Finally
This is a subject that i'm passionate about and that i've discussed with other collectors privately for years now .
Yes , if Sigma 6 had been successful enough to warrant a continuation of the 2.5'' line with improved articulation (and for me that means swivel biceps and "ball shoulders") i would have supported the line
fiercely. And it's because of Hasbro's original ARAH 3.75 inch line .
We all had He-Man, Star Wars , M.A.S.K. , Transformers and perhaps Voltron. If you are on this board then eventually GI Joe conquered them all. ARAH GI Joe had the right combination of small "pocket" size, great articulation for it's time and great vehicles to play with inside or out. You could throw dozens of them into a shoe box
Had
M.A.S.K. , a successful toyline in it's own right that combined elements of GI Joe with Transformers , released drivers that had articulation on par with GI JOE i think history might have played out differently as far as where MASK is ranked amongst the majority of toy collectors.
That hypothetical MASK line with superior driver articulation and removable helmets? That's exactly what GI Joe Sigma Six (2.5'') could have been except with the name recognition and marketing of GI Joe/Hasbro. I challenge any Joe collector to look over the latter series Mission Sets and Deluxe Sets that were released in the 2.5'' Sigma Six line and say the vehicles don't look like excellent toys.
ROCC - ARCTIC & NIGHT OPS VAMP - DRAGONHAWK - FIREBAT - HISS TANK - STREET RAZOR - THE PANTHER RAIL
The only thing the 2.5'' line was missing was fully articulated figures. Joe fans want articulation. We expect articulation. Hasbro blew a golden opportunity.
Sigma 6 had the opportunity to be everything we loved about our childhood Joe (vehicles that rocked with quality figures and a ******* cartoon!) updated for a new generation and at 2/3 the size of the original.
I've always appreciated Transformers but the last time i bought a Transformer in a store was when the Headmasters were released. I've always had a soft spot for Rumble , Frenzy and the other humanoid tape cassettes as well as the Target Masters and , to a lesser extent , Power Masters.
I *HEART*Transformers Human Alliance and BOUGHT them in store despite not being a big TF fan. That is the power of a small scale line with fully articulated figures that also happen to have vehicles that turn into freaking ROBOTS.
Ahem.
The Human Alliance line is one bicep swivel away from being perfect. But that lacking feature is why it will never replace Joe (or 3.75'' figures) for me. The day the feature shows up is the day i make the permanent switch. Hasbro knows this which is why they released that driver that looks like it could pass for a Cobra snow serpent or soldier.
^ Swap that Decepticon logo for a Cobra sigil .....
2.5'' Hit N Run, Roadblock and Flint battling pint sized HISS tanks and cobra troops? I'd pay GOOD money for that.
My collecting heart breaks every time i see Human Alliance and compare it to GI Joes Sigma Six. It makes me want to slap the piss out of who ever handled the Sigma Six 2.5'' line.