Whoever said, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” was really on to something.
With the TMNT sequel finally here, it only seemed fitting to whip out every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows toy in arm’s reach, which is saying a lot when your work atmosphere looks more like a playroom than an office #HumbleBrag. In all my TNMT glory, I had way too much fun with Playmates Toys‘ Turtle Tactical Truck.
The yellow and green garbage truck measures 16 inches long and about 8 inches tall, and offers way more than your standard garbage truck. With plenty of room for kids to play with their TMNT figures, as well as tons of kick-butt attack features, kids will have a blast bringing their favorite movie scenes to the playroom floor.
Before all the fun begins, kids will have to turn their truck into the movie-inspired vehicle. This will take a little assembly, and a lot of stickers. The truck comes mostly assembled, but requires that kids snap on the yellow fork lift to the front of the truck, the missile that goes on top of the truck, as well as a few other tiny pieces. Once that’s done, it’s time to deck the truck out in TMNT swag. With tons of fun decals, the garbage truck will transform right before kids’ eyes. For instance, kids can place the big “TARATUGA brothers”—Italian and Portuguese for “turtle brothers,”—stickers on the side of the trucks, as well as graffiti, caution tape, and tons of more stickers that can go all over the vehicle.
Once it’s ready to roll, kids can place their own action figures in multiple places. The yellow fork lifts so that the front of the truck splits open to let two turtles sit in the driver and passenger seats. Once the fork lowers down, the grey piece attached to it becomes a bench for figures to sit or stand on. The Turtles can also cruise as they stand on the back bumper of the garbage truck, like actual sanitation workers often do. There’s even space on the inside of the truck for when the turtles take on missions. What I’m trying to say is: there is so much room for activities!
With the turtles eager to take on Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and any of the other evil villains, it’s time to master the art of three attack modes that the truck features, including a Turtle-activation missile launcher, and four ninja star discs, each of which has it’s own slot on the front bumper of the truck. On each side of the vehicle there are two buttons, and once kids press one of the buttons, two of the discs fly out to take down any attackers.
Last, but certainly not least, TNMT fans will be able to recreate the nunchuck attack from the movie’s preview. The nun chunks are located in the grey storage container on the side of the truck. The trick is to bring the nunchucks to the outside of the truck, close the sides back up, and let the truck take off. When the big wheels rotate, it also whips the nunchucks in a circular motion. Shredder, you’ve been warned.
The Turtle Tactical Truck is a must-have for any long-time TMNT fan, and—with so many awesome features—even those who missed the craze will want to get their hands on it. Warning: It’s so much fun, you may go into shell shock.
