Thanks for the catalogs! Below are my impressions of the sets that are personally relevant to me:
I'm pleased to see the Western theme is back in the catalog and there are some things I like about it, namely the Marshal set, the bandit set, the artillery tunics, the introduction of a corporal, the new teepee, the shed next to the mine, and the new Native Americans. Based upon the pictures, however, I must say that the fort looks rather too "Fischer Price" for my taste. I think the Steck forts are best and the System X forts are nice too, but this new fort looks too "childish" to me. Perhaps its the glossy logs. A matte finish might all but eliminate the cheap impression of it that I'm getting in the pictures. Also, what military genius decided to build a fort around rocks that enemies could climb upon to enter the fort? Still, the rock prison looks to be useful for the Egyptian theme. Perhaps I'm being too critical, as these are toys for children, and I will probably purchase most of these Western sets, but I don't see the fort displacing Playmobil's previous forts in my collection.
The new dogs look good and I like the new horses, although I don't like the fact that any old tack will not work with them. I doubt I'll buy into them. The Super Specials and Fi?ures look good too, although the addition of medals on the British soldier make his use limited in terms of "army building". Also, I personally despise the "mystery pack" idea.
