TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

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Additional Image:

Box Art:

Clefjumpooor's review: Whirl and Bludgeon

I just got this set at 12:16 BST, so I thought I'd launch straight into a review. The Masters of Metallikato are Whirl and Wreckage. Whirl is a Voyager figure, based on the 2007 Blackout mould, but with the head and lifeboat of the Evac retool, and the toes and rear rotor of Grindor, and the blades of the Lawson Blackout. Bludgeon is a repaint of the 2007 Deluxe Wreckage.

Both of these were major, major characters in the 1980s comics, so just by homaging (and it is a homage, rather than a lazy brace of recolours that serve to get cheap product on the shelves with two arbitrary trademarks to strengthen) two of my favouritest ever characters, these guys are totally getting a free pass.

VEHICLE MODES

I haven't actually transformed these guys yet due to them still having those unbreakable cat-choking elastic bands wrapped around them, but judging by the picture on the box, Whirl transforms into a helicopter, and Bludgeon into some sort of armoured car. Bludgeon might look like a slab of green plastic on wheels, but he's actually nearly based on a real vehicle, which makes the design immune to criticism.

Whirl, on the other hand, uses a scheme that's taken directly from the Gobots figure Flip-Top - more good work from their design team there, I wish I knew the chap's name so I could post it all the time like he's my friend. But I don't, so I can't. The tips of the blades have some nasty plastic mess on them, but I've bought this now and I'm damned if I'm going to admit it. Indeed, Whirl especially (I say especially, but he's the one standing on my keyboard right now, and there isn't time to pick Bludgeon up) is riddled with problems like tree marks, wobbly thin paint applications and general sloppy workmanship, but I got him on sale, so well done Hasbro.

ROBOT MODES

Transforming Whirl is fun, because bad production means some bits are tighter than they should be, and others are looser. As mentioned, I haven't actually transformed him, that's pretty much a guess. Nothing's actually broken, though, so he's very durable. The robot mode is a robot, just like the original Whirl. It's got light blue bits on it, like the original Whirl. Unlike the Voyager-class Fallen, it's got rotor blades hanging off the back, which is fantastic. Loads of bits move on him as well - okay, so he can't properly turn his head as he can't see past his shoulders from most positions, but that's a point of articulation right there - something G1 Springer didn't have at all. In short, it might look awful, but it's Whirl, so yay.

Bludgeon is green and brown, and in homage to the original Bludgeon's samurai persona, has blades attached to his wrists like samurais did. Unlike the original Bludgeon he can move his arms and legs, which is excellent - you wouldn't think there'd be progress made in 20 years of toy design, but Hasbro keep amazing me. His face is white, a clear homage to the original Bludgeon's skull face. The face might be a totally different shape, but it's the right colour, and that's excellent. The figure has 47 points of articulation, because you're totally likely to bend his knees forward for display. In short, it might look awful, but it's Bludgeon, so yay.

Transformation: 20/10 I'm not entirely sure what this section's about - is 10 a good transformation or a difficult one? I'm giving it a 20 because there are two transformations here.

Durability: 10/10 They've been outside of the package for... 17 minutes now, and nothing's broken yet. There are a lot of bits that look like they might break, but I'll just go careful, maybe just keep them in robot mode. So tha's a high durability rating - if you try and transform them or let a child play with them and they break, that's your fault, matey, don't come crying to me.

Fun: 10/10 I've yet to put these figures down since I got them, they really are that good.

Price: 10/10 These were Reduced, which makes them a good price for a Voyager and a Deluxe. Sod the quality, think of the sheer quantity of cheap plastic right there.

Overall: 10/10 These toys are utterly faultless, genre classics like the Popy Raideen or the Takatoku Valkyrie. Of course, if you don't like either of the moulds or have the same attachment to two Hasbro trademarks as I do, you'll totally and utterly disagree, making the above text utterly void.