Ghostbusters Hasbro Product Lineup Review

Recently, the folks at Hasbro sent us a group of new Ghostbusters toys to get a look at the variety of the current offerings of Ghostbustin’ products for the franchise. Some months back, I took a look at the Neutrona Wand prop replica based on the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife film. This time, the line of products are considerably cheaper and some are for the younger age set, but they are still fun and of interest to the Ghostbusters fandom.

Kenner Classics Ghostpopper

Recently, Hasbro has been re-releasing figures based on Kenner’s ye olde toy line based on The Real Ghostbusters cartoon from the 1980s. One of the best things about that old toyline was all the role-playing toys they had to go along with the action figures. This is a new reproduction of the old Ghostpopper toy Kenner released in the vintage line.

This is a simple pump and shoot proton gear type of toy. It comes with several foam bullets you can load, and then you just have to pump the lever the handle back and shoot.

It’s a fun little toy. It shoots soft little foam, Nerf-like projectiles, so kids can’t get into too much trouble with this. Now, I personally would’ve preferred if Hasbro re-released the PKE meters, the Ecto-Blaster, the Ghost Trap, and the Proton Pack with Neutrona Wands for these Kenner classics.

Much like the original release, the packaging has cardboard cutouts you can make for Slimer and Stay Puft Marshmallow man out of the box. So, the packaging at least gives your kids a couple harmless cardboard targets to mess around with.

In comparisons to the original, it looks like Hasbro did a great job of keeping in step with the original. The vintage toy I think had different colors and didn’t have the dark blue. The packaging also looks slightly different. But other than that, it pretty much appears to be the same toy. However, it would still be nice if they did re-releases of the other toys for the gear from the cartoon and films.

Playskool Heroes Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

This is a chunky Stay Puft Marshmallow Man inspired by the first movie for the line of Playskool Heroes Ghostbusters toy. This is a toy designed for a younger age demographic of 3+. It’s only posable at the shoulders and wrists.

It’s main feature is when you push a button on the top of its head, its face spins. It goes from its regular nice, happy face, to the meaner face when it’s getting blasted by the Neutrona Wands at the end of the film.

This is basically a toy for your toddlers if you want to introduce them to Ghostbusters and get them a Stay Puft Marshmallow man. It’s big and light, and it has as simple spinning face feature. That’s about it. It currently goes for about $14.99 at retail.

Transformers Generations Collaborative: Ghostbusters Mash-Up Ecto-1 Ectotron

I’ve saved the best for last here. This is the 2021 re-issue of the Ecto-1 Ectrotron figure mashing up the Transformers and Ghostbusters franchises. This was first released as a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive back in 2019, but it’s since been reissued for fans to get another shot at this wonderful crossover item.

I’ve really enjoyed the crossover toys Hasbro has been doing as of late, and this is no exception. Frankly, the only one I was rather cold on was the Transformers/Top Gun collaboration figure, Maverick. However, Ectotron is an amazing piece.

I never got a chance to buy Ectotron in 2019, so I was very happy to get it here. It’s basically a Voyager class Transformers figure. Now, my understanding is that it’s not an exact replica of the 2019 release, and there have been some changes.

One notable change for the 2021 release is the packaging. The 2019 release came in an old-school packaging reminiscent of classic 1980s Transformers action figures. The new version has a more traditional blister card and bubble-type packaging, and it has a pack-in issue of the IDW Transformers/Ghostbusters crossover comic, which featured Ectotron.

In addition to the pack-in comic, Ectotron now comes with with ghost mini-figures, unlike the 2019 release, which just came with Slimer. The reissue comes with a Slimer mini-figure and also Muncher, who I believe is is a new ghost creature introduced in Afterlife.

Now, there have been some tweaks to the Ectrotron figure. The 2021 issue has been given a new paint job to reflect the Afterlife film, so the Ecto-1 shell is looking older, worn and dinged up. Now, while I prefer the nice and pristine look of the original Ectotron, it’s a really nice, highly detailed paint job.

Now, one other nitpick I have here is that the promotional and prototype photos for this release featured a Slimer mini-figure that had some additional painted details for his face. The final product does not include those additional paint apps, which is a tad disappointing. See the image below to see what I’m referring to:

In his robot mode, there have also been some paint changes and color swaps. Ectotron’s reissue also has a new head sculpt. So, if you already own the previous Ectotron, and you’re a completist collector type, there might be enough new features here to interest you. However, if you already own the first Ectotron release and you’re happy with that one, you might want to save your money.

Now, between this figure and the Back to the Future/Transformers collaborative mash-up, Gigawatt, I would say Gigawatt was my favorite. This is a close second, though. I do like how it incorporates the proton pack and Neutrona Wand into the design. In terms of the transformation, some of the rubber wiring parts are bit stubborn in the Ecto-1 alt-mode and have difficulty staying plugged in, so that’s something to watch out for.

While I preferred the vintage package design for the 2019 release, I like that the blister card still included some nice, vintage details, such as 1980s Transformers toy box art, and even the old-school stat card.

My only other issue with this release is the price. I believe the figure was previously announced at an MSRP of $49.99, but it appears to be currently priced at $59.99. That’s a bit of a steep price. Most Voyager Class Transformers figures run for about $29.99 at retail. The extra ghost and comic pack-in are nice, but that’s still a bit of a hefty asking price, even for a special franchise crossover figure, especially during the pandemic.

That said, I highly recommend Ectotron as the perfect gift for the transforming and ghostbustin’ loving fan in the family. It’s currently available at Target.com.