In life, Wiwaxia was covered in spines and scales that would have made it about as cuddly as a sea urchin, an animal it resembled but was not related to. Good thing then that Paleozoic Pals made this plush Wiwaxia to snuggle with instead.
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: Edmontosaurus (Jurassic World, Basic 12” Figures by Mattel)
4 (37 votes)
The Basic line of Mattel Jurassic World figures is a line of budget friendly toys that are trimmed down in virtually every aspect. They don’t have any action features, the articulation is exceptionally limited, and the paintjobs are typically simplified. So far, they don’t have a presence on the Dinosaur Toy Blog, but today we’re looking at one of the line’s standout figures, the Edmontosaurus, new for 2022.
Review: Dreadnoughtus (Jurassic World: Dominion by Mattel)
4.5 (44 votes)
Dreadnoughtus schrani was a species of titanosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous in what is now Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It was discovered in 2005 in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation by Kenneth Lacovara and described in 2014. The name Dreadnoughtus translates to “fears nothing,” and what an apt name it is.
Review: Ampelosaurus (Jurassic World: Dominion, Massive Action by Mattel)
Review: Ceratosaurus (Jurassic Park 3, Hammond Collection by Mattel)
4 (36 votes)
Gripe all you want about Jurassic Park 3 but we must give credit where credit is due. The movie featured a diverse assortment of dinosaurs with arguably the best color schemes in the franchise. Gone were the dull grays and browns of the first two films, JP3 went wild like a kid with a coloring book and the movie was better for it, though not by much.
Review: Gallimimus (Jurassic Park, Hammond Collection by Mattel)
3.5 (22 votes)
Flocking off toy shelves and into our hearts and homes, it’s the Hammond Collection Galli-Galli-Gallimimus. As part of the Hammond Collection this figure boasts 13 points of articulation and an increased level of paint and fine detail not seen with the Mattel mainline toys.
Review: Triceratops (Jurassic Park, Hammond Collection by Mattel)
3.9 (28 votes)
“This one was always my favorite when I was a kid. And now I’ve seen one, it’s the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”
Those words from Alan Grant resonated with me upon my first viewing of Jurassic Park, because like Alan Grant, Triceratops was my childhood favorite too.
Review: Styracosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Fierce Force by Mattel)
3.6 (16 votes)
Does Mattel release too many repaints? Yes. Is there value in these repaints? Also, yes. Case in point, this Styracosaurus. This figure is the 3rd release of this toy. The first two times it was released I ignored it. I was disappointed by how much smaller it was compared to Mattel’s other ceratopsians.
Review: Tyrannosaurus (Jurassic Park, Hammond Collection by Mattel)
4.6 (94 votes)
Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the release of Jurassic Park and in those past 30 years we’ve seen a plethora of movies, books, video games, toys, and other merchandise come along to capitalize on a film that has now become a timeless classic and a part of the pop culture zeitgeist.
Review: Mononykus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Wild Pack by Mattel)
Review: Dimetrodon (Jurassic World: Dominion, Extreme Damage by Mattel)
3.6 (17 votes)
With the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, Dimetrodon has finally made its long-awaited film debut. But despite only just now being featured on-screen, Dimetrodon has been long associated with the Jurassic franchise. A toy of the Permian synapsid was released all the way back in 1993 as part of Kenner’s first wave of Jurassic Park toys.
Review: Dsungaripterus (Jurassic World: Dominion, Ferocious Pack by Mattel)
3.9 (19 votes)
Dsungaripterus is a genus of pterosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous in China. With its upturned beak and crest it has a distinctive appearance. The body was robustly built, and it is thought that this pterosaur spent most of its time on the ground, using its uniquely adapted beak to pry prey from rocky crevasses or sandy mudflats.