Toy reviews Archive

– October 11, 2010Posted in: Toy reviews

Name: Grimlock
Function: Dinobot Leader
Subgroup: Masterpiece Toys R Us exclusive $69.99 USD new.

Masterpiece bio:

Weakness offends Grimlock. He considers none so weak as those who refuse to use their full strength to command victories. As a result, he never had much respect for Optimus Prime. He barely even considered himself and his Dinobots to be part of the Autobot army most of the time. The tyranny of Megatron offends him even more than weakness. He longs for the day when Optimus Prime makes a final mistake, leaving a vacancy that Grimlock will be more than happy to fill.

Strength 10

Intelligence 7

Speed 3

Endurance 10

Rank 9

Courage 10

Fireblast 8

Skill 10

versus G1 Bio

Fuction: Dinobot Commander

“Among the winners, there is no room for the weak”

Most fearsome and powerful Dinobot. Although dedicated to the Autobot cause, resents authority. Cold, merciless, but a valiant warrior. Has contempt for the weak, including all humans. Great strength, uses his jaws to break almost everything in two. Carries energo sword (and that is not a typo, because I thought it should be energon) and galaxial rocket launcher in Dinotbot mode. Other than arrogance and lack of speed, has no real weakness.
As one notices, the major difference includes an evolution of character and toy line. The Masterpiece series has been a pleasant addition for collectors world-wide, but I think the series was introduced with Optimus Prime and none of the figures since have come close to the mastery as Optimus Prime. Well, that is until now. Masterpiece Grimlock presents a fantastic update to the beloved G1 figure. As a Toys R Us exclusive in the United States, Grimlock carries a hefty $69.99 price tag, but that is actually inexpensive when compared to the import prices of the Japanese versions, which range from $95 up to $230 depending on whether you want the exclusive or the King Grimlock version. The Toys R Us version includes the Dinobot Crown of Leadership, glowing sword and blaster.

Alternate Mode:

While the Masterpiece refers to Grimlock’s alternative mode as simply Dinobot mode, Grimlock looks like an upgraded Cybernetic T-rex from the G1 version. Some nifty features about the Dinobot mode include chrome parts, great posability from the legs, Dinobot arms and the head. The legs pivot at the hip joints, rotate at the thighs, bend at the knees as well as the claws move out and down. Imagine the scene from Transformers movie where Grimlock jumps up and thrashes down on Devastator! The gimpy hands of the T-rex are also articulated with 360 degree rotation at the “shoulder” and the elbows also bend. The three claws on the “hands” are chromed out and articulated as well. Grimlock’s head rotates and the jaws open wide to reveal chromed out mechano-shredders of teeth. Tucked inside his mouth is the infamous fire blaster (although this is not advertised on the packaging at all, but we all know the Dinobots were flame-throwing fools. Last but not least, Grimlock’s skull opens to reveal a nifty gadget: there is a “pinwheel” that rotates on a spring loaded mechanism that allows you to change his eyes from blue to red. I think this add on for the eyes is pretty cool since the toys show red/blue eyes but the television showed Grimlock with blue eyes.

Grimlock’s Dinobot mode portrays the character true to form. The details of the design are highly detailed. For example, the Grimlock’s Dinobot neck has gold mechanics with clear overlay. The tail has a chrome section that adds to the details and a tribute to the chrome goodness of the G1. One thing from looking at pictures of the Japanese version, seems that the Dinobot arms are all chrome with that version, where this version is a metallic gray with chrome figures. Ah well, the nuances are worth the price difference as the quality of Grimlock offsets any minor differences.

Robot Mode:

Ok, so Grimlock’s robot mode. Well about that… No, really about that. yeah, I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday and work on those TPS reports. Great googly, moogly, Grimlock’s robot mode is fantastic. Sure the buzz around the internet is that he is rather short and should have been larger for the price, but honestly, they are not making the toys on any sort of scale to character imagination they are making the toys to scale of about how much can they squeeze in the box and how much will it cost to ship it. Grimlock is rather stocky for his size (about 8 and 1/2″ tall) and is considerable heft, so it feels like a brick when you pick him up. Oddly enough, the weight has always been something of a factor to the bot’s allure. Anyway, there are a few cool features about Grimlock.

Couple of gimmicks that seem cool on Grimlock. First, as you transform grimlock, his chest has a see-through panel where the Autobot symbol moves up into place. Thought that was rather interesting. Second, the gold chrome of the chest matches the gold chrome of the Crown of Leadership (Dinobot). Pshh…like that crown is anything like the Matrix of Leadership. Me Grimlock King. Oh, ok, Me Rodimus Pwn your silly Dinobutt with the Matrix. Me Optimus Prime mash silly Grimlock into thousand slag rocks. Oh…sorry, got a little lost into the thought of the hint of jealousy the writers incorporated into the bio. As if Grimlock would betray Optimus.

Ok, so back to the review, Grimlock has tons of articulation. Remember those Dinobot hips? Well the same joints are now Grimlock’s shoulder joints, the arms rotate, the forearms move to and fro and the hands have articulation. Well, both have thumbs, but only the left hand has articulated fingers. The left hand has a movable thumb, index finger and then the other three fingers are one piece. The right hand has a typical G1 fist with the peg hole in the middle of the fist, but with a twist. There is a movable thumb as well. The reason for this? Part of Grimlock’s gimmicktry include a red LED, that once you push the button on the back of Grimlock’s right should, lights up. Grimlock comes with a blaster and a red glowing sword according to the box. Energo sword maybe? Not sure, honestly, the sword lights up, but nothing like the pictures I have seen online. The blaster’s front end are clear and light up as well. Nice thing about the sword and the blaster is that both are interchangeable with both hands. The sword has a peg that is designed for the left hand, which has a specially designed peg hole so that the sword is stable. Did I mention the Dinobot Crown of Leadership? Yep, this is actually a cool one because it is formed to fit Grimlock’s head exactly. The head sculpt represents Grimlock perfectly. The color scheme is also perfect for the character and fits the G1 Masterpiece series.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 9. The transformation flows easily and not overly complicated. The design fits Grimlock perfectly.
Durability: 8. Grimlock’s sturdy design lends little to much flaws. I did notice that the chrome came with some scratches out of the box, would have been nice if they had clear coated it as well.
Fun: 10. Grimlock looks great in display, but lot of fun transforming him from robot to Dinobot mode.
Aesthetics: 8. Looks great in either Dinobot or robot mode. Comes with different accessories which add to types of displays Grimlock takes.
Articulation: 8. Great articulation. Lots of movable poses.
Value/Price: $69.99 Toys R Us exclusive. Expensive, but it is a collector’s item, the box has an odd shape as it seems that the box was designed to include minimalistic packaging. Packaging aside, Grimlock was worth the wait for me by not importing one. I decided to wait due to costs and figured any minor differences between the Japanese version and the Toys R Us release.
Overall: 8. Grimlock was worth the price tag. I rather enjoy having a great version of my favorite Dinobot. Despite the smaller size than most people expected, this version of Grimlock reflects the character well. I hope that Tomy/Takara plans to release a deluxe size similar to how they released the Masterpiece Optimus Prime and then the smaller version. The Grimlock of the classics/Universe/Generations should include a deluxe release like the Masterpiece.

Tags: G1, Grimlock, Masterpiece, Transformers

The Revenge of the Fallen toy review: Human Alliance Barricade and Decepticon Frenzy

– January 31, 2010Posted in: Revenge of the Fallen

Name: Barricade and Decepticon Frenzy

Faction: Decepticon

Function: To hunt and destroy Megatron’s targets.

Motto: “To punish and enslave.”

Barricade and Decepticon Frenzy have worked together for centuries. They are the perfect partnership, designed for one purpose- to hunt down and destroy whatever target Megatron assigns to them. Decepticon Frenzy has a hyperactive hunger for information, which he uses to guide the relentless pursuit at which Barricade specializes.

Barricade broods ominously as he stalks his unsuspecting prey. Evil to the core and one of Megatron’s Hellhounds, Barricade stalks his prey, crippling the victim with a wide array of devastating technology and weapons. Not much for speech, Barricade prefers to wait in the shadows while Frenzy sneaks around gathering information. Constantly scanning human communication and a direct uplink to Soundwave, Barricade intimidates his foes into submission.

Alternate mode:

Barricade is a Saleen S281 police car. Hasbro licensed the Saleen S281 brand from MJA, Inc. The Ford oval and Mustang are registered trademarks to Ford and licensed use to Hasbro as well. What an awesome car to use for the ultimate stalker! Highly detailed, the Saleen S281 is like a scale model of a police interceptor. As displayed in the photo gallery, the vehicle mode forms solid with tightly locked joints. Nothing is loose and the wheels spin freely. Frenzy tucks in nicely, although a miniature police replica would have been perfect to enhance the illusion.

As stated with the Human Alliance Bumblebee and Sam Witwicky review, the Human Alliance models offer highly detailed and great quality Transformer figures. Hasbro and Tomy Takara made a great film to toy transition by integrating enhanced details and unique features. If you are a fan of the Alternators line, then you will definitely enjoy the Human Alliance figures.

Robot mode:

Barricades’ robot mode ranks among the top five of the entire The Revenge of the Fallen toy line. In robot mode, Barricade incorporates a smooth blend of robot and car technology with alliance enhancements. Transforming Barricade from vehicle mode can be challenging, but not difficult where any parts pop off during the conversion. Barricade’s primary colors are black and grey with white police doors that form the upper arm. In robot mode, Barricade has dozens of articulation points, which allow for various poses as well as active stances. As with the vehicle mode, the robot mode displays highly detailed sculpture with all of the robot parts mimicking The Revenge of the Fallen on-screen persona. Barricade’s head sculpt pivots up and down giving him either a brooding or an enraged face.

Barricade’s weaponry primarily consists of the spinning saw blade, which replaces his left hand. The gas cap functions as a button to release the saw blade. His right hand has a thumb and three fingers and forms a huge claw to thrash his victims. He also offers a battery with a shoulder cannon and chest lasers. Not featured with the Human Alliance Barricade are the robotic pinchers as seen with the deluxe vehicle mode.

Decepticon Frenzy:

Barricade’s human alliance is not human at all. Decepticon Frenzy functions as the reconnaissance agent for Barricade, gathering information on the unsuspecting victims. Highly detailed and articulated, Frenzy’s back and feet have peg holes that fit on various points with Barricade. Two of Barricade’s main weapon systems use Frenzy to operate. First, the right shoulder blaster serves as weapon station for Frenzy. Second, Barricade’s chest opens to reveal a hole where Frenzy can tuck in. Underneath the chest are dual cannons that flip out and Frenzy uses the cannons to blast their victims.

Transformation: 10/10. The Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance series offer superb transformations, articulation, detail and simulation.

Durability: 9/10. Barricade’s parts are made of quality plastic, paint and sculpture.

Fun: 10/10. One of the top five figures of The Revenge of the Fallen toy line. Barricade offers a lot of fun and attitude to any collection.

Price: 8/10. $30 USD, the price for Human Alliance Barricade and Decepticon Frenzy are well worth the amount of detail and articulation of the figures.

Overall: 9/10. Barricade and Decepticon Frenzy offer a solid combination of a highly articulated and detailed figure. The Human Alliance gadgetry tucks away neatly so that when Barricade stands alone, the connection pegs are not obvious or extruding. The figure accurately portrays the on-screen character, making the figure more desirable since it looks and feels more realistic. For collectors, the quality of the figure enhances the collection due to the multitude of unique features. Barricade and Frenzy are must-have figures for 2010.

Tags: Barricade, Decepticon Frenzy, Human Alliance, Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers Animated Review

Transformers Encore #19 Big Mission toy review

– January 12, 2010Posted in: Encore releases, Toy reviews, Transformers

Encore # 19 Big Mission set:

Encore #19 Big Mission set includes Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak and Overkill. Included are the fresh unplayed with, strappingly tight joints and clickity ratchet shoulders as well as a lot of chrome goodness. The box looks pretty good on display with the tapes in the box as well has the Metroplex background on the backside of the box. This set includes several of the most popular Decepticon tapes and is a great addition to anyone’s collection. Whether you own Soundwave or not, Frenzy and Rumble alone are worth the price of admission. Laserbeak and Overkill just add the icing to the cake.

Name: Rumble

Function: Demolitions

“Destroy what’s below and what’s above will follow”

Rumble is your basic street punk. Small but always acting tuff. Quick temper and mean disposition. Follow’s Megatron’s orders eagerly. Transmits immense low frequency groundwaves to create powerful earthquakes. His small size limits his physical strength, but his ability to shatter the ground makes him difficult to approach in a fight.

Str 2, Int 5, Spd 2, End 9, Rank 5, Courage 7, Firepower 8, Skill 5

Alternate mode: Micro-cassette tape. Moving along again.

Robot mode: Rumble is an awesome pint-sized warrior with lots of trash talk and vigor. Always ready for a scrap, Rumble whips out his groundshakers to knock just about anyone over. One of my favorite scenes is during Transformers the Movie where the Constructicons form Devastator and Rumble shakes them right out of gestalt mode.

So about the Blue and the Red. If you are a cartoon fan, then Rumble is blue. If you are a comic fan, then Rumble is red. Really does not matter much as both are identical with the exception of the color scheme. Both had similar roles and functioned as Soundwave’s minions.

Transformation: 10/10 Rumble has very tight joints out of the box and is able to hold his weapons straight and true. I prefer the lasers to be on his backpack for flying.

Durability: 10/10 Nice quality plastic, metal, paint, stickers and G1 chrome goodness!

Fun: 10/10 Rumble is a must have for any G1 Fan.

Price: $54.99 USD shipped and came with three other tapes.

Overall: 10/10 Rumble is a great addition to my collection, but I prefer to display him in robot mode. He fits snugly within Soundwave’s tape deck, or his plastic tape case, but what is the fun in that?

Name: Frenzy

Function: Warrior

“Sow panic and surrender will bloom.”

If Frenzy needed to breathe, war would be his oxygen. He knows no cause, only craves to spread fear and destruction. His efforts are appreciated by other Decepticons. His devotion to warfare makes him hard to deal with on a personal level. Can roll his drums to produce high-pitch, grating sound of 200db. Disorients and disrupts electrical flow in opponents circuitry which makes them malfunction. Physically weak. His manic attack can be countered with cool logic.

Str 3, Int 6, Spd 3, End 6, Rank 6, Courage 10, Firepower 9, Skill 6

Alternate mode: Micro cassette tape. And we are off…

Robot mode: Frenzy, the crazy robot warrior. Well, I always liked to think he was crazy because he took on Autobots 10 times his size with no qualms at all. Very cool little bot, and as Rumble’s twin ranks right up there as a Decepticon classic. Frenzy is one of Soundwave’s more popular minions and is always ready to rumble.

Transformation: 10/10 Frenzy looks better in robot mode than in micro-cassette mode and fits well into Soundwave’s chest compartment.

Durability: 10/10. Great plastics, paint, stickers and chrome. Gotta love chrome!

Fun: 10/10 Frenzy, like the other tapes, is a ton of fun to play with and beat up Autobots.

Price: Came with Rumble in the Encore 19 set.

Overall: Frenzy completely rocks out just like Rumble. Having never owned Soundwave or the tapes during my original G1 days, I envied my neighbor who had Soundwave and all of the tapes. I absolutely love the Encore 19 set.

Name: Laserbeak

Function: Interrogation

“The only point I like in Autobots: melting point.”

Laserbeak takes pleasure in hunting his prey—usually the straggling survivors of a battle. Noticeably not brave. Will run for safety if threatened. Flies at speed up to 250mph. Uses two independently targetable laser cannons with extreme precision to get information from captives. Shortage of ruby crystals that powers the laser can panic his systems into shutting down.

Str 5, Int 6, Spd 8, End 5, Rank 6, Courage 2, Firepower 8, Skill 9

Alternate mode: Micro cassette. Moving along.

Robot mode: Laserbeak turns into a flying robotic condor. His tape body opens up to make the wings, the head comes out, and the feet flip out. Then you attach his laser cannons to his back and Bam! You got Laserbeak. Laserbeak was one of the first Decepticons that shows just how craft Soundwave can be. At one point, Laserbeak is chasing Cliffjumper and Hound, who split up, by following Hound and sending a laser drone from his rocket pack.

Transformation: 10/10. Laserbeak turns into a realistic looking micro cassette tape, which fits nicesly into Soundwave’s chest.

Durability: 10/10 Metal version. G1 beefy metal. You know it.

Fun: 10/10 Laserbeak is a lot of fun to play in addition to Soundwave.

Price: Part of the Encore 19 set again, although came with the 25^th anniversary Soundwave release as well.

Overall: 10/10 Laserbeak is definitely one of the classic Soundwave minions. He was always Megatron’s favorite pet and was not afraid to mess up any Autobot’s plans.

Name: Overkill

Function: Warrior

“Too much destruction is never enough”

Whether talking, terrifying or attacking, he does everything in excess. So busy proving how tough he is by snapping cars in half between his jaws, that he forgets his mission. Can record data as a cassette tape, rip open the hull of a battleship as a tyrannosaurus. Armed with 2 batters of motion missles-each reacts to any moving object bigger than a baseball and explodes on contact.

Str 8, Int 4, Spd 2, End 8, Rank 5, Courage 6, Firepower 5, Skill 5

Alternate mode: Micro cassette tape. Nothing to see here, move along…

Robot mode: Overkill transforms into a tyrannosaurus of terror. The robot mode is pretty decent, but as one can imagine, very narrow, so Overkill looks better from a profile pose instead. Blue, white color scheme with gold paint eyes and chrome missiles, not overly impressive, but his tech spec gives him a bit more power than most of his micro-cassette buddies. Think about it, jaws large enough to snap a car in half or rip open a battleship? Talk about scale differences. Either way, not a lot of action for this pint-sized t-rex.

Transformation: 8/10 Overkill has a pretty decent transformation, but rather narrow from a frontal view.

Durability: 9/10 Great plastic, sticker and paint. Oh, did I mention chrome goodness?

Fun: 9/10 Overkill works well as a cassette and mini t-rex.

Price: Included with the Encore 19 set.

Overall: Overkill was excessively overlooked everywhere. Not much action, the character has a lot of potential, but not a lot of bite as his tech spec indicates. What is really nice about the Encore #19 set for Overkill is that this is his first time reissued.

Tags: Transformers

Transformers Universe Ultra Magnus with City Commander Armor addon set

– January 9, 2010Posted in: Transformers, Universe

For anyone out there who is a fan of the Transformer Universe bots, the Ultra Magnus is one of the most desirable figures and should be part of anyone’s collection.

After the City Commander was released, the incredibly popular fansproject.com City Commander armor set came out, giving the deluxe Ultra Magnus figure a set of armor that was worthy of Ultra Magnus and gives a very robust motif to the figure. I have always been a fan of Ultra Magnus and love bot the bot as well as the armor upgrade. Fansproject recently released a new add on set to the armor which includes shoulder missiles as well as a rifle that mimics Ultra Magnus’ original white blaster.

What is nice about the entire set is that it comes with all of the armor for the trailer set as well as the new blaster and missiles as well as two additional face plates. The armor set is very sturdy and is for sale at various websites such as tfsource.com or bbts.com. I was fortunate to find an unopened Ultra Magnus vs Skywarp set with the Fansproject.com armor set on eBay.

Caveot emptor (or buyer beware) The armor set by Fansproject has been knocked off so do not pay more extra for a set that is not the real thing. Buy it from a reputable retailers or from someone who bought the armor set (if you are buying it used) who bought if from a reputable dealer as well. Notably are the spring pins that the fansproject.com sets have as well as the quality of plastic and the way the armor set fits together snugly. From what I have read online, the Knockoffs are cheaper plastic, have no spring pins and do not fit snugly with the Transformer in the armor mode.

I really have no plans to put him back into vehicle mode, but the trailer is perfect. Fansproject.com makes the Ultra Mangus City Commander set, the Big Power set for Optimus Prime and a Shadow Commander set for Nemesis Prime. I am sure if and when Hasbro/Tomy Takara re-releases it, the set is so popular, Fansproject will step up to the plate and produce a matching set.

Tags: Ultra Magnus Universe, Universe

Revenge of the Fallen New 2010 Decepticon Bludgeon NEST Global Alliance review

– January 9, 2010Posted in: Revenge of the Fallen

Name: Bludgeon

Faction: Decepticon

Function: Electric Warrior, Master of Metallikato

Decepticon Bludgeon was nearly destroyed by a fight with Metallikato master Autobot Whirl. Forced to retreat and hide, he scanned a new vehicle mode and disappeared into the Southeast Asian jungle. He is desperate to prove himself against and Autobot, however, so he has caused just enough chaos locally to attract the attention of Ironhide. Now he lies in wait for the Autobot, ready to spring his trap and destroy his victim in an instant.

Alternate mode:

Bludgeon indeed has had an hefty upgrade. As previously reviewed, the Whirl vs Bludgeon pack, Bludgeon was simply a deluxed sized blade master, still impressive, but merely a repaint of a previous figure. The reformatted Bludgeon is now a voyager class sized tank, which is more appropriate as continuation of the character from the Pretender days to the tie in with the next generation. In “jungle tank mode” Bludgeon is loaded with details, from the tank turret and the cannon, to the mounted machine gun to the dual missile launchers attached to the sides of the turret. He resembles a Japanese Type 90 tank, which makes sense for the toy line. Aside from the details and rotating turret, the tank has rubber treads as well.

Robot Mode:

Bludgeon’s robot mode is a great tribute to the G1 version as well as the comic version of the toy. Mixing the old and the new, Bludgeon looks somewhat like this concept art. The figure has nice robotic samurai feeling to it, with helmet, shoulder chest and leg armor, and especially the samurai long and short sword. One of the features I like about the figure is the hidden show sword compartment opens from the turret to reveal the sword sheaths. The long samurai sword tucks into the cannon to form the cannon barrel and the small sword tucks into a sheath that is completely hidden in the turret chamber.

The transformation is relatively straight forward and there is not much kibble under the tank as you can see in the picture. Nice thing about the hilt of the sword is that it tucks in snugly and is not made of soft plastic. Bludgeon has various articulation points which enable poses including the double clutching samurai sword.

Overall, I was rather pleased to add the figure to my collection. The price was $22 USD and I found the figure at Target. Bludgeon is part of the new Revenge of the Fallen 2010 wave NEST Global Alliance. I think the only thing that could have improved the figure would have been a better head sculpt, as the current sculpt has a samurai helmet, and is supposed to be a skull with red eyes, but the top of the face is the only thing that resembles a skull at all. The bottom of the nose down to the chin tier off into almost tusk like protrusions, with hallow cheek bones and a handlebar for a chin. Everything else on the figure is spot-on, and I can overlook the weak head sculpt because the original G1 figure was not that impressive in my opinion either. What comes to mind for me when I think of Bludgeon is the comic book villain who was just crazy enough to try to kill everyone.

Tags: Bludgeon, Revenge of the Fallen

What the Toaster Bot Ejector’s bio should have read…

– January 9, 2010Posted in: Revenge of the Fallen

Name: Ejector

Faction: Decepticon

Function: Toaster bot. Literally.

While this little joker is easily one of the funniest Transformer figures ever created under the Allspark, some do not agree that Ejector is pure evil. He has been known to burn people’s breakfast items varying from pastries, to waffles and even English muffins. He has no regard for the consumption desires of anyone, especially the hungry vagabond who just wants a simple piece of toast before scurrying off to the every-day grind.

While certainly not one of the most desirable team-members, other Decepticons often harass this little demon by inserting forks, knives or other metal objects into the toaster slots and watching the Ejector’s spark fly. This is certainly not entertaining for Ejector as one time was accidentally sent on on fire and took quite a bit to clean up the crumbs.

Ejector is particularly fond of a variety of specialty breads as opposed to generic off-brand breads that he considers beneath his Decepticon heritage. Nonetheless, while hiding in toaster mode, Ejector has been used and abused, once even being sold at a yardsale, where the previous owner complained of faulty manufacturing and always burning just one side of the toast.

Once a Decepticon, always a Decepticon. Ejector’s aspirations for power include upgrading to a toaster oven with an eight piece cooking capacity.

Revenge of the Fallen Japanese Legends Class Devastator

– August 22, 2009Posted in: Revenge of the Fallen

Revenge of the Fallen Legends class Devastator totally rocks out as a combiner set. I recently purchased Supreme Class Devastator when I saw it, and saw a preview of the Legends class set over at Tformers.com and decided I wanted to get the set. Found one through an online auction site, purchased it and had it within a few days.

So I opened the box, and I was intrigued by the packaging differences of the Japanese and the English style packaging. Both look very similar, but the Japanese one has some sort of robot points code you can log in and use. Since I cannot read Japanese, let’s just assume that it is a rewards bonus system for kids to get some sort of cool items online.

So as you can see, there are 7 members of the Constructicons. The mysterious member that was discombobulated to resurrect Megatron from the bottom of Davy Jones locker. I’m not going to go into the various robot/vehicle mode descriptors yet, that will be for another day with an official review, but lets just say each bot has an interesting, if not unique, robot mode. Scrapper is my favorite because he looks somewhat like his G1 self and he looks like he takes care of business.

The design of the gestalt is interesting. I love the Micromasters, and have the Japanese and English release of the Micromaster Devastator set, and he is just fantastic. The Revenge of the Fallen Devastator set in a very distinct way is one of my favorite combiners as well. While he mimics his larger self, Scavenger and Overload combine together to take the place of just Scavenger in the Supreme version. The Legends class one has more articulation and the weight is distributed evenly as well.

So Scavenger and Overload combine making the trunk, shoulder and hip connectors. Then Mixmaster forms the head (as opposed to a leg/foot in the G1 version). Devastator’s head has a pivot ball joint, so it at least has some articulation, versus the voice gimmick of the Supreme version. Hightower and Scrapper form the arms/hands and Longhaul and Rampage form the legs/feet.

What I really like about the figure is the unique combination of the combiner. There are no extra bits, everything is self-contained, and every part is engineered to fit and form a snug link to the partner. For example, Scavenger’s treads have a slot where the frame of Overload slide in to give Devastator a secure and snug chest. Scavenger also has two square peg connector that Mixmaster slides directly into, giving it security and stability. Scavenger’s elbows have connector pegs that both Scrapper and Hightower secure to. Overload does the splits to form Devastator’s hips and Longhaul and Rampage fit securely without any fear of toppling over (unlike the Supreme Devastator version).

Since this is a Japanese version, I paid a pretty penny, as the English release is not out yet. I fully expect that Hasbro will release this as a set and as individual items, and we will probably see some sort of G1 rendition as well. I plan on getting the English release as well, as I would like to compare and contrast the differences. It used to be that the Japanese versions were a little better, but as both are manufactured in China makes me curious if either set will have differences.

Tags: Devastator, Legends Class, Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers

Transformers 25th Anniversary Comic Con Soundwave toy review.

– August 3, 2009Posted in: Transformers, Universe

Name: Soundwave
Function: Communications.
“Cries and screams are music to my ears.”

It is said Soundwave can hear a fly sneeze. Uses anything he hears for blackmail to advance his status. Opportunist. Despised by all other Decepticons. Sensors can detect even lowest energy radio transmissions. Able to read minds by monitoring electrical brain impulses. Acts as radio link for others. Locates and identifies Autobots, then informs Decepticons. Carries a concussion blaster gun. Often target of retaliation by his comrades.
Str 8,Int 9, Speed 2, Endurance 6, Rank 8, Courage 5, Fireblast 6, Skill 10

Alternate mode:

Soundwave turns into a stereo micro cassette recorder. For the time when he was first released in 1970s, this was relatively new technology and the Sony Walkman was soon to come. When he was released in Transformers, he was still very current as a micro cassette player, and a very interactive one at that.
In micro cassette mode, Soundwave has a working tape player chest compartment that opens for storage of the his tapes minions. He also has a working battery cover which doubles as a belt clip. Soundwave’s missile launcher and shoulder gun double as AA sized batteries and gives the toy the illusion of being a real tape player. Of the various Transformers of any series, Soundwave’s alternate mode is very realistic and as close to an actual sized replica possible.

Robot mode: Soundwave is rather large for a single sized G1 figure. He has a lot of articulation for a G1 figure as well. His head rotates, which is very rare for any G1 figure, his shoulders and hips rotate, giving him more poses than a normal G1 figure as well. Last but not least his chest compartment opens when he beckons his minions and tapes start flying out like crazy.

This 25th anniversary edition is released under the Transformers Universe line, and was released during the 2009 Comic-Con exclusive (Transformers Club, 2009) along with four tapes: Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ravage and Ratbat. I was really excited to hear about this release because the last version I picked up of Soundwave was the Takara #10 Soundwave that came with Condor and the alternative chest hinge which is kind of like a modified version of what Soundblaster (Japanese Soundwave reborn) had. I really did not like the chest piece, but when I heard this version had the regular chest piece, I had to have it.

He comes in the box in robot form holding his laser and surrounded by his tape minions. The 25th anniversary is the Transformers Universe design, which looks great. The box art show Soundwave in a battle ready stance with Laserbeak on his shoulder. What is interesting to note about the box is on the back of the box, the picture of Soundwave has the chest piece I was talking about earlier, but as you can see, Soundwave has his normal chest piece instead, which really makes a difference.

Oh yeah, so we covered a lot of stuff, but how about joints? Are the joints tight, can he really hold his arm up and have Laserbeak hanging? Do his legs flop forward and leave him stuck? Does his arm fall down slowly whenever you point his laser at Optimus Prime? He has really tight joints and his knees have clicking joints. They have added some stability to the toy because most of use G1 collectors really want tight joints for some peculiar reason.

Transformation: 8/10 Soundwave has a great alternative mode and turns into a realistic looking micro cassette recorder.
Durability: 8/10 This is an improvement over previous versions of a G1 Soundwave release.
Fun: 10/10 I’ll admit Soundwave is one of my favorite Decepticons. Ever. Period.
Price: $49.99 was the original price at the 2009 Comic-Con release. For the rest of the known world who could not attend 2009 Comic-Con, we have to resort to second hand dealers or if you were one of the lucky ones, Hasbro Toy Shop had it up for about a day before it was sold out. As for me, I paid $75 including shipping on eBay and was very pleased.
Overall: Soundwave is a core figure of the G1 series. Throughout time, Soundwave has come to be a persistent character that everyone loves. What makes him really cool is that he was a really articulated G1 figure and how can you beat a Con that has tape minions that he can summon for whatever diabolic plan he has? The 25th Transformers Universe anniversary edition Soundwave is one of the best G1 releases I have seen and recommend that everyone try to get it.

Name: Laserbeak
Function: Interrogation
“The only point I like in Autobots: melting point.”
Laserbeak takes pleasure in hunting his prey—usually the straggling survivors of a battle. Noticeably not brave. Will run for safety if threatened. Flies at speed up to 250mph. Uses two independently targetable laser cannons with extreme precision to get information from captives. Shortage of ruby crystals that powers the laser can panic his systems into shutting down.
Str 5, Int 6, Spd 8, End 5, Rank 6, Courage 2, Firepower 8, Skill 9

Alternate mode: Micro cassette. Moving along.
Robot mode: Laserbeak turns into a flying robotic condor. His tape body opens up to make the wings, the head comes out, and the feet flip out. Then you attach his laser cannons to his back and Bam! You got Laserbeak. Laserbeak was one of the first Decepticons that shows just how craft Soundwave can be. At one point, Laserbeak is chasing Cliffjumper and Hound, who split up, by following Hound and sending a laser drone from his rocket pack.
Transformation: 7/10. Laserbeak turns into a realistic looking micro cassette tape, which fits nicesly into Soundwave’s chest.
Durability: 9/10 Metal version. G1 beefy metal. You know it.
Fun: 9/10 Laserbeak is a lot of fun to play in addition to Soundwave.
Price: Came with 25th anniversary Soundwave.
Overall: 10/10 Laserbeak is definitely one of the classic Soundwave minions. He was always Megatron’s favorite pet and was not afraid to mess up any Autobot’s plans.

Name: Buzzsaw
Function: Spy
“My bite is worse than my bark.”
Civil and sophisticated yet very cruel and destructive. Approaches his lethal tasks like a fine artist. Each deadly mission is like working on a new masterpiece. Can pinpoint and photograph a thumbtack from 20 miles away. Flies at 250mph. Carries twin mortar cannons. Diamond-hard, micro-serrated beak can carve up almost any opponent. Due to large ego, will often sulk rather than proceed if his plans go astray.
Str 5, Int 8, Spd 8, End 4, Rank 6, Courage 7, Firepower 4, Skill 9

Alternate mode: Gold micro cassette tape. Moving along again.
Robot mode: Buzzsaw is a gold version of Laserbeak. The primary difference is that Buzzsaw’s chest is gold painted and the wing stickers are gold background instead of silver like Laserbeaks. Identically the same toy otherwise. I always felt that Laserbeak used more of Buzzsaw’s characteristics in the cartoon. As it was, Laserbeak was the one with all the glory, while Buzzsaw got a few minutes of fame.
Transformation: 7/10 Buzzsaw and Laserbeak are both very cool bots.
Durability: 9/10 G1 metal goodness again. Yay!
Fun: 9/10 While the cartoon and comic give both different personalities, the toys are identical other than coloring (Buzzsaw and Laserbeak). Both are great!
Price: Came with 25th Anniversary Soundwave.
Overall: 10/10 Buzzsaw is a cool Soundwave minion.

Name: Ravage
Function: Saboteur
“Today’s Autobots are tomorrow scrap metal.”
Ravage operates best alone. A creature of the night. Craftiest of all Decepticons. Adept at devising deadly strategies. Remains aloof from others, but his deeds command their respect. Can virtually escape detection—emits and electromagnetic emission shield, has a soundless walk, disappears in subdued light or shadow. Carries 2 powerful heat-seeking missiles. Light-sensitive. Can be blinded.
Str 5, Int 8, Spd 5, End 6, Rank 6, Courage 4, Firepower 7, Skill 10

Alternate mode: Micro cassette tape. And we are off…
Robot mode: Ravage transforms into jaguar. Equiped with hip missles, Ravage was one of the coolest Decepticons and was always ready for a fight. This G1 robot comes with metal legs, tight joints and lovely chrome accessories. The toy is very narrow and looks better from the side than the front, but never the less, Ravage is an awesome Soundwave minion.
As an aside, I picked up the Classics Hound that came with Ravage which is an awesome version of Ravage. All plastic and the hip missiles are part of the mold and a lot smaller, but the tape bot rox.
Transformation: 8/10 Ravage looks really cool with his missiles and turns into a good version of micro cassette tape.
Durability: 9/10 Again, G1 metal goodness.
Fun: 10/10 Ravage is a lot of fun either alone or with Soundwave.
Price: Came with 25th Anniversary Soundwave. Seeing a pattern yet?
Overall: Ravage overall is a great release and for anyone that never had either the tapes or Soundwave, this version is great! Very true to the original release.

Name: Ratbat
Function: Fuel scout
“The road is my dinner plate.”
Has no friends, only business partners…his only allegiance is to himself. Refuels by plunging his mecha-fangs into new cars’ gas lines—the better the car, the better the gasoline tastes. Maximum flying speed: 65mph. Carries two radar-guided, free-electronic lasers that detect the presence of an object as small as a fly. Wings contain mechanical sensors for locating fuel sources. Has one foot wingspan that can enlarge to ten feet. Wings are vulnerable to artillery.
Str 3, Int 9, Spd 4, End 3, Rank 6, Courage 6, Firepower 2, Skill 9

Alternate mode: Micro cassette tape. Nothing to see here, move along…
Robot mode: Ratbat turns into a robotic bat with a black and purple body and gold chrome lasers. One unique feature are the little ears that would often break making Ratbat with good ears extremely rare up until the Encore 17 release. Now everyone can get a Ratbat with good ears, just remember the move them up you are transforming him from tape mode into robot mode.

Ratbat is just a normal cassette toy, but his personality in the comics made him epic. At one point, Ratbat assumes leadership of the Decepticons and proves to be quite an evil leader. Scorponok ends up killing him, but Rattbat held his own throughout his time in the comics and is one of the more notable Decepticons.

Transformation: 8/10 Ratbat turns into a micro cassette tape and a robotic bat.
Durability: 9/10 G1 metal goodness again. Yummy!
Fun: 10/10 Ratbat makes a great addition to this release.
Price: Came with 25th Anniversary Soundwave.
Overall: Ratbat is one of the more unique tapes and is given a great role in the comics. His character embodies what it means to be a Decepticon and is definitely one of the more unique Decepticons from the G1 era.

Reference:
Transformers Collectors Club. (2009). 2009 Comic-Con exclusive: 25th anniversary Soundwave special edition. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://www.transformersclub.com/sdcc-tf09.cfm

Tags: Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Ravage, Soundwave

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen toy review : Skywarp

– August 2, 2009Posted in: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers

Name: Skywarp
Function: Warrior/weapons development.
Skywarp has never been interested in power or conquest. He simply wishes to be left alone in his pursuit of knowledge. He joined the Decepticons because Megatron was willing to give him facilities in which to work, and simply leave him alone. In return, he has produced countless powerful weapons and experimental systems for his comrades. He is personally equipped with mighty weapons that can twist the very fabric of reality into a smear of color and light, or rip mountains apart.
Str 8,Int 10, Speed 7, Endurance 4, Rank 7, Courage 3, Fireblast 9, Skill 10
versus
G1 Tech Spec
Skywarp is the sneakiest of all Deceptions. Enjoys playing cruel pranks on fellow Deceptions and appearing out of nowhwere to attack Autobots. Not too smart. Would be useless without Megatron’s supervision. Top speed of 1500 mph. Can instantly teleport up to 2.5 miles. Carries heat-seeking missiles and variable-calibre machine guns.
Str 7, Int 9, Sp 10, End 7, Rank 9, Courage 9, Firepower 8, Skill 8
Yet another character that has changed and developed over the years with only a ghost to remind us of the G1’s past.

Alternate mode:

Skywarp is Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and this is probably one of the best seeker representations as far as a Transformer imitating real life. The sleek black and purple color scheme really suits any Skywarp fan. The only feature that does not fit is the oversized missiles and launcher protruding from under each wing. A more appropriate set of machine guns/missile launchers would have been the ultimate finishing touch.

Speaking of missile launchers, the three launchers are fused together as a cluster for each side. As you move the rear landing wheel, there is a little lever just behind the launcher that you can leave down for automatic firing. The launchers are extremely sensitive and Skywarp has a tendency to lose his load prematurely, always firing missiles at the wrong time and at the wrong target. Bad Skywarp!

Skywarp’s F-22 Raptor mode is definitely his best side.

Robot mode:

Skywarp is a Wal-Mart exclusive repaint of the Starscream/Thundercracker Movie toy. As a repaint, he gets a little overhaul as far as plastic color used and paint color used. The main colors are black and purple, but we do get a bit of gray on the calves and launchers. The color scheme fits well with what is expected of any Skywarp character, and the figure does a good job representing the movie character version of Starscream (detail oriented only) and translates into a pretty cool Wal-Mart exclusive toy.

When you transform Skywarp from the F-22 raptor mode into bot mode, he has very distinct places as a jet where thing go and thing click into place. This is not the case for robot mode. Things have a certain place to be, but for example, the shoulders look detached from the torso. Skywarp’s poses are limited as well because of the barrel-chested torso and the bulky arms with the tiny calves and feet.

The alternative robot picture tightens the bot up a bit to looks a little more Transformers like for me, but I know there are proponents for the alien looking bots, so I won’t mire this review with bashing on the contempt I have of some of the “looks great in cgi, but translates to epic crap when molded into plastic form” feelings I have. The two camps are 1) love the conceptual changes of what Transformers are supposed to look like and 2) hate the outrageously obnoxious conceptual changes of what Transformers are supposed to look like. Now back to the review.

Remember those massively misplaced missile launchers from the F-22 Raptor? Yeah, about that…they change into Skywarp’s arms, which obviously he has no other purpose than to shoot his 3 digit hands of at people, and when he is not busy, he can scratch his nose with one of the 3 rubbery claws that come out. Not to mention that, but did I say that his shoulders don’t really attach to the torso? Oh, last but not least the arms/hands/missiles are a nuisance when you try to move them because the slightest move will trigger the launch sequence.

Collector Card:

Skywarp comes with a image shifting prismatic card that has a picture of the robot and an alternative picture of the F-22 Raptor. On the back it states “From the mind of Simmons”: [I]“One of the most dangerous I have found evidence of. Information indicates it keeps to itself, usually on remote islands. I have discovered evidence that at least one island has disappeared–probably destroyed. Sailors in south Pacific report “vortex in the sky.” What is this alien doing? Restricted Area: Personnel with Security Clearance AV7 Only.

Transformation: 7 only because when transforming into the F-22 Raptor, everything works and it is Skywarp’s best mode.
Durability: 4. Robot mode is very flaky.
Fun: 3. Really wish I had not purchased it.
Price: 6. $22 on a Wal-Mart rollback. I should have done a Wal-Mart rack back and not picked this joker up.
Overall: 4. Really a waste of space. Moive fan freaks are probably calling me all sorts of names right about now, but hey, do your own review right? The only redeeming quality of Skywarp for me is the F-22 mode. He rates right up there with Armada slag for me.

Revenge of the Fallen review: Optimus Prime