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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.

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...

Jetfire Prime here. Im going to Review alo of ROTF toys that I collect so keep checking for more Reviews!


Please comment and rate!!!

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

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.

awesome review! i have skids and feel the same way. im planning on getting a mudflap sooner or later

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

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 . 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

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

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.

Transformers ROTF Leader Class Optimus Prime Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rLy061kyr4

Please check out my youtube reviews.

Megahouse Palm Action Orguss NIKICK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCJSwCEAG0


Megahouse Palm Action Orguss ORGUSS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvnDGaW0TMM


Transformers - Battlestars: Return Of Convoy SKY GARRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zCPF6LgROk

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.

I love the Mickey driver gimmick of this toy, and I agree this is a display piece mainly. Good review.

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!

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-)

Review for RotF Voyager Stratosphere



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.

Review for RotF Human Alliance Bumblebee w/Sam Witwicky



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. 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:



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:



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.

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.



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.

Rial Vestro wrote:*snip*

*claps* I agree.

Though I do plan on buying future Human Alliance figures if they start shaping up like Bumblebee. He is without a doubt, the best of the line so far.

I'm hoping Skids impresses me. I know Barricade will.

As for the rest of what's possibly coming...eh. I'll get to them when I can. I won't rush out, out of my way to get 'em.

Autobot032 wrote:I know Barricade will.

I don't understand why they would include any Decepticons in a TF line called "Human Alliance" they have no human alliance. Unless all of them come with an Alice figure or the hologramed mustach man who appeared in the first movie.

Just got my MP Grimlock and the crown add-on accessory. For kicks I'll review the crown add-on. I'm gonna go from worst to best accessory here.

Starting things off, there's the mug. Referencing Maccadam's Old Oil house ... I dunno if Grimmy's been there or not. It has clear blue ... "oil"? Energon? Who knows? It helps the illusion, but it has imperfections in mine that spoil the illusion. To make things worse the silver paint on this isn't even in one area and the very plain "M" "logo" (and I use the term loosely) is slightly off center. All in all though, Grimlock comes witha sword and a gun, so I dunno why I'd ever use the mug in my display.

Next up is Thrust. the scult is the best out of the three (dum dum DUM ... ominous music). It's just chalk full of details. However, the paint job is even worse than the mug. There's no clean edges on anything. And the underside reveals a very hastily sprayed torso. It's just not very good. I wish they had just left it unpainted, to be honest, because the wings and the red thrusters give it the right feel. Still, thrust is more useful than the mug. I put him in Grimmy's mouth and it gets the job done. Probably cheaper than the WSTF Thrust too.

And now .... the crown. The only reason you'll be buying this set.Easily the worst sculpting of the three, a lot of the crown really looks blotchy. Also, just looking at Grimlock I can see that the real crown probably pegs into the hole on his head (it's near the front on his "hemlet"). This crown doesn't peg into that slot. Nor does it merely slide on he rectangular head. Instead it's *slightly* bendable and fits around that raised part of the helmet witht he hole and around his head. Unfortunately the sculpting is uneven and it doesn't immediately sit flat on his head! It can be done, but it requires some work. And, although the molding was obviously flawed, the points are VERY sharp. Maybe that's the real reason the official crown was omitted?

The crown sits securely enough and they did a really good job on matching the color. However, City Commander this ain't. While CC showed us all what fan made add-ons can do, this isn't not in the same league. It's like a mirage: good at a glance, but fails upon inspection.

Even with every item pretty much failing the quality test, I can't say I totally regret getting this set with Grimmy. I felt really PO'ed that they left that crown out and even now my Grimlock is standing with his crown on. BTW: it does fit inside of Grimmy's Dino-mode when he transforms.

So, no regrets here. Although if there was another crown made by another company, I'd definately get Grims a replacement. Especially if it was a "clone" of the official one. So, if you wanna buy this enter into it with your eyes wide open.

Transformers Classic Henkei Inferno Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNx853tuv1Q

Transformers G1 Encore 17 Cassettes Volume 2 Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9fZs4gmTHU

Transformers ROTF Deluxe Class Mudflap Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b7Aefrxdrc

Transformers ROTF Deluxe Class Sideways Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyIMfAmU_Uc

Transformers ROTF Deluxe Class Skids Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKLJjPRaWKg

So I finally got the Legacy of Bumblebee 3 pack. Before I got these guys I heard alot of reviews complaining about the horrible paint jobs so I just wanted to get this out of the way. The paint jobs on mine are actully not that bad. The only one I have any major gripe with is Animated. Even to my color blind eyes he appears to have 2 different shades of Yellow. One being a more bright color on the head, chest, arms, feet and @$$ as well as his back bumper. However his vehicle mode roof not to be confused with the fake roof on his chest, just between the back bumper and back window, and the pices that hold his rocket bosters are all a dull shade of yellow. This is allso present on Classics Bumblebee but it's only on the roof and just makes him look like he could have a convertable top so it doesn't bother me quite as much.

For vehicle modes...

Classic Bumblebee I didn't really like the first time I saw it because I kinda wish he looked more like the original. The black doesn't really help him not that it's painted badly just that the original didn't have black stripes. Now I've found that his spoiler is detachable which makes him look a little more classic in my opinion. One kind of pointless feature he has seats but nothing can actully sit in them. It's just the backs that show threw the windows, there's nothing to really sit in.

Movie Bumblebee I compaired with his Human Alliance counterpart and there is verry little difference between them. I was exspecting that being a smaller toy they would of skipped some his smaller details but I've taken a close look at this thing compairing him to all the details on the larger Human Alliance version and the only differences I've found are in his front grill but this differences aren't in the paint but rather in the molding. Human Alliance Bumblebee has extra lights and they're molded in different shapes. Even the Chevy and Camaro logos on this guy are panted.

Animated Bumblebee aside from the aformentioned paint job the only thing that dissapoints about this mode and the mold in general is that the doors don't open in the right direction to get Bumblebee to use his arms in vehicle mode like he does in the cartoon. The lack of a removeable siren is a little more forgivable because I'd just loose the damn thing if it did come off.

Now onto robot modes...

Classics Bumblebee unlike his vehicle mode the robot mode actully does a terrific job of replicating G1 Bumblebee. In robot mode he's by far my favorite out of the three. Again I don't really like the innaccurate additions not just for G1 recreations sake but because they just don't work. Namely the "jet pack" which in no way looks like a jet pack but rather shoulder cannons. They should have just had them listed as shoulder cannons. Anyway it dosen't clip into place properly and just kinda sits there. I did a search and found out the original version fits better but I don't have any other Classic toys so I don't know first hand if this is true or not. I'd allso like to point out the return of the rub sign that all G1 and some Beast Wars toys had.

For Movie Bumblebee I again compaired him to Human Alliance Bumblebee and this just furthers my dissapointment in Human Alliance. In many ways this smaller version is actully more screen accurate than the Human Alliance version. His feet are actully painted yellow as they should be. The lower legs don't look like the rear of his car with holes in them. The upper legs are more accurate on Human Alliance so he's not completly more accureate but there are some ways he is. Neither of them have accurate arms but I like that the smaller one has cleaner arm kibble. Rather than his vehicle mode seats which the smaller toy doesn't have anyway his roof is on the arms and it's flat and doesn't show up unless you're looking at it from the back. Both do a fairly good job with the back kibble even though it folds up completly different. The smaller toy doesn't even have his regular lack-of-face which I hate and the Human Alliance version the battle mask fits too loose and doesn't look good. The smaller toy has the added bonus of haveing TWO hands and a transforming weapon. Granted the sword is never used in the movie but it's just kinda cool that he has a transforming weapon. The only issue I have is that his shoulder pieces are not molded on, constantly fall off, and are even smaller than Animated Bumblebee's siren. His head likewise is constantly falling off but that is an issue with Human Alliance Bumblebee as well so I guess Movie Bumblebees in general have trouble keeping their heads on.

Animated Bumblebee as if the vehicle mode wasn't bad enough the screen innaccuracys just get worse here. The feet I'll forgive because there's no way to make it accurate in both modes and still transform. Now this could be another of the painting issues people talk about but his Autobot decal is the wrong color. It's silver and increatably hard to see under most lighting conditions on the yellow backround. It should be red. The main inaccuracy I have issues with is again with the arms. His stingers just look retarded when used individually and they didn't even get the transformation right. The toy can actully have his stingers and hands out at the same time but on the cartoon that was not possible as the stingers were attached to oppisite sides of his rotating hands and did not fold into the sides of his arm. I useually just keep his stingers combined because that's the only way they look good. You can't even get rid of them because they don't fold away all the way so even when not deployed they're still visable. Might as well have them out all the time if you can't hide them.

Now this is a three pack so what I'm going to do is rate them all individually and then give an over all rateing of the pack. Allso rather than doing my usual star or 5 bot rateing I'm going to rate on a scale of 1-10 as well as my useual Bot rateing.

Classics 6

Movie 5

Animated 4

Overall 8

So do I reccomend the Legacy of Bumblebee 3 pack. Yes, disspite their flaws and my own personal gripes I still love these guys.