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Takara Tomy imagines PlayStation as Optimus Prime in disguise
Have you ever looked at the original 1994 PlayStation and wondered if there's more than meets the eye? Clearly Takara Tomy Arts has. The Japanese toymaker is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Transformers and the 20th anniversary of PlayStation by combining the two brands, quite literally. Yes, it's making a PlayStation toy that transforms into Autobot hero Optimus Prime, because why the hell not. It's not the only system-to-transformer toy the company has in the pipeline, by the way. In September it's releasing a Sega Genesis model that converts into the villanous Megatron - Mega Drive and Megatron, it had to be done. You can check out that transformation on Takara Tomy's site. Sadly for now there's just art of the PlayStation Prime robot, so you'll have to channel your imagination until the toy hits Japanese store shelves early next year.
Put these cute Zelda figures from Japan in your pocket
The cheap-toy twist-knob machines lining grocery stores and movie theaters across the western world don't contain Zelda figures, which makes them more proof that Japan is way cooler than everyone else, ever. Takara Tomy Arts is offering six gashapon figurines direct from Japan, including characters from The Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword. Import specialist NCS is taking pre-orders for the collection, dubbed the Zelda Figure Collection, for shipment in April. For $30 you can get two tiny Links, a Tetra, Zelda, child Link and child Zelda. Even with import costs, it's much cheaper than a plane trip to Japan and the 100-yen coins you'd have to spend on cool toy capsules.
Utamin: the adorable, Theremin-like toy that's a great gift for someone else's kids
With the holiday season fast approaching, it's important to start figuring what to get all the little ones on your shopping list. If your local Toys"R"Us is all out of Keepons maybe you can import a few Utamin -- just make sure to give the noisy little buggers to someone else's kids. The strange crowned spheres "sing" as you wave your hand in front of them. In simple mode it merely bangs out some pre-programmed nursery rhymes, but it also has a rhythm and melody mode, the latter of which lets you play any note in the musical scale. Pitch is determined by how far your hand is from the Utamin, which is detected using an IR sensor. Two can even be connected to perform adorable duets. The toys will be shipping this month to Japanese customers in green, pink or blue for ¥3,800 ($49). Check out the video after the break.
Kirby's Epic Yarn becomes Kirby's Epic Yum in gummy form
In honor of a game in which Kirby is turned into a loop of yarn, Takara Tomy Arts is turning Kirby into candy. We're sure that makes sense to them somehow! Next month, the company will release Kirby's Epic Yarn gummy candy in boxes of 20 pieces, each including a collectible card with an image of one of Kirby's transformations from the adorable Wii adventure. It looks like Takara Tomy took the easy way out in terms of making Kirby-shaped gummies -- they're circles with faces. Each box will sell from Amazon Japan for ¥2,040 ($24.61) each, which is a bit pricey for the privilege of being able to devour Kirby like he devours everything else.
