Jurassic Park 2009: Deluxe Electronic Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2009

Accessories:

-Forest Hunter General

-Missile Launcher (with missile)

-Off-Road Vehicle cut-out (Note: since this last “accessory” is actually a part of the figure's box, it will not be reviewed here.)

Description: this Tyrannosaurus figure, though heavily retooled, is still the largest of all JP dinosaur toys ever produced. It measures a good 70 centimetres in length and about 20 centimetres tall. This Rex stands in an active pose, with its left leg moved forward and its right leg posed backward, as if walking. Its head is quite large, almost as big as its belly. It can swallow human and smaller dinosaur figures whole, but they have to be retrieved via the same way they came in. The head, neck and tail are made of a more flexible material than the rest of the figure, with the eyes being small transparent orbs with a black spot (the pupil) painted on them. The T-Rex features poseable arms, legs and even feet (which sport huge toes and claws, including the smaller ones on the side of the lower legs). On its belly, the T-Rex carries a visible speaker unit and battery cover, as well as a little switch, with 'On', 'Off' and 'Try me' printed next to it. The actual sounds are activated by pushing the little button on its back, above the upper legs. In the case of the latter option, the figure only makes noises when the button is pushed, while when in 'On' mode the figure also produces sounds at random. Overall, this figure produces at least thirteen different sounds, including stomping sounds which can be produced by bashing the feet on any surface (this also works when the figure is still boxed).

This large T-Rex features a basic three-way paint job. Colours on the softer parts of the figure's body are more vivid because of the different materials used. The underside (most of the lower jaw, throat, belly and most of the lower part of the tail) are painted greyish beige. The limbs, flanks and middle part of the tail are coloured grey. The top parts of the body (most of the head, neck, back and upper part of the tail) are painted orange. Black lines run over the orange colouring, while additional black colouration is found on the head on the snout, in a a big cluster around the eyes, with a line running out of this part around the chin and in a wave pattern over the lower jaw. Diffused black stripes and spots adorn the flanks, knees and tail, while black bands are found around the lower arms and end of the tail, and a row of black spots runs over each toe. On the upper jaw near the snout the creature sports small triangular blue shapes, two on each side of the face, with black lines around these. The claws on both fingers and toes are painted black. The Rex has beige teeth (some of them broken off or worn out) and the inside of its mouth is pink, with the tongue coloured a darker shade of pink.

The Forest Hunter General wears a dark grey jacket adorned with lighter grey spots and shapes and revealing a grey shirt underneath, as well as silver tags around his neck. He also sports a black utility belt, dark grey trousers and black boots. His pants and shirt sport some slight tears, like he’s had a run-in with an unpleasant dinosaur. He has brown hair and eye brows, black eyes and a rather grim look on his face. He stands in a very odd pose, left leg stretched forwards and right leg braced backwards, left arm reaching up and right arm pointing down, as if he's startled by some prehistoric vermin in front of him. He comes with a missile launcher, which is coloured in a slightly metallic dark grey paint job, with a dark pink missile sticking out of it on both ends. Pushing the end of the missile sort of launches it, though it doesn’t work very well.

Analysis: it took a while, but Hasbro finally did something else than just repaint figure after figure for this toy line, though only once. In this case, they dug up an old T-Rex sculpt, the biggest and baddest around, and revamped it to become the new top predator figure. With great results, since this is by far the most impressive, awe-inspiring and daring figure Hasbro has produced since the JP III line!

Even though this Deluxe Tyrannosaurus uses the specifications of the classic and much beloved Bull T-Rex figure from the TLWS1 toy line, it's a totally different animal altogether. It can still swallow figures, but these can only go a short distance instead of making it all the way to the belly and being retrieved via a big slit in its belly (which also means this new T-Rex incarnation doesn't have a big hole there). That's probably why this Rex doesn't come with a survival pod, since human figures won't be retrieved and thus won't survive being gulped down by the latest Tyrant Lizard King. The figure's poseability has been maximized. This time it can move more than just the arms. The legs and even the feet (which is wholly new for JP toys' standards) are also poseable, increasing playability.

The new paint job is okay, but not the figure's most appealing feature: the grey, beige and black feels fine, the orange less so. It seems too colourful and cheerful on a massive predator like this, though it does feel in place in the already very brightly coloured JP 2009 line. It does also hint at the dismally ugly orange paint job from the Chaos Effect Omega T-Rex predecessor though. However, overall it's an acceptable paint job, and also fairly detailed. All the claws have been taken care off, the tongue is coloured differently from the rest of the mouth, and there's various lines, spots and stripes to give the animal more character. The triangular blue shapes on the upper jaw are a nice little touch for example. The Rex also retains its glassy retina, something only used three times now in JP toys lore.

The sound system of this T-Rex has been expanded a lot compared to the previous Rexes. Though the sounds are not as loud as before, there's an awful lot of them instead of only two or three. At least thirteen different noises can be heard, varying from movie accurate roars to snarls, growls, chomping and stomping sounds. Some of these may be familiar, as they were used for the Bull T-Rex and the JP III T-Rex figures. The difference between a 'Try me' and an 'On' option is a nice touch, but makes little difference overall.

This Deluxe Tyrannosaurus comes with a Forest Hunter General figure and its missile launcher. The human figure is completely dwarfed by the huge T-Rex, and is only useful as prey for this berserker beast. It fits in its mouth and throat easily. Basically Hasbro provided the Rex with its own snack. Unfortunately the General is not painted differently from its regular appearance in this toy line, which makes it less original. The weapon is still totally lame and does absolutely no damage to the hulking carnivore.

Overall, this is one of Hasbro's finest releases and certainly the main attraction of JP 2009. It's not surprising many dinosaur collectors totally ignored the rest of the line and only got themselves its crowning achievement. It should come as no surprise if this becomes a much desired and valuable toy over the next decade, as has been the faith of most big JP figures before. It sincerely deserves such a future.

Unless Hasbro starts to milk this figure to no end as well...

Repaint: yes, more or less. Though at first glance this figure appears a mere repaint of the TLWS1 Bull T-Rex, only its bare shape and size have survived the heavy retooling this sculpt underwent for this toy line. The torso and limbs are now composed of hard plastic, while the head, neck and tail are comprised of softer material than before. The original three Bull Rex sounds are still there, but now backed up by new roars and growls, as well as the JP III T-Rex figures' noises. Overall, this figure might as well be a totally new sculpt, even though it doesn't appear to be. The Forest Hunter General appeared in the exact same paint job in his own set in this toy line, but was originally a JP III figure, which by itself was already repainted for JPD2. The missile launcher originally came with the JP III Military Diver figure, appeared again with that figure repainted in JPD2 and has also been featured with the Diver of this toy line.

Overall rating: 8/10. Probably the best addition to the world of JP toys since the better JP III sculpts were first released in 2001. Though the paint job is not perfect, the many new features, much improved poseability and overall size make for a formidable dinosaur toy. The General and his weapon (as well as the cut-out vehicle) are nice little additions but are hardly noteworthy compared to the main attraction here, though they add some additional fun. This set wasn't rare on release, but that swiftly changed. Because it's such a good and huge toy, it was quite sought after and has by now become almost as valuable as the original TLW Bull T-Rex it was based on. Don't expect this one to be an easy find, despite it not being a very old toy.

Jurassic Park 2009: Battle Growlers: Velociraptor

Year of release: 2009

Description: this Raptor figure can only stand up straight in an overly dramatic posture, its body straight upwards, its legs wide apart and its ferocious claws ready for action, its head facing upwards and turned to the right, jaws wide open (incapable of being closed). The tail is bent in a sort of 'S' shaped fashion. This sculpt has proto-feathers on the back of its head, following the design change of the Jurassic Park III Velociraptors as compared to the Raptors seen in the first two movies. Accordingly, it also has a nasal ridge on each side of its face. A dino damage wound is located on the upper base of the tail, revealing some of its tail bones and dark red muscle tissue. Inside the wound a button is found: when pressed this produces a snarling sound. On its back this creature has a small lever, activating the slashing claw action feature. This also produces an eerie shrieking noise.

This Raptor has a fairly restrained paint job compared to some of the more bizarrely coloured dinosaur figures of this toy line. The underside (throat, belly, lower part of the tail, feet and arms, inner part of the legs) and most of the head is painted very light grey. The rest of the body (back of the head and neck, back, flanks, the rest of the limbs and tail) is coloured brown. On each side of the body, a brown stripe runs from the arms almost to the end of the tail, interrupted only by the upper legs. A very thin light blue stripe runs all the way above it. The proto-feathers on the back of the head are coloured in the same shade of blue. The face is adorned with dark brown stripes, three on each jaw (so twelve in total, or six if the jaws could be closed), one starting much broader than the others at the eye sockets. The Raptor has small yellow eyes with black pupils, white teeth, a pink tongue and inside of the mouth, dark grey claws on both toes and fingers and a white JP logo on each upper leg.

Analysis: naturally this new 2009 JP line couldn't go without a larger Raptor figure, so once again the original JP III Alpha Velociraptor sculpt was revamped (despite the JP III Pack Raptor being such a lousy figure you'd wish Hasbro would repaint that particular sculpt for a change). Apparently the designer who came up with this new paint job wasn't completely high as the designer who thought of the more grotesque paint jobs of this line was (or he/she did a better job at hiding it), since this Velociraptor's paint job is fairly simple compared to those.

It's a pretty good new paint job, original enough but also not totally new. It's interesting to see the underside's colour also covering the head for a change, since that is usually reserved for the topside's main colouring. The slight camouflage effect achieved by the dark stripes over the light facial colour works well: it is somewhat reminiscent of a zebra or a white tiger. The brown and blue stripes are also a nice touch, adding enough diversity to the paint job without the overall colouration going over the top. Still, the proto-feathers could have used more work, they're rather bland now. This paint job's colouration remind one of the old JPS2 Gallimimus' colours, with its combination of brown, blue stripes and a light grey underside. This is most likely unintentional though.

Otherwise, this release is nothing special. It still comes with an irritating posture hindering playability, a very annoying wound that can't be covered up and a fairly ineffective attack option. It's definitely the paint job that makes this Raptor worthwhile enough.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Alpha Velociraptor figure (Wave 1). It has been repainted several times before for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3.

Overall rating: 6/10. A solid new paint job, but only a half decent sculpt. This dinosaur figure is not at all rare and can still be found easily. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change over time, but probably not in the coming decade.

Jurassic Park 2009: Battle Growlers: Triceratops

Year of release: 2009

Description: this four legged rhinoceros like dinosaur is easily recognizable by its large head with the round crest around it and three horns on its face, two large ones above the eyes, and a smaller one on the snout. It has a beak resembling a parrot's. The crest is adorned with small orange spikes sticking out of it (sixteen in total). It has a sturdy body, about twice the length of the head, ending in a short thick tail. Very noticeable, this figure sports a dino damage wound on its left flank, showing white ribs and red muscle tissue. A small button can be found in this wound, which when pressed produces a low howling growl. A second sound can be made by pushing the tail upwards (though in this release's case, the package suggests pressing the head frill instead), which also causes the head to rise upwards, as if attacking a carnivore with its horns. This second sound is more aggressive, like a hissing growl.

This Trike sports a rather diversified and elaborate paint job. Its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, lower part of the tail), upper legs and parts on the back and upper part of the tail are coloured light grey. The facial area is mostly black, as is the back (with little triangular shapes sticking out of the main black colouring) and uppermost part of the tail. A black stripe runs from the mouth over the neck and back almost fully to the end of the tail on each side of the creature, interrupted only by the upper legs. A second black stripe runs from the base of the neck, also over the flanks toward the end of the tail, but not over the legs, again on both sides of the Triceratops (but on the left flank also interrupted by the wound). The body areas on the flanks and tail between both sets of black stripes are painted green. The lower legs are equally green, separated in colour from the upper legs by black bands around the knees. The small claws on all four legs are coloured dark green. The head frill is painted shiny dark blue, with short orange stripes on its edges running to and over the little frill spikes. The back of the frill is just plain black. The Ceratopsian carries a green stripe on each cheek, while the eye sockets are also green, with small blue eyes (and black pupils). Its beak and the three horns on the face are painted beige. It also has a pink tongue, and white JP logos on both upper hind legs.

Analysis: also making a return for the latest JP toy line is Hasbro's Triceratops sculpt, which remains a rather accurate and appealing figure, unhindered by some weird attack posture like most other electronic Hasbro dinosaurs are, though it too sadly retains its gaping wound. It comes with the same head butt action as before (and the same two sounds), though apparently the Hasbro team forgot this action feature was supposed to be activated by pushing its tail upwards, which is not mentioned at all on this figure's package. Instead, pressing the frill releases a 'combat roar', meaning, there is no distinct action feature specified on the figure's box. Luckily, us JP fans know this sculpt better than its creators it seems, and it's safe to say the original attack option is still present.

So the only really new thing (Hasbro's ignorance doesn't count since it was always there, it just seems to have gotten worse over the years) for this sculpt is the paint job, and oh my, did they went all out for this one! First impression with the abundance of green and the black bands would be of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, which is a whole different animal altogether. The new paint scheme is quite bizarre, but also rather imaginative. The fact the frill is coloured differently from the head and slightly adorned with stripes and such is a real improvement over this sculpt's previous incarnations, though it could still have used some more work, since it's a bit bland at present. The colouring on the rest of the body is a bit over the top though. The stripes all coming together on the end of the tail is a nice touch, but the lower legs being painted so differently makes it look like the Triceratops is wearing socks. It would have been preferable if the lower legs had been painted regular elephantine grey, and the black stripes and green colouring had continued over the upper legs instead. It's good to see details have been taken care of though, as illustrated by the claws, the eye sockets and the beak. The horns could have used more details though, they look a little too artificially pristine the way they are now.

Overall, still a good figure, but the paint job is a little too much. For some reason overly festive and elaborate paint jobs just don't cut it on thick hide quadruped dinosaurs like this one, as this case shows. A good try though.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Triceratops figure (Wave 1). It has been repainted once before for JPD3.

Overall rating: 6/10. Still one of the better original Hasbro sculpts (and surely one of the best sculpts of this line), but, despite its originality, the paint job is just really over the top and tends to feel somewhat silly. This dinosaur figure is not at all rare and can still be found without difficulty. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change eventually, but for the next few years, we're good.

Jurassic Park 2009: Battle Growlers: Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2009

Description: like almost all of Hasbro’s medium sized dinosaur models, this electronic Tyrannosaurus doesn’t stand in a neutral posture. It's posed in a bent position, head, arms and tail positioned to the right, in a walking mode with the left leg posed forward and right leg backwards, as if circling potential prey. It has a large dino damage wound on its right flank, revealing red muscle tissue and white ribs. Inside this wound a button is located: when pushed it activates a rather high pitched growl. A second button is placed on its throat. Pressing this button produces a fierce attack roar, and makes the jaws open. Both the arms and legs are fully poseable.

This T-Rex features a fairly intricate paint job. Its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, lower part of the tail, underside of the arms and inner part of the legs) may be plain beige, but the sides of the animal (sides of the neck, flanks, back parts of the arms and legs and sides of the tail) are coloured brightly green instead, and the top parts (neck, back, upper part of the tail, forward sides of the arms and legs) are painted yellowish brown with dark brown stripes. The face and top of the head is bright red, while the area around the lower jaw is coloured a darker shade of red. The Rex has small yellow eyes (with black pupils), white teeth, a pink tongue, a red inside of the mouth, dark grey claws on both fingers and toes, and a white JP logo on both upper legs.

Analysis: despite the overt abundance of little Rex sculpts and the presence of a huge Tyrannosaur figure in this toy line, Hasbro also felt the need to repaint this often used medium sized Rex sculpt once more, making this the most T-Rex intensive JP line so far. Few people would have lamented its absence, but if it was missing from this line they would have missed out on a pretty neat paint job. If red has been used to colour the flanks instead of green, it would have been very tiger like. The use of many stripes coupled with green and brown colouring gives this animal a distinct jungle feel: one could see this as an attempt at an unofficial Camo-Xtreme Jungle T-Rex. Details have been taken care of, including all the claws, and the difference in colour between the tongue and the inside of the mouth is a nice touch, hardly ever done before. The face and the top part of the head being coloured so separately feels a bit odd and out of place, but it harkens back to the good old Camo-Xtreme Arctic T-Rex which had a similar thing going on (it worked better in that figure's case though).

Apart from the appealing and colourful new paint job, there's little of interest to this figure. The posture it assumes is still a nuisance if you want to play with, the biting action which needs to be activated by an inconveniently placed button has little practical effect and the huge gaping wound on its right flank is still bloody annoying. But once again, we have proof that a solid paint job alone can make a sculpt look much better than it actually is.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III T-Rex figure (Wave 1). It has been repainted several times before for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3.

Overall rating: 6/10. A half decent sculpt, but a pretty good new paint job making it look much cooler. This dinosaur figure is not at all rare and can still be found easily. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change over time, but probably not for the next few years.

Jurassic Park 2009: Battle Growlers: Dilophosaurus

Year of release: 2009

Description: this dinosaur, a slender bipedal carnivore with a very characteristic head, sports two semi-circular ridges on top of its head, with a little spike behind each. Also, the large frill (not removable), which was a made up feature for the Dilophosaurus in the first Jurassic Park movie, makes it easily recognizable. The figure stands in a sort of stalking mode, with its body and tail bent, its legs and arms wide apart, its head posed to the left and its jaws opened. The figure has a large dino damage wound on its left flank, showing white bones and red muscle tissue, with a button inside it, which produces a hissing shriek when pushed. Also, an orange lever is located on its back: when pulled, the figure slashes its arms back and forth and makes a hissing, rattling attack roar.

This Dilophosaurus has a very fiery paint job. Its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, underside of the upper arms, inner part of the legs and lower part of the tail) is coloured simply beige though. The rest of the body is covered in a reddish brown paint job. Its neck, back and tail are adorned with orange colouring which largely extends over the flanks (including the dino damage wound) and has various small rounded and spiky shapes running out of it, most notably on the hips and tail. Additional orange stripes and shapes are found on the limbs. In most cases, the orange colouring is accompanied by small yellow spots and shapes found in the middle of it. The top of the head and the crest are coloured red, with red stripes running over the face over the snout and ocular area. The crests are equipped with thin yellow lines running around its edges, and also forming a circular shape in the middle of each crest. Unlike the rest of the figure's bright colouring the crests are adorned in a symmetrical pattern instead of randomly. The big frill around the creature's neck is painted plain reddish brown, like most of the body, except for the centre of its front side, which is coloured orange and gradually shifts into aforementioned brown. The figure has a pink tongue and inside of the mouth, white teeth, small green eyes (with white pupils and black irises), black claws on both toes and fingers and a white JP logo on each upper leg.

Analysis: finally, the return of the Dilophosaurus sculpt! Too bad they didn't retool it like they did with the big T-Rex, since all of this figure's former faults remain intact. To start with, its frill still can't be removed, hindering not only overall playability and rendering its front side too heavy so it can't stand up straight, but also being in the way of the attack action of the arms, which has a very limited range because of this, and is otherwise rather unimpressive. Also ever present is the big dino damage wound on the flank which can't be covered up. At least it's partially camouflaged by the new paint job in this case.

Which brings us to this figure's only new feature: the elaborate colour scheme. If you ever wondered what a possible Camo-Xtreme Lava Dilophosaurus might have looked like, this could very well have been it. It gives this dinosaur a very dragon like feel, its already bizarre look being fused with colours which spawn a sense of fire and danger. The details are also nicely done, especially on the head, like the crests and the eyes. However, the frill should have gotten more attention, being so obviously there but hardly presented with a paint job to speak off, like the figure was factory painted separately from the frill and its paint job was largely forgotten (which may have actually been the case).

Overall, a good paint job, but a bad figure. At least its movie accurate sounds are still there (making the figure hard to play rough with if you want those to stay in working order).

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Dilophosaurus figure (Wave 1). It is a first time repaint (yes, those still exist in this day and age!) and, so far, a last time repaint too.

Overall rating: 5/10. Despite its effective and original new paint job, this is still not a very good figure due to its asinine posture, gaping dino damage wound and limited attack feature. This dinosaur figure is not rare and can still be found effortlessly. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change some day, but probably not for the next few years.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: (Ultra) Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2005

Description: this larger T-Rex figure measures some 25 centimetres in length and stands just over 15 centimetres tall. This Rex sculpts stands in an attack posture, with its tail bent upwards and its head slightly tilted up. Its legs stand far apart from each other. This Rex is pretty skinny and has little body mass. It’s mostly head, limbs and tail. A very large dino damage would is found on its right flank, showing white ribs and red muscle tissue. The upper piece of exposed rib is actually a button which activates a shrieking roar, as if the creature is in pain. A second roar, more aggressive and imposing, can be made by pulling its right arm down: when doing so the mouth will also open. A third sound, the stomping noise, can be made by having the T-Rex stomp on the ground. The sound quality of all three sounds is not very good, some static is heard as well.

This (Ultra) T-Rex sports a darker paint job than its previous incarnations. Except for its underside (throat, belly and lower part of the tail), which is coloured light grey, all of its body is painted dark grey. The darkest parts of grey are found on the head and back, while the tail and limbs are of a slightly lighter shade of grey. Red stripes run from the neck over the back to the end of the tail, while there are also a few of them on the upper legs. The stripes on the back are more pronounced because the torso section of this sculpt is composed of harder material. The claws on both hands and feet are painted very light grey, almost white. The Tyrannosaurus has a pink tongue and inside of its mouth, as well as small red eyes with black pupils. It carries a white JP logo on each upper leg.

Analysis: the not so impressive Tyrant King of Hasbro returns a third time to do a quick cash grab from kids and collectors alike! At least this time the paint job is totally different, instead of a pale copy of the original JP III Rex like the JPD2 release featured (though it's also not nearly as ingenious or appealing as the Camo-Xtreme Canyon T-Rex's paint scheme). A darker and grittier colour scheme is found on this T-Rex, hinting at its status as a terrifying large carnivore with big nasty pointy teeth. The combination of dark grey (almost black even) and red stripes also makes it look a bit like a possible Camo-Xtreme Lava T-Rex. It's a good paint job, but also a bit too simple: just dark grey with a few small red stripes and a light grey underside. For such a big sculpt, more detailing would have been appreciated.

Aside from the new paint job, this Rex is otherwise no improvement over its JPD2 predecessor. It's still a big but skinny creature standing in an awkward posture that hinders playability, with an unimaginative and ineffective attack feature, and the same old sounds of crappy quality with weak electronics to support them. It still features silly stomping sounds which can only be activated by bashing the figure's feet to the ground, only speeding up the process of the electronics inside dying an all to quick death. Even though JPD3 is a fairly recent toy line, it's quite common for MIB samples to be unable to produce sounds, and it ain't just the batteries being dead. Overall, the new paint job is the only potential worthwhile thing in this set.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Ultra T-Rex figure. The sculpt has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme and JPD2.

Overall rating: 5/10. A different and dark paint job for this T-Rex, which suits it well but is a bit bland. The sculpt itself still is quite disappointing for a big figure. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years back, but, in terms of availability, its numbers are in swift decline. You might still get one for a decent price now, but don't expect this situation to last much longer.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: (Ultra) Pteranodon

Year of release: 2005

Description: measuring almost 50 centimetres in wing span, this flying behemoth is undoubtedly the largest Pteranodon figure of all the JP toy lines. Because of its size there’s also room for a broader range of actions and sounds, making it a very playable toy. It also has poseable legs to match. Qua action features it’s not particularly imaginative: it's mostly the usual Pterosaur options. First, there is the biting beak: pressing the crest makes the beak open as if the animal is snapping at some poor piece of prey. Second, there is the wing flapping mechanism. Third, the fold-in wings: the outer half of each wing can be folded inward (outward too, but that just looks silly), as if the creature is adjusting its flying pattern. It looks very much like the Pteranodon is diving towards its victim when the wings fold inwards. Additionally, there are the sounds, four in total. The attack screech can be heard when activating the biting action by pressing the beast’s crest. The wound noises are produced by pushing the button in the dino damage wound (located on its right flank, revealing four white ribs and red muscle tissue). The other two sounds can be made by pressing the button on the back which makes the wing flap. Pressing it once and releasing it, or pressing it several times over, produces flapping sounds, while pressing it a bit longer activates a swishing noise, as if the Pterosaur is swooping down on its prey.

Green is the colour of choice for this Pteranodon. Except for its underside (lower half of the throat and belly), which is painted white, virtually all of the body is green. The torso, hands on the wings and base of the wings are coloured dark green for the most part, while shapes, spots and stripes of this colour are also found on the rest of the figure, most notably on the wings. Light green covers the remaining body parts, most obviously on the rest of the wings, the head and the legs. Neither shade of green could be called dominant though, both gradations of green play an equal part. The top half of the crest on the head is painted blue, covered with dark green spots, while below this blue colouring blue spots are found on the base of the crest. The figure has a long pink tongue, small yellow eyes with black pupils and a large white JP logo on its left upper leg.

Analysis: just a year after its JPD2 repaint release, this big Pteranodon sees the light of day again for JP Dinosaurs 3. Why ignore a good sculpt if you can milk it dry after all? But if repainting has to happen, then it's preferable seeing good sculpts getting a makeover. This Pteranodon has a solid new paint job: though green is an unusual colour for Pterosaurs, it suits it well enough. The paint scheme is not that dissimilar to that of its JPD2 predecessor, but not an exact match either and the colour use is definitely a completely different thing. The random interplay between both shades of green works well and gives it a sort of natural chaotic look. The blue coloured crest is also a good addition, maybe hinting at this Pterosaur's social status or desire to mate (though that's undoubtedly not the feeling Hasbro was aiming for). Overall, some extra detailing might have been nice, like differently coloured claws on hands and feet, or the inside of the mouth, but this paint job looks good regardless. Too bad the dino damage wound remains ever present, but surely we got over this nuisance by now. All original action functions are also still in use, including the biting beak, flapping and folding wings and the four different sounds. However, as is the case with the other electronic Hasbrosaurs from JPD2/3, the used electronics are of poor quality, making it increasingly difficult to find specimens in working order. A real shame, but this sculpt provides enough fun otherwise.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Ultra Alpha Pteranodon figure. The sculpt has been repainted for JPD2 prior to this third release. So far, it has not been repainted since.

Overall rating: 8/10. This is still one of Hasbro's finest sculpts, impressively sized and loaded with playability features. The new paint job is quite different, but also rather good. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years back, but, insofar as availability, its numbers are in swift decline. With luck, you can still find one for a decent price, but don't expect this situation to last much longer.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: Electronic Triceratops with Micro Velociraptor

Year of release: 2005

Description: this four legged rhino like dinosaur is easily recognizable by its large head with the round crest around it and three horns on its face, two large ones above the eyes, and a smaller one on the snout. It has a beak resembling a parrot's. The crest is adorned with small black spikes sticking out of it (16 in total). It has a sturdy body, about twice the length of the head, ending in a short thick tail. Very noticeable, this figure sports a dino damage wound on its left flank, showing white ribs and red muscle tissue. A small button can be found in this wound, which when pressed produces a low howling growl. A second sound can be made by pushing the tail upwards, which also causes the head to rise upwards, as if attacking something with its horns. This second sound is more aggressive, like a hissing growl.

This Triceratops has a rather dark paint job. Its body is mostly coloured grey, covered with thick dark grey spots and stripes on its back, legs and tip of the tail. Its underside (throat, belly and lower part of the tail) is painted bright beige. Its head is coloured in a much lighter shade of grey, except for most of the lower jaw section, the areas around the horns, and the outer most parts of the crest, which are also coloured in a darker grey. The creature has small red eyes in dark grey eye sockets, while the horns and beak are light beige. The figure has a pink tongue, but the inside of the mouth isn't painted. White JP logos are located on both upper hind legs.

The Velociraptor stands in a stalking pose, its right arm and leg stretched outward and its head raised upwards with its mouth open, as if it means to jump on something. The tail is raised upwards and bent at the tip. Its underside (throat, belly and front half of the lower tail) is painted white, while the rest of the body sports an orange paint job, except for a thick dark red stripe running from the snout over the head, neck and back to about half way the tail. On either side of the figure, three smaller red stripes run out of the main red colouring over the flanks. The hands are also painted in this red colouring. The figure has white teeth, a very light pink tongue and inside of the mouth, cat like yellow eyes with black pupils and black JP logos on both upper legs.

Analysis: if a repaint is ever long over due, that would be the case for this particular sculpt. Triceratops is one of the most famous dinosaurs ever, yet the JP III Triceratops sculpt has been oddly neglected in the previous repaint lines, which is all the more shocking considering this is one of Hasbro's most accurate and appealing sculpts. JPD3 finally corrects this mistake and gives the figure a decent new paint job, kinda reminiscent of a rhinoceros, which would already be the first contemporary animal this creature would be compared with. The new paint scheme is not overly imaginative or exciting, but suits the beastie pretty well. It could have used more details on the crest, as well as painted horns, but it's a fine paint job as it is. Otherwise this figure remains the same: predictable but adequate head butting action, some nice dinosaur sounds and the typical uncoverable dino damage wound.

The Micro Raptor is of less interest, mostly because we've seen this sculpt all too often already and it's still boring. It also lacks details, most notably the claws. The only possible redemption this figure offers is the overall paint and colour scheme, which is remarkably similar to the scheme seen on the classic JPS1 Electronic Velociraptor figure. It may not have been done deliberately (knowing Hasbro that seems unlikely), but it does give a little shock of recognition to older JP toy fans who fondly remember that particular Raptor figure. Were it not for this particular point of interest, this paint job would rank right up there with the most forgetful Hasbro paint jobs in existence.

By the way, the Triceratops would either trample or skewer the Raptor to death in a fight between the two. The Raptor better ignore this herbivore if it knows what's best for it.

Repaint: yes. The Triceratops is a repaint of the JP III Triceratops sculpt. The Micro Raptor originally came with the JP III Alan Grant figure. The Triceratops is a first time repaint, and would be repainted again for JP 2009. The little Raptor has been used for Camo-Xtreme and JPD2, one other set in this line, and would also be used for JP 2009, making it one of the most often repainted Hasbro sculpts.

Overall rating: 7/10. The Triceratops is a fine repaint of one of Hasbro's more successful sculpts. The Raptor is nothing special, though its paint job could be seen as an homage to JPS1. Like the other JPD2/3 electronic dinosaur figures, this two-pack was very common a few years ago, but has since become harder to find, though this set is probably the easiest to find of the six JPD2/3 electronic/micro two-packs. If you want one, you might need to practice patience a bit, but it shouldn't require much money once you've found it.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: Electronic Tyrannosaurus Rex with Micro Triceratops

Year of release: 2005

Description: like many of Hasbro’s medium sized dinosaur models, this electronic Tyrannosaurus doesn’t stand in a neutral posture. It's posed in a bent position, head, arms and tail positioned to the right, as if circling potential prey. It has a large dino damage wound on its right flank, revealing red muscle tissue. Inside this wound a button is located: when pushed it activates a rather high pitched growl. A second button is placed on its throat. Pressing this button produces a fierce attack roar, and makes the jaws open. Both the arms and legs are fully poseable.

This T-Rex is mostly coloured light brown, which is found on the head, neck, back, upper arms, most of the legs and top part of the tail. Its underside (throat, belly and front half of the lower part of the tail) is painted white. In-between these brown and white colours, a sickly greenish brown colour is found, most notable on the flanks. This colour also covers most of the arms and lower jaw, the feet and the inner part of the lower legs. On the head, neck, back, tail and upper legs, black spots and shapes of various sizes cover the light brown colouring in a random pattern. The tongue and inside of the mouth are painted pink, while the animal sports white teeth, small red eyes with black pupils and black claws on both fingers and toes. A white JP logo is found on both upper legs.

The Triceratops appears to stand in a brace-for-impact posture (and rightly so!), its head (almost as big as its torso) held low to the ground, and slightly posed to its right, the front legs more or less in the same position, while the left upper leg is stretched backwards. The tail curves to the right. Its paint job is rather straightforward: underside (belly, most of the tail and legs and throat), as well as parts of the neck shield, beak, cheek horns and nose horn, painted brown, while the back, first half of the top part of the tail and top parts of the legs are coloured dark brown. Most of the face is also coloured dark brown, giving the impression the Trike is wearing a mask. The two horns above the eyes (which themselves are painted light blue with yellow pupils of all things!) are painted a shinier hue of the light brown colouring. The creature carries a white JP logo on both upper hind legs.

Analysis: this Rex again? Yes, indeed, but this time in the company of the “new” small Triceratops sculpt a lot of JP toy fans have speculated over many hours during the long winter nights, so despite the avid repainting in this line there's still at least one thing of interest in this particular set. The Trike is a decent though overly simple figure and has a paint job to match, which in fact looks just boring (making the specimen from the Triceratops/Tyrannosaurus two-pack of this line look far better considering it has a more original paint job). The Trike's eyes however, feature a unique colour scheme for JP dinosaur figure's standards, but the result looks too odd to be taken seriously. And apart from that, the poor critter is just lunch to the much bigger Tyrant Lizard King, who is of course supposed to be the main draw of this set.

The T-Rex also has a paint job of little appeal, one very reminiscent of many past figures' paint jobs, clearly done by an uninspired painter who didn't think originality would be appreciated on a sculpt already repainted twice before. Most of the details, like claws and the mouth, have been taken care of, but the dino damage wound, which clearly shows ribs sticking out, is painted red only, which is rather disappointing. Otherwise the T-Rex sculpt is still okay, though the posture it assumes hinders playability and the biting action should have been easier to access than pushing the creature's throat. The sounds remain the same as before, though it seems the electronics used this time around are even weaker then before considering most JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs are dead by now in that regard, even when still boxed.

Repaint: yes. The Rex was originally released in the JP III line. It has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme and JPD2 and would also be featured in JP 2009. The Triceratops first appeared in this toy line, but is very likely a leftover from the JP III line since it's hard to imagine Hasbro bothering to create a single new sculpt for a line which otherwise consists entirely of repaints. The little Trike can also be found in the JPD3 Triceratops/T-Rex two-pack. Like the Rex, it would be seen again in JP 2009.

Overall rating: 6/10. The mystery Triceratops pops up a second time in this line! Its appearance alone makes this set more interesting, but neither sculpt is that appealing and both are adorned with dull and uninspired paint jobs. Like the other JPD2/3 electronic dinosaur figures, this two-pack was very common a few years ago, but has since become much harder to find, despite not being a very popular set (though the Triceratops might make this set more interesting to collectors who don't own that sculpt yet). If you really want one, patience is certainly required, though it doesn't necessarily require a lot of cash once you've found it.

800th Post!: Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: (Ultra) Tyrannosaur(us)

Year of release: 2004

Description: this larger T-Rex figure measures some 25 centimetres in length and stands just over 15 centimetres tall. The sculpts stands in an attack posture, with its tail bent upwards and its head slightly tilted up. Its legs stand wide apart from each other. This Rex is pretty skinny and has little body mass, it’s mostly head, limbs and tail. A very large dino damage would is found on its right flank, showing white ribs and red muscle tissue. The upper piece of exposed rib is actually a button which activates a shrieking roar, as if the creature is in pain. A second roar, more aggressive and imposing, can be made by pulling its right arm down: when doing so the mouth will also open. A third sound, the stomping noise, can be made by having the T-Rex stomp on the ground. The sound quality of all three sounds is not very good, static is heard as well.

The overall colour of this Tyrannosaurus is dark green, with a black stripe running from its snout all the way to the end of the tail and numerous smaller stripes on its back, tail and neck running out of the larger stripe. Added to these colours are some light blue stripes on neck, back, limbs and tail. A thick grey stripe runs over the belly and underside of the tail. It’s got a pair of small red eyes with black pupils and the claws on both hands and feet are light grey. The tongue and inside of the mouth are painted pink, with white teeth. A black JP III logo is located on its right upper leg.

Analysis: this T-Rex would undoubtedly be regarded as the top figure of the JP Dinosaurs 2 toy line, being the biggest carnivore sculpt, but apparently Hasbro didn't think it worthwhile to do much work on it, probably under the impression it would sell well anyway so why waste additional money on it... Therefore, if this “new” paint job brings up a distinct feeling of déja vu, it's perfectly normal, considering the paint scheme is more or less identical to that of the JP III Ultra T-Rex, and the dominant colour is still green (though a darker variety of green this time). Close inspection and comparison between this Rex and its JP III counterpart reveals all the stripes and lines on both figures to be in the exact same spot, it's just the colours that vary. And to be frank, the red and brown colours looked better with green on the previous T-Rex. Light blue just doesn't suit a Tyrannosaurus at all. It's a real shame the designers put so little effort in this figure's paint job, considering its Camo-Xtreme predecessor got a surprisingly awesome new paint job that made the whole sculpt appear better than it was.

The paint job, though not very different from before, is the only new feature on this Rex, the rest is the same old same old. A lousy posture hindering playability, a lame and uninspired attack feature and weak electronics that don't just sound crappy, but break all too easily, making working specimens of this figure increasingly hard to find. This may be the biggest figure of this line, but it's also the biggest disappointment.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the JP III Ultra T-Rex figure. The sculpt has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme and would be repainted again for JPD3.

Overall rating: 3/10. A near copy of the JP III T-Rex paint job, and zero improvement. The sculpt itself still is quite disappointing for a big figure. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years ago, but its numbers are in swift decline. You might still get one for a decent price these days, but don't expect this situation to hold much longer.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: (Ultra) Pteranodon

Year of release: 2004

Description: measuring almost 50 centimetres in wing span, this flying giant is undoubtedly the largest Pteranodon figure of all the JP toy lines. Because of its size there’s also room for a broader range of actions and sounds, making it a highly playable toy. It also has a pair of poseable legs to match. Action feature wise it’s not particularly imaginative: it's mostly the usual Pterosaur options. First, there is the biting beak: pressing the crest makes the beak open as if the animal is snapping at some poor piece of prey. Second, there is the wing flapping mechanism. Third, the fold-in wings: the outer half of each wing can be folded inward (outward too, but that just looks silly), as if the creature is adjusting its flight style. It looks very much like the Pteranodon is diving towards its victim when the wings fold inwards. Additionally, there are the sounds, four in total. The attack screech can be heard when activating the biting action by pressing the beast’s crest. The wound noises are produced by pushing the button in the dino damage wound (located on its right flank, revealing four white ribs and red muscle tissue). The other two sounds can be made by pressing the button on the back which makes the wing flap. Pressing it once and releasing it, or pressing it several times over, produces flapping sounds, while pressing it a bit longer activates a swishing noise, as if the Pterosaur is swooping down on its prey.

The main colour for this large Pterosaur figure is a greenish beige, which can be found all over the body, except for the very top of its back, which looks to be more light grey. Dark red stripes and shapes of various sizes cover this main colour, mostly rather diffused to make it feel more natural. Most obvious are the lines on the wings, while obvious concentrations of red are found around the legs and on the head. White colouring is located on the lower part of the wings (on both sides). The pins in the poseable parts of the wings, just under the fingers, are painted black. The top of the crest on the head is painted light yellow, while spots of the same colour are found right under this, running from half way of the crest to the nostrils. The Pteranodon has small yellow eyes (with black pupils), a pink tongue and a black JP III logo on its left wing.

Analysis: apart from the T-Rex, another big prehistoric creature returns for JP Dinosaurs 2. This fabulous Pteranodon sculpt might have been neglected for Camo-Xtreme, but at least it didn't remain totally forgotten. It's still one of Hasbro's best works, very large and rather detailed, as well as equipped with various cool action features and sounds. Aside from the paint job, it offers nothing new of course, but with a sculpt this good, that can be forgiven. The new paint scheme is quite original and imaginative. The overall pale colour adorned with dark red gives the flying beast a touch of death, underscoring the danger of a Pterosaur this big (certainly compared to the small Hasbro human figures, which look minuscule in comparison to this critter!). The way most of the red paint is applied, in rather vague smears instead of the more usual definite lines and shapes, gives it a more naturalistic, authentic look instead of the obvious artificiality of the usual paint job. The white colouring on the lower side of the wings feels redundant though. It seems such an odd place for extra colouring, unlike the yellow on the crest which could indicate the animal's social status, willingness to mate or age (though it seems unlikely Hasbro actually considered such realism).

Even the best Hasbrosaur has a few downsides though, and this figure sadly does too. Most obviously there is the annoying dino damage wound which can't be covered up, making this Pteranodon scarred for life (literally). More attention could have been given to the claws on the toes and fingers, as well as the inside of the mouth, though it's acceptable as it is. The most lousy thing are the screws that hold both halves of the wings together, right under the creature's hands. They should have been coloured to match, but were woefully ignored, making them feel hideously out of place. Overall, this is a fine, solid paint job, but there's just a few irritable little things. It's an excellent figure regardless and definitely worth your while if you don't own this sculpt yet.

Repaint: yes. This is a first time repaint of the JP III Ultra Alpha Pteranodon figure. The creature would be repainted again for JPD3.

Overall rating: 8/10. This is still one of Hasbro's finest sculpts, impressively sized and loaded with playability features. The new paint job is quite different, yet pretty appealing. Like the other big JPD2/3 electronic dinosaurs, this figure was common a few years back, but now it's running out fast. With luck, you can still find one for a decent price, but this may very well change in the not too distant future.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: Electronic Velociraptor with Micro Velociraptor

Year of release: 2004

Description: this Raptor figure stands in a dramatic pose when boxed, showing all its primal predator prowess, its body straight upwards, its legs wide apart and its vicious claws ready for battle, while its head faces upwards and is turned to the right, jaws wide open (incapable of being closed). The tail is bent in a sort of 'S' shaped fashion. This sculpt has proto-feathers on the back of its head, following the design change of the Jurassic Park III Velociraptors as compared to the Raptors seen in the first two Jurassic Park movies. Accordingly, it has one nasal ridge on each side of its head. A dino damage wound is located on the upper base of the tail, revealing some of its tail bones and red muscle tissue. Inside the wound a button is found: when pressed this produces a snarling sound. On its back this creature has a small brown lever, activating the slashing claw action feature. This also produces an eerie shrieking noise.

Blue is the colour of choice on this Velociraptor. A light blue colouring covers most of the head, neck, flanks, arms, legs and side of the tail. Its underside (throat, belly and front half of the tail) is painted greyish beige, while hints of this colour are located on the fingers, palms of its hands and around its eyes. A reddish brown stripe runs from the snout over the head, neck and back all the way to the end of the tail, while the same colour is also found around the nostrils, on the upper legs and on the feet. The proto-feathers are painted red, while a pair of red stripes runs over the brown colour on the back, and a third red stripe runs from the dino damage wound to about half way of the tail. Red is also found on the brown spots on the upper legs just above the knees. The inside of the mouth is dark brown and/or pink (it's hard to discern), while the creature has a pink tongue and white teeth with black specks on it as if it has dirty, rotten teeth. Additionally, the Raptor sports red eyes with black pupils and black eye liner, and black claws on both hands and feet. It also carries a big black JP logo on its right upper leg.

The Micro Velociraptor stands in a stalking pose, its right arm and leg stretched outward and its head raised upwards with its mouth open, as if it means to jump on something. The tail is raised upwards and bent leftwards at the tip. Most of this figure is coloured black, except for its throat and belly, which are painted reddish brown, and the very top part of the neck, back and base of the tail which is bright red and ends in a fork motif right above the cat like yellow eyes (with black pupils). The Raptor is equipped with a series of grey stripes, spots and dots of various sizes all over the black parts of its body. Both the claws and inside of the mouth are unpainted. The creature has white teeth and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg.

Analysis: another Electronic Hasbro Raptor with an original paint job sees the light of day. Its colour scheme is rather inventive, since blue isn't used that much on JP dinosaur figures, and certainly not on Raptors. It looks pretty decent on him, though blue and brown don't mix as well as blue and red, or red and brown. The detailing on the figure is okay, especially the dirty teeth are a nice touch, though in all fairness they can also be attributed to poor paint quality. The same can be said for the vague greyish beige colouring around the eyes and hands, which are either suggestive details or the result of sloppy repaint work. You better decide for ourself what Hasbro designers were doing here. The beige on the throat is rather poorly done because of the way the head is attached to the neck, creating a rather artificial looking triangular blue shape appearing in the neck. The figure's slashing jaws and sounds work as well as they did before, but unfortunately this Raptor still carries a big nasty wound you can't cover up and simply remains a huge nuisance. And of course it's still poorly balanced and tips over easily when not posed upright enough.

The Micro Raptor looks quite familiar, doesn't it? It's the Lava Raptor from Camo-Xtreme being paired with a bigger sculpt instead of with a JP III miniature figure for a change. It's almost identical to its predecessor, though it seems the teeth are a little more detailed. It's a lazy addition to the electronic Raptor, and despite these figures both being Raptors there's little coherence or consistency between the two figures considering the hugely different paint jobs. The little Raptor might as well be prey for its larger counterpart.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of JP III dinosaur sculpts. The Electronic Raptor was originally the Alpha Velociraptor of the JP III line: it has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme, and would be repainted again for JPD3 and JP 2009. The Micro Raptor is not a repaint but a reuse of the Camo-Xtreme Lava Velociraptor from the Lava two-pack. Its first incarnation came with the JP III Alan Grant figure, while other repaints of it are scattered all over the Camo-Xtreme, JPD2, JPD3 and JP 2009 toy lines, making it one of the most often repainted (and least popular) JP figures around.

Overall rating: 5/10. The Raptor looks okay, sports an interesting (though not necessarily appealing) colour scheme and is fairly detailed, but otherwise hardly different than before and still far from the best Raptor sculpt around. The Micro Raptor unfortunately offers nothing new at all, being a simple reuse. Its paint job still isn't very good. Like the other JPD2/3 electronic dinosaur figures, this two-pack was very common a few years ago, but has since become increasingly hard to find, despite not being a very popular set. If you really need one, patience is most likely required.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: Electronic Tyrannosaurus with Micro T-Rex

Year of release: 2004

Description: like many of Hasbro’s medium sized dinosaur models, this electronic T-Rex doesn’t stand in a neutral posture. It's posed in a bent position, head, arms and tail positioned to the right, as if circling potential prey. It has a large dino damage wound on its right flank, revealing red muscle tissue. Inside this wound a button is located: when pushed it activates a rather high pitched growl. A second button is placed on its throat. Pressing this button produces a fierce attack roar, and makes the jaws open. Both the arms and legs are fully poseable.

A typical 'three-way' paint job adorns this figure. The underside (throat, belly and first half of the lower part of the tail) are coloured greenish beige. The middle section (most of the head, sides of the neck, flanks, most of the arms and legs and middle part and tip of the tail) are coloured green. The top part (back of the head, neck, back, uppermost part of the limbs and top part of the tail) is painted brown. Black spots and stripes of various sizes run over the brown colouring, while additional black spots are found around the figure's eyes (red with black pupils) and the front part of both the upper and lower jaw. The Rex's tongue and inside of the mouth are painted red, in the same colour as the dino damage wound. The creature also has white teeth, black claws on both fingers and toes and a black JP logo on its right upper leg.

The Micro T-Rex stands in an aggressive posture, its head curved to the left and its arms outstretched as if attacking something. The tip of the tail is bent pointing upwards and to the left. The majority of this Tyrannosaurus figure is painted basic brown, while the belly, throat and base of the tail are coloured almost a yellow type of brown. A series of thick black stripes runs from the neck over the back and the first half of the tail, with additional black stripes on the head, black colouring around the eyes and small black dots on the lower jaw, as well as black paint near its knees and the back of the lower legs. On either side of the figure, a pair of long red stripes runs from the base of the neck almost to the end of the tail, while seven smaller red stripes are located on the upper legs. The facial area around its small yellow eyes (with black pupils) is also painted red with tiny small red stripes running out of it over the upper jaw. The inside of the mouth is not painted, but the figure has white teeth, as well as black claws on both arms and feet and a white JP III logo on its left upper leg. Its feet are supported by extra small plastic bases in the same dominant brown colour, so it can stand on its legs more easily.

Analysis: 'Once more unto the breach, dear T-Rex, once more!' Or in other words: 'here we go again'. Hasbro continues its practice of obsessive repainting with the third incarnation of this T-Rex, which features a rather uninspired paint job and a dull colour scheme. Also, it's not high on details, as the dino damage wound illustrates: the ribs are clearly showing but they're not coloured differently, they're just ignored. And while the black colouring around the red eyes may look dark and brooding, the black paint on the jaws makes it look like it has been sipping oil for some reason. Apart from the disappointing paint job, this figure offers nothing new: a not so easy to use biting action, decent and fairly movie accurate sound effects, and an annoying posture which hinders playability.

Its little play mate is even worse off, considering it's not even a repaint, but a reuse. The Lava Rex returns for no other reason but to save Hasbro designers time and the company money. The paint job is still okay, and might actually have gotten a little bit more detailed (though closer inspection on “actual” Lava Rexes reveals that none of them are a hundred percent identical, so this remains open for debate). This sculpt is getting tedious by now, and knowing how many times Hasbro used it in following lines only makes collectors more sick and tired of it. And apart from the black stripes on both figures, there's no connection between both Rexes whatsoever. They might as well be different species, the smaller one providing a meal opportunity for the bigger carnivore.

Repaint: yes. The Rex was originally released in the JP III line. It has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme and would also be featured in JPD3 and JP 2009. The Micro T-Rex is more or less identical to the Rex figure from the Camo-Xtreme Lava two-pack. This sculpt was first conceived as a partner for the JP III Military General figure and has since been repainted excessively often for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2, JPD3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 4/10. Not much of interest here. The Micro T-Rex is a boring reuse, while the electronic T-Rex's new paint job isn't particularly imaginative or appealing. Like the other JPD2/3 electronic dinosaur figures, this two-pack was very common a few years ago, but has since become much harder to find, despite not being a very popular set. If you really want one, patience is certainly advised, though it doesn't necessarily require a lot of money when you stumble upon it.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: Electronic Brachiosaurus with Micro Stegosaurus

Year of release: 2004

Description: this Sauropod (large four legged animal with typical long neck) stands in a fairly neutral position except for the tail, which is bent to the left in an almost circular fashion, and the right front leg, which is lifted off the ground and points forward, so the dino strike action can be activated more easily. This attack feature consists of a swinging tail strike (though the figure's package seems to have put it in reverse and mentions 'stomping action', no doubt activated by pushing the tail back and forth), accompanied by a low roaring sound. A second sound can be produced by pushing the white button in the dino damage wound: when pushed, a shrieking roar can be heard, as if the creature is howling in pain. The wound is located on the right flank, and is basically a dark red spot of muscle tissue with small white bones sticking out of it. As usual for Hasbro figures, the wound cannot be covered up, but is constantly exposed. The figure’s long neck is bendable, but only slightly.

Green is this Sauropod's colour of choice. Its underside (a very long throat, the belly, and the front half of the lower part of the tail) is painted greenish beige, while the rest of the figure is covered in two different shades of green, the darker one found mostly on the top parts (neck, back, upper part of the tail, upper legs) and the lighter shade between the greenish beige and the darker green, most notably on the head, legs, end of the tail and flanks. The two shades of green gradually dissolve into one another instead of being clearly delineated. The neck, back, front half of the tail and legs sport a number of black stripes, with all of them except those on the neck featuring smaller brown stripes in their centre. The stripes are randomly applied to the creature's body. This Brachiosaurus has small black eyes, white teeth, a pink tongue, a black inside of the mouth, black claws on all toes and a big white JP logo on its right upper leg.

The miniature Stegosaurus is basically coloured in four layers. The lowest layer (the belly, throat, most of the lower jaw and underside of the tail) is painted light grey. Above that, the second layer is white, covering the legs, flanks, both sides of the faces and tail. A number of dark grey spots and stripes adorn the white parts of the figure. The top layer is coloured black, covering the creature's back, upper jaw and face, top of the tail, and most notably, the plates and tail spikes. In-between the white and black parts of the Stegosaurus there's the final layer, an orange line on either flank of the figure, running from the base of the neck to the end of the tail, ending just under the last set of plates. The eyes are yellow with black pupils and a black JP III logo can be found on its left back leg. The animal stands in an active posture, with its body bent and its tail dangerously sticking out, like it’s defending itself from an aggressor.

Analysis: you can't (and shouldn't) keep a good sculpt down, especially if it's a Sauropod because the various JP toy lines have made far too little use of those awesome beasties. Therefore, JP Dinosaurs 2 sees the return of Hasbro's Brachiosaurus sculpt. It has remained unchanged, so the neat whipping tail action, funky dinosaur sounds and somewhat bendable neck are still present, but unfortunately so are the irritating dino damage wound and awkwardly bent tail.

This Brachiosaur's paint job is a lot different that that of its predecessor. It's neither an improvement nor a disappointment, but a nice solid new paint job which fits this figure rather well. The green is dark and smooth enough to not feel ridiculously 'in-your-face' green, but a bit more natural instead. The brown stripes are a nice touch and could also be viewed as old battle scars (in which case; poor creature, to have run into so many conflicts!). Overall, this figure might also make a good Camo-Xtreme Jungle Brachiosaurus (though Brachiosaurs would probably be too big for an actual heavily forested environment in reality).

Its Stegosaurus companion is a nice little bonus, but nothing else. Though its paint job is still okay, the fact that it's a reuse instead of a repaint makes it feel like a wasted opportunity. Also, its colouration feels completely inconsistent with its bigger herbivorous counterpart: though it's nowhere stated explicitly that dinosaur paint jobs in two-packs should feel complimentary, these two paint jobs clash a little too much.

Overall, aside from the new Brachiosaurus paint job this set offers nothing new, but it's a good chance to expand your line-up of herbivores, since they're grossly outnumbered in the JP toy lines by their meat eating brethren. And of course, any fairly big Sauropod is welcome, considering this is only the second decently sized Brachiosaurus figure in 13 years of JP toys.

Repaint: yes. The Brachiosaurus was originally released in the JP III line (Wave 2). It is a first time repaint and, so far, last time repaint too. The Micro Stegosaurus is more or less identical to the figure from the Camo-Xtreme Arctic two-pack, though the paint job might feel a bit harder. This particular sculpt was originally paired with Paul Kirby in Wave 2 of the JP III line, and has since been repainted for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3.

Overall rating: 7/10. Not so bad a repaint set. Granted, neither sculpt is new and the Stegosaurus is even a simple reuse, but it still has a solid paint job. The Brachiosaurus is one of Hasbro's better sculpts, and this new paint job fits it fine (though it's not as good as the previous one). Like the other JPD2/3 electronic dinosaur figures, this two-pack was common a few years ago, but has since become much harder to find, in this case even more so than the other JPD2/3 Electronic/Micro sets. If you really want this one, patience is most definitely required, and in this case probably a fair amount of cash as well.

Jurassic Park Dinosaurs: Electronic Velociraptor

Year of release: 1999

Accessories:

-Three pieces of capture gear

Description: the electronic Raptor of the first JP Dinosaurs line sports a wholly different paint job than the regular Raptor figures of this series. Its back, topside of the tail, neck and upper part of the head are painted dark brown. This colour is also found on the sides of both upper legs. Triangular shapes run out of this colour over the rest of the body. The flanks, sides of the tail, rest of the legs, arms and most of the head are coloured dark yellow. The belly, throat and lowest part of the tail are painted beige. The creature has grey claws on both hands and feet, including the infamous sickle shaped claws on the feet. It has light yellow eyes with cat like black pupils, white teeth and a red tongue. The edges and inside of the mouth are also coloured red. On its left upper leg the figure sports a black JP logo.

This Raptor stands in a fully neutral pose, with its long tail slightly tilted up. It has a more robust look to it compared with the regular Velociraptors of this line and has a bigger, rounded head. Its mouth is opened and can’t be closed. Unlike with most other Raptor figures the claws on its hands are turned inward as if the beast is holding something. This was most likely done to make the creature look more menacing when the attack action is activated, and to help them grab other figures. Pulling the creature’s legs back (or pulling only one leg back, as the legs are interconnected) makes the arms move away from each other as if the Raptor is preparing to strike. Releasing the legs causes the arms to revert to their original position like the critter is clutching some prey between them. Activating this strike action also causes a loud attack scream to be heard.

This Raptor comes with three different pieces of capture gear. There's the typical cuff like tag with the JP logo on it, as well as an arm piece that can hold both arms together. The big third piece can fit over the Raptor's back. All three pieces are painted shiny metallic grey.

Analysis: this line doesn't only return old and familiar regular dinosaur faces from the classic days, but also some electronic ones, including this repaint of the often fondly remembered JPS1 Electronic Velociraptor. The sculpt has not been changed and comes with the same effective attack option as before, trapping unfortunate human figures between its arms, while producing a terrifying strike shriek. This sound has been greatly improved and is now very noisy, adding to the figure's overall intimidating feel. It's much louder than even the JPS2 Utahraptor sound, which was the same shriek but didn't sound loud enough to come over as really frightening despite that figure being a huge awe-inspiring Raptor. This JPD1 figure basically tells us what the Utahraptor's shriek should have sounded like.

The paint job of this electronic Velociraptor copies the paint scheme of its predecessor but uses harder colour contrast making the used colours stand out more. It's not a very original paint job (in fact, it's largely identical to the one featured on the regular JPD1 Wave 1 Raptor figure, which does add some consistency to this toy line), nor are the used colours very appealing together. Details, however, have not been omitted. Painting both the inside of the mouth as well as the edges around it is new for this line and a definite nice touch. The eyes could have used a different colour than yellow though, since the rest of the face is mostly the same colour, so they don't stand out much.

Unlike the original JPS1 Electronic Raptor, this figure comes with capture gear. None of the three pieces were designed for it of course, but at least they fit. The arm piece works pretty well, and even provides some dinosaur-breaks-free-of-restraints action. Pulling the legs back causes the arms to separate, which often (not always in one take) makes the arm piece detach as well. The tag is just the standard little nuisance, the sort of thing people keep misplacing, severely annoying collectors who try to get the figure complete when in loose condition, all the while not having any real function but to tell folks this is a JP figure, which of course anybody can see by the JP logo on the figure's left leg. The big back piece is an odd addition to the set. Though it fits, it doesn't really restrain anything. Originally a head piece was attached to it, but that didn't fit on this Raptor so they discarded that. Now it just sits there on the figure's back, feeling (and being) out of place.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the old JPS1 Electronic Velociraptor, with repainted (and in the back piece's case, slightly retooled) capture gear from the TLWS1 small Pachycephalosaurus and TLWS2 Ornithosuchus figures, as well as the typical tag found on many dinosaur figures from various JP toy lines. The figure would not be repainted again.

Overall rating: 6/10. It's still a decent Raptor sculpt with excellently enhanced sound FX, but the paint job and capture gear aren't the best around. This is probably the most common electronic dinosaur figure from this line, but still not necessarily an easy find, especially MIB or complete.