Tag Archives: Generations Selects

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Micron Micromasters

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With the Transformers Kingdom toy line hitting the stores we are seeing a shift away from the Micromasters that have made up a decent part of the Siege and Earthrise toylines.  Whilst some may be happy for this, others will miss not being able to complete the sets of these classic (if obscure) characters in their updated forms.

Luckily for us, if not so lucky for those with limited online store access, there are still a few sets being released under the Generations Selects line. Today we will look at the latest to be released; it containing three old characters and three (well, 2 1/2) brand new ones! So lets look at the Micron Micromasters set from the Galactic Odyssey Collection.

 

Motorhead & Runner

Both are recolours of their teammates and will give fans the ability to complete the classic Race Track Patrol.  Runner was originally named Barricade in G1, but with the name Barricade firmly affixed to the Movieverse character, this figure has been renamed Runner which was his pre-war name in the Dreamwave comics.

 

Fireguard & Roadburner

Once again these two are recolours, this time of the Decepticon Micromasters Direct-Hit & Power Punch.  And once again we have a name change.  Fireguard is most obviously Wheel-Blaze, but since Wheel-Blaze had already received a new figure, they had to rename him and make him a new character. 

Disappointingly Roadburner has the cannon of his Decepticon counterpart instead of a fire ladder.  I suppose one could argue that it is meant to be a cannon that shoots water rather than laser fire.

 

Stingracer and Windstorm

Now these two are a bit interesting.  The toys are (sigh) yet again simple recolours of other WFC Micromasters that have come before, but they are brand new characters.  The most interesting bit is that their colour schemes are homages to MASK vehicles.  The Decepticon Stingracer (the brown one) and the Autobot Windstorm have both lifted their paintjobs from toys from the MASK line and even their altmodes have a decent resemblance.  I particularly like the colour scheme of Windstorm – the mint green colouring combined with the flame job on the vehicle hood really pops!

 

Weapons Modes

All these characters can become guns for larger characters or combine to become a double-weapon.  Sadly they pretty much suck across the board and there will be few people that use them for this purpose. (For some examples of Micromaster weapons modes SEE HERE)

 

Worth Getting?

If you are a completionist then yes.  If you are after a few new characters instead of the same G1 ones being trotted out time and time again then yes.  However if you are after new figures that don’t resemble toys that have come before then don’t waste your time here.  Besides colour schemes there is nothing new to recommend these figures, although I must say that the limbs on them are surprisingly tighter than those that have come before.  I was able to transform all characters multiple times without limbs detaching, which is something to date that none of the other WFC Micromasters has managed for me.  So this set isn’t bad and has a reasonable price point – grab it if you are inclined.

 

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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 – WFC-GS11 Exhaust

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It’s become an accepted fact now that the Generations Selects line is going to be part of the Transformers toyline for the foreseeable future.  Whilst annoying that one can never simply walk into a store and purchase one of these figures, at least they are still easier to obtain than store-exclusive figures (most often only obtainable in the US).

Most Generations Selects figures are either simple recolours or slight retools of toys from the main line.  And today figure is no different.  So without further ado lets take a look at WFC-GS11 Decepticon Exhaust

Sporting some serious fricken shades!

The character Exhaust has a kinda cool history.  A Diaclone figure that shared a mold with Wheeljack and whose paintjob was closely associated with a brand of cigarettes, in the new area finally got a Transformers toy (Masterpiece no less!) based on him as well as an actual name – Exhaust. And yes the smoking jokes have never stopped since then.

 

Robot Mode

‘I can do the arm cannon thing too!’

As you can see here, Exhaust being a retool of Wheeljack continues, with a new visor and paintjob being the only real difference between this figure and Earthrise Wheeljack.  Like the Autobot mad scientists toy, I find this Exahust to be a tad stocky.  I also would have liked to see some greater detail in the paintjob such as some blue on the wings and patches of green on the body.  Still, for his first Generations outing Exhaust got a fairly good toy.  What is interesting to note is that he is sporting a ‘Mercenary’ badge rather than a Decepticon one.

New Mercenary Badge

Like most toys in the War for Cybertron trilogy toyline, Exhaust comes with extra ports to attach Weaponizer components, such as those from Greasepit.

Protected from both Autobots and rain

 

Vehicle Mode

This is where he comes into his own.  He retains his old number but otherwise the paintjob is different from his MP outing, with Decepticon even being spelled out in Japanese on the side.  It’s a really nice looking sportscar and the little missile launcher on the roof I feel suits the likes of Exhaust better than Wheeljack.

For us older fans, we have to wonder: Is Exaust deep down a Burt Reynolds fan?  And with a new paintjob could he be the source of the next movie crossover figure?

 

Transformation

Pretty simple, you aren’t going to break your brain changing this guy.

 

Overall

If you are a Generations completionist then Exhaust is worth grabbing.  Unlike Prime and Soundwave and so many other big names he doesn’t already have hundreds of toys out there of him.  If looking for a solid figure with an interesting history then this is also a good reason to pick him up.  However if simply looking for a new toy, there are plenty easier (and cheaper) to obtain than this smoky bandit.

 

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Toys Review – Selects: Nightbird, Cromar and Zetar

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The Generations Selects line is one that divides people.  On the one hand it provides opportunities for figures to get made that might otherwise not due to a lack of popularity.  On the other, it means these figures are often only available either online, at specific stores and/or limited to a few select countries, meaning higher prices with a dollop of international postage for good measure.

The War for Cybertron Siege toyline has had a whopping nine Selects figures released this year.  Some such as Redwing have been virtually impossible for overseas collectors to get their hands on at a reasonable price.  But some have been released through multiple US online stores making things a bit easier, and today we are looking at the latest wave of them, consisting of the Powerdashers Cromar and Zetar, and the always mysterious Nightbird.

Note: As all three characters are minor retools of other Siege figures that have been out for quite some time, we will be focusing more on their aesthetics rather than their articulation, transformation and Weaponizer potential.

 

Powerdasher Cromar

Robot Mode

‘We all float down here…’

Whilst it seems his main weapon would be to hang about in Cybertronian Sewers eating Decepticon Protoforms, as a retool of Six-Gun his body is bristling with weapons.  Two long guns on the lower arms and four cannons on the shoulders and back.  Not bad since the original toy didn’t even have a gun.

‘Everybody loves a clown, so why can’t you?’

Cromar gets his distinctive face from the 1984 Mail-away figure he is based on (and the only TF I had and lost as a kid that I have yet to replace as an adult).  It’s… not flattering and makes this a figure you really don’t want to give to a coulrophobia sufferer as a gift.

Alt-Mode

If you think this looks weird, you should have seen my original toy

Pretty much Siege Six-Gun with new colours.  However it works for the character quite well, with perhaps only Cybertron Sideways being a more appropriate recolour.  I likes it!

 

 

Powerdasher Zetar

Robot Mode

I’m smiling because I can kill you with a headbutt

No fingers, no neck, but one helluva hat!  The silly thing is the drill on his head can be spun fairly easily in robot mode but not in vehicle mode. A retool of Siege Brunt, he lacks a certain appeal that Brunt possessed, but is certainly faithful to the original toy & character.  The bonus being he gets a gun this time around which (due to the no fingers thing) can be attached to his forearms.

The creepy circus motif continues

The look of his head really makes me want to get the third Powerdasher – Aragon – just to see if he has some clownish attributes too.

Alt-Mode

‘I..I just don’t know what the hell I am supposed to be’

Once again we are looking at Siege Brunt, but with a drill on the front.  The ironic thing is that the cannon on top, if you attach the blaster, sticks out further than the drill does.  But hey, with the drill that close to the ground Zetar can definitely get a job drilling holes for oversized cybermice or mowing really thin strips of lawn.  Unite Warriors Nosecone or even Combiner Wars Drillhorn make far more practical looking drill tanks.

 

Nightbird

Robot Mode

‘I’m quite frolicsome for a Ninja’

A retool of Siege Chromia, Nighbird boasts a totally new headsculpt which is very indicative of how she looked back in the G1 cartoon, though severely limits how much she can turn her head.  She comes with the same weaponry that can be either a pistol and grenades, a gun or a sniper rifle.  It would have been nice if she had come with some sai’s like the Legends version of her did to show her Ninja origins.

‘Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’

What is very disappointing for a Selects figure is that Nightbird comes apart quite easily.  Her legs, arms and crotchplate all come off way to easily, though at least are not too hard to reattach.

Alt-Mode

‘Wonder if I can get a date with Kit from Knightrider?’

I had no idea she would be this black!  Her backpack makes up the majority of the car body and it’s as black as black can be with a dark purple canopy.  I would have liked to see the backpack/car body remain grey with the black limited to her fenders.  However at least this car mode is more generally Cybertronian, rather than the Legends version which was quite Arcee indicative.

 

Worth Getting?

Only if, like me, you are a fan of obscure G1 characters.  All these moulds have been done before and none of these characters are popular enough that any kid is going to be screaming for them this Xmas.  It’s nice to see the Powerdashers get new figures after all this time, though the lack of a dash component kinda irks me.  Nightbird isn’t bad but I find the Legends version to be far superior in both modes.  So yeah, they are all nice in their way and I’m glad to have them, but none have any wow factor that is going to keep you awake at night wishing that you owned them.

Got anything to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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