No matter how glorious an outstanding IP once was, it will inevitably be worn down by the relentless passage of time, its popularity gradually fading. To extend the value and charm of an IP to the next generation, innovation is essential, catering to the tastes of modern audiences and younger demographics. In recent years, we've seen many classic games, animations, and movies being rebooted or remade, even incorporating new creative ideas like gender swaps, animals turning into machines, or robots becoming "mecha musume" (mecha girls) to attract various market segments. Unexpectedly, even the classic quartet of teenage turtles from American comics, the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," are now getting the robot treatment! Today, we're unboxing the die-cast figure 'Mecha Turtle Leonardo', released by SnapFinger-Toys and HeatBoys, to see what new tricks these mechanical turtles have up their shells!
This 'Mecha Turtle' die-cast action figure series is a collaborative development between SnapFinger-Toys and HeatBoys, officially licensed by Nickelodeon, and features mechanical designs by illustrator Kusanagi, who has redesigned the original Ninja Turtles into high-performance bipedal robots, incorporating a large number of modern, mainstream mechanical design elements. In addition to the Leonardo we're unboxing today, other members like "Raphael," "Donatello," and "Michelangelo" will be released in the future. Even their arch-nemesis, "Shredder," is getting a robot version!
▼ Leonardo design sketch.
▼ Raphael design sketch.
▼ Donatello design sketch.
▼ Michelangelo design sketch.
▼ Shredder design sketch.
HeatBoys has also thoughtfully created a brand-new story for these 'Mecha Turtles'. For instance, this TMNT 01 Leonardo is a mech piloted by the original Ninja Turtle Leonardo, continuing his signature dual-katana combat style. TMNT 01 is also equipped with bladed weapons like katanas and daggers, and even a rifle that can fire a de-mutation potion, a high-mobility revolver, ninja shurikens, and a multi-functional tactical shield, providing a rich arsenal for various combat situations—a very novel concept for Ninja Turtle merchandise.
The official price for this 'Mecha Turtle Leonardo' is 799 RMB, with a total height of about 23 cm. Although it's a mid-priced finished product, the amount of die-cast parts used is quite astonishing. Most of the articulated frame and parts of the armor are made from die-cast alloy. When handling it, you might think they've secretly packed it with lead blocks, as the total weight reaches a hefty 1000 grams. One can only say the materials are incredibly substantial. But what matters most is whether the overall design and articulation are appealing. Let's give it a thorough inspection from head to toe!
▼ The overall design is based on Leonardo with his blue mask, incorporating many familiar elements from modern mainstream robots. It features intricate armor paneling and color-separated paint applications, creating a muscular, powerful physique and highlighting the layered, heavy feel of the turtle shell.
▼ Here's the back without the shell backpack attached, to avoid obscuring details. You can see the heavy metallic luster of the various die-cast joints. The entire body is printed with markings like the unit number "TMNT 01" and the slightly "chuuni" character for "Shinobi" (忍), enriching the detail of the armor.
▼ The chest armor has a rich, layered sculpt with details like heat vents. However, the most unique feature is the belt, something rarely seen on robots, which is printed with an "L" for Leonardo.
▼ The blue and green armor sections both use different shades for color separation.
▼ The blue mask section is redesigned to resemble blade-like communication antennae, and there are Vulcan-like cannon designs on both sides of the eyes. The lower jaw even features an articulated joint, allowing the mouth to open for different expressions.
▼ The neck joint parts are quite thick, but the articulation is excellent, allowing the turtle head to tilt up significantly.
▼ Furthermore, the head contains an LED light-up feature for the eyes. The activation method is quite creative: it uses the Ninja Turtles' favorite food, a pizza, as a magnetic switch. A light touch near the eyes will illuminate them.
▼ Even the soles of the feet, though not often seen, are fully detailed to avoid a monotonous look.
▼ The shoulder joints use a pull-out mechanism, allowing the base pivot of both shoulders to extend outwards, increasing the forward range of motion for the shoulder joints.
▼ Behind the elbow, there's a single hydraulic rod linkage that extends and retracts as the elbow bends.
▼ However, the elbow joint's performance is just average, with a bend of slightly more than 90 degrees.
▼ The number of fingers also replicates the Ninja Turtles' three-fingered hands, and each finger has three points of articulation, allowing for flexible gestures and a firm grip on weapons.
▼ The waist articulation is more impressive. While it appears heavily armored and restricted, there's actually internal space allowing the joint to move, enabling a certain degree of side-to-side and forward-and-backward motion.
▼ Since the Mecha Turtle lacks front, back, or side skirt armor, the hip joints can move extensively forward, backward, and to the sides, allowing for dramatic split poses.
▼ The front thigh armor has a sliding linkage mechanism. When the thigh is raised, the armor slides downward to prevent it from hitting the belt, which could cause paint chipping or hinder movement.
▼ The ankles and feet have multiple articulation points, maintaining an excellent contact area with the ground even in wide-legged stances.
▼ Although the legs can achieve a high kneeling pose, the upper body tends to lean to one side because the thighs are proportionally short and the hip joints lack a vertical sliding mechanism.
▼ Of course, what's a Ninja Turtle without a shell? The TMNT 01's backpack is a giant turtle shell, featuring sharp armor edges and a wealth of detail.
▼ From the outside, this backpack... looks like it's equipped with thrusters, right? But it actually holds a secret.
▼ Sifting through the accessories, you'll find a small figure of Leonardo himself. In addition to a cool pose with his dual katanas, there's also a version of him sitting in a cockpit.
▼ So where's the cockpit? Usually, it's in the chest, right? But the Mecha Turtle's cockpit is designed to be inside the sturdiest part—the shell. Open up the shell, and you'll find the pod-like cockpit inside.
▼ Rotate the cockpit to the entrance, and you can place the small Leonardo figure inside!
▼ That covers the main body's features. Now, let's check out the awesome weapons! The accessories include two katanas with sheaths, two shorter daggers, and four ninja shurikens. All feature a metallic paint finish and detailed markings.
▼ Here we have the rifle that fires the de-mutation potion, a high-mobility revolver, and a multi-functional tactical shield. The color separation and metallic texture are all on point.
▼ The potion vial on top of the rifle not only has an exquisite logo printed on it but can also be detached and attached to the front barrel!
▼ The accessories also include a dedicated stand and an articulated support arm, designed with the classic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" logo and a sewer manhole cover motif. Unfortunately, apart from the logo, the rest of the stand is unpainted, showing its original plastic color.
▼ Although the stand looks a bit plain, don't worry about weapon storage, because the Mecha Turtle itself is a ferocious mobile armory!
▼ The shell backpack, shoulders, elbows, sides of the belt, and the outside of the knees all have hardpoints, allowing all the included weapons to be mounted on the figure!
▼ Even when fully armed, the Mecha Turtle maintains a considerable degree of articulation. If the shield feels too large, it can be split into three parts for different equipment configurations!
▼ An attack pose with the rifle in one hand and the large shield in the other looks great without major issues. However, if the rifle's stock were designed to be a bit shorter, it would improve playability and naturalness, reducing the chance of scraping the chest armor.
▼ The shorter-barreled twin revolvers are much more flexible to use. The stability of the articulated hands is also good. You can shoot while doing a flying kick—very much in the Ninja Turtle style.
▼ The bladed weapons are incredibly sharp and cool-looking. Wielding dual katanas is Leonardo's STYLE. Cowabunga! Whether it's the daggers or the katanas, he can brandish them as nimbly as the twin guns!
▼ Leonardo inside the mech is so hyped he's jumped out to swing his dual katanas too!
▼ In addition to these standard weapon uses, the various armaments can be freely combined using the standardized hardpoints and connectors. For example, you can separate the shield and mount it on the shoulders as shoulder shields, attach shurikens to the smaller shield pieces, or even equip the twin guns on the shoulders and fix the daggers to the wrists, creating a variety of combat styles!
That concludes our unboxing report of the 'Mecha Turtle Leonardo' die-cast action figure from SnapFinger-Toys and HeatBoys. We wonder what you, our fellow toy enthusiasts, think of this innovative take on the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"? Personally, I feel that since the overall design incorporates so many common, mainstream modern elements, it can't help but feel a bit lacking in distinctiveness. However, the materials and production quality are of a very high standard, and as a die-cast action figure, it absolutely passes with flying colors!
Also, taking another look at the small wheels on this parts runner, HeatBoys will be including bonus parts like these with each Mecha Turtle. By collecting the parts from all four figures, you can assemble a Turtle Van!
