Part 3: General Sci Fi and Space Toy Lines of the Late 70s and Early 80s: Powerlords, Roboforce

[@RickyManner]

The Adventure People Shuttle....My Dad bought one for me at a Yard Sale and I used it for my G.I. Joe Men. I was today years old when I found out that it was a fisher price toy. lol

[@thelittlethings3309]

That Alpha Probe could play with a ton of different toy lines. I played with it with both Star Wars and G.I. Joe, to name a few. It was one of my favorites. Thanks for the comments!

[@louiskeser9255]

I had the Fisher Price Alpha Interceptor. Was a much beloved toy. I still have the figure in my office. While Star Wars was very clearly space, the toy and figure did as much work "under water" as the did in space. Used to pretend that he was a deep sea diver and his ship was for exploring. The center part would pop out (not sure if it was supposed to) so that he could escape when the ship became caught or damaged. Lots of great times playing with that toy. Thanks for digging into these undersung heros of the toybox!

[@roblaing1418]

I still have it. The center part was supposed to pop out. It had molded thrusters on the bottom so it could blast away.

[@jamespero6803]

This is my favorite Era, the late 70s early 80s are some of my oldest and fondest memories.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I hope this brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@hgc7000]

Having that Alpha Star fly alongside the Milennium Falcon is one of the best "adventures" from when I was a kid. The Adventure People line is soooo good. They all definitely work as "background filler".

[@thelittlethings3309]

Absolutely! I can't remember the amount of times I had Han and Luke flying around in the Alpha Probe or tooling around in the Alpha Star. The Sci Fi Adventure People Line was nearly as important to my childhood as the Star Wars toy line, and I really can't think of one without thinking of the other. Especially in terms of style and overall feel when it comes to Sci Fi from that time period. Thanks for watching!

[@cowpuddles4851]

Man I loved Adventure People. They were both creative and nearly indestructible. This line needs a reboot.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Creative, indestructible, AND they played with nearly everything at that time. I mixed the Sci Fi Adventure people so much with other toy lines like Star Wars, that I can't think of Star Wars toys without thinking about Adventure People toys too. That frog creature from the Alpha Star might as well be a Star Wars creature (in my mind), Luke encountered it so much when I played. I agree with you, I would like to see some of this line again.

[@cowpuddles4851]

@@thelittlethings3309 Yes, I later used the tents and sleeping bags from the camping sets with my Joes. Such great quality then!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah! That Adventure People Safari set was perfect for G.I. Joe Adventures.

[@adamcraig7842]

Great video series. The Starriors and Robotix lines, which make brief cameos at the end of the video as examples of post-Transformers-era sci-fi toys, still feel aesthetically grounded in Star Wars to me. Robotix in particular is the Jawa Droid Factory but bigger, motorized, and a whole extensive toy line unto itself.

[@KaosandRiot]

OMG , carry a laser down the road I must travel…That was such an 80s meme. Another great episode!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Better lyrics than the real ones! Thanks for watching!

[@mattfontaine7735]

I had the Alpha Star, loved that thing. 👍

[@thelittlethings3309]

So few had the Alpha Star compared to the other toys, such as the Alpha Probe. I had one too and I loved it. I really like the monster that came with it, but the whole toy was really fun and cross-played with so many other lines. Pour one out for the Alpha Star tonight!

[@blacklove74]

Thank you so much for producing this series! Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and these all have me high as a kite 👏🏼

[@jimkutsko6272]

I really enjoyed your series but there are a couple of toy lines you forgot. The first one was Space 1999, which had an awesome spacecraft that was 3 feet long and fully compatible with those 3.5 inch figures of the time! The second one which I can't believe you missed was the LEGO space toys from the 80s, this toy line introduced the lego minifigure and had many excellent playsets both large and small. The blue astronaut from the Lego Movie was from this series.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I should have put Space 1999 into Part 2, but I was only vaguely aware of it and it slipped by. The Space Lego toys are a good point too. They would have gone well in Part 3 and they bring back some great memories. I think I will need a Part 4 that covers all the lines I missed! Thanks for the comment!

[@ultraheroix]

I had the "Alpha Star" and it was a great toy! I had a few other un related action figures that fit into the vehicle and had a lot of cool imaginary adventures with it!

[@thelittlethings3309]

I loved the Alpha Star! The whole thing was great and so many different figures from many different toy lines worked with it....but the best thing was that dinosaur/frog/alien creature. Man, I loved that thing. So much imagination went into it! Thanks for watching!

[@af22raptor23503]

Awesome Video! you are bringing back some Really Good Memories of my childhood! I was born in 1970 and I played with many of the toys in your list but the Fisher Price Adventure People was one of the BEST one because they OFFERED Great Vehicles and Figures that were reasonably priced and could also be played with the Star Wars Figures. I LOVED my Alpha Probe, Sea Research and Rescue Helicopter and plus the individual figures were a GREAT TIME! Fisher Price also had did something that Star Wars and all the other lines did not do for years the hand of the figures were rubberize but the heads would tilt up and down something that the G.I. Joe 3.75 figures that came out in 1982 did not do till 1984/85ish!

[@thelittlethings3309]

That is a good point about the articulation in the Fisher Price Adventure People figures' heads. I forgot that they could look up and down. And you are absolutely right about the Adventure People vehicles and sets. They played really well by themselves or with just about every other 3.75 inch toy line of the time. You couldn't go wrong with an Adventure People set. I used them so much that I can't think about playing with Star Wars toys without thinking about the space vehicles too. I am glad the video brought back some good memories. Thanks for the comment!

[@jimtilley1158]

These 3 videos brought back so many memories. Wonderful job.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's exactly what I wanted to do! I am glad that you liked them. Thanks for watching!

[@blandrooker6541]

For a long time, I had been recalling a memory of playing with a robot toy that went up a ramp and launched missiles, but couldn't remember exactly what it was. Stumbling across this video has finally given me an answer, and a google search revealed I had a Zeroid Action Set from 1969, when I was 8 years old. Thanks for this video!

[@thelittlethings3309]

I am glad that you were able to find information on that toy. The Zeroids were a neat line and (kind of) brought back for the late 70s, early 80s Star Wars inspired sci fi boom. They made great additions and supplements to those later toy lines as well as standing on their own. Thanks for watching!

[@kse3]

I had a bunch of the Fisher Price ones growing up. I remember X-Ray Man, Firestar, Alpha Star, and I specifically remember installing the batteries in the Alpha Probe in the car and driving my parents crazy with the sounds on the way home from the store. I also had a bunch of Power Lords and Robo Force toys.

[@briandrake5464]

Great series! I remember playing with some of these, especially the Alpha Probe. I went to ebay and bought one!

[@elcowabungahe-man6156]

Just finished watching this series i got a serious nostalgia about several items in the videos and look several of them for my hot list for my collection great vídeos

[@thelittlethings3309]

This stuff brings back great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@charlesdiecastgarage]

I thoroughly enjoyed all three parts! As much as diecast is my life space was always and still is to a lesser extent a passion. I used my FP Adveture People XRay Man and Woman with my Star Wars figure. She actually ended up married to Obi Wan since he was so wise and handsome, 😂!!! Thank you for bringing back so many memories from when I was a “short legger”, so much fun!!!❤

[@resofactor]

Loved this series. Commends. Had many of these toys as a kid.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks for watching. I hope it brought back some great memories.

[@destinycaptain247]

Great series. I thought for sure you were going to mention Zee Toys “Metal Men”. I picked up a “Questar” in a drug store in 79’ or 80’. I loved the robots because they fit so well with the Kenner sizing…

[@thelittlethings3309]

You are definitely right, those Rascal Robots really fit great with the Kenner Star Wars toys. A nice cheap way to add more droids to the fun back in the day. Almost everyone had at least one of them, it seems. I wasn't aware of the Metal Men until someone mentioned them in the comments, but they were a great toy line too. Probably will mention them in an Addendum video for this series. Thanks for watching!

[@arctrooper999]

I love Arkus from Power Lords because I believe he is based on the Overlords from Childhood's End, my favorite book.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Arthur C. Clarke! I agree with you, and I had never put the Power Lords Pictures right beside the Barlowe's Guide's pictures until making this video. Even though I was aware of the style (and thus the similarities) I found myself also thinking about how Arkus looked like Barlowe's depiction of an Overlord. It felt ironic that a character from the light and "thematically standard" Power Lords line looked so similar to a character from a novel as heady, deep and "ambiguous" as Childhood's End. That isn't a knock on either. I like them both for what they are. It's just that they are so different, yet those characters looked so (generally) similar. It seemed strange. That was a great observation. Thank you for sharing it, and thanks for watching!

[@Surja9393]

This really is an amazing series. Thank you for the effort! Good times!

[@thelittlethings3309]

I am glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@subraxas]

Thanks a LOT for making all these videos!! 🙂👍❤

[@thelittlethings3309]

I love making them. This stuff brings back a lot of great memories for me and I hope it brings back some great memories for you too. Thanks!

[@gorryman]

thank you so much for this series

[@michaelt1077]

I love these videos. You do a great job! Thank you.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That is great to hear. Thank you! I hope it brought back some great memories.

[@ActionRobotPunch]

Great video. I love this time period. I had Acroyear, my favorite micronaut and also that Star Hawk ship. The ship would open up and lower the ramp when wound up. I totally had forgotten that toy. I need to go watch part 1 and 2!

[@thelittlethings3309]

All kinds of neat toys from that time period and, as you probably guessed, I love the overall aesthetic that was everywhere at the time. I hope you like Parts1 & 2 also. Thanks for watching!

[@acrodave9287]

We had a great line in the UK in the late 70s, the Cyborg line. Licensed from Takaras Henshin Cyborg line, the line was slightly adapted by the UKs Denys Fisher and consisted of three 8" figures, Cyborg, Muton and Android. All the figures were made of transparent plastic and had visible interiors and removable and interchangeable limbs which were supplemented by separately available weapons packs and, for Muton (the villain of the line) Subforms; 3 costumes of existing Japanese TV characters. To complete the line, a very impressive Flying Saucer (the Cybo Invader) was released with a removable interior ship in the form of a winged cockpit seat (the Cybo Interceptor). Google them, I promise you won't be disappointed! Great video, especially the dive into Power Lords, a Weird favourite of mine! 👍👍👍✌️😁

[@tardisrider25]

memories unlocked. I forgot I even had some of these.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I love that moment when you see something that your forgot you had and it unlocks a bunch of great old memories. I hope this did that for you. Thanks for watching!

[@schizoidboy]

I don't remember the space toys but I do remember playing with the Adventure People toys, particularly the rescue ones.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Adventure People toys were great. Check out my video on the Adventure People Sea and Ocean themed toys. Thanks for watching!

[@BanazirGalpsi1968]

Fun fact. The prototype Kenner star wars figures were built by modifying adventure people with carving tools and bondo .

[@thelittlethings3309]

Interesting. Gotta start somewhere, I guess. From one great figure line came another. The circle is complete.

[@goosey235]

Wow, I had completely forgotten that I had owned the Firestar 1! It's actually pretty cool looking and now that I recall, I did like it quite a bit. I also had that orange buggy and the yellow land speeder, and my friend had the big shuttle. Both of us were big Star Wars fans, so it seems odd these Fisher Price toys were so well represented in our collections - I think we must have gotten that stuff shortly before we first saw Star Wars, which would have been the re-release just before ESB in 1980 (4 years old at the time), so that timing checks out. Excellent video series, very nice to learn more about the various toys that I sort of remember but were somewhat before my time - well done, and thanks for the walk down memory lane!

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's when I first saw Star Wars too! I loved the Fisher Price Adventure People toys. They were so integrated into my play that I can't think about playing with the Kenner Star Wars line without thinking about these toys too. They were those "blank slate" kind of toys that could fill many different roles in my version of that Galaxy Far Far Away (and many others too). I guess that is a long way of saying, I don't think it was odd. You were a person of substance and class, sir, who had exquisite tastes. I doff my space helmet to you. Thanks for watching!

[@georgeowain]

One toy line of the 80s that is worthy of mentioning is Bluebird's Mantaforce. Bluebird was a British toy company that was acquired by Mattel during the early 90s I think. Their most popular product that people are probably more aware of was Polly Pocket and Mighty Max. However, in the early 80s, they produced a scifi toy line called Mantaforce, that consisted of large spaceship sets that carried inside them an assortment of smaller craft. The figures though that rode these craft were about an inch tall, were divided in to three military forces. Such as air force, navy and ground. They also had 2 POC. Wave 1 first consisted of the Manta craft that carried within it 9 vehicles. three were the arial Manta Hawks, another 3 were the nautical Manta Sharks. And the other 3 were the ground vehicles; the Manta Wolves. But there was a tenth craft called the Attack Helicopter. Which today gives vibes of the Clone Wars Republic gunship. There was also a renegade group of figures included in the set called the Viper Squad. They would commandeer the Attack Helicopter to add some play value. Eventually the Viper Squads own ship; Red Venom was released later. Unlike the Manta craft that simply housed its smaller vehicles within a hangar bay. Red Venom's were more integrated in to the toys design. Later waves so newer small assault crafts, new enemy factions. And a final protagonist carrier craft before its cancellation. I personally would love to see a revival of this toy line.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Manta Force looks really cool. I was not aware of this line at all, but it kind of reminds me of the StarCom toy line. Definitely worth looking at. I want to get a little more familiar with this. Thanks for mentioning it!

[@dalastar3]

Interesting trivia about the helmeted space man in the cantina. His outfit was reused for Bossk in ESB. The outfit itself came from a UK costumer and can be seen in many Brit sci-fi shows and films in the 60's and 70's.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's pretty cool. I did not know that, but I thought it looked familiar. Bossk and that guy went to the same tailor. 😁. Thanks for the comment!

[@ErikLarson-l9k]

I had all the Power Lords figures. They seemed huge compared to the typical Star Wars figure size. Also, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Robo Force half-hour animated show “The Revenge of Nazgar”. It was a pilot for a regular animated series but it never got picked up. I recorded it on a VHS tape I watched many times, but I believe it was only aired once, and to most of the general public it was lost media for years until it was included in a DVD set for the Gobots cartoon.

[@Gentleman_Jester]

I still remember to this day getting the micronauts battle cruiser toy for my sixth birthday in 1978. It was the greatest toy ever.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Those Micronauts toys were really cool. I missed out on most of them, but I can look back and see how cool it would have been to mix that line with some Star Wars. Thanks for watching.

[@Gappasaurus]

Fun fact: 18:17 The Land Speed Racer (note “speed” and not “speeder”) is not a sci-fi vehicle at all, which is why it was part of the Adventure series and not the Space series, and why the “pilot” is a race-car driver instead of an astronaut. It’s based on real-world jet- or rocket-powered land vehicles designed and built specifically for setting land speed (hence the name) records, usually in places like the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. _That said,_ i’m pretty sure most kids still used it for space dogfights with the Firestar-1, and that’s cool too 😄

[@xheralt]

Hoping for that Micronauts deep dive, someday!

[@Dr_Bombay]

roflmao, +1 for the amazing Mr. Mister mondegreen. EDIT - hoping you do get around to doing a video about Micronauts at some point. they were so awesome.

[@elcowabungahe-man6156]

Love the Robo Force i had 2 of them i am definitely getting this boys for mine collection and the Rascal Robot as well

[@thelittlethings3309]

Roboforce was a pretty fun line. The size and build of the figures meant that they could cross play with just about any action figure line of the time, from 3.75 inch to 6 inch. The line also didn't go over very well, so I remember them (and their accessories) being dirt cheap in clearance bins. Naturally, I had quite a few of them. Thanks for the comment!

[@brianjohnson5063]

I remember the space shuttle one of the boys mum childminded had perfect for putting starwars figures in

[@thelittlethings3309]

You are right, it was perfect for Star Wars figures. I played with the Sci Fi Adventure People toys with my Star Wars stuff so much that I have a hard time thinking of Star Wars without thinking of them too. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@lurkerrekrul]

One toy line you didn't mention was the Ding-A-Lings. These were small (about 5" tall) boxy robots. THe square body of each robot could accommodate a "power pack" which contained both batteries and a motor for making the robot move. The robots didn't come with a power pack, that had to be bought separately. So that they didn't have a big hole in their back, the robots came with a fake power pack plate that snapped in place. There were several different robots in the series, which also included King-Ding, a large robot that could hold one of the normal sized robots inside him. He came with a robot called Brain, and had a motorized elevator that would lift Brain up inside until he was looking out of King-Ding's clear face plate. There was also a blue skyway set that had a toothed track that the robots could travel along, even upside down. It was pretty limited though as it only included straight pieces and a vertical loop. I also had the Space 1999 Eagle play set. It came with three figures styled to look like John, Helena, and Victor, although their faces were unpainted. I loved that it came with tiny little stun guns that were accurate to the show. Of course that also meant that they were easily lost. The figures also weren't very durable. Since the legs had no articulation, one figure was seated, and you could pull the figures apart at the waist to swap the sitting/standing legs as needed. Unfortunately, the snap was pretty delicate and didn't survive falls of more than a foot or so onto to carpet. I still have the Eagle, although I don't think I have any of the figures any more. Also at one point, I had a small, battery operated Space 1999 stun gun, The top, red barrel would light up when you pressed the button. It was probably half the size of the real prop and the clear red barrel was much larger than the other three, but beyond that, it was fairly accurate for a toy. Then I had a parachute figure modeled after the orange Space 1999 spacesuits. It looked pretty good. Unfortunately it was made from brittle plastic and didn't survive too many parachute failures.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I need to look into those Ding a Lings, but I think they are more of the Matt Mason era of Sci Fi toys. I remember seeing them in toy adds in vintage comics, but I think they were long gone by the early 1980s. Seemed like a cool robot toy, though, and worthy of a closer look or a future video. Also, I loved those parachute figures. They were produced for a zillion different shows and toy lines. Everyone was parachuting in those days, including Superman and Spock! Thanks for the comments!

[@lurkerrekrul]

@@thelittlethings3309 Yes, i think you're right that Ding-a-Lings were probably from the early 70s. Other than King Ding and Brain, the only other one I had was Constructo, who had a sort of futuristic jack hammer. The one I wanted was Rocky, who had two stubby missile launchers for arms, but I never ended up getting him for one reason or another. Maybe my parents couldn't find him in stores. I don't think I ever saw one in person. I may still have Constructo, but King Ding and my Brain are long gone. I did find a broken King Ding in the trash. I probably should have taken it, but I'm such a hoarder that my house is already full of crap. I did take Brain though, as he was intact. No power pack though, just the dummy back plate. And I think someone glued plastic pieces across the open parts of his hands, as I don't recall mine having those.

[@borusa32]

These were very enjoyable videos

[@thelittlethings3309]

I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@adamcaul]

This is awesome!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks for watching!

[@thorgoogolhammer7943]

The "Spyzor The Adam Crusher" figure and his vehicle kind of reminds me of the Chitauri from Avengers.

[@cowpuddles4851]

I never had any Micronauts but I had several Metal Men figures which, until about a decade ago, I thought were from the same line. Regardless, this video was a great overview of the toys of that era. Thanks for making it!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you for watching it. I hope that it brought back some great memories. Also, I had never heard of the Metal Men toys until now. I looked them up and they were pretty interesting. Pretty similar to the Micronauts. I can see where you would think that they were from the same line. Thanks for mentioning these!

[@TitularHeroine]

I had a red and steel colored robot guy that I'm sure was from those; regret having lost it! I puzzled over what the H that was for years until the wider use of these internets and I could look up the copyright indicia.

[@cowpuddles4851]

@@TitularHeroine I have lots of regrets over missing and sold toys. If only I could have known how valuable (in memories) those toys would be now that I’m old…

[@TitularHeroine]

@@cowpuddles4851 That is *it,* right? You said it so well. How valuable they were -- to us.

[@DadalorianCreates]

man the memories, i wore my Alpha Star out ... Fisher Price was at all of the BXes so i ended up with The Interceptor and Star from this line - tho it was often piloted bu GI Joe and Star Wars when i gradually got some of them... thanks for the flash backs

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yup. Those Adventure People toys played well with so many other toy lines and were great supplements. G.I. Joes and especially Star Wars figs took the vehicles out for adventures regularly during playtime as a child. I really can't think about the old Kenner Star Wars line without thinking about Adventure People stuff too. Thanks for the comment.

[@ivane5110]

Star Team was awesome, limites as it was. Zem-21 was actually one of my favorites as a kid, even long after I stopped being abke to find any in stores any more. But I used him with a one piece plastic sled that he had to awkwardly lay face down in to fly. And I think the human is also why I liked the Mork from Orc 3 3/4 figure so much. The sincher for them was the comic; art was better than anything that would be used in Star Wars or Battle Star or Logans Run comics. I like to believe that somewhere in the multiforce this line was the winner and there are cosplay conventions and fan-debated movies of Star Team.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Ha! That's great! Star Team never gets any appreciation and I like hearing from someone that was genuinely into them and not just about the line as a reflection of Star Wars. Very nice. Thanks for the comment!

[@ablemagawitch]

A part 4 for this serious could be the model rocket the COX gas powered planes, the slot race car sets, the train sets that were themed to whatever film or show that were to mimic.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's a really good idea! Also, I should discuss those Matchbox and Hotwheels cars from the time that were created (or modified) to hit that same Sci Fi aesthetic. I need to create a part 4 or an addendum with all these good ideas that people give me in the comments. Thanks!

[@VulpisFoxfire]

Another item that was loosely in the Roboforce line...Erector did a remote control (wired remote, not RC) set that among other things let you put together a version of MAXX, with a gripper arm and one with a magnet on it.

[@TitularHeroine]

I'm glad you mentioned the Barlowe book; it's nearly a forgotten classic. I may have one of the Little People pilots around here somewhere..... And I just now realized, too. Window shopping for upcoming Eagle Force figures, their character "The Forgotten" *must* be inspired by the Little People X-Ray Man. Very cool.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Eagle Force!?! Those little metal guys? I remember them. The leader had a patch and looked a lot like Nick Fury. I didn't know they had made a come-back. "The Hidden" look a lot like Micronauts. And "Maverick" looks like the Mega Force guy. Interesting line. Well, I guess I know what I will be looking at for a while. Thanks for mentioning this.

[@TitularHeroine]

@@thelittlethings3309 Yeah! I believe they are all Big Bad Toy Store exclusives now; there's a whole extensive line available and upcoming. I'm most looking forward to Black Terror, a vintage super hero now in the public domain. The "Not Really Flash Gordon" characters are prerty rad too. I wish they had some females characters though!!

[@TitularHeroine]

@@thelittlethings3309 Oops. To clarify: these are updated re-releases, by somebody not even Remco, though I'm sure that was inferred. As always, love the channel and thanks!

[@pitiedvod]

I had a couple of Firestar 1s in grey. Didn’t know they came in other colours. I think those are the only thing I had of this particular line though.

[@jimbrown5091]

I owned the Fisher Price Alpha Interceptor...assembling it was a triumph for 3rd grade me...and soon thereafter my dad bought me several Lego space kits too.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Spaceship! I liked those Lego space toys and I ended up making vehicles and robots to play with other sci fi toy lines with them (along with my Robotics toys too). Thanks for the comment!

[@venturefanatic9262]

Yes Micronauts!! Got those before Star Wars, being in the Bay Area helped. Had a Zeroid set too.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I didn't have much in the way of Micronauts, but I really did love the few I had and playing with my friend's toys. We always just matriculated them in with our Star Wars stuff (like a lot of these toys). Thanks for watching.

[@cfg83]

I remember the SPACEWAR figures. I never imbibed. I remember Barlowe's guide, but the power lords are fuzzy to me.

[@Teeveepicksures]

The micro-nauts aliens were always our go-to "bad guys" when playing.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That is a good use of the Micronauts, if you ask me. They could certainly have that "Terminator" feel to them with a little imagination. Robot empire gone bad kind of thing. I used to use the alien looking ones as extra bounty hunter characters. Good times and great memories! Thanks for watching.

[@travishiltz4750]

Random thoughts: Micronauts: Yeah, they were a weird franchise. I didn't get into them until I read the marvel comic, and that really tried to make them more Star Wars-ish. Star team: designs were decent, but they got shut down before you could figure out what their mythology was supposed to be. Adventure people: such a great line. Loved it, but it was weird, as half the toys seemed to be just astronauts, while the other half was funky sci-fi.

[@RickyManner]

@14:49 I had that shuttle that I used to play with my G.I. Joe action figures.

[@thelittlethings3309]

One of the best in the Adventure People line, and most of those toys could supplement Star Wars or G.I. Joe (and many more).

[@believein1]

Powerlords. I had Adam. So terrified of the characters while I enjoyed the show and comic books❤

[@thelittlethings3309]

Man, they were creepy weren't they. It added to it, somewhat, but I really found them disconcerting also. I also really like the comic as a kid. Thanks for watching!

[@Steph_7d7]

I had the alpha star vehicle as a kid. I loved it.

[@Steph_7d7]

I even had three of those roboforce figures

[@thelittlethings3309]

Roboforce really was a throwback to earlier robot styles but seemed to work with so many toy lines from the time. They were a great deal when they hit the discount bins. Thanks for the comments!

[@Steph_7d7]

@@thelittlethings3309 the three parts were a joy to watch, thanks right back at ya.

[@kenlipson8686]

I just found your channel and I'm hooked. Do you have a video on Fisher Prices adventure people? Those were in the top 4 all time of toylines

[@Scotty-Z70]

10:29 I think i had that one. i remember the arm and the camera ...and the walkie talkie...

[@thelittlethings3309]

Those guys were pretty weird. Knock-off toys, but interesting ones nonetheless. They have a value all their own due to their own place in toy history and the memories they bring back. I joke about them, but I still like them for what they are.

[@thomasthompson2431]

Had the alpha interceptor, the pilots jetpack controller "so was" a Dr theopolis pack... 😊

[@thelittlethings3309]

I never noticed that! Ha! 🤣 I guess Twiki needed some time off and gave Dr. Theo to the Interceptor pilot to wear for a while. That was a great observation. Thanks!

[@loganholmberg2295]

oh man I had all the adventure people vehicles when I was a kid. I loved that Alpha probe space shuttle. Am I wrong but I distinctly remember the alpha intercepted being able to split into two ships? Damn they where durable though. They where the only toys that survived long enough to be inherited by my much younger little brother.

[@thelittlethings3309]

These things were built to last. They could definitely take a beating. I had a lot of them too, and integrated them so much with my Star Wars toys that I can't think about the Star Wars line without thinking of them too. That free integration and mixing of toys from different lines is a hallmark of 80s toys and kids. Thanks for watching.

[@ManBatz]

Great series! I had a Big Trak and always thought it resembled the Galatica. You touched on Micronauts. Are you familiar with the "Micronauts Rocket Tubes"?

[@davequinn2369]

Mate I had most of fisher figures playsets always crossed over with my Star wars stuff. I had alot of Star Com, great toys

[@thelittlethings3309]

Those Fisher Price toys were the perfect crossover/supplemental toys for many toy lines of the time period. I really need to discuss Star Com. A lot of people mentioned it and I thought it was a great line, though it came out later than most of these toys featured in this series. Thanks for watching!

[@VulpisFoxfire]

Hmm, I wonder if that 'Knight of Darkness' was an inspiration for the humanoid security bots from the movie 'The Black Hole'...that figure reminds me a lot of the head security bot, who went by the name S.T.A.R. (and blew a fuse when Vincent beat him at the shooting range).

[@tedfitzpatrickyt]

“Address the bantha in the vaporator” 😂😂😂

[@tedfitzpatrickyt]

Also, please please do a Micronauts retro

[@thelittlethings3309]

Ha! Thanks.

[@Scotty-Z70]

16:00 Firestar was a good guy in my universe. X-Ray men were jellyfish like aliens.

[@thelittlethings3309]

A good guy!?! Impossible. Just kidding. I suppose what we were pretending and playing at the time really dictated those details. That was one of the best things about the Adventure People. They were relatively blank slates and it was really up to your imagination. The X-Ray people could easily become jellyfish like aliens much like those in The Abyss 😁

[@th33b33]

Robotix set was awesome

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yessir it was. Robotix was one of my favorites, and I want to cover them in a different video. I gave up a lot of other toys to get TWO Robotix sets (at two different occasions) as a kid, and I used them with a ton of 3.75 inch toy lines. I built everything from mechs to space stations for my action figures. I gotta find some time to make a vid on them! Thanks for the comment.

[@DanetteScheel]

You bring up such good memories! I had the star team dumb robot and the x-ray girl. Didn’t the dome of the robot have a lightbulb in it that flash on and off? I also had several micronaut toys which I loved the best of all. The rocket tubes sucked, though!

[@DavesEmpire1981]

I played with that shuttle so many times at my grandparents house that I killed the sound chip. Never remembered what toy line it came from.

[@thelittlethings3309]

You really must have played the Aych Ee Double Hockey Stick out of that thing! Those sound chips were hard to kill. It was a great toy, and one of my favorites too. Thanks for watching!

[@DavesEmpire1981]

@@thelittlethings3309 oh, I did. Lol

[@jeffhorne2501]

Thank you for these three videos. I had some of these as a kid, and couldn't remember their names and characters. Also, The Adventure People playsets were my first introduction into action figures. I had many, many of their sets, and still have a couple of the figures to this day.🙂🥹

[@thelittlethings3309]

The Adventure People toys were some of the best from this time. They were just "blank slate" type toys that played so well with many of the other toy lines. It is hard for me to think about Kenner Star Wars or Hasbro G.I. Joe without thinking about the Adventure People toys too. They just automatically go together in my mind. Thanks for watching!

[@giulio.n.verdiani2817]

Hello there! Maybe someone can help me... I have a memory of a toy line from the late 70s. Some articulated action figures, with helmets equipped with masks, gold and silver and a kind of bodice that resembled that of Captain Future. The helmets and weapons were also child-sized...

[@vucubcaxis]

The Alpha shuttle still is around at my parent's house 😊

[@thelittlethings3309]

A great toy with a lot of play value. I liked that the Adventure People stuff were blank slate type toys that could play with so many other toy lines from the time. Check out the other vids in the series if you get a chance. I go into a little more detail on the Alpha Probe in Part 3. Thanks for watching!

[@thelj3279]

💚💚💚!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks for taking the journey to deep space with us!

[@workingZen]

Alpha Probe will always be a sore point for me. The shop only had one left and was meant to put it aside and my mom was going to buy it for Christmas, but some how my Uncle went to the shop and snapped it up for my cousin no fault of his but on the shop owner. So had to watch my cousin that Christmas playing with it. Also the Playmobil space - GE5P Droid, was just R2D2.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Ouch! That hurts just hearing about it. Maybe now is the time to get an old one from eBay and make that childhood dream come true! You know what, if I had one, I would send it to you. In fact, since I am just rambling, I am going to get a time machine and take the Alpha Probe, that I don't have, and give it to you as a kid on that Christmas. Heck, since none of this is plausible, I will give you two. And one of those really cool and expensive programmable Tomy robots too. Look at that, cousin! I hope this Christmas goes better for you. Thanks for watching.

[@workingZen]

haha what have you done! you changed the timeline! but seriously, I did consider just getting one off ebay. Heck, I would try get all the toys, I couldnt get as a kid, and fullful the child hood. That T-rex from Dinoriders and the tactical battlepod from Robotech.@@thelittlethings3309

[@thelittlethings3309]

I just created a new BRANCH of the timeline. One in which you own TWO Alpha Probes...and destroy the world. Oops. Can't win them all. Happy Holidays!

[@teslamadeit3068]

Your C3PO had both legs gold like they should be. I put a model together of C3PO and he had no silver leg.

[@thelittlethings3309]

The way God and Kenner intended it. I am not so sure about Luke's yellow light saber though.

[@markplott4820]

Little things - star hawk ufo was licensed by Star Trek for Lazarus spaceship.

[@thelittlethings3309]

What!? I didn't know that. Thanks.

[@billthomas2652]

8:41 - That's a repurposed Evel Knievel Rocket, right?

[@skylx0812]

I had the Adventure People Dune Buster guy. I thought he was the coolest looking one of the bunch. I also had the nurse in the white uniform. But, to me, her face looked like Randolph Mantooth of the tv series EMERGENCY.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Randolph Mantooth! HA HA HA! She does! Great one!

[@WeerdWulf]

You lefto ut Captain Zargon and Space Ranger for Palitoys Action Man. And toys based on tv series Terrahawks which had their own Zeroid characters

[@jerryrehard7711]

I had Zem 21 and always wanted Zeroid and the ship. I didnt care a lick about them being Star Wars knock offs. They were just cool toys to me.

[@billyw.garrison1334]

I had a Big Tracks toy ,and it's trailer.

[@howieodell3257]

Adventure people ! yes.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I really can't think about the Kenner Star Wars line without thinking about those Sci Fi Adventure People toys. They were a great supplement or on their own. Thanks for watching.

[@markplott4820]

Little things - I would argue that Popy Diecast toy line and Takara microchange & Diaclone were more Important . also the ST size Diecast Godaikins and the Plastic Super Jumbo robots . as well as the DX sized Godaikins and FULLY Tranformable robots.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I agree that they were influential and I should have included them. Especially the Diaclone stuff. I think I will need to create an addendum and include them and a few more that I forgot and commenters have reminded me about.

[@prowlus]

supried you didnt do Starcom

[@CB-ke7eq]

Installing power lines might seem mundane if you're a linesman, but for the layman it can be quite the adventure.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Too true. Still, it seems like it has a lot less potential for action and adventure when it comes to toys and play time. Real life...that is a totally different story.

[@andrewtaylor940]

Ideals Commander Kent and his Star Cruiser is hilariously a reuse of Ideals previous Evil Kenivel Rocket Cycle. It may just be me, but I always thought the Fisher Price Adventure People SF line drew more from Major Matt Mason line. There was also some odd symmetry. Kenner blatantly copied Adventure People when designing their Star Wars line. So Fisher Price steering into it and copying back felt right.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I didn't know that about the Evel Knieval Rocket Cycle. That makes Commander Kent, like, 100% more bada$$. He may have stood a chance against that Knight of Darkness guy after all. Thanks for that info. I can see some of the Matt Mason influence on the Adventure People Sci Fi toys too. I love that Matt Mason stuff but it definitely was from a different era in Sci Fi toys. You know, I think you are right. The Adventure People kind of bridged the gap between Matt Mason Sci Fi and Star Wars Sci Fi. That toy line was absolutely brilliant! Thanks for the comment.

[@acrodave9287]

PS: "Beast Machines! Can ANYTHING stop them?" How about lazy design and poor sales..? 😂😑 (Nice use of the Wilhelm scream...)

[@markplott4820]

Little things - I would argue that Battle Star Galactica LAND RAM toy and Diaclone COSMO base were better.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I had a Cosmo Roller toy as a kid. I almost forgot about it. I got it from EPCOT when they sold hard to get Japanese toys at the Centorium. It was a GREAT toy and really fun. I wish I could have gotten more of them. The base was really great looking. Thanks for the comment!

[@claycornify]

yellowed plastic toys :P

[@thelittlethings3309]

Time makes fools of us all. Little yellowed plastic fools. They are still white in my mind's eye. So beautiful 😋

[@andrewakes307]

Dude... it is not "carry a laser.."

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah. It was a joke. AC/DC also didn't sing about the "Thunder Chief", but I will always wish they did. That dude was bada$$.

[@markplott4820]

Little things - Message from Space the MOVIE and the Toys were a Direct rip off of Star Wars , the FILM even starred Vic Morrow.

[@thelittlethings3309]

It really was. It's pretty fun to watch, though.

[@freedo333]

😂 i was waiting for you to mention the micronauts. No offense to Star Wars, but i thought micronaut toys were 1000 times cooler than star wars- & i had an ATAT & millennium falcon :)

[@thelittlethings3309]

I was a bit young for the Micronauts, but I had friends with some of the line (like the aliens) and I liked playing with them. I found Karza and Force Commander at a garage sale and bought them when I was still really small, and I thought they were great, though I did not even know their names until years later. I started to cover the Micronauts, but I quickly became overwhelmed at how large and diverse the line was. I really missed out on that one. It looks so good. Anyway, thanks for watching and letting me reminisce a while!

[@markplott4820]

Little things - American toys LACKED Imagination and QUALITY Die cast. this is why Diaclone , Kronoforms, Transformers , Shogun warriors , Gogaikins and POPY toys Dominated SALES.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I don't agree that American toys lacked imagination. Just look at lines like Arco's Other World. Lots and lots of imagination there. Weird imagination. BUT, I do think Diaclone, Transformers, Shogun Warriors, etc. were great lines too. They were really fun and well made.