Mini Review #4 - Shotgun Saturday Night Series 2

Please excuse the break in continuity (this post should be focused on 2 Tuff Series 3), but for some reason the series I will cover has always interested me.

Beats me if it's the design of the carding or the figures themselves, but Shotgun Saturday Night Series 2 is special in its own way.





There's an exclusive attire for B.A. Billy Gunn, Sable, and Shawn Michaels that cannot be found elsewhere, but it also holds a connection to my past, come to think of it.

I remember my mother taking me and a friend to Toys"R"Us one evening and we had the pick of the litter, or at least what was left on the shelves sometime in early 1999.

I walked away with Billy Gunn and my friend bought Road Dog (or as the packaging reads, oddly enough, "Jesse James Road Dog").

His came with a DX ladder accessory which I envied, but my Billy Gunn had a cool shade of blue for his trunks (along with a trash can and lid) and put together we had an easily recognizable tag team based on their matching DX t-shirts.

My friend was spending the night at my house and we ended up playing with our figures that night while, as was customary, watching wrestling on TV.

These memories stand out to me because they were fun, carefree times, and maybe because we had also bought a box of Buncha Crunch that night too, so I guess I have Shotgun Series 2 to thank for it.

Now, how will the figures shape up to my ratings system? In five parts - the head, torso, arms, legs, and other accessories/minor details deemed worthy of recognition - I will break down the best and worst of this series of repaints to the BCA line.

First, though, take a look at these prototypes (from the back carding of the No Mercy Mini Rings boxed set) and see if you can spot any differences with the finished products.





Clearly, Billy Gunn's knee pads were changed from having to not having oversized lips on them, but the others largely remain the same.

Seeing as how I don't currently own the Kane from Shotgun Series 2, a replacement from 2 Tuff Series 3 will be used in the loose photos since they are the same figure.




Sable - 17.5/25

I haven't rated any other Sable figures yet, but I would venture to say that this will probably be the highest scoring from the BCA line.

Jakks did a fairly good job, what with the fictional "Sable Bomb" print down the right leg and all, but there have been far worse (WrestleMania XIV Series Rocky Maivia, anyone?).

Her score is comparable to the Signature Series 3 Jacqueline figure with the exact same sculpt, though Sable's figure comes with a pair of cool, character-specific accessories including a black whip and black chair with Sable logo affixed to the back of it. Definitely the standout of this assortment.





*Note: The barbed wire bat accessory in the loose pictures is different.

Kane - 16.5/25

Scale will always be an issue with BCA figures, but even worse than that are sculpts that are generally either too big (see: Edge) for the wrestler or too small, as in the case of Kane.

He's often dwarfed by guys that he would tower over in real life, and that's concerning when you're a kid and you want the Big Red Machine to appear like a monster in your figure federation.

His small frame results in repeated point deductions, but where Kane's rating falls is in the "above average" category for me.

You can't help but like all of the small details of his ring attire, but you almost want to re-sculpt the thing so that it's more menacing, like a Kurrgan-esque figure.

Still, I remember being happy just having a non-Slammers Kane as a kid, so I guess that's all that really matters.





"Double J" Jeff Jarrett - 10.5/25

Way back when I wrote my first Mini Review of DTA Tour Series 2 (minus The Blue Blazer), I wrote this about Jarrett's figure:

Don't make him mad, or else he'll turn into a terrible figure! ...Oh wait. The head sculpt is decent at best and everything else is pure garbage. There is very little detail on his trunks, and the accessories are the saving grace from this receiving a horrible score. Terrible, garbage, and horrible? I didn't know we were talking about Jeff Jarrett! But, seriously, avoid this at all costs (Head - 2, Torso - 1.5, Arms - 1.5, Legs - 1.5, Other - 3.5).

So where does that leave us with Shotgun Series 2?

Pretty much where I left off, though Jarrett's Shotgun figure was released first and I gave this one a half point extra because of the guitar accessory that was included.

It's true to the character, but the "Don't Make Me Mad" writing on the body of the guitar is so bad that it's funny (and then back to being bad again).

I'm beginning to think these two figures will be the lowest scores I ever give out; I want to say "Let's hope so," but I kind of hope there are some other atrocities out there waiting to be reviewed.

Live Wire Series 1 Stone Cold beckons, I suppose.






B.A Billy Gunn, Road Dog Jesse James - 15.5/25 (each)

The New Age Outlaws return to the Mini Review format with identical scores and satisfactory repaints to the Shotgun Series.

Matching DX t-shirts is great for assembling the famous tag team, though the choice of art (really, no catch phrases?) leaves a lot to be desired.

The lower halves for each are decent, though Jakks decides to cut corners with Gunn's boots (unlike his debut 2 Tuff Series 2 figure) and Road Dog's gear to a degree.

Simply put, these aren't the best or worst representations, just easily forgettable, middle-of-the-pack repaints.




Shawn Michaels - 15/25

I had planned to review all of HBK's BCA figures a few months ago (and I still plan on it), so this was a score I configured previously along with the others.

My biggest gripes are with the lack of any logos on the back of HBK's tights and the bleach blonde hair, not to mention the missing arm tattoo.

I love the sculpted, though very faint, chest hair on the torso, and the entrance chaps don't bother me with the Slammers body as it is how I've come to know this HBK mold.

The blue ring attire underneath is slightly different from the red of the original Slammers Series 2 figure.

Overall, this isn't one of my favorites nor is it one of his best BCA figures, but you shouldn't expect the cream of the crop from Shotgun Series 2.





It was never meant to be anything more than a series of lackluster repaints, or maybe that's just what Jakks wanted us to believe.

Speaking of the Shotgun Series, I sense a full length review coming on soon, but who could it be?

Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice day!

- Alex