The coloring discrepancy for the slime between the two movies can actually be explained easily. In the original movie it was confirmed as ectoplasm, being evidence of ghostly activity. In the second movie they were dealing with an entirely different slime, which was the physical manifestation of the bad will of the people.
The chair on top of the Ecto-1 can also be placed into the back seat of the car. It snaps into place in that little ridge in the back seat. When the grappling claw isn't being used to drag ghosts into the back, the seat can be placed there, so you can seat at least 3 Ghostbusters inside the vehicle.
Ecto-1 can actually go through the doors in the Firehouse: there are peg holes in the back of the car to store the gun seat, it doesn't have to stick on top.
I've said this many times before, the RGB ECTO-1A was my first childhood introduction into the sad world of repaints. I was so excited to see the new gizmos on the roof and... then find out the only change was a new sticker sheet.
Exactly how I felt. My Christmas was ruined. I felt ripped off. I remember pulling it out of the box and was like.... I already have this! It was like being punched in the stomach. I really did think it was going to be a new Toy not the same toy I already kinda wasn't happy with with new stickers. I remember even my Dad was kinda pissed about it.
They made the "Slime Heroes" line so you didn't have to cover your other figures in that gunk...something you even complained about in the beginning of this video!
I always remembered my Ecto 1 being very spacey, I definitely remember putting things in the back. Also you kind of answer your own gripe with the firehouse when you talk about the redundant scared action figures, a childs imagination is a wonderful thing and for what it lacked I'm pretty sure my 5 yr old mind got around it somehow :P I'm not sure about who made it but I remember having a Neutrino wand projector (fire it in a dark room and slimer or staypuft would appear where you aimed) and a glow in the dark ghost trap too, anyone remember them?
My biggest pet peeve with toys from my childhood was the needles features, i just wanted the characters as they appeared on TV which became harder and harder to find the longer a popular cartoon was on air
Great as usual, but I wish you could've talked about the toys you could wear: the proton packs, the trap, etc... I always wanted to play with those to be a ghostbuster... ah, the memories... ...
@@thecollector4332 well one persons view of being cumfortable is another persons rich, it depends on what you see as normal. To my childhood perspective he would have been viewed as a rich kid, as I had less than a handful of toys until I was at least 11 years old.
The author of this video is correct. I was born in 1981 and the Ghostbusters toys came our when I was in the first grade. I remember this because I found one on the floor in my classroom (I was tying my shoe and I saw it under a desk. I told my teacher and she said to the class 'does this belong to someone?' my teacher asked, no one answered out of fear of punishment...she then gave it to me...i remember it was Egon!
I had the fire house and loved it, it was my favorite thing and I literally had about 6 years of full on fun with it. I think people who didn't have it as a kid will never full appreciate it later in life once the "kids imagination " has worn away.
don't know why you hated these toys so much, i loved them, especially how inventive the ghosts were. I was a bigger fan of the creatures than the Ghostbusters themselves. And they all had great gimmicks. Great line.
+RetroBlasting admittedly you are correct on how fragile the proton packs were for the figures, but as a whole Kenner did a good job and i never had any real trouble. Most gimmicks on toys are one note though, you just need to use your imagination as usual for any toy, but we gotta admit the scare action was pretty inventive. The large proton packs to wear was also a staple for any child, i had a ton of fun dressing up in the costumes and goggles/guns etc.
@@retroblasting I must have lucked out because my proton packs took a beating. I remember tossing them in my bucket of toys plenty of times and not having any parts break off of them.
My interest in the toy line mirrored yours exactly when I was a kid. After getting the four guys and Stay-Puft... that was pretty much it. Never bothered with slime, never bothered with the creature ghosts, never bothered with the gimmick figures which I too thought was needless and silly. Yet the thing was EVERYONE else on my block loved them and thought they were the greatest thing! Kind of pleased to see someone else who felt sort of let down by this line.
When I was a kid, I remember the Peter Venkmans being hard to find. They were constantly sold out. I can't remember if we eventually found one, or someone gave one to us. The first one I remember getting was the Egon Spengler.
Your videos are absolutely awesome my friend! Its funny,I could have sworn there was a toy line for the movie,but looking back I realize that the timeline does not add up as I first purchased these toys in the 90s when I was about 5,91 to be precise...interesting how so many people have that belief.im glad you were able to clear up that long unanswered question from my childhood,thanks!
I had every storyline from six million dollar man, Star Wars, Gi Joe, He Man, Thundercats, and I never had nor played with another kid who had ghostbuster toys and I never gave it a thought having LOVED the movie! I remember the first Ghostbusters game for the Sega, and the cartoon and that was IT! Fascinating.
I'm pretty sure I recall seeing at least *one* of the weird variants of the action figures in the cartoon, or at least something really close. It was when Egon went inside the containment unit. It looked pretty much like the red and white variant that looks like he's wearing a space suit (I believe it's the "super fright" variant)
Oh my nostalgia! I had that granny ghost and possessed toilet as a kid! I also had the Fright figures of each GB, the Highway Haunter, and the Ecto-3, which was a go-kart with 'claw nets' on the front. I always wanted the Firehouse and Ecto-1, but alas, that didn't come to pass. It's funny seeing them back in action again, these were amongst the most wanted toys of the late 80s/early 90s. I also remember when Burger King did a Ghostbusters 2 Meal Box as part of the film release, which included a slime milkshake and a ghost in a can. Those were some fun times.
My mom complained about finding ecto-plasm on the couch, in the rug, stuck to lightswitches, etc. I was always playing with that stuff. Managed to get all 4 of the little ghost figures. I liked the one with the big hands the best because you could hang it off the edges of things and then use the proton streams to knock it off.
I had a small collection of Kenner Real Ghostbusters when I was young. It consisted of the four Ghostbusters, Ecto 1 and 2, Stay Puft, the firehouse and a handful of ghost figures. However, in early adulthood when in need of money, I foolishly sold the collection for cheap online. Fast forward a few years and my son gets to the age where he discovers Ghostbusters and becomes a huge fan. I felt terrible I no longer had my collection to pass on to him, so I scoured the Internet, replaced nearly everything I had in my youth (plus some) and proudly gave it to him a few years ago for Christmas. He loves his collection and I feel content to know the Kenner Ghostbusters have returned home.
I had the first four figures, the Ecto 1, the firehouse, the Ecto 2, and the first four Fright Features figures. I also had a Screaming Hero Egon. Usually in my play scenarios, the Fright Features figures were played with as evil robots who came to kill the Ghostbusters. Meanwhile, Screaming Hero Egon was used as one of Egon's distant relatives from the future, who came back to the late 1980s to warn the Ghostbusters. As for the firehouse, I eventually took out and discarded the fire pole so I could play with the figures on the different levels. I even had an idea to build a proper second floor, to recreate the "bedroom" for the guys, as seen on the show.
Hahahaha, love the tie in at the end comparing the extra gaudy stickers for the Ectomobile and Michael’s childhood Battle Damaged Tie Fighter!! Well played Melinda!
I remember watching the Real Ghostbusters promo that was a five minute commercial for the series. It showed the characters in there beige suits. I kept watching just to see this episode. But when I got the time life set, they finally showed this and said it was to sell the show. I’m glad they explained that. This was a commercial I say in the 80s.
I lost my original Winston figure's head during play when I got overly excited and tossed him into the air. He went high enough to perfectly strike the ceiling fan which took the head clear off. My parents found a Winston from a later release to replace him, one with a purple jumpsuit. In regard to the slime, the scent of it has stayed with my figures all these years later. I also used the Firehouse as a nightstand up through high school. It was later unfortunately lost in a storage room.
2 things: I agree that the variant figures did suck, but there was a few good things about them: the Screaming hears figures did allow us to have the PKE meter and ghost trap for the team, and although the figures did suck, they did allow for a larger variety of ghost to be captured. And the 2nd thing I actually used a squirt toy Slimer to be the version I used with the figures
As a kid I had a blast with the ecto 1. And the firehouse was one of my favorite toys for years. I always threw parties in there with my various action figures and stated fights. I also for some reason was fascinated with the Louis toy that in cold water would appear to get slime on him. I actually liked a lot of those toys. I was def bummed out over stay putts size though.
(11 months later after watching again)... you mentioned that buying the Slimed Heroes figures was pointless because you could just dump slime on them, however I actually hate the color change action feature that they have but prefer them to the original line due to their bright color palate. Of course I love the original releases as well, but Slimed Heroes will always be one of my favorite series of vintage toys. You are spot on about the other series of figures..... although, the Ecto Glow figures - once again with proton packs- are still cool in my book, and one of the last lines released. Gotta love the GID.
I agree with Mike about the firehouse ,it looked great and I got it for Christmas, but like he said there was not much really to it inside and the lack of stairs bothered me too. Loved the Haunted Humans range and the fright features range.
Fun video!! When I was a kid, I made the decision to cut the proton streams off the packs almost right away....mostly because I wanted to store them in Ecto-1 when they went on a call. I never missed them, and I just used my imagination when they used the packs. And that lame firepole mechanism....I ditched the red platform and just glided my figures down the blue pole with their arms stretched out to mimic how it'd work in real life. This toy line required using a lot of imagination. lol Lookin forward to checking out your other vids!
I remember creating my own set of figures out of plastercine. They worked pretty well and had the added benefit of being able to create ghosts as and when you needed them.
This vid made me laugh cuz as a kid (and as an adult) having toys can be frustrating when you wanna play/display them but wanna be careful on keeping them in good condition...u sir have gotten my sub.
I remember being 10 when these came out. I would go to my local Kay Bee toy store at our mall to get them. I would also buy different color Ecto Plasm, which got thicker as you played with it. Should have kept my toys in better shape, they would be worth a lot now. As for the firehouse, I was really dissappointed with the Kenner version, so I tries to make my own version out of wood planks, and made the floors, and furniture out of thick cardboard that I could cut realatively easily.
I still have my original Ecto - 1 & Ghostbusters firehouse from my childhood & I have had many fond memories playing with them when I was little. I also agree with you the episode "The Boogeyman Cometh" scared the living crap out of me when I watched the episode on tv & I own the complete series from Time/Life on DVD that episode still freaks me out a little.
you missed out. I had a BLAST playing with these toys as a kid. Might be hard to think about it through the lens of an adult, but for a kid, driving around an ecto-1 that can fit your ghostbusters was awesome! Also, the firehouse was my favorite plates ever.
My brother actually built me a firehouse from an old bookshelf. He cut out openings for a ladder, as I guess stairs would have been too hard, but I had this three story massive playset for all my ghostbuster toys. I feel I win.
It's too bad that Kenner did not use the villains from the cartoon. This toy line would have been so much different even without all of the odd characters that they made.
Similar to the teenage mutant ninja turtles line of toys they released the same 4 figures over and over but dressed differently, I had rock star ralph and naval reserve michaelangelo
@8:30 idk if he meant for it to sound funny but that cracked me up....needs equal weight distribution,and the other doll'll go flying off before it reaches the bottom XD
I came back to this video after 6 years because of the new Ghostbusters figures they’re releasing in 2020 I watched this video as I said 6 years ago and I learned more from this video than I did in the six years of school I had then
I never had these toys. I recall seeing them in various toyshops, but at that point I guess I was moving on from Playing with action figures and getting hooked on gaming. Commodore 64 was my newfound love. Great video guys, as always! Keep 'em coming, I'll be there to watch.
As a kid, I had the figures, the house, the car, a few of the random ghosts, and at the start I had slime. Then it was taken away, and I was handed dish soap to slime my characters with, because apparently my parents heard that the slime was toxic to pets, and the soap... well... "At least it's easy to clean them now!" -- Nova of TeamAONN
My favorite Ghostbusters toys as a kid were the blasters and other equipment that you could pretend to be a Ghostbuster with. I had the proton pack and PKE meter set, the trap, goggles, and this weird blaster with a crank on the side and a foam beam that spun.
It is interesting to get an alternate perspective on these toys considering everyone I've heard who grew up with them always say it was one of the greatest toylines ever made.
I remember my dad telling me a story. When he was a kid. There was a contest at his school where he could win a chance to read his Christmas list over the radio. Long story short he won, and he read it over the radio. Unfortunately, he had a bit of trouble with his s’s so when he tried to read “ghostbusters firehouse” it sounded like “ghostbusters firehose” obviously a ghostbusters firehose didn’t exist so he didn’t it get it for Christmas.
I thought I remembered pretty much all of my 80’s toys until this video reminded me I had skeleton rib cage guy from ghostbusters😂😂 Edit : And eyes poppin out Peter Venkman🤣🤣🤣
9:56: "A vortex from which Kenner never managed to escape." Kenner would definitely not even manage to escape. As early as '87, times were changing for Kenner. They were now under Tonka. And so difficulties arise, however by 1991, the cracks would definitely start appearing in the foundations, as they were taken over by Hasbro. From then on the company was doomed as not only could they stop Hasbro but themselves from releasing endless runs of pointless variants. A real shame for a great toy company like Kenner. They will always be my favourite toy company though.
They were definitely fragile. I remember asking my mom to grab me another Peter Venkman one morning after dealing with the frustration of having one with missing and broken parts. Even the replacement was destroyed over time. Now that I am trying to recollect a lot of toys from my childhood (and some from that era that I didn't have), complete Real Ghostbusters are among the most difficult to find. I currently live in Japan and have seen some carded here (The Real Ghostbusters was animated in Japan)... but they are marked at over the equivalent of $150 each... smh...
I agree with most of what you said, (especially about the slime stickers and screaming figures). But honestly, as far as the ghost figures not being part of the show, I liked that about the line. As a kid, I didn't just want to recreate the same adventures I'd seen on the tv or in the films. I wanted to imagine entirely new adventures, with my own scenarios. To me, those random ghosts gave the RGB line a huge advantage over Star Wars and other toys, by offering something that was unknown to viewers, but could still fit in with their universe. :)
***** I don't know. It would've made more sense than trying to remake the same four main characters over and over. Perhaps like the show, the toys had some trademark issues. Alot of their stories were based on old legends, so it's possible another toy company got the names and likeness copyrighted first. :/
"I think it simply boils down to people being unable to remember specific years of their past" - Soooo true. I think people have a major issue with this. There are a ton of people out there who swear they saw 'Episode IV' on the opening crawl of Star Wars when they saw it during its 'first' release in '77, then reveal they were 3 at the time. So then you point out they were probably 6 or 7 and saw it on the reissue, but no no no... Anyway - another great vid! I recently bought the Firehouse for its diorama possibilities. Its 'blankness' is a plus in that regard. It's the only Real Ghostbusters toy I've ever owned... Congrats on the 100th video!
The rgb figures with the cord running down the bottom of the unlicensed nuclear accelator pack is the 1987 release and the rgb figures with the cord running through the center of the unlicensed nuclear accelerator packs are the 1988 release. I have the reissue of the 1988 release.
The firehouse size issue could have been a really easy fix too. Latch on side lets it fold open and boom, it's twice the size now. Fold down panels to form the floor for play and an action feature or two like a spring loaded panel that folds out to be a launchpad for the Ecto-2 or a trap door for Egon's lab that opens when you put a figure on the peg and turn them. And some stairs. Yes it's copying fro other sets but tats that's they did in the 80's. See it worked, stole it, and added to their next playset too.
The "Police Academy!" precinct playset is in many ways an improvement on the Firehouse. That one *does* fold in half, as does the _Filmation's Ghostbusters_ Ghost Command set. Sadly, what you then get is a lack of "real space" for your characters to move around in, but then, that's also what the Firehouse suffers from. I think the Firehouse is patterened after the earlier Death Star playset, but Star Wars at least had a bit more leeway with 3 3/4" figures, whereas Ghostbusters had 5" figures.
Great retrospective, I used that firehouse for so many things besides just Ghostbusters (used to have my pro wrestling toys have hardcore street fights in and on top of it)!
Thank you for the advice how to take care my reissue Kenner Classic Ghostbusters. Those proton pack stream are indeed very fragile even they are reissue.
Awesome videos! I don't know if anyone has mentioned it or not, but the Ecto 1A wasn't a total rehash of the original toy car, it had back doors which allowed for all four Ghostbusters to sit in the car. I agree with you about the firehouse, it was kind of disappointing. Sadly, I had a handful of the variant figures, and they did suck pretty badly.
Oh I remember had the ecto-1 as a kid. I kinda remember it breaking easily. I had a couple of more figures like the mummy. The giant purple thing that rolled and had sparks in his mouth. an Egon and Ray variant. I can't remember if I had more, I was so young.
Mike you shouldv'e done what I did after GBs debuted; 1984, I was 13 yrs old and made my own Ecto 1, firehouse, etc out of LEGOS! :) Greatest toys ever!
Have you seen the Playmobile Ghostbusters toyline? Ecto1 can hold all 4 Ghostbusters and their packs, along with 1 ghost trap. Oh, and the figures come with ghost traps, pke meters and so forth. The firehouse is unbelievably detailed. Imagine if we had those toys back in the 80s. Get them if you haven't already.
The Super Fright Features costumes were supposed to be protective suits so the Ghostbusters could venture in the the containment-universe. Egon's was specifically modeled after the one he wore in the first Christmas episode
I think it might also have to do with the fact that the movie was re-released in 1986, leading people to assume they went and saw the movie and then hit the toys. I was one year old at the time, but I distinctly remember going to see the movie in theaters for its rerelease.
I remember my brother and i getting some real ghostbusters toys for christmas, we got proton packs and the 4 figures. Later on my brother would get the ecto-1 and the firehouse for his birthday. We would get other ghosts over time, slimer, the marshmallow man, the toilet monster, the wolfman, and the football player. Good times.
I don't think the pink slime in GB2 was based off of the ectoplasm from the toy set. In the movie, the slime was some sort of negative mood slime, and had a purple-pink look to it, but when they charged it with positive energy, it turned a light pink color
He's right these toys were fragile, i had the ECTO 1 and after about a day that seated gun port on the top was gone. I was pretty careful with my toys and i think most of my Ghostbusters stuff ended up outside the house. Excellent review, i just found this page recently and I'm Hooked, you both do a great job reviewing this stuff!
Pixel Dan opened a factory sealed can of the ecto-plasm in one of his Ghostbusters videos. Instead of being all dried up, it had basically turned into a pink-ish, watery liquid. I'd say individual results vary, especially if long-term storage temperature is brought into the equation.
This was a series of toys I really, *really* wish had been licensed to Matchbox. Can you imagine what they would have done with the firehouse playset? Or Dana's apartment building? They did produce amazing Ecto-1 and 1A cars though. It was just too bad they never built any playsets.
Sadly i wasn't born when Ghostbusters first came out i was born many years after the movies and series but when i first watched Ghostbusters when i was young the first thing i wanted was the proton pack and for many years after i always wanted one. but i did how every get the figures and proton packs i also got Ecto-1, the firehouse, and a variety of ghosts but the best day that i remember was the day i finally got my proton pack it was the best day of my life for years after that i played with it yeah sure it took a ding here and there but i was a kid and i really had some fun days and i still do with with the figures.
i had the Egon and Ray figures but lost the packs never got the ecto-1 but when extreme ghost busters came out i got that version of the ecto-1 keep up the great videos and enjoy your cool whip ^^
The biggest problem I had with the superfluous alternate figures was, by the time I could ask for Ghostbusters toys, the basic ones had been discontinued, and only the weird ones were on the shelf. I think I got the weird pop-out-eyes Venkman finally, but due to its gimmick it had much more limited articulation. I think I might've played with it for maybe a few minutes before it got shoved into a corner of my toybox, never to be played with again. Which is such a shame, the movies and shows inspired a ton of imaginative play for me and my friends. Too bad I hadn't heard about tabletop RPGs back then, as the Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters International books from West End Games would've been a great way to channel that imagination and excitement.
You forgot to mention that if you love the first movie, the only thing that you can find in stores were shirts with the GB Logo, posters and some magazines with behind the scenes information.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
The coloring discrepancy for the slime between the two movies can actually be explained easily. In the original movie it was confirmed as ectoplasm, being evidence of ghostly activity. In the second movie they were dealing with an entirely different slime, which was the physical manifestation of the bad will of the people.
Asertix357 i was about to write the exact same thing, but you were 3 years faster than me...so close!
@@jasonvoorheesthethird lol
The chair on top of the Ecto-1 can also be placed into the back seat of the car. It snaps into place in that little ridge in the back seat. When the grappling claw isn't being used to drag ghosts into the back, the seat can be placed there, so you can seat at least 3 Ghostbusters inside the vehicle.
You and Pixel Dan have very different opinions :)
Ecto-1 can actually go through the doors in the Firehouse: there are peg holes in the back of the car to store the gun seat, it doesn't have to stick on top.
I've said this many times before, the RGB ECTO-1A was my first childhood introduction into the sad world of repaints. I was so excited to see the new gizmos on the roof and... then find out the only change was a new sticker sheet.
Exactly how I felt. My Christmas was ruined. I felt ripped off. I remember pulling it out of the box and was like.... I already have this! It was like being punched in the stomach. I really did think it was going to be a new Toy not the same toy I already kinda wasn't happy with with new stickers. I remember even my Dad was kinda pissed about it.
They made the "Slime Heroes" line so you didn't have to cover your other figures in that gunk...something you even complained about in the beginning of this video!
Adult logic doesn't apply to how you play with then as a single digit aged human.
I think it's more the fact they made so many clones of the heroes, like tmnt
I always remembered my Ecto 1 being very spacey, I definitely remember putting things in the back. Also you kind of answer your own gripe with the firehouse when you talk about the redundant scared action figures, a childs imagination is a wonderful thing and for what it lacked I'm pretty sure my 5 yr old mind got around it somehow :P I'm not sure about who made it but I remember having a Neutrino wand projector (fire it in a dark room and slimer or staypuft would appear where you aimed) and a glow in the dark ghost trap too, anyone remember them?
I liked the fright features and haunted humans 2nd toy line especially the cop and the granny I also dug the werewolf and Dracula that came out.
My biggest pet peeve with toys from my childhood was the needles features, i just wanted the characters as they appeared on TV which became harder and harder to find the longer a popular cartoon was on air
Great as usual, but I wish you could've talked about the toys you could wear: the proton packs, the trap, etc... I always wanted to play with those to be a ghostbuster... ah, the memories... ...
Damn, for an 8 year old you were quite demanding. I loved all my Ghostbusters toys, Headquarters, ecto 1 and all.
Eddie Scorsese lol for real tho
He comes accross as a very spoilt rich kid. My parents couldn't afford to buy these toys for me, so I saved up an bought them in my teens.
Paul Bloom
He wasn’t rich tho. He had only a handful of toys.
@@thecollector4332 well one persons view of being cumfortable is another persons rich, it depends on what you see as normal. To my childhood perspective he would have been viewed as a rich kid, as I had less than a handful of toys until I was at least 11 years old.
Paul Bloom
You were really poor weren’t you?
"As useful during play as a rock" LIKE THE ROCK LORDS?! Had to mention Rock Lords
The author of this video is correct. I was born in 1981 and the Ghostbusters toys came our when I was in the first grade. I remember this because I found one on the floor in my classroom (I was tying my shoe and I saw it under a desk. I told my teacher and she said to the class 'does this belong to someone?' my teacher asked, no one answered out of fear of punishment...she then gave it to me...i remember it was Egon!
I had the fire house and loved it, it was my favorite thing and I literally had about 6 years of full on fun with it. I think people who didn't have it as a kid will never full appreciate it later in life once the "kids imagination " has worn away.
I loved this toyline in the 80s and remember they each came with a little ghost! The proton streams broke easily.
don't know why you hated these toys so much, i loved them, especially how inventive the ghosts were. I was a bigger fan of the creatures than the Ghostbusters themselves. And they all had great gimmicks. Great line.
I don't hate them. The packs are fragile though and the gimmick figures are one note
+RetroBlasting admittedly you are correct on how fragile the proton packs were for the figures, but as a whole Kenner did a good job and i never had any real trouble. Most gimmicks on toys are one note though, you just need to use your imagination as usual for any toy, but we gotta admit the scare action was pretty inventive. The large proton packs to wear was also a staple for any child, i had a ton of fun dressing up in the costumes and goggles/guns etc.
+RetroBlasting when did he even say he hates them? j
@@retroblasting I must have lucked out because my proton packs took a beating. I remember tossing them in my bucket of toys plenty of times and not having any parts break off of them.
Probably because he didn't have the fire house or ecto 1
many of my action figures and carpets got ruined by the slime hahah. but it was great fun to play with.
Man I absolutely loved the firehouse and ecto 1 as a kid.It was ghostbusters,thats all that mattered
They could read a book on the second floor :)
They could look up stuff in the *_Spates Catalog_* or *_Tobin's Spirit Guide._* LOL!
Or they could sleep on the floor
They could stand on the floor
My main memory of these is that my friend's dog chewed the hands off my Ray figure.
My interest in the toy line mirrored yours exactly when I was a kid. After getting the four guys and Stay-Puft... that was pretty much it. Never bothered with slime, never bothered with the creature ghosts, never bothered with the gimmick figures which I too thought was needless and silly. Yet the thing was EVERYONE else on my block loved them and thought they were the greatest thing! Kind of pleased to see someone else who felt sort of let down by this line.
When I was a kid, I remember the Peter Venkmans being hard to find. They were constantly sold out. I can't remember if we eventually found one, or someone gave one to us. The first one I remember getting was the Egon Spengler.
thank you so much for opening that ooze container! i have been so curious about mine but i can not afford to open it and lose the value.
James L Its just slime...what fun is it to not know if its still ok or all dried up.
Your videos are absolutely awesome my friend!
Its funny,I could have sworn there was a toy line for the movie,but looking back I realize that the timeline does not add up as I first purchased these toys in the 90s when I was about 5,91 to be precise...interesting how so many people have that belief.im glad you were able to clear up that long unanswered question from my childhood,thanks!
I had every storyline from six million dollar man, Star Wars, Gi Joe, He Man, Thundercats, and I never had nor played with another kid who had ghostbuster toys and I never gave it a thought having LOVED the movie! I remember the first Ghostbusters game for the Sega, and the cartoon and that was IT! Fascinating.
I remember getting “The Real Ghostbusters” figures for Christmas. All that survived the last 30 years were the basic figures.
I think some of those extra suits were used in the show, that astronaut looking one might be when they entered the containment unit.
I'm at 2000s kid and I think I am lucky to actually have these when I was younger. Thanks to my grandparents.
You left out Janine and Lewis :(
I'm pretty sure I recall seeing at least *one* of the weird variants of the action figures in the cartoon, or at least something really close. It was when Egon went inside the containment unit. It looked pretty much like the red and white variant that looks like he's wearing a space suit (I believe it's the "super fright" variant)
Oh my nostalgia! I had that granny ghost and possessed toilet as a kid! I also had the Fright figures of each GB, the Highway Haunter, and the Ecto-3, which was a go-kart with 'claw nets' on the front. I always wanted the Firehouse and Ecto-1, but alas, that didn't come to pass. It's funny seeing them back in action again, these were amongst the most wanted toys of the late 80s/early 90s. I also remember when Burger King did a Ghostbusters 2 Meal Box as part of the film release, which included a slime milkshake and a ghost in a can.
Those were some fun times.
You are remembering wrong, because it was Hardees that had the Ghostbusters 2 kids meals with the annoying electric noise makers.
My mom complained about finding ecto-plasm on the couch, in the rug, stuck to lightswitches, etc. I was always playing with that stuff. Managed to get all 4 of the little ghost figures. I liked the one with the big hands the best because you could hang it off the edges of things and then use the proton streams to knock it off.
I had a small collection of Kenner Real Ghostbusters when I was young. It consisted of the four Ghostbusters, Ecto 1 and 2, Stay Puft, the firehouse and a handful of ghost figures. However, in early adulthood when in need of money, I foolishly sold the collection for cheap online. Fast forward a few years and my son gets to the age where he discovers Ghostbusters and becomes a huge fan. I felt terrible I no longer had my collection to pass on to him, so I scoured the Internet, replaced nearly everything I had in my youth (plus some) and proudly gave it to him a few years ago for Christmas. He loves his collection and I feel content to know the Kenner Ghostbusters have returned home.
I had the first four figures, the Ecto 1, the firehouse, the Ecto 2, and the first four Fright Features figures. I also had a Screaming Hero Egon. Usually in my play scenarios, the Fright Features figures were played with as evil robots who came to kill the Ghostbusters. Meanwhile, Screaming Hero Egon was used as one of Egon's distant relatives from the future, who came back to the late 1980s to warn the Ghostbusters.
As for the firehouse, I eventually took out and discarded the fire pole so I could play with the figures on the different levels. I even had an idea to build a proper second floor, to recreate the "bedroom" for the guys, as seen on the show.
Hahahaha, love the tie in at the end comparing the extra gaudy stickers for the Ectomobile and Michael’s childhood Battle Damaged Tie Fighter!!
Well played Melinda!
I remember watching the Real Ghostbusters promo that was a five minute commercial for the series. It showed the characters in there beige suits. I kept watching just to see this episode. But when I got the time life set, they finally showed this and said it was to sell the show. I’m glad they explained that. This was a commercial I say in the 80s.
I lost my original Winston figure's head during play when I got overly excited and tossed him into the air. He went high enough to perfectly strike the ceiling fan which took the head clear off. My parents found a Winston from a later release to replace him, one with a purple jumpsuit.
In regard to the slime, the scent of it has stayed with my figures all these years later.
I also used the Firehouse as a nightstand up through high school. It was later unfortunately lost in a storage room.
2 things: I agree that the variant figures did suck, but there was a few good things about them: the Screaming hears figures did allow us to have the PKE meter and ghost trap for the team, and although the figures did suck, they did allow for a larger variety of ghost to be captured.
And the 2nd thing I actually used a squirt toy Slimer to be the version I used with the figures
I grew up on the Real Ghostbusters then I saw the movie♠
As a kid I had a blast with the ecto 1. And the firehouse was one of my favorite toys for years. I always threw parties in there with my various action figures and stated fights. I also for some reason was fascinated with the Louis toy that in cold water would appear to get slime on him. I actually liked a lot of those toys. I was def bummed out over stay putts size though.
(11 months later after watching again)... you mentioned that buying the Slimed Heroes figures was pointless because you could just dump slime on them, however I actually hate the color change action feature that they have but prefer them to the original line due to their bright color palate. Of course I love the original releases as well, but Slimed Heroes will always be one of my favorite series of vintage toys. You are spot on about the other series of figures..... although, the Ecto Glow figures - once again with proton packs- are still cool in my book, and one of the last lines released. Gotta love the GID.
I agree with Mike about the firehouse ,it looked great and I got it for Christmas, but like he said there was not much really to it inside and the lack of stairs bothered me too. Loved the Haunted Humans range and the fright features range.
To Kenner’s credit with the variant figures, it did give us more figure-scale versions of the Ghost Trap, PKE Meter and Ecto-Goggles!
I was the happiest kid when I got the Peter venkman fright figure. Don’t know what it was but it felt like a dream. Loved these figures
i had no complaints as a kid playing with them. I played the shit outta them break'em. then move on to the next cartoon toys. lol
Fun video!! When I was a kid, I made the decision to cut the proton streams off the packs almost right away....mostly because I wanted to store them in Ecto-1 when they went on a call. I never missed them, and I just used my imagination when they used the packs. And that lame firepole mechanism....I ditched the red platform and just glided my figures down the blue pole with their arms stretched out to mimic how it'd work in real life. This toy line required using a lot of imagination. lol
Lookin forward to checking out your other vids!
I remember creating my own set of figures out of plastercine. They worked pretty well and had the added benefit of being able to create ghosts as and when you needed them.
This vid made me laugh cuz as a kid (and as an adult) having toys can be frustrating when you wanna play/display them but wanna be careful on keeping them in good condition...u sir have gotten my sub.
I remember being 10 when these came out. I would go to my local Kay Bee toy store at our mall to get them. I would also buy different color Ecto Plasm, which got thicker as you played with it. Should have kept my toys in better shape, they would be worth a lot now. As for the firehouse, I was really dissappointed with the Kenner version, so I tries to make my own version out of wood planks, and made the floors, and furniture out of thick cardboard that I could cut realatively easily.
The ending with the x-wing was priceless.
I still have my original Ecto - 1 & Ghostbusters firehouse from my childhood & I have had many fond memories playing with them when I was little. I also agree with you the episode "The Boogeyman Cometh" scared the living crap out of me when I watched the episode on tv & I own the complete series from Time/Life on DVD that episode still freaks me out a little.
you missed out. I had a BLAST playing with these toys as a kid. Might be hard to think about it through the lens of an adult, but for a kid, driving around an ecto-1 that can fit your ghostbusters was awesome! Also, the firehouse was my favorite plates ever.
I still love most of these toys but you definitely have some strong points. This is one of my favorite Toy Reviews so far. Great job, you guys!
My brother actually built me a firehouse from an old bookshelf. He cut out openings for a ladder, as I guess stairs would have been too hard, but I had this three story massive playset for all my ghostbuster toys. I feel I win.
The Real Ghostbusters were one of my all time favorite toys!
Even guilty of liking the variants! x)
I think Peter's eyes are green, to let kids known that his power pack had green neutrino wand. if this pack good separated during action play.
Henry-Jim Casulli I always thought that they were trying to recreate the episode where peter got possessed
It's too bad that Kenner did not use the villains from the cartoon. This toy line would have been so much different even without all of the odd characters that they made.
***** indeed, maybe some movie villains like Gozer, Zuul, and Vince Cortho from the first movie, or Vigo from the second movie
The crazy ghost figures were the best thing about this line! So much imagination, I love the granny figure, skeleton policeman and the toilet !
Similar to the teenage mutant ninja turtles line of toys they released the same 4 figures over and over but dressed differently, I had rock star ralph and naval reserve michaelangelo
One of my favourite toylines, still obsessed with it to this day lol
@8:30 idk if he meant for it to sound funny but that cracked me up....needs equal weight distribution,and the other doll'll go flying off before it reaches the bottom XD
I came back to this video after 6 years because of the new Ghostbusters figures they’re releasing in 2020 I watched this video as I said 6 years ago and I learned more from this video than I did in the six years of school I had then
I never had these toys. I recall seeing them in various toyshops, but at that point I guess I was moving on from Playing with action figures and getting hooked on gaming. Commodore 64 was my newfound love. Great video guys, as always! Keep 'em coming, I'll be there to watch.
As a kid, I had the figures, the house, the car, a few of the random ghosts, and at the start I had slime. Then it was taken away, and I was handed dish soap to slime my characters with, because apparently my parents heard that the slime was toxic to pets, and the soap... well... "At least it's easy to clean them now!" -- Nova of TeamAONN
My favorite Ghostbusters toys as a kid were the blasters and other equipment that you could pretend to be a Ghostbuster with. I had the proton pack and PKE meter set, the trap, goggles, and this weird blaster with a crank on the side and a foam beam that spun.
It is interesting to get an alternate perspective on these toys considering everyone I've heard who grew up with them always say it was one of the greatest toylines ever made.
I remember my dad telling me a story. When he was a kid. There was a contest at his school where he could win a chance to read his Christmas list over the radio. Long story short he won, and he read it over the radio. Unfortunately, he had a bit of trouble with his s’s so when he tried to read “ghostbusters firehouse” it sounded like “ghostbusters firehose” obviously a ghostbusters firehose didn’t exist so he didn’t it get it for Christmas.
I thought I remembered pretty much all of my 80’s toys until this video reminded me I had skeleton rib cage guy from ghostbusters😂😂
Edit : And eyes poppin out Peter Venkman🤣🤣🤣
9:56: "A vortex from which Kenner never managed to escape."
Kenner would definitely not even manage to escape. As early as '87, times were changing for Kenner. They were now under Tonka. And so difficulties arise, however by 1991, the cracks would definitely start appearing in the foundations, as they were taken over by Hasbro. From then on the company was doomed as not only could they stop Hasbro but themselves from releasing endless runs of pointless variants. A real shame for a great toy company like Kenner. They will always be my favourite toy company though.
They were definitely fragile. I remember asking my mom to grab me another Peter Venkman one morning after dealing with the frustration of having one with missing and broken parts. Even the replacement was destroyed over time. Now that I am trying to recollect a lot of toys from my childhood (and some from that era that I didn't have), complete Real Ghostbusters are among the most difficult to find. I currently live in Japan and have seen some carded here (The Real Ghostbusters was animated in Japan)... but they are marked at over the equivalent of $150 each... smh...
I agree with most of what you said, (especially about the slime stickers and screaming figures). But honestly, as far as the ghost figures not being part of the show, I liked that about the line. As a kid, I didn't just want to recreate the same adventures I'd seen on the tv or in the films. I wanted to imagine entirely new adventures, with my own scenarios. To me, those random ghosts gave the RGB line a huge advantage over Star Wars and other toys, by offering something that was unknown to viewers, but could still fit in with their universe. :)
*****
I don't know. It would've made more sense than trying to remake the same four main characters over and over. Perhaps like the show, the toys had some trademark issues. Alot of their stories were based on old legends, so it's possible another toy company got the names and likeness copyrighted first. :/
"I think it simply boils down to people being unable to remember specific years of their past" - Soooo true. I think people have a major issue with this. There are a ton of people out there who swear they saw 'Episode IV' on the opening crawl of Star Wars when they saw it during its 'first' release in '77, then reveal they were 3 at the time. So then you point out they were probably 6 or 7 and saw it on the reissue, but no no no...
Anyway - another great vid! I recently bought the Firehouse for its diorama possibilities. Its 'blankness' is a plus in that regard. It's the only Real Ghostbusters toy I've ever owned...
Congrats on the 100th video!
I got the Firehouse and Ecto - 1, few random varients of each Ghostbuster plus the first few waves of ghost's for Christmas when I was a little guy
The rgb figures with the cord running down the bottom of the unlicensed nuclear accelator pack is the 1987 release and the rgb figures with the cord running through the center of the unlicensed nuclear accelerator packs are the 1988 release. I have the reissue of the 1988 release.
The firehouse size issue could have been a really easy fix too. Latch on side lets it fold open and boom, it's twice the size now. Fold down panels to form the floor for play and an action feature or two like a spring loaded panel that folds out to be a launchpad for the Ecto-2 or a trap door for Egon's lab that opens when you put a figure on the peg and turn them. And some stairs. Yes it's copying fro other sets but tats that's they did in the 80's. See it worked, stole it, and added to their next playset too.
The "Police Academy!" precinct playset is in many ways an improvement on the Firehouse. That one *does* fold in half, as does the _Filmation's Ghostbusters_ Ghost Command set. Sadly, what you then get is a lack of "real space" for your characters to move around in, but then, that's also what the Firehouse suffers from.
I think the Firehouse is patterened after the earlier Death Star playset, but Star Wars at least had a bit more leeway with 3 3/4" figures, whereas Ghostbusters had 5" figures.
Great retrospective, I used that firehouse for so many things besides just Ghostbusters (used to have my pro wrestling toys have hardcore street fights in and on top of it)!
Thank you for the advice how to take care my reissue Kenner Classic Ghostbusters. Those proton pack stream are indeed very fragile even they are reissue.
Awesome videos! I don't know if anyone has mentioned it or not, but the Ecto 1A wasn't a total rehash of the original toy car, it had back doors which allowed for all four Ghostbusters to sit in the car. I agree with you about the firehouse, it was kind of disappointing. Sadly, I had a handful of the variant figures, and they did suck pretty badly.
I always thought that it was really cool that in the Firehouse play set, on the top floor, is a sticker decal that is a portrait of Granny Gross.
Oh I remember had the ecto-1 as a kid. I kinda remember it breaking easily. I had a couple of more figures like the mummy. The giant purple thing that rolled and had sparks in his mouth. an Egon and Ray variant. I can't remember if I had more, I was so young.
Mike you shouldv'e done what I did after GBs debuted; 1984, I was 13 yrs old and made my own Ecto 1, firehouse, etc out of LEGOS! :) Greatest toys ever!
Have you seen the Playmobile Ghostbusters toyline? Ecto1 can hold all 4 Ghostbusters and their packs, along with 1 ghost trap. Oh, and the figures come with ghost traps, pke meters and so forth. The firehouse is unbelievably detailed. Imagine if we had those toys back in the 80s. Get them if you haven't already.
When I think of the toy line I think of the Proton Pack and Ecto and Ghost Trap and PKE Meter. I had tons of fun playing with those.
The Super Fright Features costumes were supposed to be protective suits so the Ghostbusters could venture in the the containment-universe. Egon's was specifically modeled after the one he wore in the first Christmas episode
I think it might also have to do with the fact that the movie was re-released in 1986, leading people to assume they went and saw the movie and then hit the toys. I was one year old at the time, but I distinctly remember going to see the movie in theaters for its rerelease.
I remember my brother and i getting some real ghostbusters toys for christmas, we got proton packs and the 4 figures. Later on my brother would get the ecto-1 and the firehouse for his birthday. We would get other ghosts over time, slimer, the marshmallow man, the toilet monster, the wolfman, and the football player. Good times.
I wasn’t born around that time but it sounds like a great time to be alive
I don't think the pink slime in GB2 was based off of the ectoplasm from the toy set. In the movie, the slime was some sort of negative mood slime, and had a purple-pink look to it, but when they charged it with positive energy, it turned a light pink color
He's right these toys were fragile, i had the ECTO 1 and after about a day that seated gun port on the top was gone. I was pretty careful with my toys and i think most of my Ghostbusters stuff ended up outside the house. Excellent review, i just found this page recently and I'm Hooked, you both do a great job reviewing this stuff!
I call the blue jumpsuit and unstoppable ghost bustin' fun traps and New York creepy creatures. Stay safe everyone!
Pixel Dan opened a factory sealed can of the ecto-plasm in one of his Ghostbusters videos. Instead of being all dried up, it had basically turned into a pink-ish, watery liquid. I'd say individual results vary, especially if long-term storage temperature is brought into the equation.
This was a series of toys I really, *really* wish had been licensed to Matchbox. Can you imagine what they would have done with the firehouse playset? Or Dana's apartment building? They did produce amazing Ecto-1 and 1A cars though. It was just too bad they never built any playsets.
Sadly i wasn't born when Ghostbusters first came out i was born many years after the movies and series but when i first watched Ghostbusters when i was young the first thing i wanted was the proton pack and for many years after i always wanted one. but i did how every get the figures and proton packs i also got Ecto-1, the firehouse, and a variety of ghosts but the best day that i remember was the day i finally got my proton pack it was the best day of my life for years after that i played with it yeah sure it took a ding here and there but i was a kid and i really had some fun days and i still do with with the figures.
i had the Egon and Ray figures but lost the packs never got the ecto-1 but when extreme ghost busters came out i got that version of the ecto-1 keep up the great videos and enjoy your cool whip ^^
Sounds like the Playmobil firehouse might be more up your alley. It has stairs, a more functional poll and more space inside the building.
No mention of the Ecto-2?
The biggest problem I had with the superfluous alternate figures was, by the time I could ask for Ghostbusters toys, the basic ones had been discontinued, and only the weird ones were on the shelf. I think I got the weird pop-out-eyes Venkman finally, but due to its gimmick it had much more limited articulation. I think I might've played with it for maybe a few minutes before it got shoved into a corner of my toybox, never to be played with again. Which is such a shame, the movies and shows inspired a ton of imaginative play for me and my friends. Too bad I hadn't heard about tabletop RPGs back then, as the Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters International books from West End Games would've been a great way to channel that imagination and excitement.
You forgot to mention that if you love the first movie, the only thing that you can find in stores were shirts with the GB Logo, posters and some magazines with behind the scenes information.
Another great fun video! Congratulations on reaching the century mark.
I’ll never forget Christmas morning 1987 I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything at all!!!!
I love the RGB action figures. Also great video, this and the previous part are one of the first videos I saw of Retro Blasting.