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[allenborder]

Hello to all...
I am new here my name is Allen and it was really nice review...
Thanks for sharing...

[Name_Violation]

ANyone like TJOmega aka Plastic Addict?

my favorite reviewer

[DMSL]

Transformers G1 Encore Trailbreaker Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_VO-pfqHp8

[DMSL]

Transformers G1 Encore Cassettes Volume 1 Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIXgzrQWoE

[Autobot032]

NOTE: As promised, I came back to finish the review. And here we go...

Human Alliance Sideswipe:

Vehicle Mode Pros:

-Looks like the concept vehicle, and captures it's smooth lines almost perfectly.

-Solid, nothing pops loose or detaches, and it rolls freely.

-Blue headlights, unlike the Deluxe with it's clear lights. (the blue adds to the great looks.)

-Painted Corvette emblem on the hood. (Seriously needed to seal the deal.)

Vehicle Mode Cons:

-Silver with dark blue (almost blackened) windows is just kinda...bland. He's quite monotonous in terms of color, no real pizazz. (Though, this shouldn't be a con really. Blame GM on this one.)

Overall rating:

(Just so bland. Bumblebee really wins out in this department. Sitting them side by side shows that 'Swipe is a tad lackluster.)

Transformation Pros:

-Complexity level is more than you'd expect, but not so extreme that he's a displeasure.

Transformation Cons:

-Tolerances are pushed to their limit. Sideswipe gives that ominous, stomach churning "Aw crap, I'm gonna break this thing!" feeling. Some of the pieces feel very flimsy and wobble and wiggle too much, giving the impression that something's going to give. I can't honestly say that they won't, either.

Some figures give that impression but you quickly realize "Oh, he's sturdier than I thought. Not bad.", not so with 'Swipe.

There are two panels underneath the seats that secure the nose of the car to the rest of the body in vehicle mode, and they swing down to hold the nose to form his back pack for robot mode, so they do serve a vital purpose, but they're constantly in the way while you're getting everything set just right. They're thin and they could break with enough pressure, if that happens, all you have are the doors to hold him together. (They doors aren't enough, really.)

-The windshield has to pivot around on a very crappy hinge that looks like it could crack and break rather easily. A very uncomfortable portion of the transformation.

Overall rating:



Quick heads up:

To safely transform Sideswipe, detach the panels that connect the nose to the rest of the car, then pull the entire rear section back like you would for transformation, then transform the arms. This will allow the arms to be transformed without being caught on anything else and let 'em swing freely and give you easier access. Do this on the reverse to make it easier for car mode as well. If you follow the instructions, you do feel like the arms are going to break something on their way in or out.

Robot Mode Pros:

-The face looks good. (Even has the tattoo on the forehead.)

-The hands are articulated and the fingers can be moved.

-The wheels on the forearms can be used for a spinning blade gimmick. (Mentioned in the instructions.)

-Interacts with Epps nicely, and it makes sense. (Bumblebee's was a tad silly.)

-Nice amount of weaponry. Wouldn't expect it after seeing the vehicle mode.

-Has actual feet. Tabs extend out of the back of the heel giving him a real set of feet.

Robot Mode Cons:

-The forearm design suffers due to arm collapsing in on itself for vehicle mode, and with no door to cover it, there's a gaping hole in robot mode and it looks bad. You can only position his arm certain ways without it looking silly.

-The legs are terribly designed. There's a hinge in the thighs that should allow for more posability, but due to the design and the fact that the pistons on his pelvis don't actually function, everything in this section suffers. The pistons are made of rubber and if you push the legs to do what they should and could...the rubber posts on the pieces pop out of the holes, and getting them back in is hellish torture. The posts on mine were stripped, so even though I finally got 'em back in place (which took forever and a day), they didn't want to stay in and I was forced to Super Glue 'em back in.

-Due to the horrendous backpack, the feet still have a problem supporting him in a few poses.

-The modification that I've linked to at the bottom of this post is pretty much a necessity. I mean the figure doesn't *need* it to function, I don't mean it like that, but it does need it for aesthetics, and balance issues. If you want him to stand straight up looking like a statue, and have a CAR hanging off of his back, sure...no problem. If you want it to at least look better than as is out of the box, you'll need to hack away some of the plastic preventing the better look.

Overall rating:



Bottom Line:

If you have Human Alliance Bumblebee, then you need Sideswipe by his side. If you're looking for an Alternator type figure who will wow you, he's not quite up to par. For kids, he feels breakable and flimsy. For fans/hard core collectors, he's a necessity if you want 'em all. For casual fans/collectors, unless you're really swayed by him and the Deluxe didn't do it for you, go ahead and buy him, but he's not a rush out and get kinda figure, IMO.

Other thoughts:

-The modification shown in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=56898 is a must, really. It's simple, takes about 20 minutes, and there's no visible scarring or damage in either mode, you only see the knicks during the transformation.

-The instructions are missing a step to the transformation, a face feature, and a gimmick that works with the Epps figure.

1.) The doors function just like Bumblebee's. They not only open, they extend on a sliding mechanism and lock.

2.) Sideswipe, like his HA predecessor, has a faceplate that opens. Dead center in the middle of the face, there's a panel that opens and swings back to reveal a cat like face underneath. Problem is, it doesn't do much for the figure, looks terrible, and the faceplate (if you can call it that) is only a few centimeters wide, about the width of a fingernail clipping. You can tinker with it if you want, but it seriously does nothing for the figure. At all. A time wasting part of the design, if you ask me.

3.) The trunk lid/windshield, has a small handlebar that flips down. It's not mentioned in the instructions at all, and I couldn't figure out what it was for...at first. Seat Epps on the right shoulder as you normally would, put his left arm straight up, and swing the trunk lid/windshield up (like it would be for vehicle mode) and bend it forward at the pivot in the hinge, pull the exhaust pieces back down like you would for vehicle mode, and Epps will now be able to grasp the handle bar, making it a giant shield/back mounted/human controlled weapon o' doom. Why these two important pieces were left out, I don't know, but they're both important to the full functionality of the figure.

Overall rating:



I'd have given it a lower rating than this, but the positives mentioned above are juuuuust enough to keep it from a failing grade. Plus the Epps figure looks great, and the face sculpt does look like Tyrese.

If it wasn't for the inclusion of Epps, and even just one more negative was added to the list, I'd have failed him, or given him a barely passing grade of D minus minus. As it stands now, I'll give him a solid C, but not quite a C+

If you have to get a Human Alliance figure, get Bumblebee. He truly is the best of the line so far. I'm hoping Skids, Mudflap, Barricade, etc fare better with me than Sideswipe has.

Mildly recommended.

[canuckster]

I got my encore Combaticons/Bruticus today...

Mold degradation is obvious as previously stated, though I feel the only place it's really rampant is Onslaught's legs. Brawl has a little as well, but Swindle Vortex and Blast Off all look quite sharp to me.

Plastic quality as others have mentioned as well is really crappy. Very soft/light plastic. I had the original G1 Brawl and his plastic was nice and hard, very crisp, the encore plastic also gives Brawl a lighter green colour.

Sticker quality is excellent, only complaint I have is that Vortex' Decepticon logo stickers on the tail seemed ready to fall off when I took him out of the box, this was remedied no more than a little bit of pressure on the sticker.

Bruticus himself is a bit flimsy, I tried putting Brawl in the traditional turret forward look, but this made Bruticus' entire left side unstable. Bruticus' left arm connection hole isn't very tight so Vortex ends up flopping inwards a bit.

So...

Onslaught 1/5
Brawl 2/5
Swindle 3/5
Blast Off 4.5/5
Vortex 4/5
Bruticus 3/5

Plastic quality 1/5
Stickers 5/5
Transformability, does everything fit well, 3.5/5.

[Convotron]

Review for RotF: Leader Class Optimus Prime



I've had a few days to get to know the RotF leader OP and I must say that none of the awe has worn off. This is simply an outstanding Transformer toy.

Design: First of all, the figure has a very good likeness to its on-screen counterpart. Looking at the Leader class OP of the 2007 film, you can tell that this is an entirely new mold. The robot mode is the most immediately apparent area of improvement over the previous leader class figure. Its proportions are much closer to movie OP with broad shoulders, a tapered waist, and slimmer legs compared to the previous Leader class OP. Due to the new mold and thus transformation design, the robot mode also puts away the robot kibble in a more efficient manner with respect to striving for movie accuracy. The alt mode of the Peterbilt truck remains close in movie likeness. The significant improvement in this form compared to the 2007 leader class figure is that there are fewer seams/panels, especially noticeable on the cab section where the 2007 leader class figure had multiple points in the plastic to maneuver during transformation. The 2009 leader class figure has a more "smooth" and natural look to its alt mode, reinforced by lack of visible robot kibble. It would not be out of place amongst model vehicles.

Transformation Process: Difficult BUT satisfying. I am one who enjoys and appreciates good transformation design in my Transformers toys. I honestly love the brilliance of a damn good transformation that is involved but "natural" or logical. I've read opinions that state leader OP is a very difficult Transformer but I think that once you get it down the first time, it all "makes sense". I've transformed my leader OP a few times the first day I owned it and it was fun, believe it or not. The transformation isn't difficult, it's simply involved and transforming it the second time around and beyond is so much easier and quicker.

Paint/Colour: Most of the figure uses the colour of the plastic so the reds and blues are flat while the greys are "plastic" or toy like in appearance. This is not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. It has the look of a toy, which I appreciate and like. However, the full potential of a toy design of this high quality and detail can only be realized when a paint job of equal quality and detail is applied. This is seen in some of the wonderful custom paint jobs done on the figure. The upcoming "Buster Optimus Prime" shows how much more impressive this mold can be when a great paint job is added.

Playability/Articulation: The figure has extensive articulation. The ankles are large ball joints, the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders use ratcheted joints, and the thighs are cut just below the hips to allow rotation. The elbows are also cut to allow rotation. The fists allow rotation and the head as well. Unlike the previous leader class figure, this figure has formed fists rather than hands with articulated fingers and thumb, which is a shame. It may have been designed that way to accommodate the rifle used in the "Power Up Optimus Prime"(I prefer to call the mode Jetfire-Prime or Super Jetfire-Prime just because it sounds better to me) mode to ensure no loss of grip over time. The main issue with ratcheting joints is that there is no fine control of positioning so you'll find that you may wish to have an arm or leg positioned at a certain point that happens to be "between ratchets" so you have extra fiddling around to get the right pose. This is especially important because of the weight of the figure as you don't want it falling over and risking damage.

Features/Accessories: The figure has, unfortunately, not been given any "gun" weapon this time around. Instead it has been given two energy blades(Charged blades? is there an official name for these weapons?), one for each arm. Each is on spring loaded swivels and housed on the forearms beneath the cab hood panels. I personally am not a fan melee weapons built into toys as for the most part they are cumbersome. It is no different on RotF leader OP. The length of the blades when locked back in the "sheathed" position does not allow full extension of the arms as they will get in the way of the upper arm panels. This forces owners to either keep the arms at a bent angle when the blades are not out or to simply mod the figure and remove the blades. I would have preferred a gun and one energy blade rather than two blades and no gun for the figure. The figure also has a Mech Alive gimmick in the chest activated by pressing a plastic tab on its abdomen, which can be folded up when not in use. This causes the figure's head to raise and chest compartment to expand while "I am Optimus Prime" is sounded off by Peter Cullen. This is a neat feature but another recorded phrase or three would have been nice. There's also a smaller Mech Alive gimmick in the upper arms where parts seem to move when you rotate the arm at the elbow. It also makes a racket in alt mode by pressing a small square button on the lower back left portion of the headache rack.

Overall: This figure is great. It's a great toy. Yes it's a toy, not just a good looking "action figure". All too often we see Transformers toy designs that are weighed down by compromise. They may be great in robot mode or in alt mode but not great in both. Leader OP is great in both modes. As a truck, it is extremely well constructed, showing very little sign of being a Transformer. As a robot, it is very close in likeness to the on-screen OP and its vehicle kibble is not extraneous. I personally want some kibble in robot mode because it is a reminder that it is a Transformer and not a Transmorpher. As long as the kibble makes sense in the context of the design, it's fine, and not really kibble in the negative sense.

The main drawbacks of the figure are the price tag($50 USD), lack of gun accessory(2 energy blades are good for movie accuracy but then again, no guns means there's a hit to movie accuracy anyways), the energy blades also cause arm articulation issues, and the paint job may not be for people who demand a more movie accurate colour scheme.

All in all, the cons are heavily outweighed by the pros. I've read the sentiment that this figure is basically a Masterpiece class figure and I agree. From the likeness to the transformation to the whole package as a Transformers toy, it's a stunning leap forward from toy design from two years ago. I am not a big RotF fan, I only have a few of the figures from the line and don't plan on getting that many more but I do recommend Leader class Optimus Prime as it stands head and shoulders above all other figures of the line.

[Convotron]

Review for RotF: Leader Class Jetfire

He told you his name is Jetfire so stop judging him!



Design: Large and imposing. That's what I think of when I look at Jetfire's alt mode, an SR-71 Blackbird. It's a great looking alt mode from the top...but when you view it from the side or underneath, you'll be graced by the vision of robot kibble. However, I find that in a figure of this size, of this character design, and of its secondary purpose of combining with Leader OP, it is an understandable compromise that we have all this robot kibble in the alt mode.

The robot mode is interesting to say the least. It looks like the on-screen Jetfire to a degree, it isn't nearly as close in likeness as Leader OP is to its own on-screen counterpart. However, the character itself has a lot of, well, character, and its robot mode reflects this. It is a hunched over hulk of a robot.

Now I don't know how soon a toy design can come close to its source material if it is designed like RotF Jetfire since its robot mode is comprised of many modular parts of its vehicle mode. That kind of design would make a fairly flimsy toy and considering the mass of a Leader class toy, the last thing you need is a weak structure. Also, consider that Jetfire's secondary purpose is to combine with OP and in order to support TWO Leader class toys in a single frame requires Jetfire to be designed as it is. One thing I love about the figure's design is that it is a hulk but it has scrawny arms and seriously bent digitigrade legs. This really enhances the concept of an ancient Decepticon-turned-Autobot bent by the ravages of old age.

One nitpick is that it doesn't scale well since Jetfire should be larger than OP. However, things being out of scale isn't unusual in Transformers toys and also if Jetfire was in scale he'd probably be a Supreme class toy.

Transformation Process: Honestly, don't be intimidated by Jetfire's transformation process. It's really simple. There is difficulty, however, in getting all the parts aligned correctly as there are many positioned tabs that need to be put into place. I don't love the transformation but I don't despise it. I understand why it is the way it is and all the junk under the sleek upper body has a charm that only Jetfire can pull off. After all, his father was a wheel, the FIRST wheel, and didn't transform into anything else but he did it with honour and dignity and...well let's leave it at that.

Paint/Colour: The vehicle parts are painted in a matte black with red highlighting, The black is befitting a spy plane design and the red contrasts well to give depth that would be missing in a pure black alt mode. The robot parts are some white/grey and mostly a dark blue with subtle green undertones. I prefer an overall darker colour scheme for robot mode to be more accurate to the on-screen colours. Considering that the head sculpt is the same black as the alt mode, the differently coloured robot body clashes and makes him look like he's wearing some sort of body suit. It's not terrible but the colour scheme in robot mode is one of the weaker aspects of the figure.

Playability/Articulation: Jetfire possesses a fair bit of articulation but not much can be useful since its weight forces the legs to buckle a bit. However, the character is meant to be an old codger and not a spry combat bot who flips, tumbles, and rolls on a regular basis. I've read that some people have problems with his posing but I think that either their Jetfire has bad joints or that they be trying poses that the figure just can't take. I usually have Jetfire in robot mode with no issues or combined with Leader OP.

It has ratcheted joints for its knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders. The legs are cut to allow rotation at the thigh and the arms are cut to allow rotation at the upper arm. The head swivels left and right but that's it.

Features/Accessories: Jetfire comes with detachable landing gear that doubles as a cane for his robot mode. He also comes with a gattling gun that can be used as a spring loaded missile launcher. It has a Mech Alive gimmick similar to Leader OP, a tab on the abdomen, which makes Jetfire say his name in a seemingly Scottish accent. His alt mode has a button near the rear of the plane in the middle that makes a "jet passing by" sound. You can also see internal parts move in his thigh when his leg is rotated.

Overall: Jetfire is a figure that has a lot going for it but also quite a bit against it. The potentially troublesome transformation process(due to many parts requiring aligning tabs), the robot kibble in alt mode(a necessary evil in this particular design, again consider the secondary purpose of combining with Leader OP), the articulation issues(but hey, he's an old bot, give him a break!). For me, he is a must buy because I love the character and for the greatness that is "Power Up Optimus Prime" mode. In my opinion, if you don't care for the character and if you don't care for the super combine mode, don't get Leader Jetfire. There's no reason because if you can't enjoy the figure for what the character brings to the table and/or for the combine mode, there is little reason to pay $50 for it.

[Convotron]

Review for RotF: Leader Class Optimus Prime and Jetfire, combined mode!



Let's roll!

Design: This is where "gestalt" really comes into play in the RotF line of toys. Supreme Devastator is impressive but it's a single Transformer, really. It has either the robot mode or separate alt modes but no robot modes for those alts. Super Jetfire-Prime, as I like to call him, is made up of a great toy(Leader Optimus Prime) and a good-to-very good toy(Leader Jetfire), both of which succeed as transforming toys separately.

Due to the design of Leader Jetfire and to the fact that the weight of the combined leader class toys is a couple of pounds, the basic structure of the combining is that Jetfire is unfolded to form a framework for OP to connect to. This is not movie accurate because in the movie, Jetfire's parts were transplanted to OP and Jetfire's robot design is of a more modular nature. To get a movie accurate design, you'd need a Jetfire that could be split up into parts, attach to OP, and ALSO provide support to allow the combined toys to support its own weight. It just isn't going to happen without a lot of compromises to either or both figures as well as an even higher price tag.

However, the mere fact that we have two leader class toys as a combiner is very cool. The end result will vary because one great feature of Super Jetfire-Prime is that you have the ability to move parts around to a degree that allows differing configurations of appearance. This extends to even the positioning of OP's feet, which tab to Jetfire's feet. The toy's documentation gives instructions to connect the feet in such a way that OP's feet are the front and Jetfire's is the back, which is fine but not similar to the movie's depiction. There is a fan devised method of basically reversing it so that Jetfire's feet point frontward, creating a foot combination that is closer to the movie. I've seen different collectors post photos of their configurations and it's great to see how everyone's differing tastes create interesting varied setups for the same two figures.

Playability/Articulation: If the feet are connected in the default configuration then the articulation is non-existent for the lower portion of the body. If you configure it "backwards" like many fans have(myself included), you get nearly full range of leg motion again. I've seen a picture of Super Jetfire-Prime doing the splits! The arms of OP have its normal range of movement, though the Jetfire parts may get in the way but again, you can move things around to not only accommodate desired motion but also create interesting combination looks.

Features/Accessories: The two significant features/gimmics are Jetfire's weapons that can be used by OP and a new sound effect. Jetfire's gattling gun can be attached to OP, either arm. Jetfire's tail section can be detached and combined with his cane/landing gear to create a mini BFG to be held by OP. The new sound effect is on the back of Jetfire, lower right corner. It is a sort of "combining" sound effect but I've read others speculate it's a "stomping" sound.

Overall: This is something that any RotF fan should have. It's a great display piece for sure. Even the average person with little to no knowledge of Transformers will give a double take should they see it and at least be curious about this large robot toy. Any faults found can be justified and explained, nothing is arbitrary in the design. Ultimately, this is a toy that is a spectacle. It's not something that comes along every day in Transformers toys. I've stated before that I'm not a big fan of RotF, not that I dislike it, I'm just not enamoured by the movie or the toyline. Despite that fact I see such coolness in this toy and I whole heartedly recommend this toy(s).

[Convotron]

Review for Transformers Animated: Deluxe Class Oil Slick



Rodimus Minor: "You'll have to get past me first, Decepticreeps!"

Oil Slick: "You say that like it's a difficult thing, Autobot."

Design: This particular figure from the TFA line takes on the form of what appears to be a low riding chopper motorcycle in its alt mode. The robot mode is a typical humanoid configuration but with larger hands and feet due to the design of the character.

Now at a glance, the chopper alt mode is fairly standard. However, taking a look at its wheels, one can see that it uses a quad wheel design rather than the traditional dual wheel design. This is something found in the Dodge Tomahawk concept motorcycle where the quad wheel design is required to compensate for the powerful 500HP engine. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and has a theoretical top speed of 400mph. What an awesome concept motorcycle and utterly suiting the character concept of Oil Slick.

In alt mode there is little if any apparent robot kibble, which is wonderful. In cyclebot designs, it's not always easy to conceal kibble without resorting to using covers/shell parts, which Oil Slick does not. The front forks are raked in typical chopper fashion. Spike adorned plating covers the forks(serves as the forearms in robot mode) as well as the "saddle bag/plates". A horned ram's skull adorns the front of the motorcycle and a pale green headlight peeks out from the left of the skull.

The overall look of the alt mode is both sleek and powerful from all angles. The use of the skull and spikes add an extra weight of aggressiveness.

The robot mode is fairly cartoony or animated in flavour. The gas tank in alt mode makes the torso, the front forks and wheels make the arms and hands, the seat, rear wheel and suspension make the legs and feet. I particularly like this look, there's a wonderful contrast in the slim upper arms and thighs compared to the bulky forearms/hands and lower legs/feet. The hands are in the form of clawed digits, which can be folded up to concel within the wheels when in alt mode. These clawed hands really give even more menace to the overall design.

The head is normally stored in the chest cavity/gas tank in alt mode. This head, a wonderful head sculpt at that, is encased in a translucent green plastic dome. The sculpt itself basically oval in shape, similar to Prowl's head sculpt but where Prowl's visage is dominated by a prominent chin, Oil Slick's prominent feature is his nose. It's a big honker but it gives character to the face. One thing to note, the appearance of the character in the cartoon differs in that there is a hint of a nose but it doesn't seem nearly as prominent as it is in the toy's head sculpt. Adding to the head sculpt's character are a trio of flat screw heads, one located in the middle of the forehead, and the other two at crown of the skull. The great thing about the green plastic dome is that it essentially serves as one big piece of light piping. However, the manufacturer also included standard light piping in the head sculpt itself. This results in a fantastic effect when shining light on the head. The dome diffuses the light into a sickly green haze while the eyes of the head are brightly illuminated, stabbing through the haze of the dome. This kind of extra touch really adds to the robot mode sculpt for me.

Paint/Colour: The colour scheme is:
1) Tan yellow/khaki on the torso, forearms, thumbs, and thighs.

2) Dark green on the upper arms, fork plates, lower legs, saddle bags/plates.

3) Black for the ram skull, handle grips, gas cap/instrument panel framing, collar, Decepticon symbol on the chest, and tattoo like design on the torso.

4) Pale lime green for the headlight and instrument dials.

5) Pale grey for the fingers, handle bars, horns of the ram skull.

6) Gold for the exhaust pipes/feet/toes.

7) Black for the body of the kegs and pale celadon/green for the rims.

8 ) Pale yellow-green for the translucent head dome.

The colour scheme suits the character concept wonderfully. Oil Slick is a talented chemical specialist who uses his chemical concoctions to disable and decimate his opponents. He was the inventor of the TFA version of Cosmic Rust.

The dominating colours of dark green and tan yellow make a great combination for a sort of sickly diseased vibe. The yellow-green of the head dome adds to this, making it look like Oil Slick is constantly in the environment of toxic fumes, even though I believe the fiction says that the dome is for his protection against such toxins.

Torso shows a Decepticon symbol on the middle of the upper chest with a winged bird motif in the styling of a tattoo just below that. The wings spread out and fold onto the sides of the torso/gas tank, which makes a stunning bit of design whether Oil Slick is posed in robot or alt mode.

The pale grey for the handlebars, ram skull horns, and fingers, balance the otherwise sickly colours and add an element of organic flavour. While not bone white, when paired with the other colours, it implies bones, skeletal decoration, and ultimately death.

A great colour scheme and mostly straight forward but with the right choice of colours and great paint application especially for the intricately detailed tattoo motif on the torso/gas tank.

Transformation Process: The transformation is simple and straight forward but designed so well that you don't get robot kibble in alt mode and the design of the robot mode uses vehicle kibble as an integral part of the body rather than ending up with extraneous parts. The legs peg together at the feet and fold up and forward to form the rear/seat portion of the chopper. The torso is the gas tank. The head folds in to the chest cavity/torso. The arms peg together in the hand/wheel area. The shoulders unhinge and swivel forward to form the front headlight section and ram skull pegs into the front to secure the shoulders for a tight and secure alt mode.

All in all, the transformation is simple but satisfying. It seems to have a good flow to it and doesn't feel cumbersome or too simple.

Playability/Articulation: In alt mode, the wheels roll well and you can even adjust the rake of the front forks to alter the chopper's appearance. In robot mode, the "feet" are hinged at the ankles, the knees are hinged as well. The hips are ball joints. The thumbs are on ball joints while the fingers are hinged. The fingers are a trio but all connected as a single unit so no individual finger articulation is possible. The elbows are hinged to allow vertical movement while the upper forearms are hinged to allow lateral movement. While not as free as ball joints, this is a good configuration and certainly better than what a single hinge setup offers. The head has limited movement, only allowing rotation partly to the left and right. However, the domed head design causes this and so you either get a cool head sculpt concept or more freedom of movement. It's a tradeoff I'm fine with. The shoulders are ball jointed but are limited in movement by shoulder plates. The right shoulder has the side of the headlight assembly where the headlight is and the left shoulder has the ram skull. Finally the waist has no articulation, owing to the design of the torso serving as the gas tank and seat support.

Features/Accessories: There are two main features/accessories of this toy. The first is already mentioned, being the translucent head dome. The second is the pair of kegs/drums that come with the figure. They can be stored underneath the saddle bag/plates in both robot and alt modes. One keg allows the rim to be flipped open on a hinge to reveal an empty vessel. This could be a container for Oil Slick's chemical weapons. The other keg can be split open in the middle to create a chained weapon with the halves of the keg serving as weights and bludgeons on each end. It's very evocative of the typical "biker gangs" of B-movies who often employ chains, crowbars, and molotov cocktails as weapons. These kegs can also be "held" in robot mode using the pegs to fit into holes in either hand.

Overall: If I were to sum up Oil Slick in two words, I'd choose "Dirty sexy". Not to offend but that's the kind of juxtaposition I see in the toy's overall design. There's the basic chopper motorcycle design that alone is a combinatino of sleek but rough sensibilities. Add in the sickly paint scheme of Oil Slick, details of spikes, ram horns, skeletal digits, and biker tattoo motif. What you get is a character concept and design that just oozes with unusual charisma. The figure itself is a great toy, it has a great look in both alt and robot mode, a great overall sculpt, and it has enough articulation for play and posing.

I highly recommend this toy to TFA fans and to even non TFA fans as this toy isn't designed with the normal TFA visual sensibility so it may appeal to those outside of the TFA fanbase.


P.S.

There is going to be a repaint for this figure in an upcoming wave of TFA figures, called "Toxic Oil Slick". I enjoy this mold so much, I'm going to be getting that repaint for sure.