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.
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: Machairoceratops (Perez) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.3 (33 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)
Review: Tarbosaurus (Chuanzi) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.3 (29 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)
Review: Ouranosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Roar Attack by Mattel)
3.5 (22 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 (18 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.
Review: Carcharodontosaurus (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Mega Destroyers by Mattel)
3.3 (25 votes)
It has been a good year for Carchorodontosaurus, as I mentioned in my review of the figure by PNSO. The PNSO figure, along with the one by GR toys, gave sophisticated collectors a fantastic, updated pair of “shark toothed lizards” to display and admire whilst sipping brandy by the fireside.
Review: Ankylosaurus (Bumpy) (Jurassic World Dino-Escape, Roar Attack by Mattel)
3.3 (20 votes)
They grow up so fast! It was just over 13 months ago when I reviewed the bouncing baby Bumpy for the DTB and now here I am again with another Bumpy review. Only this time, Bumpy isn’t a baby anymore. When I reviewed that baby Bumpy, the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous hadn’t even premiered yet, but I knew I had to have Bumpy in my collection because she was just so stinkin’ adorable.
Review: Xiphactinus (Deluxe Prehistoric Models by CollectA)
4.9 (33 votes)
For collectors of prehistoric fishes 2021 has been a banner year, it saw the release of several toy fishes and two of them weren’t an O. megalodon or Dunkleosteus. Astonishing! Of course, we got those too. Papo tackled the meg. and PNSO released their own Dunkleosteus.
Review: Fukuisaurus (ANIA by Takara Tomy)
4.6 (7 votes)
Today I venture into uncharted waters and review a figure by a company I’ve never covered, or bought products by, before. Although I’ve long been aware of Takara Tomy, they’re a Japanese company, making their offerings somewhat difficult to get in the U.S. Also, since their prehistoric figures mostly cover well known genera, or represent Jurassic World animals, they also just weren’t of much interest to me.
Review: Gallimimus (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Attack Pack by Mattel)
3.4 (17 votes)
I reviewed the original Attack Pack Gallimimus back in 2018, with its sandy brown color tones, it was the first of many Gallimimus toys from Mattel. Indeed, the Attack Pack Gallimimus has received so many re-paints over the last few years that I would be hard pressed to list them all.