History of GI Joe - 1988 | Vintage 80s Toys & Playsets | ARAH Iron Grenadiers and Tiger Force

This epic year of 3.75" o-ring G.I. Joe ARAH has some of the best sub-teams ever: Tiger Force, Night Force and Iron Grenadiers all debuted here. Some big vehicles too like the Rolling Thunder, Mean Dog and Phantom X-19.
This year also introduced us to some greats like Shockwave, Hit and Run, and even new versions of Storm Shadow, Destro, Flint and more.
Sgt. Slaughter v3 appeared with the Warthog, more army builders like Astro Vipers and Hydro Vipers and way more.
Special thanks to: www.3djoes.com/
See their website as well for the Art of GI Joe Omnibus - some scans of which were used in this video!
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[@KEEPINGitREAL213]

In 1988, I was 14yrs young. Girls, Hair Bands, MTV, and Freestyle BMX, were my main interests during that time. 86 & 87 were the last of my years with GIJoe, Transformers, and other action figure lines. G.I. Joe is, and always will be.... The best and greatest action figure line in history.

[@ToyKennections]

Thx for sharing!

[@Stygian360]

I was a year ahead of you as '87 was my last Joe year before collecting toys felt dorky and uncool. What a fool I was!!

[@thelazymercenary]

Same here!

[@delta-1769]

@@Stygian360 Same!

[@aaronrandolph261]

@@ToyKennections i remember the day playing with my joe and transformers didnt do it for me anymore. t was like i lost my imagination lol. definitely wish i knew how much this stuff would be worth in the future had quite the collection . no toys like gi joe and transformers

[@cardboardempire]

I was still shocked that my penny pinching parents shelled out for the X19 for Christmas 88. Ghost Rider promptly fell through some floorboards and was lost for 25 years until my dad found his decayed corpse. I also purchased the Desert Fox with my lawn mowing money and Voltar. I was a happy 8 year old. GI Joe was so much fun.

[@jcbvortex22]

No one did play-sets like G.I. Joe in the 80’s! Hehehehe You said Skidmark!

[@ToyKennections]

Ahhhh the 80s!

[@MiKeMiDNiTe-77]

The best year of GI Joe IMO this is when things got really edgy and the line diversified even more than 87 to a point. 88 was also the year Tiger Force arrived and characters like Duke Bazooka and Tripwire were available to kids that missed out on them the first time, it was also the arrival of the Iron Grenadiers. The ads were a lot edgier and cooler too ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@edwardetterify]

1988 was the last year I played with G.I. Joe until I started collecting in 1996. The figures and vehicles were some of my favorites. 1987 was my ultimate favorite year, but 88 brought Iron Grenadiers, which is my #1 top favorite sub group... BF2000 is my #2.

[@chronogaruda2003]

Great video! 86-88 are honestly my favorite years of GI JOE. Many of the assortments during 87-88 in particular are criminally underrated, like Muskrat and Hardball. And we cannot forget the Mobile Command Center, which is IMO the greatest playset of the decade.

[@G7M9W]

Great rundown, Ken! And that pic of Jinx, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes together looks so good!

[@ToyKennections]

Ninjas galore!

[@playdisplay1468]

Wow, watching this review of the 1988 G.I. Joe action figure toy line brought back so many amazing childhood memories! Those figures were absolute legends, each one packed with action and adventure! Thanks for taking me on this nostalgia trip, can't wait to dive back into my collection and relive those epic battles.

[@ToyKennections]

Glad to hear it brought back some great memories!

[@RetroToyPrincess]

This version of Destro was my only 1988 figure/vehicle -- and my last GI Joe toys

[@ToyKennections]

I had that set back then too. So much fun.

[@WraithMace]

Wow cant def for me 1988 was my favorite year of Gi Joe I was 11 in 1988. Forgot so many amazing things came out that year. Great job Ken!

[@ToyKennections]

Sub-teams galore! Thx for watching.

[@bsimon9427]

great video! now i know and thats half the battle

[@ToyKennections]

And knowing is half the battle (cues up GI Joe jingle)

[@impossiblepie]

Another great gi.joe history video by Toy Kennections!

[@ToyKennections]

🍻

[@WraithMace]

ROLLING THUNDER!!!! Great way to start it off!

[@podcastfromthepit3132]

I almost forgot what a great year for Joe that was

[@ToyKennections]

Indeed.

[@Stygian360]

I'm team Hardball personally although undoubtedly Hit n Run is a fan favorite to the max. Great expose buddy.

[@ToyKennections]

Thx Neil! Good choices for sure.

[@brendanhaley3668]

Thank you again for these effprts, you teach me alot, allow me to better appriciate the figures I purchase whilst adding to my wish list. Love your style, thanks for your hard work!

[@ToyKennections]

Always happy to share and it's fun seeing your collection grow whenever we talk about it, man.

[@ratface44]

Great video Ken!!

[@ToyKennections]

James 🍻

[@ratface44]

@@ToyKennections Yo Joe!

[@raulzavala9061]

I was 12 in 1988 and still got me a handful of figures and noticed the face sculpt on them was better than the 1987 ones and the line was moving more into futuristic settings what with Destro creating his separate group I was still anxiously awaiting for new cartoon episodes that the toy commercials were teasing at 1988 was also notable in that many toylines that were just as huge like Thundercats; M.A.S.K.; Silverhawks; Centurions; Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors; Bravestarr that had 1-2 year lifespans were out of the way, He-Man was done and would come back with New Adventures but mainstays like G.I.Joe and Transformers were still limping along.

[@guillaumebarnabe998]

Rolling Thunder is the best toy of my childhood (not counting the SNES of course, videogames are unbeatable) ! It was always the center of my playroom, so much value and fun. I tried TMNT and quickly came back to GI Joe as TMNT are not well made at all or half the fun

[@classicgunstoday1972]

Nice. You forgot to mention that the cartoon actually did continue in reruns in 1988 hosted by Sgt. Slaughter live action with a new intro using the GI Joe movie theme, scenes from the movie as well as scenes from 1988 commercials and MASS Device from 1983.

[@ToyKennections]

Yup. I actually remember the cartoons with the movie theme. Just no new episodes.

[@classicgunstoday1972]

@@ToyKennections here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKiXoX2Xjs-Bh9Esi=mmleL1A25y108jNB I remember this well when they moved GI Joe from weekday afternoons to weekday mornings at 6am in fall of 1988 where I live. Transformers was moved to weekends on Sunday at 10 am for a “4th Season” and new intro that had 1987-88 commercial animation sequences with “live action” Powermaster Optimus Prime hosting a handfull of episodes. But, like you say, no new episodes

[@ToyKennections]

@@classicgunstoday1972 snap! That brought back memories with the edited version of the movie theme. I used to race to my tv at 7:30am before school on weekdays during grade 1 back in 1988 to catch this. Thx for the memory!

[@ToyKennections]

@@classicgunstoday1972 and I think the Powermaster Optimus segments will be worth a mention when I release History of Transformers 1988 eventually 😎

[@classicgunstoday1972]

@@ToyKennections what I liked about the Sgt Slaughter live action intro and narration was how it was a strong nod to the intro of the war movie Patton (1970) with the flag in the background and the rough pep talk. That was about the same time my dad let me watch that movie as he figured I was old enough (it had a lot of bad language due to Patton’s personality so as a young child it was off limits). Powermaster Optimus live action...LOL! As a kid I did not care for it. But as an adult...even though it’s low budget and often silly...Michael Bay live action makes it look good because it has more heart. LOL! Just my thought

[@MrCIAD]

Let's go!

[@George-de6hd]

I’m more of a 82-87 guy myself 88,89was the start of the decline of the brand (there are a handful of good characters/figures) 88,89 was also the tail end of my gi joe days

[@SamGuthrie1977]

Same. I think 82 - 87 are the best years, 88 had its moments, and by 89 I was officially out. At the time, I thought I was simply outgrowing it, but in hindsight the best toys really were in the first several years.

[@aaronrandolph261]

my childhood was timed perfectly. hit puberty the same year gi joe went to crap! looking at the 88' and on joe toys is fun but im glad i didnt collect during those years

[@victormatthews1906]

Yeah

[@WraithMace]

ROLLING THUNDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ToyKennections]

Such a great vehicle.

[@joemartin5669]

You forgot the laser viper

[@ToyKennections]

That one's a 1990 figure.

[@mathieuduval7544]

Great vid again!!!!.... like so many of us 1988 was the last year i ask my parents to buy some GI Joe, i stole a couple of 89' figures but it was just to rebel at that point i had lost interest in that brand.... the DIC series was the last nail in the coffin, when you're a kid and you watch a cartoon and say to yourself.... Man this shit is retarted!!!.... its not a good sign!

[@ToyKennections]

Thanks for watching!

[@Nynjaofanothercolor]

Vamp

[@ToyKennections]

Dragonfly

[@paynestoysamples]

Ok now to watch the year I stopped collecting joe history.

[@stevecherney1612]

Can’t like this and go to 421. It’s about principles

[@ChadSturek]

They got so lazy with the drivers this year overall.

[@ToyKennections]

At least the vehicles were cool.