I mean, how could it be anything other than this?
It is rare that a release makes good on every single promise that was made, and not only meets the high expectations, but exceeds them. That is the case with Super7’s Snake Mountain play set, and that is why it is my pick of the best toy of 2020. I mean, I call it a toy because it technically is, but this this really is nothing short of a masterpiece. After waiting over five years and through two different companies, Snake Mountain is now the crown jewel of my Masters of the Universe Classics collection, and maybe the best piece that I own from any line.
MOTU Classics is one of, if not the number one line in my entire action figure collection. Sure, I have collections that are bigger, but since MOTU was probably my favorite line as a kid (tied with TMNT), it definitely means the most to me. That is not to say that it is only a nostalgia line, that is part of it no doubt, but what Mattel, Super7, and the Four Horsemen have been able to do over the course of run that lasted more than a decade is pretty unbelievable. It was all capped off by the release of their greatest efforts with Snake Mountain, and while I am very sad the line is over (at least for now), there could not have been a better send off than Snake Mountain.
I could talk about this play set all day long. In fact, Robo and I did an unboxing of it a while back, and I am going to link it here, even though it is a bit embarrassing for me. I kind of forgot the camera was there during parts of the process, and me fumbling over things to say is authentic. I am usually not at a loss for words, but Snake Mountain put me there, so even what I was able to get out sounds silly, but it was genuinely because I was, and still am, so taken by this thing.
I mean, I built my entire MOTUC display around it, and I find myself getting lost in staring at it every time I am amongst that part of my display. So, even though I could talk all day about it, it would be a rabbit hole of fanboy gushing, so that is how I know this is my favorite release of the year, I can barely articulate the love I have for it.
That said, I do want to take a moment to give a shout out to Super7, the Four Horsemen, and everyone involved in brining this piece to life, from conception to shipping. Like I said, it was a long journey, but with everything turning out so well, and the love and attention given to it, the wait was definitely worth it. Super7 is my pick for company of the year for 2020, and they did a lot to earn that, but Snake Mountain was a BIG part of it, as it should be. Honestly, from what as been hinted, it looks like Snake Mountain, while not having any further MOTU to join it at this time, will be the grand pappy of other large-scale items across the ULTIMATES! expression in the future, so it is amazing for what it is, but also for what it will bring.
So yes, Snake Mountain is my pick for the best toy of the year for 2020, and it was ultimately an easy choice. It is simply amazing, and I could not be happier with it. If, for some reason, you are interested in seeing my choice of ACTION FIGURE of the year, again Robo and ran down our top fives, which you can see here:
Oh, and finally, for posterity, here is my top twenty, which I have been doing for a couple of years now. On the whole, 2020 can GTFO, but I will always look back on it with some fondness thanks to these amazing toys.
