Happy Holidays! I hope everyone got what they wanted this Holiday season. There’s no better way to celebrate the Holidays than to get some new TFs! OK maybe there are, but new TFs are worth celebrating any time of the year. Below are some TFs that I received or found in the past week or so.

The pic above are the 3 Transformers Prime figures that are now out in mass retail. I went into TF Prime figures in this earlier post.

TRU Exclusive Rodimus appears in the lower left in the pic above. I have yet to open this, and I’m hoping this version is equivalent to the Japanese MP Rodimus Prime 2nd Release since the 1st Release is not without its faults. It will be interesting to see if this US version can attach the Japanese trailer in alt mode. In the lower right of the pic is PCC Double Clutch. Haven’t opened this either, but he seems promising for a PCC. In the upper left is the Walmart Exclusive Deluxe DOTM Optimus Prime. I opened this figure and he’s not half bad. The alt mode comes together well, transformation is not overly difficult, and I like the MechTech weapon. And last but not least, in the upper right is Skywarp. Did any of you out there think this is the Japanese Exclusive Takara DOTM Skywarp? Look carefully. It is inside the Japanese packaging, but it is actually a custom made by my buddy Gemini. He took a DOTM Deluxe Starscream and painted it into Skywarp. Very cool. Look for a review of this custom in a future post.

And finally, yesterday I found some Generations Junkheap. Wreck-Gar was such a pain in the ass to find when he was released. In fact, I didn’t find any in retail until this past November at discount stores. So I kept my eyes open for Junkheap. Last year a new Target opened near my home in SoCal that is within walking distance. I had some free time yesterday so I walked over. The trip paid off with these 2 Junkheaps.

This is probably the last post I will make for 2011. Looking back on 2011, I think I bought a record number of TFs for the year. It’s hard to say what Hasbro has in stored for us next year, but I’m curious to find out. See y’all in 2012! Transform and Roll Out!

About a year ago, I reviewed Generations Thunderwing. A repaint of this figure was finally released recently, also in the Generations line. Today we’re looking at Sky Shadow. Longtime TransFans already knew this was coming, because in the instructions for Thunderwing, the diagrams was illustrated with Sky Shadow’s head (go look at it if you don’t believe me). We didn’t expect Hasbro to take a year to do it, though.

I won’t go into the mechanics of this figure. Read the Thunderwing review to get my thoughts. I’ll just say that I really like the look of Sky Shadow. The black color fits well for a stealth jet fighter. I like the head mold, as its different from Thunderwing’s. The only other mold difference I detect is in the chest. Check out the pics for yourself.

Joints on Sky Shadow seems to be a little tighter than Thunderwing. Other than that, they are virtually the same mechanically.

If you missed your chance on Thunderwing, or if you just really like this mold (like I do), then by all means pick up Sky Shadow. It’s good to see Hasbro return to the Generations line. And I like the recent trend of making minor modifications when they release a repaint, so it doesn’t feel like you’re buying the exact same thing in a different color.

More TFs to come on Christmas… Transform and Roll Out!

EDIT 01/04/2012
Here is a pic of Sky Shadow with his arms raised completely forward. To do this you must rotate the shoulder guns to the side.

As the most recognizable character in the TF franchise, it’s no wonder that Hasbro keeps churning out new figures of the great Optimus Prime. Sometimes they are new incarnations, a brand new design of the Autobot leader that deserves to be made into a figure. Sometimes they are simply repaints or slight retools of a previous figure, in which case purchase of the figure is questionable. And sometimes Hasbro/Takara goes back to the drawing board, and gives us new and improved versions on a previous design of Optimus Prime.

On Nov 23rd, 2009, I made a post about all my Optimus Prime figures. That was more than 2 years ago, so I think it’s time for another update. Below are the Optimus Prime figures I have bought since that time. And just like Nov 23rd, 2009, I have nothing better to do today than watch football and make this post.

From left to right:
Front row: Reveal the Shield (G1, legend class), Dark of the Moon (commander class, with 3D glasses)
Middle row: Reveal the Shield (G2, deluxe class), Generations War For Cybertron (deluxe class), Animated (Cybertronian mode, deluxe class)
Top row: Dark of the Moon (voyager class, Walmart exclusive), Dark of the Moon (voyager class)

Below is a pic in their alt modes.

Below are two more Prime figs that I never opened.

Hunt for the Decepticons, Battle Hooks leader class (left), Hunt for the Decepticons, Battle Blades voyager class

I seriously thought I bought more OP figures in this 2 year span, but I guess this is it. Most of these were bought on the cheap too. The G1 legend figure was found at Marshalls for $3.99. The DOTM commander class figure I got for free. Deluxe Animated Prime I got from TRU when they were clearing them out, I think for $7.99. The Walmart exclusive DOTM OP figure was $18.77, but he came as a two pack with Comettor. As for the unopened Primes, Battle Hooks leader OP I got for $19.99 from Ross (you can still see the price tag in the pic). As for Battle Blades voyager Prime, I first got him when he was only $10 at HasbroToyShop.com. That one was defective however, so I returned it and I got him again from BBTS.com at regular price.

Interestingly enough, the only figure here that I have multiples of is the Reveal the Shield G2 Laser Optimus Prime. I guess it’s because I keep finding him at discount stores for cheap, and I need at least one extra to turn into Nemesis Prime / Scourge (in case Hasbro does not do one). It also helps that FansProject is releasing Battle Tanker. When that happens, this figure may be a sought after item.

In the words of Optimus Prime, Transform and Roll Out!

In my last post, I mentioned that I found a whole bunch of Reveal the Shield Legend Figures. However, the one that I really wanted out of the series still eluded me, which is Legend Megatron.

Well, this week I went back to that same Marshalls. And lo and behold, I found him!

This time he was the lone RtS Legend figure sitting with a pile of Hunt For the Decepticons Scout figures. I’m really happy to locate this little guy. To me, Megatron should always be a gun, and this figure stays true to that ideal. The fact that this Megatron is a G1 homage is also a plus.

Over the weekend I was at a different Marshalls near where the GF lives, and I found RtS Legend Prowl there. Again, he was the only RtS Legend figure sitting with a bunch of random TFs. Since Classic/Universe Prowl is such a awesome figure, getting RtS Legend Prowl is not as high a priority. Still, I wasted no time to pick him up.

This means the only RtS Legend fig that I don’t have is Starscream. I like to get him too, but if I don’t, I’ll live.

I might do a group pic/review of these little dudes in a future post. Legend class figures make great ornaments on the Christmas tree. Maybe I’ll try that this holiday season. Transform and Roll Out!

I think by now, all hardcore TransFans are aware of the serious distribution issues with Transformers figures from the Reveal the Shield (RtS) sub line. The usual hunting grounds for TFs, such as Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us, carried very little stock of figures from RtS, if at all. Being the avid TF hunter that I am, I was still able to find most of the ones I wanted from this line at the retailers I frequent. However, many figures were still nowhere to be seen.

That all changed when I started looking for TFs at discount stores. And by that I mean Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx. In the last few months, I was able to get some RtS figures that I couldn’t locate anywhere else. The discount stores also carry them at a much lower price. I’ve found Grapple, Lugnut, Deep Dive, and Strafe, all at $9.99 each. I’ve never seen the Voyager class figs at the usual places. Then came the Deluxes, usually at $6.99 each, such as Jazz, Tracks, Bumblebee, and Perceptor. These I’ve seen before, but it was still good to get extras at a discount.

But one class still eluded me: the small Legend class figures. I’ve seen the Legend RtS figs at BotCon, but I was not gonna pay what the dealers ask on them. BBTS had them for a while, but they quickly sold out. Sometime in the summer after BotCon, I was at a TJ Maxx near where the GF lives, and found Gold Bumblebee. I kept telling her what a rare find this was. And of course I quickly grabbed it. That was the only time I saw one. Until today! Feast your eyes on all the Legends that I was able to snag at Marshalls.

I grabbed everything I could find. Toys at discount stores are usually piled in a mess so you really have to dig through things. But it was well worth it. Like I said, I already have one Gold Bumblebee (and also its original repaint, Bumblebee from Universe), but it’s still good to get one extra. Besides that I found one Optimus and two Trailcutters. As far as I know, Trailcutter is the only update to Trailbreaker in any of the modern TFs, so I must have one (or two). At only $3.99 each, they were very affordable.

Unfortunately, RtS Legend Megatron was still nowhere to be found. That’s the one I really want too. Oh well, guess I’ll keep looking. Starscream and Prowl would be good to get too, if I see them.

As a sidebar, other than the 3 Legend figs that I can’t find, the only other RtS figures that I’ve never seen at any retailer, discount or otherwise, is deluxe Wreck-Gar and scout Windcharger. I got Wreck-Gar direct from Amazon one night when they had it for $14.99. Prices are usually much higher, and BotCon dealers wanted $40 to $50 for one. My buddy Gemini found a Wreck-Gar at Ross. Windcharger is officially cancelled by Hasbro so technically he shouldn’t be available anywhere, but some fans have reported seeing him in stores. I got mine from the Hasbro booth at BotCon, but I was forced to buy him along with many other figures.

I had started to give up on finding the Legend figs, but today’s hunt proved they can be found. Keep looking my fellow TransFans! Transform and Roll Out!

I recently had my pile of loot shipped out from BBTS. The first order in this pile was placed in early September, and I had it shipped middle of this month. This is the first time I’ve used POL. I gotta say, it’s a pretty cool feature to save on shipping. More on this later, but here’s what I had in this order:

• CA-03 Thundershred
• CA-04 Stormbomb
• CA-05 Backfiery
• Hercules Exgraver
• Voyager 2010 Series 02 – Battle Blades Optimus Prime
• Japanese Transformers Animated – TA02 Bumblebee
• Headrobots: Blood the Dark Warrior Upgrade Kit

As you might expect, all this stuff requires a Big Bad Toy Box.

It only cost about $10 to ship this. If you can combine orders into one shipment, which is what the POL feature is intended for, you can really save $$$. If I shipped all this separately, shipping cost would have easily came to around $40.

As of now I’ve only opened Exgraver and Bumblebee. Exgraver is an awesome figure! I plan to do a full review soon. The Japanese Animated Bumblebee is way better constructed than the US version. The shiny paint is a plus too. BBTS had this on sale. I recommend getting this one over the American Hasbro figure.

I can’t wait to check out the FP Insecticons. I had Battle Blades OP before, but it was defective so I returned it. Hopefully there are no issues with this one. Blood the Dark Warrior Upgrade Kit is designed to work with ROTF Bludgeon. I had to get this after seeing these pics.

Most of these are not official Hasbro/Takara products. I salute the 3rd party companies that will give us fans what Hasbro and Takara will not. Transform and Roll Out!

When I went to BotCon 2011, one of the TFs that I learned will be released is the 25th Anniversary Unicon. This is the same figure that was released in the TF Armada line, but slightly repainted to be more G1 Movie accurate. At the Con it was indicated he will be an Amazon exclusive, but I didn’t notice that from all the TF excitement so I actually didn’t learn this fact til later.

I saw some Armada Unicron figs when I first got back into TFs in 2004. Some stores were even clearing them out at around $50. At that time, spending that kind of money for TFs were unthinkable. Plus I really didn’t want figures this massive. So I missed my chance to get Unicron, a decision I’ve come to regret. Well no more! 7 yrs and 400+ TFs later, I’m almost completely immune to TF spending. Opportunity was knocking once again for me to get a Unicron, this time in a new color scheme that looks better than Armada’s if I dare say so. This figure was most definitely on my radar.

Being an Amazon exclusive meant I had to check the website often, especially with all the scalpers out there these days. This figure went up for sale late Aug and the scalpers quickly bought them all. I was beginning to think I would miss out again. But Amazon did release more later on, and so I got one last week as soon as I saw it was available. MSRP is $59.99.

Unicron is huge! He is without a doubt the biggest TF figure I own. Check out pics of him in the box below.

Gimmicks galore! Glowing eyes, light up fist, chest opening for missile, leg missiles, Kranix as Mini-Con, and much more.

Those are some insane stats!

• Strength: ∞
• Intelligence: ∞
• Speed: 10
• Endurance: ∞
• Rank: 10
• Courage: 10
• Fireblast: ∞
• Skill: 10

I threw in Rodimus in that last shot for size comparison. The star of the G1 Movie that destroys Unicron has to make an appearance if we’re talking about the Harbinger of Chaos.

Check Amazon often for Unicron’s availability. Do not pay dealer prices! As this very moment, he is available at MSRP direct from Amazon. Sometimes Amazon will sell out and there are no stock except from greedy scalpers, but don’t give in to their demands. I think Amazon withholds inventory to be released in phases for whatever reason, but they made more than enough. Just wait until its available again if you don’t see it.

I plan to open this soon. Unicron cannot be stopped! Transform and Roll Out!

OK, after more than 6 months of reviewing MP Rodimus Prime in alt mode in Part 1, today I’m going to review the robot mode in Part 2. I know, its way too late and I’m procrastinating way too much. But I just hate to do Part 1 then not do Part 2. Better late than never I always say.

Click here for pics of the box if that’s your thing.

Just like in alt mode, this Masterpiece figure will let you transform it as both Hot Rod or Rodimus Prime. Though I should point out now that the differences between the robot modes are slight. Let’s start by looking at the Hot Rod robot mode.

I think the first thing that should jump out at any hardcore G1 TransFan is how show accurate this figure is. MP figs are revered for their show authenticity and this fig did not disappoint in this area. Just look at it. This is exactly how Hot Rod looks in the G1 movie. The MP designers certainly did their homework and engineered a figure that captures Hot Rod down to the last detail. The colors are unmistakably Hot Rod with the red, orange, and yellow flames. They even got the legs right as that’s dark gray just like his G1 movie appearance. And speaking of legs, I’m particularly impressed here, because the shape of these legs is exactly like the animated design. The head mold is perfect Hot Rod. As far as toys go, this is most show accurate Hot Rod ever made. No complaints here.

Some might be quick to point out that Hot Rod did not have twin guns in G1 animated. In fact, he never really used guns as Hot Rod. In the Movie he simply shot lasers out of arm cannons the whole time. However, the G1 figure came with twin guns. The guns here is simply an homage to that fact, and personally I think he looks quite cool with the twin gun action. And if seeing Hot Rod with guns ain’t your thing, then don’t use them.

As far as poseability goes, this figure does a pretty good job. There’s plenty of articulation below the waist. The hips, knees, and feet are all capable of a wide array of motion. Ratchet joints are used at the hips and knees so he’s able to hold poses well. He can rotate at the waist. The head can turn from side and side and look up and down. Hand articulation is good, thumb and the rest of the hands are separate pieces like all the other MP figs. The arms suffer a little in this area because the shoulders are a little long. If you raise the arms straight up, the shoulders start to come in contact with the frame and that limits his overall arm motion. But that’s a small complaint for poseability and I feel there’s enough here to satisfy most fans.

The above pic shows off some of the gimmicks of the figure. We see Hot Rod use these features, though this fig is designed so you can use them in either robot form. The first one is the blue visor. We see Hot Rod use them as binoculars and for targeting early in the G1 movie. These visors are kept in the helmet of the fig. To display them, simply slide them down over the face. The second gimmick featured in this pic is the saw blades. You can do this on either hand. To use the saw blade, rotate the hand into the forearm at the wrist. The saw blade attachment is flipped out when you do this. The blade is a separate piece that you have to attach. There’s no place for it when its not in use.

MP figs of the Autobot leaders will always come with a Matrix. This figure continues that trend. This Matrix is smaller than the one that comes with MP Optimus Prime because the figure is smaller. It can be stored in the chest area like in the above pic. You simply flip down the lower chest panel to reveal the housing for the Matrix. You can take it out and have Hot Rod hold it as if he’s gonna open the Matrix since there is enough hand articulation designed to do just that.

Above is a pic for size comparison. The MP fig is obviously much bigger than the Classic fig. I probably should have taken pics of Hot Rod with other MPs but I didn’t have any handy.

Now let’s look at the Rodimus Prime robot mode.

Transformation from Hot Rod to Rodimus Prime is very subtle. All you have to do is the following:

• Stretch out the legs at the hips. Look carefully at the very top portion of the legs where it’s orange, at the location connected to the waist. Notice that as Rodimus Prime, the legs are lowered more.
• Raise the wings up a tad, and angle them in toward the center. This is hard to see from the pics (and I probably should have took some back shots). Its a very minor change. Most fans probably won’t even notice unless someone points it out.
• Change the face plate. This is probably the most obvious difference. The figure has a cool mechanism of how to do this (again, should have took a pic). Both face plates are built into the head. To change, raise the helmet and position the face you want in front while the other one hides behind it. I know it doesn’t make much sense when I describe it in words, but believe me it’s cool.
• Combine the two guns as one into a larger rifle. G1 Rodimus Prime used a rifle and it’s good to see the makers of MP not forget this. The concept of combining the twin pistols into a larger weapon is also ingenious. A very slick way of accounting for the weapons of both robot modes.

There you have it. That’s all there is to transforming Hot Rod to Rodimus Prime. Extending the legs out does make Rodimus Prime a little taller than Hot Rod, but not by much. The face plate change is good as the figure does look older and wiser as Rodimus Prime, and the twin guns combined as the rifle is a nice touch. But still, I don’t feel there’s enough of a difference here. I was really hoping for more distinctions between the two robot modes. Maybe some mechanics that clearly make Rodimus Prime larger. As is, the surefire way to distinguish between the two robot forms is the face. But if you’re looking at the figure from far away, it can be hard to tell if Rodimus is supposed to be Prime or not.

Poseability as Rodimus Prime is exactly the same as Hot Rod, so I won’t go into it again.

The Rodimus trailer converts to a battle station, just like the G1 toy. To do so, simply press the black button on top of the trailer and the two halves of the trailer shell will fold down (to see the back button, check out pics from Part 1). Then lift the cannon stand to an upright position and pull it up. Finally, raise the cannons themselves forward and rotate the handlebars up. A very simple transformation, but this piece feels very solid. Rodimus Prime can then ride this battle station like the pic below.

I should also point out that the trailer can hold all of Rodimus Prime’s accessories.

Unfortunately, this figure is not without its flaws. I touched on some of them already, both in this post and in Part 1. But there are others that I’ve yet to mention. Below I list them all in bullet points.

• There are construction issues galore. The first one I will mention is the one concerning the visor gimmick. The visor has a tendency to fall down in front of Rodimus’ face when you don’t want it to. Many other fans have complained about this problem. With this issue present, I almost wish they didn’t do the visor.
• Another construction issue: the hands are way too loose and way too weak. It’s not too bad when he’s not holding the gun, but the problem becomes obvious the moment you try it. Wrist joints have practically no support so it’s difficult to have Rodimus hold good poses with the guns. This is especially true when using the combined rifle since it’s twice as heavy. But more importantly, it’s very hard to place the guns in Rodimus’ hands. There are holes in the palms of the hands that are designed to have pegs on the guns stick in, but they just don’t work well. The guns fall off real easy if given a slight shake. I’m very disappointed with the whole hands mechanism. I almost wish they just keep it simple and do your standard fists with holes.
• The figure is not good value. MSRP was $200. There are no diecast pieces. At first I thought the feet would be diecast, but upon closer inspection I don’t think they are. They are just high quality plastic with good paint.
• More construction issues: the back of the figure does not hold up too well, on mine anyway. There is a tab mechanism that is supposed to lock the back in place, but more often than not it doesn’t work. On mine it’s always coming apart when I’m trying to pose him. He’s also a bit back heavy which further contributes to this problem.
• I mentioned this in Part 1. But to re-iterate, transformation to alt mode is complex. You have to align everything just right or the alt mode won’t come together. The transformation process is not necessarily hard, but it’s very unforgiving. The slightest mis-alignment will mess up the alt mode’s appearance. And even after you do everything right, there are still gaps that appear on the sides of the vehicle. I expect more out of a MP figure.
• Transformation to Rodimus Prime alt mode is lame, another thing I mentioned in Part 1. Having a front cab piece that folds over the figure like diaper is not my idea of transformation.
• There’s not enough differences between Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime in their robot modes.
• Rodimus Prime is not to scale with other MPs, with the exception of Grimlock and the upcoming smaller Optimus Prime MP. So the natural conclusion to draw here is that Takara is starting to scale them down. I guess this gripe applies to new MPs as a whole and it’s not exclusive to Rodimus Prime, but it’s something worth noting if you were expecting this figure to scale with previous MPs.

That’s a lot of gripes. MP Rodimus Prime is not a figure I can wholeheartedly recommend. Certainly not at the full MSRP of $200, which is what I paid. There are some design flaws, but what really chaps my hide are all the construction issues I listed.

At this point I should mention that Takara is working on a Version 2 of this figure. That will be the 2nd release and supposedly they will have fixed all the construction issues. My review is for the 1st release. Many retailers have the 1st version for $150 now, maybe because they know Version 2 is coming.

My final verdict is that this figure is good, but far from perfect. Rodimus is the weakest of the MP figures in my opinion, so get all the others first before you consider this one. He does have his strengths, the biggest one being the show accuracy of the figure in both alt and robot modes. But too many construction issues, combined with some questionable design choices and the high price tag, prevents me from giving this figure a strong recommendation. If possible, check out a friend’s first to see if you really want one. Or as an alternative, try to locate the US TRU exclusive version, which is only $59.99 (Rodimus only, no trailer). This version, however, has been released once already and scalpers quickly bought them all. No word on if more are coming.

In G1, Rodimus never really lived up to Optimus. It’s sad to see this trend continue, even in the Masterpiece line of TFs. But I think we should be appreciative of the fact that Takara tried something new and produced a MP Rodimus figure. Of course, right afterwards they went back to their usual ways of re-working the same old figures (eg. the new Optimus MP). C’mon Takara, enough is enough. Don’t forget that pioneering spirit that made Transformers so successful in the first place. Don’t forget to take transforming toys into new areas. Don’t forget to… transform and roll out!

As many of you already know, TFC Toys is making their own Constructicon Set called Hercules. The first figure released in the series is Exgraver (aka Scavenger), already available for some time now. I missed out on the first shipment of Exgraver since I was still on the fence over its $100 price tag, but good reviews of the figure has left me no choice but to buy. And so I pre-ordered Exgraver and now I’m waiting for the 2nd shipment to arrive. As of this writing, Heavylabor (aka Long Haul) is also available for pre-order.

If any of you are wondering how Hercules will look combined, below is a pic. Thanks to my friend Gemini for providing the pic.

I’m getting excited just looking at this. Hercules is gonna be huge! As far as scale goes, the only other fig that I recognize in the pic is Alternity Bumblebee, in the lower right. From that I can get a sense of how towering this gestault will truly be.

I don’t have Exgraver in hand, but if he’s as good as everyone claims he is, then Hercules should be a high-quality figure. Scrapper and Mixmaster appears to be the last 2 molds that TFC will produce. Their alt modes also appear in the pic and each fig is shaping up nicely I must say.

But let me point out again that it is $100 per figure! Hercules is a $600 investment. I’m already committed to Exgraver so I guess I’m in for the Long Haul (pun intended). That’s some crazy spending for a bunch of toys. But I’ll get over it. Transform and Roll Out!

At BotCon 2011 I first learned about Kre-O, Hasbro’s entry into the building block toys such as Lego and Mega Blocks. Transformers is one of Hasbro’s most successful franchises so it makes sense for them to first market Kre-O replicating toys and characters of the popular robots in disguise. As a kid I loved playing with Lego. I had quite an impressive Lego collection growing up, with sets mostly from the Lego Town and Space lines, and some from the Castle and Technic lines. I had to leave many of these sets behind when we moved to the United States. Only some of my absolute favorites were brought with me, and today they’re sitting in a closet somewhere.

I still played with Legos after the move and I even bought some sets here, but then I also got into Transformers. My parents, being strict as they were, didn’t buy me a whole lot of Transformers. And so I built many of them out of Legos. Its too bad I didn’t take pics of my creations. I remember building a Metroplex that was pretty G1 accurate, for Lego standards anyway. He was fully transformable too. I studied his design from a TF catalog since I never had the figure. Metroplex is kind of a blocky character, a good choice to do in Lego.

Anyway, when I saw the Kre-O at BotCon, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. This is a combination of two of my favorite kinds of toys. Many people were looking at Kre-O at the Con and it sure appears that Hasbro generated a lot of interest with these sets. Of course, the obvious question that was on everyone’s tongue was if these sets could transform. At the Con it was unclear if they would, and Hasbro reps seemed to be dodging the question every time it was asked. We now know that Kre-O sets DO NOT TRANSFORM. You build one mode, take it apart, then build the other mode. In some ways this was kind of a letdown. TFs that don’t transform… maybe they should have called them Kre-O Actionmasters. But regardless, I was still intrigued by the notion of TFs made from building blocks, even if they did not transform.

The second questions that was on many people’s mind was how are the quality of the blocks themselves. I don’t have any Mega Blocks, but many online reviews have suggested they’re crap. Blocks that don’t stick together are reported often. Blocks that don’t fit is another popular complaint. Hasbro went the route of doing the blocks themselves instead of partnering with Lego. So it was anyone’s guess how the Kre-O blocks would turn out.

Less than two weeks ago Amazon had the Starscream set on sale for slightly more than $20. I figured this was the perfect time to find out about these sets for myself, so I got one. It took me about two hours to put this together. It wasn’t too difficult, the hardest part was probably finding the pieces (there are 316 in the set). If you’re used to building Legos than you won’t have any problems. I haven’t really built anything since I was 12 so I thought I might be rusty, but it didn’t feel that way at all. I guess some things you never forget, like riding a bike. Anyway, here it is.

The jet itself is quite amazing to hold in your hands once complete. The size is impressive, easily on par with a Leader class or Masterpiece figure (I go into size comparison below). There’s also some good weight to the finished figure. In jet mode he used almost all 316 pieces. There was only about 7 or 8 pieces that wasn’t used, 1 being the head and 2 being the hands. As far as quality goes, these pieces felt just like Legos to me. Everything fits just right, and with some minor exceptions, everything locks into place. The jet is very robust and it can withstand reasonable rough play. The core of the figure is very solid and I really don’t see any construction issues. The design on the layout of the pieces is on par with anything Lego has come up with, and so the jet is not likely to fall apart. Hasbro has done a pretty good job with the mechanics of this set in jet mode.

This Starscream is obviously G1 inspired. The shape of the wings suggest that he is an F-15. The colors are also true to the G1 incarnation with a base of light grey and bits of blue and red. Overall there’s quite a bit of detail for a building block figure.

I applied all the decals on him. The stripes on the wings are decals. The Decepticon emblem and markings near the cockpit are also decals. Once applied, they stick tight to the building pieces so you don’t have to worry about them falling off. However, I should point out that when I first opened the set, one decal was kind of falling off the sticker sheet. It was one of the long stripe patterns for the wings. Hasbro could probably use better QC in this area.

Here is a shot of the back. I like how they implemented the rear thrusters and I like the way they look. The tail fins are angled. This is done by placing them on hinged pieces. So you can also position them straight up if you want to.

There are landing gears on the jet and they are retractable. See the two shots below.

In these pics of the bottom, you can see that Starscream has more than enough missiles on the wings to punish some hapless Autobots running for their lives on the ground. The missile pieces are attached to the wings, but they can be a little loose and they come off the jet more easily than all the other pieces. But this is not an issue when the jet is only used for display.

The above shows that you can open the cockpit and insert Kre-Ons or Lego minifigs into it. Only the rear cockpit piece can be opened. One gripe that I have here is that it’s hard to place the Kre-Ons into the seat (more on the Kre-Ons later). The black pilot fig is designed to fit, but getting him in there can take some work, even if you choose to take apart the front cockpit piece first. If you want to get the Starscream Kre-On in there, you have to first remove the back wing piece (like standard Lego minifig backpacks) and his arm cannons. Another gripe I have about the cockpit is that it’s hard to get the two cockpit pieces to align with each other. Getting one piece in place is likely to pop off the other piece. It takes some fidgeting to get them flush.

Above is a pic for size comparison with the Kre-O next to Classics Starscream. The Kre-O is obviously much bigger. I don’t have MP Starscream handy or I would’ve took a pic with the Kre-O next to it, but I suspect the Kre-O is a bit longer than the Masterpiece figure in jet mode. Notice I built the Decepticon emblem on the wings so that the crown is towards the rear. This is how I prefer it to look. Hasbro can’t seem to make up their mind when it comes to the orientation of the wing emblem. Half the time they go one way and half the time they go the opposite way. The instructions does indicate you should build them the other way, like how they appear with Classic Starscream in the pic. But the cool thing about Kre-O is that the Decepticon emblem sticker is placed on a square piece, so you can easily rotate the piece to suit your preference.

There is one more feature I want to point out. The set does come with a ladder piece that can be used in jet mode for display. See the pic above on the back of the box.

And of course there are the Kre-Ons. A lot of people buy these purely for the Kre-Ons. On Ebay, auctions for the Kre-On figs alone can fetch a decent price, testament to their popularity. This set comes with two, a Starscream Kre-On and a black pilot fig. Kre-Ons are exactly the same size as Lego minifigs. The only key difference in construction is that Kre-On legs are on ball joints so you can move them pretty much any way you like. Lego minifigs on the other hand can only rotate the legs forward and backwards. Kre-On hand size is the same as Lego minifigs, so you can probably give them Lego accessories. Head size is also the same, so feel free to swap hair or helmets to your heart’s content.

To summarize, I’ll just quickly point out some pros and cons.

PROS:
• Great value at MSRP of $29.99. You get 316 pieces and a similar Lego set would cost you about $40 to $45. Amazon has this set on sale often at barely over $20.
• Lego quality pieces! No crappy Mega Blocks here.
• You can build 2 modes. I only built the jet mode here, but don’t forget there’s still the robot mode.
• Fully compatible with Legos and Mega Blocks.
• Jet mode is robust and solid.
• Easy to follow color instructions that explains how to build both modes.

CONS:
• Does not transform.
• Missile pieces a tad loose.
• Difficult to proprely align cockpit pieces.
• One sticker came half-way off the sticker sheet.
• I got one wrong piece, it came in a different color than it was supposed to. In all the Lego sets that I bought, I never had any missing or wrong pieces. See if you can spot the wrong color piece in the pics above. 🙂

As for that last gripe above, I realize that Hasbro just started in the Kre-O business so I’m not going to complain too much. And I found that they will supply replacement pieces. I’ve provided a handy link here if any of you need it.

My final verdict is that I highly recommend the Starscream Kre-O set. I did point out some weaknesses, but there are way more positives here. If you are a Lego fan, or if you are a TransFan that like putting things together, then do yourself a favor and buy this. I know it doesn’t transform and that’s a shame. But if you approach this as more of a Lego toy then you won’t be disappointed. Hopefully in the future Hasbro will produce Kre-O sets that can really transform.

I will be taking this apart sometime soon and build the robot mode. Until then… Transform and Roll Out!

EDIT 09/14/2011:
Hasbro sent me the replacement piece. It took several weeks but it got here eventually. Thank you Hasbro!