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Official Review Thread

Post your reviews of Transformers toys in this topic. Videos can be posted in a topic as well as text reviews and images.
Please keep each topic dedicated to one specific toy (i.e. DOTM Deluxe Class Optimus Prime") that has actually been released.

Re: Official Review Thread

Postby canuckster » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:46 am

Weapon: High-Velocity Sonic Blaster
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.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:38 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for RotF: Leader Class Optimus Prime

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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.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:57 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for RotF: Leader Class Jetfire

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

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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.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:12 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for RotF: Leader Class Optimus Prime and Jetfire, combined mode!

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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).
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:27 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for Transformers Animated: Deluxe Class Oil Slick

ImageImage

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.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Nightscreech » Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:18 am

Motto: "Swift to Destroy"
Weapon: Dual Bladed Sword
I was walking through the shopping center today and had a peak in Big W and I'm glad I did, not only was there a sale on but they had plenty of stock of a lot of the new ROTF figures in all classes. Luckily for me they had Rampage, a figure i'd been keeping an eye out for and at AU$19.00 I grabbed him as well Ransack which i'll review in a later post.

The deluxe class of figures is brilliant and Rampage is no exception. In vehicle mode Rampage forms a bulldozer and is incredibly detailed. I really like the little things like the various pistons, the tracks and cab windows were also nice touches. Rampage sits solidly and doesn't wobble, the tracks are fixed into position though so it will not roll along the ground.

The robot mode is unique in that he takes on a more crab like form with four legs and two large crab claws. The tracks turn into whips which is a nice change from the usual tacked on guns that some figures seem to have. Rampage stands solidly in this mode as well making it really enjoyable to pose, your not worrying about it falling over because you know the weight is going to be distributed across four points.

Rampage also has a third mode which turns him into an oversized jackhammer. I honestly didn't like this mode I found it looked stupid and was really a mode you wouldn't keep him in for to long. The irony is that you have to go to this mode before you can take him into robot mode, its as if the designer thought screw it lets just say he's a triple changer. An extra mode can work if its different enough such as Mixmasters gun turret form, but here he just looks halfway through a transformation.

The first time I transformed Rampage it was a little tricky, I make it a point to follow the instruction provided by hasbro first time round on all TRansformers i purchase and I'm fast learning that instructions are not there strong suite. However after playing with it for a while I got the hang of it. One thing to watch out for is making sure panels are out of the way of each other as you go through the various steps, if you don't keep an eye on it they do hit.

Its good to see a transformer that avoids the traditional humanoid robot form and try's something different. Rampage is an excellent figure, well designed and solidly put to together, If you see this one pick it up, it will make a unique addition to your collection.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Gauntlet101010 » Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:24 pm

Wlp, I got iGear's Autoscout the other day. It's pretty good, very accurate to the cartoon. It ha smore details, but ... still good, IMHO. It fits nicely in Soundwave, although it doesn't sit perfectly flat; the front stand it a little too high.

The wheels don't do much for propulsion; they are much too tight. Glad they're there, but there's that. And there's an odd ... white line on mine. Nest to the center rectangle. It's almost touching it. At first I thought it was a stress mark, but it isn't. It's not a scratch either; it goes straight up from the small rectangle side to the top. Now what I've spotted it, it's the only thing I can see on that side! Ack! I can't scratch it off with my nail and I don't dare use nailpolish remover (it's on the painted part as well and ... well, there's the painted part to consider).

I got the "black box" version with the Kremzeeks. Unfortunately, I didn't get a yellow onw, I got a blue and a purple one. Still, they look nice next to the one from MP Megs and the one from Impossible Toys. They're the right size for MP Meg's as well, although the points are much rounder. Also, they don't stand on their own; I'm using a small bit of sticky tack on their feet to keep them up.

No regrets on the Kremzeeks either; I have a small Kremzeek team now, but ... if you think you don't need sticky tack for standing aid, maybe you should get the Energon Cubes.

Despite those flaws I like the little guy. No purchase regreats here. Owning an unofficial version of something that's exclucively from the show appeals greatly to me. White line aside, all the paint apps are spot on .. well, 90% spot on as a smidgen of gold paint brushed off his eye and onto the white part. I like the tape details, which many tapes (like Classics Ravage) don't have. That said, it fits in more with Classics Ravage than with the G1 series of tapes in tape mode because of the sculptural details (on a G1 tape the "tape window" part would be paint apps, not sculpted detail). It also lacks the holes the G1 tapes had. I don't have many G1 tapes, so whether this is an issue in a display with a whole whack of them is up in the air.

The pamphlet that comes with him is neat; I'm sure everyone's seen the comic. What shocked me was the inclusion of official TFs in the ads for the Ark playset. Granted, how else can you show scale, but .... iGear has balls.

So, there's my mini-review. No regrets with Autoscout, but there's the potential for flaws: white lines and Kremzeeks that don't stand without aid. The completist in me kinda wants the Gear of War now ... maybe Soundwave needs two Autoscouts? Maybe one can be for Blaster?

Maybe is the GoW ever goes on sale I'll get one...
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My ROTF Review Series

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:03 pm

Motto: ""I COMMAND THESE DOORS TO OPEN! I SAID OPEN!"
"ITS OCCUPIED!!!!""
Weapon: Twin Sonic Cannons
Jetfire Prime here. Im going to Review alo of ROTF toys that I collect so keep checking for more Reviews!


Please comment and rate!!!
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Deluxe Skids Review

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:19 pm

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Weapon: Twin Sonic Cannons
Jetfire Prime here wih my first of many reviews. I am going to be reviewing Deluxe Skids.

His vehicle mode is very nice. It has plastic wheels but that is what I would expect for a deluxe figure. He has movie accurate paint, but this deluxe version is different from the Human Alliance Skids (of course) The only problem I have with his vehicle mode is that his liscence plate says SKIDS. I didnt think that would bother me at all, but it does... Overall, a very nice alt mode

His transformation can, and this might just be me, be confusing sometimes. you have to line everything up perfectly or you will have some issues. But it is a fun transformation.

Now for his robot mode. I am going to start out with the problems i have with his robot mode. 1. He is VERY hard to stand up. This is because he has midget legs and is very top heavy. To stand him up, I have to lean him forward. But then he is looking down. 2. The Mech Alive gimmick. To activate this, you push the Chevy logo and his chest panels move. But his head bobs as well. The moving armor is very cool, but the head bobbing is annoying. This is not a big problem though

Now the positive stuff. He has a big arm, and when you push a buttom on that arm, his giant hand pops out. Pretty cool. Very cool and detailed robot mode. Besides the standing up thing, I think this is his best mode. Not much to it though. The Mechalive and punchy thingy is about it. Well, that and his buckteeth.

Overall, I think this figure is nice. I would rather get another deluxe instead of him though. I give this figure 3 stars out of 5

PS I used a Skids picture from Seibertron... I hope im allowed to do that
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skids__deluxe_864.jpg
Skids Deluxe
Last edited by Jetfire Prime on Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My ROTF Review Series

Postby Convotron » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:47 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Nice review! I plan on getting Skids and may consider Mudflap but I like the green bro better. I'm curious about their transformation designs and want to experience first hand the horrors some people say the process is.
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Re: My ROTF Review Series

Postby tom brokaw » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:10 pm

awesome review! i have skids and feel the same way. im planning on getting a mudflap sooner or later
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Re: My ROTF Review Series

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:18 pm

Motto: ""I COMMAND THESE DOORS TO OPEN! I SAID OPEN!"
"ITS OCCUPIED!!!!""
Weapon: Twin Sonic Cannons
Convotron wrote:Nice review! I plan on getting Skids and may consider Mudflap but I like the green bro better. I'm curious about their transformation designs and want to experience first hand the horrors some people say the process is.


The transformattion is not terribly complicated. But you have to line everything exactly. You need to make sure you do that because it is very hard to catch and he might end up with a broken back :lol:
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Voyager Ironhide Review

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:56 pm

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Jetfire Prime here with ROTF Voyager Ironhide!

First, the vehicle mode.
Ironhide's vehicle mode is a dark-grey GMC Topkick. In the movie, he appears black... This does not make sense to me. I think they made him grey in the toyline so it wont look like Voyager Ironhide from Movie 1. On both front doors, he has a white Autobot Symbol with a red military barret (Possibly N.E.S.T. logo?). Overall, a very nice vehicle mode. There are 3 problems I have with this figure. 1. As you can see in the pictures below, his 2 guns connect and hook to his trunk (or bed). The problem is... the guns have 4 pegs at the bottom. The trunk has 4 rectangular holes. The guns DO NOT LATCH!!! It really bugs me because everytime I put them on, they fall off. I usually just leave them off in alt mode. 2. Blue Headlights. What was Hasbro thinking? It makes him look like some kind of discotruck :lol: . 3. Kibble. Under the truck, you can see his arms. This is not a big problem for me but it bugs some people. Overall, a very nice, movie accurate vehicle mode.

Transformation
The first time I transformed him, I almost gave up and was about to take him back!! It was very hard. But thats just me! I would say it is an Advanced configuration. But once you figure him out, its easy! I can transform him in about 40 seconds.

Robot Mode
Probably what you came here to see, his robot mode!! Only 1 problem... The windshield/roof/stacks is just one big piece. And like the guns in alt mode, it is just hanging on by a little blue peg and tends to fall off. That is the only problem YAY! Very detailed robot mode, just like all of the ROTF figures out there, It is probably my favorite mode. But there is not much to say about it. His guns seperate and hook up to his arms. If you push the back otf the bigger gun, a missile shoots out (plus the barrel spins). That is pretty cool. But his colors are just like his alt mode, grey and black, but with some gold in parts. Look at the pictures if you have any questions.

Rating
Overall, very nice repaint and I am loving the new guns. Some problems with the figure that I wish they would fix. But I do recommend this figure, it is one of my favorites. 4 stars!

Please rate and comment! Keep checking for more ROTF Reviews :HEADHURTS: :HEADHURTS: =; :MAD:
Attachments
takaratomy-ra02-ironhide-3.jpg
Robot Mode
takaratomy-ra02-ironhide-2.jpg
Alt Mode
Last edited by Jetfire Prime on Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Next Reviews

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:25 pm

Motto: ""I COMMAND THESE DOORS TO OPEN! I SAID OPEN!"
"ITS OCCUPIED!!!!""
Weapon: Twin Sonic Cannons
Here is the list of figures I will be reviewing in order:
Scout Dirtboss
Voyager Megatron
Deluxe Smokescreen
Voyager Mixmaster
Voyager Stratosphere
Voyager DT Ratchet
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ROTF Dirtboss Review

Postby Jetfire Prime » Sun Aug 23, 2009 1:40 pm

Motto: ""I COMMAND THESE DOORS TO OPEN! I SAID OPEN!"
"ITS OCCUPIED!!!!""
Weapon: Twin Sonic Cannons
Jetfire Prime here with my first and ONLY Scout class review ever! This time with Revenge of the Fallen Scout Calss Dirtboss!

Personal Comments
First off, this figure, along with all of the other Scout Class figures, is NOT WORTH $8! Personally, I do not like scout class figures. If I buy another one, it will be Dune Runner. I bought this figure for 8 dollars people!!! Wow.... unbelievable.

Vehicle Mode
Dirt boss' alt mode is a green/grey forklift. It features a Decepticon logo on one side, forks that sadly do not go up and down, and in the drivers seat, a steering wheel and seat! That is the only notible detail on this alt mode for me. It is what you should expect from a Scout fig.

Transformation
Very easy transforation. I can do it in about 7 seconds. Again, this is what you should expect from a scout figure. No problems with transformation which is shocking because I always have a difficult time...

Robot Mode
I am just going to say it. I HATE this mode. There are a few major problems: 1. His head... It reminds me of when I was in 7th grade. It looks exactly like one of my teachers.... 2. Feet. I think that my Dirt Boss is a weird case, and this may be an individual problem... His feet are slanted so that the bottom is diagonal. To stand him up, I had to put his feet together.

His robot mode features a backpack and 2 swords/crutches much like sideswipe. What is that thing on his chest supposed to be? A spark chamber? I guess it adds detail. His main color scheme is green and grey with some red and brown. That is it for his robot mode...

Rating
As you can see, I am not fond of Scout figures. So you do not have to respect my opinion :) and if you want to bbuy him, go ahead, I cant stop you anyway. I think that this particular figure has alot of problems in robot mode, but his vehicle mode is exellent, besides the non-moving forks. I think hat everyone will agree that this figure is not worth $8. I give Dirtboss 2 stars.
Attachments
dirt_boss__scout_417.jpg
Dirt Boss thanks to Seibertron.com for the picture
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby DMSL » Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:03 pm

Weapon: Electro-Laser Cannon
Transformers ROTF Leader Class Optimus Prime Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rLy061kyr4
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby thedistinctroom » Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:47 pm

Motto: "Will it blend?"
Weapon: Acid Rays
Please check out my youtube reviews.

Megahouse Palm Action Orguss NIKICK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCJSwCEAG0
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Megahouse Palm Action Orguss ORGUSS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvnDGaW0TMM
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Re: Disney Label Transformers Review

Postby Supreme Convoy » Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:13 pm

:BOT: Finally found a Disney Label Mickey and I love the toy!

Obviously not a lot of playability but it's a fun novelty as I love Transformers (obviously) and Disney. :CON:
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Re: Disney Label Transformers Review

Postby shonenfan4 » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:06 pm

Weapon: Fusion Blaster Cannon
I love the Mickey driver gimmick of this toy, and I agree this is a display piece mainly. Good review. :APPLAUSE:
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:03 am

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Yeah, I saw a video review of the Disney Label Mickey Mouse/Optimus Prime and it was very limited for articulation. But I would want to simply display it in alt mode or in a neutral bot mode.

It's unpopular but I like the Mickey and Donald products. I know people say Disney is evil but the cartoons were a part of my childhood just as Transformers was. Putting them together isn't so bad in my mind, especially in such a limited fashion. It's not as if Disney has invaded Cybertron.

Yet.

I kid.

Transform and roll out. Ha ha!
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby DMSL » Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:26 pm

Weapon: Electro-Laser Cannon
Transformers ROTF Leader Class Jetfire Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURvVPSFMvA
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby DMSL » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:21 am

Weapon: Electro-Laser Cannon
12" Sideshow Indiana Jones Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbsXBUYdIXk

I know it's not a TF but still a nice figure.

B-)
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:42 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for RotF Voyager Stratosphere

ImageImage

Here's a figure that I've become a big fan of.

Design: Stratosphere's alt mode is that of a hybrid military transport plane. It takes features from some different real life models to create its own design.

I really like the look of the alt mode. I gravitate towards bigger/bulkier/chunkier vehicle designs and a military transport plane is one of the biggest! Despite the large nature of the vehicle, there is a sleekness to its design that is appealing to the eye.

Stratosphere's robot mode is in line with the live action movie aesthetic. This means there are more overt mechanical design elements and body type is not the typical bipedal humanoid design seen in most Transformers lines.

The two points of criticism I initially had when seeing the figure in promo photos was that I felt the feet were ridiculously large and that the orange plastic of the arms were far too bright, too "plastic" and "toy-ish", which I think negate the intent of the realistic designs of the live action movie characters.

Fortunately, both points of apprehension were reduced significantly when I had the chance to examine the figure in person. The arms are cast in a darker red-orange colour and the feet, while still as large as they were in the photos, make sense in the design.

Consider that the robot is composed of the parts of a large military transport plane. As many others have said, the feet make sense in that they are required to provide stability for such a large object.

Looking at the robot mode, I honestly love it. The digitigrade legs evoke a similar appearance of large flightless birds like the ostrich and emu. This is a good thing in my opinion because such large birds are deceptively swift for their seemingly awkward proportions. Stratosphere's thighs look substantial, the sense great mechanical strength hinted at by the pairs of pistons just above the knees. The lower legs look almost coiled, with sculpted detailing that implies literal coils to enhance this sense.

The arms are very reminiscent of construction machinery, like that of the large cranes that work on tall buildings. The dark red-orange also add to the sense of design ancestry in industrial machinery. The Mech-Alive gimmick is in the form of gears in the bicep and forearm regions, which move when the double hinged elbows are moved. I find this to be a nice gimmick as it reinforces the idea of powerful construction machinery for the arms.

The torso is composed of the main body of the plane alt mode. We see Automorph in action when the front section is split open as the arms are moved out of their housed position during transformation. The details of the internal components of the chest also look nicely sculpted.

The head is very unique. Like most other Movie Transformers, the face is not a basic anthropomorphic design as seen in most Transformers lines. However, it is more recognizably human than most other Movie Transformers. There's a nice balance of the alien, mechanical, and humanistic features. I also really like the silver paint on the face along with the dark red-orange stripes down the cheeks. The paint stripes mimic the colour of plastic of the arms, which is good for design continuity.

There is back kibble but it is partly due to the storage bay gimmick, which I'll touch upon in the features section. The wings also are at the back.

Overall, the robot mode design looks very cool. Due to the details of the figure, it gives a sense of epic scale. Even though it's a Voyager class figure, when I look at it on my desk, it looks big! Despite its awkward features and body styling, there's a sense of subtle mobility in sleekness that comes from, oddly enough, the legs as well as the wings on the back. He kind of looks like a giant mecha rocket skier or skater and can be posed to look the part even better.

Paint/Colour: The figure is composed mainly of a dark grey plastic for the majority of the body in alt mode. The turbines have orange trim, not as dark as the red-orange of the arms in robot mode but are reminiscent of the shade of orange used for industrial and military machinery. The wings have silver paint trim, there are winged Autobot symbols on the wings, which resemble the Elite Guard symbol of TFA. The rear stabilizers have grey Autobot symbols on a black background, which I think is a great way to keep visual interest in repeated motif.

The cockpit windows are clear blue plastic and the light piping for the head uses the same plastic. The face is painted in silver with dark red-orange stripes on the cheeks, the sides and back of the head are a black plastic. The top of the head is silver paint over clear blue plastic.

The robot arms are primarily a dark red-orange plastic with beige shoulders, dark grey elbow hinge components, and clear blue plastic for the Mech-Alive gears in the arms.

The thighs are beige with black and dark orange paint detailing the piston sculpts above the knees. The lower legs are a dark grey plastic, darker than the plane body.

Transformation Process: The transformation design is fairly basic. Stratosphere is a bit of a shellformer but a large part of this is the feet so that isn't really kibble. Everything moves fairly well, there's a bit of flexing that needs to be done to maneuver some slight tabs out of indentations but nothing major. It's a fun but simple transformation process.

Playability/Articulation: The figure has a fair degree of articulation. The legs are very stable due to the feet. The hips are hinged to allow movement side to side and front to back. The knees, as such, are hinged in two places due to the digitigrade leg design. The angles are hinged as well. No ball joints but there are enough hinged connection points to allow a good range of motion, similar to Classics Ironhide/Ratchet's shoulders, which I think is a good design alternative to ball joints.

There is no waist articulation due to the torso pegging into the pelvic component.

The arms are hinged and pegged in at the shoulders, similar to the hips, to allow side to side movement as well as 360 degrees of rotation. The elbows are double hinged. The wrists are hinged to allow side to side movement but no rotation. The hands are articulated, allowing Stratosphere to grip a variety of objects.

The head is pegged in so it allows rotational movement.

The wings are hinged so that you can move them up and down to position them as you like.

Features/Accessories: The accessory for this figure is a small Optimus Prime. For some reason, the diminutive OP is largely blue in colour. It has basic transformation and can be housed in Stratosphere's rear storage bay in alt mode. It's a fun little accessory and references OP's aerial introduction in RotF.

Problems: The main problem I see is the back kibble. I personally do not mind it as it is a result of the design of the storage bay for mini OP. I like the gimmick so I can forgive the back kibble.

A more minor problem is the lack of a weapon accessory. The early stage of development showed a space shuttle accessory that could peg into the top of the plane in alt mode and then be used as a gun in robot mode. The peg hole is still present in the figure so even without the shuttle, one could try to find a suitable replacement or kitbash one out of other parts. I've used Universe Cyclonus' Nightstick Targetmaster and it fits perfectly. It looks great wielded by Stratosphere, though it doesn't blend in in alt mode.

Another minor issue is that the figure is riddled with sculpted work yet the lack of paint apps overall obscure the details. Now this is a common issue I see in the movie line figures were the alt modes get more paint app attention than the robot modes. However, even Stratosphere's alt mode is missing some details because the plane body has many gorgeous lines and panel work that are swallowed up by the vast amount of grey plastic.

Overall: I'm a G1 fan at heart but I'm also a student of industrial and mechanical design. I, like many others, had trepidation when the first live action movie came out but I think there are many design features that can be appreciated by those who like seeing mechanical features in Transformers as well as serve the purpose of adding believability for the average movie goer who isn't knowledgeable about Transformers in general.

The honest truth is that if you do not like the movie designs, you're not likely going to like Stratosphere.

If you do like giving things a fair shot, you may come to really like the figure as I do. It's a fun figure with a truly unique design. It's chock full of details that enhance its appearance, even without paint apps. It has a lot of articulation and so it can be a great display piece.

I've only owned Stratosphere for a few days but it has quickly risen to the top of my list of favourite figures.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Convotron » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:56 pm

Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
Weapon: Saber Blade
Review for RotF Human Alliance Bumblebee w/Sam Witwicky

ImageImageImage

Check on the rep, yep, second to none.

I've recently picked up HA BB and right off the bat, I'll say that I'm extremely happy with this figure.

Design: The alt mode is good, as usual with the movie line toys. It does suffer from showing a lot of robot kibble on the underside but considering the complexity of this figure's design as well as the character model it's based off of, it's understandable.

The robot mode is wonderful. It has a close likeness to the character model. The main weak point is that when viewed from the side, there's a noticeable gap between the "spinal" area and the roof component of the car. It, unfortunately, gives an impression of hollowness in the torso. Despite that, the figure has solid construction and has a heft to it that I didn't expect from its appearance.

My one criticism is that the legs do appear to be backwards. The thigh panels are backwards and the dark grey "robot leg parts" are facing outwards with the orange-yellow "car parts" facing inwards. This is the reverse of the character model and also exposes screw heads to the viewer.

I've used a "leg mod" to make the appearance closer to the character model and also to better conceal the screw heads during normal viewing of the toy. I'll go further into this mod in the last section of this review.

Paint/Colour: The paint application on my figure is flawless. All the lines are clean, no smudging or bleeding of paint. The one flaw I see is that the colour of the figure is more orange-yellow than yellow-orange. Also, there are parts of the plastic, which are not very dense and allow light through, which I don't like.

The orange-yellow and black combination works for the main colour scheme. Metallic silver and dark greys for the "robot parts" work very well for breaking up the bright orange-yellow dominated figure. The aquamarine blue of the transparent plastic used for the light piping and windows is great for bringing a touch of coolness to the otherwise very warm colour scheme. The red on the rear brake lights and the small Autobot symbol on BB's forehead give nice little punches of contrast to the orange-yellow.

Transformation Process: The transformation design is very much a close relative to the Binaltech/Alternators/Alternity toy lines. I look at the HA line as kind of an American cousin to the Takara based aforementioned lines. Two design choices of the missile holders that double as the bottom support for the driver and passenger doors in alt mode and the way that the doors can be pulled back slightly to allow upward angling are reminiscent of some common design features of BT/Alts/Alternity.

HA BB's transformation process is involved but not difficult. It does require precise movement of parts but I find it has a better overall design for the "average person" than BT/Alts, which are a bit complex for some, but takes a back seat to the level of transformation design in Alternity Convoy and Megatron.

Overall, I love the transformation design. I've had HA BB for over a day and I've transformed him several times. It's good fun for those who enjoy the transforming process!

Playability/Articulation: The figure has great potential for play due to a great range of articulation, though it's a toy of a level of design that is more suited to a "collector".

The shoulders can rotate 360 degrees and swivel at the side nearly 180 degrees(the sculpted shoulder armour restricts full range of side swivel).

The upper arm is cut at the bicep to allow full rotation. The elbows swivel.

The right forearm/hand is the character's cannon, which can be folded back for transformation. The left hand is "normal" with an articulated thumb and the three fingers are a single molded piece, also articulated. Both are on a swivel joint.

The waist rotates 360 degrees.

The hips swivel far enough out to the sides to allow BB to do the splits. They also rotate fully.

There is a joint in a cut just above the knee to allow full rotation.

The lower legs have multiple points of swivel joints. The knees are double hinged, there is a swivel joint at the calf(it's there for transformation purposes but can be used for assisting in the posing of the figure), and the ankles are hinged.

My main criticism in articulation is that the ankles could have used ball joints to further improve posing potential. Otherwise the figure has a good variety of swivel joints to allow a great range of motion.

Features/Accessories: The features of the figure are a "battle mask" that can slide down over BB's face, a spring loaded cannon that is his right arm, and Sam Witwicky, who can be positioned on multiple points on the figure in robot mode and also be seated within the alt mode.

The cannon arm has been criticized for a lack of a hand but I don't mind it. I like the asymmetrical design of having one weapon-arm and one normal-arm.

The battle mask's main flaw is that it feels a little flimsy and it never quite rests securely. I always get the feeling it's drooping a bit over BB's eyes like an ill-fitting hat.

The Sam Witwicky figure is great! My figure doesn't have a look of mild surprise, more of a doped out expression. :lol: He's not a photo perfect replica of Shia LaBeouf but it's a serviceable likeness.

The figure is something that Hasbro could have skimped on but I think they did a good job with it. It has a very good sculpt, the proportions are fine, and there are some very nice points of articulation. The shoulders and hips are combination swivel/rotational joints. The knees are hinged and the torso is jointed at the bottom of the ribcage to allow rotation and slight bending. The head rotates.

The figure has peg holes on the bottom of both heels and the center of its back, between the shoulder blades. These are for allowing the figure to peg onto the two seats of the car, which are located on the backs of BB's forearms in robot mode. There's also a platform inside the roof component of the car that can be used for Sam to stand in the "back" of BB in robot mode and man a little rocket module weapon.

Overall, the features are good but the Sam Witwicky accessory is the winner. It turned out to be much better than I expected.

Overall: Overall, I think this is a wonderful figure of the movie line.

It combines the aesthetic of the movie style character designs with elements of the mechanical design from the Binaltech/Alternators/Alternity line. These two things are a natural pairing and a perfect fit.

The flaws of the figure are minor and nothing that detracts from the positive points of this figure.

Modifications: As mentioned in the "Design" portion of this review, the legs appear reversed. I've linked a photo comparing the character model with a modded HA BB, which highlights the points on the legs that are "corrected" in the mod:

Image

Credit goes to len_d69 from the TFW2005 forum, who also created a thread detailing the mod, which is where I found the information. You can check it out here.

Also in that thread, a photo of a prototype of the HA BB mold shows the more correct looking leg alignment:

Image

The mod itself is easy. If you look at the pelvic component of HA BB, you'll see that it is composed of two parts. A front half and a back half. The back half is secured by two screws. Remove the screws and switch the front and back halves. You'll leave the legs in the same position.

Afterwards, you need to rotate the lower body so that the front of the pelvis is front facing. However, you need to rotate the legs at the hips to make sure that the thigh plates are facing the same direction s the front pelvis plate. This is because there's a piece of plastic on the upper thighs that would restrict lower body rotation if the legs aren't rotated first.

Once you have the lower body facing the front as it should, simply rotate the lower legs at the cut knee joint and voila, you have an HA BB with properly aligned thigh plates and the proper orientation of the robot leg parts on the inside of the legs and the car parts on the outside of the legs.

The thread at TFW2005 has better steps and pictures to illustrate the process so I suggest checking it out if you're interested in the mod.

Additionally, I'm working on a slight mod to the battle mask. Since it's so loose on my figure's head, I'm building up layers of super glue on the "tab" portions of the mask to hopefully allow it to grip the grooves on the helmet better. I've used a similar process on RotF Silverbolt's tiny peg for torso locking, which worked wonderfully, so I'm hoping this same process will improve the battle mask on my HA BB.

Update: I did the battle mask mod and it works like a charm. Simply by adding a bit of super glue in a couple of layers, I've built up extra material over the tabs that normally slide in the grooves of the helmet. This resulted in tightening up the mask's placement and now the mask slides rather than "falls" down over the face. I can also push it back up and it'll rest securely and not inadvertently droop over BB's eyes.
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Re: Official Review Thread

Postby Rial Vestro » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:31 pm

I just got Human Alliance Side Swipe today after realizeing that I had extra money after buying my new camera, memory card for new camera, a tripod, and a birthday present for my nephew's 2'nd birthday this Thursday. I didn't think I was going to be able to afford him after all that and when I realized I still had $50 left over I went back in the store and grabed the last one Wal Mart had.

Now I gotta say this is my second Human Alliance figure and I'm being increasingly less impressed with them. I of course bought Bumblebee just to have a Bumblebee toy. But Side Swipe I've been wanting to get because he is one of verry few movie designs that I actully like. Others include Optimus Prime, Barricade, Sideways, and well, that's it really. Aside from actully likeing his robot mode I love the look of his vehicle mode. However it seems Human Alliance toys are really only good in vehicle mode.

While the robot mode looks nice it has HORRIFIC back kibble that in way stays in place. Epps, doesn't even fit in the seat on the shoulder the way it shows on the instructions. I eventually got him in there after I realized his knees need to bend which the instructions show his legs out straight. I found several bits on the toy that move or at least look like they should move but either don't actully move or don't seem to serve a perpus. Because of the way his arms store in vehicle mode his lower arms have gigantic holes in them and the upper arms don't come out passed his chest piece with kind of limits all his avalible shoulder movements. Even the wheels on his feet are greatly screwed up. He's definatly built to be display only if you can pose him so the holes in his arms don't show. If you wanted to use his tires like he moves in the movie you can't, there's no way to kick up the heel spers in robot mode to allow the tires to rotate. In fact there is 1 out of 3 (per foot) heel sper that seems to have no use in actully holding him up but insted seems to be there to prevent his wheels from rolling in robot mode. That's the sper that rather than kicking up kicks straight down. The other two spers are on a piece that allso keeps the wheel locked in place and it can be raised up and moved out of the way.

Now in vehicle mode, I could not even get Epps in the damn car without first lifting up the roof because there was no way to get his big fat head clear of it even putting the legs in first like I do for Sam. There's no way to go head first either because Epps' legs actully go into Side Swipe's upper leg and they have to go first.

The Transformation of Side Swipe is a pain. His swords are made of a soft rubber and if it wasn't for that this thing would not transform at all. Even with that I dare to transform it more for fear of bending the swords out of shape. The really bad part is I think he'd look better and function better with hard plastic swords and they'd only have to make them a half an inch shorter, if that, to clear everything. Or better yet, detachable swords, that'd make all the problems go away... at least with the transformation.

Anyway I'm perfectly happy to keep these things in Vehicle mode and never touch them again allthough Bumblebee was alot more fun to play with when I use to keep him on my desk.

:BOT: :BOT: :CON: :CON: :CON:

BTW this will be the last Human Aliance toy I buy. If they make Ironhide, which they should, or I ever see Skids and Mudflap, I will not buy them. I just don't like any of them enough to buy a toy brand that really seems to suck from what I've seen so far. And another part of the reason I bought them was of course because seeing a Transformer with an interior is so rare but I think the delux Side Swipe might of been a better buy.
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