So I got my hands on TF Prime Arcee, and also recently RTS Wreck-Gar. I stacked them up next to my other motorcycle transformers to see how they compare - curious to see which is everyone's favorite?
TF Prime Arcee
Kind of small, but a beautiful and realistic bike, and bonus points for being able to "steer" with the front wheel. You end up with a robot that is feminine and clean, and full of personality. Transformation is a fun mix of simplistic and intricate. I love her half-wheel legs and her stable high heels/pointy shoes. I do not like the big windshield sticking up behind her head, and the all-black arms and hands bother me too. Her arm blades are fun and look great, but are kinda too big.
RTS Wreck-Gar
A BIG bike, and full of detail in both bike mode and robot mode. In bike mode you can see his hands, and they can be a pain in transformation to get out of the way. A complicated and innovative transformation, though, even if it does take some effort to get to snap in cleanly from robot mode to bike mode. Very different in style from the other bike-bots - a mix of clean lines and asymmetry and detail, that makes him very fun and worth the effort. The big wheels hanging on the side definitely look clunky, but you got to love how you can unsnap the top one and he can hold it or combine with his axe somehow. And his axe is awesome, and it practically invisibly integrates with his bike mode.
Animated Prowl
Totally opposite end of the spectrum from Wreck-Gar, of course coming from an entirely different aesthetic. Nonetheless, after playing with the other bikes, it's almost shocking how simple (after you figure it out!) and elegant his transformation is, as well as the subsequent robot. His bike is likewise simple but fun. Prowl is plagued by some ball joints that get a lot of work and are prone to getting loose, and his thumbs can break easy, too. But, his built-in shuriken that snap out of his feet/wheels are simply awesome. I like that you can move his handle bars a little, and love how on first glance you wouldn't necessarily pick up on what he transforms into.
Animated Oil Slick
He's got a ram skull on the front of him, what else do we need to know? You have to love Animated sometimes. A totally different kind of motorcycle, a "hog," really. The double-wheels kind of feel like cheating, and the transformation is very basic. Robot-mode, he's a bit taller than the others (surprisingly, little Arcee is taller than Wreck-Gar and on par with Prowl. But, he has barrels that turn into a drinking can (I think
and an awesome chain-flail. His big wheel-mitts with claws are kind of a turn-off, but still a very original toy, and very very fun.
2007 Scout Elita 1
Almost feel like little Elita 1 is not worth reviewing after playing with the others. She's tiny - and the resulting robot is definitely awkward. My 5-yr-old asked me why she's fat. She's definitely got a fat midsection, and little baby paws and little bitty high-heels. Still, she's very solidly built, and very fun to transform and roll around. And she definitely beats ROTF Elita 1, who I, of course, do not own.
The verdict? For me, despite his defects, Prowl is still the funnest and the most well-done!