Stikfas figures (2001)

Date Reviewed: Jan 15, 2006

Critical Kobold Rating:      (4 out of 5 Dice)

 

Action Heroes Ready to Assemble!

     The Stikfas figures are sorta' the next generation of Legos. They're jointed, customizable figures with interchangeable parts. You can buy them as the simple lone figure without adornment for a few bucks, or you can buy more elaborate sets with costumes and equipment. Either way, you can't go wrong! Check them out here.

     Your Stikfas comes in pieces on a sprue, like plastic model cars, and you need to pop the pieces off and assemble a figure from the body parts provided. (I suggest using a pen knife to trim away the extra plastic from the sprue connections, but it's not necessary. The figure just looks cleaner if you trim away the excess.) The work is all snap-tight; no gluing at all. You can also disassemble them if need be. If you buy several figures, you can interchange the limb colors or whatever crackles your Krispies to customize your guys.

     The parts are multi-jointed, so for example, you don't just have an arm, you have an upper arm and a lower arm and a hand. And as a tip, when ordering, pay attention to the figure's designation, such as Alpha, G2 Alpha, or Omega. These designations mean slightly different body designs or sizes. For example, the main difference between an Alpha and a G2 Alpha is that the second generation (G2) has more joints in the limbs, for more articulation. The Omega body is a few millimeters taller than either Alpha, but otherwise has the original Alpha's body configuration. None of this is incredibly important, it's just that there are differences.

     However, no matter which model you want, there are extra parts on your sprue which may confuse you at first. You can choose to use body pieces that are smooth, or the ones that have small square holes in them for attaching gear later. (For example, my Cowboy has one pair of upper legs with holes in his thighs where his holsters snap on to his legs, and one pair without the holes. If I put the smooth legs on the figure, he can't sport his shootin' irons.)

     If you've purchased one of the theme sets, such as "Super Villain", "Samurai", or "Omega Male Armored Knight with Stallion", then you'll have a selection of weapons, clothes, stickers with faces or clothing designs, and other items to put on your dude. These items are of course interchangeable with any other Stikfas figures you buy, so they can share their toys.

     Your Stikfas figures can have all sorts of adventures! Here, Señor Vaquero and Black Alpha Ninja prepare to defend a bank from evil robbers in the small town of Chihuahua Loca, Mexico.  ¡Olé!

     I've found them to be fairly stable for snap-together plastic toys. Sometimes they seem a little too flexible, with all their joints, and  you have to find the exact right posture if you want them to stand on your desk or somewhere without toppling over, but for the most part, these little guys are ready for action, baby!

     The selection is great, the price is right, and they require only a few minutes of prep time to enjoy. These are the kinds of things you can doodle with at your work desk while you jabber on the phone during a conference call, or arrange about the house to add spice to the furnishings. ("Um, Ed, there seems to be a small orange police man in your potted fern…")

     For gamers needing yet one more thing to collect, the product line is impressive, and you'll soon be hunting down the elusive out of production older models and awaiting the forthcoming special editions with rapturous glee.

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