With the Duel Attack, Hammond Collection, and Habitat Defender Triceratops toys all in my collection I didn’t think I would ever add another Mattel Trike to my shelves, but then Mattel went and made one with rubber skin! I resisted it for as long as I could, but when it inevitably went on sale, I caved, so here I am reviewing my fourth Jurassic World Triceratops and, oddly enough, this is my fourth Triceratops review since December!
The Mattel Real Feel Triceratops is part of the Jurassic World Reimagined line, a successor of sorts to both the Legacy Collection and the 93’ Classic Collection. So far, this line has failed to impress me but as a fan of the real feel gimmick, I’m always eager to see what they do next. So far, the Real Feel Carnotaurus has been the highlight of this line for me and although I like the Indominus too, I still haven’t bothered to acquire it.
Touching briefly on the packaging, the toy comes in a retro-style display box with jungle foliage as the backdrop and a rock-strewn forest floor. It also heavily emphasizes the red, yellow, and black JP colors and the color combo of the Ford Explorer, for an extra kick of nostalgia. This is a toy that I wouldn’t mind displaying in its box, if only I had room for it!
This Trike measures 13.75” (34.93 cm) long and stands 5.5” (13.97 cm) tall at the hips. It’s larger than the Hammond Collection and older mainline Trikes but smaller than the Habitat Defender. Triceratops is estimated to have reached a maximum length of 30’ (9 meters) and when scaled down from that length we get a scale of 1/26. In order for it to be 1/18 in scale it would have to be scaled down from a length of about 22’ (6 meters). Keep in mind that since this is a Jurassic franchise Trike the proportions are off. For instance, the tail is too long for a proper Triceratops, so a scale based on total length is a rough guess.
The figure is articulated at the head, shoulders, and hips. The head rotates around on a ball joint, and all the limbs can pivot outwards but only the forelimbs can rotate forward and back. A button over the hips emits various grumbles and growls. On my copy, the head can actually pop off and back on very easily. I don’t know if this is a widespread issue, but it was an alarming one to discover. The head, body, and tail are all rubbery and somewhat squishy and pliable while the legs are hard plastic.
This Triceratops is clearly a Jurassic franchise design and not scientifically accurate, and with how many Jurassic Trikes are already on the blog I don’t think I need to go over the inaccuracies. It’s not exactly screen accurate either, but it isn’t meant to be, it is its own unique individual and that adds some of the appeal. The body has a blubbery, saggy build, and the head is much more shrink wrapped than on my other Mattel Trikes. It suggests that this might be an older individual that is comfortably living the domestic life in captivity.
Although the head is exquisitely detailed, particularly with the scales over the frill, the figure is less detailed overall than other Mattel Trikes. Even my old Duel Attack Triceratops has more scale detail than this guy. This figure is largely covered in wrinkles and skin folds, which adds to its saggy appearance and gives the hide a cracked skin look. There is still scale detail in places that are most likely to grab your eye, such as along the flanks of the belly and over the limbs. Large osteoderms run along the back and tail and over the flanks, shoulders, and thighs. The horns and beak have the cracked, fossilized look typical of the JP Triceratops.
The figure is primary a dark, muted green color, with dark gray markings and stripes over the face, frill, and back. The underside is a brighter shade of green and the horns and beak are cream colored, including the epoccipitals along the frill edge. Of the horns, only the jugal horns are left unpainted. The inside of the mouth and claws aren’t painted. The coloration is largely reminiscent of the original Kenner Triceratops and along with the Real Feel skin is largely what makes this toy so appealing. This paintjob also makes the toy pair well with the Real Feel Tyrannosaurus, which is another reason I decided to get it.
With its nostalgic flair, the Real Feel Triceratops is just different enough from past Trikes to be worth seeking out for fans of the old Kenner toys. The retro skin and paintjob might even be enough for me to rank it as my favorite Mattel Triceratops but it’s hard to beat the Habitat Defender. If you have no real memory or love for the Kenner toys, and already have the Habitat Defender Triceratops, it’s probably not worth seeking out, but if you’re a 90’s JP kid this toy will definitely have some appeal.
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