibilities and the paint scheme and stickers on the VAMP make it look even more realistic. I highly recommend picking this one up.



Of all the new figures in the Pursuit of Cobra line it's Spirit: Iron Knife that takes the prize for the Joes and the Jungle Viper for the Cobras. Both figures are highly detailed and come with a truckload of accessories. Not just crap, but really good looking weapons which fit perfectly with each figure's personality and the environments they are meant to be used in.



SPIRIT is a Toys 'R Us exclusive, and one of the few TRU exclusives worth picking up in years as they're usually pointless repaints. The Jungle Viper is pretty easy to find at any store that carries the G.I.Joe toys. Once you attach all the cammo gear to the figure it becomes one of the most unique looking action figures I've seen in years



Those of you looking for a good deal on the HISS TANK check your local Ross Store. These just started showing up for $11.99, way less than the $24.99 MSRP. I picked up the last one on the shelf at my local Ross in the west coast but reports have been coming in from all over the country so keep an eye out!