The skydiver was and remains unequaled. It's a masterpiece of aereodynamic engineering and quality toy design. Set-up is quick, the pieces incredibly durable, and it's virtually impossible to tangle up the chute lines. The rubbery-vinyl harness is easy to put on and take off a figure yet incredibly secure. Best of all, it's fully compatible with other 3,3/4" figures. By contrast, even though the "Joes" have tried several parachutist designs over the years, none work so well as the original FP Adventure People sky-diver's rig.

The point you raised about the better sound effects on the FP Alpha Probe highlight perhaps the only true "failing" the Adventure People had, at least from an 80's perspective. The sets were up-beat and lacking a military theme. This left "Adventure People" seeming weak and ineffectual compared to the far more brutal entertainment franchises of the late 70s and throughout the 80s. The bright, friendly colors of FP simply couldn't compete with the grit, grime, and gunfire in Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, GI Joe, or Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

These days, that non-violence is actually a selling point for parents who want their children to enjoy adventure-play that doesn't involve shooting someone, hackng them up with a laser sword, or disembowelling them with a saw-backed survival knife.