TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

Warcry's review: Prowl

Name: Prowl
Function: Military Strategist
Motto: "Logic is the ultimate weapon."

As the right-hand man to Optimus Prime, Prowl is right at home in the thick of the battle against the new Decepticon armies. Confused Autobots are scattered across the universe, easy pickings for the gangs of more organized Decepticons. As a dedicated administrator and logician, Prowl feels it is his duty to whip them into shape, and get them ready for a fight. It's only a matter of time until the Decepticons get themselves a real leader and the Autobots need to be ready.

When most children of the 80s think of the Transformers, the first characters that come to mind are Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave or Starscream. For me, though, it's always been Prowl. Although I can't even begin to guess what caught my eye about him when I was little, as an adult I appreciate both his unique personality and wonderful character design. His original toy (well, a reissue thereof) is also one of my favourite G1 figures, but some of the more recent toys to bear the name haven't measured up to the same standards. I've had high hopes for this particular Prowl since unpainted prototypes started showing up online, though, and he doesn't disappoint.

Alternate Mode:
Like the original, Prowl's alternate mode is a Japanese sports car turned police interceptor. In fact, he turns into a modified Nissan 350Z, a successor to the 280ZX that his G1 counterpart turned into and the same alternate mode that he has in the new IDW comics. Personally I don't think the 350Z is even half the car the 280ZX was as far as looks go, but then few modern cars are.

Prowl is mainly white with black trim, although the white on his doors and roof doesn't quite match with the white on his body. His windshield and front windows are nicely tinted, contrasting with the white and at the same time making the assorted robot parts inside his passenger compartment look a bit less obvious. Despite all of that, I have to say that he looks just a tiny bit cheap. Maybe it's the bright shade of white used, maybe it's the fact that his light bar (swept back like on a Japanese police car rather than the rectangular American-style one shown in the stock photos) and taillights are solid red instead of the red translucent plastic that we see on so many modern Transformer cars or maybe it's the visible seams between some of his moving parts in car mode. Whatever it is, he doesn't seem quite as 'neat' as any of the other TF cars I've bought recently.

Despite that, Prowl's a neat little car. He's quite small for a deluxe car -- only a hair longer than Classics Bumblebee -- which is only fitting because the 350Z is a fairly small car in real life. Runtiness aside he looks like he could chase down any ground-based Decepticons he might run up against, and that's the important thing. I think he might have looked a bit Prowlier without the huge rear spoiler, though...that's always been more of a Jazz or Smokescreen sort of thing in my mind.

Robot Mode:
In the original Classics line there was a pretty clear split between toys who were little more than updated versions of the G1 versions (Starscream, Ramjet, Deluxe Prime) and ones that were completely reworked (Grimlock, Hot Rod and both Megatrons). The same sort of thing seems to be happening with the Universe Classics, and Prowl definitely falls into the first group. His robot mode isn't identical to the original, but it's surprisingly faithful considering the vast differences between the 280ZX and the 350Z in vehicle mode.

Prowl is completely gorgeous in robot mode. His black and white colour scheme carries over from vehicle mode and he has a few red highlights thrown in, most prominently his signature head crest. The layout of black and white is nearly identical to the original, and considering how good the original looked that can only be a good thing. Prowl could use a few more paint applications, though. Uninterrupted white reigns supreme his upper arms and thighs, and his shoulder-mounted rocket launchers are also pure white instead of the silver that the stock photos show. Those are just nitpicks, though, because Prowl is one of the nicest looking Transformers I've seen in years.

Prowl's looks would make him a great shelf piece for someone who likes to display their TFs, but unfortunately he's a nightmare to get standing. He's incredibly back-heavy because of his 'wings', and his feet are small enough that balancing him can be quite a challenge. The end result is that he'll keel over backwards pretty much no matter what you do, so he's going to need some extra support wherever you put him.

When you actually sit down and play with the toy, though, you forget all about stuff like that. Why? Because Prowl is really, really cool. He has a wide range of movement in all the right places (save for his head, which can turn 360 degrees but lacks any sort of up/down movement), which is very impressive when you consider that the only ball joints he's got are in his hips and his 'wings'. That means that you can put him into pretty much any pose you can imagine...just as long as you don't expect him to stand on his own while you're doing it.

Prowl is as heavily-armed as his G1 predecessor, with (non-firing) shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and a sidearm pistol. They look quite nice (although as I said before, the launchers could do with some colour) and they're a lot smaller than G1 Prowl's weapons, which in my mind is fitting for someone who is more of a staff officer than a field commander. The launchers fold behind his back for storage when they're not in use. In fact, because of the way they're hinged you can actually swing them around so that they're pointing out from inside his chest -- although that looks a tad silly in my books.

All in all, Prowl doesn't look at all out of place alongside the best deluxes from previous lines.

Transformation: 7/10 There are a few Alternator-esque design quirks tossed in, but the main idea is the same as it was back in 1984.

Durability: 7/10 The clear plastic used for Prowl's doors seems a bit flimsy and I'm a tad worried that the ball joints that keep them attached are going to crack. Aside from that he's put together very well.

Fun: 9/10 This Prowl is more fun to play with than any of the deluxes I've picked up since...well, since Robots in Disguise Prowl.

Price: 10/10 He's a good bargain at retail, and if by some chance you miss him there'll be the obligatory Bluestreak and Smokescreen repaints to follow. You shouldn't have any trouble getting your hands on one version or another of this toy at a reasonable price.

Overall: 8/10 Prowl's a great toy, but he's not without his flaws. I would strongly recommend him if you're the sort of fan who wants to play with their toys, but a bit less so if you're just looking for a display piece.