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G1Sizzle wrote:And here is a look at KO Botcon Mirage. I don't have an actual Botcon Mirage to compare him to, but I do have Classics Mirage, Fracture and Drag Strip. All of these molds appear to be alike, so I will be pointing out where KO BC Mirage differs from these molds. This will again be one half review, and one half tutorial.
Here he is next to Classics Mirage. As you can see, the reproduction is 1:1. He's reproduced part-for-part. There don't appear to be any shortcuts taken in this KO. All parts are clear blue plastic with the following exceptions: the ball joint that the head is on, the biceps, the two inner parts of the torso, and the part that connects the thigh and the calf.
I should apologize right off the bat for these pictures not being clearer. My camera is a simple digital camera and isn't made for high quality photos. This is the first difference I noticed between the KO and all the other Mirage molds I own. In the solid piece between the thigh and calf, there are markings. On the KO, there are 2 straight horizontal lines. On the other Mirage molds, there are 3 slanted lines.
Also on the legs, on the upper part of the thigh, there are air intake vents right where the exhaust pipes fold up in bot mode. The KO has 3 vents. The original mold has 4.
I'm not certain if this next difference is also present on the real Botcon Mirage, so maybe somebody who has it can let us know. If you look on the KO BC Mirage's shin, there is a lot of detailing that is not present on Classics Mirage, Drag Strip or Fracture. Also, the dead giveaway is the rubsign. KO BC Mirage has no rubsign.
There is a seam on the outside of the forearm of each Mirage-mold figure. On Mirage, Fracture and Drag Strip, this seem perfectly bisects a detail, making it essentially look like teeth. The legit molds have the seam running straight down the middle. The KO does not. It's rather widely off center.
Here's one that's really easy to spot. The screws on KO BC Mirage are smaller than the screws in any of its mold-mates. The holes are obviously meant for larger screws, but smaller ones are used.
Oopsie! Don't worry too much, though. This is not actually broken. It's just a place in the torso that can be detached. All the other versions of this mold have this too. The reason I point it out is that the one on the KO slides out really easily. It showed up in my mailbox split in two, and it also fell out while I was fiddling with it. The legit figures have never done this for me.
This picture also showcases one of the dealbreakers for this figure, in my eyes. The KO BC Mirage I received cannot hold his gun. The peg on the crossbow is simply larger than the one in his fists. I couldn't get it to peg in on either fist. So when KO BC Mirage transforms, he's going to be weaponless, sadly.
And here they all are together. As you can see, KO BC Mirage does fit in to the classics collection, as long as you don't look closely.
QUALITY: Sadly, Mirage does not live up to the high quality of the Henkei seekers. He's floppy for one thing. His joints are not tight at all. The plastic quality also doesn't feel up to snuff. I realize this is clear plastic, but the Henkei Ghost Starscream KO felt a LOT sturdier than this guy. The looseness of the figure hinders his ability to achieve all the great poses the original Mirage could achieve. Additionally, as I mentioned, he tends to come apart at the waist, and he cannot hold his weapon.
PACKAGING: There is none. No bag, no card. Er go, one of the simplest ways to ensure you are getting a REAL Botcon Mirage is to purchase one bagged. So far, anyway.
One more thing: I don't know if this is true for all of them, but there was a flaw on my KO BC Mirage's face that stemmed from it being improperly removed from the sprue.
In summary, this is only a figure to get if you are planning to get a real one in the future and want it as a placeholder. This will be really easy to spot as a fake in person. If you buy it on eBay or another online source, be sure to get close-up pictures of it. If you want it because you can't afford a Botcon figure, that's fine, but realize you're getting something that is lower than Hasbro quality.
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G1Sizzle wrote:Since I bought two of the KO Henkei TCs, people have been asking me to review them so they'll know whether or not to purchase them. Here goes!
This is the KO (left) standing next to the legit original Henkei Thundercracker (right). As you can see, there aren't a lot of differences between the two. The differences are mostly very very subtle. As you can see, though, the actual Henkei figure has its launchers held onto its arms by rubber bands, whereas the KO is actually able to support its own launchers. Your mileage may vary, though, as the launcher port on the KO's right arm (your left) is a little loose, but nowhere near as loose as the actual product.
To be perfectly frank, this KO is perhaps the best KO I have ever seen. It is sturdy, the transformation process is fluid, and the plastic quality feels like the real deal. I had no issues in transforming it, and it's actually a bit less floppy than the Henkei version. The only joints I thought were too stiff were on the bottom right tailfin, which took a little more pressure to fold up than I was comfortable with. Otherwise, the figure fits together in both modes quite comfortably. All in all, the KO has BETTER paint apps than the original, and holds its launchers better.
The only real problem was that one of the launchers was broken and the missile won't fit in correctly. A simple fix, really.
Simply put, if you want Thundercracker and can't afford the Botcon or Henkei versions, this guy is the one for you, and the price is unbeatable.
Now...I imagine a lot of you are wondering how you can avoid being taken in and buying the KO thinking you are getting the real deal. Well, I'm glad you asked, because I'm about to tell you how you can tell the difference between the two:
The real Henkei version has a notch in the "knee pad" of TC's leg. The KO is perfectly squared.
As you can see from the back of the two TCs' wings, the red on the Henkei version is a much lighter color. This is most noticeable on the wing backs, but is true for the whole figure. The KO figure's red is a much deeper red. Also, I feel like the blue on the KO is a tad deeper blue, and I'm quite sure that the cockpit is a MUCH deeper amber color.
As you can see, the alignment of the Decepticon sigil on the front of the wing is a bit off. That's only true on one wing of my KO, so I'm not certain that this is common to each figure. However, it is one of the few differences that can be detected BEFORE opening the packaging.
This one is a dead giveaway. It's so small, it's almost unnoticeable, but there is a notch on each seeker's shoulder. On the real deal, the notch compromises the silver swatch. It's this way on every seeker that I have, including other KOs. But on this KO, the notch is significantly lower on the shoulder and doesn't cross into the silver swatch at all.
All things considered, I recommend this KO to people who don't have Thundercracker and can't afford him. And I hope this review helps those of you who want to know the difference.
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Scaleface wrote:Whereas most Henkei/Classics KOs are obviously KOs, I thought I might warn people that some company has started to product replica Henkei toys. They sell for about $30 each. I've seen Crystal Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp, and the clear Henkei Mirage and they are IN PACKAGE!
Additionally there is a KO version of Botcon Mirage. Luckily you can tell the original from a KO in that the KO has no rub sign.
Of course for thoe who want these hard-to-get toys and don't mind KOs, it's a real deal.
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