I’ll preface this by saying that often in the industry, toys come out as part of a license that has nothing to do with the property they’re connected to. Sometimes companies have stuff in the pipeline that gets redirected or reused to help pad out the store shelves or product line. So, when I saw a stink happening about a product associated with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I knew what to expect.
With the third Ghostbusters film hitting this Thanksgiving, the official merchandise push has started. Over the past week, we’ve seen new Plasma series figures announce several toys for kids who want to roleplay, busting some heads in a spiritual sense.
One of the oddities is this thing—the Ghost Whistle.
Who you gonna scare off? All the ghosts around, with the new Ghostbusters Ghost Whistle roleplay item, inspired by the Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie! Featuring over 20 spooky and hilarious sounds, kids will have ghosts flying for the hills. By using the dial to select the classification of ghost to scare off, kids can blow into the accessory to activate the ghost-repelling call!
At first, I thought it was a Fisher-Price toy. Seriously. That’s not a dunk on the toy, but having a kid myself, it has a lot of hallmarks of a toddler toy. I really doubt this will be a thing in Afterlife. If it does, however, that will be kind of silly.
Moving on to the other stuff that’s a bit more in line with the film.
During the Real Ghostbusters era of the ’80s, Kenner delivered a bunch of roleplaying toys. Hasbro has taken up the same line but at a decidedly more price conscience angle. This time around, the idea is that kids are building their own Ghostbusting gear. There’s no all-in-one set now. Instead, the proton pack, proton blaster, and PKE meter are all sold separately.
Now you can be the one they’re gonna call! The Ghostbusters Afterlife Proton Pack takes the famous anti-ghost technology from the movies and brings it home in a wearable package for fans ages 5 and up.
With the Ghostbusters Proton Blaster from Hasbro, kids can now imagine joining the team with the one piece of gear any would-be Ghostbuster cannot be without! The Ghostbusters Proton Blaster features a mechanism that lets kids imagine the ever-changing wavelengths of a proton stream, allowing them to play out the fantasy of catching ghosts in the proton blast!
Inspired by the Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie, this Ghostbusters PKE roleplay item from Hasbro is an essential part of the Ghostbuster arsenal! Featuring movie-inspired deco, light, and electronic sound effects, kids can press a button to activate features to find ghosts.
The oddity here is that the PKE Meter is now referred to as the PKE Taser. This must be for the Ghostbuster, who is afraid of walking down a dark alleyway.
There are two versions of the proton blaster. The one shown above is pretty bare-bones but similar to Hasbro’s Saber Forge line of lightsabers; this one has different attachments.
Kids can imagine busting ghosts all kinds of ways with this modular and customizable Ghostbusters Proton Blaster M.O.D. (“Made on demand”) role-play toy from Hasbro. The primary blaster, complete with sound and light effects, comes with two attachments – the Blast ‘n Trap and the Plasma Stream. When kids attach either accessory, unique lights and sounds are activated. Attachments can be placed in three locations: on the front, side, or back of the main blaster so kids can customize their blaster to fit their Ghostbustin’ adventure.
The last of the kids’ RPG toys is a new take on the classic Kenner Ghost Popper.
Mini-Puft popping action is back with the Ghostbusters Mini-Puft Popper from Hasbro and NERF! Inspired by the Ghostbusters: Afterlife film, kids can imagine themselves as part of the Ghostbusters team undergoing eerie encounters with this must-have roleplay gear. The GhostbustersMini-Puft Popper comes with three soft foam Puft Popper projectiles inspired by the mischievous Mini-Puft characters from the 2021 film for ghost-poppin’ action and adventure.
OK, if the Ghostbusters load up the Mini-Pufts into a gun and shoot them around, I’d quite enjoy watching that. However, the more we emphasize the Minis, the more convinced I was wrong that the Walmart scene is a dream sequence. Hopefully, these little guys won’t be a marketing distraction in the movie.
For older kids and people on a budget for cosplaying at conventions, three new replicas are all under $20 apiece. These include the ecto goggles, PKE meter, and ghost trap. None of these are functional but is a great lightweight alternative to the more screen-accurate replicas produced by Hasbro and Mattel over the years.
All the items are currently available on Entertainment Earth.
[Source: Entertainment Earth]
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