Tag Archives: Transformers

Toy Review – LG39 Brainstorm

February 7, 2017 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Brainstorm, a character that has gone from relative obscurity to a fan favorite in recent years, thanks mainly to the More than Meets the Eye comic series. Now gone from being a bit player in the short lived season 4 of the US he is everyone’s favorite amoral weapons designer. However the version we are looking at today is an homage to his much larger television outing in the Japanese Headmasters series. So without further ado, from the Legends series let’s have a look at LG39 Brainstorm.

*Japanese TF boxes, so plain but with such great artwork!*

Vehicle Mode

It wasn’t until I took the gun out of the box and realized that it was a match for Titans Return Blurr’s (for a review of TR Blurr see HERE) that I had a better look at Brainstorms Cybertronian jetfighter mode and realized the whole figure is a retooled Blurr. And once you can imagine the wings being gone it becomes quite obvious. That said, it’s a very nice looking version of Brainstorms alt-mode with the twin guns at the front, sleek nose and slim wings. The orange cockpit makes a nice counterpoint to the rest of the colour scheme and Brainstorms Headmaster partner Cana fits nicely inside.

Robot Mode

A bit small for my liking but it means that he scales well with the rest of the Legends/Titans Return figures. You can remove the nosecone and add it to the arm for extra firepower or leave it attached to his back where it is only noticeable when looking through the legs. The figure has good articulation and once again that lovely Tak/Tom paintjob.

*Somebody messed with the wrong Wang today!*

Cana and Synapse.

*Pimp Daddy Cana’s a bit spoiled for choice!*

Synapse is actually the name of the drone vehicle that comes with Brainstorm. This can either be in a jeep mode for Cana to drive or turn into a double-barelled blaster for Brainstorm to weild. Given the colour scheme one could almost mistake it for a mini-Kup.

Cana has been based on Brainstorms JP Headmaster appearance with the removal of the faceplate. He is nicely detailed in both his modes. When compared with Arcana from the Thrilling 30 version of Brainstorm you can see the difference in size between the two figures, its just a shame you cant swap them over from one body to the other (trust me, I tried). Given the differences in size and facial structure, it makes Legends Brainstorm look like Generations Brainstorm’s younger brother.

Overall

To be honest, I actually still kinda like Generations Brainstorm better. He is bigger, bulkier and his removable vehicle weapons to use as pistols is very G1-toy accurate. However Legends Brainstorm scales well with the current series of toys, has a great colour scheme and comes with not only a Headmaster partner but a drone as well. Depends if you are a fan of the HM cartoon or MTMTE as to which one you may decide to get – or if you are an obsessive fan like me you can just get both!

*“I’m Brainstorm”*
*“No, I’m Brainstorm”*

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – LG40 Astrotrain

February 7, 2017 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Astrotrain – truly a mainstay of the Decepticons in fiction since he first turned up in the G1 cartoon waaay back in 1985. And why not – he is a Giant Robot that turns into a Space Shuttle and a Train! I’m sorry but things don’t get much cooler than that! Despite being immensely popular in the cartoon and there rarely having been a G1 comic in the last decade that hasn’t featured him extensively (always the troop transport aren’t ya, ya poor bugger! To think back in the cartoon you became god of a moon!) Astrotrain has received very few toys over the years. I suppose it’s not the easiest to design, a train and shuttle in one. But now we have one again and he is a Headmaster no less! So let’s get on with the review of the Legends series LG40 Astrotrain!

Please note: Legends Astrotrain is a tweaking of Titans Return Sentinel Prime so I will be making several references. For my review of TR Sentinel Prime please read HERE.

Space Shuttle Mode

Quite flat but certainly a nicely shaped shuttle. There are several options as to where you can place the guns, either on the sides or on the top (I go for the sides personally). Astrotrain’s Headmaster can sit in either the little cockpit at the back between the tailfins or can sit in one of the gun turrets on the side. Despite the great Tak/Tom colour scheme designed to make him look a lot like the G1 cartoon, he still looks a little bland in this mode. However they have at least coloured the windows of the cockpit, something that the Sentinel Prime figure was sorely lacking and from photos I’ve seen the TR version of Astrotrain suffers from this as well.

*Surely one of them will make it to Cybertron*

Train Mode

It’s a damn weird train! Looks like a Cybertronian train of some kind because I don’t think we have trains like this on earth, even in Japan. Like the shuttle version, the train’s windows have added colour here in order to highlight them and the gun ports on the top of the train have been coloured differently to the section (Astrotrains robot arms) that they protrude from. That and the overall colour scheme make this a far superior looking train to Sentinel Prime who looked like a bright red and orange stick. Given you can now make out the train wheels and the trains cabin, it really gives a sense of scale to the toy, that this is a big-arse Cybertronian transport!

*A **JNR Class D51 Steam Locomotive from 1936**. A **Tsubame 800 Bullet Train from 2004**. Does that mean we will see the new Astrotrain on the tracks in Japan around the year 2090?*

Robot Mode

What a butch looking Astrotrain! In fact I think probably the best looking official Astrotrain toy we have ever had! No chest boobs and static arms like the G1 toy, no giant back fins like the Timelines version and he certainly stands quite literally head and shoulders above the Classics version. Good articulation on all extremities, nicely poseable and a good paint job. I like how both his hand guns can join together to become one long rifle much like the G1 toy was sporting. He is of course a Headmaster and his Headmaster partner (whose name is actually Head Master – no points for originality there) can come off and be replaced with any other Headmaster. A great gimmick for little kids and my son loves it, but for myself as a grown up fan I just want Astrotrain himself.

*Sentinel is a reminder to Astrotrain to always wear sunscreen*

Overall

This is a great Astrotrain! Yes the shuttle mode is a tiny bit flat and bland and the train mode is a bit alien in appearance but taken as a whole all three modes work and work well. We needed a Voyager-sized Astrotrain for the Generations lineup and he makes a great buddy for Blitzwing. The Tak/Tom version with the cartoon-homaging paintjob puts this toy far beyond the Titans Return version in my opinion and I heartily recommend this figure to all fans of great characters who get stuck carrying their mates around all day. This guy will definitely make it to Cybertron!

*I gotta catch a train. I gotta catch’em all!*

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Rescue Bots Quickshadow

January 25, 2017 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Femmebots, the slang term for female Transformers, are becoming more commonplace but are still for the most part a rarity – you can count how many get released each year without taking off your socks. Rescue Bots has been the longest running single Transformers cartoon show in history and they have finally introduced a female Autobot into their admittedly rather small ensemble. Quickshadow is a very cool character, coming across as a highly competent, British-sounding spy. Being a sportscar that turns into a female robot makes Quickshadow sound like a James Bond wet dream come to life and for those of us that like to collect female Transformers sounded like a new toy to look forward to collecting.

Unfortunately what we got is perhaps one of the worst quality Transformer toys we’ve had in years.

*Don’t open me up – I’ll just break your heart*

However let’s start with a few positives.

Vehicle mode

A very sexy little sportscar. There is some nice detailing in the grill with the little Autobot symbol and the blue highlights on the hood, doors and hubcaps certainly pep up what would otherwise be a bland colour scheme of white and grey. Smaller than the other Rescuebots, even Blurr looks bigger.

Robot Mode

Not bad, but quite blocky. Of course this is to be expected since it is a Rescue Bots toy. However on the TV show all the other characters look quite blocky but Quickshadow is very lithe and agile looking so it is a shame they did not go to at least some effort to represent that here. Also a little more detail in the face would have been nice as well, perhaps a more defined mouth or something to show she has optics behind the big eye mask. Scale-wise she is comparable to Blurr however is smaller than all the older Rescuebots such as Energize Heatwave.

*“Why is it on the show I look like you Arcee, but in real life I look like Margaret Thatcher’s even more butch cousin?”*

Transformation.

Here is where it being a Rescue Bot is supposed to be the big seller for young TF fans but in Quickshadows case it’s the main reason not to buy this toy. There is only one thing you need to do to transform her, that being pull the front wheels out sideways – then everything is supposed to pop into place. But she jams. In fact she jams nearly every single time! And you can’t just push the wheels back in and try again. At first I thought my son was using her wrong. Then I thought we just must have gotten a dud. But a subsequent look at various ratings of the toy on Amazon and eBay has shown that this seems to be an endemic fault with the figure. There is a little spring at the top of the car’s hood which is supposed to facilitate this transformation but the spring constantly jams and to un-jam it you have to pull the hood down so hard you are certain it is going to snap. In fact I’m afraid to transform her again in case it does! This is a shameful flaw – only one moving part and they f*ck it up!? Poor form Playskool & Hasbro – poor form indeed.

*Your Quickshadow toy is going to spend more time looking like this than a robot or car*

Worth Getting?

No. She costs the same as the older Rescue Bot figures despite being nearly half the size and the jamming spring means that the toy is almost unusable from the get-go. I’m glad to have another Femmebot in my collection but I would say this is a contender for the worst quality Transformer I have ever come across.

Have you got this figure? Will you still get this figure after reading this review? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Meaty Goodness!, Transformatorium, Videos

Video – Big Angry Trev’s 12 Days of Xmas

December 17, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

To bring you some yuletide cheer, enjoy the subtle crooning of yours truly singing:

The 12 Days of Xmas – Big Angry Trev style!

Related Articles:

TF Fan Interview – Santa Claus

Book Review – A Die Hard Christmas

Video – Trev wins $500 answering TF questions

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Masterpiece Inferno

December 4, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Ah Inferno. So cool yet so overlooked. A gung-ho character that was either fighting fires or fighting Cons or dealing with his psychotic superior. Inferno is not considered a fan favourite by many, but I always loved the guy! The original toy was great with lots of features and was a good size for its era and he was a fun character on screen during Season 2 of the G1 cartoon (my personal favourite TF ep’s ever!) Now to appease the likes of me, Tak/Tom have brought us Masterpiece Inferno!

Vehicle Mode

As mentioned, the G1 Inferno toy was one of my very favourite toys from that era. The fact that the Fire Engine mode had a telescoping ladder with its two little nozzles on the end, along with the foam cannon at its base meant it had moving parts as well as looking like Inferno could actually shoot stuff in vehicle mode. This vehicle mode here is very faithful to the cartoon but of course it suffers in the modern era by looking too simplistic. The Leader-Class Sentinel Prime from DOTM was a fantastic looking Fire Engine as well as pretty damn big. To compare the two, Inferno looks smaller (though pretty chunky for the current MP line all the same) and a lot plainer.

This said, he looks pretty damn good, the grill work on the front of the truck is pretty nice and the hoses on the side are present (both sides now rather than just the one – I would have preferred just the one myself) as well as other little details. The telescoping ladder now has three sections instead of two although it looks a lot more boxy to my mind. Being able to flip out a little hose at the end of the ladder and attach the spraying water facsimile is a great touch and makes it really look like a fire engine in action!

Robot Mode

Everything you have come to expect from the MP line, including tilting ankles, opening hands, manoeuvrable head, knees, elbows etc. Inferno is very poseable and his dimensions are spot on. He is able to retract his hands to have big laser cannons come out, though no missile launcher like the G1 toy. You can have him shoot faux water in this mode as well and he has his rifle so you can set him up to look like he is either fighting fires or Cons – whatever floats ya boat. His head wings and foam launcher are present up top and while it is not something I bother with much myself you can change his face with the four different plates provided. An issue I have with the MP line in general with some of these larger characters are how plain the legs look. Inferno’s are better than MP Ratchet (see review HERE) and MP Shockwave’s (see review HERE) legs due to the hoses etc on the side but they all look a bit plain to my mind. But that’s what fans have to remember – Tak/Tom is giving you a toy that looks like the cartoon as much as possible, which means you often lose lots of the nice details you got in the toy that they never bothered to replicate on screen. Of course the flipside of that is you get little details such as his wrist communicator that the toy lacked.

Red Alert Lifter

When I saw all the images online of Inferno carrying MP Red Alert, replicating that classic episode where Inferno saves a crazed Red from a burning building, I just assumed it was something fans were doing for fun. However when looking at the different chest plates for Inferno (there are 3) I realised one is specifically to set up this pose! This shows great interactivity between the MP toys which is sometimes missing (besides putting the cars in MP Optimus’ trailer) in the line and hammers home that these toys really are made for the G1 enthusiast and that if you are shelling out this much money for the toy, then you should know the scene between Red and Inferno by heart already.

Transformation

The headaches that earlier MP toys provided – particularly Megatron and Rodimus Prime – are truly behind us. Inferno will take you a few minutes the first few times and using the instructions until you get a feel for the toy is recommended. I’m very much a fan of how they made the ladder fold up so compactly and fit into his back. This is a definite improvement over the original toy and makes him look very much improved from the back!

Worth Buying?

If you are not a G1 nut, then for the exorbitant price tag (especially after currency conversion and postal fees if purchasing from overseas) I’d have to say a no. There are cheaper and better looking Transformer Fire Trucks out there for you to buy on the secondary market like the aforementioned DOTM Sentinel Prime. Even currently you have the Combiner Wars Hot Spot, Pyra Magna and upcoming Megaempress (think Megatron with a sex change) who aren’t the most brilliant Fire Engines but have the combining feature and their own teammates. But if, like yours truly, you are a G1 nut and MP fan, then this Inferno is definitely a worthy addition to your collection.

So what do you think of Masterpiece Inferno? I’d love to hear in the comments section below!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Combiner Wars Liokaiser

November 23, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Just when you think the Combiner Wars toyline is dead, they keep chugging along with even more obscure subgroups. This time they have given us a character that you may be unfamiliar with unless you watched the Japanese G1 cartoon series Victory back in the 1980’s. A group originally named Breastforce (no I’m not making that up and yes, you are allowed to giggle) has been reborn as the Destrons (the JP name for Decepticons in general) who combine into an almighty gestalt! So here we go, a big review for a name as long as some of the old Street Fighter games, Combiner Wars Liokaiser: Platinum Edition!

Please note: As all these toy molds have had numerous iterations already, I will be mainly talking about any changes made rather than going over old ground. I will put in links to other reviews of these molds as appropriate.

Ironbison

Doesn't fear Autobots as much as PETA — *Doesn’t fear Autobots as much as PETA*

Renamed from Killbison as it sounded like he was related to the Bufflekill’s from The Simpsons. Here we see the usual CW Brawl (for a review of Brawl – see HERE) remold but with added horns on his head to represent the original toy/character. I found the limbs on mine to be a bit loose, very hard to pose him without the shoulders sagging. But the mustard and silver colour scheme work together and he looks nice and tough.

Drillhorn

Probably the only limb figure here whose updated alt-mode doesn’t look as cool as the original one. This has been remolded from CW Nosecone and they probably would have done better to use the UW Nosecone mode (for a comparison between those two toys – see HERE). Also the drill bit does not fit in the gap properly with mine which is quite annoying, I have to use the double-barreled rifle on top to keep it in place. A nice little touch is a horn that pops out of his forehead in robot mode which adds that extra unique touch.

Guyhawk

Did this guy pick his ultra-masculine name to make up for his colour scheme? The most pink in a Transformer I’ve seen this side of G1 Sparkstalker! But the colour actually seems to work quite well, it’s very vibrant indeed! Nice head sculpt, the only one of the limb characters that doesn’t require pop-out bits. Remade from CW Air Raid.

Fellbat

I'm a bat out of... er.... fell? Yeah, I'm a bat that fell I guess. — *I’m a bat out of… er…. fell? Yeah, I’m a bat that fell I guess.*

Renamed from Hellbat because, well…. pretty crappy reasons actually because Hellbat was a much cooler name. Remade from CW Skydive, this guy has his signature little bat-wing fins that pop out of the sides of his head and is one of the few characters from Victory I can remember from my one watching of the series. Already killed off in the IDW comics which is a shame, hope that doesn’t stop Liokaiser showing up there. A nice touch in jet mode is they have given his missiles a striking red paint job.

Dezarus

Ok, here is where it gets a bit trippy, follow me if you can. The original Breastforce (again, insert requisite giggle) had two characters that made up the torso – Leozack and Jallguar. Since all CW gestalts (excepting CW Devastator) are mainly four smaller bots as limbs and a larger single one as the torso, these two characters were dumped for Dezarus. Dezarus is in turn based on Deathsaurus who was the leader of the Destron army in the Victory cartoon. To add further confusion, since Deathsaurus’ had a bipedal bird-monster alt-mode, they chose to recolour CW Sky Lynx (for a review of Sky Lynx – see HERE) to make him.

Keeping up? Well done! Because I’m writing this bloody review and even I’m getting lost!

Anyway, Dezarus here has the same modes as Sky Lynx (rather than his original ones) and his colour scheme makes the shuttle mode look a bit odd. One thing I was pretty happy with though was how easily the toy lent itself to being put in a bipedal position, even achieving a certain limited poseability! Yes it’s a stretch, but it’s the closest you are going to get Dezarus to Deathsaurus that you can.

Ion Scythe

Another weird but welcome inclusion, put in mainly I suspect to keep up the now set pattern of all these CW groups having six members. Ion Scythe is based on an old Arms Micron toy and despite his name turns not into a scythe but a sword. The original Breastforce group (ok, you’ve had your laughs, time to get over it now) had little animal partners so it could be Ion Scythe’s inclusion is a shout out to that.

Liokaiser

The head from Sky Reign (find the review of Sky Reign HERE) has been retooled to look more like the original Liokaiser and both share the animalistic helmet. There are plenty more tricks you can do to make this toy look more G1 Victory accurate. These include positioning Fellbats wings up and horizontal, placing Fellbat and Guyhawks grey guns either side of the right fist and turning Ironbison and Drillhorn outwards so that their treads face inwards. All these little things help, the only problem is rotating the lower legs means he can’t use his knees, but that’s easy to turn back when you want to do some action poses. It really is a nice looking combiner overall with plenty of poseability and mismatching-yet-working colours. Ironically Ion Scythe is far more suited to be a CW hand weapon than the likes of CW Powerglide and CW Shockwave (for a review of Shockwave – see HERE) who both were too heavy and pulled down their gestalts arms – Ion Scythe seems to be just the right size and weight!

Worth Getting?

Overall I would have to say yes. These are characters that haven’t had new toys since they first appeared in Victory nearly 30 years ago. I would advise shopping around; I got mine for a good price whereas if I had ordered it through my usual international source I would have paid about $50 more. And for those who have Masterpiece Star Saber – that big fragger now has someone to fight!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Masterpiece Thrust

November 13, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Oh Tak/Tom, why do you not want me to pay off my house? Why do you keep releasing these overly-priced MP exclusives that I just have to have? Shame on you! If I was a stronger man I would resist, but since I’m not and have caved yet again, I may as well share with the public my thoughts on your latest attempt to empty my wallet – Masterpiece Thrust.

Robot Mode

I have thighs - I promise! — *I have thighs – I promise!*

Thrust looks quite nice here, the expression is a tad blank but the face is a nice white colour and the eyes are yellow just like in the cartoon. The body has cartoon accurate colours too, though one could ask is this a good thing? In the cartoon Thrust’s colours were more muted and pale then the toy, the toy being a more rich maroon verging on brown with black highlights and in the cartoon he was a reddy-brown with grey. The idea of the Masterpiece line is to make these toys show accurate rather than toy accurate, which means that sometimes we miss out on the great features of the toy (for instance Tracks flying car mode was cooler in the toy than the cartoon but the MP we got looks like the cartoon). Thrusts knee pads are a bit too big and obscure his thighs, making him look more stubby than he really is but he does have his tail wings coming out of his calves and the main wings angle all make the legs and torso work. Despite some quibbles that are all relatively minor this is a pretty damn fine looking Thrust!

Vehicle Mode

The theoretical F15-VTOL mode Thrust was based on has been faithfully represented here. Once again one must wonder if the colour scheme would have looked better if they had gone with the toy than the cartoon but it’s really hard not to love the MP Seeker mold – in my opinion the best looking jets of the entire Transformers line ever! A very nice little touch they have put in is that his wing turbines actually rotate, though one has to do it via finger rather than being able to blow on it like some other TF toys. Thrust here has all the features the other MP Seekers have such as the nosecone and cockpit that open. A couple of extras are the guns that sit under the wings and for once they seem to have gotten the pilot right – it being a translucent hologram character rather than a half-sucked Simpsons-jelly baby like came with Sunstorm.

Transformation

*The seedy underbelly of weapons placement*

Most people that have been collecting the MP Seekers know how to do this and it’s certainly not the most onerous MP transformation ever. I tend to use the instructions the first time round though just to give myself a refresher – given how much these latest Seekers have cost one does NOT want an accidental breakage! A change they have made here from some of the other Seeker toys such as Ramjet is the configuration for the guns when converting to jet mode. The guns instead of swinging out on two big struts under the wings now fold down and sideways on double jointed smaller struts to sit flush with the side of the jet whilst two removable guns are placed under the wings.

So is Thrust worth getting?

For the exorbitant price tag I’d say unless you are a mad TF collector then no. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great robot and a brilliant jet, but because of the toys exclusive status they have ramped up the price to a level that is verging on the rip-off side. But if you ARE a mad TF collector like me then he is a must have. Can’t wait to get Thundercracker and Dirge so my MP Seeker collection can be complete!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Unite Warriors Computron VS Combiner Wars Computron

September 26, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

As the last of the vehicle-themed Gestalt Groups based on the American G1 cartoon and toyline, many people have been hanging out to get their greedy little cyber-mitts on the Technobots. However unlike most of the other Gestalt Groups, there are a lot of distinct differences between the Unite Warriors and the Combiner Wars versions of the teams. Plus they have been released within a month of each other, rather than six months apart like most of the other toys. So here we go, in what is probably my biggest and most detailed Transformers review to date, a comparison of the two gift sets: Unite Warriors Computron VS Combiner Wars Computron!

CW Lightsteed VS UW Lightspeed– Robot Mode

The CW version (Lightsteed) is a direct palette-swap of the CW Protectobot Streetwise and it shows. Luckily Streetwise was a pretty cool looking robot and Lightsteed also comes with Streetwise’s shotgun. The UW version (Lightspeed) is a retool of CW Wheeljack with two new guns. With the new head, red thighs and windshield on the chest Lightspeed is the more character faithful and cooler looking of the two

UW Lightspeed VS CW Lightsteed – Vehicle Mode

The original Lightspeed had a dome-like windshield that wrapped all the way around to make him look more like a Cybertronian Speeder rather than a Terran Automobile. Lightsteed’s vehicle mode (again, a direct palette-swap of Streetwise) manages this well and in colour hue is more faithful to the original toy. Lightspeed however has a more comic faithful colour scheme as well as the spoiler and side guns like the original toy, whereas Lightsteeds shotgun goes on the roof and he is still sporting the police lights rack which does not suit him.

Winner: UW Lightspeed

CW Afterbreaker VS UW Afterburner – Robot Mode

These figures are essentially palette-swaps of each other. You can differentiate between the two somewhat by varying the way the windshield and front wheel are positioned on his back. Afterbreakers colour hues are more G1-toy accurate whereas Afterburners are more G1-cartoon accurate. Neither’s guns are really G1-faithful but Afterburners look cooler rather than just being copies of UW Groove’s.

UW Afterburner VS CW Afterbreaker – Vehicle Mode

Again, a direct palette sway of each other and again Afterbreaker is more toy accurate whereas Afterburner is mode cartoon accurate. The windshield has been lowered from the Groove mold to make it more cockpit like reminiscent of the original character though neither has a G1 accurate cockpit colour (Afterbreaker’s is green and Afterburner’s is blue). Once again, Afterburners guns look a bit cooler at the sides than Afterbreaker’s.

Winner: UW Afterburner (by an Energon sliver)

CW Strafe VS UW Strafe – Robot Mode

Like many of the other Technobots, Strafe’s colour schemes tend towards the toy on the CW side and the cartoon on the UW side. This is most evident in their visors. However the UW version has the small shoulder wings and more importantly can take off his vehicle mode’s guns and use them as pistols. And let’s face it, the UW version seems to be just that bit more striking.

CW Strafe VS UW Strafe – Vehicle Mode

These are both really cool! Both have been heavily retooled from different UW molds and as a result have completely different looks! CW Strafe is boxy, has a black cockpit and looks like it could be out of a Halo game or Starship Troopers movie. UW Strafe has an extra gun at the top and a curved prow giving him a sleek alien-drone look. Neither fully replicate the original G1-toys look but that’s ok because they both look great! Both do however have the twin tailfins and the twin laser guns at the front. I love both of these and would be hard pressed to pick a winner between the two.

Winner: UW Strafe (because of the robot mode)

UW Nosecone VS CW Nosecone – Robot Mode

Never is the difference in direction taken to homage the cartoon VS the toy in the new Technobots more evident than in Nosecone. CW Noscone has the tank tracks on the shoulders like G1 (both the original toy AND cartoon) and his colour scheme is very much the original G1 toy, using light orange, dull grey and a red face. UW Nosecone has more browns in it, is white in the chest like the cartoon and sports new features like having the guns in the shoulders. Both can use their drill pieces as a hand weapon, CW’s drill looking more realistic as a hand weapon due to being less bulky.

CW Nosecone VS UW Nosecone – Vehicle Mode

Like Strafe, Nosecone has been retooled from two distinct CW molds. UW Nosecone is a heavy retool of CW Protectobot Rook while CW Nosecone is a slight retool of CW Combaticon Brawl. If the UW version had not come along people probably would have been happy enough with the CW version. But as it stands the UW version is heads and giant-drill-bits above the competition! Instead of looking like a regular tank with a drill instead of a cannon, UW Nosecone really does justice to the original character and with the new shape, the guns on top and aforementioned giant drill bit he looks fantastic! Probably the best looking Drill Tank transformer we have had to date!

Winner: UW Nosecone (because of the brilliant vehicle mode)

CW Scattershot VS UW Scattershot – Robot Mode

To save confusion, in this review I am referring the to the CW Scattershot that came as part of the Computron gift set, not the individually packaged bot that came out a year earlier though I will be making reference to it. CW Scattershot has a long rifle like the original figure (even if it is Silverbolt’s) and blue detailing on bits of his body like the stickers on the G1 toy. UW Scattershot has a lot more browns in him like the original toy but comes with two big blasters. Both have a blue visor and white face like the cartoon whereas the independent Scattershot had a completely blue face like the toy.

CW Scattershot VS UW Scattershot – Vehicle Mode

Perhaps the one example where the UW versions colour scheme is more G1-toy accurate than the CW version. CW Scattershot has red along the ships nose/cannon whereas the UW version is completely white. I don’t mind this too much as it differentiates the two CW versions and it looks pretty cool. With the new guns whilst the CW versions one goes under the existing cannon to make it ludicrously long, the UW’s versions go under the wings which I think works quite well. None of these versions are as cool as the original toy in my opinion and of course they all lack the third Cannon Emplacement mode.

Winner: Pretty close but I have to give it to UW Scattershot because of the differences he brings to Computron which I will go into soon.

CW Scrounge with CW Targetmaster Partner Cybaxx

There is no comparison to write here as these two only come with the Combiner Wars version of the Computron gift set. Scrounge is a retool of Generations Cosmos with a comic-accurate head and Cybaxx is a direct recolour of Generations Payload. Both are cool enough toys but G1 enthusiasts have been thrilled to get after so many years a toy of Scrounge who has been a very obscure comic character, known mainly for his long arm and traumatizing Blaster by dying.

CW Computron VS UW Computron

I don’t think any of the other gestalts from the two lines have differed so much. Mainly they have been copies of each other with slightly different colour schemes and maybe one of the characters has a different mold (Blast off and Groove) or an extra character (Blackjack and Powerglide). Here we see a UW Computron with a new chestplate, fairly uniform colour scheme and new head as well as a downward facing drill on his left knee. CW Computron has the much improved hands and feet which first arose with the Victorion gift set and can attach Scrounge and Cybaxx on his left shoulder. Both versions have advantages that the other does not have and, on top of the differences already mentioned, due to being able to position Afterburner/breakers motorcycle front differently as well as the differences between Strafe and Nosecone they look like different parallel-universe versions of each other rather than a simple palette swap. This is enhanced by the fact that UW Scattershot brings into the mix a new chestplate and head whereas CW Scattershot makes Computron look a bit too much like Superion when displayed together.

Winner: UW Computron (due in large part to the new head and chest)

So overall, which should you get?

Well, overall, especially when it comes to the limb characters, Unite Warriors is a definite winner and if you were to only buy one this is the one I would choose. However the Combiner Wars version of this group is pretty good too and has extras like a poster, trading card and two extra characters. Personally I will be mix & matching. I will be using Scattershot from UW with the limb characters and hands & feet from the CW version to make Computron whilst I will be using all the others to represent the individual bots. But a great effort by both Hasbro and Tak/Tom and whichever way you go you will not be disappointed by your purchase.

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Titans Return Soundwave

August 22, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Operation: Soundwave Review

Perhaps even surpassing Megatron, Soundwave is along with Optimus Prime the most recognizable and remembered characters and toys from the 1980’s – even non-TF fans remember Soundwave with a fondess – there was something just so cool about him! A tape deck that ejected micro-cassettes that turned into animals and robots and was a bad guy had massive appeal. And here we see Soundwave recreated yet again, this time for the first time as a Headmaster with Titans Return Soundwave.

Robot Mode

It’s lucky that both Blaster and Soundwave are boxy characters, so with a simple palette swap, a new head and a shoulder cannon this does looks like Soundwave rather than a recoloured Blaster (which he is after all). The proportions are ok though I would have liked to see more articulation. Nothing beats a Soundwave that can actually bend his arm upwards and press his eject button (aka MP SW). His gun is from Blaster and for those in the know it looks nothing like Soundwaves regular firearm which is a bit disappointing, but I suppose even Transformers are allowed to change their armament every few million years.

Tape Deck Mode

The smartest thing they did here was to change the way the speakers look. It now looks like a tape deck from the early nineties rather than a proper Ghetto Blaster (all you kids born this century, you might have to do some research here to know what I am talking about). The mode looks better than I thought it would; it looks sleek and somber, just a shame there is the odd little gap here and there.

Base Mode

This mode suits Soundwave far more than Blaster (who I still maintain should have turned into a DJ booth with dance floor. For a review of TR Blaster – see HERE). The darker colour scheme works for the mode as well as the extra cannon. Overall better than I expected.

Soundblaster

For those that didn’t follow the JP G1 cartoon, Soundwave and Blaster killed each other but got rebuilt by their respective leaders, Soundwave turning into Soundblaster (the only difference with the toy besides a darker colour scheme was it could hold 2 cassettes). Soundblaster has been brought back here but this time as Soundwaves head. The funny thing is that they redid the face on his back to look like Soundwave, as well as his little head, but the legs are still those of Twin Cast (Blasters Headmaster partner) with the speakers on the front. Since it would not have affected the face, they should have made his front much darker to represent Soundblaster more.

Transformation

No change from Blaster. If you haven’t converted Blaster know that this figure isn’t difficult for a leader class figure. There is no real challenge here, however transforming him for the first time you have to engage your brain to turn him in to what is a reasonably two dimensional alt-mode as the Tape Deck. Conversion to base mode is very straight forward.

Overall

Soundwave is one of two figures which can be said to be a crossover between Combiner Wars and Titans Return, given that CW Buzzsaw can be put into TR Soundwave in both Robot and Tape Deck modes. Interestingly in the instructions it only mentions him being compatible with the upcoming Laserbeak and Ravage, most likely as these toys are to be released soon (bet Hasbro is just thrilled with IDW for having killed Ravage 6 weeks ago in MTMTE #55). The fact you can insert these smaller figures into him along with the Headmaster gimmick and he is a triple changer means there is a lot of playability with this figure. While certainly not the ultimate Soundwave toy, on the whole this one is pretty good and it’s nice to see Soundwave once again as a musical device rather than a van or truck.

Got your own thoughts on Titans Return Soundwave? Would love to hear them in the comments section below!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – The Mayhem Attack Squad

August 12, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

The Mayhem Attack Squad, a group of psychotic Decepticons grouped together to follow their leaders evil whims in the old G1 comic (and to give a reason to put new toys coming out into print). Now decades later we see the group revitalized by the latest Transformers Collectors Club subscription service toys and with a new gimmick – they combine! Lets have a look at this pack of alien-mechanoid rouges as well as their combined form – THUNDER MAYHEM!

Grabuge
Nicely proportioned, nice colours and they didn’t even need to bother with a new headsculpt since Off-Road was originally going to be Ruckus. I think the axe is a good choice for Ruckus – sorry – Grabuge. You can sorta balance his cannon in his backpack as a reminder of his Triggercon heritage but it doesn’t really work.

Windsweeper

The wings can fold back but I prefer to leave them out, the silver on the wing missiles really pop and also this configuration makes the figure look a bit more G1-Windsweeper-ish. The head is really good on him and the colours overall work quite well.

Spinister
The head is a little squarish and the optics a tad big but otherwise pretty good. Nothing new otherwise physically with the mold. Certainly a lot less stocky than G1 Spinister and the colour scheme is dead on. The two targetmaster partners work well both as guns or as sidekicks.

Needlenose

A very nicely proportioned robot and while they got the face just right I would have liked to see more work on his helmet. The colours are pretty good and his Targemaster partners sit snugly in his grip as well as looking good as little sidekicks. I’d say this is probably the best Needlenose figure we have ever had so kudos to Funpub for coming through.

Bludgeon

By far his strongest mode. Bludgeon is a character that is strongly associated with his Pretender Shell and it’s not been often he has been depicted just as the robot beneath (the G2 and DW comics do spring to mind however). I found this to be a most excellent representation of how Bludgeon would look without his shell if he just concentrated on beefing up his robot mode. The proportions are really good, the colour scheme works a lot better and they did the headsculpt very well. Add in a couple of giant swords and the robot mode is a real winner overall! However it is really hard to beat ROTF Bludgeon for a look that encapsulates both the inner robot and outer shell look combined.

Grabuge – Off-Road Truck

A shame that Beachcomber did not crop up in Combiner Wars as it would have nice to see Ruckus – sorry – Grabuge – done as a Dune Buggy rather than a ute, however it’s still a good choice for the character. The colour scheme is nice, though they have what were relatively small stickers on the original Ruckus into a major part of the colour scheme of the back of the ute here. Still, the paintjobt is pretty good considering that many the G1 Decepticons from 87 onwards had pretty awful colour schemes and the original Ruckus is part of that era. Attaching the cannons in the tray of the ute somewhat gives a shout out to his Triggercon origins.

Windsweeper – Attack Jet
A shame there wasn’t a deluxe CW mold that was a bit more like his G1 incarnation, they would have had to go with Silverbolt to get something more indicativie. But it’s a pretty cool looking jet and the colour scheme not only is fairly character accurate but makes the colours work a bit better than the original toy did.

Spinister – Attack Chopper
I’m not a great fan of how slim this mold is, it didn’t quite work for me as Blades and Vortex and I get the same feeling with Spinister. Still, they got that garish 1988 colour scheme just right! One thing – do NOT try to put the Targetmaster partners into the little black exhaust hubs on the sides of Spinisters vehicle mode. I tried and not only are they that mill too thick but trying to push them in will wear the black paint off very easily and show the pink underneath. You have to attach them via turning his arms around so the fist is up which puts his missiles in an awkward position.

Needlenose – Fighter Jet

They really did a nice job of homaging the original figure here and I really like that unlike Spinister you can connect his Targetmaster partners under the wings. They have done their best with the G1 colour scheme they had to use and made it look a lot more stylish than it used to. As ever the letdown is those damn arms sitting out at the sides of the jet, I wish they had fixed that.

Bludgeon – Anti-Aircraft Truck

Whilst not a tank which most Bludgeons over the years have turned into, this feels like a tank on steroids that mutated into a anti-aircraft truck. Whilst the green is a bit strong and garish, the browns help even the colour out somewhat, though then you deal with the two purple cannons on top. It’s pretty cool overall but there is one significant drawback – the dome of Thunder Mayhems head is very noticeable sticking out of the top. Really looks like he is about to pop up at any moment like a freaky jack-in-the-box.

Thunder Mayhem

Thunder Mayhem is made up of the 5 members of the Mayhem Attack Squad. The reasoning behind the combined mode is that Thunderwing, not Bludgeon, was the leader of the Mayhem Attack Squad so their combined mode becomes an homage to him. The Thunderwing head is very good, perhaps with more expression than any of the Gestalts from both the CW and UW lines – got a real psychotic sneer to him!

The colour scheme however is a real hodge-podge. It’s pretty unavoidable considering the different characters that make up this Combiner but when compared to the likes of Superion, Defensor and Devastator you see why having team-mates with similar colour schemes is a good move for Combiner groups to have. Bright greens, dull reds, purples, yellows, greys, blues etc etc – it looks like Primus swallowed a kids paint palette then threw up on the poor guy. But he is supposed to be a monstrosity powered by a corrupted matrix so monster-wise it works.

The dimensions are like all the other recent combiners, the legs are a bit stubby and the feet too small whilst the arms are almost orangutan like in their length. But Thunder Mayhem in the end is no worse for wear than any of the others and considering he is made up of 2 jets, a helicopter, a ute and an anti-aircraft truck you can forgive these imperfections.

Weapons-wise Bludgeons twin-swords match his stature quite well and of course you can take the cannons off the back for him to use as pistols. It’s a shame there is no clear place for the four Targemaster partners to go – plenty of places to connect them but none really seem to fit and they look ludicrously small in his hands.

So overall a freaky-yet-fun Gestalt and a pretty cool combiner group. For the most part I will be keeping the Mayhem Attack Squad separate so I can finally have the likes of Windsweeper and Ruckus sitting in my Generations Display.

Big Angry Trev!

Tag Archives: Transformers

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Toy Review – Titans Return Soundwave

Toys Review – The Mayhem Attack Squad

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