Mego Spotlight- Super Phaser II Target Game

Item Name: Super Phaser II Target Game
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



Mego released this weapon of mass destruction way back in 1976... check out that INSANELY cool box art! Take that ya dirty Cheron!



The Rundown: Produced back in a time when play features far outweighed screen accuracy, the "Super Phaser" from Mego is the somewhat ugly electronic forefather of the superior South Bend TMP phasers. They both employ a similar electronic feature, but the Mego version obviously didn't strive for the same accuracy. It's still a really fun toy though, and just like all Mego product- you have to expect a little inaccuracy in the name of fun. Let's take a look at what the cool kids were playing with back in '76-



Here's the meat of your meat-and-potatoes. This phaser is big and bloated, but if you were a kid back then you probably didn't even notice. It looks enough like the phaser to meet the standards of any Trek-loving adolescent back then- way before there were entire forums dedicated to toy likeness authenticity. A product of a simpler time... a time that I really miss. I'm just as guilty as everyone else when it comes to complaining about how good a likeness a figure has, or if they got the correct sound effects built into my tricorder. Oh to be a kid again when none of that stuff mattered. But I digress...



This couldn't be called a game unless it included more than just that phaser, so you also get this little piece of fun in the box. It's a giant red reflector mounted on a picture of a Klingon Battle Cruiser. Klingon bastards! I hate you so much that I'll shoot your ship with a mere hand phaser! That'll learn ya.



And the other side-



See? Very much like the South Bend TMP phasers, except this one is built for solo play. TOS fans must be a lonely bunch.

Since this toy is over 30 years old now, I highly doubted that it would still work. I threw some batteries in it, and tried hitting the target a few times with no luck. Bummer. I went ahead and set up the camera anyways to give it one last try at capturing the effect on camera. The result-



That's right baby! when the pressure is on, the trusty Super Phaser II pulls through!

Obviously, this is one that's worth picking up for folks that owned it way-back-when and not those hoping for a series accurate replica. I'm sure these things saw a ton of action back then, and deservedly so. You can get them pretty cheap on eBay still, so take an inexpensive trip down memory lane and blast the crap out of an unsuspecting Cheron!

-James