Posted in: Collectibles, Hasbro | Tagged: dinosaur, hasbro, jurassic park, retro review

Retro Review: Jurassic Park Chaos Effect Compstegnathus

In the 90s, toys were on a whole other level. In 1998 we got to see a new line of Jurassic Park toys called Chaos Effect. We talked about the first wave of the card backed figures here. The figures were created with the hopes of an animated series come from it but had no takers. These dinosaurs were the creation of scientists experimenting with new DNA sequences to resurrect these beasts. This time, we have reached into the Bleeding Cool vault and resurrected one of these beautiful figures. The Compstegnathus is back and he is part of our first retro review.

The Compstegnathus is the Frankenstein creation of fusing the DNA of the Compsognathus, Stegosaurus, and African Tree Frog. Both of these dinosaurs can be seen in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, which isn't surprising they used this set as this series was based around the second film. While we do not have the packaging, the figure itself will do just fine as we dive deeper into this retro review. The colors of this dino are not that crazy with a light green body and black colored limbs. The blue on its nose is what really stands out making me think this color scheme is based on the African Tree Frog DNA within it. The arms and legs are not articulated but still movable which isn't that bad. This only really allows for one standard position of the Jurassic Park figure but with an older figure that's not crazy at all.

The biggest feature of the Compstegnathus is the added spikes on its back and tails this is from the Stegosaurus DNA used. Within its spiked back, there is a red lever on his with a locking mechanism. If you push the lever forward, the dino's mouth opens exposing the tongue inside. This is not any normal tongue as it is designed to hold other figures in its mouth. From the description of the figure's original box, they state, "their tongues lash out and wrap around unfortunate victims, dragging them into the range of razor sharp teeth and sharp tail spikes." The use of the Frog DNA has given this monster a very unique trait that a normal Dinos would not have. This is easily one of the best parts of the Jurassic Park Chaos Effect series is the creativity and imagination of the figure. Each backstory and description were thoroughly thought to bring life to these crazy creations.

The Compstegnathus is a pretty basic figure but it has it where it counts. As a kid, these figures appealed most to me as it resembled the badass look of a Velociraptor. The sleek design, unique colors, and the expanding tongue defiantly make this a perfect toy for any collector. Seeing a remastered version of a figure like this would be a dream come true. If Hasbro can do what NECA did with the Rhino Alien from the 1995 Aliens Kenner figures then these would be a sellout. The backstory and the combination of other species DNA is fascinating on its own. These toys still can hold up even in retro form and would be an excellent addition to any dino fans collection. Whether you want to admit it or not this series ultimately led up to Jurassic World with the Indominus Rex. Will we learn to stop while we are ahead or try to achieve the impossible? All it takes is one loose Dinosaur to find that out. Check out more about the Jurassic Park Chaos Effect series and more retro reviews here at Bleeding Cool.

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