I have been a fan of Star Trek for as long as 
I can remember. When I was a kid, we would play Star Trek with our makeshift landing party equipment, pretending that we were on an alien planet. The only authentic looking gear was the AMT Exploration Set and even these weren’t to scale. Kids and cosplayers are fortunate to now have the Playmates’ Classic Phaser to use.
Playmates, as you know, produced Star Trek collectibles back in the 1990’s and I loved their prop replicas. When the Star Trek Original Series Phaser was released in 1994 I snatched one up for my collection. Flash forward to 2022 and Playmates has released the Classic Star Trek Classic Phaser and once again I had to have one for my collection.
The newest release is not just a rehash of the old toy, which means you do need one for your collection. As you have seen (will see) in our unboxing video the differences are minute, but they are significant. The newer version is slightly smaller with a rounded grip and modified sound effects.
Speaking of sound effects, the Star Trek: The Original Series Phaser has 3 settings:
- Stun
- Kill
- Overload
Speaking of the settings, by using the “safety” knob on the side you can set the phaser into either, On, Off or Demo. The “Demo” will run the phaser through all of the sound effects when the trigger is pulled. The other setting or mode change is controlled by the knob on the back of the phasers. When the phaser is set to “on” the back knob is used to set the function.
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- Diamond Select (Top) Playmates (2022) Playmates (1994)
By turning the knob at the back of the phaser unit you can set the function of your sidearm. When the light is blue the phaser is set at “Full” mode. When the light is solid red your phaser is set for “Stun.” When you turn the knob and receive flashing red light, your phaser has been set to “Self-Destruct.” Regardless of setting pulling the trigger will also illuminate the emitter tip of the phaser. The emitter tip does have changing colors; red for stun, blue for full power and blinking red for overload. The Playmates Star Trek Classic Phaser takes two (2) AA batteries which are included.
Based on what I said in the video and in this review, you can tell that I really like the Playmates Classic Phaser. This phaser is not an exact 1:1 scale but it doesn’t have to be perfect to be enjoyed. This durable toy was designed for ages 4+ but it can be enjoyed by Trek lovers of all ages. This phaser would make a great present for your holiday gift giving. The Classic Star Trek Classic Phaser retails for $24.99 and is available wherever you purchase your Playmates Toys. Check out their website to see what other Star Trek toys are available. Personally, I can’t wait for the Star Trek: Prodigy Phaser coming next year.
