Written By: Jon Espinoza
The 1990s were a time filled with cartoons and toy lines that complemented one another to enhance ratings and sales figures, and one of these many examples was “Exo Squad”. We dive into the series and just what made these toys a fitting starting point for us to launch into a 90s rewind of nostalgia.
“Exo Squad” was a cartoon series that tackled some heavy-hitting subjects with bright flashing lights and tumultuous explosions, and the toys didn’t disappoint. The scale came in around the 3-inch range, and the focus was more on their exoskeleton mechs, called exosuits. They used colors to differentiate one from the other, as each character had its own unique palette.
(Image Courtesy of The Collection Of Alan Quesada - https://www.reddit.com/user/AlanQuesada)
The series of cartoons and toys, as a whole, spanned from around 1993 to 1996 and featured spacefaring military forces between humans and the Neosapiens. A civil war existed between said factions in their past, and they eventually had peace. That is, until war once again broke out. The Exo suits were used as game-changing vehicles in these battles, and the toys featured firing missiles, lights, and sounds, and a scope vision called Cyber View.
The Cartoon series saw its run up until 1994, when it completed its 2nd season. Playmates kept the toyline running for a short time after the cartoon, but regrettably, the dwindling sales numbers led to its demise, though they extended a bit more after incorporating Robotech into their lineup.
Some years after it wrapped, the molds were reused for a new, unrelated series of toys called Tech Wars, which used a uniform set of colors across the various repurposed mech suits. You can still find these fantastic toys on convention floors and on several online shops with varying prices. If you spot them in the wild, don’t hesitate to give them a gander, and if you feel compelled to, feel free to add one to your own personal collection.
Now grab a Kids Cuisine from the microwave and let’s get to watching an episode while we dust off the toys for another adventure.