Review – Night Fighter Robocop

Holy hell is it tough to get good snaps of glow-in-the-dark toys. Fortunately, Night Fighter Robocop* is following hot on the heels of my review of the Battle Damaged Robocop action figure (review here), so between that review and reviews at other sites I can get the idea across that this is one fun toy. Glow-in-the-dark is a goofy gimmick, yes, but once he starts glowing on the shelf the gimmick is very much appreciated for the awesome that it is.

Glowbocop!

So, as I said — and as the photos show — the Night Fighter Robocop* action figure is a glow-in-the-dark toy. It’s not the strongest glow we’ll ever see — Japanese vinyl toys glow way brighter and longer than this guy does — but it works and there’s enough of a glow once he’s charged that you’ll notice him on your shelves.

But Why Does He Glow?

Back in the eighties and nineties, Kenner had their own run of Robocop Ultra Police action figures. One of the toys — as Poe Ghostal tells us — was a special glow-in-the-dark version of Robocop identified as “Night Fighter Robocop.” With a chaingun, awesome blue details, and removable helmet this looks like it was a great toy; I never had one. NECA, in their seemingly-genius attempts to trap adult collectors with childhood memories, created the Night Fighter Robocop* as an homage to that earlier toy. And while I wish this new figure had been equipped with a chaingun, I can say that the figure is quite cool and looks great on the shelf.

But Really, Why?

Seriously, the entire toy is an homage to an old Kenner action figure. It’s really only for those of us who love glow-in-the-dark action figures because the only thing it does is glow. But, as reviews at Zarak’s Barracks and Action Figure Pics demonstrate, the toy can really grow on you. I can’t say everyone needs this toy, but I will say that I’m glad I grabbed one when I did; I’d hate to have discovered this a year or so from now when the after-market prices get ridiculous.

Closing Thoughts

The Battle Damaged Robocop (review here) is the better choice for movie purists, but if you want silly fun in your Robocop shelf then you need your own Night Fighter Robocop* action figure. The articulation and accessories are the same as with the more normal of the two toys, but the glow-in-the-dark gimmick of this design is definitely more toy-like and is sure to be the more difficult to find of the two once some time has passed.

Hmmmmm. The only negative thing I can say about this and the Battle Damaged Robocop action figure is that the two are cool enough that I am now ready to try some other NECA toys. And that’s actually a very good thing (even if my bank account doesn’t agree with me on that).