Polacanthus (Definitely Dinosaurs by Playskool)

Review and photos by Art Rex, edited by Suspsy

Before the release of Jurassic Park in 1993, Playskool’s Definitely Dinosaurs was one of the best brands of prehistoric playtime, rivaled only by Tyco’s Dino-Riders. Most of the Definitely Dinosaurs were relatively simple in design, almost cartoonish to play to a younger demographic. But this Polacanthus was not too far off in its accuracy compared to the real animal. But more on that later.

While Definitely Dinos certainly stand the test of time in terms of durability, they often sustain minor blemishes and discoloration from their young owners. My figure is one such example, evidenced by the red streak over the left eye, likely inflicted by a marker. But aside from that, this popular nodosaur is as ready to be played with as it was over 30 years ago!

The first thing to catch your eye with this toy is the vibrant, but not too flashy blue coloration. Most of the body is a teal blue, while the armored areas are a subtle bluish gray. The beak-like mouth and the most prominent spikes are a very light gray. You can barely tell unless you look closely, but the eyes are actually a deep, rich blue, instead of black as they may appear from a distance.

As mentioned before, this toy is quite durable and sturdy, thanks to the soft plastic/rubber material it is made of. There is a subtle, but satisfactory pebbled texture over the tail, most of the body, and the legs. The underside has a more wrinkled appearance. It is approximately the same scale as most standard Jurassic Park/World action figures.

When viewed from the side, one can’t help but notice that something just seems a little off with the proportions of “Polo” here. It could just be me, but the torso is a little long. When viewed from the top, the waist is too skinny! This may have been a reflection of paleontology’s understanding of the genus at that time, so it may be excusable. But we all know now that members of the ankylosaur and nodosaur clades were quite rotund in body shape!

This figure has five points of articulation: all four legs and the tail.  Each leg rotates frontwards or backwards, enough poseability to make the dinosaur stand, walk, sit or lie down. Unlike other small members of the Definitely Dinosaurs line, the arms can move independently of each other. The tail swivels side to side. Of course, anything besides the default position looks odd since the armor spikes don’t line up.

Overall, it is not the most accurate toy representation of the genus, but this Polacanthus does make up for it in in quality and level of play. Of course, like the rest of this series, it went “extinct” many years ago. Today, the only paths of obtaining this toy would be getting one secondhand from classified ads, online auction sites, or if you’re lucky, a good find at a yard sale, flea market, or similar venue. Finding one still in the original packaging is very rare. But nevertheless, you or your little one will enjoy this figure for years to come, regardless of how it may find its way into your collection.