Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
It is amazing to think how much new paleontological findings can change the whole nature of the field. It can change how an animal walks, what it looks like or even create brand new species, as is often the case with early figures of Brachiosaurus, which are clearly based off Giraffatitan, as the neck and tail are often shorter than the actual Brachiosaurus. As is the case with the review subject: the AAA Brachiosaurus.
At 7” long and 5.9” high, this is a moderately sized figure, not massive but not too small. The pose is fairly stoic, with only a curling tail to show any motion. It’s an overall dark blue colour, almost black, with a yellowish underbelly, and areas such as nails and eyes painted in a grey. A slightly boring paint job, but it seems reasonable for a large animal.
Accuracy for AAA models are hit or miss, and this is definitely an older, less accurate one, akin to their Triceratops or Pteranodon. While most the features are decently accurate for Giraffatitan (as mentioned earlier, the neck and tail should be longer for Brachiosaurus), there are a few areas that seem off. It feels overly chunky, especially in the legs, making them seem too short for the animal. It also features feet that are more like paws than the columnar, rounded hooves the real animal would have had, with toes that are extended further than they should be. The bend in the tail also seems slightly improbable, as the ligaments probably would prevent this position in life.
Overall, this is an okay toy from a collecting point of view, aside from lovers of more retro-looking dinos, or want to represent Giraffatitan. This is meant for children, as the plastic is very durable and can take drops and falls very easily. It will definitely keep children quiet for a while, so well worth picking up for the toy box.
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I have the brown/red version of this toy and it was probably my favorite sauropod toy as a kid. This one is a lot less vibrant and more boring.
Does it labelled as ‘Brachiosaurus”?Mine is brown with greyish belly and marked as “Apatosaurus”.
Oh, I remember mine being labeled that, too.
It is labelled brachiosaurus on mine.
I know that there is also a brown version of this one. I remember having one as a kid.In Germany it was distributed by Simba back then and came in a set with the egg.
There’s also a considerably larger version of this specimen that sometimes shows up in used toy bins. Its quite a hefty piece, about twice the size, but otherwise similar.