By Justin Bell

From 1982 right up until now, if you even mention the name “G.I. Joe” to your typical 25-30 year old, I will almost guarantee that one of the first names to come out of their mouth would be “Snake Eyes”.  What started out as a figure produced in black simply because there was no more budget for paint has become one of the most popular and iconic characters in the entirety of the 80’s mythos.  Without a doubt his most well-known visage is his original 1985 look with the unique visor and black bodysuit.  Because of this look, many fans are quite attached to that version, so when this Snake Eyes was revealed, it caused some mixed reactions.

However, with the limited tooling budget Hasbro had for the first wave of single packs, they are able to do some very cool things, and here, with only a few new parts, we get a Snake Eyes that is quite reminiscent of how he appeared in 1985.

Even using a lot of the same tooling as the first version of Snake Eyes, Hasbro is able to add a lot of new elements to the figure by simply giving him a new bandolier and belt combination, and a newly sculpted head. Upon first glance, these small additions seemed to not quite be enough to differentiate this figure from it's predecessor, but I'm happy to say in person, the belt and strap across the chest really add a nice sence of depth that gives this version of Snake Eyes the same "bulk" that the original one had. First pictures made him seem somewhat scrawny, and kind of unfitting of an '85 update, but once the figure is in hand, a lot of those concerns are wiped away. Small little details like the sewn seams in the mask, and the green grenades on his chest strap just add even more touches to the figure that separate it nicely from the original.

This version of Snake Eyes comes with the same weapons as version 1, which is somewhat of a disappointment, especially where the sword is concerned. That '85 sword was fairly iconic in it's own right, and the curved shape of the blade really gave this figure a sense of identity. Even without that, though, Snake Eyes is nicely equipped and looks great on display.

His familiar medieval style visor, that single gray strap across his chest…even the trustworthy friend, Timber…all of the trademarks of Snake Eyes are here, complete with vintage style cardart in single pack form!

Recreate all of your favorite battles between the Joe and COBRA ninjas with this super-articulated 25th Anniversary tribute figure, or simply keep him Mint on Card and admire him hung on the wall. However you choose to collect or display these, they make a great tribute to A Real American Hero!

-YoJoe!

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