TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Warcry's review of: Inferno

Name: Inferno
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Search and Rescue
Sub-Group: NA
"Where there's smoke, there's me."

The hotter things get, the better he likes it, and this goes for fires AND fights! Inferno can do anything Earth fire trucks can in vehicular mode, but is often distracted from his job to engage in combat. His great strength is thanks to his ceramic-plated armored skin that can withstand 8000 degrees Celsius. He also has an extinguisher rifle that shoots flame-suppressing foam, an energy dampening beam to counter other beams and forearms that shoot missiles. Unfortunately, he doesn't follow orders well and isn't very mobile as a robot.

I might as well make this clear right from the beginning: Inferno rocks. Character-wise and toy-wise. Of course, the character pretty much had to rock. He fought with the Wreckers, then the Survivors. He got blown to dust by the G2 Decepticons. And to top it all off, he crashed a shuttle into a Decepticon army in the UK future comics. 'Course, with all this comic exposure, it's not too much of a surprise to find that he only had a supporting role in the cartoon. But enough about the character. What about the toy?

Vehicle Mode:
Fresh out of the box, Inferno is a not that impressive a sight. He's a fire truck, true. But considering how he's only about as long as Hot Rod, he's not exactly as imposing as a fire truck should be. But then, he is a deluxe-sized toy. If you want a big fire truck, get RiD Optimus. But Inferno is, at the very least, an adequate fire truck. As one would expect, he's mostly red. In this mode, there is quite a lot of chrome showing. However, none of it looks out of place. He features rubber tires (a rarity among his modern-day brethren). The front of Inferno's cab flips down to reveal a driver's seat (the legacy of his Diaclone roots). As well, he features a white ladder that extends to nearly three times Inferno's own length. Be warned, however. The ladder seems to be very flimsy, and is certainly the most fragile part of the figure. On one side of his ladder mount, he has what looks like a water cannon. Between his front left wheel and his rear wheels, he has a rolled-up fire hose. Interestingly, he has Fire Department symbols and an Autobrand painted on his cab. All in all, a very nice mode. However, I have two very specific complaints. 1) His hubcaps are made of solid red plastic, which looks a bit tacky. Chrome hubcaps would have been much better. 2) Inferno's arms are connected to his cab, and they attach to his ladder mount. This really isn't a problem, unless you raise the ladder. If you do, the gaping hole between his arms sorta spoils the look. By now you must wonder be wondering, if I have so many complaints about the vehicle mode, why would I say that he rocks? Well, transform him and see for your self.

Robot Mode:
Once again, Inferno is mostly red, with chrome details. However, he has quite a bit of black in this mode as well. Inferno stands an impressive six inches tall, dwarfing the likes of Jazz or Sideswipe. Hell, he's even a bit taller than Hot Rod and Crosshairs. Not quite what I expected from an '85 car, but I'm not complaining. Considering that he cost more than TFU Razorclaw did, I figure I'm entitled to every extra millimetre. Once I got a good look at this guy in robot mode, I quickly decided that he was worth every penny. He's tall, he's well-proportioned, his arms are fully articulated, and he even has distinct (though unmoving) legs. Somewhat surprisingly, he actually manages to look better than his animated version. Inferno's 'water cannon' from vehicle mode is now mounted to the left of his head, giving him an interesting, asymmetrical look. On the original Inferno, the wrists functioned as missile launchers. The same design remains here, though to comply with toy regulations the launchers had to be rendered non-firing. However, you can still load either his wrists or his missiles. They seem to stay in place as well as the original, too. Normally I like to pose Inferno with his left hand holding his pistol and a missile in his right wrist, which, IIRC, matches his comic design. As a plus, this arrangement adds to the asymmetrical configuration that his water cannon give him. Finally, the removable white 'wings' really add to the look in robot mode. I have no idea why, but they do. Oh, and he has blue eyes, instead of the gold eyes on the original. The cartoon fanboy in me really likes that, even though it doesn't add to the overall look of the 'Bot.

Transformation: 7 - Not entirely convincing, but not extremely easy, either.
Durability: 8.5 - The body seems as solid as a brick, but I have reservations about the ladder.
Fun: 9 - As much fun as a G1 toy can be…
Price: 10 - $29.99US retail may seem a bit steep for a deluxe figure. As I said before, you could buy an Ultra toy from Universe or Armada less. But try finding a decent Inferno for less on eBay. Trust me, this is a steal.
Summary: 9 - Damn good. Not the best Transformer out there. Not even the best Transformer fire truck, truth be told. But still damn good. Highly recommended.