In my last post I mentioned I made an order from Hasbrotoyshop for Wheeljack, Thundercracker, and Lugnut. The two deluxe figures were shipped out first, and Lugnut was shipped out about four days later. Weird that they all arrived on the same day. Here are some pics.

I’ll be back with my thoughts later. Transform and Roll Out!

It is now the end of March. Looking back, this has been a very productive month as far as hunting for new TFs. I will show here what I got this month, in the order that I found them.

Highbrow

Highbrow is a voyager figure that has been released for some time now. If I’m not mistaken, he is released under The Hunt For Decepticons subline. Right before Halloween of 2010, I met up with a dude from Craigslist to buy Armada Starscream from him. At that time he told me there has been sightings of Highbrow at the local Target. Other sightings on Seibertron does confirm that this figure has been released. So I’ve been keeping my eyes open, and almost 5 months later, I find one around mid March in said Target. To this day I’ve only seen one Highbrow. He’s hard to find in my area. I forgot to take pics of him in the box, so here he is in robot mode.

Highbrow is ok in robot mode, but his alt mode is where he really shines. I can’t think of any other TF that has a WWII plane has his alt mode. The plane is well constructed, has plenty of detail, is very robust, and simply looks awesome. The spinning propeller gimmick is also a nice touch. For a pic of the alt mode, check out my last post where he appears in a group shot.

Kup and Scourge

Around the middle of the month, the GF and I had sushi near her place. There was a TRU nearby so naturally I suggested we stop and take a look. This TRU is located in a really crowded shopping center on a major avenue in the heart of Silicon Valley. Navigating around the parking lot was next to impossible with all the cars trying to get in and out. When I finally parked, I complained to her that we’re not coming back unless I find something. As it turns out, I found Kup and Scourge here. So I guess we’ll be going back.

I opened both of these and they are awesome figures. Kup as a pickup is a great update for 2011. The alt mode is solid and the robot mode more resembles how he looks in the G1 Movie. Scourge in this form is way less of a shell-former. Oh btw, he his NOT a Targetmaster. I always assumed he is because of how the gun looks and the fact that Universe Cyclonus is the Targetmaster version. The gun does Transform like Targetmaster figs, but it is so he can use them as twin pistols or one larger rifle. This kinda reminds me of the Double Targetmasters in G1, except the guns do not transform into figures. I highly recommend both Kup and Scourge.

G2 Laser Optimus Prime

The following day I went to Target to buy some everyday supplies. This is a different Target from the one where I found Highbrow (I got a bunch of Targets near me). If I’m at any store that sells TFs I’ll be sure to stop by and check it out (more on this later). On this trip I found G2 Laser Optimus Prime in the Reveal the Shield line.

I opened this figure as well. Overall he’s not too bad, but he does have some flaws. I like the robot mode. The mechanism of the wheel transformation is not too intuitive. In fact I already broke off some tabs trying to figure it out. Also, in alt mode it is hard to store the sword where it’s supposed to go. I can’t recommend this Prime as highly as the 3 figures above.

Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Lugnut

About two weeks later, I made an order from HasbroToyShop.com for Wheeljack, Thundercracker, and Lugnut. I saw that they were available and in stock, so I went ahead and bought them. I think I already mentioned repeatedly that I bought Jazz and Tracks from HTS around Christmas and I didn’t see them in stores til about 3 months later. I have a feeling the same thing will happen again for these 3 figures. I don’t feel like waiting for 3 months to get them, so I made the order. I don’t have them in hand yet, so no pics to show. But I’ll be sure to do that for a later post.

Perceptor

After work in that same day, I went back to the shopping center of the Target where I found Prime for a haircut. Since Target is right next door, I stopped by real quick to check it out. I’m glad I did because I found Perceptor.

I still have not opened Perceptor, but I plan to real soon.

I mentioned earlier in this post I will stop by the TF section of any store that sells TFs. This includes even clothing stores! For instance, earlier this week I was at Kohl’s. For those that don’t know, they do have a toy section and they carry TFs. They generally put it all the way in the back. Anyway, I found a whole bunch of Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz at Kohl’s! They had like 5. Before the Kohl’s visit, I only saw him twice at different Targets, and only 1 each. So how did Kohl’s get 5?! I can’t explain it. Either Hasbro has a really weird distribution system, or there are way too many TF hunters out there camping out at the Targets and Walmarts and TRUs that as soon as some new figs come in, they hunters snatch them. I didn’t see anything I needed on this visit. However, I should point out that Kohl’s sell the deluxes at $14.99 each. Ouch! But regardless, I think I will make Kohl’s a regular hunting spot from now on.

Well, that’s it for March. I don’t plan on hunting for TFs today (but you never know, hehe). NCAA March Madness is coming to a close with only 4 schools left, and it feels like I’ve had a March Madness of my own in getting all these TFs. I already have plans for some more TFs in April, so the Madness will continue. I might do full reviews of some of the figures here. Transform and Roll Out!

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone! To honor this holiday I decided to take pics of my green color Transformers. I didn’t think there would be that many green robots, but after looking through my TF List, there turned out to be more than I thought.

Below are the TFs that would never get pinched on St Patrick’s Day. I know this post is dated 3/18, but that’s only because I left my time zone settings at default on WordPress, which is like 7 hours ahead of Pacific Time. Here in California it is still 3/17.

The Autobots
Bottom row: Animated Bulkhead. Middle row (left to right): Movie Ratchet, G1 Hoist, Movie Highbrow, Movie Dune Runner, Alternator Hound. Top row (left to right): Universe Air Raid, Botcon Springer, Warbot Defender, Universe Hound.

The Decepticons
Front row (left to right): Movie Hailstorm, Robots in Disguise Rollbar, Movie Brawl, Movie Bludgeon, Universe Brawl. Top row (left to right): Robots in Disguise Mega-Octane, Animated Oil Slick, Animated Waspinator, Universe Acid Storm.

Today was also the start of March Madness. This is my favorite weekend as far as sports go. 16 games today, 16 more tomorrow, and 16 more over the weekend… I can barely contain myself!

There were some very close college basketball games today. I did my undergrad at UCLA so of course I was happy to see them beat Michigan St. UCLA was up by 23 points with about 8 minutes left in the game, so naturally I thought this one was all wrapped up. But by a weird combination of the Spartans making 3s and getting offensive rebounds and the Bruins not making their free throws, Michigan St. made of game of it down the stretch. In the end UCLA barely survived 78-76. I’m happy for the win, but the Bruins can’t continue this kind of sloppy play if they hope to have any kind of chance against Florida next round (who knocked them out of both 06 and 07 tournaments).

Go UCLA! Bruins… Transform and Roll Out!

Several weeks ago I received MP Rodimus Prime. I still have not opened this figure. I intend to do this soon, but before that I thought I take some pics of him sealed in the box.

Rodimus is finally getting the MP treatment that he deserves. Could Galvatron be next? That would complete the G1 leaders. Anyway, I plan on doing a full review. Until then… Transform and Roll Out!

A while back I did the review for Reveal The Shield Special Ops Jazz. Today I’m doing the review for Turbo Tracks, also in the Reveal The Shield line of TFs. These two figures came out at the same time. I bought both of these from HasbroToyShop.com right before Christmas. That turned out to be a good decision because I still have not seen these guys in the stores, and February is almost over!

Tracks first appeared in Season 2 of G1 Animated. He kinda just appeared. So as to how he arrived on Earth, your guess is as good as mine. Everyone remembers him for having a super sexy Corvette as hit alt mode and his suave and debonair ways of operation. Tracks is way too into himself, but he is one of the Autobot’s better warriors so I guess his peers put up with it. Tracks did not appear in the G1 movie and I don’t remember if he appeared at all in Season 3. Back in the 80s, he was one of the most sought after figures among the kids in my class, probably because he turned into a Corvette. It’s good to see Hasbro finally give him the update in the CHUG line that he so properly deserves. I guess due to licensing issues, he is called Turbo Tracks.

Let’s start by looking at the alt mode. I don’t think Hasbro got the rights to Corvette for Turbo Tracks, which is kinda strange considering they got it for the Alternator and Movie figs. But regardless, Hasbro came up with a pretty sporty alt mode that still does Tracks justice.

The shape of this alt mode deviates a little from how I think the Corvette looks, especially in the front grill area. The car also feels a little wide to be a Corvette. However, all the Autobot cars in the CHUG line are clones of the vehicles that they’re supposed to be. In the case of Tracks, I feel this is close enough. If I simply saw an outline of the shape of this car and had to guess, I would’ve guessed Corvette. And seeing as how they’re going to repaint this mold into Wheeljack (with minor alterations), the alt mode here will work for both characters.

As far as the colors go, this shade of blue is undoubtedly Tracks. G1-ers will notice immediately that the flames on the hood are reproduced here as well, albeit somewhat modified. Hasbro took the effort to paint the rims silver this time, something I complained about on Jazz. The front windows are kind of a clear black and in this case matches well with the figure. The front lights are painted silver, rear brake lights painted red, and the grill painted black. All in all, the paint job is pretty good, much better that it is on Jazz. Tracks does look a little plastic-ish in alt mode, but that’s kinda true on all $10 deluxe figures, so I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.

The “Reveal The Shield” rub sign is locate don the roof of the car. I think in G1 they put it in the same place.

Functionally, Tracks is fairly solid in alt mode. All parts and pieces come together to form a cohesive whole. Hasbro engineers have done a good job of hiding body parts into the vehicle construction. All accessories are accounted for in alt mode. Notice the missiles are tucked underneath the sides of the vehicle. The gun is hidden the rear area of the car that forms Tracks’ back and it can only be removed during transformation. The mechanism works really well and is leaps better than the usual placement of under the hood. The missiles can also be placed on the rear of the car, where the spoiler would go if he had one. To do this, you would need to rotate this one panel that contains the pegs. I really like this mechanism, because if you didn’t want to attach the missiles, you can then hide the pegs for a sexy and smooth look for the car. Hasbro didn’t have to do this and I commend them for paying attention to the little things.

I have 2 small gripes about Tracks. The first is the placement of the missiles underneath the door. It looks pretty cool in that location, but there really isn’t enough clearance underneath. So they kinda scratch the ground when they’re placed there if you try to roll Tracks on a flat surface. The second gripe has to do with how the rear part of the car doesn’t come up flush with the rest of the body. Check out the pics above and you’ll see what I mean. There is a very noticeable seam line between the door and the side rear, and it runs over the roof. It is possible to get it slightly better than how it looks in the pics, but everything has to come together just right and could take some time.

Turbo Tracks is also capable of transforming into his flight mode, like G1. Below I have a pic. I don’t think Tracks is a fully qualified Triple Changer. However we do see him do this from time to time in G1 animated. Very nice to see Hasbro incorporate this into the toy.

Below are some pics of Turbo Tracks with Tracks from other TF lines. The red Tracks is an actual Diaclone from the 80s (BTW, the Autobot sticker on the roof came from an extra G1 Hound sticker sheet). The blue G1 Tracks is an early 2000s TRU re-issue, and the yellow Tracks is Binaltech.

Transformation to robot mode is a combination of the G1 mold and the Binaltech/Alternator mold. The hood of the car forms the legs, which is the same for all Tracks. The roof of the car forms the chest, like G1. However, the arms are hidden in the rear section of the vehicle, and this is more like Binaltech. Overall, I don’t see anything really innovative in the transformation, but in this case it’s not a bad thing. We all know the general mechanics of the Tracks transformation and I think Hasbro did the right thing by sticking with the old familiar formula. I should point out that there is a little bit of Auto Morph in the chest and head mechanism. I usually hate Auto Morph features, but in this case it works pretty well.

I am lovin’ the looks of Tracks in robot mode. Take a look at the pics and see for yourself. This Tracks simply screams G1! The overall body styling is an homage to both the G1 toy and the G1 character. All the famous characteristics that make Tracks is here, including his overall colors of blue and dark grey, his wings, his over-the-shoulder twin missiles, and his signature red face. I didn’t think it was possible to make a Tracks figure that’s even more Tracks than the Binaltech, but Hasbro proved me wrong. Nice job Hasbro!

Construction wise, I see no issues with Tracks in robot mode. He’s well articulated and hold his poses well. I’ll let the pics do the talking.

You can remove his missiles if you like, and the gun can be placed in either hand. Nothing on Tracks looks out of place. He’s well balanced, he’s proportionate, and he’s not front or back heavy. I really can’t find any gripes with this robot mode. I also really like the detail on this figure. The grey area on the legs has a nice paint finish that makes it look diecast. Some parts look a little plastic-ish, but all $10 Hasbro figures (if not all TFs) have this problem so I’m not going to bash Tracks here.

Here’s a shot of how the back looks.

And here’s Tracks with other Tracks figs in robot mode.

In my opinion, this is the best Tracks figure ever made. The Binaltech figure is very good too, but it’s got too much kibble and it won’t form the car-jet. Turbo Tracks does not have these obvious weaknesses, plus it’s got all the strengths I mentioned. If you can find one anywhere near you, buy it now.

By my count, Hasbro is almost done re-doing all the Diaclone cars from the first 2 seasons as a deluxe or voyager in the CHUG line. Wheeljack and Grapple is on the way. This only leaves Trailbreaker, Hoist, and Skids. Actually, I’ll live if they don’t do Skids since he never really appeared that much. But I want the other two! C’mon Hasbro make it happen!

That’s all for now my fellow TransFans. Get out there and get your TFs… Transform and Roll Out!

Happy New Year! This is the first post for 2011. And as the first order of business, I’m going to review Special Ops Jazz from the Reveal the Shield line of TFs.

Jazz has always had a special place in my passion for Transformers. I have loved the character ever since G1. He’s one of Prime’s go-to guys. His alt mode is a Porsche. He’s got crazy sounds and light shows to disorient bumbling Decepticons. He’s got above average combat skills. He’s resourceful. And last but not least, he’s just too damn cool. He completes his missions with so much flair and pizazz you can’t help but like him. Oh, and his G1 toy ain’t too shabby either. Of all the Diaclone cars, G1 Jazz is among the best molds, along with the toys for Smokescreen and Sideswipe. I think his G1 toys still holds up well today. As a kid, I would sometimes pretend I’m a Transformer. Very often Jazz would be my character of choice.

When rumors first broke of a new Jazz mold that will be released to fit into the Classics universe, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I waited a good portion of last year for news of this to materialize, and finally towards the end of 2010, we got Special Ops Jazz in the Reveal the Shield line. And it’s about damn time too. Most other non-special-team TFs from the first 2 seasons have been re-made in some form in the CHUG line. Jazz is such a recognizable character that he really should have been one of the first. But, better late than never I always say.

I documented my purchase of Jazz in this post. He comes with those famous rub-signs that all true TransFans should be familiar with. I think that’s suppose to be the gimmick of the “Reveal the Shield” line. Hasbro could not secure the rights to use the name Jazz, so they had to call him Special Ops Jazz, after his G1 function of Special Operations. I like this better than the lame Autobot Jazz or the Japanese name of Meister.

First lets take a look at the car mode.

In alt mode, this is vintage Jazz. Hasbro did not get licensing rights to Porsche, but they have came up with an alt mode that resembles the Porsche in always every way without actually being a Porsche. This is an alt mode worthy of Jazz with its sleek and sexy body outlines. The colors are a pure homage to the G1 figure. The white overall color scheme, with the blue and red racing stripes and the number 4, is unmistakably G1 Jazz. Below I have 2 pics of this Jazz with the G1 figure side by side. That’s an actual G1 folks, not a re-issue!

As far as construction goes, I see no issues with Special Ops Jazz. All the pieces come together quite well to form one cohesive unit. The car is balanced on a flat surface and it rolls well despite the plastic tires. I kinda wish that the tires are rubber like the G1 figure, but Hasbro seemed to stop doing that for $10 figures long time ago. The gun (not pictured in alt mode) sticks right underneath the hood, so you don’t have to worry about if there’s a place for it. The gun needs to be transformed to be able to fit, but the mechanism is simple yet robust. The storage mechanism here is way better than the one used for the CHUG Prowl/Smokescreen/Silverstreak mold. In that mold, the gun attachment is weak, and is constantly falling off the car. This is not an issue with Jazz. The gun sticks well when properly tucked.

To please us G1 fans, Hasbro implemented Jazz’s famous G1 speakers into the figure. In alt mode, you open the doors and flip out the speakers, if you want to simulate Jazz blasting music or noise like he does in the G1 cartoon. Very very cool!

The rub sign is located on the roof of the car. These rub signs used to be square with the shape of the insignia centered in the middle. For the Reveal the Shield figures, the signs are modified so that the shape of the sticker is the shape of the symbol. Not sure that I like this approach, but it’s just a personal preference and does not affect how I like this figure one way or the other.

Now about the gripes. The most obvious one is the lack of paint or detail in the back of the alt mode. Many fans other than myself have pointed this out. See for yourself.

I think Hasbro could have at least painted the rear windows here, so it doesn’t look so plain. Maybe add some color to the tail lights, or paint the rear bumper red like the front bumper. Or maybe color the tailpipes silver, like his face (more on this later). While we’re at it, I think the rims could have been painted silver too, like Reveal the Shield Tracks (a review for this figure will come later).

The overall paint job on Jazz is only mediocre in my opinion. While what’s there is adequate, Jazz does look kinda plastic-y, if you get what I mean. Since he’s white, he looks unpainted. Its kinda like putting together a car model that is already white, and then you only apply the stickers for the racing stripes. That’s how Jazz looks in alt mode. On my figure I also detect slight paint splatters.

The above pic has Special Ops Jazz with Animated Jazz and Alternator Jazz. Special Ops is about the same size as Animated in alt mode.

But other than these weaknesses I mentioned, the alt mode still gets high marks. The shape of the car looks good, and functionally there is nothing wrong. Now let’s look at the robot mode.

Take a look at the above pic, and I dare say this is the most G1-like Jazz Hasbro has ever made. Everything about his appearance is a G1 homage. I already mentioned the colors, and in robot mode it’s really no different. The shape of his chest, legs, arms, wings, his face and head, they all scream G1. Of course this is 25+ years later, and with the toy technology we have today, Hasbro has managed to produce a Jazz robot mode that looks both like the G1 toy and the G1 cartoon. Before this figure, the most G1-like Jazz produced would be the Binaltech/Alternator version. While that’s a great figure, his legs looked very different from G1, and he’s only white (assuming you don’t use custom Repro Decals). Special Ops Jazz is the definitive G1 update. I’m especially impressed by the shape and look of his feet and shins. This design is pure G1.

Transformation from car to robot is nothing we haven’t seen before. That should be obvious by looking at the robot mode and seeing where all the car parts go. The only major difference between this and G1 is the arms. G1 has the arms fold rectangularly under the hood, while Special Ops Jazz folds them to the side by the doors. It seems as if Hasbro simply took the G1 mold and updated it with 2010 toy technology. I think in this case it’s really not a bad thing. The G1 transformation is tried and true, and don’t fix it if it ain’t broken, I always say.

The biggest knock against G1 figures is articulation, or lack of it. G1 Jazz is no exception. Special Ops Jazz addresses that and then some. This figure is capable of a wide array poses. I won’t describe it. Just look at the pics.

The gun can be held in either hand. I guess I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t include a missile launcher like his G1 self, but I’ll get over it. And just like the car mode, the speakers can fold out over the doors/wings.

As far as construction, I see no issues with the figure. The joints are just right, not too loose and not too tight. This means he can hold his poses well. Jazz is also nicely balanced. He’s not front or back heavy, and in my opinion he’s got just the right amount of kibble. He stands easily on 2 legs, even if you choose to do action poses. Transformation difficulty is just about right too. He’s complex enough to be regarded as a real Transformer, but simple enough to be fun.

Below is a shot of the back in case you’re wondering.

As for size comparison, below is shot next to Generations Dirge. Everyone should know the size of CHUG Seekers by now so its a good standard to use. Jazz in robot form is pretty tall for a deluxe.

Unfortunately there are weaknesses in the robot mode as well, and once again it has to do with the paint. I think his paint job in robot mode is better than the alt mode, simply because he’s got other bits on him other than the white, so he doesn’t look so plastic-ish. However, some gray plastic bits really stand out, like the abdomen, shins, and feet. If Hasbro painted these silver like his face, they would look so much better. Oh, I should point out that the paint job used on the forearms look really good. They are plastic, but the paint makes it look die-cast. Bravo!

One other gripe that other fans have is that his chest doesn’t lock in place in robot mode. This means if you want to raise his arms, his chest will go back up. While I do consider this a minor issue, as a G1-er, I instinctively hold down his chest if I want to move the arms because in G1 the chest/hood didn’t lock either. So if you’re like me, you may not see this as a big deal.

The pics below show off Special Ops Jazz with Jazz from various other TF lines in robot mode.

That very last pic above, that’s Pretender Jazz if any of you are wondering. That’s right, Jazz was made a Pretender late in G1. Pretender Jazz is without a doubt the worst Jazz ever made. Even worse than Movie deluxe Jazz, and that’s saying a lot. But Pretender Jazz is not something you will see often so I put him in these pics for pure awe factor. In case you’re wondering just how bad he really is, check out this review below (not by me).

There you have it, my review of Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz. I pointed out a few gripes and they’re mostly paint issues, but overall he’s still highly recommended. This Jazz is definitely in my top 2 of all Jazz ever made. I have a hard time deciding which Jazz I like better, this one or the Binaltech/Alternator. Do not hesitate to get one if you see one in the stores. He’s still pretty rare right now. I had to get mine from HasbroToyShop.com.

“Do it with style or don’t bother doing it!” Transform and Roll Out!

Earlier this month I decided to make an order with Hasbrotoyshop.com. Seibertron will usually post when new figures are available for purchase. They made the announcement that Jazz and Tracks are out and HTS had them. I had a feeling I was not going to find them before Christmas in the stores. And being the G1 guy that I am, I had to have them during the Holidays, so I made the order.

Usually I prefer to hunt for figures in the stores. I find it fun to hunt for them, I like to save on shipping, and I can usually find it cheaper than what HTS wants, which is MSRP. But like I said, I must have Jazz and Tracks now, so I made an exception. Plus HTS was doing free shipping for orders over $50. In this order I got Jazz, Tracks, Dirge, Skullgrin, and Cybertronian Cliffjumper. Dirge was $12.99, while the rest of them was $11.99 each.

HTS divided this order into 2 separate shipments. Dirge, Skullgrin, and Cliffjumper came first. I guess those were in stock and ready to ship. Actually, I found these 3 when I found Thunderwing at Target, each for less at $9.04. So in some ways I was kicking myself for the HTS order. But I just kept reminding myself that I did it for Jazz and Tracks and it’ll be worth it. These 2 finally arrived yesterday and I now have them all in hand!

I opened Dirge before Jazz and Tracks arrived, so he’s all by his lonesome.

HTS used boxes not at all appropriate for what they were shipping. The backing was Jazz and Tracks was bent when they arrived. They were stuffed into a box not long enough for the backing.

On the other hand, the box used for the other 3 was way too big. Again, I already opened Dirge when I took this pic, but just imagine him in the box below and there’s still way too much space. Length and width of the box is about right for 3 deluxe figs, but the box is way too deep.

I guess I should be grateful that the shipping was free. Shipping for something this large would not be fun to pay for.

There’s certainly enough TFs here to make for a fun Cybertronian Christmas. I still haven’t opened the Power Core Combiners that I got from Thanksgiving, so I still got those to mess with. I’ll be doing reviews of some of these, so stay tuned. Have a safe and happy holiday my fellow TransFans. Transform and Roll Out!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am home for the long weekend to spend it with my family, and I hope all of you had a safe and happy holiday.

I know this is a little late, but seeing as how I haven’t posted anything in a long time, I felt compelled to write something. It wasn’t my intention to ignore this blog in the month of November, but I’m just way too busy with other things, such as work, the holidays, planning for my upcoming move, some personal matters, and too many other misc issues to list. Anyway, Thanksgiving long weekend is coming to a close so I think it’s appropriate to list out some TFs I have found in the last several days.

On Black Friday I went to Target. I didn’t get there til 11am so it’s possible all the good stuff are gone, but it’s not really my style to get in line the night before and spend hours in the cold just to get some good deals. Anyway, the only TFs I saw on sale were some Power Core Combiners. Each set was going for only $10. Not a bad deal, so I picked up the only two kind they had left.

Stakeout’s limb components are called Protectobots. So I guess he’s a homage to the G1 team of the same name. Crankcase looks like a homage to Stunticons, seeing as he’s got Motormaster’s color scheme and the combined head sculpt is like Menasor. I do have Huffer so I already know how Crankcase will be like, though I haven’t opened either of these so I’m curious about their combination mechanism. But seeing as how the limb components do not transform, I’m really not too excited about these. I just figured I buy them since the price was good.

On Saturday I went to Walmart, and found some Cybertron repaints in the Universe line. Not sure if these are Walmart exclusives. I was not even aware of these so they weren’t something I was looking for. In fact, I don’t even know if these are new or leftovers from previous years. But at $4 each I bought them for the heck of it.

I opened both of these. They’re alright at $4, but if they costed anymore, I would not recommend them. They’re not worth reviewing so I’ll just state some thoughts real quick. I like both their alt modes, but each figure does have weaknesses. Brakedown’s construction leaves a little to be desired. Brushguard’s arms are always bent at the elbow, and there’s already a lot of kibble in the arm area, so posing his arms are very difficult. I do like his Wolverine like claws, however.

Oh, in case you haven’t noticed, this is Brakedown, not Breakdown. I wasn’t even paying attention when I bought it so I simply assumed this is an update of Breakdown of G1 Stunticon fame.

Well, that’s about it. I was hoping to find some new Generations figures over the long weekend, such as Blurr, Dirge, or Soundwave, but no such luck. Too bad. But I was able to find a good deal on PSP for cheap at Target. The were selling the Black Friday bundle for only $127! This bundle includes the PSP 3000, Karate Kid on UMD, Little Big Planet, and a 1GB memory stick. I’ve wanted a PSP for some time now. At this price it was a no brainer.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of holidays they would have on Cybertron. LOL. Transform and Roll Out!

It is that time again my friends! Welcome to the 3rd edition of Before Carly on this blog! As usual, I’ll start with the official description that was on Seibertron.com:

“Spike is quite the ladies man. He eventually married Carly, but she was not the only one to have fun in the backseat of Bumblebee.”

When does Spike find time to have fun with all these babes? Your guess is as good as mine.

The name of each girl is made to sound like various characters in the TF universe, and each part of every name is based on real names I’ve seen. See how many TFs you can identify. Highlight over the name of each girl (written in red) to reveal the answer.

Enjoy the pics!

In case you missed it, here are the previous Before Carly posts:
Before Carly
Before Carly 2

Transform and Roll Out!

I think by now, all TransFans are aware that Transformers Animated have officially ended. All remaining TFA toys that were planned are exclusively released in the United States through Toys R Us. I’m really only aware of 4 figures: Cybertron Mode Ratchet, Arcee, Rodimus Minor, and Cybertron Mode Ironhide. Cybertron Mode Ratchet came out as early as January of this year, and I think I found them locally in February. Toys R Us ordered way too many of this figure. Every store I visited recently is overstocked with Ratchet. This is not true with the rest of the figures. Arcee I only saw once in May, and never again. And because of this, I had a feeling that Rodimus and Ironhide were gonna be rare finds as well.

Fans have been reporting sightings of these two figures as early as August, so I’ve been keeping my eyes open. I was lucky I was able to find some right before Columbus Day weekend. My local Toys R Us didn’t have that many either, only 4 Rodimus and 3 Ironhide figures. Needless to say, I quickly grabbed some and proceeded to check out. I only left one of each on the shelves. The girl at the checkout was like, “Damn, you got them all! People have been asking about these!” LOL. I have been back to the store once since, and yeah, they’re all gone. I don’t anticipate my TRU to get anymore either. Ebay dealers ask a minimum of $25 for these, and that doesn’t include ship. These appear to be rare indeed.

Anyway, today I’m doing a review of the Rodimus Minor figure. I have not yet opened Ironhide, but he’s a repaint of Ratchet so I already know what to expect. I may do a review of him and Ratchet later in a future post.

Check out some pics of Rodimus Minor in the package.

I really like the look of this Rodimus in alt mode. His appearance is most definitely G1 inspired. The figure is mostly red with some stripes of yellow on the hood and on the wing. In G1 he had flames, but I think the yellow triangular stripes actually looks better. The window is in that famous blue like all other Rodimus figures. The engine on the hood is faithfully represented here. In G1 and Classic Rodimus, the side exhaust pipes are located on the side bottom of the vehicle. However in Animated, they’re located higher on the side, a little above the rear tires. I rather like this design, it manages to make the look refreshing, but still identifiable. Compared to other Rodimus figures, the shape of this one is more streamlined and more sleek. I have no complaints on the looks of the alt mode whatsoever. I haven’t seen Season 3 of Animated so I can’t comment on show accuracy, but if it looks anything like the package image then I would say the figure represented his look faithfully.

Functionally, Hasbro’s toy designers did a great job in the engineering of this figure. Rodimus is quite solid in this mode. As with most other TFA figures, the various parts and pieces come together well to form the vehicle. Everything snaps together nicely, and there are no dangling bits to be found. The alt mode will not come apart easily even if you choose to play rough with the figure as the car. On a flat surface, Rodimus rolls well on all 4 wheels and I see no balancing issues. The only noticeable seam line is towards the rear, above the wheel area, but that is something I can easily live with.

Size-wise, Animated Rodimus is a little smaller compared to Classic or Henkei Rodimus in alt mode. Check out the pic below.

His bow-type weapon can be attached in alt mode. Simply plug the pegs on the weapon into the slots on top of the vehicle. The missiles fire a good distance, though it’s not the strongest when compared to recent Hasbro offerings. If I was to name one gripe, it’s that the weapon is not that easy to attach in this mode. This weapon is angled upwards when mounted, and the tail end of the missiles make contact with the wing, so attaching this thing is harder than it looks. Not only that, the obvious place to apply force downwards on the weapon to mount it is exactly where the firing buttons are, so you almost always accidentally fire the missiles. I’ve learned to attach the launcher first, then connect the missiles. Also, even with all this, it’s real easy to accidentally make contact with the weapon, in which case you will almost always knock it off the figure (very similar to Arcee’s wings, though not that bad). I opened two Rodimus figures (more on this later), and they both have these issues with the weapon, so I’m going to assume this is an issue with the mold. Still, this is just a little gripe, and I think he looks better without the weapon in alt mode anyway so I just prefer to leave it off.

Overall, I’m very happy with the alt mode.

The transformation to robot mode is quite unique for a Rodimus figure. The standard transformation for Rodimus in other lines has the hood forming the chest, cockpit and wings becoming the back, the sides folding out to be the arms, and rear section of the car as the legs. Animated Rodimus Minor puts a slight spin on this familiar theme. The legs are buried entirely underneath the vehicle, with the feet connecting to below the front hood area. The arms go over the rear wheel area, and during transformation there are joints that will connect them with the chest. The front wheels also fold into the chest, and the engine can flip over in robot mode to reveal the Autobot insignia. It’s nice to see Hasbro trying something new in the transformation. The result is a process that feels both refreshing and familiar at the same time, something not easily achieved for such a recognizable character. And in my opinion, the transformation difficulty level is just right. It’s complex enough to be a fully qualified Transformer, but at the same time still fun enough that it doesn’t feel like work to transform it.

In robot mode, Rodimus looks great. He’s well proportioned and there’s not any body parts that look too big or too small. Again, I have not seen this character in the cartoon, but it appears that the toy captured the look of Animated Rodimus quite well. The paint job on a standard $10 Hasbro figure usually leaves a little to be desired, and on this figure it’s no exception. However, I don’t detect any color goofs, so at least Hasbro got that right.

Design wise, there is no mistaking that this is Rodimus. Anyone who is vaguely familiar with G1 Hot Rod will easily identify this character. His overall color scheme, his trademark wings, and his arm cannons are all here. The figure is capable of a wide range of poses. Ball joints are used almost everywhere. Fans big on poseability will find nothing to complain about here.

Functionally, Rodimus is well built. All pieces lock into place where they should, resulting in a solid robot mode. When I transformed him the first time, I thought the chest piece would dangle around. But after you lock in the cockpit window into the upper back, everything stays put. The side exhaust on the upper legs also clicks into position. The figure is very, very well engineered. Overall, I have no complaints about the robot mode of Rodimus Minor whatsoever.

Below are some size comparison pics with other Rodimus figures. Notice in robot mode, Animated Rodimus becomes a little bigger than Classic/Henkei Rodimus, whereas in alt mode he was smaller.

I mentioned that I got two of these and I opened both of them. For really rare figures that don’t cost much, I sometimes buy multiples, one to open and one to keep mint in the package, maybe to sell later or just to hang on to so I can say I have a mint one. Well, the first one I opened came with two left hands! Check out the pic below. The two-handed one is on the right. Functionally that’s just wrong, so I opened the other one as well. By the time I opened them, there were none left at TRU so exchange is not an option. I could return it, but I thought I keep it just for laughs. I googled this and I don’t see any other fan reporting this issue, so I’m forced to assume this is an isolated incident. But just keep in mind this could happen if you find and buy a Rodimus figure. And I’m just happy that I got a 2nd one so I don’t have to live with the two left-handed one.

So there you have it, my thoughts on Animated Rodimus Minor. I can’t recommend this figure enough. Compared with other Rodimus figures, I would say this is the second best one of all time, right behind Classic/Henkei Rodimus.

Come and think of it, all the recent figures that I opened have been really good. Hasbro has been on a roll when it comes to doing new molds. I will be doing reviews of some other great figures that came out recently, so stay tuned. Transform and Roll Out!