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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Fansproject.com Ultra Magnus armor set can be found on bbts.com. The review is coming. All I can say is that don’t miss out on the opportunity for the after-market accessory set. One of the best!

Stats:
Cobra Saboteur
Code Name: Firefly
File Name: Unknown
Primary Military Specialty: Sabotage, Demolitions
Birthplace: Classified

It is my firm belief that if the character of Storm Shadow had not been made, Firefly would be the guy with 10 gazillion repaints right now, as well as arch nemesis of Snake Eyes. In the 80’s animated show, Firefly was a bit of a quiet chap; casually blowing up stuff for Cobra & crew, while Storm Shadow was in the throes of becoming a Joe Icon along Snake Eyes, whom would both become easily the most recognizable characters in Joe Lore outside of Duke and Cobra Commander. As I was hunting my local Newbury Comics, I came across this peculiar “Blue” version of Firefly- which I later discovered was actually the 3rd version of Firefly to come out in the 25th anniversary line (Thanks, Wild One). It was weird at first to put this version in perspective because Firefly was predominantly dressed in gray camouflage. However, the new Blue Uniform grew on me- so much so that I wanted to review him.

Packaging:
An all new illustration of Firefly adorns the common 3 3/4th 25th anniversary line, which sets him in a “I’m about to jump kick your face” pose. At the top right hand corner of the card is a notation that this specific interpretation of Firefly comes from the G.I. Joe comic series (specifically, the 80’s Marvel series to the best of my knowledge). On the back of the card is Firefly’s Fire Card, which I think is an absolute hoot because it is so comic in the way it’s written. I.E. “FIREFLY has been blowing things up for COBRA since COBRA COMMANDER first donned his hood and opened up for business.” Pure comic genius, guys. LAUGH, I TELL YA!

The Figure:
Standard height, standard articulation is the name of the game, and for those of you familiar with the 25th anniversary line, you know that says a lot for each figure. On a side note, I think it’s really ironic how Hasbro, who bought out the Star Wars line from Kenner, started modeling the later Star Wars figures along the lines of the Joes in regards to articulation, considering it was the Joes who outdid Star Wars in the 80’s to begin with. Anywho, back to the subject at hand- the best word I can use to describe Firefly is “solid”. Solid in every aspect, actually. Joints are tight, nothing slipping. He comes with a cross pack lined with grenades and explosives that is removable from the back. Once removed, it looks exactly like one of the Beachead molds for the chest (a lined longsleeve shirt). His pants are a predominant blue with gray camouflage highlights and one set of major kick ass boots. I love the boots! Makes me want to go out and get a pair for myself, not that I am a demolitions expert or anything. HAHA. I digress again. In keeping with the mystique surrounding the character, the face mask is permanent, not letting any hint of identity out there. The Cobra Insignia adorns Firefly’s right shoulder. In many ways, I prefer the character and figure of Firefly over Storm Shadow any day of the week.

Accessories:
Firefly comes stacked with all sorts of little goodies, “little” being the operative word. His backpack holds a can of gasoline, a plastic explosive, a maglite, and a swiss army type of pliers. The cool thing about his back pack is that it opens in the middle like two book leaves, and when Firefly flies Cobra Air Lines, he can pull up the “carry on Luggage” handle that conveniently remains bent when not in use. For firearms, Firefly comes with two: a hand pistol which fits into a holster on the right hip, and a cool automatic rifle whose butt can bend to either be or not be used. Also included is the standard base with the Cobra Insignia. Always a cool thing.

Point Loss:
Basically, not much is wrong with this figure. Small gripes include the backpack not fully fitting into the back slot when the cross pack is being worn and a knife on the right boot that was permanently molded into the piece instead of being a separate accessory like the Crimson Guards, for example. Once you get used to the blue uniform, there’s a lot to like about this figure. In the realm of scarcity, the only time I have seen this Firefly V3 available was the one time I picked him up. Given the fact that the 25th anniversary line has been somewhat put aside for the movie line, I recommend picking this little gem up if you see him. Until the next review, have fun and Yo Joe! (or, in my house, COOO BRAAAAHHH!!!!)

I am so stoked by the new Joe figures coming out for the movie that I felt there was a need to do them a proper review, just as I have done for various Action Figures throughout the years. G.I. Joe has always set itself apart from all other action figures inasmuch as it was the first “boy doll” to be made in response to this chick called Barbie. In essence, us toy collectors really need to come clean and admit that we are playing and displaying dolls for boys, regardless of the size. Now, along came the Star Wars mini-action figures in the 70’s, which (while not officially the first small scale figure) popularized the 3 ¾” scale. Then Hasbro revamped the meaning of articulation with Joe figures in the early 80’s. Swivel arm battle grip was the answer to the mere 5 standard points of articulation that Kenner offered with its Star Wars line. The Joes had arrived in a big way again by revolutionizing the way a standard action figure was designed, while upkeeping articulation. And one of its most celebrated examples? That beautiful loser named Cobra Commander.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Without giving away too much of the plotline to the current movie, let’s just say that the characters of Rex and CC are “inseparable”. You will understand why I chose both these figures for one review once you see the movie for yourself, which I strongly urge you to do. Specifically in regards to the movie, I feel the need to point out that I was really looking forward to the Transformers sequel that came out the month prior to the Joe movie, but I was far more pleased with RoC. Director Stephen Sommers flipped CC on his backside and redesigned the character attributes doing a total 360. Remember how we always wanted to know what was under the metal faceplate? Well, Sommers took that idea, flipped and dipped it, then turned it around to the question of “Why” the need for the faceplate. Again, you need to see the movie to understand my direction here.

So, without further ado, let’s get down to business and start talking action figures.

Rex:

First off, if you haven’t picked this little gem up yet, PLEASE DO SO. Not only is this one of my favorite Joe figures in a long time, but quite possibly one of my favorite 3 ¾” figures of all time. Definitely made the top 10. Reason being? Likeness, standard Joe articulation, and ACCESSORIES! Lots and Lots! I mean, certain Joes have come with more accessories than others over the years (here’s looking at you, original Zartan), but Rex is one of the few movie line figures that differs in respect to not having a standard shoulder mounted rocket launcher. Instead, he has this contraption that I call “Starscream’s hand” because it looks exactly like the redesigned hand from the Michael Bay era. Not only this, but it has a pincher attribute where you push in the rear neon green lever, and the 4 claws extend outward to grip that troublesome Joe who just won’t take the nanites the fine Doctor Lewis has prepared. Rex also comes with a WORKING briefcase that holds 3 individual nanite cylinders and actually closes back up! (where were you with this development, 25th Anniversary Destro?) For pistols, he comes with a large uzi type rifle, and a standard hand pistol, and lastly, these really cool looking snap on mechanical hands. So what’s the problem with this stuff? Most of it won’t even stay on him! The Starscream hand is way too heavy for his body (even on the stand), the mech hands just won’t stay on due to widening during shipping as one of them arrives on his right hand in the package. I have to do some serious manipulation to get the gloves to stay on. I was really saddened that Rex couldn’t hold 1/3 of his accessories, and they basically just have to stay on the sideline.

For the figure itself, it’s likeness to the movie character is unreal. He even comes with a removable hair piece, which is cool, but it does not stay on his head well and is better left on the sidelines to avoid piece loss. Unfortunately, the mouth breather is stationary, which is a bit of a bummer since the mask on CC is not removable at all. The Black Leather coat is removable, but with a lot of strain. When you boil Rex down to his basic figure with all accessories unattached, he is pure black with one silver breather tube on his facial apparatus. Overall, I love this figure due to his large arsenal and character likeness, but he loses points for not being able to use his arsenal without a little help from me while playing, UM, displaying the figure.

Cobra Commander:

As I said before in my short “ode to CC,” I was completely taken aback by this new visage of our beloved Commander. Initially, it was a sort of disgust that could not be ignored, much like driving slowly by a car accident and looking to see what happened. However, after the disgust, betrayal, and sadness left, I was cleared to actually begin a love/hate relationship with CC’s new incarnation. Over time, it has turned to more love than hate. Gone is the military visage that dominated his appearance in all previous versions (including his “old Snake” appearance on the Transformers). He is now a solid combination of biotechnology and damaged human. And quite frankly, I love the new mask because you can actually see WHY he needs a mask now. Unfortunately, for this particular figure, the mask is non-removable (however, for an even better look, pick up the 12″ version, which does come with a removable mask). There also seems to be a few variations on CC- front chest holes, no holes, tubes attached, etc. My version is the one with holes in the chest but no tubes. Differing from Rex, his overcoat is black on the outside, but “original 80’s blue) on the inside, and he comes with a few different accessories: an actual cobra snake (a possible slap to 80’s Serpentor?), which ties directly to Rex (see the movie!!!) a data pad, nanite nodule/injector, shoulder mounted rocket launcher, and last but not least, a slightly modified version of his original gun! YES! Without a doubt, one of my favorite weapons of all time. IMO, the only other handgun that matches the original CC blaster was the hand rifle that came with the original 1977 Kenner Stormtrooper (and a slew of other Star Wars figures). Too bad, though, that the gun doesn’t attach to his back like it used to. Perhaps a holster on the overcoat might have best served the answer of storage? Design-wise, you need to check out his back plate under the overcoat- he’s got this cool metallic vertebrae that really makes you wonder just how human he is.

CC does have a few drawbacks as well as Rex- namely, the same “accessories are too big for the figure” disease. CC has a hard time holding the shoulder mounted rocket launcher without toppling over, even when using his dog tag base. Also, two of his accessories (the data pad and nanite injector) have what look like attachment pegs, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out where they attach to on the figure. Another curiosity for both Rex and CC is that they have these holes in their backs which are very reminiscent of the original Joes so you could attach backpacks. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything that would actually fit the holes.

Despite the few flaws, I would highly recommend picking these two guys up- just for the sheer fact that they have many points of articulation without losing character likeness, they both reek of uber bad dictator coolness. Besides, it’s not like Destro has the cajonies to lead Cobra. Heh.

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.

Name:

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:

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.

[View with PicLens]

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