I never realized it until I was an adult, but if I were to create my own “Rock Father Toy Hall of Fame,” PLAYMOBIL would be guaranteed a spot as one of the greatest toy lines of all time. Providing countless hours of imaginative play for kids since 1974, PLAYMOBIL has surprisingly steered clear of the licensing market (with few exceptions, like sports), but for 2017 they’ve jumped into that realm with Ghostbusters and How to Train Your Dragon – a couple of lines that are both unexpected, and ripe for some fantastic toys. For the former, PLAYMOBIL has created a new collection with cross-generational appeal, bringing Ghostbusters back into toy departments where kids of all ages can strap on their Proton Packs for some serious supernatural fun. PLAYMOBIL recently had their new Ecto-1 action vehicle sent to us for review in The Toy Testing Facility at Rock Father HQ™, and it’s everything we’d hoped it would be… and more. Check out the timelapse build and hands-on action in the video below!
For fans of both the original 1984 Ghostbusters film and it’s spin-off cartoon, The Real Ghostbusters, you’ll be surprised at what a throwback this is. The Ecto-1 manages to not only capture the look of the famous Miller-Meteor Cadillac ambulance converted into official ghostbustin’ vehicle, but also manages to recall Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters toy, all while perfectly fitting into the classic scale, look and feel of PLAYMOBIL.
The 79-piece set includes figures of Winston Zeddemore (played by Ernie Hudson) and Janine Melnitz (played by Annie Potts), and as the dad of two girls – it’s pretty awesome that Janine is decked-out in full Ghostbusters gear. I don’t believe she ever strapped-on a Proton Pack in live-action, but she did in the cartoons and comics. The detail is excellent, with packs for both figures, a Ghost Trap that opens, optional Proton Beams, and silicon “slime” clingers that allow kids to slime the Ecto-1 during their epic battles. And the lights and sound just push this completely over the top!
For us, this is likely just the beginning as The Rock Daughters have already requested the Ghostbusters Firehouse Playset. As PLAYMOBIL aficionados, they already have some of the bigger sets – like the Furnished Shopping Mall and Children’s Hospital, so the iconic Ghostbusters HQ will fit right into their expanding world of play.
See the full collection of PLAYMOBIL Ghostbusters on the official site.
Bonus: Earlier this year, a special line of collector-focused 6″ PLAYMOBIL figures was launched in collaboration with Funko. The Funko x PLAYMOBIL collection features characters inspired by Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more. See our review of the first wave here.
