Part one: The box

First, I thought I would warn everyone that I found mine on the lowest shelf, so wherever you go, check there as well. The box was so much smaller than I thought it would be (approx 19" x 17" x 4½"). I remember the old one was huge. The box art doesn't seem to be what we have seen before, as there is no Teela nor Orko anywhere. It is for ages 5+. The back shows the other available figures and vehicles, including Ram Man, Mekaneck, Jungle Attack He-man and the Bashin' Beetle. The UPC number is 74299 55790. The box is Bi-Lingual (French and English). There is a logo for the "Action Chip(TM)" feature displayed prominently on the box.

Part two: Assembly

Grayskull is rather easy to assemble, but does take some time. All the pieces are packed really close together--like when you get a new desk or CD rack. There are 7 stickers included as well. Some of the pieces snap in, and they snap in hard, while others seem really loose, and can easily be taken apart and reassembled often. This Grayskull has all the fun stuff of the original (Cannon, Flag, trap door, extra weapons(!))
and some great new twists. It comes with a golden key so you can activate the features without the need for a figure. There are 9 Weapons in the arsenal, none of which can be found with any other figure. They are molded in a cool Dark Gray Metallic. The cannon fires two Missles (spring loaded). The jail cell is rubbery and again molded in a metallic rubber. The plastic of the shell and the paint job are reminicent of the original, but the skull is painted light gray. You can see the Chrome Power Sword in the window, but cannot get at it from inside.

Part Three: Play

Once you have inserted the batteries (it takes four AAs, so get some when you find it--I forgot and it took some time to find some around the house) and turned it on, you immediately get sound and the eyes light up on the outside (inside, the torches light). If inactive for more than 50 seconds, you will get a Thunderclap sound. 30 seconds later, it will go into standby. You will have to reactivate with the Command center button.

Inside, lower level, from left to right: First, you have the dungeon. Metallic sharp bars with a swinging gate and shackles on the wall (props, not really usable). In the center, you have the entrance from the drawbridge (no longer the Jawbridge) and the command center (computer console where the batteries go and the power and activation buttons are). On the Right door, you have the (molded shut) door where you hang the golden key and the weapons (armory).

Inside, Upper level: The left and right doors have a ledge to place the figures--not much else. The center houses the Hall of Secrets. This is the alter with the Power Sword symbol on it. The floor is supported by two swing out supports and can fold up when closed. There is a balcony where the figures can go outside and look down. The main altar with the torches has the dragon symbol on the floor and a golden footprint (the Action Chip area). When a Heroic Warrior is placed on the foot print, Grayskull will recognize the character by name and announce whether they are welcome there or not (Battle Sound figures react the same as the standard, so it is most likely the same chip). If it is a heroic warrior, it will announce that Grayskull is ready to serve, or tell you "to enter the hall of secrets, stand on the dragon symbol and unlock the secret stone (the lock to the door). Once you unlock the door, the wall opens to reveal the Chrome Power Sword and you can remove it (but it does not open like the others). If it is a member of the Evil Horde, it will instruct to stand in front of the hall. Once you do, the trapdoor opens and the Horde member falls into the dungeon cell.

Top towers: The left tower is large enough for the figures to stand on, and holds
the flagpole/Satellite antenna. The right (square) tower has the cannon, which fires two missles (spring loaded). There is a walkway between the two.

Outside, there is another dragon symbol and foot. This works the same as the hall of secrets. If a Heroic Warrior is at the door, Grayskull will tell him to unlock the secret rock and stand aside. The door will then open. If it is a member of the Evil Horde, it will instruct to stand on the Dragon symbol, and the door will crash on their head.

It can also recognize more than one figure at a time. For instance, I had Stratos inside and had him open the hall of secrets, then closed it (it will ask you to). I then put He-man in front of the drawbridge. It said, "He-man! Stratos is waiting for you."

Also, something curious--the Weapons in the armory, as well as one discarded sword on the ground in front (molded in) all have the + symbol, as does the altar and the hall of secrets, but the key and the forehead of the outer skull have the * symbol. Still really confusing...

Truthfully, I was a bit disappointed by the action chip features. They are very very cool, but I guess I was expecting more. I was hoping that the figures would talk and there would be more sensors. That limitation aside, it did not diminish my excitement or enjoyment of the set.

One of the coolest things about this Grayskull is that it folds up pretty compact. The main floor inside swings up (as mentioned previously), the two supports are folded in and the dungeon gate is removed and voila! the doors shut and the entire thing is very easy to store or display without taking up much room. It is only about 5" thick at this point, so you could display it against a wall on a bookshelf and still have plenty of room for the figures around it.

I also found that you can land the Battle Hawk on the top floor, if you set it diagonally. This gives a really cool Talon Fighter 2002 look to it.

The way it is molded, I can see how additions could easily be added, as the Mattel rep implied. I hope you all get one really soon. I got mine at Wal*Mart for about $50. It is worth every penny.

Dr. Omega

Photos of the new Castle Grayskull (supplied by Nick Crocco of www.swatonline.org)