I have a full set of the first series... They're quite nice figures.
The Hot Toyz Aliens Vs. Predator figures are "Snap Kit" figures. In Asia, you can pick these up while at the check-out at the store I guess... Like beside candy bars.
Anyway, they're blind packaged (in the first series at least), and what you got was just simply luck of the draw. There's a number of chase figures, and I happened tog et a chase Alien in my case I ordered.
The figures come in pieces, and you have to put them together. It's fairly simple however you do need to heat them or they're prone to breaking. They are nicely scaled to the SW figure's basic line... Pretty spiffy overall.
The sculpting and detailing is unmatched by other Predator lines, though I think the MicroMan ones have cooler accessories, and probably more sturdy accessories.
The Hot Toyz figs are a little prone to falling udner their weight. They're articulated with ball/socket joints EVERYWHERE which makes them fragile but they're really fun, I mean it's tough to describe how poseable they are and yet it's really well hidden. The Predators even have little necklaces of skulls you can remove. I have a Predator in my Cantina grabbing a drink and having a fight picked with him by Djas Puhr.
Bad move on Djas's part.
The Wave 1 figures included a number of somewhat "Basic" Predators and one cast in transluscent/clear plastic. That one is to be using their see-through camoflauge from the movies remember? Pretty neat idea, no?
I wound up with like an extra Scar instead of a chase Predator, but I got a blood red chase alien... I also got 2 warrior aliens, a grid alien, and a transluscent alien. There's an alien with a white brain too, dunno what that one's deal is but it's an Asian exclusive. The Eldar Predator was the chase Predator but he is also regular release in the Wave 2 set (Fritz's is the Eldar Predator).
The Wave 2 set is different... They may still be blindpacked, I'm not sure, but I do know that they EACH come with ONE piece to a massive Queen Alien figure. You buy the set, you get the queen... Unfortunately, not everyting in Wave 2 is "great". Like one figure is just a facehugger egg pod, and another is an open egg pod... Not much to it but that, and that blows if you ask me.
I want Wave 2 to get the queen. You can get these for $10-ish a figure too, not $20, which is still pricey but worth it I think. Check around and you can find them cheaper. I got some for $7-$8 at one point to build a little army.
For the curious as to why I wanted these, if anyone is curious, I used to play Jedi Knight (Dark Forces 2) avidly on my computer. The game was great, and at the time it had a VERY active editing community online... Editors for games are people who take PC games and make new levels, new characters, new items, etc., and basically make the game fresh and new. A lot of GREAT custom levels by editors are out there for the original Jedi Knight game...
One level by one of the best editors out there is basically a whole long level in itself that is a cross-over Story of the "Aliens" universe with Star Wars. In it the Empire has captured and isolated Aliens from the film Alien(s) in a research center... The Rebels think it's biotechnology being created for the war, so they send an agent ala Kyle Katarn (may be Kyle, I forget now how the editor designed the story exactly) to infiltrate the bas eand obtain data. In the process though he unleashes the aliens and the base goes to hell.
The editor made aliens for in the game, they're just like in the movie... The level's amazingly professional in its looks and design, it's a BIG level too, it's very fun and the way he uses the effects and tools available to him, it's even scary as it should be. Aliens go after stormtroopers, stormies ignore you tos ave themselves,it's great.
I got my AvP figs then to do some crossover customizing/scenes at some point. The Hot Toyz figures are simply perfect for that if you ask me then.
