Roll for it! The third movie in the Michael Bay Transformers trilogy, Dark of the Moon, opens on June 29th, 2011. Here in California it is around 9:30pm of June 28th. But when the clock strikes midnight in a few hours, many of the bigger multiplexes around here will be showing the movie.

Normally I would be totally making plans to go to the midnight showing. If not, then this weekend for sure. But the GF is on vacation and she would kill me if I saw this before she did, so most likely I’ll catch it when she returns next week.

Some of my coworkers are planning to see this soon. I’ll be asking for their thoughts.

Prepare yourselves, my fellow TransFans! This is Earth’s Last Stand! Time to… Transform and Roll Out!

I am back from BotCon 2011! General admission was on June 4th and 5th and I was there both days. Once again I went with my buddy Gemini. We couldn’t wait for BotCon 2011 since we had a blast in 2009, which was also in Pasadena. BotCon 2011 did not disappoint! Check out the pics below.

 

The Venue

 

Across the street from the convention center were parked fan customs of Ratchet and Bumblebee. Notice Ravage is on top of Ratchet. Very cool. Movie Ironhide and G1 Trailbreaker showed up later but I forgot to take pics.

 

Convention Displays

 

 

BotCon 2011 Exclusive Figures

 

I’m not sure what are the names for any of these figures. Also, I had a chance to take pics of the exclusive Animated Stunticons, but forgot to.

 

Hall of Fame

 

 

Upcoming Third Party Figures

 

FansProject is working on an add-on for G2 Optimus to make it look more G2, similar to the add-on for Classic Ultra Magnus and Rodimus. This is shaping up nicely. Word is, there will be 2 versions, one for Prime and a black repaint for Scourge. I’m getting this for sure!

Another shot of the same product from different angle. Also includes a shot of the clear Rodimus add-on.

These are the upcoming FansProject Insecticons! In color for the first time! Really, really looking forward to these. All 3 are required purchase for me.

Masterpiece Ramjet by iGear, or “Jet”. TF Source was selling these for $130 on Sunday. These were available to be touched. The quality is not too shabby, feels like real MPs by Hasbro. Now if they were only about half price I would’ve bought one.

Other Masterpiece Seekers by iGear: Thrust, Dirge, and Sunstorm. Can’t remember what iGear calls them. I’m guessing they will also be around $130 per.

Apparently, iGear is making their own interpretations of G1 Ratchet and Ironhide. Right now its pics only and no prototype displays. These are looking promising. No word on what the price will be.

Sonicron by BTS Toys. This may be released already. No mystery who this is supposed to be. I may get one if it gets good reviews and the price is acceptable.

Scavenger figure, I think by TFClub. He appears to be Voyager size. Pics in the back does show other figs and they will combine. We talked to the guy manning the booth. He has confirmed that 3 of the Constructicons will be released, but at this point there’s no word on the other 3. He also places the price point at about $100 per fig after shipping. Details are so sketchy on this right now. At Voyager size, this Devastator would be so impressive combined. But it would totally suck if they made 3 and then stopped.

The above 2 pics are not 3rd party products. They are repainted customs being offered by this one booth. Nowhere else to put these pics so I lumped them here. You can see the guy that does these in the upper pic. He’s got impressive skills to say the least.

 

Contest Entries

 

There were many entries. I only took pics of the ones that grabbed my attention.

This last pic above, that was the winner.

 

Kre-O

 

When I first learned of Kre-O, I was thrilled. I loved Legos when I was a kid and I built TFs out of them. However, I think I read somewhere that these sets will NOT transform. What these sets offer is to build one mode, take it apart, and build the other mode. That kinda takes the fun out of Transformers. Quality of the bricks could also be an issue. Many have attempted to copy Legos, but none have reproduced the quality (I’m looking at you, Mega Blocks). I’ll read up on some reviews before I get these.

 

Cosplayers

 

I only managed to snap 2 pics of Cosplayers. I saw many others but were too lazy to take pics. Some were real creative. Definitely better Cosplaying at this Con than the 09 Con.

This Movie Starscream has got to be the best TF cosplaying I’ve ever seen!

 

Current and Upcoming Hasbro Figures

 

All store exclusives in this pic. I already got the Prime and Comettor 2-pack. Will also get Leadfoot and the Terradive repaint. Undecided about the rest.

More store exclusives. I have the blue Sideswipe repaint.

Definitely getting US version of MP Rodimus, even though I already have the Japanese version. US version will include the Targetmaster figure, and I’m hoping the flaws are corrected, like the Japanese 2nd release.

Here’s my chance to get Unicron! He will retail for $59.99. Looks like he’s got a more Movie accurate head mold too.

Current Reveal the Shield figs. I’ve got the bottom row. Still trying to find Grapple.

I’ve got all of these, except Mindset and Fallback. Amazon was selling Wreck-Gar for $14.99 right before BotCon started. I wasted no time buying one. They are all sold out now, I should have bought more. I’ll post about this later.

I now have Windcharger and Chopsaw (see Haul section below). I like to get the G1 legends figs. I haven’t seen them anywhere, other than BotCon. Not gonna pay the markup that the dealers ask though.

Some Power Core Combiners on the top row. I’ve got all the Generations figs in the bottom row.

DOTM Scouts. So far I’ve only bought Sandstorm. The new ones are on the bottom row. Some of these have potential to be good.

More DOTM toys. Top row are the Human Alliance figs. I’ve bought Roadbuster. Haven’t opened him yet, but he’s looking good. More scouts on the bottom row.

Optimus Prime and Megatron from Transformers Prime. Really looking forward to these.

The other TF Prime figs. The Matrix packaging on the bottom will be a Comic-Con exclusive.

This is Ultimate Optimus Prime. It’s huge! Retail I believe is $89.99. I plan to get one.

DOTM Leader class figs. I’ve got Sentinel, and Bumblebee is available just about everywhere. Ironhide is looking promising.

DOTM Voyager figs. I have Shockwave and Skyhammer. Might get this Prime with the ax too.

More DOTM toys. I’ve got Prime and Megs at the bottom. Will also get Thundercracker when I see him. Some dealers already had him at BotCon.

 

My BotCon 2011 Haul

 

No trip to any anime/toy/comic convention is complete without acquiring some loot. And so I proudly present my acquisitions from BotCon 2011:

• Windcharger, Chopsaw, Breacher, Sunspot, Firetrap, Backfire – These were purchased as a set of 6 for $48 at the Hasbro booth. That comes to $8 per fig. Hardcore fans will tell you that the prize here is Windcharger. And that was pretty much the reason I bought the set. Most dealers ask $40+ for just Windcharger, so I figure $48 bucks for 6 figs is not too bad. Hasbro knows how to milk it though, this is one way to rid figs that don’t sell. I’ve seen the other 5 figs go for $5 sometimes. But anyway, Breacher was new when I bought him, I just forgot to take the pic. I’ve also opened Sunspot and I checked out Gemini’s Windcharger. All 3 are good figs, so I don’t regret buying this set at all.
• TF United Megatron – I have the first Classic Megatron released in the US, back in 2006. However, I don’t like his Nerfy colors and I’ve always wanted one that was more G1. In the 09 Con, I thought about buying the Henkei version for $50, but in the end decided not to. On Saturday when we lined up to get into the Con, we saw a Devastator costume with a Henkei Meg attached to the shoulder. This gave me the idea to re-look for either a Henkei Meg or a United Meg. One booth had many United Megs for $50. I made an offer for $45 and the guy agreed. I now finally have a G1 looking Meg in the Classics-verse.
• Beast Wars Complete DVD Set by Shout! Factory – Beast Wars is a great series, in my opinion only 2nd to G1. Gemini introduced me to the show, and I watched all 3 seasons on his Rhino DVDs. I wanted my own set for some time now. Rhino Beast Wars DVDs went OOP for a while so the price was all marked up. News broke of a Shout! Factory version some months ago. I have their G1 Matrix of Leadership set and that was great, so I expect the Beast Wars set to be great as well. As of this writing, I don’t even see this set listed on Amazon, only the Season 1 set. So I’m happy to get one so early at $45 for the complete series.
• Encore Sky Lynx – I know, I mentioned before how I think Sky Lynx is one of the lamest Transformers ever. But the deal I see at BotCon was just too irresistible for a G1 guy. One dealer only asked $35 to get rid of these. There were about 10 units when I first saw the deal. I didn’t get one right away because I was still considering if I really wanted one. I came back 20 min later and only one was left! You can’t really see it in the pic, but the top right corner is kinda messed up. So I offered $30 and the seller took it. $30 for Sky Lynx is not bad at all. I’ll open him later and check out the walking action.
• Obi-Wan Transformer – Got him new for $8. This looks like the Ep 2 Jedi Starfighter. He’s only worth about $8. Not recommended at MSRP.
• Kre-O Optimus Prime figure – This I got free from the Kre-O booth. This is supposedly a convention exclusive. Some dealers were buying these at $5.

All pics below.

So that about wraps it up, my experience at BotCon 2011. I had a great time and I’m certainly looking forward to more. Chances are, BotCon will not be back in Pasadena next year. I was lucky to have it close to me in 09, and so soon again this year. Depending on where they have it next year, I might consider traveling, but that’s a post for another time. For now, I’m looking forward to the third movie.

I do have a small gripe about this year’s Con, and it’s that you have to buy tickets on each day. In 09 I bought tickets for both days on Sat. I wonder why they made this change. However, I do want to point out that there were no lines at all to buy the tickets on Sunday, so it’s not a big issue.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the BotCon organizers for making this such a great event. Long live Transformers and long live BotCon! Until All Are One… Transform and Roll Out!

BotCon 2011 is this coming weekend! I’m so stoked! It officially starts tomorrow, but I will only be there for General Admission which is Saturday and Sunday. I can’t wait for all the robots and the TransFans. Pasadena Convention Center is a great venue for the event. I will be doing some serious shopping. I need to make a list of figures that I’m looking for so I don’t miss anything. I might attend some panels. In the 09 Con on Sunday, Tyrese made a surprise visit! Who knows what surprises Hasbro has in stored for us.

Below I have some previous posts mentioning BotCon on this blog:
BotCon 2011
BotCon 2009 Pics Part 1
BotCon 2009 Pics Part 2
BotCon 2009 Pics Part 3

I will be sure to post pics from BotCon 2011 in a later post. TransFans, heed the call! Transform and Roll Out… for BotCon!

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!

As mentioned in my my last, I bought Masterpiece Rodimus Prime. Here is part 1 of the review. I’m going to go over the alt modes first, even though he comes packaged in robot mode. I transformed him to alt mode so I figure I do this now before I transform him back.

Here is a pic of the figure as Hot Rod.

As far as appearance goes, this is probably the most show accurate Hot Rod alt mode in the history of TFs. The G1 toy was very good for its time, and the Henkei/Classic version was an excellent update of the star of the G1 Movie. But in terms of show accuracy, the MP figure has them both beat. Take a look at the outline of Hot Rod’s vehicle mode. This is exactly how he was shaped in the Movie. Masterpiece figures are known for show accuracy and this figure certainly did not disappoint. I think this is even more obvious when you look at the rear of Hot Rod’s alt mode, which is pictured below.

Check out the scene where Hot Rod races up the hill with Daniel to catch the shuttle, early in the Movie. During this scene there is a good shot of Hot Rod from the rear view. This figure has captured that look perfectly. No other Rodimus figures even come close to the MP as far as reproducing this look.

The colors on this figure is classic Hot Rod. I think everyone knows what his colors are supposed to be so I won’t go into it. The red, orange, and yellow on the figure is reproduced faithfully. Windows are painted blue and that is accurate also. All the chrome bits that you would expect are there, including his side thrusters, engine, and rims. Clear yellow bits are used for the headlights. Overall, no gripes from me about the paint apps or the detail on this figure.

Tires are made of rubber like other vehicles in the MP and Binaltech line. Hot Rod comes with two guns like the original G1 toy (the non-Targetmaster version). On the engine you can attach a gun like pictured below. You can do this with either gun, but not both at the same time. Personally I think it’s kinda lame, but it was a G1 feature so it’s good to see the MP fig still account for that.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few issues with the MP Rodimus. I will go into each of them.

Hasbro/Takara stopped using die-cast in TFs long time ago, even in the MP line. Rodimus is no exception. Only die-cast I can detect are the feet pieces. Considering I paid over $200 for this fig, I expected a little more die-cast.

Transformation from robot to car was quite difficult. He is complex in terms of design, and in my book that’s a good thing. But what makes it an issue is that the pieces on this figure do not come together as well as they should. Add to it the already difficult transformation and you have a figure that is simply frustrating to do. Hasbro/Takara has made complex figures before, such as MP Megatron and leader class Optimus from the 2nd Movie. But those figures are well engineered and all part and pieces fit where they’re supposed to go when you do it right. MP Rodimus is not one of these figures.

My main gripe is on the sides of the vehicle. Check out the pic below.

Notice there is a very large “hole” on the side, around the thrusters where his hands go. This is pretty much the best that I can get it. I’ve checked the pics on Seibertron and they have it at about the same configuration. The figure is designed so the parts would come together more, but this is simply not the case. I really don’t like the design of the hand placement. It gets in the way of the connection. The pic below shows a bottom view and illustrates how the hands are placed in this mode.

I’ve checked the instructions carefully and I looked at Seibertron pics and I’m confident this is the proper placement. There is simply too much there for the sides to come together nicely. The irony is that the hand is designed so it can fold into the forearm. The reason for this is so Hot Rod can whip out his saw-blades (I’ll go more into this in part 2), but I would rather they ditch the saw-blade feature if it means there’s room to fold in the hands so in alt mode the sides would come flush.

The other construction issue I have has to do with the large bottom black panels towards the rear in the leg area, also pictured above. Mine doesn’t seem to want to snap in nicely, at least on one side. Not sure if I can get this to be better. It is sometimes dangling off, and this leads me to my next issue. There is practically no clearance on the bottom in alt mode. Those black pieces I mentioned, the large red piece right next them, and the head, they are almost touching the ground when Hot Rod is placed on a flat surface in alt mode. And they will touch the ground if you don’t get everything just right. This figure is not meant to be rolled around or you might damage these pieces.

Below is a shot for size comparison. MP Rodimus with Animated and Henkei Rodimus.

Now let’s look at this figure in Rodimus Prime alt mode. To do it, you attach the trailer that comes with the figure. He looks quite solid in this mode. It’s show accurate the the details and colors do not disappoint. He kinda looks like an RV in this mode, but that’s just how he looks. Maybe that’s why he never lived up to Optimus.

My main gripe with this mode is has to do with how the trailer is attached. The trailer comes with a hidden front piece that resembles Hot Rod’s hood and seat area. To attach the trailer, the Hot Rod fig goes into the trailer head first, then that front piece come around and covers Hot Rod’s ass. See the pic below for yourself.

I’m very disappointed with this mechanism. I didn’t think that front piece would be necessary and the trailer can attach toward Hot Rod’s rear, like MP Optimus.

Last pic for part 1 shows off MP with Titanium Rodimus.

I’ll reserve my final thoughts for when I do part 2, which is the robot mode. Until then… Transform and Roll Out!

EDIT 09/22/2011:
Click here for Part 2 of the review.

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!

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!

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!