Snake Eyes (2009 Arashikage Cycle)

Snake Eyes–love him or hate him, there’s no denying his ubiquitousness. Whatever form of toy line or media that’s released, its a safe bet that ol’ Snakes will be around (and most likely in multiple versions). Another safe bet is that his figures will be some combination of black, slightly lighter black or dark black. I can’t fault Hasbro for it, after all along with Duke, he’s one of the Joe poster boys, and instantly recognizable. Over the years, he’s had his share of costume changes, but most have been…well…black. There have also been a few exceptions and some environmentally specific figures, like the Arctic versions in the 25th anniversary and movie lines.

The Target exclusive figure and vehicle sets released in the movie line featured repaints based on movie and classic characters. For this release Snake Eyes came with a motorcycle. An Arashikage motorcycle, named for the clan of ninja to which he belonged. So, did the Arashikage clan build it, or is it just a namesake? Either way, I think motorcycle production is a good side business to start during those down times between assassinations. This version of Snake Eyes uses elements of the 1985 version and the movie version. The entire figure is actually made up of parts from the 25th Anniversary line. The fact that we get something different in terms of a color palette is a nice change. Snake Eyes now sports the same camo that was present on most of the movie Joes. I didn’t care for it too much on the other movie figures, but I think it works well here and fits Snake Eyes’ commando aspect well. Which brings me to the question: do you like Snake Eyes as a commando or as a ninja? This version I think successfully combines equal parts of both.