Cowabunga! Mutatin' Michaelangelo now transforms from gigantic turtle to ninja turtle and back!
Popular in the early 90's, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are four turtles that have been transformed by mutagen and taught ninja by a sensei turned giant rat. They fight the evil ninja Shedder along with his army or foot soldiers and henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady. With the show came an endless supply of toys such as all four turtle characters, all the other "good" characters like April O'Neil, evil characters like Shedder, and plenty of vehicles like the Turtle Van and the Technodome. TMNT fell out of popularity in the late 90's and early 2000 but came back after a second TV series was aired.
Near the end of the 90's, TMNT were running out of ideas and were starting to release the 4 main nija turtles in ridiculous costumes like space suit raphael and sewer surfer Michaelangelo. However, one ingenious toy did come from the mayham and it was one that was focussed on the origins of the TMNT - turtles that transformed into the TMNT.
Box front:
Box back:
Also released were Hamato Yoshi (human) transforming into Splinter (giant rat) and humans transforming into Bebop and Rocksteady.
Box side:
Turtle front:
Turtle right side:
Michaelangelo's large leg becomes the turtles front feet. Looks odd but it works since the rear legs wrap over his thighs
Turtle left side:
Turtle rear:
Turtle top:
Turtle bottom:
Transformation:
Mid-transformation:
You can have a turtle with 6 legs. Must've been bitten by the same spider as spiderman.
Front:
Left Side:
Right Side:
Back:
Unlike the non-transforming versions, these turtles can't hold weapons
Accessories:
The pizza can transform into a large 4 bladed ninja star while the nunchucks can be extended and shortened.
Can of turtle meat:
Evolution of a ninja turtle:
Comparison of Mutations Michaelangelo to the original release:
Mutatin' Michaelangelo stands taller and bigger than the original release.
A number years later, Mutations are re-issued with slight re-molding:
When an old formula is so successful, it's bound to be re-issued. This time they sport new heads molds, new paint applications, and remolded chest. Leonardo in the picture is not a mutation type but just a non-transforming re-issue.
The re-issued turtle:
The rear legs are a harder plastic and don't fall to the sides as easily. Generally it's unchanged compared to the original
The re-issued Michaelangelo:
The biggest difference is the new head mold. The elbow and leg clothes are now painted brown, muscles are highlighted, and the chest piece has been re-molded.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Mutations line was a really nice idea for the stagnant TMNT line of toys. The turtle form didn't looks super but they were fun to transform from turtle to TMNT. They're not the core line of toys and TMNT isn't a really popular line of toys for collectors but if you enjoyed the TMNT years ago, these are great toys to pick up just for nostalgic reasons.
Mutations Mutatin' Michaelangelo
Eric Toy Score: 3 out of 5
Publisher: Playmates
Year: 1992
Price: $9.99
2 comments:
Just picked up one of these at a thift shop, just thought I should mention, you forgot about the tail. When you open the toy up to transform it, there is a small tail that can be turned for "turtle mode" or hidden for "ninja mode"
@lucas Thanks for that! I forgot about the little tail
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