Today I’m doing another Star Wars Transformer review. I’ve only done one of these and it was the Commander Cody Clone Turbo Tank.

This was a pure impulse buy. I was at Target yesterday and saw this smaller Star Wars TF of Anakin. I didn’t even know they made these. Up to now, all Star Wars TFs came in one size, which is somewhere between a deluxe and voyager class. Looks like Hasbro is extending into more petite scale for the Star Wars line as well. This figure looked pretty good in fighter mode so I bought it.

Check out pics in the package.

I’m not exactly sure if this figure is scout class. Star Wars figs never have their sizes stated on the package. I’m only saying it’s scout class based on its price of $7.99.

In fighter mode this figure is fairly robust. For the most part, all the pieces come together quite nicely so nothing would flop around. There’s a lot of good detail. The colors look pretty accurate to Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter. For something this small, I don’t have any complaints about the appearance.

As far as gimmicks go in alt mode, you can extend the tips on the wings like the typical Jedi Starfighter. There’s also a retractable landing gear located on the bottom of the cockpit area, making it possible for the jet to be posed with the wings out on a flat surface.

Check out this pic below for alt mode size comparison, next to DOTM scout class Sandstorm.

My main gripe with the alt mode is that there is nowhere to store the lightsabers. I only expect non-storage for accessories with G1 figures. TFs today really shouldn’t have this problem anymore and I find it unacceptable. Come and think of it, my full size Obi-Wan Episode II Jedi Starfighter TF that I got at BotCon also had this issue. Earlier Star Wars TFs didn’t seem to have this issue though.

Transformation to mech mode is not at all difficult so I won’t describe it. He looks okay in mech mode. Construction is pretty solid. Details and colors are also adequate for figures of this size. Having twin lightsabers is kinda cool too.

There are many weaknesses in mech mode. Poseability is extremely limited. The arms are not bad, but there’s not too much to work with in the legs. The head appears to be able to rotate, but there’s so much kibble behind it I don’t think you can. He’s way too much of a shell former in the G1 Scourge fashion. The shells/wings end up on his back. This makes him totally back-heavy that it’s very difficult to pose him standing up without falling backwards. I also don’t like the wing tips on the arms. I guess they’re supposed to be shields, but functionally they’re really awkward and I just don’t like how they make the arms look.

Below is a pic of Anakin in mech mode next to Sandstorm in robot mode. Notice Anakin is much smaller. He’s probably more of a commander class figure.

Even at $7.99, I can’t recommend this figure all that much. The alt mode looks kinda cool, but that’s about it. Sometimes I think about opening one of my full size Ep III Jedi Starfighter TFs and see how they compare to this. Hopefully the larger ones are much better, but the Force is not with these smaller figures.

Transform and Roll Out!