With the hype of Pokemon GO seemingly dying down, its companion accessory, the Pokemon GO Plus, seems to be becoming more and more available. At the launch of this small wearable, it became sold out, almost instantly. And it remained that way for quite some time. It got to the point where the only way to get your hands on one was to buy it on eBay, for upwards of $200. Well, it seems that those days are long gone. It is still a bit of a challenge to get the Pokemon GO Plus for retail, but if you don't mind paying a little extra you can find one on eBay or third-party Amazon sellers, for around $45. Now that the Pokemon GO Plus has become (somewhat) more available, I was finally able to get my hands on one. The GOOD
The pokemon GO Plus was made to be a companion wearable for the Pokemon GO app. It's main purpose was to allow you to still complete some of the in-game tasks, without needing to keep your phone in hand. It does this almost perfectly on both iOS and now also Android. With this device, as long as the app is running in the background, you can catch pokemon (as long as you have regular Pokeballs) and collect items from Pokestops. The actual device itself is a little Pokeball stylized map pin, with a single button in the center. It comes included with a wrist strap, as well as a clip-on backplate. The device, although small and light, feels very solid. I would think that any small bumps or drops wouldn't do much other than cause some cosmetic damage, but nothing too serious. Once connected, the Pokemon GO Plus notifies you whenever you are near a wild Pokemon or a Pokestop. I've had a few instances where the Plus failed to notify me when I was near a Pokestop, but for the most part, the notifications are spot on. The "BAD" When the Pokemon GO Plus first launched, it was reported that it had issues connecting to Android phones. Now, thanks to several updates, this issue is supposed to be fixed. I've had no issues with connections to my LG V10. So, it appears, that this issue is no longer a concern. The one issue that I have had with the Pokemon Go Plus, is the strap. The wrist strap that comes with the device looks like a thick shoelace. It is easily loosened and the clamp on it feels cheap and can be opened even with a light bump. Thanks to Phandroid, there is a solution to this. You can find the article HERE. The Verdict Overall, the Pokemon GO Plus is a solid device that works as its supposed to. However, unless your intentions for getting one are purely to keep your phone out of your hands, I wouldn't say that it's necessary. As I said earlier, the only (minor) issue that I have with the device is the poor wrist strap. Other than that, the Pokemon GO Plus is a great add-on for the Pokemon GO app.
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A couple of months ago, Toy Tokyo announced a protective case for Funko Pop! vinyl figures, called Pop! Stacks. These Pop! protective cases are official products of Funko, and sold exclusively by Toy Tokyo. Unlike the Pop! protectors that have existed before these are not made of a thin, flimsy plastic (not much thicker than the window on the Pop! vinyl boxes). These protectors are made of a durable polycarbonate material. Another difference between the the Pop! Stacks and the alternative protectors is the pricing. The alternate protectors average about $1 a piece, while the Pop! Stacks cost $8. That's why it is recommended by many that these protectors only be used for very special or rare Pop! figures. The Pop! Stacks feature two lids (top and bottom), and are fairly durable. They are far more protective than the cheaper alternatives. These removable lids offer easy access, to insert or remove the Pop! figure The case is made to fit exactly with the average Pop! figure. So any deformities in the box, if severe enough will not allow the Pop! to fit properly.
The Down Side Besides the higher price point, the Pop! Stacks feature another disadvantage. Although durable, they are not unbreakable. A fall onto a hard floor from the height of the average shelf can cause these protectors to break. As long as these Protectors are kept in a stable place, they will be great for protecting your valuable Pop!s. Final Thoughts Even with the pricing and chances of breaking, I personally think that these protectors are worth getting. As stated earlier, as long as they are kept in a stable area the Stacks will do an amazing job protecting your most valuable Pop! possessions. Batman: Thrillkiller In this Elseworlds tale, Bruce Wayne's parents were not murdered during a mugging. Instead, they were murdered by their servants, and young Bruce was left with nothing. He was forced to sell his one and only possession, his home. The house was sold to Barbara Gordon, who earned a fortune off of her murdered mother's insurance policy. Barbara later went on to become the vigilante, Batgirl. She took on a partner in the form of the Man Wonder, Robin. Bruce Wayne went on to become a decorated detective. Batgirl and Robin are on a personal crusade to bring down the corrupt police force that is under the control of the Joker (who in this interpretation is a woman). For a majority of this series showcases the partnership between Batgirl and Robin. This is until Robin Dies. Then Bruce Wayne takes on the mantle of BATMAN. Thrillkiller Batman Funko POP! This Funko POP! variant of Batman is an exclusive for Midtown Comics, in New York. Unfortunately, this Funko POP! Batman faces the same issue as most other Batman POP! figures. This issue is the fact that, other than some changes to the paint this version of batman is almost identical to the others. None the less, this POP! is a must have for any Funko and/or Batman collector. Plus, for all you "in box" collectors, the back of the box features some great cover art from the Thrillkiller miniseries. I am a fan of the black and red color scheme, which is slightly similar to the Earth 2 version of the Batman POP! figure. As an added bonus, I and a lot of other POP! collectors have had the pleasure of receiving this Batman figure shipped in PERFECT condition, which unfortunately doesn't always happen. So, a huge thank you to Midtown Comics on their packing and shipping care.
It was Spring 1940, when Issue No. 1 of BATMAN was published. That means, (as you probably guessed by the title), this year marks the 75th anniversary for the Batman comics. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the people over at Funko and Entertainment Earth decided to do a series of Entertainment Earth Exclusive Pop figures. About Rainbow Batman "They'll find no gold at the end of this rainbow...only prison." -Batman (wearing rainbow-colored costume) In 1957 (Seventeen years after the release of the original BATMAN comic), issue No. 241 of DETECTIVE COMICS was released. This was the comic book that featured RAINBOW BATMAN. In this comic book, Dick Greyson injures his arm, saving a girl's life during a robbery. He later begins searching for the criminals as Robin. During which, Batman begins wearing several different colored suits. After Robin finds the thieves and Batman apprehends them, Batman changes back to his original suit. He explains that he used the special colored suits to attract attention to himself and away from Robin. Batman was concerned that people might realize Robin had injured his arm, just like Dick Greyson.
About the Pops! The set of Rainbow Batman Funko Pops are available exclusively on Entertainment Earth. There are a total of six Pops in the set; Pink (instead of Red), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. These, like most Funko Pops are the standard 3.75" Pops. Review (Quick Thoughts) The Two Rainbow Batmans that I received are the Green and the Purple. When I got them in the mail the boxes were damaged. This is not however, the fault of Entertainment Earth. They took care in making sure the package had sufficient protection, and was labeled "FRAGILE: HANDLE WITH CARE". The delivery service clearly did not. Apart from the colors, all the Rainbow Batman Pops look identical; and feature the same mold used on other Batman Pops. For me, this does not put high priority to complete the set, BUT I do like the ones I have. Green and purple are mine and my sister's favorite colors, making these two PERFECT. |
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