Ever since it was first revealed, the Ninja Tracker ATV has been something of a mystery. First spotted at the G.I. Joe Convention last summer, it wasn't really announced by anyone, and there really wasn't much information out there on it either. Everyone agreed that it looked pretty darn cool, but no one really knew when it would be released, whether or not it was an exclusive, or if the Snake Eyes on it had a retooled head or just a helmet.

In early 2007, it seemed that our questions might go unanswered, as the Ninja Tracker ATV was rumored for cancellation. Even as a few forum members got their hands on one in the early spring of 2007, there didn't appear to be any destined for mass release...at least until blustalker88 saw a pair of them at TJ Maxx of all places. Well, from there, things pretty much exploded, and over the next few weeks dozens of TJ Maxx sightings dominated the boards, and now that it seems that these Ninja Trackers are at least a little bit saturated, I feel comfortable enough cracking mine open to do a little review. ;)

Truth is, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to the original Night Ranger Quad, but was very, VERY pleasently surprised once I got it. The real working suspension was a great touch, the variety of unique accessories, real rubber tires...it all was a lot cooler than I thought it might be.

Again, the Ninja Tracker wasn't something I was overly giddy about either...as cool as the Night Ranger was, the Ninja Tracker was essentially the same thing, only in a fancier camouflage color scheme. Sure, it came with more new gear, but it was all ninja based, which was nothing that excited me terribly. Well, I should learn to ignore my pessimistic thoughts, because as cool as the Night Ranger Quad is, the Ninja Tracker is even better.

Like the Night Ranger, this ATV feels solid, well-built, and has lots of integrated play features. The pop up missile-launchers, Night Vision goggles that extend upwards, and plenty of room for weapons and gear on various weapon racks are all included. So, in essence, the Ninja Tracker has everything the Night Ranger does, but has a ton more as well.

Instead of the blue and black color scheme we got with the older ATV, this version has an absolutely awesome camouflage pattern painted throughout the body of the ATV itself. Different shades of green are intricately painted throughout the small vehicle, and create a very authentic and cool looking camouflage pattern that makes this ATV stand out quite a bit next to the other. The stickers are all pretty similar, but continue to work infinitely well, and the black trim sets off the camouflage very nicely.

But it's the structural changes that make the biggest difference here. The Ninja Tracker has a totally retooled front grill, which not only adds a very nice design element, but it also has some holes strewn throughout that can hold various weapons and gear. These holes are the same size as the holes throughout the Sigma 6 uniforms as well, so any weapons with those peg systems will also fit in the front grill. The back rack of the ATV is also totally retooled with these same spots to hold weapons, too. This ends up working infinitely better than the somewhat clugey slots that the Night Ranger used to hold it's weapons.

The new accessories that come with the Ninja Tracker are somewhat hit and miss, but they're not bad all told. The crossbow is pretty cool, and I like how it separates into two components, which gives you a pretty cool standard gun as well as the Crossbow. I'm not wild about the bo staff...the knife is okay, and the two ninja stars work fine, but ultimately, beyond the Crossbow and the helmet, there are no weapons that really create an impact. The helmet is pretty darn cool, though, I have to admit. The overall shape and design are very reminiscent of Snake Eyes, but it ends up being at least a little bit streamlined as well. The visor opens and all in all, it works nicely.

As far as the included Snake Eyes figure goes, frankly, it's pretty much a toss away. It's the Snake Eyes head on the Kamakura body, just like the Night Ops version, but without the cool camouflage. It's pretty much straight black from head to toe (except for the silver visor and Sigma 6 logo), and there really isn't any interesting detail or paint applications whatsoever. Still, for only ten bucks at TJ Maxx, you can't really complain about getting a figure...customizing potential, if nothing else.

Even if you have the Night Ranger Quad, I feel comfortable with a heavy recommendation here, too. It's got a terrific paint scheme, it's a solid, fun vehicle, and has several new elements that make it a lot of fun. For a ten dollar price point, you really can't go wrong either. What a great little vehicle for a great price. I only hope it gets available enough so whoever out there wants one can get one.