Hauls: Switching Up in Florida

We're exactly one week away from my 34th Birthday, so let's get the stuff that I picked up in June and July sorted away with before then, shall we?

Nintendo Switch 2 (Walmart)

Mario Kart World (Walmart)

amCase Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case (Amazon)

amFilm Nintendo Switch 2 Screen Protector 3-Pack (Amazon)

Whenever there's a new Nintendo console, I usually wait until around the holidays to pick it up. (Y'know, wait until there's a good number of games on hand and potentially some good discounts/bundles.) However, with the whole tariff situation creating an uncertain future price-wise and a certain game that I've been waiting YEARS for REALLY close to launch (here's a hint: 🦍🍌🪨👧🎤), I figured that I might as well jump on in! (It's not like I don't already have an enormous backlog of Switch games that I can play between big releases or anything.)

As far as impressions go, I really love it! The bigger size is great, it feels high-quality and sturdy, the new Joycons are a really nice improvement, and overall, it's just a faster, better, more powerful Switch, which is exactly what I wanted. I'm really excited to see what Ninty can squeeze out of this thing as its life goes on! (Especially interested in regards to Mario RPGs and Smash Bros.)

TMNT 2012 Leonardo Figure

TMNT 2012 Battle Shell Michelangelo Figure

TMNT 2012 Power Sound FX Raphael Figure

TMNT 2012 Flingers Leonardo Figure

My Dad found these guys for me while my parents were out thrifting! While I already had the first two and the latter two have features that are either missing accessories or don't really work anymore, I still really appreciate the thought. Always nice when your parents see something as absurd as a giant turtle wearing a color-coded eye mask and immediately think of you. That means that you got dealt a good hand family-wise.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (4K Combo) (Walmart)

Pokémon the Series: XYZ The Complete Season (Walmart)

Embarked on a family vacation to Florida in late June, so I, of course, bought a few things while I was there. Starting things off, I scored a couple new titles for my home media shelf at a Walmart while we were out grocery shopping. Now I can watch Keanu Reeves Shadow anywhere and anytime I want and I'll be able to marathon the entire Kalos arc of the Pokémon anime before Legends Z-A hits!

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (Blu-ray) (Walmart)

At a different Walmart, I grabbed another title: the first fully-animated (as far as entirely original animation goes, that is) theatrical Looney Tunes movie! I look forward to giving it a rewatch when I feel like a good laugh. (If you haven't checked it out yet and love the Looney Tunes, I can't recommend it enough. It's hilarious, has lovely 2D animation, and features Peter MacNicol playing a space alien. You really can't go wrong with that.)

Goomba amiibo (Target)

Koopa amiibo (Target)

Grabbed these guys at a Target. Wasn't originally planning on buying anything on that particular Target trip, as everything of interest that I COULD find was too steeply-priced to jump on, but they were like the only amiibo there (aside from a lone Incineroar) and I didn't own them, so I decided to end their shelf-warming existence. (On store shelves, that is. Now they occupy a DIFFERENT shelf.)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (Books-A-Million)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs. Street Fighter (Books-A-Million)

Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn (Books-A-Million)

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Volume 5 (Books-A-Million)

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Volume 7 (With Go! - D/D/D Divine Zero King Rage Promo Card) (Books-A-Million)

Most of the rest of my Florida pick-ups were additions to my already-monstrous reading pile! With a video game and live-action film reportedly on the way, I figured that it was a good time to finally check out The Last Ronin. Accompanying that is a crossover comic clash between the heroes in a half-shell and world warriors, a Power Rangers mini-series focused on the world of the Coinless (that isn't collected in any of the hardcovers for some reason), and two more chunks of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V manga. (One even still had the promo card!)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1 (Barnes & Noble)

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl Volume 1 (Barnes & Noble)

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Volume 3 (With D/D/D Destiny King Zero Laplace Promo Card) (Barnes & Noble)

Lugia Model Kit (Barnes & Noble)

Wrapping up the goods from my Florida trip, we have the first collection of Eastman & Laird's original TMNT comics (despite being a huge Turtles nut, I've never actually owned or read most of them), the first volume of a new Spider-Man manga where Doc Ock's mind accidentally gets trapped in the body of a Japanese girl (it definitely sounds creepy, but the begrudging friendship that the two form while trying to return Otto to his original body is oddly adorable and there's A LOT of references to Ock's stint as a hero for Superior Spider-Man fans), yet another ARC-V volume (complete with card), and for a bit of flavor, a Lugia model kit. Because I like Lugia.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Volume 4 (With White Aura Bihamut Promo Card) (Books-A-Million)

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Volume 6 (With Timelord Progenitor Vorpgate Promo Card) (Books-A-Million)

Got a free $10 gift card for signing up for Books-A-Million's Millionaire's Club while in Florida, so I decided to use it to score one of the last two ARC-V volumes that I needed to finish the series. Plus, since you get free shipping on all orders in said Millionaire's Club, I decided to go ahead and order the other one, completing the set. (Both had their promo cards, too!) Now the only Yu-Gi-Oh! spin-off manga that I don't own in its entirety is ZEXAL. (And that's not because I'm avoiding it or anything. I actually enjoy that manga more than ARC-V's. It's just really hard to work eight whole volumes of a manga into your future purchases, especially when you can't find them in the wild to slowly accumulate through impulse buys.)

Transformers: Age of the Primes Voyager Class Sky-Byte (Amazon)

Jakks Pacific Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Shadow Figure (Amazon)

Who's the baddest shark around? Who's the smartest shark in town? Sky-Byte! THAT'S HIM! Yep, I don't usually buy many Transformers, but when an animation-accurate version of my dude Sky-Byte was revealed for the Age of the Primes line, he was a MUST BUY. He turned out beautifully, too. Both modes look like they popped right out of RID 2001, you can arm him with fin blades or "SHARK MISSILES!!", and he has a great amount of articulation and movement. (Even in shark mode!) Definitely a vast improvement on the Thrilling 30 version, which I enjoyed at the time, but is just kind of bulky and awkward now. He's a fine addition to my little shelf of Beast Era Transformers goodness.

As for Shadow, he was the only figure that I wanted from the Sonic 3 line, but prices for him online very quickly soared into absurdity before I could actually order him. Luckily, though, he came back in stock on Amazon during Prime Day for a discounted price of like thirteen bucks, so I couldn't pass up this chance. He's a rad figure with great articulation and detail, and I'm very happy to finally be able to represent this version of the Edgy Hedgie on my shelf.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Switch) (Best Buy)

I've never actually played Final Fantasy X or X-2, but I've heard pretty good things about them over the years. So, when Best Buy had the HD Collection on Switch down to ELEVEN BUCKS, I couldn't pass it up. I'm looking forward to finally experiencing a traditional turn-based Final Fantasy!

Jakks Pacific Sonic the Hedgehog Comic Collection Metal Virus Sonic (with Zombot Froggy) Figure (Walmart)

Lastly, I wasn't planning on buying this figure (as I'm not huge on Sonic variants), but Walmart had it in stock for retail, and in the Jakks Sonic collecting community, you have to jump on all those rare chances when they pop up. (Here's hoping that I'll get just as lucky with the upcoming Tangle figure.) It's a neat little three-dimensional representation of Sonic at his lowest point in the IDW Comics' Metal Virus arc, with some really nice silver paint apps and a rare fatigued expression on his face. Also Zombot Froggy as a bonus! (Funny that they made him before regular Froggy.) Here's hoping that this and Tangle are just the tip of the iceberg for Jakks' Comic Collection!

That's all she wrote for June and July 2025! I'll see you guys later for my 34th Birthday haul!

Hauls: Space Frogs and Cowardly Dogs

You know the drill by now: Playing haul catch-up again before any bells start jingling and we're hit with another year change. Let's skip any additional preamble and get to some nerd ephemera!

Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

This one was unexpected! See, my Mom was thrifting and came across a random box of gaming-related goods. After a bit of badgering from my Dad (he loves fiddling with retro gaming tech), she decided to buy it. After she brought it home, I was surprised to find THIS gem nestled in said box. The original Bear/Bird adventure! Needless to say, I wasted no time in re-adding it to the small N64 collection that I've been rebuilding ever since my original console and carts fell to the cruel mistress of being sold during the Gamecube era. Still works perfectly, too! (After a bit of cleaning.) Feels super nice to have this original cart again after the duo's big comeback in Smash.

Pokémon Adventures Black 2 and White 2 Volume 4

This one was actually a stray Birthday present that was delayed past the actual day after it was already pre-ordered. This volume (finally) brings the B2W2 arc of the manga to an end. Excited to finally head to Kalos in 2022!

The Disney Afternoon Adventures Volume 1: Just Us Justice Ducks and Other Stories (Amazon)

Invader Zim Volume 4 Deluxe Edition (Amazon)

This batch of books is courtesy of a rather nice Amazon deal from a while back where you could get 15 bucks off an item priced at $25 or more TWICE IN A ROW. Thanks to that, I was able to score both for less than the full price of just one! 

Now I'm only one hardcover short of owning all of Oni Press' Invader Zim Deluxe Editions and I've finally dipped my toe into the ocean of Fantagraphics' Disney comic collections! When I heard that not only were they collecting the strips based on the Disney Afternoon shows that ran in Disney Adventures magazine back in the day in nice hardcover collections, but also that they were STARTING with the multi-part Legend of the Chaos God crossover, I knew that I HAD to score this! (Not sure why they buried the Chaos God inclusion behind adaptations of a Darkwing Duck episode and A Goofy Movie in the marketing, but hey, I don't know the ins and outs of selling hardcover Duck books.)

Michelangelo Plush

This guy was another of my Mom's thrift finds! His mask has a hard time actually covering his eyes, but he makes a nice companion to my IDW TMNT collection on my bookshelf. (Which is also flanked by a Raphael bobblehead.)

Wreck-It Ralph: Ultimate Collector's Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code) (Disney Movie Insiders)

I already own Wreck-It Ralph on Blu-ray and don't yet have the means to play 4K discs, but being able to finally add my favorite movie to my digital collection (my old copy was just a BD/DVD combo pack) while at the same time future proofing it for my physical shelf all for the best price of free courtesy of DMI? Yeah, that's amazing. Now I can watch it anywhere and the sequel doesn't have to look so lonely alongside my other digital copies!

Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (DVD) (Amazon)

STUPID DOG(S)!! I don't really pick up Scooby-Doo films that often, but I'm a sucker for crossovers, so any time they throw an unexpected mash-up into their future projects, my interest becomes piqued. (Like when they resurrected Batman: The Brave and the Bold for a team-up back in 2018.) This year's mix is one that A LOT of people would probably be surprised that they haven't done earlier (barring a few Cartoon Network promos): Scooby-Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Despite it being almost two decades since the series ended, the Courage characters are still as charming/twisted as ever and they mix well with the Mystery Inc. gang despite the disparate art styles. It's a really fun little nostalgia trip of a movie filled with a lot of what you'd expect from both sides and a TON of fanservice. I'd recommend it if you grew up watching either or both of these dogs' escapades on the tube. Just a fun, wacky little cartoon crossover film.

Jakks Pacific Mighty and Mecha Sonic Figures (Amazon)

Hadn't picked up any of Jakks Pacific's new Sonic the Hedgehog figures, but the second that they announced that MIGHTY THE ARMADILLO would be one of the first Classic characters added to the line, I KNEW that would have to change. The fact that they also decided to release MECHA SONIC (the semi-final boss from Sonic 2 not to be confused with his more well-known brother from Sonic CD) for the 30th Anniversary made getting into them EVEN MORE irresistible. These aren't always the easiest to score online for a decent price, but thanks to Amazon, I was able to get them both for retail! (Ten bucks a pop!) They're both SUPER cool (though Mecha's a little small compared to the other Classic characters and Mighty has trouble standing with his huge head and weaker legs) and I'm always pumped to add more characters without previous figure representation to my collection! (Here's hoping Fang and the Hooligans aren't far behind.)

Hot Wheels Mario Kart Blind Box Vehicle (Got Monty Mole!)

My Mom bought this for me. My chasers were the Cow and Trophy, but Monty certainly isn't a bad score.

Sgt. Frog: The Complete First Season (SD Blu-ray) (Rightstuf Anime)

Ohhhhhhhhhh man, this is a big one. Haven't really brought it up around these parts, but I'm a HUGE Sgt. Frog fan and there's always been a little gap in my heart ever since Funimation abandoned releasing the anime on DVD after 2011. Well, earlier this year, that hole was at last filled! Discotek announced that they had acquired EVERY SINGLE EPISODE of the show and had plans to release it on Blu-ray! The long-dormant Keronian sympathizer within me burst forth like an explosion and started obsessing over Space Frogs once again! I eagerly awaited every bit of information on their first release while finally reading through the manga. Now, at last, the start of a new era for the show has arrived.

While it's a Blu-ray, Sgt. Frog (mostly) isn't an HD show, so that means they could squeeze all 51 episodes of the show's first season on to just two discs and STILL have room for extras! (That's the equivalent of EIGHT DVDs from Funimation's previous release.) Speaking of extras, there's a nice selection of neat ones! There's, of course, the prerequisite clean opening and endings, but also promos for the show's original airing in Japan, the test episode of Funimation's dub that was originally up on YouTube and featured some differing voices and localized names ("Pekopon" became "Planet Wuss" and "Natsumi" became "Natalie," etc.), and even the trailer for ADV's aborted dub! Throw in a bunch of super nice touches like improved English subtitles for both the original Japanese and Funimation English dub, full English credits for every episode at the end of each disc, and the use of different art for both the slip and inside covers of the case and you've got a release that I was just THOROUGHLY impressed by. Needless to say, I can't freaking wait for the other six seasons. (Especially to finally experience all of those previously-unreleased-in-the-states episodes!)

Marvel Legends Retro Collection Spider-Man 2099 Figure (Big Bad Toy Store)

Capping things off with another addition to the Marvel Legends collection! Miguel O'Hara, AKA, Spider-Man 2099, is one of my personal favorite Spider-Men, but I missed out on his previous Marvel Legends figures when they were new and they quickly soared in price. Lucky for me, then, that they finally announced a rerelease (in 90's Spider-Man TAS-style packaging) a short while ago. Feels great to finally have a Miggy on my shelf! (Though, now I want them to rerelease his later suit. I actually REALLY like it.)

That'll do! I might post again before Christmas depending on if a certain item comes in around then, but we'll just see how things shake out. Either way, I hope ya'll enjoy the upcoming holiday season to its utmost! 🦃🎄