If I had to list my favorite action figure lines as a kid, Playmates’ Dick Tracy series would be up there, hanging out with the likes of TMNT, Bucky O’Hare, and all the other embarrassing toys I used to play with. I’ve written about the Dick Tracy toys before, but never about the toy line’s vehicles.

Playmates released two vehicles in their line of action figures based on the (bad) movie, and even though they’re almost identical, I love them. Today I wanted to take a look at Dick Tracy’s Police Squad Car. Growing up, I was always a fan of normal-looking action figure vehicles. I was all about roleplay when I played with my toys, and having cars for my characters that didn’t look like giant mosquitos or crazy tanks was always a plus.
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Not only did the Dick Tracy movie spawn all sorts of fun toys, it also had it’s fair share of video games. In 1990, Tracy invaded our homes and our pockets with NES, Sega Master System, and Gameboy games. Most of the time I associate video game nostalgia with the 8 bit era, but when I actually fire up NES games and then play a SNES or Sega game, I wonder why. I always forget how limiting NES games were, with their simple graphics and gameplay. I grew up a hardcore Sega fan.

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Action figures based on bad movies of the 90s seems to be a recurring theme in my nostalgia. Some of my favorite toy lines growing up came from films like Super Mario Bros, Last Action Hero, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and last but not least, Dick Tracy.

Dick Tracy has been around in one form or another for almost 80 years, but in 1990 Warren Beatty decided to make a film version of the pulp icon, and pretty much buried the character.

This isn’t a movie review, so bring on the movie tie-ins! Like most big Hollywood event films (especially those adapted from cartoons or comics) Dick Tracy had a toy line, apptly titled Dick Tracy: Coppers and Gangsters. The figures had the classic 90s Playmates stocky look to them, and came with awesome accessories. Check out a commercial and lots more after the jump.

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