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Allspark Power Landmine Review

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Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Autobot032 » Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:51 pm

Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Well, I just got this sucker in the mail today and well...I *was* impressed. So...let's just get to it.

Packaging

Pros:

Really stands out due to the Allspark Power blue print clashing against the standard Movie packaging. (Though this clash is a good thing. Definitely catches your eye on the shelves. You can't miss it. lol)

Cons:

The blue is all over the packaging. (A little goes a long way, and while the blue is nice, it is strewn about.)

Overall:

A passing grade from me. Nothing groundbreaking in the changes to the packaging really, but since it does catch your eye (which is what it's supposed to do) and it does differentiate from the original line...I'll give it a solid :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: Image :CON:
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Vehicle

Image

Pros:

Incredibly detailed. (Fantastic work!)
Looks like it drove right out of the screen and into the palm of your hand. (Absolutely incredible reproduction. Incredible!)
Working suspension! (Yeah!)

Cons:

Not a real vehicle that you can drive. (lol)

Overall: A great vehicle mode, one of their better choices for a vehicle. A solid :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT:
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Transformation

Image

1.) Swing out arm/fender assembly.
2.) Push front wheels in and lock into place.
3.) Flip legs down (like G1 Beachcomber).
4.) Push hood down to expose head and neck. (Bring head forward into place, panel behind head pushes down to support head.)
5.) Straighten out arms, open up hands and extend fingers.
6.) Swing C-02 canisters downward and snap into place to create feet.
7.) Push rear wheels in, and snap into place to create heels.
8.) Put the machine gun (with folding stock) in hand.

Pros:

Easy.

Cons:

Too easy, and not very satisfying.

Overall: Considering the complexities of past figures (in and out of the Movie line)...I'm rather let down by the transformation. I was expecting a little more than I got here, and I'm just a little stunned. :BOT: :BOT: Image :CON: :CON:
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Robot

Image

Pros:

Nice articulation, can hold some pretty impressive poses. (Head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, waist, hip and knee movements and can be posed in quite a few ways.)

He can hold quite a few things, like swords, his gun, etc. His hand is basically a clamp and holds on tight.

His face is very different from the other Autobots and it's a welcome change.

Cons:

His feet could be a problem over time, because the wheeled heels could loosen him up.

During transformation and posing, his taillight pieces have a tendency to fall off. (Don't worry, you haven't broken him, it'll pop right back on)
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Overall:

I'm impressed by the vehicle mode, sadly underwhelmed by the transformation, and the robot mode could use a little more oomph. Bright blue Allspark Power paint ain't gonna cut it. He's not the worst figure, but he's not the best either. You can tell that not a lot of planning went into this figure, and he feels a tad rushed, honestly. (I think his transformation and robot mode could've been improved upon. I'm not exactly sure what it is just yet, but it's just not cuttin' it for me.) However, he is one of the last new, original figures of the line and if you're a completionist...this is a must have. If you're a general collector and pick and choose, you might not be impressed with him like previous figures in the line. Kids, however, will love the crap out of him.

A solid, but not the best rating of:
:BOT: :BOT: :BOT: Image :CON:

*sighs* This is what I get for impatience...(I was let down.)
NOTE: I apologize for the quality of the scans, but it was the best I could work with given the time, plus the fact I'm not good with pictures at all. And no, I'm not sure why the scanner blurred all the red print on the instruction sheet. Hmm.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Hip-Hoptimus Rime » Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:45 pm

Motto: "Nobody has to look for trouble."
Weapon: Reciprocating Laser Cannon
Good review, nicely laid out and good pics too.

I agree w/ all your positives, but I must disagree w/ a few of your negs. His color scheme is intentially subdude, w/ small Allspark Blue apps here and there to liven him up. It's a great look for the character IMHO. I thought the transformation was clever, I love that his hands end up as the seats- and that you can not only see the seats, but even adjust the "headrest". Very little kibble in either mode.

Make sure you transform his knees correctly, that will help move his rear bumper sections out of the way and help keep them from getting knocked off when posing. (Looks like you have it right in your pics, tho.)

I do agree that his feet are a bit of an issue- the rear half consists of the wheel and its carrier, which clips into the front half, which consists of the CO2 canister and forms the most visible part of the foot. The small rectangular peg that joins the 2 halves is a little weak, and might eventually loosen to the point where the foot will flop open and drop Landmine like a sack of rice. Not a fatal flaw by any means, but one to look out for. You did not mention the "fan mode" for his gun- you can leave it pegged into its hole on his roof, and it becomes a kick-ass shoulder cannon in robot mode!

I heart Landmine, he's my fave movie-based Deluxe so far. Like him so much I bought two!
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Autobot032 » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:11 pm

Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:Good review, nicely laid out and good pics too.


Thank you. People complained about a lack of pictures in my reviews, so I'm trying here.

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:I agree w/ all your positives, but I must disagree w/ a few of your negs. His color scheme is intentially subdude, w/ small Allspark Blue apps here and there to liven him up. It's a great look for the character IMHO. I thought the transformation was clever, I love that his hands end up as the seats- and that you can not only see the seats, but even adjust the "headrest". Very little kibble in either mode.


There's a difference between subdued and flat out boring. They could've added paint on the arms or something to really bring out the details on the arms. (Well all over the body, really.) Even something as simple as panel lining.

Oh and I agree that the seats becoming the hands is a nice feature, but the overall transformation is definitely...lackluster. One little bit of cool here and there, doesn't mean the rest of it's a winner in my book.


Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:Make sure you transform his knees correctly, that will help move his rear bumper sections out of the way and help keep them from getting knocked off when posing. (Looks like you have it right in your pics, tho.)[,quote]

The bumper's design is just crap. I realize they fashioned it in a manner so as not to break (and because of it's placement and how he's handled during transformation...it would snap off) but it's a dumb design.

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:I do agree that his feet are a bit of an issue- the rear half consists of the wheel and its carrier, which clips into the front half, which consists of the CO2 canister and forms the most visible part of the foot. The small rectangular peg that joins the 2 halves is a little weak, and might eventually loosen to the point where the foot will flop open and drop Landmine like a sack of rice. Not a fatal flaw by any means, but one to look out for. You did not mention the "fan mode" for his gun- you can leave it pegged into its hole on his roof, and it becomes a kick-ass shoulder cannon in robot mode!


Ah. Thank you for the shoulder cannon tip. It's a neat feature, but still not enough to push my personal rating back up. Just ain't gonna cut it.

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:I heart Landmine, he's my fave movie-based Deluxe so far. Like him so much I bought two!


Well I'm glad you enjoy him, and maybe he'll grow on me, but at this point...he's got a lot of growing to do.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby No Death for Prowl » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:29 pm

Thanks for the in-depth review, always appreciative of something that goes beyond "it's awesome".

I have to admit, after seeing your picture of the robot mode, I'm a bit less enthusiastic of this figure. And, no, this is not a critcism of your photographic abilities! :grin:

Then again, I always liked Stockade more going by pictures alone, so I think my expectations for that figure will be higher than it is for Landmine.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Autobot032 » Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:46 pm

Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
No Death for Prowl wrote:Thanks for the in-depth review, always appreciative of something that goes beyond "it's awesome".

I have to admit, after seeing your picture of the robot mode, I'm a bit less enthusiastic of this figure. And, no, this is not a critcism of your photographic abilities! :grin:

Then again, I always liked Stockade more going by pictures alone, so I think my expectations for that figure will be higher than it is for Landmine.


Oh I agree. I certainly hope that Stockade lives up to his pictorial wow factor as well. When I first saw Landmine, I was absolutely floored. I thought "Whoa, he's gonna rock!" and then I got him and it's like "Ah. Well, he's passable. Ain't the end of the world. Glad I didn't search all over for him though..."

Problem is, if Landmine let me down this much, I'm worried that Stockade will do the same.

Incinerator is a given that he'll be less than perfect, but better than bad. Those propeller hands are ridiculous, but they'll be gone asap once he's mine.

I dunno...with these designs (and I can't critique Stockade until I actually have him in hand, but I can Incinerator because we've seen him in 360 degree pics) it feels like they were kinda rushed and that all of their design focus went solely into the main robots, and these guys are just a way to fill a giant void. Granted, I realize that the main bots are their focus and concern, but Landmine just falls short of the incredible wow of the rest of the line. I'd say he sits around the same level of Swindle. (Who I like, but even I admit his shortcomings, and knew it ahead of time.)
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Blurrz » Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:56 pm

Motto: "scream drive faster"
Weapon: Electro-Laser Cannon
Landmine is sweet, I can't wait to get 'em.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Auto Bot » Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:30 am

There's a few more tidbits to mention.

4 eyes with light piping. (Did anyone notice that?) Plus a 5th eye on the forehead.

Adjustable seats. Very much like modern cars. Six-way adjustable, including headrest. (Seats tilt up or down, backrest tilt fore or aft, headrest tilt forward or backward) Such luxury for the military guys!

The gun has an intricate level of details that will blow you away!

His robot roller skates is nothing like Bonecrusher. He's got 2 wheels under each leg. Similar to human roller skates. Which make it a really working roller skates.

To make unusual poses, such as kneeling down.. you can adjust the toes up or down. Just like a human foot. This kind of articulation is very rare in TF toys. (I found none as human-like as Landmine's)

He's got the one and only best designed light piping. The 4 eyes lights up (makes him look angry) when you point a light source behind the head. And yet, there's NONE of those big transparent plastic behind his head. He's got a complete head design and coloring all around the head. No matter which angle you look at it. I'd say a lot of thought has been given to this head design.

Several individual colored plastics has been used to create him. I mean base plastic colors, not including paintings. Let's count them:
Black
Silver
Blue-green (for the car shell)
Military Green (for the body, gun and headrest)
Metallic Rods (for the suspension)
Transparent Grey (for the windshield)

The only Movie toy with car dashboard and steering wheel.

How many Movie toys do you see that's got the American flag on it? ;;)
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Hip-Hoptimus Rime » Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:46 am

Motto: "Nobody has to look for trouble."
Weapon: Reciprocating Laser Cannon
Auto Bot wrote:4 eyes with light piping. (Did anyone notice that?) Plus a 5th eye on the forehead.

<snip>

How many Movie toys do you see that's got the American flag on it? ;;)


The light piping on mine doesn't work very well, I'm afraid. :(

And about those flags, notice that the one on the right side of the alt mode is in fact correctly shown "backwards", w/ the star field forward. Nicely done, Hasbro. :APPLAUSE:
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Auto Bot » Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:11 am

Hip-Hoptimus Rime wrote:
Auto Bot wrote:4 eyes with light piping. (Did anyone notice that?) Plus a 5th eye on the forehead.

<snip>

How many Movie toys do you see that's got the American flag on it? ;;)


The light piping on mine doesn't work very well, I'm afraid. :(

And about those flags, notice that the one on the right side of the alt mode is in fact correctly shown "backwards", w/ the star field forward. Nicely done, Hasbro. :APPLAUSE:


Haha :lol:

One side is American flag. The other side is naciremA flag.

Try pointing a flashlight directly at the back of his head. :)
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Agent 007 » Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:54 pm

Nice review, I'm thinking of getting one.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Autobot032 » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:03 pm

Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Ya know....I got him yesterday, transformed him, put him on the scanner and posted the review, and I haven't picked him up since. Incredible. Normally when I get a new one, I can't put 'em down for a few days. Guess that's a telling sign about him, at least for me.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Newtilator » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:57 pm

He looks really good, I need more Autobots and I want a figure with proper wheels, (I'm looking at you, movie Brawl) in fact most of the Allspark line looks good, but two questions:
Does anybody know when they are going to be released in the U.K?
And could anybody tell me who is the best out of Allspark Cliffjumper, Landmine, or Camshaft?
Thanks a lot, lucky USA guys and gals! :cry:
I am a very disgruntled Brit.

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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Auto Bot » Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:11 pm

Newtilator wrote:He looks really good, I need more Autobots and I want a figure with proper wheels, (I'm looking at you, movie Brawl) in fact most of the Allspark line looks good, but two questions:
Does anybody know when they are going to be released in the U.K?
And could anybody tell me who is the best out of Allspark Cliffjumper, Landmine, or Camshaft?
Thanks a lot, lucky USA guys and gals! :cry:


I'd choose Landmine. He's unique. The other 2 are just repaints.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Autobot032 » Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:14 pm

Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Newtilator wrote:He looks really good, I need more Autobots and I want a figure with proper wheels, (I'm looking at you, movie Brawl) in fact most of the Allspark line looks good, but two questions:
Does anybody know when they are going to be released in the U.K?
And could anybody tell me who is the best out of Allspark Cliffjumper, Landmine, or Camshaft?
Thanks a lot, lucky USA guys and gals! :cry:


I can't speak for the ETA, but the figures themselves, I can answer that...sorta.

If you have Concept Camaro Bumblebee...skip Cliffjumper. (He's a subpar repaint imo.)

If you have Swindle, skip Camshaft. (I prefer the original red and gray, but others prefer the whole "The Fast And The Furious" deco on Camshaft.)

If you don't have Landmine and want a new mold, go for him.

Now...in the end, I'd say skip Camshaft altogether, and if you don't have Bumblebee and your choice is between Cliffjumper and Landmine...the Camaro's the better of the two molds.

So...bottom line either Landmine or Cliffjumper, depending on which figures you have already.

...wow...sorry for that not making a lot of sense. I confused myself.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Newtilator » Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:31 pm

No it made perfect sense, thanks. I don'y have Swindle or Bumblebee, so Landmine or Cliffjumper eh? It'll probably be whoever I see available first, except I doubt I'll see either.
Damn Hasbro, not shipping to Somerset. We only get Recon barricade, legends and Titanium line models pretty much. But I expect good ol' Amazon will have some.
Sorry, I have to rant, It makes me feel good Inside :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: #-o :lol: =;
Last edited by Newtilator on Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Allspark Power Landmine Review

Postby Auto Bot » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:08 pm

Newtilator wrote:No it made perfect sense, thanks. I don'y have Swindle or Bumblebee, so Landmine or Cliffjumper eh? It'll probably be whoever I see available first, except I doubt I'll see either.
Damn Hasbro, not shipping to Somerset. I only get Recon barricade, legends and Titanium line models pretty much. But I expect good ol' Amazon will have some.
Sorry, I have to rant, It makes me feel good Inside :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: :BANG_HEAD: #-o :lol: =;


Get both. ;)^

You'll regret it if you don't do so. :P
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