12 replies to this topic

[Redshirt#7]

As many people may know, I have, and am, collecting Playmates 4.5 inch figures, and before I rip open my mint figures I buy, I tend to take a few photos of the box. So I thought, what the hell! I might as well do a review.

 

Lot's more in the future, but before I get ahead myself, today's review, Jake Sisko, from the second DS9 wave in 1995. A logical choice after what was a, in my opinion, a perfect first wave of figs, with some fantastic likenesses (Quark, Dax, and O'Brien anyone?).

 

For those of you who don't know who Jake is, shame on you for not watching DS9! 

 

In all seriousness, if you don't, and for some strange unfathomable reason you've never seen the Niners, here's a "Memory Alpha" link:

http://en.memory-alp...wiki/Jake_Sisko

 

So, to the review!

 

 

The front of the box (I apologise for the state of my desk). Note the fact that while this is a season 1 figure and correctly comes with a season 1-2 TNG badge, it has the Generations handlebar combadge on the box.

 

 

Jake, still in plastic prison. You can see three of his four accessories, plus the original price for Jake-O, £9.99 (probably more than the RRP knowing Forbidden Planet at this point in time).

 

 

The back of the box. Bio, accessories, other figures, various barcodes, all standard stuff I'm sure your all familiar with. One note of interest is that figures from the "Star Trek" TOS/TNG/DS9/VOY, DS9 related of course, are shown, such as Zek and the Hunter Of Tosk.

 

 

A close up of the bio. "Aspiring Starfleet commander"? Guess someone read the wrong notes, as I don't recall Jake ever wanting to join Starfleet (quite the opposite, if I remember correctly, even in the earlier seasons).

 

 

I've ripped open a production mistake! Whoops.

 

 

Freed from plastic stasis! I think the figure's fantastic, great sculpt and likeness, and the outfits pretty nice. It's from "A Man Alone" plus a few others from the first season.

 

 

A close up of Jake's face. Again, I think they nailed Cirroc Lofton's likeness perfectly.

 

 

His accessories, DS9 monitor, book bag, Jum Jum stick, and a baseball mitt, plus his POG in the background. The monitor came with anyone and everyone is the DS9 waves, and the book bag is pretty specific to Jake, but that Jum Jum stick's going to be fantastic on my tiny Promenade Playset and that mitt for a Niners custom sometime in the future. Some great stuff!

 

 

Jake with his accessories.

 

 

And a parting shot, of him with his father.

 

Would I recommend him?

Definitely! I mean, come on, he's one of the main characters! To have a DS9 display without him would mean it's incomplete. Not only that, the figure looks like Jake and comes with some great, albeit green accessories. What's not to like?

 

Price?

I paid just under £9 for him. Over the odds? Perhaps, but he's still reasonably rare in the UK and I've been after him since day one of me collecting Playmates. I'd been outbid six times on other auctions and I knew this one would be mine!

 

Playability?

Err, Jake's a good figure, but if your looking for someone to a have a bar fight in Quark's, or to invade the Enterprise bridge, I wouldn't pick him. 

 

I hope this was somewhat informative, and if it's OK with the management, I'll try and do one or two a week.

 

Any recommendations, or any requests for photos, don't hesitate to say.

 

 

[Daysleeper]

Nice review. It would've been great if there had been another Jake figure from later seasons...
Looking forward to more of your reviews. And I agree, Quark, Dax and O'Brien were great likenesses.

[Section32]

It certainly is rare in the UK, as the DS9 range were never distributed here. One might also question Playmates' wisdom in releasing a Morn figure in the first wave, but keeping Jake back until wave 2, but then the did the same with Dr Crusher in the TNG range.  

[Redshirt#7]

Daysleeper

I couldn't agree with you more! Maybe with a PADD and a small stylus for writing his stories, it would've made a good figure. So far, I've got an orbital Skydiving Kirk box photographed, and, not wishing to tempt fate, I should have a Torres as a Klingon, Hugh, and Vedek Bariel coming in sealed boxes. Beyond that, I have around 150 opened by me, meaning I still have the card backs and the accessories, so reviews of them will hopefully be forthcoming!

 

Section32

I never knew that, I always wondered why they were so damn rare here. I had to import an almost complete set of wave one's from the US (missing Dukat) when I started collecting, I got Dukat from Belfast, Rom and Nog from the US, and almost everyone else from them first two waves from eBay in the end.

 

True, but when Morn leaves, it's all over. I miss the days when a toy company took risks like that.

 

I always wondered why they kept Dr Crusher back, perhaps because they thought the female characters wouldn't be popular, while in fact it was the other way round. 

[Loggy]

Great review, Redshirt! I really enjoy the deconstruction of the DS9 figures in particular, mostly because I never saw them in the toy shops back in the day. There were a few Australian exclusive DS9 figures, as I understand, however. This I found particularly troubling, though; do I spy a phaser in Jake-o's hands in that product image on the back of the card?

[Redshirt#7]

Thanks Loggy! I've heard about those DS9 figures, basically the regular Niners in some strange nondescript packaging I believe. I've looked at that packaging about ten times, and I never noticed that, Jake-O does have a phaser! And that's not all, in his other hand, having just looked at his card, it appears he has Mirror Sisko's knife! I guess Nog got on his nerves one time to many.

[Loggy]

Thanks for your reply! I was curious what the other accessory was in his hand. But it strikes me as pretty odd. The immediate thought I had was that they may have mistaken Jake for the Mirror Sisko figure, given that they're both wearing a casual outfit, and they're father and son and have a similar headsculpt. But I also doubt, to misquote Riker, the folk at Playmates are capable of that level of incompetence. Though a trivial matter, I suppose, it just doesn't seem to send the message to have kids with guns and knives on the back of packing, if you see what I mean.

[Jpatrik]

Hey there man - fantastic review - well done and thanks so much for sharing with all of us!

 

Not sure if it's considered an 'official' variant, but the Jake Sisko figure can be found with both 'shiny' and 'matte' heads.

 

And yeah, I always noticed him with the phaser on the back.  Why not just give him a phaser rifle?

 

And for the record, there are only three Australian exclusive DS9 figures.  Take it from an Aussie :-)

 

http://upcloseandpla...ralian-ds9.html

[robster]

Never distributed in the UK? Then where did all my DSN figures I bought there come from? Beamed in from outer space? LOL! I got most of my Playmates stuff in the UK,before I started going to the US,THEN I got everything there as it was soooo much cheaper.

 

Great review by the way. Don't even remember if I have that figure or not. Maybe it's time to drag out all my Playmates toys and see what I'm missing,lol!

 

J-R!

[Redshirt#7]

Loggy

I 100% agree. Really doesn't send the right messages as you say, I wonder how many other "strange accessories" in the prototype pictures are out there, I may have a look at my card backs.

 

Jpatrik

Thanks!

That's an interesting variant, did it also occur on the Commander Sisko figure? Because thinking about it, I think a couple of my S1 Sisko's are different.

 

Haha, or even go the full mile with a Bat'leth and a Klingon club!

 

That's an interesting variant, did they do something like that for the Canadian releases? Because, other than Mrs Troi and Sarek with POGs, I'm sure I've seen one of those style of cards in a TNG style with a DS9 Q attached.

 

robster

Logically, I would surmise that Forbidden Planet and other specialist comic book shops imported them, then charged a few pounds extra when selling them, hence why Jake was £9.99 and from the Coventry store.

 

Thanks!

 

Who would everyone like to see as the next review, DS9 Tom Riker, B'elanna Torres as a Klingon, or Kirk in Skydiving gear? 

[Jpatrik]

DS9 Tom Riker - he's mondo bizarre!

[Loggy]

You go, Jpatrik! I've got my eye on a DS9 Tom Riker on eBay, would love to get a detailed look before I commit to it... or... bother... yeah?

[Redshirt#7]

DS9 Tom Riker it is! He should be up tonight. I bought him for the sake of completion, but he's actually pretty good in my opinion. More in the review!