Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s been a while since a Pokémon line has produced an articulated figure of a Trainer but Tomy seems to be remedying that with the introduction of a brand new subline. “Ash + Pikachu” equals a fairly cool little release. They’re packed in a similar window box to every other Pokémon figure pack in the XY line.

Ash Ketchum, primary protagonist of the Pokémon anime for going on… 18 YEARS (wow, I feel old now…) appears in his latest costume for the show which debuted with the XY anime. He’s been through a fair few looks over the… 18 years… but this looks pretty sharp! The figure conveys the clean lines and sharp colours of this outfit very nicely. Even the face printing is crisp!

The Ash figure has 13 points of articulation, which is a lot lower than I’m used to and even lower than Bandai’s Power Rangers figures but for some reason, I don’t hate it here. I LOVE to pose figures and take pictures so a lack of points means a lack of dynamic posing options but I think the reason I don’t mind it here is that you rarely see the Pokémon cast not standing up with both feet firmly on the floor. Would I like a waist swivel, ankle tilts and maybe some alternate hands? Sure, but for the constraints of the price point, I’m not unhappy with the articulation.

Pikachu, awesome yellow mascot that he is, accompanies his partner in this set and is slightly smaller than other versions meaning it is more in scale with Ash than other Pokémon figures which is a cause for concern really but the scale issues entirely depend on what scale of Pokémon figure you get so your mileage may vary.

Accessories-wise, all Ash is rocking is a backpack and nothing else and while I lament the lack of a Pokéball, the backpack is a nice addition. It’s made of a softer plastic and the straps can be unclipped to allow you to more easily add it to the figure too. There’s a hole near the shoulder strap to allow Pikachu to rest on Ash’s shoulder, with some careful balance.

One cool thing about the packaging that I didn’t notice until later was that the backing card is a diorama of Lumiose City, an iconic location for the XY games and show. It’s a nice little addition and adds a little more playability.

Overall, I’m pretty impressed with this figure. It’s not doing anything new or special but I’ve seen similar figures from a similar RRP of £9.99 be far more disappointing and I hope to see more Pokémon trainers get releases down the road!

I delve into the realm of wireless battling robots in my first Battroborg Warrior review! But I’m not alone as my little sister Aimee decides to do battle in the arena!

Big thanks to the lovely folks over at Tomy UK and SO PR for facilitating this review!

This is time is an assortment of role-play items and being a grown man, they’re not exactly designed with me in mind so I enlisted the help of my little sister, our resident toy-reviewer-in-training, to help!

First item is another Charmander Clip ‘N’ Carry Poké Ball. I reviewed this last time but Aimee thought it was pretty cool and couldn’t wait to crack it open and add it to the rest. She also liked the other figures in this assortment, especially Gogoat. The assorted Clip ‘N’ Carry Poké Balls retail for around £12.99 and include one Pokémon.

Now is where things get a little giddy for me personally. Growing up, I wish there was something as simple and awesome as the Clip ‘N’ Carry Poké Ball Belt. It’s such an obvious thing to produce but I don’t think this idea was implemented until Tomy was making the Black and White toys. Regardless, both Aimee and I had an immense amount of fun with this, even if I couldn’t wear it. Aimee was running around, shouting attacks and calling out her Pokémon. The two Pokémon included in this set are an adorable Pikachu and Noivern, one of the Pokémon from the new games, and you get both a regular Poké Ball and an Ultra Ball. These two, as well as the Balls from the two Charmander sets mean we can carry four Poké Balls at once! I was pretty surprised to see that the belt had alloted space for the traditional maximum of six Poké Balls. This amazing set retails for around £18.99 and is a must have for any would-be Pokémon trainer!

Lastly, we come to the Pokémon Trainer Gloves! Styled after Ash Ketchum’s signature gloves, they feature motion activated sound. Funny story, the package containing these samples was left outside my door so my awesome neighbours noticed and kept it with them until I got home. They told me they were kinda scared of the strange whooshing noises coming from the box! I find it strange that these don’t have a pull-tab that activates the electronics when you open the packaging. I could easily see many of these losing their battery power in stores because of the lack of that feature. Despite my issues with the packgaging, the gloves fit both Aimee and myself quite comfortably and we had a great time trying to figure out the best way to throw a Poké Ball and have the sounds activate. This role-play set retails for around £14.99

Overall, me and Aimee had lots of fun with these role-play items, from the perspective of both a Pokémon veteran and a relative newcomer. Aimee loved everything, especially the belt but for me, I don’t think the Trainer Gloves give you as much bang for your buck but are still a fun addition to line. The Pokémon XY toy line is available in most good toy retailers and is also available from Tomy’s website!