As someone that lived through it, I can attest that many NES games based on 1980s action films were pretty terrible. 8-bit games like Robocop and Nightmare on Elm Street couldn’t compare to the unforgettable film counterparts–in fact, thanks to color limitations on the NES, the characters looked a shade or two off at all times. And yet, when a series of action figures are released that recreate the NES hues of those classic characters, I can’t resist the nostalgic pull to buy all of them.
Yes, there is a set of toys celebrating ’80s film icons in warmly retro ways. Made by NECA, one of the top action figure creators around, these figures are enhanced editions of their line of classic film franchise toys. Each piece is painted to look like their 8-bit selves, no matter how glaring the color choice may be. That’s how you end up with a rather purple Robocop figure, an incredibly blue Predator, and a scarier looking than normal Freddy Krueger. These are in short supply (one of Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th is particularly hard to find), but are well worth the search.
And if you like these, start saving up for the similarly retro variants of NES Batman and Robocop vs. Terminator for SNES that are coming soon. Check out these early looks at the figures straight from the show floor of San Diego Comic-Con 2014. Michael Keaton has never worn lavender better.