Yeah, looks like someone at MonkeyBarTV got a little tipsy the night before work last Friday…  what was being advertised as Episode 2 of Operation: HISS was likely Episode 3, and has now been pulled.  However, the real Episode 2 is now online, featuring some arctic action.  We see Timber, a little cameo from Snow Job, and hear some thick Scottish juice straight from Destro.

Check out the episode here, and some gratuitous screenshots below.

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If it wasn’t already obvious enough, looking at this one, it’s pretty clear that Hasbro is taking full advantage of the 3d models from the video game.  I mean, these designs look nearly identical…

Thanks to GeneralsJoes commentor Braxthunder for reporting that MonkeybarTV has just posted an online flash-based game for the Pursuit of Cobra!  I’ve only played it briefly so far, and so far it seems to be a pseudo puzzle style game, at least the City Strike level is.

I’m playing as Agent Helix, and you have to activate a series of levers, buttons, etc…  to navigate through the cityscape.  So far it’s pretty neat.  I’m interested in seeing what the other environments give us.

Check out the game right here!

EDIT – The other levels are just as cool…  Arctic Threat features Snow Job piloting a Rockslide down an arctic slope.  Desert Battle features Dusty (wearing Ripcord’s jetpack!) flying from truck to truck.  Lastly, in the Jungle Assault mission, Recondo is piloting a Mech suit in a first-person shooter style game with all guns blazing.

This is actually pretty fun.  Cheesy, yeah, but still fun.  Check out some screen shots below, especially that last shot with some old school HISS goodness…

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Now that we’re moving towards the Pursuit of Cobra, if you feel like stocking up on Rise of Cobra product from 2009, now is your chance!  YoJoe.com is offering a great contest that’s easy as heck to participate in.

Simply hop on over to this thread and make a post, and you’re entered in a contest to win a nice little prize pack featuring the following:

The Gunship itself is worth the trouble!  An awesome chance to get some neat product that you might have missed the first time around.  Big thanks to YoJoe and Hasbro for sponsoring the contest!

With a big thanks to MSGiJoe Collectors’ Club Facebook page and The Terror Drome for informing us that Webisode Two for Operation: H.I.S.S. has been posted!  It can be seen on MonkeybarTV right here.  Taking queues from the Pursuit of Cobra concept, it’s obviously based in the Rise of Cobra universe, this episode features the debut of Recondo and mention of a Cobra Terror Drome.

Now, we all know it’s no great shakes, but this episode wasn’t quite as cheesy as the last one.  It was still far from perfect, but it’s not terrible.  Compared to something like Resolute…well…  we don’t need to go there.

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Along with Webisode Two, there’s also a feature focusing on Operation: HISS Duke, with some nice Accelerator Suit action.  Check that 56 second feature right here.  Yeah, this stuff even makes the Rise of Cobra film look like oscar material…  bring on the IDW Operation: HISS comic!  That’s the post-Rise of Cobra storyline I’m sticking with.

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Every year for the past few years, JoeCustoms member Kamakura has gone above and beyond the normal fan interaction, and has actually produced a convention exclusive figure that he sells on his own at the annual convention.  Restricted mainly to JoeCustoms members, they retail for $30.00 and sell out FAST.

This year we’re getting a special treat…with a very nice 3 3/4″ version of everyone’s favorite Sigma 6 character, Lt. Stone!  The final version will have a semi-translucent green robotic arm, and while the parts choices are not something you’d typically think of, they work very nicely together.

Check out the image below, and if you’re a JoeCustoms member, hit up this thread to stake your claim!  I can’t wait.

The latest Sideshow Collectibles newsletter has been sent out, and there’s some exciting news for G.I. Joe fans!  Check out all the news tidbits below:

• A special preview of Beachhead has been posted!  He will go for pre-order with the March 4th newsletter, so get yourself on that mailing list now!
• Snake Eyes vs. the Red Ninjas statue is up for pre-order.  You can currently order both the Sideshow Exclusive or the Standard Release.  The Sideshow Exclusive comes with an exclusive swappable “Commando” style head!
• The Sideshow 12″ Flint figure has been given the QTVR treatment, meaning you can do a full 360 degree turnaround and zoom of the figure and his gear.  Check him out in full detail, then decide whether you want to pick up the in stock standard version or get on the wait list for the Sideshow Exclusive.

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I’m a little behind the eight ball with this one…he hit the mailbox just before Toy Fair, so got caught up in all of that, but here’s the review.  You can hit it up on the Pursuit of Cobra Review Page or just read it directly right here!

For Joe fans who don’t check into the GI Joe Collectors’ Club forums, you can sometimes miss out on some nice little tidbits.  For instance, this past weekend, Lanny revealed some awesome package art for the upcoming 3 3/4″ Adventure Team product that is supposed to debut at the Convention in Rhode Island this year.

That artwork is pretty damn stunning, I have to say.

Between the Red Shadows, Action Force, Dr. Venom, and the Adventure Team, this year’s Convention is gonna be a killer on the wallet, but I’m really looking forward to it.  Check out the package art mirrored below as well.

Other tidbits from the GIJCC forums within the past few days…  according to The Commander, the Red Torches will come with some different weapon assortments in the box!  Sounds like they may not be straight-up flamethrower troopers.  Also, the inclusion of Flint and Interrogator was most likely due to a dictation from Hasbro that they include a mainstream Joe and a mainstream Cobra in the Con set.

Some very cool behind the scenes info.  Check it out, registration is free.

The hits keep on coming…  Black Major was great.  Red Torch looks very nice as well…  Flint was hit or miss with many of the collector crowd, though I think he looks good as well.  But what many folks were waiting for were the Red Shadows themselves…and it looks like the Club stepped up to the plate.

Hit up GIJoeCon.com to see the Red Shadows in their old school glory.  These look NICE.  Straight up Red Shadows, pulled from the Action Force comics.  Absolutely love ‘em.  Here’s hoping we get some decent Action Force foils to go up against them.

Using mostly Red Star parts, with a very cool looking newly tooled head, this figure definitely captures the backbone of the Red Shadow faction.  A very cool looking figure.  Check it out here!

Umm… what the hell?  Did I forget to post this?

As I was preparing the Past and Present set for review, I noticed that I had no link up on the Rise of Cobra Review Page for the Serpent Armor set that I reviewed like…I dunno…months ago?  Did I forget to post it?

I have no idea.  If I did, well, it’s posted now.  That’s a damn shame.  I love the set, and I figured I’d told everyone how much I loved it by now.  Go buy it if you can find any left.