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: Dino Trackers: Desert Tracker Alan Grant VS Velociraptor

Year of release: 2009

Accessories:

-Dino Claw weapon

Description: Alan Grant sports a lime green shirt with a blue bandana, as well as light grey pants (with a big tear on the right leg, revealing bare skin underneath), a green utility belt and dark grey shoes and gloves. He also has black hair, eye brows and eyes. He stands in a fairly neutral posture, except his right leg is posed in a forward move as if taking a step, and his left arm is raised upwards a little. He comes with a Dino Claw weapon,basically a large hand held contraption which ends in two comparatively small claws than can hook around dinosaur body parts. The claws are operated by a handle on its top side. It is coloured in about the same shade of grey as Grant's pants.

The Velociraptor stands in a stalking posture, its right arm and leg stretched out and its head raised upwards with its mouth open, as if it's about to jump on something. The tail is raised upwards and bent at the tip. Most of its head and its underside (throat, belly, lower part of the tail, underside of all limbs) is painted beige, while the top of the head, neck, back and upper part of the tail are painted light brown, this colour running out of the back colouring in small stripes over the upper legs and base of the tail. The rest of the body, most notably the top parts of the limbs and the flanks, is painted yellowish beige. A few dark grey spots are found on each side of the creature on its neck, flanks, upper leg and mostly on the tail. The Raptor has white teeth and a red inside of the mouth, cat like yellow eyes with black pupils, black claws on its feet (but not on the hands) and a black JP logo on both upper legs.

Analysis: Alan Grant finally makes an official return to the realm of JP toys in JP 2009, after last having been seen in the JP III line and making an anonymous appearance in JP Dinosaurs 2). He wears a somewhat less noticeable attire (no excessively white shirt this time), which suits him well. However, the green shirt and especially the blue scarf would give him away easily in a desert environment, so as a 'Desert Tracker' he doesn't seem very successful (hence the tear in his pants, probably). His lame Dino Claw Weapon also would do him little good - in whatever environment - since it has great trouble restraining dinosaurs and is overly bulky and inoperable. Grant had better learn a few things from the Raptor that accompanies him in this set, which combines a desert camouflage paint job with a Velociraptor's usual lethal ferocity. This paint job, though effective in communicating a desert feel for this set as a whole, is pretty standard and offers little surprises. The sculpt itself has been released to death (even in this toy line), and has been done better before. This one isn't necessarily badly coloured, it's just a dull paint scheme and could have used more detailing (like painted claws on the hands too).

Overall, though Grant looks more casual and realistically dressed than his predecessors, the continuing use of Hasbro's ugliest piece of JP weaponry and the bland paint job on this overused Raptor sculpt make for a rather standard Hasbro set: just not very exciting.

Repaint: yes. This set is identical to the Alan Grant set of the JP III line (Wave 1). Grant has been repainted once for JPD2 (along with his Dino Claw), while the Velociraptor has already been repainted over a dozen times for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3 and would be used several times again for this toy line. The Dino Claw weapon was also used for the Forest Hunter General set of this toy line.

Overall rating: 5/10. Not the best sculpts and a lousy weapon, but the paint jobs are pretty modest, certainly compared to some of the wackier repaints in this toy line. They're still not especially appealing or imaginative though. This set is not rare and can still be found with little effort. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change over time, but probably not for the next decade or so.

Jurassic Park 2009: Dino Battlers: Velociraptor VS Tyrannosaurus Rex

Year of release: 2009

Description: the T-Rex stands in an active posture, its head curved to the left and its arms stretched out as if attacking something. The tip of the tail is bent, pointing upwards and to the left. It has small pads on its feet to give it extra support, though it still tends to fall over at times. Its predominant colour is dark grey, which covers all of its body except for its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, inner parts of the upper arms and legs and most of the lower part of the tail) which is coloured greenish beige instead. On the neck, back, upper legs and first half of the tail, green stripes are found, most of them forming triangular patterns, resembling lightning, or cardiographs. An additional pair of green stripes runs over the eyes (blue with black pupils) on the figure's face. The Rex's teeth are white, while the tongue and inside of the mouth are red. Its claws and the pads on the feet are not painted differently. It carries a white JP logo on each upper leg.

The Velociraptor stands in a stalking posture, 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 (lower jaw, throat, belly and most of the lower part of the tail) is coloured beige, while this colour also runs over the flanks, the hind parts of both arms and legs and on the face around the eyes (cat like, yellow with black pupils). The rest of the creature's body is light red, while dark red stripes run over the back and tail. The Raptor's teeth are white, while the tongue and inside of the mouth are red. The claws on the feet are painted black, though those on the hands remain unpainted. The Raptor sports a white JP logo on each upper leg.

Analysis: we wanted original paint jobs, it seems we got them... Both dinosaurs look positively festive, as if they're on a night out for a prehistoric carnival. Whether that's a good thing is up for everyone to decide for themselves, but at least it's imaginative. Granted, it does feel kinda odd for two vicious carnivores like these, since it makes them stand out a lot and would hinder their attempts at seizing prey. This two-pack has a kind of Chaos Effect feel to it, weird and colourful. Maybe Hasbro went for more colour to attract the kiddies, since most collectors won't think much about these bizarre paint jobs. Plus, this is just more of the same, two sculpts that we're really tired of seeing repainted by now, getting yet another makeover, as if Hasbro is trying to find an ultimate colour and paint scheme for these sculpts (this would not be it for sure). Original colouring not withstanding, unfortunately some of the details are still off: the Rex's claws and pads should have been painted, and the same goes for the claws on the Raptor's fingers, though the latter at least got those big claws on its feet painted differently this time.

Rex VS Raptor, who would win? Under normal circumstances a Velociraptor would never fight a T-Rex, but these figures are more or less the same size. Though the Raptor is more agile and has those nasty sickle shaped claws on its feet, you can't compare that to a bulldozing, bulky heavyweight like this little T-Rex, so that would be your best bet. It's a tight match though.

Repaint: yes. The T-Rex originally came with the Military General for the JP III line and has already been repainted over a dozen times for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3 and would be used several times again for this toy line. This Raptor sculpt was paired with Alan Grant for the JP III line and has also been repainted many times for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3, and would also be featured in various JP 2009 sets.

Overall rating: 4/10. Imaginative and funky, but rather silly new paint jobs. Otherwise there's just nothing of particular interest in this set, unless you don't own either one of these sculpts yet (if ever!). This set is not rare and can still be found with little effort. Since this set was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change some day, but probably not for the next decade.

Jurassic Park 2009: Dino Battlers: Spinosaurus VS Velociraptor

Year of release: 2009

Description: the Velociraptor stands in a stalking posture, 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. All of this creature's body is coloured orange, except for its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, most of the lower part of the tail, underside of the arms and fingers and inner parts of the legs and feet) which is beige instead. A large part of the face around the eyes on either side of the Raptor's head is also beige. On its back, the Raptor features six yellowish beige (a different shade of beige than mentioned before) stripes, with smaller yellow stripes of the same shape in the centre of each of these stripes. The figure has yellow eye sockets, housing cat like orange eyes with black pupils. It has white teeth and a red inside of the mouth, as well as black claws on the feet (but not on the fingers). A white JP logo is found on each upper leg.

The Spinosaurus is positioned in a crouching move, its right arm resting on the ground, possibly stalking potential prey. Its left arm is raised upwards and its mouth is opened wide. It's a very green figure, this colour being found on all of the body, except for its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, most of the lower part of the tail, inner parts of the arms and legs) which is coloured dark beige. The upper jaw and face, the feet and the sail are coloured dark green with the tip of the tail and three stripes running around the tail full circle sporting the same colour. On both flanks it carries a few beige spots. The figure has small yellow eyes with black pupils. It also has white teeth and a red inside of the mouth and tongue. The claws on both hands and feet are not painted. A white JP logo is found on each upper leg.

Analysis: Hasbro yet again went for a very colourful set of new paint jobs in this two-pack, but again failed to deliver on making these paint jobs look actually good, except maybe for kids who like their dinosaurs overly brightly coloured. Both paint schemes are otherwise not very inspired. In fact, the Spinosaurus' paint job is very similar to the green paint job of its Camo-Xtreme Swamp predecessor, making it a poor copy of that particular release. Both figures lack a sense of detailing, as illustrated by the lack of painted claws (except for those on the Raptor's feet, but in this case the small claws on the back of the feet have been neglected). It is good to see the alternative Spinosaurus sculpt used for a change (though of course a new sculpt would have made us much happier!), since we haven't seen it since JPD2. The same can't be said for this Raptor sculpt, which has overstayed its welcome for far too long.

The Raptor, which in normal circumstances would be more or less in perfect scale with Hasbro's human figures (though not in the standard JP situation where Velociraptors are hugely oversized), is lucky he's about equal size as the Spinosaurus. In reality any Spinosaurus would just bite the Raptor in half, being considerably taller. In a fight between these particular two dinosaurs, the Raptor with its lethal sickle shaped claws would probably win the day. The Spinosaurus already seems to have fallen to its knees accordingly.

Repaint: yes. The Spinosaurus originally came with the Military Diver for the JP III line (Wave 2) and has been repainted before a few times for Camo-Xtreme and JPD2 and would be used twice for this toy line. The Velociraptor sculpt was paired with Alan Grant for the JP III line (Wave 1 instead) and has been repainted many times for Camo-Xtreme, JPD2 and JPD3 and would also be featured in various JP 2009 sets. 

 

Overall rating: 3/10. Funky use of colours here, but these new paint schemes aren't particularly imaginative or appealing. Besides, there's just nothing of particular interest in this set, unless you don't own either one of these sculpts yet. This set is not rare and can still be found with little effort. Since this two-pack was a Toys'R'Us exclusive that could change some day, but probably not for the next few years.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 3: Electronic Velociraptor with Micro Pteranodon

Year of release: 2005

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 ferocious claws ready for action, while its head faces upwards and is turned to the right, jaws wide open (and not capable 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 has a 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 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.

Apart from the figure's underside (the belly, most of the lower part of the tail, the inside of the upper legs and part of the throat), which are coloured beige, this Raptor looks quite green. Most of the animal is coloured dark green, most notably all of the head apart from the lower jaw, the back and the upper side of the arms and tail. The remaining body parts are painted in a much lighter shade of green, which is found mostly on the legs, underside of the arms and part of the neck. Dark green stripes also run over the legs. The proto-feathers on the back of the head are yellow, as are the eyes (with black pupils). The tongue and parts of the side of the mouth are pink and the teeth are white. The claws on both hands and feet are painted black while the figure carries white JP logos on both upper legs.

The Pteranodon is rather large for a creature that originally came with a human figure. The second half of each wing can fold in and out, and when folded to their full (realistic) length, the figure has about a 15 centimetre wing span. It has a small hand on each wing, which however is situated far too much towards the end of the wing and should have been placed closer to the body. The Pterosaur has two long legs which end in claws that can grip human or dinosaur figures' limbs as if it is lifting them off the ground. It has a rather thick plump head on a rotatable neck. Most of this figure sports a brown paint job, mostly a darker shade of brown, though there's also a lighter shade mixed in on various parts of its body (most notably on the chest, arms and head). The underside of the figure (lower side of the wings, tail and most of the legs) is white, which gradually shifts into light brown the closer you get to the arms. The claws on the hands are painted black, while the Pteranodon has red eyes, a purple tongue and a small black JP logo on both the upper and lower side of its left wing.

Analysis: once again it seems Hasbro thought a JP toy line would be incomplete without a decently sized Velociraptor figure, so they bashed out yet another repaint (instead of creating a new figure). This sculpt was used only the year before, but either Hasbro forgot, didn't care or thought kids wouldn't remember (but most likely all three options combined). This Raptor is very green, which actually suits it rather well, considering green was never really a “Raptor colour” as the previous Raptor figures in this colour indicated. The dark, murky quality of the used combinations of green is rather reminiscent of the scrapped Camo-Xtreme Tropical Velociraptor and so this latest try might make up a little to some people for the loss of that particular figure. The creature is also pretty detailed, as all the claws and the proto-feathers have been taken care of. The yellow on the Raptors' back of the head is a nice little touch, and it would have been nice if a similar colour scheme would have been added to the head (particular the nasal ridges) since this still looks a bit dull. Compared to the Camo-Xtreme Night Raptor, the two sounds have been reversed again, so they're in the same order as they were on the original JP III figure. And the good old slashing claws remain the same: cute, but not particularly effective.

The Pteranodon is much more disappointing, considering it is a total reuse instead of just a repaint. If you already own the Pteranodon and Compsognathus two-pack of this toy line you'll find it a boring and unneeded addition to your JP dinosaur collection. And the paint job is, again, very bland. It makes good prey for the hungry Raptor, if the Pterosaur was ever stupid enough to get too close to it's vicious claws.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of JP III dinosaur sculpts. The Pteranodon originally came with Eric Kirby, while the Raptor was originally the Alpha Velociraptor of the JP III line. The Raptor has been repainted before for Camo-Xtreme and JPD2, and the exact same Pteranodon (identical sculpt and paint job) was featured in the Pteranodon and Compsognathus two-pack of this line. The Raptor would be repainted again for JP 2009, but for the Pteranodon, this would be its last appearance (so far).

Overall rating: 5/10. The Raptor looks decent and is fairly detailed, but otherwise no different than before. The Pteranodon, already suffering from a lousy paint job, unfortunately is identical to the other Pteranodon figure of this toy line, making it redundant and uninspired. 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 want one, patience is certainly required, but fortunately it doesn't necessarily require a lot of cash once you've found it.

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: Velociraptor and Stegosaurus two-pack

Year of release: 2005

Description: the Stegosaurus stands in an active posture, with its body bent, its head and tail pointing towards the left, like it’s defending itself from an aggressor. Its dominating colour is light brown, which is found on its head, sides of the neck, flanks, all of the limbs and both sides of the tail. Its underside (throat, belly and most of the lower part of the tail) is coloured white. The top parts of the animal (top of the head and neck, the back and upper part of the tail, as well as all the back plates) is painted black. On either side of the figure several black shapes stick out of the main black colouring, running over the flanks and tail. The tail spikes are coloured white, while the figure's claws are not painted and it sports small black eyes (with white pupils) and a black JP logo on both upper 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. The figure is entirely painted beige, with the lower body parts being only slightly lighter in colour hue than the top parts which appear a bit more brown (especially around the head and neck). A series of thin blue stripes and shapes are found in a random pattern on the back of the head, neck, back, upper legs and front part of the tail. The inside of the mouth and tongue are painted black, while the figure has white teeth and cat like yellow eyes with black pupils. The Raptor sports black claws on its feet (but not on its fingers) and a black JP logo on both upper legs.

Analysis: and here's yet another dinosaur two-pack for you. This time the all too often repainted Velociraptor is paired with the less often repainted Stegosaurus, and both sculpts have been done much more justice before. The colour schemes on both figures are rather boring. The Raptor's is undetailed and overly simple, and the way the mouth is painted is just damn ugly. The Stegosaurus is not much better. If you feel the paint scheme looks familiar, you're right, since it appears almost a copy of the one used for the JPD2 Stegosaurus figure, except for the shape of the stripes sticking out of the black colouring and less detail on the plates. The used combination of colours, black and light brown, is also far less inspired than the green, dark brown and yellow combination we saw last time. Honestly, how often have we seen JP dinosaur figures painted in black and brown before? It has become almost a cliché!

As for which dinosaur would win in a fight, I'm inclined to bet on the Raptor. It has speed and agility at its side, as well as those nasty claws. The Stegosaurus might do some damage with its tail if it was fast enough, but would most likely meet an untimely end.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of dinosaurs that originally came with human figures for the JP III line. The Velociraptor teamed up with Alan Grant (first wave release), while the Stegosaurus was paired with Paul Kirby. Both figures have been repainted before for JP III Camo-Xtreme and JPD2: the Raptor would be featured again in this toy line, and would also appear in JP 2009.

Overall rating: 4/10. There's nothing new to both sculpts, unless you don't own the previous releases yet. Both figures are adorned with dull and uninspired paint jobs, making this one of the less appealing dinosaur two-packs. Like most two-packs from JPD2 and JPD3, this is not a rare set. It can still be found fairly easily, usually for low prices because it's just not very popular or sought after, for obvious reasons.

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: Velociraptor/Tyrannosaurus 2-pack

Year of release: 2004

Description: the 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. It has small pads on its feet to give it extra support. The figure is painted entirely light blue, except for its belly and most of the throat which are coloured white instead. On its neck, back, upper legs and front part of the tail it features various sharp edged black stripes, similar to simple depictions of lightning bolts. Additional black stripes are found on each side of the face, close to the eyes (eye sockets are also black). The figure has small yellow eyes with black pupils, a red tongue and inside of the mouth with white teeth and black edges around its mouth. It also sports black claws on its feet (but not on the hands) and a white JP logo on its left upper leg.

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. It's mostly coloured reddish brown (in a slightly shiny hue), though the creature's underside (throat, belly, lower part of the tail) is painted yellowish brown instead. The Raptor carries a long black stripe running from half way of the snout over its neck and back over the first half of the tail. Inside this black stripe two small thin green stripes are located, one on the head and a second one on its back. Two additional black stripes are found on the flanks, running over the very upper part of the limbs to the front half of the tail: these black stripes too each contain a pair of smaller green stripes. The figure also has a thick black spot on each knee. The figure has black claws on all limbs, black eyes with red pupils, a pinkish red tongue and inside of the mouth, white teeth and black edges around the mouth. Lastly, a white JP logo is found on its left upper leg.

Analysis: if you're looking for new sculpts in this two-pack, you're wasting your time. Both the Raptor and the T-Rex have been seen too often before already, both in this line and previous JP toy lines. Oh well, at least these new paint jobs aren't a total loss. In fact, the Raptor's colouring is rather original, apart from the abundance of brown. The little touches like the green stripes and the eerie black eyes with red pupils make it stand out a little among its brethren, though also not by too much. At least all the details have been taken care of. The same could almost be said for the T-Rex, except they forgot the claws on the fingers. Also, differently coloured pads under the feet would have been appreciated. The edgy triangular black stripes go well with the light blue colouring, though otherwise there is not enough colour variation in this figure. It could almost pass for a new take on the Camo-Xtreme Arctic T-Rex, though the quality of the paint job is nowhere near as good as that particular figure's paint job was.

Who'd win in a fight between these two? My money would be on the T-Rex. Though the Raptor is more agile and has those nasty sickle shaped claws on its feet, you can't compare that to a bulldozing, bulky heavyweight like this little T-Rex. Close call though.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of dinosaurs that originally came with human figures for the JP III line. The T-Rex teamed up with the Military General, while the Velociraptor was paired with Alan Grant. Both figures have been repainted before for JP III Camo-Xtreme, and would be repainted several times again for this line, JPD3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 6/10. There's nothing new to both sculpts, unless you don't own the previous releases yet. These new paint jobs are okay though, and by Hasbro standards for two-packs, fairly detailed even. Like most dinosaur two-packs from JPD2 and JPD3, this is one of the more common releases and it can still be found easily, usually for low prices because they're just not in high demand.

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: Velociraptor/Spinosaurus 2-pack

Year of release: 2004

Description: the small Spinosaurus figure stands in a walking posture, with its left leg posed forward and the left arm raised, its mouth opened as if roaring and the end of the tail bent pointing to the right. Its underside (throat, belly and inward part of the upper legs) is painted light brown, while the same colour is found on its back below the sail and the front top half of the tail, as well as above the eyes (like eye brows) and on the snout. The rest of the body is coloured regular brown, while the sail is painted dark brown. On either side of the creature, two pairs of black stripes are found, one pair on the flanks and another on the upper legs. The claws on the feet are painted black, but the claws on the hands are unpainted. The edges of the mouth are black, while the animal has white teeth and a dark pink (almost brown in fact) tongue and inside of the mouth. The figure has very small yellow eyes with black pupils, and carries a white JP logo on its right upper leg.

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. Most of the body is coloured very light green (almost beige) except for the lower legs and feet, most of the head (except for the ocular area and underside of the lower jaw) and the back, which are coloured reddish brown. On its back, this brown colouring runs over the upper arms and legs and flanks in triangular shapes. The very middle of the brown section on the back is painted yellow, which also forms similar shapes running over the brown triangular colouring. The claws on the feet are painted in the same yellow, but the claws on its hands are not painted. The figure's underside (throat and belly) is coloured in a very vague different hue of light green, and may actually be called beige when inspecting it very closely. The Raptor has yellow eyes with cat like black pupils and black eye liner, while the edges around its mouth are also black, and the creature sports white teeth and a dark pink tongue and inside of the mouth. The figure carries a black JP logo on its left upper leg.

Analysis: and so the infinite repainting of smaller dinosaur figures kicks into full gear, after having been introduced moderately in JP III Camo-Xtreme. These dinosaur 2-packs offer very little besides the occasional imaginative paint jobs, except for the chance to create huge armies of identical dinosaur sculpts. Why anyone would want that is a good question. Creating armies of Imperial troops from Hasbro's Star Wars lines is not unusual, since such figures usually stand in a neutral pose and they all look alike any way. But having twenty figures of the same species in the exact same attack posture, except with totally different paint jobs, makes little sense at all.

In the case of the Velociraptor/Spinosaurus 2-pack the paint jobs are at least okay. In fact, the Raptor paint job is actually quite good. The double claw like pattern on its back underscores its aggressive nature, attack posture and its own big claws. Such appeal is not to be found in the Spinosaurus, which looks a bit dull by comparison, but not a total loss either. Something more original for the sail would have been welcome. Also a real shame the claws on the hands of both creatures have been omitted, since the detailing of both figures is otherwise fairly good.

The Raptor, which in normal circumstances would be more or less in scale with Hasbro's human figures (though not in the standard JP situation where Velociraptors are hugely oversized), is lucky he's almost as big as the Spinosaurus. In reality any Spinosaurus would just bite the Raptor in half. In a fight between these two dinosaurs, the Raptor with its lethal sickle shaped claws would probably win the day.

Repaint: yes. Both figures are repaints of dinosaurs that originally came with human figures for the JP III line. The Velociraptor was paired with Alan Grant, while the Spinosaurus belonged to Amanda Kirby. Both figures have been repainted before for JP III Camo-Xtreme, and would be repainted several times again for this line, JPD3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 6/10. There's nothing novel to both sculpts, but these new paint jobs are adequate and certainly not as bad as some of the repaints to follow. Like most dinosaur two-packs from JPD2 and JPD3, this is one of the more common releases and it can still be found without trouble, usually for low prices because they're not in high demand (for obvious reasons).

Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs 2: Velociraptor with Dino Trooper

Year of release: 2004

Accessories:

-Missile Launcher with missile

Description: unlike most other original Kenner dinosaur sculpts, this Raptor stands in a very active pose, with its legs in a walking mode, left arm outstretched and right arm held back, its head raised upwards and its mouth opened. The animal takes on an attack posture and looks ready to jump on an adversary with an agitated overall look. It has seemingly every right to be agitated since its body shows numerous signs of near misses with larger carnivores: it has scratches and scars all over his body, some small and hardly noticeable, others large and plain in sight. The largest scars look like claw marks and can be found on its back, its tail and both legs. Other noteworthy signs of abuse are the end of the tail, which isn’t just bent, but looks more like the bone has been broken and caused a deformity, as well as scratches on the left eye. Also a point of interest, this figure has rather large feet to keep it from falling over (though it often does so regardless when not leaning on the left arm). Its sickle like claws are a bit small and the toe they’re on is stuck way too much towards the back of the foot. This Velociraptor has a very simple attack action which has little to do with its attack posture. When the tail is moved from side to side, the head swings along as if the animal is making snapping movements.

This Raptor sports a rather intricate paint job. Though its underside (lower jaw, throat, belly, lower part of the tail and most of the arms and legs) is simply dull white, the top parts of the figure's body are much more detailed. The dominant colour is light green, which is most notable on the back, top parts of the limbs and the tail. Darker green stripes run over this lighter shade of green: a pair of them runs from the snout over the neck and back all the way to the end of the tail on each flank of the figure. Additional dark green stripes are found on the upper arms, while on the legs they from a big 'pear' shaped form. Small black stripes in random patterns are seen on the neck, back, upper legs and front half of the tail. The various gaping wounds on the figure's legs, left eye, back and tail are coloured bright red, giving the figure a definitely bloodied look. The eyes themselves are also coloured red, with black pupils and black eye liners. The sides of the mouth are coloured black, while the inside of the mouth is pink (and seems to be missing a clearly definable tongue!), and the figure sports white teeth. The Raptor also has black claws on its hands and feet, and a white JP logo on its left upper leg.

The Dino Trooper figure wears an orange (or light brown) jacket with dark brown spots and shapes on it and revealing a grey shirt underneath, as well as silver tags around his neck and golden insignia on his chest. He also sports a black utility belt with a silver clip, dark brown trousers (with black specks mixed in) and black boots. His trousers and shirt sport some slight tears, like he’s had a conflict with an unpleasant dinosaur. He has black hair and eye brows, small green eyes and a rather grim look on his face. He stands in a very odd pose, left leg stretched forwards and right leg bracing backwards, left arm reaching up and right arm pointing down, as if he's very startled by some prehistoric monster in front of him. His missile launcher is painted in a light brown colour: it can be loaded with a red missile, which is basically a stick with a large oval shape with two round holes in it at one end. Pushing the end of the stick makes the weapon being fired, sort of.

Analysis: Another often repainted TLWS1 figure used for JP: Dinosaurs 2 is this Cyclops Raptor, which doesn't live up to that original name because both eyes seem to be working fine, despite the heavy damage inflicted on this poor dinosaur. The package calls him simply Velociraptor, but Battle Scarred Raptor would suit him better. The scratches and huge scars have been present on this sculpt since day one, but this is the first time the toy designers actually make good use of them and paint them differently to enhance the poor health status of this Raptor. It works to great effect and makes this figure stand out excellently compared to its previous incarnations. The rest of the paint job works fairly good too, thanks to the different shades of green on top of each other and the various details like the black stripes, eyes and claws. The only real downside is the undetailed underside of the figure, which just seems like it was never painted at all and remained dull factory white. This white itself conflicts with the green and causes an ugly interplay between both colours, but because of the figure's stance most of this bad colouring remains unseen, except for its use on the limbs (and on the JP logo), so it causes only a minor grievance for the paint job as a whole. This Raptor still features a wiggly head attack option. It works okay, but it seems like the tail won't move as far as before, making the action a little less effective.

The Dino Trooper looks largely unappealing compared to the Raptor's cool paint job. His paint job, though still featuring nice little details like the tags, insignia and specks on the pants making them look muddy, is overall rather boring. Unfortunately the idiotic pose he assumes has also been left unchanged, making him topple over easily. His weapon is crappy like ever: not only is the firing mechanism a real let-down, because of the missile's odd shape it's also hard to hit a target. Even a sculpts standing as unstable as the Raptor (when not leaning on its left arm) will be hard pressed to be knocked over by this missile launcher. At least the Raptor's attack action can knock over the Trooper, so it's clear who would win this fight, heavy battle scarring or not...

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the TLWS1 Cyclops Raptor, which was repainted twice before for JPD1 and as a JP III Exclusive. The Dino Trooper is a JP III Military General repaint with repainted missile launcher. The Trooper would be repainted again for JP 2009 (sans weapon), but this would be the last time this Raptor sculpt got released.

Overall rating: 7/10. This Raptor sports quite a cool and detailed paint job, finally making full use of all the scarring and wounds on this sculpt, but the figure itself is still not great. The Trooper is a not very impressive repaint of a lousy figure with a boring weapon, which does do some damage to the set's overall appeal. Like all four dino/human two-packs, this is one of the more common JPD2 releases, and it can still be found without little trouble, usually (but not always) for decent prices.

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.

Jurassic Park Dinosaurs: Velociraptor

Year of release: 1999

Accessories:

-One piece of capture gear

Description: this dinosaur stands in a very active pose, with its legs in a walking mode, left arm outstretched and right arm held back, its head raised upwards and its mouth opened, and the end of its tail bent to the left. The animal takes an attack posture and looks ready to jump on unsuspecting prey with an agitated look. It has seemingly every right to be in that state of mind since its body shows numerous signs of near misses with larger carnivores: it has scratches and scars all over its body, some small and hardly noticeable, others large and plain in sight. The largest scars look like claw marks and can be found on its back, its tail and its upper legs. Another noteworthy sign of abuse is the end of the tail, which isn’t just bent, but looks more like the bone has been broken and caused a deformity. Additionally, this figure has rather large feet to keep it from falling over (though it often does so regardless). Its sickle like claws are a bit small and the toe they’re on is stuck too much towards the back of the foot.

This Velociraptor has a very simple attack action. When the tail is moved from side to side, the head swings along (as well as the other way around) as if the animal is making thrashing movements. The figure comes with a single long piece of capture gear, coloured silvery metallic grey, which can be attached to the right leg on one side and applied around the jaws on the other. Swinging the tail back and forth should cause the creature trashing off its capture gear, though it’s harder to accomplish than one might think at first.

This particular Raptor repaint sports a rather simple paint job. It's largely grey, except for the top parts of the figure (upper parts of the head and tail, neck and back), which are coloured dark green instead, with triangular shapes extending from this colouration. The side edges of the upper legs are also painted green in a circular fashion with the same shapes on it, extending inwards. The creature has beige eyes with cat like black pupils, a red tongue and white teeth, as well as a black JP logo on its right upper leg.

Analysis: this Raptor repaint is cursed with one lousy paint job. It wasn't the greatest Raptor sculpt to begin with, considering its overly active pose which diminishes playability, its rather boring (though original) attack option and an ineffective creature-breaks-free-of-restraints feature. All of these downsides remain, and this time the boring paint job only makes it worse. Green and grey just don't mix well and this figure proves it. Also, there's little originality in it, just one colour on top of the other and not bothering with any details. Plus the fact this paint scheme is largely copying that of the previous Cyclops Raptor sculpt, except that one had less awful colouring and more attention on details. Considering the awful scarring on this sculpt, you'd think some toy designer would do something with that, but apparently it wasn't until JPD2 someone finally noticed the paint scheme opportunity this “dino damage” offered. The lack of detail here is also shocking. A creature that has its mouth opened so wide should at least have the inside of its mouth painted with greater care. Also, the claws are totally ignored, which makes the huge feet feel even more wrong than they already are. To sum up, this figure is just a big failure and a missed opportunity on Hasbro's part to actually improve an existing sculpt by elaborating on its skin features by applying the right paint job.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the TLWS1 Cyclops Velociraptor, with the same capture gear as that figure had. The figure would be repainted again for JPD2 and for the JP III Exclusive Dinosaur Tracking Set.

Overall rating: 3/10. It never was the best Raptor sculpt around and its new paint job is very dull, severely lacking detail and originality and easily the worst of this toy line. This is one of the more common JPD1 figures and it can still be found more easily than most of the other figures from the same line, usually for fairly low prices, which shouldn't come as a total surprise.

Jurassic Park Dinosaurs: Velociraptor

Year of release: 1999

Accessories:

-Three pieces of capture gear

Description: this small Raptor figure, measuring about 15 centimetres in length, stands in a neutral posture, except for the claws on its arms; the left one is reared upwards, while the right hangs down somewhat. It stands perfectly on its two legs and usually doesn’t slouch forward or fall down, since the long tail provides ample balance for the rest of the body. This Raptor sculpt is equipped with ‘slashing jaws’: pressing the legs together makes the head move forward and the mouth open, and when released they violently snap back. So doing, the creature makes a vicious biting move at its victims.

This Velociraptor sports a mostly lime green paint job; its entire body is painted in this colour, while a series of black stripes and dots runs from the neck to the end of the tail in a largely symmetrical fashion. The bigger dots carry yellowish green dots and stripes within them. Additional black stripes and shapes run over the legs and feet. On the head more light green stripes are found, one running from the one side of the face over the eyes to the other side of the face, and a second one around the lower jaw. On either side of the flanks a single light green and black spot are located. This Raptor has orange cat like eyes, white teeth, a pink tongue and dark green claws on its feet (the claws on the hands are not painted). On its right upper leg, a black JP logo is found.

The Raptor comes with three parts of capture gear, a small cuff like JP tag, a muzzle, and limb restraints (which can be attached to both arms and legs). All three parts are painted in a shiny, metallic, light brown paint job. When the capture gear is applied to the figure, it’s nearly totally subdued, being unable to walk, use its jaws or claws and of course, kill. The small tag is just an extra gadget with no real function except to annoy completist collectors who keep losing them.

Analysis: reviving a classic sculpt for the second wave of the first JP: Dinosaurs line, this Raptor suffers from a case of poorly inspired repainting. Green just isn't a Raptor like colour as this figure proves. It just looks too much like a vegetable salad, which is not the feeling you want for a scary predator. Apart from that, the paint job feels unfinished: more detail was definitely needed, especially on the figure's underside and arms, both of which now look rather dull.

Apart from the silly paint job, there is nothing wrong with this much loved sculpt. The biting action is still effective and spiffy, while the capture gear does what it's supposed to do and restrains the creature's most dangerous body parts. This capture gear has the same colouration as the one from the Chaos Effect Raptor Alpha figure, but the 'limbs' part is not identical to the piece used for both that figure and the JPS2 Velociraptor. It's slightly longer and the arms section is wider. This may cause some confusion and annoyance to the die-hard collectors who actively seek out the right capture gear for their loose figures.

Repaint: yes. This is a repaint of the original JPS1/S2 Velociraptor, which was first repainted for TLWS1 and again for JP: Chaos Effect. It comes with repainted capture gear which originally came with the JPS2 Velociraptor, and looks very similar in colour and shape to the gear from the Chaos Effect Raptor Alpha, though closer inspection reveals very minor differences in regard to the latter.

Overall rating: 6/10. Though still a good, classic sculpt, the paint job this figure sports is just not very appealing and feels wrong for a Raptor. It's undoubtedly the least impressive (released) incarnation of this often repainted sculpt. It is the rarest though, being part of the not very common second wave of the first JP: Dinosaurs line, and as such usually not an easy find, especially complete or MOC. If you want one, you'll probably end up spending more cash on it than it's worth.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Night Velociraptor

Year of release: 2002

Description: this dark Raptor figure stands in a dramatic pose when boxed, showing all its primal predator prowess, with its body straight upwards, its legs wide apart and its ferocious claws ready for battle action, while its head faces upward and looks to the right, jaws wide open (they can't be closed though). 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 JP III Raptors. Accordingly, it has two nasal ridges 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 dark red muscle tissue. Inside the wound a button is found: when pressed this produces an aggravated shriek. On its back this creature has a small lever, activating the slashing claws. This also produces a snarling sound.

The predominant colour of this critter is very dark grey, almost black in fact. It covers the figure's entire body. It is adorned with grey stripes on both arms and legs. It also has a grey stripe running from the snout all the way to the tip of the tail, which also covers the lever on its back, while it's split in two around the feathers on the back of the head. Along this main back stripe, a thinner red stripe follows its entire trajectory on either side. Additional grey spots are applied around the nasal ridges, while smaller red stripes are located on the facial ridges and the top of the proto-feathers. The animal has black claws on both its fingers and toes. It has rather large feet. The inside of the mouth is pink, with beige teeth. On its right upper leg it has a black white logo. This Raptor has green eyes, and around these three circles in black, red and grey are found.

Analysis: CamoXtreme delivers another superb paint job on this Night Raptor figure! It's fairly minimalistic, mostly simple dark colouring with some colour details to spice things up, but it works very well, making for one sexy nocturnal predator. Its dark and gritty paint job is more believable to work under lightless conditions than in the case of the Chaos Effect Raptor Alpha figure, which used a similar starting point that worked out completely different (though still sublime). The little paint details, like the rings around the eyes and the small stripes and spots on the head, make for effective decoration while not hindering the creature's ability to stalk unsuspecting prey in the dark. It's also good to see the claws are painted, while it's not unlikely they could have gotten away with remaining unpainted in this case. The only thing that hinders hunting at night times is the white JP III logo on the leg, but a black logo would of course be hard to spot.

Apart from the stupendously neat paint job this otherwise still isn’t a great Raptor figure. It’s quite disproportional: both its feet and head are too big. It stands in an awkward pose with its legs wide apart, making it look rather fat. The head is turned to the right and can’t be posed another way, while its mouth can’t be closed. This severely limits playability. The attack option is as good as it was before, though the way the neck is posed too close to the lever is a bit inconvenient. Interestingly enough, the sounds have switched places: the attack shriek is now activated by the wound button and the snarl accompanies the slashing claws. Why this was done is anyone's guess, but it doesn't matter all that much.

Repaint: yes. This figure was originally featured in the JP III toy line. It would be repainted again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009.

Overall rating: 8/10. This figure once again proves that sometimes all you need is a great paint job to make for an attractive figure, even though there's little else of interest in the set. Despite its many shortcomings, this Raptor got a very successful extreme makeover making it much cooler than its predecessor (or any of its repaints to follow). The CamoXtreme Night Raptor is definitely harder to find than the other CamoXtreme electronic dinosaurs but you can still find them irregularly on eBay, though prices vary quite a lot. Unfortunately this figure was apparently not imported in the Benelux like most other CamoXtreme figures, making it also much harder to find there. For some reason they can be found in surprising numbers in the UK though, so it seems they were mostly dumped there instead.

Jurassic Park III CamoXtreme: Lava Tyrannosaurus Rex & Velociraptor

Year of release: 2002

Accessories:

-'Lava' Collector's Card (no number)

Description: the 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 highlights on the head, also around the eyes and on the lower jaw, as well as 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 is also painted red. 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.

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 onto 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. 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: this Lava 2-pack is one of the less successful entries in the otherwise fairly impressive CamoXtreme repaint line, both in regard to the paint jobs of the figures as in the overall idea. The original JP III T-Rex mini figure sported a paint job not all that dissimilar from this Rex, also with black stripes and a lot of brown (though of a more passive hue). The red stripes add a little bit, but are distributed in a rather dull fashion. Sadly, the Rex remains equipped with feet supports, which still quite often don't keep it from falling over.

The Velociraptor also isn't blessed on the front of originality with its new paint job. In fact, the red stripe on its back is virtually identical to the stripe on its predecessor. The black and grey motive adds more diversity though, but it's a real shame details like the claws and inside of the mouth were wholesomely neglected.

The whole idea of dinosaurs living in a 'lava' environment is generally both cliché ridden and ridiculous. Apart from the silly backward notion that the Mesozoic age was filled to the brim with active volcanoes on every corner, as often seen in comic strips and old Saturday morning cartoons, the thought of dinosaurs (or any animals for that matter) residing in a hot spot of fiery chasms and lava flows, as pictured on this set's collector's card, is stupendously idiotic. Tough and nasty as Rexes and Raptors were, lava would just kill them anyway, nor would many potential prey venture in such territories. And evolving alongside dormant volcanoes would not yield such fiery paint jobs. Hasbro undoubtedly intended the idea of a 'Lava' environment to spawn awesome paint jobs, but unfortunately the result certainly failed in that regard.

Incidentally, a large Lava Pteranodon figure was once planned for release for this CamoXtreme line, but it never got off the ground (yes, pun intended). No specimens are known to exist. That's what hot lava does to you if you're not careful, flight capability or otherwise...

Repaint: yes. Both figures were originally featured in the JP III toy line. The Tyrannosaurus came with the Military General figure in Wave I of that line, while the Velociraptor teamed up with Alan Grant, also for Wave I. Both dinosaur figures would be repainted over and over again for JP Dinosaurs 2/3 and JP 2009, up to the point we couldn't care less about either sculpt.

Overall rating: 5/10. If you don't own the original JP III sculpts yet, this set might be interesting for you: if not, it is a rather bland addition to your collection. It's just not nearly as good as some of the other CamoXtreme paint schemes and has little to offer beyond that, except for the nice new collector's card completing this set. The CamoXtreme 2-packs are a bit harder to find than most other Hasbro JP dinosaur 2-packs, but not (yet) excessively so. You can still find them irregularly on eBay for a fair price. These 2-packs were imported in the Benelux in decent quantities, making them also fairly easy to find there.