Diceman gamebooks

Some of you may remember reading and playing the low-tech predecessors of interactive fiction games... the gamebooks. These were interactive fiction where the reader gets to decide how the protagonist would act at various points of the story, thereby playing a role in directing the narrative.

The Diceman series is an early, interesting combination of two of my favourite things - gamebooks and graphic novels, introduced in 1986 as a spin-off of UK's popular (and non-interactive) 2000AD weekly comic magazine. Billed as a "role-playing comic," Diceman lasted five issues before being discontinued in 1986. A compilation of some Slaine game-comics from this series was compiled into "You are the Hero: You are Slaine".

As the name implies, games in Diceman all require you to use dice (typically 2 six-sided ones) to play most games in the book. Each issue includes two to three different games, each starring heroes from the 2000AD magazine, including Judge Dredd, Torquemada, Slaine, Rogue Trooper, ABC Warriors, and Nemesis the Warlock. Given the "mature" nature of 2000AD stories in general (e.g. graphic depiction of violence and some sexual overtones), the games are challenging and interesting. A nice feature is that each game has different types of gameplay depending on the main character and the plot. The artwork is consistently very good throughout, featuring UK legends such as Hunt Emerson and Bryan Talbot. The stories are action-packed and all, save one, were penned and designed by the 2000AD stalwart Pat Mills. If you enjoy gamebooks or even just comic books in general, check these out.


Diceman #1


Diceman #2


Diceman #3


Diceman #4


Diceman #5


You are the Hero: You are Slaine TPB


Interior art (Diceman #1)


Panel shot of Slain from Diceman #1 (just to you an idea of how the game works)

Diaclone Transformers Lambor (Sideswipe)

This is another of my childhood toys, and was my very first (and only as a child) Transformer. It has seen better days with heavy damage from high falls and crashes against the bedroom wall.

Transformers Lambor or better known in the USA as Sideswipe was one of the Diaclone Car Robot toys that was repackaged and sold as the Generation One Transformers by Hasbro (and later Takara). Lambor is a red Lamborghini Countach LP500S and belongs to the Cybertron (Autobot) faction. As this was pre-Transformers, it does not have the Autobot logo on its chest.

Lambor does come with a white flare gun (missing), 3x white missiles (missing) and a black and chrome shoulder missile launcher. The feet or rear part of the car is made of die-cast metal and the rest is plastic. It also includes a tiny Diaclone figure with magnetic shoes as a driver. I believe this was first released by Takara in 1983 or so, when I was barely starting primary/elementary school. Toys were certainly built to last back in those days.

Robot mode:


Front



Side


Back (note the chipped spoiler)


Car mode:

Top side


Rear side


Rear


Top


Bottom


Diaclone figure (approximately an inch tall)


Car with driver

Takatoku Henkei SDF-1 from Macross

This is a true blast from the past. I managed to salvage this childhood toy from my mum's place as I was digging around the storage boxes. I don't remember how long I've had this but this was one of my favourite figures when I was in primary school back in the 1980s.

I have vague memories of rushing back after school to watch the Macross cartoon that was running in the evenings. The SDF-1 (Super Dimensional Fortress) featured prominently in that anime series as the flagship craft of the human forces against the Zentraedi.

This is now a loose piece with no box nor paperwork and I had to do some research on the Internet to gather some information about it. Apparently, it was produced by a company called Takatoku which also produced other Macross toys.

The SDF-1 has several points of articulation, is made entirely of plastic and has a height of approximately 14 cm. The clincher for this is that it actually transforms from robot mode to cruiser mode. The detail on the Daedalus and Prometheus arms is in the form of foil stickers.

Unfortunately, one of the connectors to join the reflex cannon parts has broken off, and I taped it to the back for the purpose of this photoshoot.


Robot mode (front view)


Robot mode (side view)


Robot mode (back view). Here you can see the hollow reflex cannon parts.






Cruiser mode

Lego 7930 - Bounty Hunter Assault Gunship

The Bounty Hunter Assault Gunship made its appearance in an episode or two of the Clone Wars animated series. There are 389 pieces in this set and the gunship measures 30cm wide, 25 cm long and 15cm tall.

It has rotatable twin engines for flying and landing modes, a cockpit that opens and a prison cell. The best thing about this set are the four mini-figures included -- Sugi, Aurra Sing, Embo and an IG-86 assassin droid.

I enjoyed building this and there is great play quality with this set given the number of figures and the bits of the gunship that move and open.


Box (front)


Box (back)


Contents were sealed and sorted into three numbered bags for each stage of the build process and an instruction booklet


Decal sheet



Minifigures (l-r): Sugi, Aurra Sing, IG-86, Embo

Build process (cockpit):












Roof of cockpit stores weapons

Build process (wings):










Build process (engines):






Landing mode (top side)


Landing mode (side)


Landing mode (front)



Flying mode (side)


Flying mode (top)


Flying mode (front)


Cockpit (close-up)


Cockpit (opened)


Swivel cannons


Cell


Engine


They were really generous with the spare bits in this set