Awesome Toys

The Needler is one of our favorite weapons in the Halo universe. With its funky alien looks and vibrant seeker shards, it’s unlike any game weapon before it. Now NERF is making an official blaster based on the in-game weapon. The motorized blaster fires 10 NERF Elite darts in rapid succession, and it lights up brilliantly in display mode.

The Universal Monsters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles combine their mutant powers for an epic mashup. The first figure in NECA’s line-up melds Raphael with Frankenstein’s Monster. The 7″ figure gives Raph a stitched-on head, neck bolts, an ill-fitting suit, and comes with three pairs of hands and two lightning bolt sai.

Your childhood is calling, and this time there’s someone on the other end of the line when you pick up. That’s right, the classic Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone is back with an upgraded model that can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth so you can make phone calls with it. Every executive needs one of these on their desk.

We’re still not sure when Tesla’s Cybertruck will go into production but starting 10.15.21 at 9am PT, you’ll be able to grab Mattel Creations’ miniature, which snaps together from 3000 pieces. The model of Elon Musk’s angular electric truck measures about 18″ long once assembled, and comes complete with smashed windows.

Kidrobot presents a soft and squishy replica of the Hover Board that Marty McFly swipes and rides in Back to the Future II. Measuring 28″ long, the plush and colorful version of the board is a perfect match to the floating movie prop, minus the original’s Mattel logo.

Thanos isn’t quite as intimidating when you can fit him in the palm of your hand, but Sideshow and Iron Studios‘ 7.8″ tall take on the destroyer of galaxies still has plenty of attitude as he dons his double-edged sword and his golden battle suit.

Artist and engineer Robert Spillner created this unique plaything – a disc filled with a sparkly fluid that looks like an atmosphere swirling around a planet. As you shake and move the disc, the metallic liquid creates an endless variety of organic patterns. Its particles can also be influenced by a magnet placed outside of its chamber.

Kenneth Brecher of Sirius Enigmas created this plaything with a phosphorescent disc that glows when exposed to a UV or deep purple laser pointer, resulting in spiral patterns that temporarily appear. Its disc is made from painted plastic, while its spinner is aluminum. The set even includes the laser pointer.

Mondo teamed up with artist Attack Peter to create this very special and unique Godzilla collectible. The figure is decorated in a black-and-white line art style inspired by the sgrafitto technique used in ceramics. Drops 10.5.2021 at 12pm CDT on MondoShop.com. Limited to 2000 pieces. Ships Summer 2022.

Playmobil proves it’s not just for kids with this extravagant set for Trekkies. The highlight of this 150-piece set is the 39″ long, light-up U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, which opens up so you can see the bridge inside. It comes with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov figures, and a display stand.

Hot Wheels enthusiasts Backyard Racing spent more than 4 months putting together this expansive race track that starts out on their roof. Along the way, the course winds through ladders, sun-dappled PVC tunnels, along fences, and splashes through two inflatable swimming pools.

Trackipede’s flexible track components upgrade any standard Hot Wheels track, making it easier to elevate and hold bends, create jumps, and other obstacles. The modular parts connect to the underside of the track and enable nearly infinite configurations. They can even wrap around railings and posts.

Mathematician and creator Yosuke Ikeda invented this glorious little plaything which uses a series of ramps to move marbles around as you push on it. Multiple AlgoLoops can be combined for more complex patterns. The project’s Kickstarter already has closed, but hopefully we’ll be able to buy these soon.

Touted by toymakers as instantly-hatching beings running a tiny civilization, Sea Monkeys are just brine shrimp. Hank Green and Journey to the Microcosmos offer their close-up take on the weird history of these novelty sea creatures. Interested in learning more? We recommend the Stuff You Should Know episode on the topic.

GazR’s Extreme Brick Machines shows off another unique LEGO Technic vehicle. This tank-like machine features two wedge-shaped body segments connected by a retractable hinge mechanism. This design allows it to crawl easily over a variety of uneven terrain, climb stairs, and even negotiate soft objects like pillows.

Robotime’s flat-pack wood kit gives you everything you need to assemble your own working rubber band shotgun. It features a simulated pump-action mechanism and can fire multiple bands in sequence. Includes wooden soldier targets and plenty of rubber bands.

YouTube channel Brick Bending specializes in creating unexpected geometries using LEGO bricks. This satisfying video shows how they built an oversize wheel using three kinds of hinged components in a repeating pattern. We imagine you could use this method to build a wheel as large as you want, given enough bricks.

Pix Brix are interlocking single-stud bricks for creating 2D pixel or 3D voxel art. They not only click together like LEGO, but can be securely locked side-by-side for flat artworks. A special multifunction tool makes them easy to manipulate and disassemble. They’re also compatible with other major brick brands.

Finally, the NERF weapon we’ve been dreaming of since we were kids – an official M41-A Pulse Rifle from Aliens. The 28″ long blaster features design touches inspired by the sci-fi classic and has motorized Elite dart and pump-action Mega dart modes. It also makes movie sound effects and has a digital ammo counter.

The guys from Douyin channel Rainbow Circle love to show off their skills using rainbow-colored slinky-type toys. Among their performances is this duo handling their colorful spring toys in perfect sync. And then there’s this triple-threat.

These teensy arcade and vending machines come from The Brick Show Shop. In order to avoid licensing issues, the machines ended up with names like “Ms. Dot Man,” “Froggy,” and “Astrobricks,” but we still love them, and have already built a whole arcade for our minifigs to play in.

(PG-13: Language) Playing with toy cap guns is a rite of passage for many kids. Their impact-sensitive explosives make quite the racket at normal size, so imagine how loud a 5-foot-tall cap gun might sound. Builder Nick O’Hara shows how he designed and built his giant noisemaker, then used it to scare the crap out of his pals.

This badass NERF drum-spinner weapon offers two modes of fire – a shot at a time from its trigger, or all 20 darts in rapid-fire sequence with a pull on the slam-fire handle. It comes with 20 Mega Whistler darts which make a whistling sound as they fly through the air.