Review – Radio Shack Galactic Man (1985)

If you feel like you’ve seen this toy before then it’s probably because you’re thinking of the 1985 Transformers Shockwave toy (which I reviewed in 2010). Or, maybe, you’re thinking of the three old newspaper ads for this toy that I’ve shared at battlegrip.com (first ad here, second ad here, third ad here).

Or, just maybe, you’re a Shockwave fan and have always known of this Radio Shack variation on the design.

Thank You, Skywarrped!

It was only due to the pointer from Skywarrped on Twitter that I discovered this Galactic Man toy on eBay last weekend. After I shared an old newspaper ad for the toy I was tweeted a link to an eBay auction for the toy, and the price was low enough that I took action and snagged the toy. The box is kinda beat, but after tightening a few screws I can happily report that Galactic Man is in fantastic shape. The sounds even work! (The light, though, doesn’t come on at all. Oh well.)

Gun Mode

As with Shockwave (review here), Galactic Man is a flying space cannon. The toy’s transformation design is one I’ve always loved, and the only downside is that the barrel on the end of the cannon doesn’t serve a purpose when the toy is transformed into robot mode. I simply stand the barrel part behind the robot on the shelf, so even that isn’t a huge deal. After all, the toy looks so amazing in either mode that it’s easy to forgive this one little negative part of the design.

Robot Mode

Pop of the barrel, swing out the arms, extend the legs, flip out the feet, and fold up the backpack and Galactic Man is ready for action! The transformation is one I can perform in my sleep, and everything about the toy feels as durable and ready-for-play as Hasbro’s Shockwave (review here). In fact, other than the coloring, stickers, and shape of the trigger this Galactic Man is essentially identical to Shockwave. It’s kinda awesome that Hasbro and so many other toymakers licensed the same designs in the eighties; we’re unlikely to see that ever happen again.

I Need New Lights!

Hmmm. Looking at the photo (below) of Shockwave and Galactic Man together I think some of the lights in my photography setup may be going dim on me. Both toys are appearing in the pics slightly darker than they are in person; sorry for the poor quality of this pic of the two toys together.

Closing Thoughts

This Galactic Man is a toy I’ve wanted for years now, so I again want to thank Skywarrped for sending me off in the right direction at the right time. My collection of cheap transforming robot toys is already fairly impressive, but adding this Galactic Man to the mix really makes the entire collection shine. The toy’s as incredible as Hasbro’s use of the tooling, and the box — even abused — is the icing since we also get to see how the toy was sold.

A wonderful toy. Now to see if Takara takes their upcoming Masterpiece Shockwave and brings us a Galactic Man-inspired variant. I sure hope they do!