Tag Archives: Robot Mode

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Studio Series Ultra Magnus

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Every year we get a new Commander Class Transformers figure and these are usually highly anticipated by the fans.  Likewise, as the rate of live-action movie releases has slowed and the 40th anniversary of the franchise grows ever closer, we have been getting more SS86 toys, giving us screen accurate tfigures of characters from the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie.

Transformers Movies: All 8 ranked from Worst to Best!

Well the Commander Class and the Studio Series have finally met, and how appropriate with everyones favorite City Commander!  Thus we have Commander Class Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus – lets take a look!

 

Robot Mode

Hiya! Remember me? I got to be the leader for all of 80 minutes!

What struck me first about this figure is the size.  Depending on what you need him for he is either too big or too small.  For instance for a Commander-Class figure he is much smaller than the likes of Jetfire, making you feel somewhat ripped off, given the significant price tagged attached.

Magnus doesnt want to apper racist, but deep down he’s nervous about the much larger black guy standing next to him

Likewise for a SS86 figure he is too big, the likes of SS Blurr and Kup should come up to his chest, not his waist.

Kup doesn’t want to apper racist, but deep down he’s worried about the much larger guy dressed like Uncle Sam next to him

Size aside this is a pretty impressive figure.  The articulation is excellent, having ankle-tilts, head tilt, knee and waist movement – perhaps the only letdown is the arm movement is somewhat hampered by his massive chest.   Overall he is a very bulky figure, with his upper body so broad it does not reflect full screen accuracy, but I still quite like the look of him.

‘And you’ll die trying, just like Megatron’

A neat feature is that you can make the chest spring open in order to recreate the scene where he inserts the Matrix of Leadership.

Don’t get too comfy Matrix, you wont be staying long

 

Vehicle Mode

A very faithful representation of the characters altmode, extremely reminiscent of both the original toy and the cartoon.  He is large enough you can fit four of the smaller Deluxe vehicles on his trailer and the ramps at the back lower down to permit loading.

Insert obligatory ‘enter me from the rear’ joke
I can take four at once

Once again, you may feel a little cheated by the size.  Commander class Motormaster is not much shorter than him in vehicle mode, yet is an incredibly solid figure whereas Ultra Magnus is mostly space.

However Magnus on the whole scales quite well, not only with Deluxes but with Kingdom Rodimus, so you are able to recreate those few scenes from S3 of the G1 cartoon where they drive side by side.

Toy Review: Kingdom Rodimus Prime

 

Transformation

Unless you rip my ears off, this is the only detachment you will get.

Unlike many Ultra Magnus figures in recent years, this figure is not a partsformer.  This has its pros and cons.  Some of the Cons are that you cannot easily recreate the scene where he gets blown to bits on Junkion, and there is no inner white robot to replicate the original toy.  Yes, the cab can detach, but does not create an albino Optimus.

The major pro for me is though this has lead to a far more detailed toy with a very good level of transformation – not too easy yet not that hard you get frustrated.  Plus the bonus of there being minimal parts to loose.

 

Worth Getting?

One of these Magnus’ is not like the other one…. oh wait

The majority of Commander Class figures I have picked up in sales so have been discounted.  Given how much smaller Magnus is than most of them I wish I had done the same here so I could feel like I was getting my full moneys worth.  As well as the size I was disappointed with the lack of a ‘blow-up’ feature, and though it did not worry me personally, other fans may be put off by there being no inner robot.  However these detractors aside this is an extremely well made and fun figure who looks great in both modes and has an enjoyable transformation sequence.  Recommended if you can find him a bit cheaper than the current price.

 

Did you pick up SS86 Ultra Magnus?  What did you think of him?  Pop it in the comments section below!

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Video: Kingdom Galvatron Review

Toy Review – HasLab Unicron

 

Random Rants, Transformatorium

The ROTB Wheeljack Controversy

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There is only about a month to go until the new Transformers Rise of the Beasts film hits theatres and the hype is building, with everything from toy lines hitting shelves to art exhibitions taking place to celebrate the upcoming flick.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE EXHIBITION

However, it wouldn’t be a Transformers movie without there being something contentious to make the fandom all scream at each other, and in this case it’s the design of Wheeljack.

“Did I do that?’

Wheeljack, the very first Transformer to ever hit screen, was the Autobots mad-scientist, always coming up with whacky inventions and weapons that more often than not backfired.  This combined with his distinctive headscuplt,  easy-going personality and slick Lancia Stratos Turbo race car alt-mode meant that he was a fan favourite and one of the better known Transformer characters.

Wheeljack nearly appeared in the Dark of the Moon Transformers movie, but the decision was made at the last second to call the character ‘Que’ instead, as an homage to James Bond’s gadget guy.  Still, this decision was made so late that some toys and in the associated video game the character was still called Wheeljack.

‘Hey, it could be worse – I could look like this in the new movie!’

Wheeljack made his proper live-movie appearance in the Bumblebee Movie.  Whilst he had but a single line, he could be seen battling on Cybertron at the start of the flick and was instantly recognisable.  Despite being on screen for a very short amount of time, he received a very cool Studio Series figure which had an altmode of a Cybertronian HoverCar, instead of the Cybertronian HoverVan mode he had in the G1 cartoon.

In the upcoming Rise of the Beasts movie, a sequel to the Bumblebee flick, Wheeljack has completely changed from the previous film, with a completely different robot mode and altmode to any he has sported before.  Some fans are really not happy, with other fans really not happy that those fans are not happy.

So where does my opinion lie in all this?  Well let me tell you:

Toy Review – Studio Series Airazor

“Don’t be a slave to G1, don’t be a sook – characters change!”

This is the argument that a lot of fans are giving to those that don’t like the look of the new Wheeljack.  And I think they’ve got the argument slightly wrong.   I believe it’s not that people are annoyed that this incarnation of Wheeljack in not a carbon copy of his G1 incarnation, it’s that he’s not really recognisable as Wheeljack at all.

VW fans however are gonna be psyched!

People, for the most part unless they are the most staunch geewunners (which do sadly exist), don’t mind some changes to characters, as long as they retain some key essence of the original. It keeps the characters fresh and interesting.  Fans had no issue with Wheeljack being a Wrecker with a rebellious personality in Prime (2010). Wheeljack having a country accent and a mouth in Cyberverse (2018) and the new Earthspark (2022) cartoon have also been received without complaint.  Despite some changes these incarnations were still instantly recognisable as Wheeljack, due to either their physical appearance and/or personality. This incarnation doesn’t look, act or sound like Wheeljack (that we’ve seen thus far – who knows what may happen in the film).  So I completely understand why some fans are going ‘Why not just make it a new character instead of completely changing an old one?’.

These WERE the droids you were hoping for

 

To use an example from a different pop-culture franchise – it’s like Batman; there are dozens of different iterations of Batman with varying costumes and personalities, but you can generally pick up a comic or see a movie and still go ‘yep – that’s Batman’.

All slightly different in looks and personality – but all still definetly Batman.

No one is demanding that every Batman look like Adam West, they just want it to still be recognisable as the character.  If they did a comic where Batman was actually a 6’10” Slavic insurance-claims adjuster who lives in Brisbane, and at night throws rubber ducks at criminals whilst making poultry-puns, people would be like ‘WTF? That’s not Batman!’

 If we were to use a Transformers character such as Grimlock, we see the pattern repeated.  He is usually a grey Cybertronian T-Rex with a rebellious attitude.  But we have seen different versions of him over the years.  In the Alternators toyline he turned into a Ford Mustang, in Titanium a Cybertronian tank, in Rescue Bots Academy a Dino-cycle, in Age of Extinction a Gigantic Rex-Dragon.  In the RID15 Cartoon he was back to being a Cybertronian T-Rex again, but now green with a teddy-bear like head and a goofy personality.

All slightly different in looks, personality and altmodes, but all still Grimlock.

Each of these differed greatly from the core G1 character, but there was still enough recognisable elements that you could look and go ‘yup – that’s Grimlock’.

 

‘There have been different Wheeljacks before – they reuse names all the time, get over it!’

Armada Wheeljack

Yes, lots of characters got their names reused in Beast Wars, then again in early 00’s in shows like RID & Armada, but those were generally exceptions where they just randomly used names in order to keep the trademark.  Wheeljack in Armada was a bitter Autobot that swapped allegiance, and besides a car altmode had nothing to do with the original.  Similarly Grimlock, whom we were discussing earlier, turned into a excavator in RID and had zero connection to the original character.  So the precedents are there.

One of these Grim’s is not like the other ones…

That being said, Hasbro has taken a far more uniform approach to their characters in the modern era and, outside of the Movieverse, these aberrations have happened very little over the last 15 or so years.

 

So am I going to boycott the movie because Wheeljack is essentially unrecognisable?  No – I’m still looking forward to it!  And for all I know I might really like the character on the big screen and go out and buy the SS figure of him.  But do I understand why some fans have a beef with how he is being portrayed – yes I do.

Causing more mixed feelings in fandom than a female Ghostbuster

So my 2-cents are: if you don’t like how you think the ROTB Wheeljack looks/acts/sounds – go watch the movie next month and see if he grows on you.   Heck, he might be good enough that he earns a right to simply share the name, like G1 and Beast Wars Inferno do.

To those who have a problem with others disappointment in what the character looks like so far, give’em a break eh – it can be a bit heartbreaking to see a character you’ve loved for years changed beyond recognition for no obviously discernable reason.  But yes, when you’ve read the 50th ‘they’ve destroyed the character!’ rant, I can understand how your patience would wane.

Can the Transformers fandom just chill out a bit?

And my final words are – it’s all just toys and movies, don’t take it so seriously, just have fun!

 

Got an opinion on the whole Wheeljackgate?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Ask Trev!, Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Ask Trev: Pipes versus Huffer

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This question comes from Katrina in Sydney:

 

Pipes and Huffer have the same alt mode but different robot modes. Which is your favourite?

Such cute little alien war machines!

It’s true that most of the 1986 Autobot Mini-Vehicles are just slight retools of their 1984 counterparts.  The likes of Swerve, Tailgate, Hubcap and Outback are simply recolours of Gears, Windcharger, Cliffjumper and Brawn respectively with new face sculpts (OK, Outback got a new gun as well which was pretty slick).

However Huffer and Pipes are the exception.  As well as a new colour scheme and face sculpt, the Transformation from Robot Mode from Vehicular mode was slightly changed.  Instead of the cab of the truck becoming a hood as it did with Huffer, it became a backpack for Pipes.

But are their alt-modes really the same?

One of these trucks is not like the other one

Well, yeah, for the most part.  But there are subtle differences.  The moulded grill and headlight motif on the front of the truck has been slightly changed from Huffer to Pipes. The tail-end of the trucks tray, which becomes the robots feet, is slightly more pointed on Huffer than Pipes.  Perhaps the most notable difference besides the colour scheme is the smokestacks, which on Huffer and slightly indented, whilst on Pipes they are well and truly, well… pipes.

Overall the differences are negligible, but far outweigh the differences between the other mini-bot recolours of that era.  I’d be hard-pressed to say which I like more as both have their charms.

Robot Modes

Huffer: “My elbows go the wrong way!” Pipes: “At least you can still pick stuff up”

Here is where the differences really stand out.  As stated, Huffer has a sort of canopy whereas Pipes has a large backpack.  From the back Pipes is easily the weaker of the two, having an entire truck cab hanging off his back.  However this is where his weaknesses end.  His arms are far superior to Huffers, and whilst Huffer could be said to have hands of a sort, it’s the orientation of his arms that lets him down, resembling some form of preying mantis idue to the backwards elbows.  The head of Pipes too is superior, having an actual sculpted head that sits in front of the backpack, rather than some form of wide mask half-hidden under a hood.

 

So to answer Katrina’s question, I have to give it to Pipes, on the whole he is an improvement on his predecessor.

Legends ‘LG35 Super Ginrai’ vs Titans Return ‘Powermaster Optimus Prime’

But what about other iterations?

Huffer, being a legacy character from the 1984 cartoon, has turned up in multiple toylines such as KRE-O, Power Core Combiners, Timelines and even Transformers Prime.  Pipes however has only had another two outings, both retools of existing Huffer figures.  So lets have a look at these to see who is the superior in these new iterations of classic characters.

 

Combiner Wars

Prime-wannabe’s

If there is one set of Huffer/Pipes figures where the alt-modes are exactly the same then it is Combiner Wars.  Not only are the altmodes the same, but the robot modes are exactly the same too, the only differences being in colour scheme and sticker placements.  As such, it’s pretty much impossible to pick one over the other.  I will say I never understood why they gave Pipes a red face, he looks like Tracks squat brother (or me when I’ve been out in the sun too long).

 

Kingdom

We finally busted into the Deluxe Class!

The third outing of Pipes, being again a retool of Huffer, is in the Kingdom line.  I found both these toys to be quite clever and both are certainly the most toon-accurate versions of the characters we have ever had in their robot modes.  Highlights for me included that Pipes now has pipes attached to his outer forearms like in the cartoon instead of the toys arms functioning as the pipes themselves. Huffer now sports a canopy of sensible size, and the way the sides of his alt-modes tray join together to form a very Halo-esque weapon is a really cool idea.  I couldn’t fault either of them.

Pipes & Huffer: Both ready to smoke you!

In their vehicular forms, the fronts of the vehicles are actually (bar colour) exactly the same, having less differences than their G1 toy counterparts.  The differences only seem to be at the back, where Pipes is toting his pipes and Huffer’s gun and shield serve to form a tray.

But wait, there’s more!

Can’t decide between Pipes and Huffer?  Why choose either when you can have Puffer!

Puffer: ‘Even I haven’t heard of me before!’

Soooo…. The story behind this is that in certain parts of the world, when Pipes was released he was a straight up recolour of Huffer, rather than a retooled version.  The storyline behind Puffer is that Huffer and Pipes got sucked into a time-vortex (as one does) and they were fused together into the one being.  Like so many other extremely obscure characters (who can easily be recoloured from an existing figure), Puffer now has his own official toy.  This Puffer though, is essentially Pipes slightly recoloured and with a G1 toy accurate head.  Whilst there is little of Huffer to see in this figure, if you can’t decide which you like more out of Pipes and Huffer, then Puffer may be for you!

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So, overall, Pipes or Huffer? 

A reminder that Prime and Magnus aint the only Autobot trucks on the block

Well, for me it is hands down Pipes, and for me that is a purely sentimental reason.  Pipes was one of my first ever Transformers, and was the first Transformer I ever got a double of when a mate gave me another one for my 9th birthday.  Still have them both too 😊.  I liked in the cartoon how Pipes seemed to straddle between mechanic, field medic and a quasi-field commander, whereas except for lifting the odd mammoth, Huffer seemed to do nothing but whine, barely built anything and for the most part simply vied with Gears for title of biggest complainer on The Ark.

G1: Emotions aside, talking about toys then I feel that Pipes has the better robot mode, despite Huffer having hand indents.  Vehicular, despite the minor differences, I don’t favour one over the other.  Winner: Pipes

Combiner Wars: Exact same vehicle mode so no favourite; in robot mode I gotta take points off Pipes for having the red face.  Winner: Huffer

Kingdom: A draw, as though I like Huffer’s robot mode that smidge more, and he has the cool gun and shield that become the truck tray, Pipes finally has dedicated extra pipes, living up to his namesake.  Winner: A draw, with a special shout out to Puffer for being such a unique character.

Got anything to say about the figures examined, or Pipes and Huffer in general?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Toy Review: Autobot Ark & Teletraan 1

 

 

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Masterpiece Skids

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Oh Skids you poor dear you – always overlooked.  Skids remains to this day perhaps the least well known and recognisable of the Autobots from the 84/85 G1 cartoon.  With very brief and unmemorable appearances in only 2 episodes, even the likes of Grapple and Huffer have proven more popular and its only hardcore G1 & Comic enthusiasts who really know who Skids is.  Skids appeared in the Movieverse as well but, besides a similar alt-mode, had nothing in common with his G1 counterpart and is a distorted version of the character everyone would like to forget.

However Skids has managed to do something that Hoist, Trailbreaker and even Jazz have not – he’s got himself a Masterpiece toy!  So let’s have a squiz at the new MP Skids.

Toy Review – Masterpiece Grapple

Vehicle mode

Skids turns into a fairly realistic rendition of a 1980’s Honda City Turbo hatchback. Whilst not a sexy sportscar, it’s a pretty nice looking vehicle form.  What I particularly like is the sloping roof and front grill.

Different parts of Skids open up as well, much like an Alternators figure.  The side doors open, the bonnet opens to reveal an engine inside and the hatchback opens to reveal storage space.  This storage space will contain a little scooter in the retools of Skids such as Crosscut, and it is a shame Skids did not come with one himself.

Toy Review – Masterpiece Inferno

Robot Mode

Because Skids appeared so little and so infrequently in the cartoon, the designers were not forced to incorporate all the different gimmicks shown on screen, like with so many other Masterpiece figures.  So Skids is very basic in that he comes with no interchangeable faces, no special gimmicks and only his two guns like the original toy had.

That said it’s a very nice looking figure with articulation in the neck, shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles, making him very easy to pose.

Toy Review – Masterpiece Thrust

Transformation

Much more basic than a lot of other Masterpiece figures, but not irritatingly simple either.  In fact I find it a nice change of pace for a MP to have a straightforward transformation with a few clever moves (such as his ankles and shoulders) rather than something overcomplicated which is going to require you give up a portion of your day to complete.

Toy Review – MP-11ND Dirge

Overall

Skids is perhaps the most basic Masterpiece we’ve had in a long time, harkening back to the days of MP Sideswipe.  He is pretty no-frills with no interchangeable faceplates, special gimmicks, intricate engineering or vast assortment of accessories. However what he is also lacking is the exorbitant price tag that most MP’s go for as well.

I*’m the cheap one

At around $100au he’s eminently more affordable than most of his counterparts.  Add to that a fun and straightforward transformation and Skids becomes a breath of fresh air in a line that is replete with expensive and often overly complicated figures.  Skids is well worth his reasonable price tag and a welcome addition to the MP Autobot Cars line-up.

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

Toy Review – Masterpiece Shockwave

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Nemesis Grimlock

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Don’t ya love it when you come across an incredibly cool action figure that you didn’t even know existed?

It’s such a good feeling for the avid collector, but an increasingly rare one.  No longer do we only find out what Transformers are being released by perusing our local toy stores to see what’s on the shelf.  No sir, we do most of our shopping online and are well aware what toys are in the works, usually a good year before they actually get released.

Well, a really cool figure got past me years ago that I didn’t even know existed until a few weeks ago when I was on a Japanese site, looking for a Wipe-Out to go with my TR Trypticon, and came across this gem by accident.

So let’s take a look – from the Movie Advanced line – at the dark, the dangerous, the friggin awesome – Nemesis Grimlock!

 

First off – why haven’t you heard of Nemesis Grimlock?

I asked around a lot of my TF buddies and, like me, they had never heard of this toy.  And it’s easy to see why.  This redeco of the AOE Voyager Class Grimlock toy was an exclusive figure you could only obtain by attending a Transformers Expo that ran for 8 days in Yokohama, Japan back in 2014.  Thus if you don’t hail from Japan, this spot of news was easy to miss.

 

Robot Mode

Like all the other Nemesis characters (Prime, Hot Rod, Primal etc) Nemesis Grimlock has his colour scheme made up of blacks, purples and light blues.  And damn does it work!  So much cooler than the awful baby-poo brown and death-grey colour scheme of the original toy.  For the first time I find myself really liking a Movieverse Grimlock in his robot mode.

Fricken bitchin!

He has decent articulation and is able to be posed fairly well.  He scales quite well with other Nemesis characters and his weapon looks like it could deal a lot of damage.  Overall fantastic!

 

Robo-Dinosaur Mode

To be honest I don’t think they’ve made a good looking Movieverse Grimlock toy outside of the Studio Series one.  Every other one has got weird colour schemes and weirder features.  Proportions wise Nemesis Grimlock has the same flaws as his regular AOE counterpart.  But given that this is meant to be an evil version of Grimlock, the weird huge face and teeth with the psychotic eyes work for once – you could imagine that this is the criminally insane version of Grimlock that arose from the bowels of Unicron himself.

The hellishly insane version of Big Grim!

The club can be attached to the tail to make… err…. an extremely long tail, but is best left detached.  Nemesis Grimlock comes with a jaw chomping gimmick, some articulation and scales OK with Nemesis Primal, if not the other Nemesis robots.

 

Transformation

Not particularly hard or fiddly – you’ll pick it up fairly quick.

 

Worth Getting?

A Nemesis Grimlock figure?  Hells yes it is!  I don’t care that it hails from the Movieverse continuity rather than the Generations line, it’s still a cool concept.  Surprisingly this figure isn’t that hard to find online, probably because no one is actively searching for it, and isn’t ruinously expensive so if you fancy him you shouldn’t have too many headaches tracking one down.

 

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

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews, Videos

Video: Kingdom Galvatron Review

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Well kiddies, I know I usually do written reviews of Transformers, replete with fascinating details and lots of pics, but today is something different.  Today I, along with my good buddy Brendan, have created a video review.  And it’s of none other than that Unicron lackey, the big bad himself – Galvatron!

So sit back and enjoy this special video review of Transformers Kingdom Leader Class Galvatron – you wont be disappointed 😉

 

 

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

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review: Kingdom Rodimus Prime

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Two years ago the Transformers line saw the introduction of the Commander Class – a toy scale a size up from the Leader Class.  In 2019 we got a fantastic Jetfire, followed last year by an equally great Sky Lynx.

This year with the release of Unicron, we are seeing a slew of figures based around the 1986 Transformers animated movie.  One of these was Hot Rod in the Studio Series line.  Now we get to see him all grown up as the Commander Class Kingdom Rodimus Prime.

 

Robot Mode

Extremely nice, and much better proportioned than the POTP Rodimus we got several years ago.  He looks extremely character accurate, both in proportions and colour scheme and even has the trademark grimace he usually wore since he was always stressing he wasn’t Optimus.  The figure has tight joints and numerous points of articulation.

Rodimus Prime also comes with his signature rifle, as well as the Sword of Primus that he wielded in the ReGeneration One comics.

Like most Prime toys, this Rodimus comes with a Matrix that can be removed.  Can make for some great scenes from the movie such as his transformation from Hot Rod and his destruction of Unicron.

Have Matrix, will travel
Growth Spurt
‘Light our darkest hour!’

 

Vehicle Mode

Good luck trying to overtake this on the cyber-highway

Damn that’s big!  Much bigger than the leader class POTP Rodimus we mentioned earlier.  For the most part he is cartoon and toy faithful, though the front of the car sticks out a little too far for my liking.  But perhaps there is no hard and fast rule as to what a Cybertronian Winnebago should look like.

This Rodimus has some features that most previous figures of the toy haven’t had.  One is that you can open up the back of his trailer which is a nice touch.  Another is that you can take the cannon emplacement from inside and put it on the top of the trailer for a sick battle mode.

What old people wish their Winnebago’s would do when other drivers honk

Rodimus can detach from his trailer and for once he still looks like Rodimus rather than Hot Rod.  The vehicle mode is stockier and makes it look a beefier version of Hot Rod, which Rodimus himself actually is.  In both modes you can attach what is shaped like exhaust flames, but coloured like exhaust fumes.  Whether they chose this so as to not add more yellow/orange I don’t know but its an odd aesthetic choice.

 

Battle Platform

The original G1 toys trailer could open up to reveal a cannon platform and that has been recreated really nicely here.  The cannon can swivel 360 degrees and can also detach with little tank tracks on the bottom.  Personally I would have liked to see the ramp at the front be able to fold down to touch the ground, but that is rectifiable by the connecting of a Battle Master, which also allows the platform to hook up to other playsets.

 

Transformation

The trailer is dead easy.  I found the robot mode a tad fiddly in places but everything locks together very tightly and there was no point I got overly frustrated.

 

Worth Getting?

This would be the best mass-release Rodimus that we have had so I would say yes, despite the larger than usual price tag.  However if you already have the POTP version it’s pretty good and also has the option of turning into Hot Rod, so I wouldn’t trade in just yet.  It will be interesting to see if the upcoming Galvatron figure scales well with Rodimus, then we really will see if this toy is capable of lighting ones darkest hour!

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

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – HasLab Unicron

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In what could be said to be one of the biggest toy events in Transformers history and perhaps the most anticipated Transformers toy of all time, we have the biggest official Transformer figure of all time – Unicron!  Yes The Chaos Bringer has finally shipped out to all those all over the world lucky enough to be able to afford this behemoth, and he does not disappoint!  So lets have a look at what the ultimate evil looks like in his 27 inches of glory.

 

Planet Mode

Frick-en HUGE!  The main body of the planet is bigger than a soccer ball, and his halo of struts makes him absolutely massive!  The sheer scale of this figure really does dwarf everything that has come before.  The colours are spot on and the amount of detail with the spikes around the midsection, the different strata of layers and the planet jaws that open and close are just beautiful.  Yes its essentially a big (expensive) ball which limits its playability and poseability but that’s OK – this is the ultimate display piece and mainly for looking at and going ‘wow – just wow’.

To make up for the lack of playability in planet mode Unicron’s head comes detached (like it was at the end of TF:TM and in S3) and has a few features of its own.  You can change the beard and you can change the face as well to the battle smashed version.  Or you can remove the face all together and swivel those creepy eyes around.   The Head comes with it’s own display stand like the main figure, and also has an Autobot ship as well as a tiny Rodimus & Galvatron to round it out.

 

Robot Mode

Again we get to see the scale of Unicron here, so much bigger than even the biggest of Titan toys.  The amount of detail put into this figure is staggering, Haslab going above and beyond to make him resemble his animated appearance as much as possible.  He has great articulation for such a huge figure and nearly every part of Unicron has movement; the neck, waist, knees, elbows, feet, wrists and so on all have different degree’s of swivel and articulation.  By keeping Unicron on the stand you can pose him however you wish, even the legs in stances which would let a normal toy fall over.  The articulation of the fingers on each hand is unprecedented, with every finger having 3 points of movement.

There has been a great deal of discussion about all the kibble.  Most of this can be removed.  However I like to leave it on, for me it shows that this really is a functioning Transformer that can be changed into a different configuration – its not simply a statue.  His backpack is not a major downside for me and neither are his calves.  The skeletal wings really polish off what is a massively impressive figure.

 

Transformation

Get yourself a coffee and some snacks because you are going to be there a while.  The first time you do it will probably take you the best part of an hour.  The majority of this time is taken up with folding all the layers of the planet shell on top of each other to form the backpack and calves.  The inner robot is fairly simplistic and will present no challenges.  At no point did I find any part of the transformation overly fiddly and when you finally get him in robot mode that first time you may well feel a true sense of satisfaction.  According to blog-fan Trent, a good way to keep track of how to transform him back to planet mode is to take photo’s throughout the initial transformation – this helps you remember where everything was at different stages and reverse the process, though getting those planet panels back into position can be quite fiddly and awkward at times.

 

Overall

Unicron is a big fella and came with a big price tag (which has already been eclipsed by the new auto-transforming Optimus toy).  With only 12000 units made, we are already seeing Unicron’s on ebay going for 3 times what they cost.  Personally I bought two for my different displays and kind of wish I’d bought a 3rd so I could now sell it to pay for the other two.  Is he perfect?  No.  The inner chomper walls of the planet should have been painted silver as should his lower teeth.  The transformation to planet mode can be irritating at stages.  Also some extras such as lighting for the eyes and outer ring would have been appreciated, as well as would have a detachable leg like in the movie.  The backpack does detract from the way he looks from the back and many may not like the calves.  However on the whole this is a brilliant figure that will easily become the crowning centerpiece of any Transformer collectors collection!

 

Thoughts from other Transformer Fans:

 Steve: Impressive, Hefty & Awkward

Trent: Big!

Dallas: Just assembling the planet mode out of the box required separating a lot of panels. It’s awkward to manage because of its sheer massive size. The way all the ring components assemble, the spike strips install and lock in place and the shell components separate and reintegrate speaks of well thought out elegant engineering.  The fact that it’s been designed to allow transformation on the stand indicates a real understanding of the intended use, anyone who says they can transform this thing without the stand is talking out their arse.

Orion: It’s awesome – biggest Transformer ever!  And Dad let me transform his butt!

Jason: The missus gave an almighty headshake when she saw me come home with a box that size!

  

Got your own thoughts about this giant figure?  Pop them in the comments section below!

 

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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

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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