Category Archives: Transformatorium

Big Angry Trev discusses the beautiful wonderful world of Transformers!

Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium

How 20 Years of being an Adult Collector began

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This month – January 2021 – marks 20 years of me being an adult collector of Transformers.

It also marks the 20 year anniversary of my first (very short lived) marriage.  And the two are not unconnected.

 

As a kid we didn’t have a great deal of money, though I never went without a roof over my head or food in my belly so we did OK.  I’d get a few transformers each year with my bit of pocket money I earned mowing the lawns at home or turning in rabbit skins when visiting my dad.  And I sometimes got a Transformer for a birthday or Christmas as well.

My collection circa 1987

In my teens G1 was coming to an end.  However this was also the time that my mother began running a small Toys & Gifts shop.  This meant that I could get my Transformers wholesale!  It was also the time of reissues so as well as being able to purchase Micromasters and Action Masters at cost, I was also able to grab the Combaticons, Arielbots, Protectobots and even a few bigger figures like some Dinobots & Autobot Cars.  Yes sir, it was a golden time.

Primus bless reissues!

Sadly I strayed in my late teens as so many young men do.  G2 didn’t hold much appeal for me and suddenly beer and girls were very interesting.  So my collection, which at the time equalled 1 gross – 144 figures (if you counted individual bots such as Micromasters and Target Masters) – was put away in a box and did not see the light of day for many years.

I never stopped loving Transformers, even when I moved to Melbourne to go to Uni.  But once again partying, friends and girls seemed somehow more important.  I hated Beast Wars (I appreciate it now but back then thought it was an abomination) and sometimes my mates used to get me liquored up and goad me into a ‘trukk not munkey’ rant.  To be honest to this day organic alt-modes still do little for me.  So Transformers stayed waaaaay in the background of my existence.

 

Now comes January 2001

 

I got married.  Stupidly.  It was partly as I’d always been too lazy and cowardly to break up with the girl and partly because she had a balcony you could do Shakespeare from (I was young, shallow and dumb OK – a large chest seemed more important than a pleasant personality!).  A couple of dear friends of mine were filming the wedding for us and asked what present we would like.  I replied filming was more than gift enough.  When they persisted I said jokingly ‘Get me a G1 Optimus Prime’.

Well the night of the wedding we are unwrapping gifts.  I’m trying to stifle my boredom as they are mainly ‘grown-ups’ gifts like linen and breakfast trays (once again – I was 23 and immature).  Then I unwrapped the gifts from Tammy & Michael.

And there… lo…. was a loose GENERATION ONE OPTIMUS PRIME!!!

Me on honeymoon with Optimus Prime. I swear he got more action than I did

There was also a Wreck-Gar (whom I already had but now they could ride each other!) and a Chop Shop.  I squealed like an excited schoolgirl! For me it was the highlight of the night!

 

And thus after nearly a decade away, I came back to Transformer collecting.  I discovered eBay and found so many G1 toys that my ranks quickly swelled.  With a new career I had more money, and from big toys like Omega Supreme, Metroplex, Sky Lynx & Trypticon, to smaller figures like the Throttlebots, those G1 gaps were filling fast!

7 months into the marriage it ended.  Shan’t go into details but let’s just say my ex worked in education and I discovered she was doing some very ‘private tuition’ with one of her teen students and leave it at that.  So the marriage died which in the long run was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me; I ended up moving in coincidentally with the friends who had given me Optimus.  But though my marriage was dead, my love for Transformers was thriving!  I continued to buy G1 stuff online, and the new Robots in Disguise toys hit the shelves in Australia, bringing back all the concepts I loved like vehicular transformers and combiners.

My G1-cartoon cast in the early 2000’s

My collecting has continued ever since. By the end of 2001 my collection, which had stagnated at a count of 144, was over two hundred and I had no inclination to just how far it would end up going!  I’ve continued amassing Transformers right through all the cartoons from Armada to Cyberverse, throughout all the live-action movies and especially the G1-inspired toylines such as Generations, right up to the latest Earthrise figures.  I’ve travelled many parts of the globe and brought back figures you couldn’t find in Australia.   I got married again 12 years ago but this time it was for all the right reasons and I couldn’t imagine loving my wife more. If I’m 100% honest the fact that she is so tolerant of my hobby makes up a small part of that (only a small part, there are a plethora of wonderful things about her to love!).  And my kids love to play Transformers with their Dad!

They even have their own playtables set up – bless their hearts

Now 20 years on I’m sitting at around the 3500 figures mark along with about another thousand pieces of TF merchandise, have my own Transformatorium shed and indeed this blog where I often share my love of the hobby.  So I’m a pretty damn lucky guy!

“Who says I have an obsession?!”

 

I can’t even remember the exact day in January 2001 I got married on, but I damn sure remember getting that G1 Optimus Prime.

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Studio Series Hot Rod & Scourge

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With Haslab’s Unicron due to ship out in a few months and 2021 being the 35th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, it’s seems the perfect time for Hasbro to cash in on the nostalgia that still surrounds this cult classic movie to this day.

To this end, their higher end Studio Series line is taking a departure from the live-action movies to make figures intended to look as much like their onscreen counterparts as possible from the 1986 animated movie. The preview pictures online have had many fans frothing from the mouth with excitement and today we get to look at two of the Voyager class figures – Scourge and Hot Rod.

 

Scourge

Robot Mode

As someone who owns nearly ever iteration of the Sweeps commander, I can confidently say this is the best looking Scourge we’ve ever had! All the little details from the red claws to the facial hair, along with the larger details such as the bat wings, are just spot on. This really is a beautiful looking figure. He feels really solid with high quality materials used and is very easy to pose.

Scourge the Tracker. And his huntsmen – The Sweeps

Cybertronian Hovercraft

Once again a fantastic representation of how he looked on the screen. The only downside for me is the feet on the rear end of the hovercraft mode which precludes him having his usual rectangular booster. Given the feet were a problem with Earthrise Ratchet’s altmode as well I hope this isn’t a trend we see continued. However this is a minor quibble. You can attach Scourges weapon to the side of the Hovercraft and with a bit of fiddling about you can make his head pop up just like when he was asking to ‘gut Ultra Magnus’.

Peekaboo!

 

Hot Rod

Robot Mode

Hot Rod isn’t nearly as big as Scourge and indeed looks more like a Deluxe Size than a Voyager. However when you see all the options his body comes with along with the accessories you will understand why.

Hot Rod comes with a slew of options from the original toy and movie. As well as his two pistols he comes with;

His arm blasters and visor

 

His welding hand and circular saw

His Matrix of Leadership

All this adds up to being able to recreate a ton of iconic scenes from the movie and I deny any TF:TM fan to resist recreating many of these cinematic moments. Play value through the friggin roof yo!

 

Vehicle Mode

A very nice looking Hot Rod. I can’t say it has a giant ‘wow’ factor as we’ve gotten quite a few nice looking vehicular Hot Rod’s over the years. But it’s still pretty damn good and like Scourge you have the options to add weapon details such as guns from the engine (like his Targetmaster incarnation), his circular saw and also flames coming from the exhaust.

 

Transformations

Both of these figures have very cool transformations. They are quite involved and I recommend using the instructions the first time out, but there are never any moments where you feel lost or frustrated.

 

Worth Getting?

Oh hells yes! These are both fantastic figures and great representations of their movie incarnations. The only minor quibbles I have are Scourges booster as mentioned earlier, and I found one of Hot Rod’s arms very stiff and apt to pop out during transformation. I also would have liked to see his flame add-ons to be orange rather than matrix-fire blue. But these are all minor detractions. These figures, along with their display stands, will look great in anyone’s collection. I managed to get my figures for nearly half price due to a scanning error at the shop, but would feel I was getting my money’s worth even if I’d paid full price.

 So go get these figures now – nothin’s gonna stand in your way – not tonight!

Got something to say about these two figures? Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Galactic Odyssey Ratchet & Lifeline

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As the Earthrise portion of the War for Cybertron toy trilogy wraps up in preparation for the Kingdom line, people are still receiving exclusives that have been ordered and delayed due to the Covid Crisis.

I’ve just received one of these exclusives and it contains two characters that have historically been very hard to get in the Generations line.  So without further ado let’s look at the Paradron Medics duo from the Galactic Odyssey Collection – Ratchet and Lifeline.

 

Ratchet

Ratchet has been a real bastard to get over the last decade for those who have wanted Generations versions of him.  The only one that has seen mass release in the west was Rescue Ratchet from the Hunt for the Decepticon toyline.  Being a movieverse toy with a G1 recolouring this did not sate fans who wanted a representation of the Ratchet of old.  Then there was the Universe version, which saw a very limited release which lead many collectors like myself to pay stupid amounts to get him online.  After that came Siege Ratchet, once again very hard to get as it only saw mass release in countries like Malaysia.  Whilst Earthrise Ratchet is still an exclusive, at least he has been relatively easy to obtain through Amazon.

 

Robot Mode

Very G1 (cartoon).  Looks really stocky and strong.  Nicely proportioned and with decent articulation too.  His windshield is more aqua coloured than blue which helps him match his partner Lifeline.  Due to this Ratchet, despite having a Terran alt-mode, being based on Paradron he has no Red Cross stickers on his shoulders.  The minimal red in his colour scheme makes him look a tad bland.

Ratchet comes with a shield (the ambulance roof) and a gun that is highly reminiscent of the G1 toy.  Personally I liked how Siege Ratchet came with actual medical tools and feel that would have been good here.

Like the G1 Ratchet toy the roof becomes a sort of mini-medical bay thing.  Not nearly as cool as the G1 version, this one does come with the same gun placed at the front.  Personally I prefer to use it as a shield for him, making him look more like a combat medic.

 

Vehicle Mode & Transformation

For only the third time Ratchet is once again an old fashioned ambulance van.  The transformation from robot to this mode really showcases how this Ratchet is actually a retool of the Siege version, and if it wasn’t for the new roof and the differently shaped windshield they would be near identical.  It’s a great looking retro ambulance, the only drawback is those awful huge feet at the back of the vehicle.

“I can get to the hospital fast with these boosters! Just a shame I can’t carry any patients”

 

Lifeline

“I’ve got the expression of your Aunty at Xmas when she gives you that extra slice of pie”

Yep, if you appeared in the G1 cartoon you get a toy – that’s how it works these days.  Lifeline was in one very tiny scene, tending to an injured Cyclonus, in S3 of the G1 cartoon.  She never talked, never transformed and was never seen again.  But like Lancer and Greenlight , she now gets her own figure.

 

Robot Mode

The only other figure produced of Lifeline was a Timelines version from the TFCC that was a recolour of Thrilling 30 Arcee.  Likewise this Lifeline is a recolour of Earthrise Arcee.  I actually like her more, her colours really do it for me and I think it’s a really nicely proportioned toy.  When in group shots I tend to use T30 Arcee so that there is that bit more differentiation between Lifeline and her.

Arcee secretly plots to kill Lifeline out of jealousy of her slimmer thighs

You can remove the backpack for it to become a sort of sled.  Lifeline also comes with an Energon Infuser which is obviously a gun.  Like Ratchet I would have liked to see her receive some actual medical tools.  Still, it’s a good looking figure with some really great articulation.

“Check it out – I’m doing the final scene from the Footrot Flats movie!”

 

Vehicle Mode & Transformation

Like Earthrise Arcee and Netflix Elita, Lifeline is a Shellformer, and not a very good one at that.  It is so frikken hard to get her body to squeeze into the car shell properly, and when you do manage it the slightest nudge makes the legs pop back out which pretty much ruins her play value in this mode.  She looks nice from certain angles but otherwise this is a very disappointing alt-mode and it’s embarrassing I have three different versions of it now.

“Errr, pay no attention – those are just the brakes for my hovermode. Yeah, thats it – the brakes”

 

Worth Getting?

Being an exclusive (like half the Generations line seems to be these days)  these figures are more expensive than those on the store shelves.  Ratchet’s vehicle mode is compromised by the feet at the back and Lifeline’s by the legs that constantly emerge from her undercarriage.  These negatives may cause you to bypass if you expect top quality from your Generations toys.

However overall I’m quite happy with the pairs other attributes.  Both have great robot modes, both match each other very well and both are a lot easier to obtain than the previous figures of them that have been released.  So if you are looking to finally add a G1’esque Ratchet and Lifeline to your Generations line-up than these two are well worth grabbing.

Got something to say about this medical duo?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Games & Competitions, Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium

Big DJ Trev is back on the Radio!

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2020 may have been a bit of disaster  on many fronts, what with Pandemics and Bushfires and the like, but it is ending on a high note:

BIG ANGRY TREV is back on the airways!

That’s right, after a 20 year hiatus I’m back on the radio baby!  You my loyal readers can now also become my loyal listeners!  On various Thursday nights (dates to be constantly updated) from 6pm to 9pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) Big Angry Trev will be on the air with The Big DJ Trev Show, bringing you a multitude of brilliant musical hits as well as my patented snappy banter.  You can listen on the radio or online at KRR-FM 98.7.

I still rock, ya know it baby!

 

Competition Time

As readers of my blog would be aware, I’m a big Transformers nut.  As a result I have the Soundtracks to all of the TF movies.  Each radio show, after the 7pm weather, I’ll be having Transformer Talk.

Transformer Talk will be a brief chat about anything Transformers people would care to know, followed by a Transformer song picked by the audience.

So in the comments section of this post, nominate something you would like me to talk about.  It could be as simple as ‘Who is your favourite Combaticon’ to something more overarching such as ‘What is your opinion on the Cyberverse cartoon and toyline as a whole’.

Also, nominate which song from the following list you would like to hear played.  For my second show and the first week of the competition I will be playing a song from the 1986 Animated Movie.

Pick one song from the below and pop it in your comment:

*Transformers Theme – Lion

*Dare – Stan Bush

*Nothins’ Gonna Stand in our Way – Spectre General

*Instruments of Destruction – N.R.G

*Hunger – Kick Axe

*The Touch – Stan Bush

*Dare to be Stupid – Weird Al Yankovic

The song with the most votes will get played this Thursday the 10th of December 2020 after 7pm.

 

Tune In!

So enter the competition if you are a Transformer fan.  And if you aren’t still tune in to KRR-FM 98.7 and let Big Angry Trev make sweet consensual love to your ears – you will find your brain impregnated by the best tunes and cracking chat you ever did hear!

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Cyberverse Iaconus

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Titans are becoming a larger (no pun intended) part of Transformers lore.  However for the most part they have remained in the Generation One universe with its associated comics and toylines. 

Cyberverse became surprisingly popular as the cartoon progressed through the seasons, it was a very G1’esque universe, and indeed featured two brand new Titan characters – Croaton and Iaconus.  

Iaconus was actually a pretty cool character – a War Titan under the command of Alchemist Prime (MacAddams) he was responsible for smashing a lot of alien planets, before going dormant back on Cybertron.  The city of Iacon was built on top of him and the only part of him that remained above the surface got turned by Alchemist Prime into MacAddams Old Oil House.

 

Well this Titan has managed to get a figure in before the Cyberverse line comes to an end.  So lets have a look at Ultimate Class Iaconus.

 

 

Robot Mode

Pretty big and impressive.  Lots of plastic detail in the shins and shoulders to show his city origin and overall pretty faithful to the cartoon.  Colour scheme works quite well too.  However his articulation is severely limited, hampered by his various built in gimmicks so his poseability is limited to his arms and how you affix his sword and shield.

 

One of these aforementioned gimmicks is the flip-over armor.  This makes his head (in shape if not colour) resemble how he looked in the cartoon.

 

 

 

City Mode

‘Errr… I’m a sort of Turtle-Base that flies backwards through space?’

I hate to say it, I really hate to say it, but what a pile of shit!  OK, he had a pretty basic city mode in the cartoon, just a sorta nondescript squat green base, but this still looks worse.

There is stuff here that makes no sense!  Why are there thrusters on the front?  Does he fly backwards through space?  Why are the wings and turbines underneath instead of on the sides or top?  Frankly it looks a mess, like one of those stupid half-transformation toys that came out in earlier waves of the Cyberverse toyline.  This mode has almost no play value except for the spring gimmick that makes him transform automatically back into robot mode.

 

Worth Getting?

I got this figure on sale for only $30(AU) and to be honest despite his big size, big weapons and multiple gimmicks I have trouble justifying even that price.   He has almost zero articulation, his transformation is simplistic and crap and his alt-mode is one of the most awful I’ve ever seen.  Seriously, those thruster’s on the front of the city mode instead of the back really piss me off.  So unless you are a diehard Cyberverse or Titans fan, or this is for a younger fan, this figure is an easy pass.

 

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Games & Competitions, Transformatorium

Game Review – Transformers Battlegrounds

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Transformers Battlegrounds is the first Gaming Console game released by the Transformers brand since Devastation several years ago and takes a much different tack to its predecessors.

 

Whilst previous Transformer console games have been primarily 3rd person shooters such as War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, or hack & slash like Devastation, Transformers Battlegrounds is a strategy turn-based game where you (as a hovering human) control a group of bots below to work your way through levels until you have the obligatory ‘boss battle’ at the end.

Optimus vs Megatron – how unexpected…

 Right from the outset you can tell this is a Transformers game aimed at younger players.  The game is based on the recent Cyberverse cartoon which itself was aimed at younger fans.  The controls are simple and easy to pick up and the gameplay follows a very simplistic style.  Older players who are looking for an in-depth turn-based game with hundreds of options are going to be disappointed, but the game is a good entry point for your younger player who doesn’t want to get too burdened with choice.  So lets take a look at the different facets of this game.

 

The Levels

The graphics are very faithful to the cartoon, which is both good and bad.  The cartoon had very simple 3D animation with smooth bots with minimal details and the environments they inhabited were even more so.  The game reflects this and you work your way through environments such as identical looking towns, deserts and even Cybertron itself – none of which look particularly impressive. 

Once again, the makers of the game had to stay true to the source material but when we were treated to such visual marvels back on the PS3 in Fall of Cybertron, its kind of disappointing for so little potential of the PS4 to be utilized here.

 

The Characters

The game contains a decent variety of characters from the show.  In the main campaign you play as the Autobots and take control of such characters as Arcee, Windblade, Grimlock, Wheeljack and the obligatory Optimus and Bumblebee.  There are many opponents from the Decepticon cast of the show as well; Seekers such as Starscream, Slipstream, Acid Storm, Thundercracker and Thrust, as well as other characters such as Dead End, Strika, Megatron and Shockwave with his drones. The Decepticon cast is also fleshed out by several characters that never appeared in the show but did in the Generations toyline such as Battletrap and Offroad.  Several of the Decepticon show characters are also playable in the Multiplayer mode so you get a chance to play both sides of the conflict.

The characters look faithful to the show, but once again the game designers have made little use of the PS4’s capabilities.  Characters are very limited in their animations and any cutscenes simply show speech blocks at the bottom of the screen rather than bothering to make the actual characters lips move.  They did get the voice actors from the show in which is a plus, but in some situations the characters say things that aren’t applicable.  For instance, in ‘Capture the Flag’ the character with the flag often says ‘I’m damaged here!’ or ‘I’m leaking Energon!’ even if they haven’t sustained any damage.  Also, in the main game lots of the female Seekers give distinctly masculine grunts.  Rather than this being a gender-swapping scenario like Acid Storm in the cartoon, it comes across as simply lazy by the designers who didn’t bother to match up the voices to the characters correctly.

 

Gameplay

As mentioned the gameplay is very simplistic, with you herding your group of bots through different levels.  Each character has different abilities which can be upgraded throughout the game.  Each character gets three action tokens to use per round and these are used for either travel, attack or healing other bots.  There is some strategy to this game, for instance using your scout characters to herd Cons towards your tank characters to get taken out, with healer characters ready to either snipe or heal as needed.  But the depth is minimal and any experienced gamer will soon grow bored.

 

Multiplayer

Here is the main reason that I personally purchased the game, so that my son and I could sit on the couch next to each other and finally play a Transformers game together.  Before this Transformer console games have either been single player or online coop, with no options to sit and play with your buddies.   There are five different multiplayer options, some of which you can play as Cons, ranging from taking out as many enemies as possible in a limited number of turns, to games such as Capture the Flag.  The latter was by far the most fun to play with my son as one of us would steal the flag while the other provided cover or heal.  But, like the main game, the lack of depth was disappointing and despite my sons young age we both found ourselves growing bored.

 

Overall

While this game opens up a new style of gameplay for Transformer games, it’s simplicity is also its downfall.  Lackluster graphics, overly-simplistic and repetitive gameplay and an uninspired storyline relegate this release to a niche that will only appeal to younger and less experienced gamers.  For older gamers, and even younger gamers who have spent a lot of time with a controller in their hands, this game will become very dull very quickly and only appeal to the most die hard of Transformer fans.

 

Got a comment about this game?  Pop it in the comments section below.

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – EX-01 Nicee

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I find it hard to resist buying an Arcee figure.  As a multiverse collector this is the case with a lot of G1-originated characters for me, but there are characters that I nearly always get and Arcee is one of them.

   Why?  Not sure.  Maybe because she was such a well known character from the 1986 movie, as well as Seasons 3 & 4 of the G1 cartoon but never got a toy of her own.  I had to wait until I was in my 20’s before I got my first representation of her as a statue bust.  But since then I’ve gotten her in so many lines – Alternators, Energon, Prime, Animated, Thrilling 30, Q and most recently Cyberverse and Earthrise.  Heck, I even have her in Mouse Pad form!  However none of these figures ever really captured Arcee for me and how cool she is, especially her vehicle form.

 

Arcee is getting the Masterpiece treatment as we speak and that figure is due to be released soon.  But in the meantime I did something I almost never do.  Despite having about 3500 Transformer figures in my collection, you could count the amount of 3rdparty figures I own on one hand.  Given some of the complaints about the aesthetic of the new MP Arcee coming out, I decided to shell out and purchase a 3P figure of her where the aesthetic goes in the opposite direction.  So lets take a look at EX-01 Arcee NICEE from BIGFIREBIRDTOY.

The packaging wont win design awards for subtlety…
…but then neither will the toy inside

 

Robot Mode

“Hi everyone! I’m the toy your girlfriend probably hates”

 

Aesthetic

An incredibly stylized version of Arcee Nicee.  Considering the popularity of the differently styled aesthetic of Animated, I’ve never really understood why Transformers would not try for a Japanese influenced Anime theme.  This figure is extremely anime in its aesthetics, from the long slim limbs to the quasi-angelic wings and armour that almost appears to be a battle bikini.  It really is a fantastic looking figure.  Before we go further however, lets address the elephants in the room…

“What? These? My lovely lady lumps?”

 Let’s get this out of the way.  Yes she has boobs.  Her armour is specifically shaped to enhance this.    There is no getting away from it and given the picture on the front of her box it seems that this is supposed to be a big selling point for Arcee Nicee.  Now I totally get this kind of thing not being everyone’s cup of tea.  Completely understandable.  But here’s the great thing….

…. If you don’t like it you don’t have to buy it.  Lucky you! 

“Lets all just get along eh mate!”

 

 

Interchangeable Body Parts

Nicee comes with two heads, two chests and 8 hands (4 left and 4 right).  The reason for so many hands is each one is designed to hold a different weapon, be it blunt or ranged.  They look rather skeletal and kinda freaky to be honest.  The chests are completely identical except one is white and the other is shiny white.  The heads are slightly different to each other, in particular the face.  For those of you who don’t like Arcee Nicee having metal hair, you can remove it.  This is one of the instances where the figure lets me down – I wanted her to have a head more in keeping with her usual look, and while removing the hair allows this, it also leaves a big gap above her forehead which ruins the effect.  So if you are not a hair fan too bad – better a bob than a hole in the head I guess.

 

Poseability 

The figure has really good tight joints and multiple points of articulation.  She is able to be put into all manner of poses and stances, balances fairly well and possesses good flexibility.

“4 million years old and not a touch of arthritis!”

 

Vehicle Form

How friggin sexy does this look!  As I’ve mentioned I don’t usually buy 3P figures but if they are all like this then I understand why people do.  Nicee puts every Arcee figure in my collection to shame.  The aesthetics are just wonderful; the sleek lines and subtle curves interspersed with straight lines really make this a beautiful alien car to behold. 

The paint job is very high quality and the bright translucent blue used for the windscreen, headlights and taillights ad a nice counterbalance to all the pink and white.  There are all sorts of little details that add to the beauty of this figure, in particular I like the steering dash and moulded seats.

 

 

 

Weaponry

Nicee comes with multiple weapons including spear, sword, pistol and shield.  Also you are able to remove her backpack and combine it with the spear into a sort of energy bow.  Given her ability to be put into all manner of poses this sets you up for some great battle shots!

 

 

Transformation

The transformation is fairly straight forward and the instructions make it look more complicated than it actually is.  In fact it is sorta reminiscent of Thrilling 30 Arcee.  The shield becomes the top of the vehicle but this is no way means she is a simple partsformer.  My only two gripes would be that if you don’t position the high heels just right they can impede the front wheels rolling in vehicle mode, and that there are lots of little tabs that need to go together – often when you are tightening one another pops out of place.  However a good transformation on the whole.  You may find it convenient to take her hands off when putting her in vehicle form.

 

Worth Getting?

This on the whole is actually a pretty great figure, and given how expensive 3P items are the price tag is fairly acceptable.  But what is going to be the deciding factor for people here isn’t going to be the articulation or transformation or plastic quality – it’s going to be the aesthetic.  Some people are going to think this figure looks great, some are going to think it’s an abomination.  So if the idea of an anime styled transformer appeals to you then you are going to love Nicee.  If the idea of transformers being sexualized in any fashion is enough to send you on a month long twitter tirade then steer well clear.  Just remember no matter what side of the fence you fall on, don’t hate on the other side – just be…. Nicee. 

 

 

 

 

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

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Fan Interviews & Art, Transformatorium

Transformer Fan Interview – Steve

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It’s been a while but we welcome the return of the very popular Transformer Fan Interviews!  In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Steve, a great bloke I was privileged to meet at a Collectormania Toy Fair  and who, like me, was an avid Transformers TCG player.  So lets chat to this fine fellow and avid collector of all things Cybertronian.

 

Name and/or nicknames:

Wattsy, Sharky – do you need a background story??

 Family?

Married with 2 little Sharkticons

 Career?

Retired Commercial Electrician now work in the Engineering Space for Transport Infrastructure

 

How would you rate yourself on a C scale, C10 being MISB Mint perfection, to the lowest C1 ‘junker not worth it even for parts’?

C3.. not quite a full blown junker but working myself there with heavy wear.

 

 How would you rate your attraction to Big Angry Trev? With one being ‘very’ to 10 being ‘I even send him Action Masters in the hope I get an extremely physical and rough thanking’?

This has to be 10 by default, right?? I mean I sent the Action Master… I’m just waiting for the Rough and Physical Thanking – but we are responsible adults mostly and under current circumstances (its 2020 people in case your reading a “retro revisited blogedy vlog blobTM” fifty years from now) we maintain that social distancing!!!

Editors Note: I could thank you while we both wear HazMat suits maybe?

Fan/Collector since (year)?

Since it began in 84

 

Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?

Autobot

 

Your Techspec motto if you had one?

‘If it is to be it is up to me’

 What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?

Ratchet – always fixing other people shit

Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?

Skywarps Vorping….

What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?

That original opening sequence when prime is rolling along and then transforms and then the 3 jets fly in and turn into robots… first time I saw it, it was soo awesome…. Still is. The concept of a vehicle and a robot in one toy Brilliant!!!

Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?

No, I seriously think I will “retire” at the conclusion of the War for Cybertron Trilogy and Unicron when it arrives… but like any professional athlete that retires, they will still stroll out for a game or two and I am sure there will be a few bots picked up along the way

Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)?

Yeah, they do, most think it is cool but I also don’t care, I don’t collect for them!!

Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?

I did not hide it – not sure if it was fully supported but they never were negative to me about it.

 

 What does your partner think of your hobby?

Ill ask her. – “He has more toys then our kids…..”

 

Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?

Yes. Yes and yes, many moons ago when those sorts of things where considers normal.. well normal in the nerdy/geeky/popculturey way anyway.

 

Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?

Nah nothing like that at all, not creative at all…

 

Favourite series/era/year, and why?

Always G1 cause that’s what I grew up on, but Animated was outstanding the cartoon style and the way the toys could maintain that aesthetic and still function was outstanding

 

Collect any comics?

Too many…..

Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?

Transformers or in general???

Transformers my favourite arcs where from the old UK Issues, City of Fear and Space Pirates in other franchises Marvels Annihilation event was brilliant and always gets a reread

Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?

To many to name one I think, there is always a great episode from every series, but I think call of the primitives from G1 is always a favourite or Grimmy new brain, or Starscream’s ghost if I had to pick a handful…. And can’t remember the episode names from Animated or prime…..

Favourite Character, and why?

Sludge – just because I love the big bastard of a Dinobot, Ratchet would be a close 2nd

Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?

Sludge

Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?

SLUDGE!

Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc):

Lots and lots and lots under the cosmic unified numbering technique system…. There was an acronym, but I’m not allowed to use it.

But over a thousand

 

Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?

Yes mostly the ones that are sealed are really, really old or I don’t have time to open them yet.

 

How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?

That I would love to and not ever know the answer too

Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?

Probably, but I don’t keep track of those sorts of things

What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?

Nothing that is out of the ordinary, I have a chunk of Ironhide’s Tyre from Dark of the moon, Leonard Nimoy’s Autographs as Sentinel prime, and a bunch of the 1st movie actor scribbled their name on a poster

Editors note: Nice!

First Transformers toy?

Optimus Prime

One toy you most want?

Optimus prime, still sealed in that original g1 box

The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?

I don’t really have a centrepiece my collection is all over the place between storage and display, but my First year G1 is always my fave!

Favourite toy in your early years of collecting?

G1 Highbrow when I got this guy he was my first “futuristic” styled transformer and I loved the headmaster concept and the  figure.

Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?

So many from Armada…..

Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?

So So So Many from Armada…

 

Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?

Remember when a car that transformed into a robot was a gimmick…..i think gimmicks are cool they need to freshen up every now and then otherwise we just keep getting Optimus Prime,  Bumblebee, Megatron, and Starscream over and over again……

Also Non transforming Stuff… Love it… I would love a super articulated action figure if it didn’t transform, screen accurate highly detailed Action Masters!! Also Statues I have wayyy to many but love it , Transformers are a brand and we can enjoy that brand on anything we desire, shoes, underwear, hats, non transforming action figures, bobble heads the possibilities are limitless and if you enjoy it who cares if it doesn’t transform!!!

 

Which single TFs toy should every fan own?

I would say it would have to be Optimus Prime, I will allow modern versions of the Autobot leader but the G1 is such a classic iconic toy that it should be apart of anyone’s collection.

Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?

It would depend on the person getting married I would tailor the gift to the person somehow, like an action master in a custom tuxedo. on a side note my wife gave me a Movie Bumblebee with an engraving on his rear window with “Just Married” for our wedding day, sits proudly in my cabinet (only transformer my wife has ever bought me).

 

Do you collect other toys?

Yes amongst other things too,..would you like to know more?????

I have a heathy collection of Guardian of the Galaxy figures and POP!s, Trading Cards from Movies and Sports, other sports and movie/tv memorabilia, I like to chase autographs from actors of my favourite shows. Comic Books

 

 What is your favourite TF themed post on this website?

There are so many good entertaining posts, I have enjoyed watching the transformatroium grow the toy reviews are good because its just a “this is how it is approach but some of the most entertaining ones would be the ones not about transformers (*GASP*) the Tales of the Trev stories or the hot sauce reviews. (pssst hey You, you out there reading this. Don’t limit yourself to just reading about transformers there is entertainment value all over the dark little corner of Trev’s blog)

Editors Note: Best response to this question EVER!

How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com ?

I remember in the golden age of message boards Trev Posted a thread up about his blog.. Check it Out he wrote. (sounds like a good name for a show….) so I did…

 

Questions from other Fans:

Stu  (via Twittah)

With so many great teams in the NRL why on Earth would you be a Sharky’s fan?

Way back in that magical time called the 80’s I spent those early years living around Bankstown my Parents Supported the Bulldogs My Grandparents Supported the Bulldogs and Souths my Uncle Parramatta, but me a young and impressionable kid just loved the way this teenager at fullback of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks played the game. Andrew Ettingshausen was the reason I started following the club, I had no allegiances or commitment prior to then and I followed the club ever since!

 

Dallas  (via Twittah)

Do you have collecting Goal? You have a Spectacular Display Space; how do you plan to collect as it fills up?

 Since the Sharkticons and life the collecting has slowly reduced, I don’t really have a collecting goal I pick up things that I like, my main goal I guess would be getting the majority of my collection actually out on display not just sitting around waiting to be set up. Its just finding that elusive time to do it.  I mentioned a bit earlier in that I am entertaining the idea of retirement, collecting as it fills up will probably be focused around on how or if it will it display better, and maybe going back and replacing a few existing pieces or retro-filling gaps in some of the older lines I missed over adding more and more new stuff.

 What’s your favourite non g1 series?

 That would be Animated, the shift in animation style and aesthetic was refreshing, the cartoon was fun and the toys able to match that styling mad them a fun series to pick up

 Did Beast Wars/Machines really save transformers?

 This is a tricky one, and I am going to say no it didn’t, you see the end of “g1” came about when 98.35% of the target audience grew up and was venturing into the world of Highschool and hormones so the interest petered out. But the younger siblings or newer families where coming of age, and I always feel toys follow a cycle, introduced – evolve – die off and then they a refreshed every 6-7 years years for the newer generation going through a fresh “jumping on point” so it was fresh imaginations and a resupply of young children that saved transformers, beast wars was just the gimmick of the time….  Much like how nostalgia now has parents buying care bears and MLP and MOTU and Strawberry Shortcakes for their children now.

 Why hasn’t (named redacted) blocked you yet?

 That’s a question you should ask him yourself…wait….you cant….

 

Michael  (via Twittah)

I’m increasingly curious about people’s social media interactions, especially in regard to TFs – maintaining them, where they go and why?

 Once upon a time I used to frequent the big American and Australian TF message boards but they became a tedious chore full of elitists nobodies which made them an unenjoyable place to go, then I joined (and in some cases left) facebook groups these suffer from a lot of the same negatives as message boards. These days I am on twitter where I can get the “news” and a part of a few small group chats of fellow collectors where we can just bounce stuff off each other, I also frequent/read a few odd blogs that people post random stuff up for entertainment, and I am pretty happy about that, I guess when it comes down to it, it is just easier to have a quick scroll through a twitter feed then to navigate the depths of message boards.

 

Hursticon (via Twittah)

Which do you derive more enjoyment from – toy or trading card collecting and what differences between the two worlds or fandoms keep you maintaining the two?

 I wouldn’t say I get more enjoyment out of one or the other, but They are two different worlds, transformers you know what you get, chunk of plastic in a cardboard box that shifts and folds, Trading Cards, I guess is it is like gambling, hit that signature or short print card or that elusive 1of1 and it bring excitement and joy, it’s the combination of all things that I enjoy, sort through some card board or transform some figures, both are forms of relaxation, but like anything you need to find a balance, you cant get everything, and you have to accept that, and never spend beyond you means…. It would be awesome to own that Michael Jordan Rookie card or that MISB G1 Fortress Maximus but also I rather like eating and doing things with my family!!

 

Kenan (via Faceybook)

Biggest case of buyers remorse?

 Not really one to be too remorseful about purchases but there were a lot of transformers from armada I could of really done without, but if we are talking other things it would have been maybe a case of 2018 NRL elite, where all I hit where shite cards or my youngest daughters bunk bed, that was a nightmare of thing to make every day.

 

Thank you so much to Steve for doing this fantastic interview!  If you have any other questions for him please pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them.

 

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Toy Review – WFC-GS12 Greasepit

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Transformer fans had mixed reactions when we saw the return of the Micromasters a couple of years ago.  On the one hand it was great to get new versions of characters we hadn’t seen since 89/90.  On the other their joints were often weak and their combined weapons modes were more often than not fairly crap.

Then this year we got a new spin on the whole Micromaster gimmick.  Back in the day some of them had bases that transformed from things like airports into battle stations with Micromasters manning them – very cool with a lot of play value.  Now those classic bases are coming back but now have a third and fourth mode – robot and Modulator armor/weaponary.

The first of these figures released was earlier this year in the Earthrise line with Ironworks.  So let’s see how his Decepticon counterpart is getting on in the new millennium with Generations Selects Greasepit.

 

Fuel Station Mode

Being a redeco of Ironworks, we are seeing pretty much the same figure here.  A small compact petrol station, Greasepit’s building portion looks more industrial than than the auto-repair theme the original sported.  Also what the hell were they thinking with the positioning of those gas pumps?!  Right at the entrance/exit ramp to the fuel centre, filling up your vehicle means you are going to block other customers and, Primus forbid, if you leave your handbrake off you are gonna see your car roll off into traffic!

The one thing that is kinda cool here is the ‘Super Gasoline’ sign – all but identical to the original toy.

 

Battle Station Mode

The original Greasepit station (or station belonging to Greasepit I should say) unfolded to have towers, missile launchers, guns and radar dishes – it was very cool.  Almost all of that is gone now except for the tower and a solitary gun emplacement.  Certainly a downgrade from what had come before and essentially identical to Earthrise Ironworks.

 

Robot Mode

Also pretty much identical to Ironworks.  And once again I have to question the placement of the fuel pumps.  I mean, on the end of his fist?  Punch someone once and you’ll blow your own hand off!  At least the colour scheme is pretty boss and he comes with a gun which you can replace the fuel pumps with.

 

Modulator

Yeah, the Modulators as a whole aren’t working for me the same way the Weaponizers did.  Besides a gun you are really just giving other bots a bit of extra armour and some cyberclown-sized shoes.

 

Overall

The new Ironworks toy worked because the base mode still had its crane, the battle station mode still had one big weapon and you could get the little truck to go with him from the Micromaster 10-pack that was released in Siege.  This redeco doesn’t do the original toy justice at all.  No little partner to obtain to go with it, the fuel station mode looks odd and the battle station mode is nowhere near as cool as the original.  If like me you intend to get Generations versions of classic G1 characters then you are going to want to pick this guy up.  If not then this figure is an easy pass.

 

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Toy Review – Earthrise Snapdragon

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The original Headmaster Horrorcons were G1 toys that kinda had it all.  They were triple changers, they had beast modes, they had jet modes AND they were Headmasters where the Nebulan partner also triple-changed – becoming the head of the robot and of the beast.  Combine all this with the fact that they also showed up in the season 4 of G1 cartoon before it’s end and these were sought after figures!

Sadly, the beast modes weren’t brilliant, the colour-schemes were cringe-worthy, the accessories were easy to lose and if you lost the Headmaster itself the toy only worked as a jet.  This makes these figures very hard to find on the secondary market today, and both toys remain some of the few from the G1 cartoon I don’t own.

However for those wanting representations of these figures but can’t afford the huge amounts the originals go for – fear not!  They are back in the new toylines!   Last year saw the release of Apeface in the Siege line and this year we get his partner in the Earthrise line.  So without further ado, let’s have a look at War for Cybertron Snapdragon.

 

Robot Mode

“These boob-tattoo’s hurt!”

A good sized and robust figure for the Voyager class, very chunky and strong looking, though it would have been nice to see less kibble on the arms.  Despite this the figure has decent articulation.  A bit plain looking, but pays homage to the original toy – right down to Krunk becoming the head and the Decepticon-faction symbols on the nipples.

 

Cybertronian Fighter Jet Mode

Once again it is very faithful to the original figure and it’s certainly his strongest mode. A really nice representation of a Cybertronian Fighter Jet and had multiple ports to not only attach the robots guns but also other weapons such as those from Weaponizer characters.

One feature I really like is the big cockpit in the middle of the jet.  It splits down the middle to open sideways and allow Krunk to ride inside and even has a control panel!

 

Dragon Mode

“All the better to eat Daniel with m’dear!”

If his jet mode is his stronges mode, then the dragon mode of Snapdragon is definitely his weakest, even if a distinct improvement on the original.  Firstly Krunk doesn’t even become the head, he becomes the lower jaw and can be extremely frustrating to get into place.  For me it usually means leaving his mouth wide open.  Also he doesn’t really look much like a dragon – he looks more like a weirdly coloured faux T-Rex with the little forearms  and general proportions.    Add to this all the visible jet kibble and this is not a great beast mode at all.

 

Overall

If you are after a Generations representation of the Headmaster Horrorcons then Snapdragon is for you.  Also if looking for a figure for a younger fan this isn’t bad, what with the easy transformations, three modes and the Titan Master gimmick.  However to other collectors the very cool jet mode may not make up for the average robot mode and subpar dragon mode.  So yeah, this is definitely a ‘take or leave’ kinda Con.

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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