The Energon Pub

[robotrik]

Nice one dude, keep'em coming

[payload]

Thanks i've always wanted to start doing video reviews, but usually just don't have the time. Now that winter is closing in I'll have a little more free time and can start doing some reviews.

[payload]

Well here is my latest video review i just got up. This review is of Universe/Classics 2.0 Sunstreaker. I hope you enjoy. Thanks!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VgY4a5Rhw

[Valandar]

Just a quick overview of the City Commander:

1 ) His trailer mode was incredibly tight. I halfway thought I was going to break it, but it turned out to be made of sterner stuff than I thought, and just means the tolerances on the mold are very accurate

2 ) The 'comic book' instructions are awesome, plain and simple.

3 ) All of the armor bits just snap right on like nobody's business, neither too hard to put on nor too loose.

4 ) The BFG is do-able, but as I normally display only "ordinary" weapons, it'll probably stay in my "Subspace" shelf unless I want to do a battle scene.

5 ) Cliffjumper wants the BFG...

6 ) Standing next to the Classics he looks awesome. Though, to be honest, I usually have Cybertron Prime (sans trailer) as my Classics Optimus. He ends up around the size of an Ultra.

7 ) My only critique is the fact that the head is on a pivot joint, not a balljoint.

[diosoth]

7 ) My only critique is the fact that the head is on a pivot joint, not a balljoint.

The balljoint exists, try rocking on it gently. Mine was frozen at first, they painted the neck before attaching the heads.

I was going to do toy reviews but I decided I was wasting time on it. One of them has survived, dvandom hosted this on his site as it was already done-

http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Japan/MP3wave

[Valandar]

7 ) My only critique is the fact that the head is on a pivot joint, not a balljoint.

The balljoint exists, try rocking on it gently. Mine was frozen at first, they painted the neck before attaching the heads.

I was going to do toy reviews but I decided I was wasting time on it. One of them has survived, dvandom hosted this on his site as it was already done-

http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Japan/MP3wave

It is? Thanks!

And I'd assume that review, by the URL, is about Music label Soundwave...

[coolpop]

Just received my BT-22 Convoy, long anticipated and it was really worth the wait. Let me first kick off with the packaging.

To my surprise, Takara decided not to "borrow" Alternator's packaging for this figure as they did in last year's WF exclusive BT-17 Black Convoy, they simply enlarged the traditional Binaltech packaging style and made the Convoy fit. Some collectors have complained that they received their figures with the sides double taped, and they also noticed there were noticeable red paint touch-ups on the figure. Well, my piece is single taped all around, and the two paint chips I found weren't tampered with. I like it that way.















Unboxing the figure. The box is fairly easy to unpack, unlike other TF lines, you have to jump through fire burning bladed hoops just to free up the toy. Inner blister clamp pack has 3 tapes, cut open then remove a long twist tie and this beauty is in your hands now. Immediately I would inspect the figure for common reported problems, like paint chip (this is inevitable with painted on die-cast, but newer releases of BTs seem to be more common than original releases), uneven paint application, hood can't close properly (probably due to mis-transformation), and the front bumper has big gap.



As mentioned above, my piece has 2 noticeable paint chips, a rather big one on the hood and a tiny one at the outer left side of truck bed (see pics).




Good thing my hood can close tightly and front bumper doesn't leave too big of a gap. Paint application is great, flows evenly across both diecast and plastic parts.


The only part of my figure that doesn't close tightly is the tailgate, whenever I push to close it, it will spring out about 3mm (see pics & comparison with BT-17)




BT-22 has identical sculpts and details with BT-17, they shared the exact same mould, even the mould stamps are identical. However, my
figure's head paint is a bit messier, it's just not as smooth as BT-17.




Check out how they weighted out:
In package BT-22 is heavier




Just the figures alone, both are identical!




Let me continue to show packaging comparison of BT-22 & BT-17












Instruction sheets comparison


Weapons comparison


BT-22 shares all the greatness of BT-17, as well as the weakness. This figure again has great paint application, superb detail, extremely high resemblence of the actual vehicle. I estimate over 80% of figure's exterior panels are in diecast. All joints are tight. Range of movements and poseability are not too good with this figure, when in bot form his hood (chest panel) rests too high and often blocking Prime's face, so most of the pictures need to be taken direct frontal or from higher vantage. Personally I love the alt form of this figure, that's why I took more of the pictures in car mode rather than bot form. Talking about bot form, only his front view is worth displaying, his side view and back views look really bad (like a partially dissected truck standing up). Let's get on with pics.

Vehicle mode:
























BT-22 vs. BT-17










Bot form (BT-17 just won't go away)




















As previously promised to darkie13, I have done a mini gallery of BT-17 Black Convoy, due to the number and size of the pictures (in 800x600), I will not post them here on the forum but provide a link to photobucket album. Here it is:


Thanks for reading this long post, any comment or suggestion is welcomed.

Cheers,

Coolpop

[Powersa]

Great review and pics. You got more than one BT-17s (loose and new)?

[coolpop]

Great review and pics. You got more than one BT-17s (loose and new)?

You guessed right!

[Powersa]

I'm jealous, lol. Btw I received my BT-22 Convoy from Carlos today. I love it!

[Peaugh]

Woot! Special Delivery!



Let's take a hike on the dark side this time.




Cyclonus is VERY cool. The lighter bits and legs are actually a flat greyish color and not nearly as beige as some early pics made it look. It's MUCh nicer in hand than I expected from official pics. Fighter mode is a nice rendition of the character:





You can see his Targetmaster partner Nightstick in that second shot, let's take a little detour and focus on him for a moment. His alt mode, clearly, is a weapon for Cyclonus:



He's a standard size TM partner, as shown here in this comparison with T Hot Rod's partner, Firebolt:



As we've already seen, he can attach to Cyclonus in jet mode, and can also be held as a rifle in robot mode:



But the fun doesn't stop there. Oh no. You can flip Cyclonus' hand in to reveal his thruster.



See that little rectangular hole in the middle? Yeah, you do. Now check out the back of Nightstick:



You guessed it, Nightstick can also plug into Cyclonus' forearm, just like he did in the Japanese cartoons.



Let's get back to the big guy himself. We mentioned before he's a futuristic space fighter, and is pretty much in scale with other aerial Decepticon deluxes:



Transformation to robot mode is a LOT more interesting than I expected. For one, the legs don't simply slide to extend, they split and pivot out and reattach below the knee:



The entire nose folds up and stores inside his back:







The arms rotate up and peg into place, and there you have it!



Robot mode is taller than the other deluxes, but pretty much in scale. Just a little taller than Galvatron, as he should be:



All in all, an EXCELLENT figure. I'll definitely be nabbing two at retail, one to do a little deco work on as Cyclonus (not going to mess with these test shots), and one to tweak a little into his armada. Get him as soon as you're able!

Video review is up!

YouTube - Transformers Universe/Classics 2.0 Cyclonus w/ Nightstick

[Peaugh]

Got a special package in the mail today:



But let's focus on Hound w/Ravage in this review:





We'll do Ravage first. He sits on the rear of Hound in vehicle mode. Not show accurate, but it's meant to represent the bits in MTMTE where Hound has Ravage jailed.



The posts on the back of Hound fit in the cassette holes on Ravage and hold him securely in place:



Transformation is pretty neat, and you end up with a cool little Ravage at the end of it:



His mouth is a little more beak-like than I might have wanted, but it's not horrible. I'll find out if his G1 weapons fit when they get here, but he DOES have his missles sculpted onto the tops of his haunches. And how can you NOT snap a shot of him together with his updated master?



But enough about him, onto Hound! Arguably one of my favorite G1 Autobots, Hound remains a green jeep:





The posts that Ravage fit on earlier can be folded down when he's not aboard:



His license plate says "Hound" (and he has DICE in the mirror! :lol)



Transformation is neat, and I LOVE how his seats become his thighs.





You can see that there are a couple of different shades of green. The flash makes them MUCH more obvious, but they are visibly different to the naked eye. Not sure how much that will change on the final release.

The "tiptoe" effect seen in early pics is only noticeable on the inside of the foot, the outside appears to be a full foot (and those bits are nicely and tightly hinged for some great stability in a lot of poses):



He's a little shorter than the other deluxes, but not horribly so, and fits right in with them:



All in all, an outstanding figure, and I highly recommend picking him up when he's released. I'd like to see the greens match a little more closely on the final product, but even if it stays the same, it's freakin' HOUND! What more could you ask for?!


Video review is up!

YouTube - Transformers Universe/Classics 2.0 Hound w/ Ravage

[darkie13]

Can I just say how grateful I am for these pics Coolpop mate?

I mean just awesome! Correct me if I'm wrong but this has to be a "world exclusive & first"

Beautiful and truly envious that I can't have the pleasure of place my Kiss and BT22 next to their "darker" ancestor

10/10 mate !!!

Did your second BT22 have any paint chipping the same tailgate problem?

[munkimus prime]

Peaugh have I ever told you I love you or atleast your reviews. I'm looking forward to more from you.

[VideoY3K]

You're a good reviewer on YouTube, but I like you style here better. Peaugh, you're the man.

[fenrir72]

Now the weak point seams to be the neck and perhaps the boot part?

[payload]

I've got my video review of Universe/Classics 2.0 SideSwipe up if anyone is intrested. Enjoy!!

http://www.computer-jargon.com/transfor ... ews/?p=155

[El Duque]

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... ck-166118/

[Overcracker]

I like them less and less. The Jet modes really look like something is missing from the rear section. The combined mode really does nothing for them.

Robot modes are really poor, and the combined mode seems to have problems in coming together. definitely not something I'll try to track down. I may pick them up if i find them in clearance.

[Rocketeer]

My sincere hope is that the *real* TF:A Jetfire and Jetstorm will appear on the show and set straight these obvious impostors.

[Autoclot]

Not liking the combined jet mode, although I do wonder if it was inspired (to an extent) by B5...

http://www.kitsune.addr.com/SF-Conversions/Rifts-B5-Ships/Earth_SA-26_Thunderbolt.htm

[dragons]

i knew i was missing subscribption that would be this guy i had to resubscribe to this user my former account got deleted that sucks.

ok figures ill have to see them in stores to see how they look these 2 could be the only 2 i may not get all ready not liking them

[TFBuyer]

Actually, I think I'll be getting these two--I'm a sucker for quirky TFs and combiners, and these two are both.

On a side note, this guy's wife (I assume) is a heck of a good sport and/or one heck of a TF fan. I think it's neat that they both seem to share this hobby (obsession?).

[Agent 007]

god these things are awful...

[mechajol]

I finally got this Decepticon as a birthday gift for myself. Universe Ultra Class Onslaught.

First appearing in the cover of an exclusive TF magazine, Onslaught's new rendition as a SWAT tank garnered favorable comments from fans. Sure, way back in the 80's, the missile AA truck looked cool, and more militaristic, but nothing says "human rights violations" more like a bulky SWAT bot.

Besides, the trademark twin turrets that proudly jut up from his back is still there. And if you look closely, some of the old G1 toy's aesthetics are still echoed.

The first thing you'll notice on the box, is this.



See it? No? Here's a clearer shot from Seibertron.com -



See? Yes, Cute anime eyes. Made me look twice if I got the Henkei version, but nope, it's Hasbro. Onslaught has anime eyes.

Anyways, let's get it on with the review!


TANK MODE

As said earlier, Onslaught ditches his old squarish military AA missile truck for this bulkier, and more compact, SWAT tank.



From it's default position, the turret moves 90 degrees left and right. An orange button activates the light and sound features. The first sound it makes is a siren blip, then the ratatatatat of a machine gun. Also, the plastic guns on the turret are flimsy.



One of the middle wheels also activates the sound of glorious crashing. While I personally feel that the light and sound features of this toy cheapens it (bootleg robots have a similar sound/light setup) the turret sounds grew on me. The wheel sound, I despise. See, the tank can't roll freely because of this. Besides, if Hasbro ditched the light and sound features altogether, I bet the tag price of this toy would be much lower.





The tank itself is predominantly gray plastic. Not really as cheap-looking as deluxe class Galvatron, but also not as well-detailed.



The name and birthdate of some lucky TF fan is used as tampo. This made a friend jealous.

The tank itself looks very intimidating in its urban warfare colors. And as if it's not menacing enough, you could drop those front claws for a battle-ready stance.







While the whole tank is free from weathered effects, the claws have blackened edges.

And yeah, you could also attach the shield on top of the tank for a "kibbly" armored mode.



The coolt hing here is that the top part of the shield has a flippable hatch that enables you to access the orange switch for that blip-ratatatat feature.



Some comparison shots with Energon Barricade/Onslaught.




Damn it, Onslaught! Stop picking on... errr... Onslaught!


And some shots with the almighty deluxe-class Galvatron.




Onslaught, stop it! Stop!




ROBOT MODE

Surprisingly, for a toy this big, Onslaught's transformation is relatively simple. That's not really a bad thing. The process is still engaging, and a bit complex, especially when it comes to the leg formation. But if you could transform the hellish **** that is deluxe-class Galvatron, you shouldn't really have any trouble with Onslaught.

So, after a few flips, here's what you get.



Onslaught is not only bulkier, but man, I really have to say, this robot is huge! Freakin' huge!



Activating the light/sound feature of the turret also lights up his visor.



The shield also attaches to the left arm to scare protesters and rioters.



Now, what can I say? This robot is freakin' intimidating. Bulky, brutish, and most likely, a bully. It's a freakin' shame that Hasbro didn't design this as a combiner.

See, as is, Onslaught looks like he's ready to do some police brutality - you know, crack a few skulls open and laugh about it over barrels of Energon... He looks all business, he looks like someone really pissed off (and if you read his bio, this makes sense).



A short gun flips up from his forearm, a departure from the old Sonic Stun Rifle, but this short gun completes the look. It reminds me more of a nightstick.





My only problem with the flippable gun is that it reveals Onslaught's hollow forearm. Yes, hollowness will show itself in some parts - the knees, for example. While not that obvious, given Onslaught's hulking figure, fans with an eye for detail may get disappointed.




In robot mode, Onslaught has good articulation. Unfortunately, his massiveness may be a hindrance in fully exploiting his poseability. Besides, while some good dynamic poses can be done, Onslaught looks best standing straight, looking forward grimly.

Or do something like this:




Some comparison shots with Energon Barricade/Onslaught:



Energon Onslaught may look familiar to the old G1 toy because of the boxy torso, and the presence of wheels on the... wait...



Damn it, Onslaught! Stop that! Stop that...



No, don't you even...



This won't end well...



Save it for the Autobots, you... oh well...




ROBOT OR TANK?

Definitely robot mode.


PROS:

- solid and stable in both modes
- good articulation and poseability
- great design, very intimidating
- good color scheme


CONS:

- flimsy gun turrets
- light and sound features
- not a combiner

RATING

4 and a half out of 5

Hasbro will be releasing a Universe repaint of Energon Bruticus Maximus. Don't get it. If you need an Onslaught for your collection, this is the only thing you need. It's just a shame that this toy was not designed to be a combiner. Here's hoping that Hasbro releases the other Combaticons in new molds...


Bonus Feature! Onslaught - Galvatron comparison shots!



The crazy Decepticon leader has nothing when it comes to... WHAT THE..!





That does it! Don't you even dare flip me off, you...



???



!!!





Goddam... Wha?