Ghostbusters Kenner Classics Hasbro Product Lineup Review

Recently, the folks at Hasbro sent us a new group of Ghostbusters showcasing their Kenner Classics line of ghostbustin’ toys. Previously, I took a look at the Neutrona Wand prop replica based on the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife film. Later on, it was a variety of products with the Ectotron Ghostbusters/Transformers crossover figure, the Kenner Classics Ghostpopper, and the Playskool Heroes Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. This time around, Hasbro sent us a sampling of some more Kenner Classics products, with the crown jewel being the Kenner Classics Ecto-1; a re-release of the classic Ecto-1 vehicle toy inspired by The Real Ghostbusters animated series.

Bugeye and Fearsome Flush

When you look at back at the Kenner Ghostbusters toys, I would say the best figures were always the ones based on the various ghosts, monsters and creatures. Considering the toys came out in the 1980s, they were really way ahead of their time in terms of how they came together in terms of sculpting and paint apps. The Kenner Classics series is a great way to find some nostalgia by reliving your old Ghostbusters collection or by introducing your kids to some of the toys you used to love when you were young.

Like many kids who were born in the 1980s, I grew up with Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters animated series, and I bought many of the figures that were made or inspired by the series. The Bugeye Ghost was definitely one I owned from the classic line, so it was a lot of fun to relive those memories with this new figure. Even today, I’m still impressed with how well the sculpting and level of detail holds up for this monster. The ghost creatures I think were the real stars of this toyline, and I was happy to see the classic Slimer and Stay Puft Marshmallow man figures get re-releases.

While Bugeye didn’t really have a prominent role in the animated series, it’s still a really cool design and a fun ghost action figure for the series. And yes, the eye-popping gimmick still works. Not to mention, the eyeball can be posed and held nicely in Bugeye’s hand when its loose. It’s a simple, effective gimmick for this toy.

All the sculpting and detail compared to the original looks fairly accurate, though there might be some differences in the paint application used, based on videos and photos from the original toy that I looked up recently. This figure is currently available on Walmart.com for $14.92.

I don’t think I ever owned the original Fearsome Flush toy. I just never found a monster ghost toilet all that interesting. I think it’s a neat design. Again, it looks like Hasbro did a fairly good job of recreating the classic toy and gimmick, but the Fearsome Flush toy almost seems more like a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy to me.

I think it’s a good design and sculpt, but the rolling mechanism works fine. But on its own, it doesn’t especially wow me. Again, that’s more sort of like a glorified Happy Meal toy. I would only recommend this if you are super-nostalgic for the original Kenner figures or like the design. The Fearsome Flush figure can be purchased at Walmart.com, but it’s currently out of stock.

Kenner Classics Ecto-1

This is most definitely the crown jewel of the Kenner Classics set. Even priced at $39.97, that’s a very nice retail value these days and a pretty decent bang for your buck.

Even though the Kenner Classics toys are aimed at a younger age set, I’d still say the Classics Ecto-1 set is a better value than the Transformers x Ghostbusters Ectotron figure based on the Afterlife movie design. That figure originally retailed for $59.99. This is a full-size vehicle for the Kenner Ghostbusters toys, and it still holds up very well. Just opening this bad boy up and putting it together was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. It comes complete with the extra ghost accessory, the swivel seat and the ghost capture claw.

I very much miss action figure lines that had full-size vehicles like this. The reason I think this is a great value is because it is a full-size vehicle, and there’s room enough to store the whole gang in this. It’s got working, opening front doors for the front seat, and there’s a back door, but still room to pose more figures. The swivel seat can be plugged in on top of the Ecto-1 or in the back. The ghost claw mechanism still works very well, and after some experimentation, it still appears to be working well after some stress. This is a nice, chunky, durable vehicle.

As far as I can tell, the re-release of the Kenner Ecto-1 has been recreated fairly well for this new update. The only significant difference is there is a new panel covering up the underside of the ghost claw mechanism, but that’s not a major loss and doesn’t really effect the design aesthetic. The toy comes with an instruction booklet for using the toy and even how to apply the decals. I also miss decals on vehicles, so having those here were a welcome return.

Initially, I wasn’t looking to buy the Kenner Classics figures of the gang (Egon Spenger, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore), but now that I have the Kenner Classics Ecto-1, I feel like I might have to buy them to put them in their classic ride. The Kenner Classics Eco-1 would be a great way to possibly introduce your kids to the Ghostbusters franchise or The Real Ghostbusters animated series. But it’s also a nice piece for collectors who would like to add some retro Ghostbusters swag to their collection.

Thank you to Hasbro for sending us these nice Ghostbusters toys for free.