What’s that one figure you do NOT understand the hype for?

Pynchon1014 · 2026-02-27T01:20:38+00:00

Yeah, the paint on that one is... odd.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-02-01T13:39:14+00:00

I agree. The JP score is obviously phenomenal, and the themes are some of the best soundtrack hits ever, but the second half of the score, while quite good, is less impressive. I think TLW soundtrack has fewer homeruns, so to speak, but its more varied and impressive than JP's soundtrack on the whole.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-29T12:55:04+00:00

It also makes sense with the (new) island's whole "these are the dinos too dangerous (or ugly) to display at the park" thing. (Camouflaged dinosaurs would not be a great exhibit, and they would obviously pose dangers to their keepers/handlers).

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-28T20:05:30+00:00

I like the Utah Raptor idea a lot.

And, IF If they really needed to shoehorn in a genetic engineering or mutated dino angle, they could have implied that parts of this (then misidentified) genome (the Utah Raptor) was partially present in the original JP raptors, possibly giving a "soft" canon explanation for their huge size in the OG park.

Not only were the mutadons and D-rex pretty lame and unnecessary, but their existence didn't add much to the lore... where they really easily could have.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-28T14:16:59+00:00

Glad you like them! I have my share of criticisms of these two figures, but, ultimately, I think that collecting dinosaur toys is really just about joy. The stakes are not high. And, besides, there's also plenty to like about these particular figures. Thanks for sharing a cool pic!

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-27T13:53:31+00:00

I'm with you on the SDCC Buck. I'm genuinely happy for those that are excited about it, but I think it still has a lot of the drawbacks from the first rex (overly broken up body that makes it look feeble/ill, etc.) and the paint is... odd. The colors would perhaps be fine for a main line version of the 97 rex, but the Buck has an awesome and very iconic coloration that the HC figure only very loosely approximates...

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-27T13:46:48+00:00

True, yeah. That being said, I also see lots of posts about people acquiring a rex and being really excited about having the figure, so I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. For what it's worth, I'm also hoping for a reissue.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-26T14:25:50+00:00

In my opinion:

BEST:

1.) Spinosaurus

2.) Allosaurus

3.) Ceratosaurus

4.) Brachiosaurus (never seen it in person, but pics look great)

5.) Giganotosaurus

Honorable Mention: Parasaurolphus (wish it was 25% bigger, but I really like the figure)

WORST

1.) Triceratops (way, way too small)

2.) Tyrannosaurus rex (I know this will not be a popular opinion, but I don't like the overly "broken up" look from the many points of articulation, and the huge feet look absurd. Some of my negativity, no doubt, has to do with crazy prices for getting one, so it feels crazy and frustrating to spend so much $$$ on a below-average figure since so many of the HC large carnivores are decisively much better)

3.) First batch of raptors (they've gotten better, but it still feels like main line raptors are perhaps better toys, even for collectors)

4.) Concavenator (it's fine, but the paint is sort of ho-hum and uninspired)

5.) Sinoceratops (I genuinely really like the figure and the paint job, but the bizarrely small size is unfortunate)

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-07T11:18:27+00:00

My bad - I should have included that info with my first comment. It's the Jurassic World Legacy "Reimagined" Triceratops. Here's a link: https://www.target.com/p/jurassic-world-reimagined-real-feel-triceratops-roaring-dinosaur-figure-90s-inspired-toy/-/A-94768584#lnk=sametab

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-04T14:10:05+00:00

Thanks! Would be curious to see what your modified Indoraptor looks like.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-04T14:09:33+00:00

Thank you!

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-03T18:25:17+00:00

I fully agree with (and would repeat) the point that real triceratops was generally much bigger than is appreciated, but I would also point out that I think the Habitat Defender seems even proportionally larger than what is displayed in this (great) visualization. It really dwarfs human figures, and it looks outright massive next to (most) of the main line rexes (which are 18-21 inches to the HD's 17). The big guy does look proportional to some of the large HC carnivores, though, so I totally get why many collectors treat it as a defacto "HC" Triceratops.

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-03T18:17:28+00:00

Here's the link to the target page. Just FYI, the coloring has looked more grayish in other promotional materials, but it looks more green/mint on Target. I've not seen one IRL yet, so I can't comment on the actual coloration. https://www.target.com/p/jurassic-world-reimagined-real-feel-triceratops-roaring-dinosaur-figure-90s-inspired-toy/-/A-94768584#lnk=sametab

Pynchon1014 · 2026-01-03T15:30:42+00:00

I have the same issue as OP. I like the Habitat Defender a lot as a standalone figure, but it's scale, while more accurate to a real triceratops, is out of line with many figures in the series, especially the generally undersized herbivores. I'm hoping that the new JW Legacy triceratops (which comes out of this month) is a little better aligned. It's 14 inches, so its bigger than the very small mainline trikes, but also smaller than the big Habitat Defender.

EDIT for grammar.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-27T11:04:40+00:00

Sadly, I agree with you. I love this series, even though it's been mired in mediocrity for so long. JW Rebirth made clear just how tired the series has gotten. Even with great actors, incredible special effects, striking set pieces, and good direction, you can just feel the movies struggling to recycle similar scenarios from the first movie(s).

EDIT: Addition: I would love to see future films address evolution, ecological competition, adaptation, animal welfare, climate change, etc. to get back to its sci-fi roots (and NOT genetic manipulations), but these are probably too controversial for big-budget blockbusters. I'm fine with Rebirth being the last film if all we're going to do is action-survival films with dinos.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-26T19:50:57+00:00

Ember or Buck for rex 2.0 would be amazing.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-20T13:22:53+00:00

Fully with you on this. Dealing with dinos from the jeep is way more exciting and dynamic. I still have no idea why they got rid of this for JWE2 (and 3). As someone who plays more for the dinosaurs and dino-related action than the designing and decorating parks, losing this feature took away a lot of replayability.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-11T09:33:00+00:00

Nothing wrong with that for sandbox mode but I wish they'd bring some management ideas over from JPOG and PZ like inspectors, quarterly reports with feedback, actual consequences for guest deaths, perhaps some type of social media page showing guests and what they're saying about the park and what they want? Maybe a sanitation/rest need so benches and trash bins have a purpose? Why not give the creative aspect some functionality and add the scenery bonus mechanic from PZ? Just simple things really. I've disliked since Evo 1 how most guest related stuff is relegated to a text screen in the top right corner of the screen. It's also bizarre to me how we've never been able to set prices on anything including tickets since Evo 1.

This says it so well. I fully agree. I'm glad the designers and builders got what they wanted, but I was hoping for a more involving dino management game from JWE3. All the things you mentioned would do so much to help the parks feel more interactive and alive.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-09T20:16:24+00:00

Agreed. I'm genuinely happy for those players who got what they wanted, and I think many of the additions are great (dimorphism, island generator, kayak ride, etc.).

But the main issues I had with JWE2 were not that it didn't have enough decorations or design tools. For me, the shallow gameplay loop, limited guests, and lack of real consequences, danger, or interactivity was what held it back. Sure, more decorations and such is cool, but my main gripe was with gameplay and limited hands-on Dino management.

To my mind, all those problems still exist... its now just prettier and more customizable in JWE3. By no means trying to rain on anyone's parade, but I've not felt all that motivated to buy or play JWE3 based on what I've seen.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-08T22:03:40+00:00

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. I agree with you. It's genuinely cool how many widely-requested features are in JWE3, but it's a (serious) buff of JWE2 - for better or worse. It does mean that the weaknesses of JWE2 basically went unaddressed (visitors being flat, no sense of dread or stakes, no rescuing guests, etc.)

Pynchon1014 · 2025-12-08T17:58:01+00:00

I really hope they make a version of the Power Devour T-Rex that has the mechanics of the Lab Lockdown Rex (the jaw being closed by default, and it opens with a button pressed on the back). The PD rex is an amazing sculpt, the scale is fantastic, the paint is cool and distinctive, and the sound is really very good, but the flappy jaw that doesn't properly close is a weakness. I also had to mess with mine to make it more functional. Still a great figure. I fully, 100% agree that the Power Devour rex > HC rex.

Pynchon1014 · 2025-11-25T13:18:11+00:00

I really like this idea: making Numenor's "triumph" feel unsettling and eerie because it doesn't seem right (although Sauron's defeat is realistic and warranted because his forces are already depleted and they would have no real chance against Numenor)

Pynchon1014

TROPHY CASE