Street Striker (1994)
The venerable VAMP. What a great signature vehicle for the 1980s GI Joes. Amazingly versatile, able to be translated and refreshed throughout most of the eras that proceeded after the glory days of the Real American Hero line ended.
One of those later repurposings came in 1994 as part of the Street Fighter toy line. GI Joe ended its first rebirth run that same year, but Hasbro were still making use of the parts that made up the movable fighting man’s toys. Several classic vehicle molds, including the Dragonfly and Snow Cat, saw toy shelves again as part of the tie-ins to the Street Fighter film.
The VAMP received a decent enough subdued recoloring, with greys and greens. The stickers provided label the vehicle as belonging to Guile, and the look meshes well with his military background. It’s actually a more sensible ride than the previously released Sonic Boom tank, a recolor of the 90s Cobra Paralyzer. It’s funny to think that the VAMP would get a re-release without GI Joe branding after the end of the ARAH era.
The mold is mostly the VAMP Mark II, with its doors, covered roof and missile launcher. The missiles included are of the larger, brighter 90s variety rather than the originals, and they protrude out of the missile box thanks to their purpose as firing missiles. Interestingly, the box art depicts a spring loaded Battle Corps type launcher on top of the old Stinger missile rack in place of the more familiar missile box. The vehicle itself simply had a launcher that plugged into the top of the box.
I have bought the VAMP in just about every release, despite varying color and accessories. It’s a great, small workhorse of a vehicle whose quality of design always seems to allow it to transcend whatever current use its been been assigned. Even if that use is to transport a karate kicking special forces lunk who can perform handstands on his flattop.
If I could have any car I wanted…I would want the VAMP as my daily driver. Not a Porsche, not a Ferrari or some other Top Gear exotic–I’d pick the VAMP.
That is a nice look for the VAMP. It was always kind of surprising that Hasbro busted out such great old vehicle molds for the Street Fighter tie-ins of all things. While the Sonic Boom was weird, I loved the Beast Blaster, which was a repurposed Thunder Machine. I never knew that since I was way too young to have found the Thunder Machine at retail (I think I would’ve been one when that vehicle came out), but as an older collectors, I do have to appreciate that vehicle because the repurposed Street Fighter II version I had was so neat, even with its neon orange front missile launchers.
I hope to acquire two of these at one point (one to give a decent amount of labels, and missiles).
It’s funny, but this looks like an ‘olden-days’ version of the Ninja Combat Cruiser from the Retaliation line. Even the color scheme is a close match. Anyone notice this?
This was the only VAMP i ever had. I got it for xmas in ’95 when my Woolworths was a dumping ground for all the unsold stuff from the past few years. I lost it the day my Brother and Sister hocked all my joes in exchange for a single pack of Pokemon cards. I’ll replace it one day and i hope to have that purple snowcat with battle corps Mindbender and Technovipers one day too
Your missile launcher is mounted on its turret backwards. Which is interesting, there’s a few other vehicles that allow for incorrect assembly like that, the Stinger and the Paralyzer.
Gotta love the VAMP! It’s easily my favorite vehicle. The colors here are subdued enough to fit in with the earlier stuff from the vintage era. It’s also good to see the Mark II mold being used here since it’s harder to find than other versions. I’ll be on the lookout for this piece from now on since I hardly knew about it up to now.
A most unique pose by Guile!
This was my first real complete “VAMP.” I came across a very junky original one at one point, but the Street Fighter version served as the iconic GIJoe “jeep” for me for many years. It fit in my old 1983 HQ at the time, too!
While I was sort of sad, during these last years of RAH Generation 1, (RG1?), I had a lot of fun getting many later run figures and vehicles, as well as these Street Fighter vehicles on clearance.
I think I bought my first Street Striker at full price, but every Street Fighter vehicle after that I think was on clearance. My second Street Striker I think cost me $3.50.
Ever since i saw the comercial for it down here in old México back in the day i want es one so bad but never could find one. All the SF figures were available up until 97 but passed on them, this jeep tho i wanted so bad for My 92-94 joes. Just got My first one like a year ago, thats patience….
Not bad…