G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary
Seymour “Sci-Fi” Fine Review

Since this figure is mostly a 25th figure cobbled together, articulation isn’t as nice as some of the other recent figures. There’s a lot here. Ball-joints at the neck (limited), shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles, the ball torso and double-hinged knees, but he’s not as fluid as more recent articulation designs. The ball-jointed head being limited to a swivel is annoying, but the full helmet can kinda work around it depending on how it’s sitting on the head. The ball wrists are a highlight, but they’re somewhat marred by the fact that hands don’t seem to be designed for the grip of the laser rifle. It’s a real pain to get him to hold it in a way that looks right.

Sci-Fi doesn’t include a huge complement of accessories like other recent figures, but he doesn’t feel shorted at all. In addition to the stand and previously mentioned dual helmets, we’ve also got his classic backpack, rifle, and a “power” cable that runs between them. The pieces start off as faithful to the originals, but have been updated. The backpack in particular since it’s now molded silver with some gold highlights and red buttons instead of neon green. The rifle is similarly decoed and, awesomely, can store on the backpack! I have it pointed down in the photos, but since then I’ve stowed it pointing upward like an antenna (and removed the cable). It has a neat futuristic vibe that goes with the uniform. I’m weird I know.

Overall, this is another great figure that finally makes me really appreciate a classic G.I. Joe. The part reuse and mix of new parts does a good job of building a new figure on a budget. The paint work is good and the articulation is just a bit lacking, but overall those are small nitpicks on a great figure. I love the full mask look best, but I feel like I’m not doing justice to the classic figure. Maybe it’s just that I can’t shake the “Laser-Viper” feel that helmet elicits (I know there’s a real Laser Viper, but never mind that). In all, Sci-Fi just reminds that it’s a good time to be Joe fan. We may have to chew on some movie figures for awhile, but let’s hope Hasbro gets back to Joes like this soon after.

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28 thoughts on “G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary
Seymour “Sci-Fi” Fine Review

      1. I get bored with the background Joes sometimes. 😀 I’ve got these nifty “dio pieces” and they need background people, but what to have them do?

        1. Also, there’s a pair of Hazard-Vipers trying to take advantage of Airtight being distracted, but they didn’t make it into the final picture. You can see the hint of orange above the viewscreen.

  1. Nice to see a new Joe review now that the site has been upgraded! Great pics as always. Also, that Slaughter custom is cool enough. I only scored a vintage Sci-Fi as a kid while the 1986 figures were being cleared out, so it was a real squeaker. I always loved him for his bright green colors, much as I do Lifeline for his red medic look. Hasbro has not disappointed updating these 2 guys last year. Hopefully, we’ll see Iceberg and Cross-Country after the movie line is history and we can finally complete Team ’86.

    1. I think that’s a Legendary WWE Slaughter back when Jakks Pacific had the license…

      1. Yes! Good eye. I think it was Brawl and Build or something to that effect. He’s a bit high on eBay too, but not nearly that high and I found him in a store.

    2. Thanks, Clutch! Looking back, I think it’s kinda weird that I never had him. He’s in the middle of nearly everything I did have (really heavy from 85-88), but he just never came up. Perchance my parents took offense to neon green?

      And I’m dying for Iceberg! I want some potentially ‘out there’ ones like Dress Blues Gung Ho, Payload, and Keel Haul, but I can’t believe do don’t have a good Iceberg yet!

  2. That last pic is so awesome…I want to make Slaughter and Sci-Fi fight a mummy now…

    1. Thanks, 3B! I felt bad only having four story pictures after the last two Joe reviews, but I think I set the bar too high on those. :/

  3. glad to see im not the only one who is unwilling to pay the crazy prices for the Sgt Slaughter Joe…..tho everyday I look at all my Mauraders lined up I get closer to just doing it! Great job as per always Noisy!!

    1. Thanks, Doc! I’d love to have one, but I’d want the more expensive Triple T version, plus I wish he looked like the old figure more. Either way not worth the crazy prices – which shot up after the Marauder’s pack! Similarly, I have bought the Marauder’s pack cause I got no Sarge. Hasbro should at least figure out a way to do the blue repaint.

      I’m thinking of tring a custom using a Roadrock body, but I need to see it in person first.

  4. I was never a fan of Sci-Fi as a kid (his bright green overall always looked silly) but I have to admit they did a damn good job on updating him here.

    Oh, and is the Sarge and SyFy trying to beat Dr Mindbender at his own game and prevent the creation of Serpentor there? 😀

    1. LOL Y’know I went off on this picking on SyFy Channel tangent, but at the end I realized it’s not completely uncommon to find mummies, oversized animals, or humans turned into whales. 😀

      So, yeah, absolutely! Sci-Fi & Sarge are just on the standard freaky patrol!

  5. I had this guy, and for some typically unsane reason, he was my “RoboCop” character before they introduced the “RoboJoes”. Must have been all that shiny armor?

    He was one of the easy ones to do for my 6″ Joes, or whatever scale those HALO figs are. 6″ Slaughter was even easier! LOL

    1. Did I not mention that in the review? I might have skipped over the helmets entirely then… doh!

      The half-visor is TOTALLY Robocop! It’s completely “80s futuristic”.

      I need to see some of the 6″ custom Joes!

  6. Great captions on this one. Really laughed on them.

    I really like this figure, it is a real great update to the original and is often an overlooked character. Awesome job hasbro.

    Shame you had to blow it with the Retaliation line.

    1. Thanks, Zed!

      Yeah, it’s like Hasbro gets to this really good harmonized place and then BOOM a movie blows it all to hell.

      35th Anniversary figures are gonna be soooo awesome.

  7. I’m unclear, or just stupid. He comes with three heads? Or the helmets actually fit and he doesn’t suffer from ‘pinhead’ or ‘fat helmet’ issues?

    And dealing with mummies is a Joe tradition. 🙂

    1. I think a cleft might have formed between my talking about the helmets and the accessories. There are two removable helmets and everything just works out great.

  8. Great review. Great figure too. Sadly, I never seem to see any of the new GI Joe figures that I want on the shelves. I’d buy up Sci-fi and Lifeline in an instant. Two of my favorite Joes ever.

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