BotCon 2010 is coming up in about a week. To celebrate this upcoming event, I thought I post pics of BotCon 2009.

Last year I attended my first BotCon. It was in Pasadena, in Southern California, not too far from where I grew up. Now I live in Northern California so in a way it was kinda like a homecoming, but of course I’m there for the robots.

BotCon 2009 was awesome! To be surrounded by people as passionate about Transformers as I am, the feeling was just overwhelming. I would love to go again this year in Florida, which also gives me a chance to check out Walt Disney World. However, going cross country would require some planning ahead of time, which I never really got around to. Maybe next year.

I did not have a blog in the summer of 2009, so this is as good a time as any to post the pics. Enjoy!

Convention Displays

“Revenge is Coming!” At the front entrance.
 

From a different angle.
 

That little girl snuck in there when I was taking this pic :).
 

Real life movie Optimus Prime in alt mode!
 

How did they get this truck in there?
 

Close up of the Autobot insignia. Now that’s bling.
 

Movie Bee!
 

Bee’s about to pee on that guy. I call it Bee Pee.
 

Dealers

This was one of the first dealer’s booths near the door. I think this was the official Hasbro booth where they sold toys (they had another bigger booth for events). At the time the TF figures you see here were all either unreleased, or just barely released.
 

Same dealer but to to left. I was feasting my eyes on these deluxe figures for the first time.
 

This is the “Gears of War” set, all accessories to make Classic figures more G1. I really wanted a set, but at $45 it was kinda hard to justify. Also a preliminary figure of Optimus in his Hearts of Steel incarnation, later released as Knight Morpher.
 

Same dealer, just slightly panned up in angle to show their nice statue of G1 Optimus. Looks like this was the RobotKingdom booth. I do not buy from them online b/c their shipping is simply ridiculous.
 

Stay tuned for Part 2… Transform and Roll Out!

2010 is looking to be a banner year for FansProject. Their next offering are two figures called Explorer and Munitioner. Hardcore G1 purists should instantly recognize them as Blastoff and Swindle, respectively.

Late in 2009, Hasbro released a Target exclusive Bruticus Maximus set under the ROTF line. This is a set of 5 Combaticon figures that will combine and form Bruticus Maximus. The toys are essentially a repaint of Energon Bruticus Maximus. Target retailed the set at $29.99. Some stores even sold them at clearance prices over the Holidays, I’ve seen with my own eyes the price dropped to either $24.99 or $19.99. Apparently they weren’t flying off the shelves if Target felt clearance was necessary. I did think about buying the set during that stretch, considering that the Combaticons are my favorite combiner group, something that I’ve mentioned repeated on this blog. However, being the G1 purist that I am, I decided against buying it because I felt the figure did not at all resemble the G1 Combaticons. And to make matters worse, not all molds in the set are distinct. Onslaught, the leader figure that forms the body, is a unique mold. However, Brawl and Blastoff are both tanks with identical molds, and Vortex and Swindle are of the same helicopter mold. This was a complete turnoff. There is also a similar set released under the Universe line (in slightly different colors). I’m not sure when it was released and if it was a store exclusive.

I should have known by now that whenever I complain about a certain aspect in TF figures, the people behind FansProject would have the same complaint. So right after Target sold out of the Bruticus Maximus set, FansProject announced the figures “Explorer” and “Munitioner”. Explorer is a space shuttle while Munitioner is a jeep. FansProject is not affiliated with Hasbro so it’s not like they can outright advertise what these figures are meant to be. But G1-ers immediately recognized them as Blastoff and Swindle, and the fact that only these 2 are produced is to properly give the ROTF Combaticons the right molds for these 2 characters. But yeah, right as I learned of this new development, I started to kick myself for not buying the ROTF Bruticus Maximus set.

FansProject have recently released more finalized pics of Explorer and Munitioner. The figures themselves look great and are obviously G1 inspired. But it also looks like the figures will come with accessories that will make Bruticus look more G1 as well. Words can’t even start to describe how kick-ass this set looks with the FansProject add-on. I’m posting a few select pics below. For all the pics check out this blog entry on the FansProject site.

You can bet your boron compressor that I will be buying Munitioner and Explorer when they are released. I would’ve done that anyway, but after I saw these pics, I knew I had to go track down the ROTF Bruticus Maximus set. Of course all dealers from every website I can think of would mark these up. Getting it at the clearance prices, or even at MSRP, was now extremely unlikely. And so last month I bit the bullet and bought the set from an ebay seller for about $50. This price was actually quite reasonable. I see many dealers ask for much more. I picked up the set at my local PO last weekend and below are some pics.

I won’t be opening this set until Explorer and Muntioner are released. Then I will give them all the proper review it deserves.

And since we’re on the subject of Combaticons, I want to take this opportunity to show off my G1 Combaticons. I still have them all to this day. Onslaught is getting loose in some of his joints, and there are obvious sticker wear to all 5 figures. But other than that they are all complete and in pretty good shape.

Sharp G1 observers will have noticed that Onslaught appears without his blue chest shield. I have the piece, I just forgot to put it on him when I took the pic.

I also have some repainted Combaticons from Robots in Disguise. Technically they’re not called Combaticons in RiD. They are called Commandos, and the names of all the characters have been changed. This is the Urban Camo set (I believe there is also a Desert Camo and a Snow Camo set). The combat trailer is Mega-Octane, the tank is Armorhide, the space shuttle is Movor, the jeep is Rollbar, the helicopter is Ro-Tor, and the combined form is Ruination. Pics appear below.

Let’s face it, all the combiners post G1 have been lame. Hasbro just doesn’t want to properly do one for some strange reason. So once again it’s FansProject to the rescue. I can’t wait for Explorer and Munitioner.

Combaticons… Transform and Roll Out!

As promised, here is the review for Animated Arcee. I first opened this figure about a week ago.

I’ll start the review with the alt mode. Check out some pics below.

As you can see from these pics, Arcee is one sexy and sleek ride. I have yet to see Arcee in Animated, so I can’t really comment on the figure’s show accuracy. But like I mentioned in my last post, I’m making the assumption that her appearance in the cartoon is just like the package art, and if that’s the case then this figure has properly captured the look. As far as colors go, this Arcee is undoubted G1 inspired. The overall pink with white stripes is unmistakenly G1, and I like the the yellow headlights painted on the front hood. The Autobot symbol is painted on the windshield. The shape of the alt mode also takes heavy cues from G1, only major difference is probably the inclusion of wings on the Animated version.

In alt mode, Arcee rolls well on a flat surface. The two swords that she uses in robot mode can be placed into the rear wheel compartment, and it’s always a plus in my book when all accessories are accounted for in every mode. The wings can be detached if you prefer the G1 look. Hasbro certainly did not forget the hardcore G1ers when Arcee was designed. Like all other Animated figures, Arcee is all plastic.

Below are some size comparison pics. The only thing I have handy is Classics Hot Rod so here they are. In alt mode she appears to be just a little smaller than Hot Rod.

I do have several gripes about the alt mode. The first is that her wings just love to fall off. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like they will cast off if you simply invert the figure or if she’s given a slight shake. They generally stay on ok if you don’t touch them, but that’s the problem. The wings are positioned so that you will probably always accidentally make contact (especially during transformation), and the slightest physical touch will probably knock them off. I kinda wish the peg and hole mechanism here was better fitting. My second gripe is that Arcee is one of those figures where you will have to measure if you got all the parts into their proper locations when you transform her back into alt mode. Most other figures in the Animated line have mechanisms in place that helps you connect the parts and pieces together, such as tabs and grooves in well-situated locations. I like to think of them as “guides” that let you know a part is placed into its proper configuration in alt mode. Arcee for the most part does not have such a mechanism. Most of the parts, especially in the limbs, you will have to figure out if you got them into the right spots. In the alt mode pics above, you can kinda see that she’s not perfectly symmetrical in a lot of the shots, and that’s a direct consequence of not having this mechanism. This would be less of an issue if Arcee wasn’t so well articulated (more on this in the robot mode section), but the fact is she is capable of a wide range of motion, and without the “guides” that I mentioned it can be tough to get her to look perfectly balanced unless you’re willing to spend a long time doing it.

Now let’s take a look at the robot mode. I like her transformation process. I recommend first taking the wings off when you transform her, because they will probably fall off anyway. Going to robot mode is not at all complicated, but at the same time it’s complex enough to feel like she has transformed.

Overall I really like the robot mode. IMO this is probably the best-looking Arcee figure Hasbro has produced. Most of the time, Arcee is either a character that is conjured up by the show creators without a toy (G1 Movie and season 3+), or an afterthought added to a toyline in which she did not appear (Michael Bay movies). For these reasons, most of the time, the Arcee toys doesn’t look quite right, or we simply don’t have a basis to gauge the toy’s accuracy. This is not the case with Animated. The character appears to be properly planned and a toy accurately produced. The look and feel of this Arcee is a great representation of the character. I think with a little modification, this toy can even pass for G1 Arcee. I would love to see a TF customizer attempt this.

In the pic above, you can see that the swords are stowed in the same place as alt mode when not in use. In robot mode this becomes her back, a very appropriate place to hold her swords.

In robot mode the wings are just as likely to fall off. Sometimes I take them off during transformation, then forget to put them back on in robot mode. This is why in all the pics below she appears without the wings. She’s got great articulation, though. I won’t describe it, just check out the pics for yourself.

Below are some size comparison shots, one with wings and one without. In robot mode, she actually appears a little bigger than classic Hot Rod.

I do have one gripe about the robot mode. There is a slight construction flaw in the figure. On my figure, there is a tab in the right knee joint that prevent the lower right leg from straightening all the way. The knee joint does have a hole that is meant to go over the tab, but either they made the tab too big or they made the hole too small. I guess I can take a knife and either file down the tab or cut the hole bigger, but I feel I should not have to do this. Out of the package she should be without these kinds of flaws.

My final verdict about this figure is you should pick one up if you see one at your local TRU. But keep in mind that I can’t recommend her as highly as some of the other Animated figures due to the shortcomings I mentioned. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by other figures in this line, but I have come to expect a very high quality from the Animated figures. The construction and mechanical design flaws that I mentioned keep this figure from getting a higher recommendation. However, this figure does have some great aesthetics, great poseability, and is perhaps the most accurate Arcee ever produced. And let’s not forget she is produced in extremely limited numbers, hard to find and indeed very rare. So if you see one, do not hesitate to buy one.

“Truth is power.” Transform and Roll Out!

Transformers Animated is officially over in the United States, so all the remaining toys that were planned for this line are now released in limited quantities through major retail chains as store exclusives. Personally, I don’t like it when items are released as “limited” or “exclusives” purely to stir up demand, but I don’t think that is what’s going on here. The remaining TFA toys will only be purchased by a small but loyal following, so the sensible solution is to release them in limited numbers. Hasbro saves money by producing less units overall, the stores get to advertise them as exclusives, and the real fans that want them still get a chance to buy them. It’s a win-win-win for all. This is much better than the alternative where the toys don’t get released, in which case the fans don’t get them, and Hasbro can’t recover any sunk cost that already went into the planning (and possibly manufacturing) of these items.

All the remaining Animated toys are products of this nature. Toys R Us carries most (if not all) of the Animated figures released this year. Earlier in the year I found Cybertron Mode Ratchet at TRU. Unfortunately I never made a blog post about him, so let me just say now that he is a great figure. He was advertised with Arcee, another figure that I really wanted. Her sighting was reported as early as January of this year on Seibertron.com, so I’ve been hunting for her at my local TRU for at least some months now. I finally found her this week.

I’ve yet to watch all of the Animated series, so I haven’t seen her character yet. But looking at the toy and at images on the web, Animated Arcee most definitely takes cues from G1 Arcee. This may be the most accurate Arcee figure ever produced. Check out some images of Arcee in the pacakge.

I will be opening her soon and doing a full review. Until then… you better stay close to her! Transform and Roll Out!

In my last post, I mentioned that I will do scans of the instructions for FansProject Warbot Defender (WB001). In case you missed it, my review of Defender appears here.

How are FP instructions better than Hasbro’s? Oh let me count the ways…

• Book format
• Quality color printing
• Quality paper
• A comic book intro
• Detailed instructions with notes and highlighted transforming sections

Hasbro should seriously look at this and take some notes here. Anyway, witness the awesomeness for yourself in the scans below.

Pure awesomeness! Pure FansProject! Transform and Roll Out!

As mentioned in my previous post, I have received Warbot Defender by FansProject some weeks ago. Any TransFan who’s been around as long as I have can instantly tell you that he is really Springer, the green Autobot triple changer first made famous in the G1 Movie.

Up to this point, all products by FP has been accessories or add-ons. Springer is their first attempt at a stand-alone figure, so I wasn’t exactly sure as to how the figure would turn out. Making items designed to enhance Hasbro products is one thing, but producing a full-fledged figure that transforms all on its own (and a triple changing one no less), that’s something else. Well, I’ve had a few weeks to play with this figure now, and I will say first that all my doubts are permanently put to rest. FansProject have given us the best triple changing figure in the history of TFs! This is the Springer figure as he was meant to be. Hasbro should seriously be embarrassed. This figure deserves a full review and that’s what I’m doing today.

Let’s start by looking at the package.

Defender is packaged in robot mode. Size of the box is just a tad wider than your typical Kleenex box. As you can see from the pics above, the box is surrounded by an outer clear hard plastic. This is to protect the box itself. If you choose to not open Defender and want to keep both the figure and the box as mint as possible, FansProject has got you covered with this packaging. But even if do you decide to open Defender, the clear plastic should keep the box dust-free.

The back of the box is mostly Japanese with a few simple phrases of English here and there. In the pic above, the words on the box looks blurry because of the clear plastic. I can’t read Japanese, but I can read Chinese so I’m able to pick out the Kanji portions. To my knowledge, FP is not of Japan origin. I have some theories as to why they went with Japanese. It could be that, by using Japanese, FP is more able to distance themselves from Hasbro, or maybe FP is simply paying homage to early Diaclone packages. Whatever the reason, I’m glad most of the writing is in Japanese. I think it speaks to robot collectors who came out of the early to mid 80s, which really is the intended audience of this figure. The bottom of the box (not pictured) suggests that this piece is for persons 16 or older. This is depicted as a warning because of choking hazards and parts “of a sharp nature”. But seriously, only guys who lived through G1 as kids would even consider buying this given its $78.99 price tag.

Robot Mode
As usual, I begin my reviews with the mode that the figure comes packed in.

The detail on this figure is just amazing! Click on the pic above and see for yourself. This is hard to describe in words, but the details on the figure simply looks sharp compared to your typical Hasbro offerings. The mold and lines of every piece is cut at a sharp angle and it really distinguishes itself from TFs of the toy variety. The paint job is also superb. Defender kinda has a matte finish all over and I really like this look. I don’t see any color goofs and unintended paint splatters are nowhere to be found.

Defender comes with 2 handguns and his G1-famous scimitar that is formed from his chopper blades. Hardcore G1 purists are probably quick to point out that Springer never wielded dual pistols, but in this FP update I really don’t mind. I think he looks cool with the twin pistol action. In the two pics above, the scimitar is stored on his back, on his right side. I didn’t take a pic of this and I probably should have, but just know that FP did design a place for the scimitar when it’s not in use.

Defender is one of the most articulated figures that I have ever seen. The number of places on the arms that you can rotate or swivel is simply insane. He’s got great articulation in the legs as well. The head is on a ball joint, and there is waist articulation as well. He is capable of some great poses, and Defender has no problem holding those poses because he is so well constructed. Most joints feel just right, not too tight and not too loose. Many key joints are of the ratchet variety that’s got the “clicky” feel. There’s diecast in the chest and in the legs. The rest of him appears to be high-quality plastic. There are no manufacturing issues with Defender whatsoever.

In this pic above, you can see one pistol holstered inside his right leg. This works on the left leg as well. Both pistols can be stored when not in use. Very cool.

Below I show some size comparison pics.

The first pic compares Defender to Hot Rod and Optimus Prime in the classics line. In the G1 movie, Springer is a tad bigger than Hot Rod, but not quite as big as Prime. FP most definitely had the classics in mind when they created Defender as his size is perfect in relation to figures in this line. The 2nd pic shows Defender next to 2007 Botcon Exclusive Springer (repaint of Cybertron Defense Hot Shot). This is the only other Springer figure I have in my collection, so I put them next to each other. Defender is taller than the Botcon Exclusive Springer if you look at where their heads are, but overall they are about the same size. These two are also about the same weight-wise. Defender does have die-cast, but Botcon Springer is a bulkier figure.

I do have one very minor gripe about the robot mode. If you stood Defender perfectly erect and looked at him from the side (and I should have took a pic of this), you’ll see that parts above the waist are not in the same vertical plane as parts below the waist. The upper body looks a little bit pushed back from the legs. Appearance-wise this is noticeable, though I don’t think it’s a distraction by any means. But functionally, this makes Defender a little back heavy, so he has a tendency to fall backwards if he is posed perfectly straight and the surface is given a slight shake. Still, this is a very minor gripe and a flaw I can easily live with. I just feel compelled to point it out because I want to be perfectly objective and not one of those TF fanboys that become giddy little schoolgirls whenever a good figure comes around.

To sum up, I’m very impressed with the robot mode.

Ground Vehicle Mode

In the instructions, the first mode to be transformed into is the ground vehicle (Cybertronian car according to some) so I’ll review this mode next.

I thoroughly like the look of this vehicle. All the details that were apparent in the robot mode is also reflected in this mode. In G1, Springer’s ground mode was more of a Cybertronian sports car. FP’s interpretation of this mode is more of an armored vehicle, and I think it works just as well. Defender’s two guns is clearly pegged on the sides. You know FP would account for all accessories in every mode, but if you’re wondering where the scimitar goes, there is room for it at the bottom center of the vehicle (another feature where I should have took a pic).

The transformation into the ground vehicle is not too difficult, but at the same time it’s not obvious either. If you want to do it without the instructions you can, but it will take some trial and error. The transformation process does feel unique, and as a triple changing figure there are lots of moving parts. I only got him into the ground vehicle once, but I felt the process was very cleverly done.

Defender is really durable in this mode. He rolls well on a flat surface. I can’t tell if the wheels are made of metal or hard plastic, but either way, they more than sufficiently support the figure in this mode. Of the three modes, this ground vehicle comes together the best. There are pegs and grooves on each interconnecting piece where appropriate, so the vehicle feels like one cohesive piece. There are no dangling pieces whatsoever, and no parts feel out of place.

This pic shows a size comparison of Defender and Botcon Springer in their vehicle modes. Defender clearly looks more sporty in this mode next to Botcon Springer. Size-wise, Defender is wider, but Botcon Springer is taller.

Overall, the ground vehicle mode is very nice. It might be my favorite of the three modes.

Helicopter Mode

The last mode to be reviewed is the helicopter. I think in the G1 movie, Springer preferred this alt mode over the car.

Transformation into this mode is quite complex. The difficult part is in the arms. I mentioned that Defender’s arms in robot mode is highly articulated, and the reason for that becomes apparent in the transformations. The arms are configured one way in ground vehicle, and they are configured in a completely different way in helicopter. It can be hard to figure out without the instructions. But again, transformation process is clever and FP has done a terrific job coming up with the overall triple-changing mechanism.

I like the look of the helicopter. Unlike the G1 figure where the helicopter looks very similar to the car mode, this figure does not have this problem. The two alt modes look distinct enough from each other. In this mode, parts also come together well and the unit feels solid, though not as much as the ground vehicle mode. The two guns are clearly shown on the sides in the pic above, and as every G1 purist can tell you, the scimitar becomes the chopper blades, so all accessories are accounted for. The chopper blades rotate well in this mode.

Below are various shots of the helicopter from various angles.

There is one more accessory in the package that I need to mention. Supposedly, it works with this one particular display stand (not included) so you can have the helicopter displayed on it if you wish. I’m not sure exactly how this works, and I’m not all that familiar with display stands. But I just thought I mention it in case that’s your thing and it is something that FP has accounted for.

One more thing that I wanted to add is that Defender came with probably the best instructions ever. Hasbro should be ashamed of the usual black and white trash that they include with their figures. I’m thinking of scanning in the Defender instructions as a separate blog post.

So to sum up, I give this figure the highest possible recommendation. All 3 modes look great, and that’s no easy feat. In my opinion, Hasbro only managed this once, and that’s classics Astrotrain. All their other triple changing figures have at least 1 mode that looks awful, sometimes 2, sometimes (gasp!) all 3. This is only FP’s first attempt and they have already surpassed every triple changer that Hasbro has ever made. The awesome transformation, coupled with robust construction and amazing details, makes Defender a required purchase for every G1 TransFan. FansProject claims that they are “For Fans, By Fans”, and it really makes a difference when the people behind product cares about the product.

FP you have my utmost respect and I can’t wait to see what else you have in the works. Transform and Roll Out!

Long-time readers of this blog know that I am a fan of all things FansProject. The add-ons and figures that they produce are of the highest caliber. TF qualities valued by the hardcore TransFan, such as show accuracy, attention to detail, transformation mechanism, character appearance, robust construction, and room for all accessories in every mode (no lame concept of hammerspace here), are clearly evident in every piece they design and produce. I have posted news and reviews of offerings from FansProject in previous posts, such as the TFX-03 City Commander Add-On Set and news of Warbot Defender. Oh, BTW, I have received Defender some weeks back. I give Defender the highest recommendation possible, so if you are on the fence about buying one, hesitate no more and order one now. Yes I know the price is a turn off, but once you have the figure in your hands, you will realize the money was well spent. Anyway, I have every intention of doing a full review on Defender (aka Springer), so look for it soon.

Today’s post is about the upcoming “Protector” add-on set for Classics Rodimus, aka Hot Rod. Much like the City Commander add-on set, this package will enhance the appearance of Hot Rod so he appears more like Rodimus Prime. FansProject have released new images of this set. In alt mode it is attached to Hot Rod as his trailer, and in robot mode it puzzle-forms into his “armor” so his appearance more resembles the not-so-famous Autobot Leader.

Sharp TF fans have probably noticed by now that FansProject is using the functions of these characters as their names. FansProject is not tied to Hasbro in any way, shape, or form, and to get around licensing issues they have creatively came up with these identifiers. In G1, Rodimus Prime’s function was Protector, Springer was Aerial Defense, and Ultra Magnus was City Commander. See the pattern? I’m also guessing Warbot corresponds to Autobot.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these new images of Protector. I know I will be buying one.

I’m very excited about this add-on! Transform and Roll Out!

I have been very impressed with some of the new figures that were released in the Revenge of the Fallen line. This is partly due to the fact that I’ve been more selective in the figures I buy from ROTF, unlike the first Michael Bay Movie where I bought almost every new mold that was released, in which case you get the good with the bad. In ROTF I only buy the ones that I think I will like, and so far I am not at all disappointed. Out of the select few that I felt warranted a purchase, I am genuinely impressed with the toys’ clever mechanical engineering, unique transformation, solid construction, great aesthetics, and in many cases, obvious homage to G1. The last ROTF figure I reviewed was Dirge, a highly recommended figure for all these reasons. Today I will be reviewing ROTF Brawn, a figure I picked up last month but unfortunately did not have a chance to open until this past weekend. Before I start the review, I will just say that he also gets a very high recommendation for all the same reasons just mentioned. So if you don’t want to bother reading this review, just go out and get him now. But if you’re still here, I will explain why he’s a must have in your TF collection.

Brawn is definitely well known among fans of G1. He appeared as early as the 1st episode, and he is famous for being the tough, no non-sense Autobot that fights first and asks questions later. He is small but strong, often taking down Decepticons much larger than himself. In the G1 Movie he was the first TF to die, running right into a direct blast from Megatron’s weapon mode (some fans have theorized that his Spark must be located in his shoulder if one blast in that area would kill him).

To my knowledge, ROTF Brawn does not appear in the movie. It’s possible he has an appearance in the ROTF video game, but I really don’t know. Regardless, his ROTF incarnation definitely takes cues from G1. Check him out in the package.

Brawn’s alt mode is some kind of 4×4 pickup truck. In G1 he was a jeep or off-road type vehicle, but I think being a truck works just as well to reflect his rough and tumble persona. Appearance wise, the truck mode does not disappoint. There are plenty of detail all over, and I especially like the look of the front grill. His overall color is a weird shade of brown. On any other TF this may look a bit strange, but it works for Brawn. His G1 color was a different shade of brown that looked a bit more cartoony, so this more realistic brown is a better fit for a ROTF figure. We see bits of green here and there, while the front blinkers are painted yellow and the rear break lights painted red. I also really like the NEST Autobot symbol painted on the side.

Situated on top of Brawn is a good size cannon that he can use for combat in alt mode. The following pic shows that this cannon can be angled upwards to shoot down some incoming Decepticons.

The construction of this figure is quite solid. Brawn is another ROTF figure where you don’t realize how well everything fits together until he is transformed from robot mode back to alt mode. All panels are designed to click into place so there are no dangling pieces. He rolls quite well on a flat surface. Below is a shot of the rear view.

In the pics below, I do some size comparisons of the alt mode. He’s pretty much standard deluxe size.

Overall, I’m very happy with Brawn’s alt mode. No complaints at all. Now let’s move on to the robot mode.

Transformation into robot is pretty unique. The hood and engine section of the truck forms the legs. The cargo area forms the arms, while the cabin area makes up most of the body. I know it doesn’t sound so unique when I describe it in words, and conceptually it does feel like it’s been done. But when I transformed him the first time, the process felt very refreshing. It was probably in the little details of how things are formed. For example, the two pistols are placed in his hands even in truck mode. This means he’s ready for action as soon as he transforms. Brawn wastes no time. In almost all other TFs, the weapons are usually placed elsewhere in alt mode and then you put them where they need to go in bot mode. It’s nice to see a TF break that trend.

The cannon seen in truck mode can also be used in robot mode. It is positioned nicely on his back when not in use, but when he needs some extra firepower, the cannot folds forward right over his sholder. Notice that there is a scope attached to this cannon, and the whole thing can be positioned so that this scope is right in front of his eyes. Very nice. Brawn is all warrior and the toy designers certainly did not forget that fact.

Appearance wise, Brawn’s robot mode takes heavy cues from G1. His body colors of green and yellow is distinctly G1. The head mold, while not looking too much like the G1 cartoon, is very reminiscent of the G1 toy figure of the mini-bot. Its got the silver helmet, black visor as his eyes, and no lips in the mouth area. Brawn is bulky looking all over, and this fits perfectly with the warrior whose motto is “Might over microchips”.

Brawn has got great articulation and he’s capable of a wide range of poses. He is a tad back-heavy so balancing him in some action poses can be tricky, but it’s not a big issue.

Brawn ready to take down Decepticons all by himself

Overall, I can’t recommend Brawn enough. He will be a worthy addition to your TF collection. There really hasn’t been that many incarnations of Brawn. Other than this one I can only think of the G1 figure (which sucks by today’s standards) and the scout class figure in the Universe line that was released early 2009 (that’s a great figure, BTW). It’s good to see him get some love in the ROTF line. Show Hasbro they did the right thing by honoring a purchase. Go out to your favorite retailer and get this now… Transform and Roll Out!

I started this blog on Oct 9th of 2009, and it was around that time that Shout! Factory released their version of the complete DVD set of the Transformers G1 animated series. Rightfully titled the 25th Anniversary Matrix of Leadership Edition, this version is supposed to be superior in every way to the Rhino release that came out in the early to mid 2000s. This box set was released on Oct 20th to be precise, and so I made the news of its release my 2nd post in the history of this blog. You can read about that post here.

The first time I saw this set was at Botcon 2009. It must have been at the Shout! Factory booth. However, it was behind the counter in the display area, not available to be touched or inspected up close.

Today, I am happy to report that I have in my possession this awesome box set, and I will do it justice by giving it the proper review that it so deserves. Amazon frequently has this on sale for $86.99, and that’s what I got it for. This is the best price that I have seen anywhere for a new version of this box set. Definitely check Amazon if you are considering buying this set.

Let’s start with some pics. Here are the front and back of the box while it’s still sealed in the shrink wrap.

As you can clearly see, the graphic of the Matrix is printed on the front of the box. This box set is freakin’ huge! To give you some idea of its size, check it out next to a soda can.

The whole thing weighs quite a bit too. Sometimes I wish I had one of those things that you can weigh parcels with, like at the post office, so I can give some precise readings.

Now we get to why this is called the “Matrix of Leadership” edition. To open up the box set and remove the contents, what you do is slide out the boxes on the two sides away from the center until the middle portion is revealed. The side sections can only slide out so far, they will not fall off all the way. Now you can re-enact the scene where Rodimus opens the Matrix inside Unicron all you want.

 
Is that cool or what? Feel the power of the Matrix as you open it to watch some G1 Transformers.

After you have opened the Matrix, flip up the center cardboard piece to get at the knowledge inside.

The inside lid that flipped up contains a nice holographic image of none other than Optimus Prime. Looks very cool. After you take out all the contents in the middle section, at the bottom of the box is a nice image of Megatron. Check it out below.

This is basically the coolest DVD box that I have ever seen. Some fans have complained that the cardboard here is too soft. I guess it could have been cool if Shout! opted to use more solid material, like the ones used for the Limited Edition of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. 1 box set. And it probably would have been nice to put LEDs into the center Matrix graphic so that it lights up when the box is opened. But all this is just nitpicking and wishful thinking, so let’s not lose sight of the fact that Shout! gave us a well-designed box that is way beyond anything that anyone else has ever come up with.

Now let’s take a look at the contents. You get everything in the pic below.

What you get is the complete 98 eps of G1 Transformers on 16 DVDs held in 4 cases. Each case has a graphic of an Autobot or Decepticon leader. In the center there is a collected book that contains episode summaries and some bios of the major Transformers. This book is made of high quality material and the print quality is superb. In the pic we also see the Autobot and Decepticon magnets. I currently have these up on my fridge. Show off your TF enthusiasm with pride!

The DVDs themselves look very cool. See for yourself.

The inside cover of each DVD case is the color graphic corresponding to the leader that appeared on the cover. The graphic printed on each DVD is also very nice. Shout! certainly paid attention to all the little details.

As of this writing, I have only watched 2 eps from Season 2. The transfer quality looked really good. My understanding is that Shout! took the best master of every scene so there should be no color goofs, unless of course the goof was never corrected in the 80s to begin with. Before I bought this Matrix set, I bought the complete Season 1 set, also from Shout!. I’m going to assume the transfer is exactly the same in both. In the Season 1 set, the picture quality was inconsistent for some eps, like for instance “Heavy Metal War”. This particular ep the varying of the picture quality is really noticeable, probably because the master came from different sources, but overall it’s not a distraction.

There are also a bunch of extras on the DVDs that I’m not going to list. Go to the Amazon listing of this item and see it for yourself.

Overall, I’m very happy with this box set. This is the definitive version of the G1 Transformers animated collection. I was kinda sore when I missed my chance to buy the Rhino releases (especially after they went OOP and dealers put an insane amount of markup on them), but this more than makes up for it. As a kid I dreamed of owning every episode of Transformers. Shout! has made this dream possible and at very reasonable price too.

At last, All Are One! Transform and Roll Out!

Today I will once again review something that is not related to Transformers. I have a treat for all the Mospeada and Robotech fans out there. I will be doing a full review of the Beta Fighter from Robotech New Generation, also known as the the Tlead in Mospeada. This will be the 2nd time in the history of this blog that a post will have nothing to do with Transformers (the first time being my Yamato 1/60 VF-11B review), but seeing as how this is a transforming robot, I don’t think many of you will mind. 🙂

As all Robotech fans will tell you, Genesis Climber Mospeada made up the 3rd arc of the original Robotech series called The New Generation. The two main fighters in Mospeada are the Legioss and Tlead, respectively ported over to Robotech as Alpha and Beta. I will be using Robotech names from this point forward, since the Toynami figure is made in reference to Robotech and not Mospeada.

The Alphas are the main forward strike fighters. The Betas can act as bombers on their own, or they can function as artillery and flight boosters when attached to the Alphas. These fighters came in 3 variants of blue, green, and red for most of the show. The blue fighters are typically the “H” variants reserved for combat officers and aces, much like the “S” designation in the VF fighters of Macross. The Toynami Beta I will review today is of the “H” variant (VFB-9H). In the show, this fighter was usually attached to Scott’s Alpha, though sometimes we do see it piloted independently by Rand or Lancer.

As far as the toys go, there have been several attempts at making the Alpha. I’m aware of 2 in the 80s and 2 in this decade, all of them less than spectacular. Each mold has its own strengths and weaknesses so thus far no one has made the perfect Alpha figure. As for the Beta, I read somewhere that there was never a toy made for it in the 80s. The Beta was a concept that only existed for the show and no one attempted to bring this figure to life until the last few years. What you see here is the attempt by Toynami at making a Masterpiece Beta figure.

Let’s start by looking at the box:

This is the same kind of box used for all the Masterpiece figures made by Toynami. In case you’ve never seen one, it is shaped like a book. The front cover opens to reveal the robot figure inside, like you see in the pic above. The Certificate of Authenticity appears on the inside cover. I should’ve took a comparison shot, but just so everyone knows, the Beta is much larger than both the VF-1 and Alpha fighters from Toynami, so a much bigger box is necessary. Personally, I’m not too big on packaging. I ultimately judge the value of a purchase from the figure itself and not how fancy the box looks or feels. However, I know there are many fans out there that do place a certain amount of importance on the packaging, so I will say that the Toynami Masterpiece book-style boxes are impressive. If you’ve seen one, then you know what to expect, only that the Beta box is bigger. If not, then check out any of the boxes for the VF-1 or the Alpha from Toynami and you will get a good sense of what this is all about.

The tray that holds the figure in the box slides out from the top (like all Masterpieces). For the Beta, there is a separate tray on the bottom that holds all the accessories, as shown in the pic above. There are quite a few items here. The big X piece at the bottom and the angled piece to the left of it makes up the display stand. Above that on the left are the 3 landing gear pieces. The missiles that are positioned over the back in robot mode appear on top. Next to it is the pilot figure, I’m guessing this is Rand since his artwork is featured on the box. The two long white pieces in the bottom right corner are the attachment pieces that are required to connect the Alpha. The left one is used to connect the Alpha in jet mode, while the other one for robot mode. The square piece above them is just a filler piece to disguise the square hole in the Beta when the attachments are not used.

Robot Mode
The figure is packaged in this mode so I’ll start with this. The first thing you will notice after you take this out (and there are quite a few twist ties here so removing the figure is more work than normal) is that this figure is freakin’ heavy! As far as I can tell, the only die cast parts are the lower legs, but that alone is enough to give this figure significant weight. I don’t think this piece is as heavy as MP Optimus Prime, but it probably weighs more than most Binaltechs. In the show, the Beta is not the most agile fighter, but its got power to spare. It’s nice to see Toynami give the figure a solid and heavy feel to accurately reflect that fact.

Anyone that’s owned an Alpha fighter from Toynami will tell you that it’s biggest flaw is in the construction. In robot mode, the Alpha does not hold poses well, and gravity quickly misshape the figure into a convoluted mess the moment you pick it up. I’m happy to report there are no such issues with the Beta. Being such a heavy figure, I was afraid that this piece might suffer the same issues that plague the early Titanium TFs (metal pieces supported by weak joints that can’t support the weight). However, all joints on this figure are well reinforced. Most joints are of the ratchet variety, and they all have a nice clickly feel to them. The Beta certainly have no problem holding poses. I’m glad that Toynami have made significant strides in this area.

The colors on this figure accurately reflects the show colors, so no complaints here. The figure is also nice detailed. The Beta kinda has a simplistic appearance to begin with, but I think the level of detail that Toynami has provided here is more than sufficient. I know my figure may look a little plain, but that’s because I didn’t put the stickers on. As a kid I used to love putting stickers on my figures. But now I guess I’m either too lazy, or I just prefer to leave them off and keep the figure slightly more mint, in case I decide to sell it later.

For a figure that is so heavy and big, the Beta is actually quite well articulated. There is plenty of movement in the arms, and they can be positioned just about any way you want. The legs also rotate and bend in all the proper places. The head swivels 360 degrees, but will not look up and down (not that it really needs to). There is no waist articulation, but in this case I don’t think its really necessary. The Beta does not have any hand weapons, but it more than makes up for it with missiles on the back and chest. There are also some serious guns built into the forearms, near the hands. Speaking of hands, the Beta hand mold is way better than the Alpha’s. On my green Alpha (the only one I opened), both hands are broken because of weak joints and shoddy plastics used to make them. The Beta has no such problems.

The pic above shows the Beta getting ready to punish some Invids with some serious chest artillery. We saw this quite often in the show. Extra points to Toynami for including this feature.

Overall, I have no complaints about the Toynami Beta whatsoever in robot mode. I think Toynami has really made a Masterpiece of a robot Beta here. Bravo!

Jet Mode

I’m going to skip the Guardian Mode of this figure and go straight to Jet Mode. The reason for that is I really don’t think the Beta has a fully qualified Guardian mode, even though the instructions does provide for it. The “Guardian” for the Beta is really just the jet standing on its legs. Kinda boring if you ask me.

The transformation to Jet mode is not at all difficult. In fact, it’s probably one of the simplest transformations I’ve done in a long time for a figure of this size. The Beta kinda reminds me of G1 Transformers made in season 4 in terms of mechanics and complexity. Figures of that era are solid, durable, and not hard to transform, and the Beta captures that essence well. There’s nothing too revolutionary in the transformation process so I’m not going to describe it. Just know that it is simple to do, but at the same time complex enough to make it feel like the figure has transformed.

The Beta figure in Jet mode looks just like how it does in the show. As far as appearance, I have no complaints. This is how the Beta looks and Toynami did good of accurately portraying its design.

I do have a few gripes about the Jet mode. As you can see in the 2 pics above, I attached the connection piece that is used to link up the Alpha, even though the Alpha is not there. The reason I did that is because the Beta cannot be placed on a flat surface without it. This piece is required to attach the front landing gear, which leads me to my next gripe: landing gears are not built in and need to be attached. Vigilant readers probably already noticed this when I went into the Beta’s accessories earlier in this post. Most other premium jet figures that transform (whether they be Yamato, Bandai, Hasbro, or even Toynami themselves) have landing gears built into the unit. I seriously think the designers of this figure could have implemented a proper landing gear mechanism, but for whatever reason they decided against it.

My third gripe about the jet mode, and this is difficult for me to say, is that the figure is too heavy. I know, in the above sections, I went into how this figure is nice because its heavy. Well, that works for the robot mode, but in the jet mode it doesn’t work so well. There are pegs and holes on this figure that are designed to hold the jet as one cohesive unit when the parts come together. However, because this is so heavy, they don’t stick to each other as well as they should because the weight is pulling it apart. I seriously think that if this figure was all plastic, the jet mode would come together much nicer. Or if they decided to make the chest housing die-cast instead of the lower legs, I think that would work too. The chest is a relatively un-transformed area in the figure. So if that was made die-cast, the figure would still be heavy, and at the same time doesn’t really affect the transforming mechanism. Don’t get me wrong, its not like the jet mode will come apart as soon as you touch it or pick it up, but it does require some careful handling.

My fourth and final gripe about the jet mode, and this is really a direct consequence of the third gripe, is that this figure is really hard to hold in your hands in jet mode. This is kinda hard to explain in words, but there’s not a part on this jet that you can easily grab. Part of this has to do with how this jet is shaped. VFs and Alphas are more aerodynamic whereas the Beta is more bulky, so its kinda like holding a stick versus holding a block. But the bigger issue is that the Beta is heavy and parts don’t come together well, so unless you handle it carefully by holding the legs, some pieces are likely to come apart. I guess the Beta in jet mode is more of a display piece than something you want to play with.

Combined Mode

The above pic shows the Alpha and Beta linked up as one. I only have the green Alpha opened, so here they are. We do see this combination occasionally in the show. To perform the link up, simply fold down the cockpit unit on the Beta, spread out the feet pieces a little and fold in the tail fins on the Alpha, and place the Alpha on top of the connector piece. Surprisingly, this mechanism actually works quite well. You might think the connection here is weak based on the way its described, but in practice the combination is solid. Other than the connector, there are no pegs or grooves that would hold the two units together. But the Alpha is positioned in a way that it would not easily detach from the Beta. However, I should point out that I did not try inverting the combined unit. I have a feeling the Alpha would fall off if that’s attempted.

As you can see in the above pic, the display stand is quite small when compared to the two units combined. I keep mentioning that the Beta is heavy, and the whole thing gets even heavier when the Alpha is attached (the Alpha has a decent amount of die-cast as well). While the whole combined unit does sit firmly on the the stand, I have a feeling the stand will not endure the pressure over time. The combined unit is simply too heavy, and the stand is not large enough to support this IMO. I only had the units on the stand for a brief period to snap these pics, and it already felt like the stand would give out. I do not recommend displaying the figures this way. If you really like to display the combined mode, then its probably better to use the attached landing gears.

It is also possible to attach the robot mode Alpha to the Beta. A different connector piece would be used to do this. We saw this configuration frequently in the Shadow Chronicles movie. I did not try this. Toynami Alphas are quite flimsy in robot form and both hands are broken on my green unit, so I really didn’t feel like getting it into robot mode. There are Alphas made by Aoshima, which is the same mold with supposedly reinforced joints, but I read they are even worse than the Toynami ones. But I’ve never seen the Aoshima units first hand so it’s not something I can confirm.

The combined form is not too bad overall. I guess my only gripe, other than the weak stand, is that connector pieces are necessary to perform the link up. I kinda wish the toy designers came up with a way to hide the connector piece somehow into the Beta’s frame when it’s not used.

As a side bar, I want to point out that the only other Beta ever made to my knowledge is by CM. CM made an Alpha and Beta pair a few years back, and together they retailed for around $350! The price was definitely a turn off so I don’t think they were purchased by too many. I have read reviews of the CM versions. The Alpha is a toss-up between Toynami and CM, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. However, Toynami wins the Beta hands down. I don’t have the CM versions so its not like I can validate these claims, but at $350 a pop I think I’ll pass.

Overall, I highly recommend the Toynami Masterpiece Beta figure. The robot mode is awesome, and I will most likely display this piece in robot most of the time. I know I made it sound like there are a lot of weaknesses, but I’m trying to be as objective as possible. I’ve read way too many reviews that simply raved on and on about how this Beta figure is the best thing ever made, and I’m here to offer a counter opinion. I’m not saying the Beta is bad by any means. I’m just saying that this is a very good figure, but it does have its shortcomings. I bought this for $99 on ebay ($114 if you count shipping), and I think it’s worth every penny. That is a very reasonable price IMO. If you are a Robotech fan and you got money to splurge, you should not hesitate to get this.

Well, that’s all for now. Toynami I salute you! Transform and Roll Out!