Retro Week: Random Toys of the 80s

I just got back from a weekend in Toronto, so it's time for another retro week post!

Does anyone remember what these toys were called?
They have articulated arms that move up and down
when a button on their base is pressed.
Thanks to an anonymous commenter we have an answer: He's a Hub-Bub! 

Passing Through: Talking Nightmare Moon (My Little Pony)

In the box.

Last week I mentioned that I was considering  picking up one of the new My Little Pony figures, and it didn't take me long to do it, because today Nightmare Moon arrived.  I was looking forward to opening this one up and giving her some study, but even in-box I quickly realized that while she's a nice-looking toy, she's just not my thing (my co-worker's daughter will be thrilled with her though, so that's where she'll be heading).

This particular figure is the large (just under 9 inches) Toys R Us version.  She "talks" when a button on the rump is pressed, saying things like "You can brush my fabulous hair!" and "I will light up the night!".  The wings are the only jointed piece and they light up when the pony is talking.

The back of the box.

I've never seen the Friendship is Magic TV series (or at least not a whole episode - I've seen a few minutes of it here and there), so I'm not familiar with the character, but I've always found this particular pony to be appealing when I've seen other versions of her in people's collections.  I quite like the colours - the blue and purple on black is quite a bit more dramatic than the more pastel ponies, which I've always liked.  And the photo-edited version on the box art looks fantastic - dramatic and regal.

All that said, I wasn't impressed with the toy itself - the figure is a hard plastic, which means it doesn't have the warmth of the soft vinyl figures, and it's surprisingly light for a toy that includes batteries, lights, and speakers.  The voice button is also a little awkward-looking, and (having not seen the show) the tone of the voice surprised me.  I was also a little concerned about the potential for the (fairly heavy) wings to be damaged.

On the inner board, without the outer box.
This is as close to unboxed as I decided to go.

Still, while this turned out to not be to my tastes, I'm sure the speaking feature would be great fun for kids (and just for fans of the show), and I think the long hair and accessories are solid play features.

Size comparison with
G1 Snuzzle

Random Toy of the Day: Surprise (My Little Pony)

Surprise, SoSoft Surprise, and Baby Surprise

Is there anything that screams 1980s like this particular shade of neon yellow?  I'd be hard pressed to think of anything that even comes close!

The new resurgence in popularity for the My Little Pony line isn't something I've really understood, but having met huge numbers of fans, I found myself curious about the line.

As a result, basket of ponies came home with me during one of my recent visits to my mother's, and while I was never a huge My Little Pony fan as a child (most of them were my sister's), I've had great fun identifying them all.

I'm especially fond of the clearly retro ones like this trio with their delightfully neon manes and tails.

A slightly different angle