Dinosaur Toy Blog

Review: Tyrannosaurus rex (Dinosaur King by Sega)

4.6 (17 votes)

As per the introductory convention, I should probably mention how T. rex is a popular dinosaur rarely done well, and the animal’s pop culture significance, and all that stuff. Sod it, though – just look at this beauty. That’s some serious tyrannosaur sexiness.

A little background: this model is rather scarce these days, and the specimen shown is not actually mine.

Review: Tupuxuara (Sideshow Dinosauria)

5 (3 votes)

Review by Dan, Photos by Jeremy
After a slight delay, Sideshow has finally released their first Dinosauria statue of 2011. They have elected to market the statue under the name “Tupuxuara – Pterodactyl,” likely to foster recognition among mainstream demographics. Fortunately, the Tupuxuara is indeed a pterodactyloid, a term that would furrow fewer brows than a separate suborder such as “rhamphorhynchoidea.” Tupuxuara is also considered a member of the popular Tapejarid family, strongly associated with elaborate cranial crests.

Review: Parasaurolophus (Furuta)

4.7 (7 votes)

For many western paleo-enthusiasts, the world of Japanese miniatures is chock-full of wonders both common and rare. The fact that Japan produces so many outstanding prehistoric replicas is made even more jarring by their tendency to be packaged with manufactured candy, a marketing move that would make both products seem casual or cheapened to an American consumer of disposable goods.

Review: Irritator (CollectA)

3.3 (12 votes)

Nope, that’s not a spelling error or practical joke. There really is a dinosaur named “Irritator”. The Irritator was named as such because, as it passed through the unscrupulous hands of commercial fossil markets, many modifications were made to the original fossil in order to make it appear more desirable.

Review: Ampelosaurus (CollectA)

4.3 (26 votes)

Among prehistoric collectible enthusiasts, the company currently known as CollectA has a considerable reputation to cope with. Their figures, although competitively priced, have ranged anywhere from decent to embarrassing over the past few years. Fortunately, their lineup for 2011 kicks off with a batch of fresh faces that have clearly been more carefully constructed than their predecessors.

Review: Male Velociraptor (Jurassic Park III by Kaiyodo)

3.6 (8 votes)

The Jurassic Park movies are what led Velociraptor to its great fame and popularity in popular culture. This dinosaur has been represented many times in Jurassic Park memorabilia, collectibles, and toys. It is fitting that when Kaiyodo produced a set of 13 figures based on the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park 3, figures of both the male and female Velociraptors in the movie were produced.

Review: Rhomaleosaurus (CollectA)

3.5 (10 votes)

Another in CollectA’s (a trademark of Procon) range is this hefty Rhomaleosaurus, which joins the terror bird Kelenken and the stegosaurid Dacentrurus in the ‘Deluxe’ line up for 2011. Funnily enough, my PhD research project was dedicated to the study of Rhomaleosaurus, so this pliosaur is particularly close to my heart.

Review: Kelenken (Deluxe model by CollectA)

4.6 (18 votes)

This year’s new Collecta figures represent a huge leap forward from their rather ugly forebears, and one of the most handsome in the lineup is this sizeable model of the phorusrhacid ‘terror bird’ Kelenken guillermoi, released as part of the ‘Deluxe’ range. It’s a real treat for anyone who’s recently developed a fascination with these sadly extinct enormous carnivorous avians (as I have).

Review: Polacanthus (Walking With Dinosaurs by Toyway)

4.5 (10 votes)

From a bygone age in which Toyway still made half-decent dinosaur figures comes this spiky beast, their rendition of the British ankylosaur Polacanthus, part of their terrifyingly collectible figure line originally released to accompany the TV series Walking With Dinosaurs (and long since discontinued).

Review: Kaprosuchus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

4.6 (19 votes)

Recently described in 2009, Kaprosuchus is one of the latest additions to the extensive and continuously growing roster of known toothy prehistoric devilry. And that means nothing but good things for us paleo toy fans! With a name which aptly translates to “boar crocodile” (for obvious reasons), the 20 foot Kaprosuchus was an interesting terrestrial crocodyliform from Cretaceous Africa.

Review: Ceratosaurus (Replica-Saurus by Schleich)

3.9 (44 votes)

The famous Jurassic predator Allosaurus coexisted with its smaller, though likely equally fearsome relative Ceratosaurus during the Late Jurassic. Fossils of Ceratosaurus (“horned lizard”) have been recovered from numerous localities in North America, Africa, and Southern Europe. Unfortunately, this figure by Schleich is far more unimpressive than the real animal.

Review: Camarasaurus (The Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd.)

4.4 (16 votes)

The Late Jurassic landscape of North America would not have been complete without its most abundant sauropod resident, Camarasaurus. Meaning “chambered lizard” due to its chambered vertebrae, Camarasaurus was among the earliest sauropod genera to be described in detail, likely due to the fact that its discovery occurred right in the middle of the famous “Bone Wars” between American paleontologists Edward D.

Review: Spinosaurus (Furuta)

2.7 (6 votes)

Ever since it starred in a certain film in 2001, Spinosaurus has found its way into the hearts and minds of the general public and fanboys. Featured killing a sub-adult Tyrannosaurus in the movie, Spinosaurus has gained a reputation of being ferocious and omnipotent. This is reflected in many figures of this dinosaur, such as the offerings by Carnegie and Sideshow, which feature the dinosaur in a very active or at least roaring pose.

Review: Kitadaniryu (Kaiyodo Animatales Series 6)

4.7 (3 votes)

After the release of a certain film having to do with dinosaurs in 1993, dromaeosaurs have captured the public imagination. While some are famous, such as the notorious Velociraptor and Utahraptor, there are many more obscure species as well. Kitadaniryu is a very mysterious dinosaur, as there is very little information about it available.

Review: Edmontosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

4.5 (25 votes)

It has been said that if one simply dropped into the middle of late Cretaceous North America, the massive herds of hadrosaurs are likely one of the first sights to see. Despite their prevalence, the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs are extremely underrepresented in the dinosaur toy market. The most common reconstructions are focused on the ornately decorated headgear of lambeosaurines – namely Parasaurolophus – drawing even less attention to the relatively “plain” hadrosaurines.

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