by craggy » Mon Dec 23, 2013 1:42 pm
late to the party here (thanks UK Customs) but finally got these in hand today.
very nice. Word of warning before we start, these aren't super-high-end engineered out the wazoo Masterpiece toys in size or scale. They're not loaded with variety like Maketoys or Perfect Effect might give you. What they are, is a cool little set of relatively simple, relatively inexpensive, fun Classics versions of the G1 Sharkticons. I'm not going to get a screen-grab from the cartoon or blueprints of the original toy. There will no doubt be some details changed. Official Hasbro Classics which make up much of my collection have more than a few deviations from the original G1 source materials and for $30 each, I'm more than happy to accept these guys into my collection because they feel like Sharkticons.
Their robot modes are short and chubby. I never understood why you'd build a fat robot, but the Quintessons did, and these guys fit the bill. The expressions on the different heads make them look great standing together. The colours are well chosen and the detailing is fine. The different purple used on one of them is barely noticeable if you're really after a uniform look. If I pick up one at random, and don't compare it to the other two (or remember which head is on which) then I'd honestly be at a loss to say which it is. Alone, each colour looks right. Together it simply adds a slight bit more variety, without standing out too much. Articulation isn't anything spectacular, but there's not a bit more that I'd want them to add. What there is is plenty and it all works well.
Transformation is quick and easy. I tried my first one with only a vague memory of a couple of video reviews from when these first got released and I figured it out all ok. Enough to get the job done, anyway. I'd had a little trouble closing up the torso after squashing the bot mode legs in, and so had a look at the instructions. I'd not really done anything wrong, but following the directions exactly did make the whole process smoother and the last one went by in a flash. More complicated than some of the Beast Hunters Predacons, but also much more satisfying, and very effective.
"Shark" mode is as accurate as the bot mode to the source material. I'm sure there are details that are "wrong" but I'd be surprised if anyone looked at a bunch of these guys and didn't imagine them swarming over Hot Rod and Kup or getting squashed by some Dinobots. The beast legs are relatively poseable, and the mouth opens and closes. Maybe a joint in the arms would have been kinda cool, but the way they're molded is fine for any real pose I can think of putting these guys into, and the sculpt is pretty cool. Colours remain the same, although there is more of the darker grey on show now they're crouched down, and the fins on the back look great. Those eyes are a nice touch, though I do have one eye that's a bit grubby. I can only guess this Sharky got infected swimming through some sewer or another.
Box is great, they're packed securely, size is fine for Classics scale and the price is right. Already considering another set, but with so much else on offer these days, I might have to hold out for a further reduction. If they were sold in singles for $30, I'd snap up a couple right now though.
Only real nitpick is the loose horns (antennae?) on their beast heads. They slot back in fine, and aren't so loose they flop about or fall out on their own, but I've pinged a couple out when transforming them.
assembling a Neo-G1/TF:TM cast. Please PM if you have (or know of) the following at a reasonable price: Classics or Henkei Astrotrain, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, or 3rd Party iGear Ratchet and Ironhide.
Also looking for Universe Repugnus and Overbite, Frostbite and Longhorn and any Webdiver toys.
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