The Energon Pub

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From Universe/ROTF Bruticus Maximus to Classic Bruticus

I present to you the X-Fire/Crossfire reviews in five parts:

Transformers Universe Bruticus Maximus Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhdXgIRbbYE

Transformers Fansproject X-Fire 02A Explorer Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONjQ59wFwOE

Transformers Fansproject X-Fire 02B Munitioner Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whoVHQxmkz8

Transformers Fansproject X-Fire Powered-up Classic Combaticons Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkTBVgfBqCQ

Transformers Fansproject X-Fire Colossus/Classic Bruticus Combination Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECc3THrhXrY

Please rate my vids and subscribe, hope you enjoy!

Sadly i was not able to post direct links, bugged maybe?

[fenrir72]

MGT-01 Delicate Warrior "Arcee"

Somewhat of a misnomer but this product is just distributed by iGears. They are technically not getting the credit for her design and manufacture ???

Content:

#1 box
#1 blister case of transparent plastic
#1 biocard(reminds me of a credit 'cause it's so tough)
#1 instruction manual
#1 label sheet ( I was lucky 'cause I got 2 packed in)
#2 blasters
#1 posing stand
#1 mounting for the stand (way @ss heavy)
#1 removable antennae
#1 Arcee figure

Pics to follow.

Background:

We've waited and waited for an official 2006 Movie release for nearly 30 years.

What we got were plans which never materialized in the form of Chromedome in pink or a weird orange version of her.

IIRC, the current designer of the Binaltech series also submitted his own design during his early years as an unemployed designer (this got him hired at Takara)

Later on, there came the garage kits and mini figure of our fave fembot, all made in Japan :'( which never really reached our shores.

The official incarnation of her, Supelink finally got a close render of her in pink, except she was a motorcycle :'(. Not a bad version but, well a bike. A titanium version never went past the proto phase, what with those butt ugly hips.

The closest we ever got of her in car mode was in TFA (not counting her butch Binaltech incarnation), and look where it got us...........like she sold out everywhere .

Now we finally have one........with die cast parts.

She transforms into a cybertronian or if we put it, earth concept car that is wee curvaceous. Infact, if compared with the offical G1 Takara/Hasbro designs, she reminds me a lot of the Pretender vehicles.

A fine line had to be made between being robotic and being anime accurate. Unlike NitroConvoy/Override, who looked boxy, the designers manage to pull off the film to reality transition with minimal hitches (given the fact that they all had years to prepare and compare if many scratch and build designs.........why Hasbro let this go on for sooooooooo long boggles the mind) if at all.

Transforming her to robot mode is a bit complex at first, her arm position during car mode reminds me a bit of the G1 cars like Jazz/Prowl.

Unfold them, fold down her die-cast chest, twist her head and lock both of them tight.

Flip down her legs and lock them to the hips then pose.

That simple. If you want a more dynamic pose, remove her pink antennae and connect it to the blue beads poseable stand.

My Rant:

Design wise I describe its closest competition IT version as more compact and more humanoid, this one looks a lot like the art work of Studio Ox (down to her sexy heels) and this pic from the 2006 movie.



1. Quality wise though..................light years ahead of Impossible toys, feels sturdy. The design avoided the sloppy paint job noticeable by IT by actually molding separete colored components and screwed them together. The only painted part in fact are her die-cast chest, shoulder,elbows and knee caps.

2. Plastic molding not cheapo, smooth, smoother than some original Hasbro/Takara releases

3. Paint apps, smooth with no smudging

4. Great articulation (21 POA), tight and not loose. The die-cast knee joints hopefully will prevent breakage. Check how well designed her feet came out

5. Light piping gimmick + she's got lipstick

6. Weird display stand, quite heavy in fact + a somewhat unorthodox looking connector (reminds me of @nal beads

7. Anime accurate weapons

8. Rubber tires.......a lost art these days

9 She comes with a decal sheet but no instructions on where to apply them (What the....?!)

10. She comes with a tough abs/pvc bio card and a neater colored instruction sheet

Drawbacks:
Expensive hehehe but worth it.

It is indeed expensive but on a somewhat unrelated/related issue, waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2006 ( I must have been sleeping under a rock), in one of the TF related boards, tfw2005 to be exact. There was like a flame fest against the owner of rabid squiirel production.

The words released would make you wince. Anyway the products from that particular site specialized in ARC aka 3rd party garage kit creations of Arcee. Well they cost around US$ 750.00, not quite sure if that includes assembly and painting.

Some of the kits looked good including the Japanese version (kawaii looking) but it's pic has been pulled out already. Compared to "Delicate Warrior", the garage kits do have some passing resemblance to this product. And the price...........from a whooping US$ 750.00 (that was back in 2006 when the US$ really packed a punch) to US$ 98.00. Well you be the judge, but IMHO, way worth the price.

Btw................already it's sold out at iGears site.

How do I rate her?

4 out of 5.

Pics owned by copyright : SONY/BMG used for reference only.

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[Quantum Reflex]

I am excited to give 5 rare Bumblebee reviews, never before on youtube (especially go-bot BB and Classic legends BB) Be the first to watch, check them out and leave me a comment!, I'm begining to think I'm the only BB collector out here who actually enjoys the Bumblebee line! I would absolutely love to hear from any BB fans, Goldbug fans with any hype whatsoever!



Thanks fellow TF fans!

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[zonkers]

as if there were a shortage of [edit (duh):] pictures of people's toys out there , i've posted pics of the new predaking 2010 set... they'll be toward the end of the "newish" set

hope you enjoy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12121138@N ... 685773803/

[kirbenvost]

Thanks for sharing! Since I won't be receiving mine for at least a few weeks, this gives me something to drool over while I wait.

[zonkers]

Thanks for sharing! Since I won't be receiving mine for at least a few weeks, this gives me something to drool over while I wait.

occasionally i've thought of adding watermarks to my shots, but just not that kind

[kirbenvost]

Figuratively of course... Man, it's just so hard to wait for things when they're so close. After shipping is the worst part.

[zonkers]

:lol: Figuratively of course... Man, it's just so hard to wait for things when they're so close. After shipping is the worst part.

yaknow, what's worse, for me, is when i'm out when the mail comes, & i come back to find one of those "we attempted to deliver" slips in the mailbox, & just knowing its that close & yet that far, & having to wait that one more anxious day

[kirbenvost]

:lol: Figuratively of course... Man, it's just so hard to wait for things when they're so close. After shipping is the worst part.

yaknow, what's worse, for me, is when i'm out when the mail comes, & i come back to find one of those "we attempted to deliver" slips in the mailbox, & just knowing its that close & yet that far, & having to wait that one more anxious day

I always get mine delivered through regular mail, so I just pick it up that day at the post office.

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[Shadowstream]

isuk rite?

[LOST Cybertronian]

Peaugh gives us a quick look at the new legends class Megatron figure.

[MGrotusque]

I knew this figure would be cool. I hate legends class but will make an exception for Megs.

This is such a good Megatron in my opinion that i think it should have been a deluxe or voyager class instead of a legends. There's soooo much potential here.

[2002stanggt]

hey did a little review of the Cyclonus Rodimus 2 pack I just got yesterday. it's in 2 parts the other vid is ok quality. Lemme know what u guys think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNjG_0lMXH4 part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_74CHG8_mw part 2

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[Autobot032]

Trailer mode pros:

-Packs down neatly and tightly.
-Looks great, a really nice update to Rodimus Prime for a new generation.
-There's a place for everything, and everything in it's place. Even Sidearm can be stowed.

Trailer mode cons:

-Rubs the roof on Hot Rod's vehicle mode, and destroyed my rubsign. Made a mess.
-Hot Rod's back wheels will not rest on the ground no matter how you transform it.
-The sides can sometimes leave a gap around Hot Rod unless you line it up just right.

Overall rating for this mode:

B+ Would've been a solid A or A+, but with the rubsign thing, I had to knock it down a few points. The wheels not sitting on the ground is a bit odd looking.

P.S. Sidearm can be stored underneath Hot Rod, in between his legs, where his tailpipe weapon would normally plug in. Peaugh figured it out, and it does work, but it's not perfect. The black handle rubs the ground, along with the front and rear wheels. I'll post a pic when I find it again. I don't have it off hand.

Transformation to tank/battle platform pros:

-Everything does something.
-Easy to learn.
-Stable.

Transformation to tank/battle platform cons:

-Too many pieces have to pass over another, causing very tight clearances.
-Even though it's easy to learn, it's tricky because you have to be careful.
-Transforming various parts requires a lot of snapping, on a somewhat uncomfortable level.

Overall rating:

B- Too many panels passing one another, and they do end up getting caught up in each other, you're gonna do it at least once, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. The plastic is thin in some spots...like Explorer thin. And sharp. The exhaust pipes have very sharp, pointy edges and they can do some damage. That being said, once you get the hang of it, you can avoid many of the problems with a little bit of patience, but FansProject is really pushing the boundaries here and it could literally make or break it.

Protector mode pros:

-Makes a complete, rather nice new figure out of an existing mediocre one.
-Adds several points of articulation that Hot Rod sorely lacks.
-Loads of details, painted and unpainted.

Protector mode cons:

-Not the most solid connection on the chest piece. It will pop loose and it's annoying.
-The head. Whether you call it a chin or an adam's apple, it should be obscured, period.
-The wing extensions do not lock into place and they tend to fall off with a jolt.
-The attachment of the arms is a tad scary and I do think the tabs could wear out in time.

Overall rating for this mode:

A- Protector Mode/Rodimus Prime has it flaws, some of them scary, but overall, he looks good in this mode and he's pretty solid. One of the neat features is the chest flames and how they automatically pop out when the chestpiece is applied. It's those little gimmicks and neat nods that help sell an item like this.

I do have to recommend the set, but I need to make it clear that you must be patient with it, learn all of it's ins and outs, and be careful. The trailer is made up of nothing but panels, some of them really thin, and they have slim clearances on most points. I wasn't kidding about the sharp edges, you really could end up injured by this guy. However, once you know how to handle it, it's a pretty smooth transition back and forth. If you start to transform it and feel resistance, STOP. Don't push it. Look it over and make sure everything is set just right. He can be great, but you have to be careful. Perhaps even more so than with previous FP products.

Onto Sidearm:

Robot mode pros:
-Rather poseable for a figure this size.
-Facial paint app is handled with care and isn't a mess.
-As far as the eye can tell, he's a perfect size match to Cyclonus's Nightstick.

Robot mode cons:
-Could end up being floppy in some joints, over time. Like folding in half floppy.

Overall rating:

A. Not quite an A+, but better than an A-. He doesn't do much in this mode except strike a semi stiff pose and pilot the tank, but he wasn't meant to. He delivers on the promise of being a slightly articulated companion robot, so I have no complaints, really.

Transformation pros:
-Simplistic.

Transformation cons:
N/A

Overall rating: A+.

Weapon mode pros:

-Can be used with Protector or Hot Rod, and with dual grips, he can be used with almost any TF figure you own. Very versatile.

Weapon mode cons:
-Legs do lock in place, but it's not solid. The ball joints make it a bit of a pain.

Overall rating for this mode A-. The less than solid lock keeps it from being perfect, but other than that, he looks fantastic in weapon mode and he looks great with almost every TF. (I'm sure there are some that wouldn't benefit from him, though.)

Crossbow mode pros:

-Looks like a crossbow. (Honestly, I'm not sure what else to say here. It's a crossbow.)

Crossbow mode cons:

-The wings are an absolute pain to attach. The chromed ones are even worse, I didn't even try and put them on because I didn't want them to chip.

Overall rating for this mode:

C+. Due to the wing attachment and the fact that you'll most likely destroy the chrome on the included wings if you use them. (If you're going to do crossbow mode, I recommend the orange pieces.) And, it looks a little doofy.

I recommend Sidearm. He's definitely necessary to complete the whole Protector package, seeing as he's the tank pilot. He will look great with your other figures as well, and for $10.00, he's not a big hit to the wallet. On his own, I only mildly recommend him. He's definitely made to work with Protector more than anyone else, and if you bought him simply to have him, you'll be underwhelmed. He's a companion figure, and a good one at that, but only a companion. He's not strong enough to be a high demand figure, he's just a really nice accessory.

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