Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[JediTricks]

Hasbro's too cheap to release new molds for just the movie anniversary, especially since they gotta crank out new ones next year for the live movie. My bet is minimal repainting in new packaging, maybe a pack-in like movie trading cards but probably not.

Found this over on Dave Van Domelen's site, Maisto is apparently releasing RoboRods: http://www.maisto.com/RoboRods.html

These are quite truly pathetic! Maisto has been on a bad downward slide for years now, this may be the death knell.


BTW, the 1/18th asian alternators wannabe line with Toyota cars is getting released here in the US, that should be cool even though they're stealing Has/Tak's transformation schemes.

[JediTricks]

I'm adapting my action figure review style to Transformers, I'm dumping the packaging note altogether 'cause I don't care about that aspect, these are meant to be opened and enjoyed.


TF:CY Cybertron Defense Scattorshot

Voyager-class (aka Mega, $20 pricepoint) Cybertron Defense Scattorshot - CDS in this review - is the 3rd and final member of the Cybertron Defense team (the Vanguard team in the Japanese version. Like his teammates, Scattorshot got a new heavily-armed and -armored form. Scattorshot was originally a Scout-class (aka Basic) figure, so this is a big change.

Paint-Deco: 5/5
CDS takes his colorscheme from his previous self, Scattorshot was mainly blue with some dark blue and dull tan/mustard, same with CDS, it was good then and still good now. Scattorshot had 2 large gray missiles, CDS has 2 large light-blue/gray rocket boxes. There's also some silver and gold painted accents, I especially like the work on the individual rocket tips and faded silver on the brush-cutter. CDS's head is dull tan/mustard which is different from Scattorshot's blue head, the blue was better to me; the face has a nifty translucent yellow visor and goggles surrounded by dark blue, and the lower face is silver. The Autobot logo has the Vanguard-"V" like the other 2, and is on the front quarter of the figure's right rocket box.

Vehicle Mode: 4.5/5
CDS' alt mode is a rocket tank, the tank itself is low and then there's a massive turret on top with a huge rocket bank box. The tank seems a little small, but I don't think it's meant to be in scale with either of the other CD members; like the other 2 CD guys, this vehicle mode is solid. The tank is nicely detailed, and has a set of long facade tracks on either side - 4 small wheels actually do the rolling work. The front of the tank has a large brushcutter, a big angled plate with huge teeth, the cutter blade halves can be lowered and raised and they even sculpted (non-moving) hydrolic rams. The middle of the top of the tank is a hole showing off the back of the legs and the ground, the turret distracts from it but it's still not great. The massive turret rotates at the back and can elevate past 45 degrees, but doing so reveals the upside-down bot head; the upper left quarter of the rocket box has a section cut out exposing the cannon inside, this is for the gimmick mode's aesthetic. The figure comes with a rifle, oddly it doesn't have a dedicated storage point, but with the standard peg-hole on the back, you can attach it to either of the minicon hardpoints near the back of the tank, mine fits perfectly on the tab sticking out the rocket box's right side (but I have heard someone else's doesn't), and my favorite storage location is to set it between the bot's forearms so it makes a cannon under the turret - this is loose though so you can't raise or turn the rocket box or it'll fall off.

Cyber Key Gimmick: 5/5
CDS has 2 separate gimmicks, there's a key slot on the back of both halves of the rocket bank, the bulk of the right side of the box springs over sideways popping up a translucent yellow targeting reticule, from here you slide the lever on the side all the way forward to reveal a spring-loaded missile launcher with twin dark gold missiles shaped like gun barrels. The left side of the box springs open the same way, but partway through the action releases a spring-out barrel, creating a big cannon. In robot mode, the cannon half of the box slides forward so it fits over CDS's fist; the missile half doesn't slide, so it looks more like an over-the-shoulder weapon, too bad the reticule faces away from the figure. These are among my favorite key gimmicks in the line, lots of thought went into making these cool, each has a tab which sits just above the fist hole as a facade grip, and they even included a large working hinge on each purely for looks.

Transformation: 2.5/5
CDS has a very simple transformation: swing around 2 panels, fold down the feet, fold the shoulders forward, swing out the fists, and swing up the head. Yet somehow, it doesn't feel entirely unsatisfying, there's just enough going on to make it acceptable, especially with such a nifty finish result.

Bot Mode: 5/5
CDS looks big and tough without being ridiculous. Not counting the missiles on regular Scattorshot's back, in bot mode CDS is twice as tall as his former self; CDS is also taller CD Hot Shot (vastly if you don't notice CDHS' tall shoulders), and nearly eye-to-eye with Ultra-class CD Red Alert; CD Scattorshot is a decent-sized Mega. Bot mode has a few visual connections to little Scattorshot - the circles on the shoulders, the tank treads on the shins, the visor - but is chiefly his own man... er, machine. CDS's head has the visor and goggles, but this time the goggles are small and the visor stands out so you know what's what. There's some good detailing all around, armored chest, a couple pipes, they even sculpted the backs of the tank treads on all 4 halves, the whole thing looks great, there's even tech detailing in the void in the back where the head was stowed. Bot mode has big boots - starting with knee armor and ending in big feet with 8 toes made up from the brushcutter - it's not way over the top and is further offset by the long rocket box halves on the outer side of each arm. The rocket banks are longer than the arm but don't stick out too far above or below the arm so it looks good there, it looks like serious weaponry coming your way. The rifle has great details and fits well in either fist, it has a sight and a pump-like grip under the 2 secondary barrels; you can still store it on the minicon hardpoints (this does get in the way of the rocket banks tho') or peg it into either hole on the left arm's box half or either peg on the right arm's box half, but like the way it looks pegged into either screwhole in the lower back - it doesn't stay in too great because the holes are too big and the slight angle is what keeps it in play, but with the barrel sticking up just above the head it looks totally cool. The gun can peg into the underside of the fists. The rocket bank gimmicks make for fantastic weaponry on this bot, now he has the regular rifle, the huge rifle, a twin missile launcher, and 22 rocket tips all brought to bear - CDS is a dangerous muthah!.

Articulation: 4.5/5
Bot mode has 16 points of articulation: head, universal shoulder, swivel biceps, hinged elbows, waist, universal hips, hinged knees, and rotating boots, plus the transformation allows the fists to swing in and the feet and heelspurs to angle down. The mid-thigh looks like it rotates but does not (I wish it did, it and the wrists are the only real articulation missing). All CDS's articulation works great, almost nothing is impeded, even the head with its fold-around transformation can look 45 degrees either way; the only joint that gets impeded is the bicep swivel because the rocket banks are in the way on each arm until you bend the elbows (or on the right side, slide the box forward). Nearly everything's a ratchet, and no joint is loose.

Overall: A
Cybertron Defense Scattorshot is the best of the team, and one of the more nifty figures in the whole line. The colors are good, the articulation is great, the weaponry is awesome, the details are nice, and the gimmicks are very slick. CDS is tough without seeming like a slow, overgrown brute, it's been rare to get great Transformers over the $10 point, but like CD Red Alert and Optimus Prime in this line, CD Scattorshot is a real winner.

[Adam]

TFU Build team has finally been released, picked up the set on sale no less. $16.99 a peice.

[JediTricks]

Still at Target? I was there on Friday (4 of 'em) but didn't see 'em. I'd definitely buy the 2 sets.

[JediTricks]

Spotted the TF:Universe Decepticon Build Team 2packs at Target Eagle Rock on Friday, I didn't have the scratch and the amount of purple made me a little apprehensive.

I hit a bunch of Targets yesterday and Friday and found a lot of TF:CY Lugnutz figures, but not a single Scrapmetal which concerns me. I bought Lugnutz, my opinion is he sucks. Great alt mode (despite garish orange and gold color), interesting transformation, awful bot mode with monster kibble the likes of which should never be foisted on a Transformer again, the front end hangs off the shoulders getting in the way and not being of any use, the entire rear end becomes one of the most offensively poor backpacks of all time, and the torso needs to peg onto it to avoid flopping so naturally the pegs don't hold at all. Very disappointing even from the low expectations the intial photos suggested.

[JediTricks]

And here's my review...

TF:CY Lugnutz - here's a figure the preview photos looked kinda odd, maybe not even good, but interesting. Unfortunately, this figure's bot mode doesn't live up to even "interesting", coming off as a mess, and it kills the figure. I hate his name though, it's silly and easily made fun of, plus it makes no sense since motorcycles don't use lugnuts to hold their wheels on, his Japanese name "Roadstorm" was perfectly fine too. I don't care about his "interesting" character bio because the toy just doesn't deserve it.

Paint-Deco: 3.5/5
Orange with gold flames sounds garish, and it is. They're just both too loud for each other, but it's not entirely outlandish for a Harley Davidson like this, and it is well-applied. The paint is consistant with the plastic it matches. There's also black plastic, and metallic gray and darker gray plastics, they look alright but not stunning. There's silver paint here and there which just contrasts how uninspiring the gray plastic looks. The left saddlebox isn't orange at all, just black and silver, so it's unbalanced. The headlight is blue and the taillight is red, they look good, and the licenseplate is white with a well-centered purple Decepticon logo. Lugnutz's head is black with a dark silver face and yellow sunglasses-shaped eyes. In the vehicle mode, the colors are balanced, but in bot mode all the orange ends up above the waist which only makes bot mode's failures further stand out.

Vehicle Mode: 4.5/5
Lugnutz's vehicle mode is basically a Harley Davidson-style motorcycle, big fenders, wide seat, saddleboxes off the rear fender, it's a classic look. This bike is a little stretched in the back, but does a good job of hiding that. It also hides its robot roots well, the oiltank and rear half of the seat is actually the thighs, the transmission and footboards are the lower legs, the gas tank is the torso and head, and the engine is the arms, even from the bottom this bike doesn't belie its robot-in-disguise elements; the only thing that doesn't get hidden well is the gimmick stuff from the saddleboxes. There are great details like the exhaust pipes leading into the gimmick's tailpipe (though it doesn't line up quite as perfectly as it was designed to, there's 2 milimeters of gap between them even though there's a peg and hole meant to meet up), wide handlebars with levers, and the engine looks pretty nifty; Lugnutz's gun "Dutch" tabs oddly into the saddlebox and transmission to create the left side tailpipe, another headlight, and the footpeg which holds the bike upright. Oddly, the tread patterns on the front and back plastic tires go in opposite directions from each other. The front forks don't turn, but the wheels spin freely.

Cyber Key Gimmick: 2.5/5
This is a disappointment, it's a very plain gimmick and disrupts the look of the saddelboxes on the rear fender, the only credit I can give it is that the action crosses inside the fender even though the wheel should be in the way. Insert the key into the left box and a grenade launcher springs out the right box. The launcher is dark gray plastic, no paint whatsoever, plain sculpting with 3 grenades exposed under the main launcher waiting to load up. In bike mode, it ends up aiming up above the handlebars; in bot mode it stops early hitting the torso and points straight ahead.

Transformation: 2.5/5
There's enough to do with this basic that it's interesting, but the way things are moving is a little unsatisfying. And the way the torso locks into the backpack is not only cheap but ineffective as the whole thing easily pops back apart.

Articulation: 2/5
Lugnutz has 10 POA: limited ball-jointed shoulders, double-hinged elbows, ball-jointed hips, and hinged knees. Luggy can stand on his own even with all that hunchback kibble, but it ain't pretty. The legs have plenty of range but can't take most alternate poses lest he fall down. The arms are limited due to their horrendous kibble running into the horrendous kibble of the backpack, the ball joints don't allow any movement except when the arms are down or up, and when in front of the figure they actually have to angle in towards the torso. Bottom line, poseability is downright pitiful.

Bot Mode: 1.5/5
If you didn't have to look at the front end halves hanging off either shoulder, and you could overlook the backpack wider and deeper than the figure itself, Luggy would seem like a very cool, lean robot, but sadly it was not meant to be. This robot's face has a lot of character in it despite being relatively simple, the wraparound sunglasses are a good touch. The arms from the engine look pretty nifty, but the legs being so long make them seem pretty stubby - which is too bad because the legs are nothing special. I loathe how the torso comes together, if you look from the side at all there's a big empty hole where the main body should be, and the tank raised up around the head seems wasteful. The lower torso matches the legs in that it's not as interesting as the upper body. Oh, and have I mentioned enough how awful the kibble about the shoulders and the over the top backpack are? "Dutch" the gun doesn't inspire either, it's like a trombone with a tailpipe at the end, if he could hold it sideways to how he does it might be nifty, but it only fits in his right fist. The right arm can only be out in front straight, can't be bent, and when straight out it's at an angle plus the gun is at even more of an angle so he can't even look where he's pointing the thing. So you have a robot who is made out of just 1/3rd of the vehicle, and they chose to throw the other 2/3rds of the bike up around the shoulders for no reason whatsoever and gave him a gun he can't really use that well.

Overall: D
As nifty as the vehicle mode may be, it's done in by an unattractive gimmick and a disappointing robot who can't do much. These are Transformers, the transformation means something and the robot mode means something, yet this figure delivers on neither. There was a good idea in there somewhere deep down I think, and a deluxe might have made better use of the front and rear ends, but this basic figure is just a mess.

[Chaddymac]

I agree with the review, JT. That said...I couldn't keep my hands off of Lugnutz (may the teasing begin...)

Seriously, though, there aren't enough motorcycle transformers and I guess when you consider how crappy the transformations tend to be it's pretty obvious why. But the last two we had was a dirt bike and a ninja cycle, so I'm glad to get a roadhog in the mix. Roadhog...that would've been a decent name...

I haven't found the Build Team yet, but you can bet I'll buy it when I do. Decepticons are supposed to be purple. Crayola should rename purple "Decepticon". And the Devestator nostalgia is irresistable. Irresistable!

[JediTricks]

Roadhog would have been better, that's a good one. It's like they're not even trying with these names anymore.

I don't get them, why have the entire rear end turn into a backpack? That's a LOT of backpack! Ok, let's say it's because of the gimmick, why not turn the rear end into the central torso instead? The figure doesn't even HAVE a friggin' central torso for the most part! And how about making the front end into SOMETHING? Even just removable pieces that become blade weapons!


Not every 'Con has to be purple, and the original Devastator was mostly green with purple, not purple with green: http://tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Deva...devastator.htm

(ps - I had forgotten how sh***y that gestalt figure actually looks )

[Chaddymac]

Roadhog would have been better, that's a good one. It's like they're not even trying with these names anymore.

I don't get them, why have the entire rear end turn into a backpack? That's a LOT of backpack! Ok, let's say it's because of the gimmick, why not turn the rear end into the central torso instead? The figure doesn't even HAVE a friggin' central torso for the most part! And how about making the front end into SOMETHING? Even just removable pieces that become blade weapons!


Not every 'Con has to be purple, and the original Devastator was mostly green with purple, not purple with green: http://tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Deva...devastator.htm

(ps - I had forgotten how sh***y that gestalt figure actually looks )

Damn...the hypnosis is wearing off. Where's Aaron Archer? We need to put him under right away or he may realize how much Armada and Energon sucked too.

[Adam]

MP-03 is official. Masterpeice Starscream.