Toy Fair Flashback: Ghoststriker X-16
Our look back at 1993’s Toy Fair catalog continues with one of the flagship offerings of the year. Hasbro even gave it an amazing two-page spread to showcase it. The Ghoststriker certainly deserved the attention, and was an impressive jet for a late line release. It’s feature-laden yet maintains a nicely scaled silhouette. Of course, none of the Joe vehicles are truly in scale with their real-world counterparts, particularly when a jet’s intake functions as a target projector, and the lower fuselage houses a child-sized handgrip. The biggest plus for me: it’s a two-seater! Now that’s something even the modern Skystriker remake didn’t achieve.
”It’s amazing, how Hasbro could know of what jet airplane vehicles to mass-produce, and then make so many different versions to satisfy any collector’s wish:Ghost Striker x-16( 93′), Sky Striker( 83′)Conquest X-30( 86′),Cobra Rattler( 84′),Mud Fighter (89′),Cobra Condor Z-25( 89′),Tomahawk( 86′), and the ever popular 1986 Cobra Night Raven S3P Black Jet Spy Plane.”
Maybe the spread was to justify the retail price. I remember finding these at the Greenwood TRU in Indianapolis New Year’s Eve of 1995. At that time, I would buy anything. But, I didn’t buy this due to the exorbitant price tag. Even what looked like a great Ace figure couldn’t get me to drop the money.
In retrospect, it was the right call. The Ace was available from a lot of late ’90’s Ebay sellers for under $10 and the plane has it’s limitations. Though, the money I saved by not buying this was quickly spent in Bloomington on a Battle Corps Mace and Muskrat. I think they are actually worse items….
If I saw many of these at retail back in the day, it wasn’t many. Being the cash-strapped younger person, I would often wait for something (hopefully) to drop to a sale or clearance discount before buying. I don’t remember seeing may Armor Bots or Detonators, either, or if I did, any discounted price was likely still high that I didn’t check them out too long?
Still, I really want to play with a Ghoststriker. Two-seater!! It looks fun, but is it?
I had one of these back in the day and I don’t care what anyone says about the pink or about the proportions…this is a fun toy in the same vein as the ROC Night Raven this thing was just flat out fun to play with.
Anyone ever painted one in Heatseekers colours as a Gobot crossover figure?
Can you imagine how much more easily they could insert all the electronic with modern components (LEDs, etc)? Still, it brings to mind the Captain Power jets and their basic interactivity. As a kid, that was fun stuff!
The projected images always made me want a new Cobra bomber with that outline … the rest were actual toys
My local Toys R Us always had these in-stock, but I could never convince myself to buy it. Even if it did include a figure. ‘Cause you know, I was much more likely to buy a vehicle if it included a figure.
One of the best jets of the whole line! Too bad most people missed it because it was the end of the line…… It had some faults, but still a grew toy.
I have THREE of them !!! ALL complete and woking !! I love them !!