In my last review, for the PNSO Centrosaurus, I stated that “paintjobs seldom make or break a figure for me, and if the paint is well applied, I’m usually still happy with the product.” Generally speaking, that statement is true, but there are exceptions.
Author: Gwangi
My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughters. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.All reviews by this author
Review: Centrosaurus (Jennie) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.5 (46 votes)
Since getting into this hobby over a decade ago I’ve been patiently waiting for a model of one of my favorite ceratopsians, Centrosaurus. It has been a long wait, one that with every passing year has ended in disappointment. Look, I get it, Centrosaurus seems kind of boring compared to the likes of Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Kosmoceratops or the myriad other ceratopsians with their impressive headgear.
Review: Struthiomimus (Thunder-Beasts by Sky Kids)
1.7 (11 votes)
Growing up in the 90’s I had quite the collection of toy dinosaurs from a multitude of companies. Everything from UKRD, AAA, and Larami, to Carnegie, Tyco, Kenner, and Playskool. One brand I didn’t have represented was Thunder Beasts, so when I recently came across this ornithomimid that was stamped 1993 on the bottom, I was truly vexed as to its origin.
Review: Orthoceras (Paleozoic Pals)
4.9 (10 votes)
Paleozoic Pals is a line of plush toys commissioned by the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) and sold at the Museum of the Earth, located in Ithaca, New York. Since its launch in 2015 the line has done quite well, and now has 13 distinct plush toys to its name (as well as slippers, a body pillow, and other merchandise) with more on the way.
Review: Baluchitherium (Paraceratherium) (Lido-Nabisco)
3.6 (10 votes)
With an estimated length of 24.3’ (7.4 meters), shoulder height of 15.7’ (4.8 meters), and neck length of 6.6-8.2’ (2-2.5 meters), the Paraceratherium is believed to be the largest land mammal that has ever lived, or at the very least among the largest. Despite this astonishing fact, this gigantic hornless rhinoceros has been largely ignored in our hobby until recently.
Review: Megatherium (Marx)
4.5 (12 votes)
Before we begin with the review, I want to ruminate on some things, because this review is significant in a couple of ways. For one, it’s my 200th review for the Dinosaur Toy Blog. I’ve known it was coming for some time now and over the course of several months deliberated over which figure should be selected for the occasion.
Review: Cretoxyrhina (Aidan) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.8 (31 votes)
Jaws author Peter Benchley once stated in an interview that “every young man in the world is fascinated with either sharks or dinosaurs”. With that in mind, you would think that the sharks that lived alongside the dinosaurs would be doubly fascinating.
Review: Pentaceratops (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Mega Destroyers by Mattel)
4.6 (51 votes)
Every year, starting with the release of their misnamed Pachyrhinosaurus in 2018, Mattel has released a ceratopsian that I’ve absolutely adored. In 2019 it was the Nasutoceratops, in 2020 it was the Sinoceratops, and it looked like this year it would be the Pentaceratops.
Review: Kentrosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Roar Attack by Mattel)
3.6 (16 votes)
With the addition of a re-sculpted Stegosaurus, Chialingosaurus, and now this Kentrosaurus to the line, Mattel has given the stegosauria clade much love this year. Until now the only member of this group represented in the line was the 2018 Stegosaurus and its re-paint.
Review: Machairoceratops (Perez) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.2 (29 votes)
The subject of today’s review is like an apparition from the past, as far as PNSO is concerned. Although the PNSO Machairoceratops is only a year old PNSO has released so many new figures since then, and gone through so many phases, that this figure can be considered ancient history in the PNSO timeline.
Review: Chialingosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Fierce Force by Mattel)
2 (23 votes)
Chialingosaurus kuani was a stegosaurian that lived 160 million years ago in China. It is one of the oldest species of stegosaurs known and would have resembled Kentrosaurus in appearance. You would be forgiven for having never heard of it, not many have.
Review: Tarbosaurus (Chuanzi) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.4 (26 votes)
One of my all-time favorite pieces of paleo-art is Douglas Henderson’s 1989 painting Tarbosaurus and Saurolophus which depicts a red-headed Tarbosaurus pursuing a herd of Saurolophus crossing a river. Like all the best paleo-art this piece serves as a time machine and as a kid I would stare at and study it.
Review: Apatosaurus (Jurassic World Legacy Collection, by Mattel)
2.9 (26 votes)
It has now been two years since Mattel released their Legacy Collection Brachiosaurus, a highly anticipated toy that fans had been pining for since 1993. During much of that time between then and now people had wondered, “will we get an Apatosaurus too?
Review: Ouranosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Roar Attack by Mattel)
3.4 (21 votes)
With its tall neural spines similar to those of Spinosaurus, Ouranosaurus is one of the most unique and visually distinct species of ornithopods, and yet has remained relatively obscure. Many figures of the genus do exist with notable ones by Recur, CollectA, Schleich, and Starlux but they aren’t of particularly high quality or accuracy.
Review: Tyrannosaurus (Marx)
4.4 (16 votes)
With the recent release (and review) of Rebor’s Charles R. Knight inspired Mesozoic Rhapsody I thought it would be a fitting time to look at the very first Charles Knight inspired Tyrannosaurus toy, and one of the first Tyrannosaurus toys ever produced. I’m talking of course about the Marx Tyrannosaurus, a toy that isn’t just retro in appearance, but so vintage that it was produced at a time when it would have been considered reasonably accurate too.