Toy Review Archives

[electro girl]

Unless the TFCC decides to do a whole slew of Rainmaker figs...

But what would they be called? Only Acid Storm has been given a name so far.

[Detective Barricade]

Cyb. Wingsaber/Mov. Wing Blade clearly has Powerglide beat in the artillery department. Great review though!:)

[ganon578]

Do you need photos for this? I just got Powerglide last night and I'd be glad to supply some if needed!

[Warcry]

Do you need photos for this? I just got Powerglide last night and I'd be glad to supply some if needed!

It would be awesome if you could.

Cyb. Wingsaber/Mov. Wing Blade clearly has Powerglide beat in the artillery department.

True. But then, so does your average seeker. It's too bad, really. There's no reason why they couldn't have squeezed more weapons into the design if they'd wanted to.

[Treadshot A1]

I'm sure they'd think of something...

[Blackjack]

Acid Storm has appeared in one episode where the Autobots went to Cybertron, as a generic character leading the 'Rainmaker' Team, comprising of an entirely nearly neon solid-coloured Seeker jets. His comrades are yellow and blue.

Other cancelled names for this particular guy include Acid Rain and Rainmaker. Oh well, I guess it's better than 'Lemon Drop'.

[ganon578]

It would be awesome if you could.

Will do! I'll get a few together tonight and post 'em on here.

[ganon578]

Photos for the review, as promised!

[The Reverend]

Name: "Sky Dasher" (original Diaclone name, no official Hasbro name)
Generation: One
Faction: Autobot
Function: Not listed
Sub-Group: Powerdasher

This Powerdasher is a new form of Autobot. Power is still growing. Fast and skillful. Little is known about its true strengths and weaknesses. Came to Earth to help the Autobots in their cause. Able to take on a variety of shapes and forms. Has the ability to operate at various levels of kinetic energy. Friendly, cheerful and obedient.

The Powerdashers made their first appearance as cheap entries in the Diaclone line, bearing the names "Sky Dasher" (jet), "F1 Dasher" (car) and "Drill Dasher" (drill tank). They reappeared in 1985 as the cheapest in a Hasbro mail-away offer included with boxed Transformers, alongside the Omnibots and the "Time Warrior" watch. The "jet" version was pictured, with the cautionary statement "POWERDASHERS are constantly evolving. The style you get may be different from the one pictured here", meaning that anyone who ordered one could conceivably receive any of the three. Sky Dasher, according to rumor, is the most common. All three Powerdashers possessed pull-back motors.

Alternate Mode:

The way things go in TF land, if it bears only a passing resemblance to a known vehicle, we call it a "Cybertronian" (insert vehicle name here), so I guess this is a Cybertronian jet. The front half of its relatively sleek body is chrome, the rear is black, and there appears to be a shallow cockpit in it for a Diaclone driver with no canopy. Chrome wings stick out horizontally from the back of the jet, with giant red "engines" (or maybe they're weapons?) facing forward and curious stickers on upraised fins reading "SD-34". Large wheels with rubber tires sit at the rear of the jet (these are the motorized wheels), and the chrome nose piece has two plastic ones free-wheeling underneath to avoid scraping the chrome underbelly on the linoleum. There's an Autobot symbol on top of the black body. As "jets" go, it's actually kind of cool even if it's very small (about G1 Powerglide's size). The robot mode's chrome fists make the nose of the jet, which is moderately annoying (It really doesn't bother me, but other people I've shown it to have commented a lot about it). Unlike some of it's similarly-sized brethren in the line, the jet has a fair amount of molded (if unidentifiable) details, and thanks to its wheels underneath, it can still run along the kitchen floor after being pulled back if you're into that sort of thing. There's something about the general shape of the vehicle mode that looks familiar to me, like it appeared in some show or cartoon or Atari game artwork around that time, but I can't place it.


Robot Mode:

This is dumb, but I actually made a transforming construction-paper version of Sky Dasher as a kid from looking at the mail-away offer photo. The transformation is just that obvious. Rotate the chrome wings back 90 degrees to form the upper legs, the red engines turn similarly to make his shins, then split the chrome front of the jet down the middle to make arms. No, the robot mode is not as cool as the jet. You get a slightly portly fellow with low hanging arms and a clownish, stickered face on a red head, and no poseability unless waving your arms at right angles to your body counts for something, and a bunch of medieval monks figured out long ago (and many broken legs later) that you cannot fly doing that. He can move his legs at the hips and do an unnatural sideways knee bend, so I guess he can do a sort of karate kick. That's about it. Still, since he's relatively thin and a little lankier than most Autobot minicars, he escapes the "fat little bugger" syndrome that plagued a lot of TFs of this size around this point in the line. Sky Dasher came with no accessories, so it's hard to imagine what exactly he went around doing in robot mode. Maybe he's the one that fell out of the closet in that silly G1 episode that featured Optimus Prime's Botany Bay-style tomb. (I'm joking - don't go watching it just to see him.)

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 1 - I made a two-dimensional replica out of friggin construction paper!
Durability: 3 - From what little I've seen of other people's examples, the chrome wears down to yellow easily. Mine is actually in pretty good shape. But those skinny wings look kind of fragile to me.
Fun: 2 - Eh. The vehicle mode is cool, but the robot mode is useless.
Price: 2 - Harder to find, but doesn't run much more than what it did back then.
Overall: 1 - It's a curiosity of G1, but that's about all it's got going for it unless you have childhood memories of it.

[Treadshot A1]

Not that i can do better, but i can barely see Bee's face.

[The Reverend]

Name: Octane
Generation: One
Faction: Decepticon
Function: Fueler
Sub-Group: Triple Changer

"He who has fuel, has power."

A greedy, mean-spirited bully. Enjoys watching fellow Decepticons become painfully inoperative from lack of fuel. Forces Autobots off roads and Aerialbots to abort landings just for fun. Crashes make him laugh. In jet mode: range 700 miles, maximum speed 750 mph. In tanker mode: range 65,000 miles, maximum speed 90 mph, carries 10,000 gallons of fuel. Carries fuel-powered flamethrower and deflecto-shield.

Octane was the only Decepticon Triple Changer released in 1986, appearing alongside the previously-released Astrotrain and Blitzwing in that year's toy catalog. (This was the same year Autobot Triple-Changers Sandstorm, Springer and Broadside were released, so I guess Hasbro was trying to keep things somewhat equal.) He appeared in a key role in one or two episodes of the cartoon. Frankly, I didn't much care for him at the time, finding him to have a rather annoying characterization of whininess. I guess that's classic bully syndrome - talking tough when in control, whining like a little girl when overmatched. Who knows? Dreamwave's "More Than Meets The Eye" character profiles added another character trait - that Octane is paranoid about taking injury because he doesn't want to die in a massive fuel explosion. Anyway, as Octane's supposed to be a "fueler", he's got two alternate modes fitting this - a tanker truck and a cargo jet. About those...

Alternate Mode:

I'll start with the tanker truck as that's what is sitting on my desk right at this moment. (I keep my G1s in a glass-front cabinet, but it's plenty crowded, so the relatively narrow truck mode is what he stays in when in the cabinet.) Octane was released right before most G1 alt-modes became "futuristic" approximations of vehicles, but the resemblance to a current-day tanker truck (then or now) is somewhat cloudy. A little longer than G1 Motormaster, he has a "cab" with very large fenders over each purple front wheel, grey smokestacks embedded in the sides, and stickers on the hood and fenders for detail. Interestingly, there's no windshield represented either by insert or sticker - Octane's either blind or maybe you're just supposed to imagine these things. (I thought my secondhand Octane might just have had them peeled off or never applied, but from what I can see in the toy catalog there's just no obvious windshield.) The truck cab is a dark blue, except for the white fenders, and there's no real detail on the front grille (no etched headlights, no bumper). This might be because the fenders have to fold forward in front of the cab for transformation (meaning there's a joint in the way, but it still looks lazy to me on the part of the designer. There are also two small purple wheels on top of the truck cab; these are part of the jet mode. As for the rest of the truck, much of the "trailer" portion is chromed and somewhat rounded (suggesting a liquid-carrying tank). There's a rub sign just aft of the midsection,and a few stickers for detail. The tank also has rounded side panels bearing Decepticon logos on a striped background. Each panel has two screws in it. At the back of the trailer, another pair of purple wheels provides support, but right behind them are a pair of fixed white plastic wheels, Most damning of all, there's a small set of wheels jutting out just behind the truck cab, which raise the cab up off my desk high enough that the front wheels don't touch the ground! I can see the purpose for these, but they're almost a little too tall. And lastly... (everyone who has ever seen this figure was probably wondering when I was going to mention this), there are two big purple blocks jutting out from either side of the truck; these are Octane's arms in robot mode and they just sit there awkwardly. Like I said, it's identifiable as a tanker truck, but it bears little resemblance to any you've ever seen. Still, it doesn't betray too much of the jet mode unless you know there's a jet in there. That has to count for something. You just know it's a weird looking truck.

Speaking of the jet mode, I might as well get to that. I won't describe the transformation in detail, as it's rather complex compared to many other G1s, but the main part of the truck's tank is removable (it serves no purpose in jet mode), and after extending a few parts and turning the truck upside down, jet mode only requires the attachment of Octane's smaller "hand shield", otherwise it won't have a tail. Octane's arms get in the way here again. This time it's more than just looks, the jet wings won't fit into position unless you carefully move the arms out of the way, and this is not always an easy process. Like the truck mode, the jet is identifiable, if not a dead ringer for its real-life counterpart. It does have a stickered windshield, some stripes near the cockpit, gray wings (bearing the chrome sides of the tanker underneath) with a similar striped pattern and some Decepticon logos, more stripes on the tail fins and a matching gray tail. Like his 2008 "Tankor" version, the truck cab is visible towards the end of the plane's rear, but it's not nearly as much of an ugly wart here, you can only make it out by looking at the bottom of the plane. G1 Octane's got his own warts in this mode, though; the large (useless) front wheels of the cab are now obvious towards the tail, and those annoying little wheels that were keeping the cab off the ground in truck mode are now sticking straight up from the top of the jet (and, since that section has to fold over the piece just forward of it for transformation to robot mode, there's a big hole in the top of the plane to accept those wheels). Octane's more white in this mode, with no chrome working itself into the design of the plane. They did try to preserve the aerodynamic look of the plane, with the the fuselage slightly narrowing toward the rear. The jet, being intended for fueling purposes, carries no obvious weaponry.

The problem with bashing a Triple Changer, though, is simply that not all of them had two equally good vehicle modes. Astrotrain's design was pretty good, but Blitzwing's jet mode was laughable (hey buddy, you got some thick wings), Springer's car mode almost looks like an afterthought (or is it the helicopter mode, with his arms sticking out?), and Broadside's jet mode... well, you know where I'm going. Stacked up against all of them available in 1986, this isn't the best, but it's not quite as ridiculous on all levels. (And it would get worse - Doubledealer is nice, but then you had Apeface and Snapdragon...)


Robot Mode:

Octane's robot mode is essentially the jet mode standing on its nose, with the wings rotated 180 degrees and the aft section of the plane compacted and folded down to make his chest. And he has a very big chest. His arms barely reach past it. He's still mostly white here, with a purple helmet and arms and the grey of his plane wings sticking out to the sides. The truck cab is facing down in his chest piece, so you also get the blue from that. Octane has a grey, well-sculpted face (in fact, I think the head overall is one of the better ones in G1, even if he has a slight "too much Imodium" expression) and can hold his flamethrower rifle in either hand. The chrome midsection of the tanker truck can be attached to the side of one arm as a "shield", and supposedly he can also hold his tail/shield as well. I say supposedly, because my tail-shield doesn't really fit well, and the larger chrome "shield" just looks weird to me - but I can see why a guy who lugs around fuel would carry them. He has joints at his shoulders and elbows, but the shoulders are limited due to the positioning of his wings. You can, however, fold the wings back a little bit to get more room to move the shoulders if you like. He's about the height you would expect compared to the other Decepticon Triple Changers - shorter than an earlier Decepticon jet, but not a midget. He's top heavy - having such a large chest piece and comparatively skinny legs, but the struts that make his feet keep him standing relatively well (not great, but it could have been much worse). The width of his chest compared to his lower body (and combined with the effect of the wings sticking up diagonally from his back) gives him something resembling the classic "triangular" body type - if his arms were a little bigger, he'd look like a powerhouse, but then you'd have even more of an annoyance with the arms in vehicle mode. He also has very detailed fists at the ends of his arms (minor, yes, but they really are good compared to so many of his comrades), and while his purple rifle doesn't particularly stand out, it's a very nice mold with lots of detail. There is no "melee weapon" as in the Universe version. Overall, I think he fits nicely in a crowd of Decepticons, even if he isn't perfect. I suspect he was designed by someone working with Astrotrain as a model, something about the two robot modes looks very similar in comparison. And the wings in his robot mode add a strangely nice touch that echoes the Decepticon jets in the previous two years.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 7 - The toy's not really fragile, but it is a tricky transformation for G1. While the jet's tail and the truck's upper tank detach, the bulk of the toy is still used in transformation.
Durability: 7 - Aside from the chrome wear, there's not really any weak points of consequence. The wing joints are automatically suspect to me, but they look quite strong, with a good sized pin holding them in place. I imagine they're an annoyance when they get loose though. Mine is somewhat loose in one wing, but it still locks into place well.
Fun: 7 - You know, even though his alt modes could be better somewhat, I really don't have a big problem with him. Like I said, I think you have to give a little with Triple Changers, and overall I think he's got a good character concept. After all, the Transformers are always bitching about fuel...
Price: 5 - I got mine for $20. The reason I knocked the rating up to 5 is because the problem with buying a secondhand Octane isn't so much the price as it is finding him with his parts and with intact chrome. But I got him for $20, if that helps, and while mine's worn it isn't that bad.
Overall: 7 - Not so bad in the Triple Changer lineup, and above average in the G1 lineup. Check it out.

[Gareth Infinity]

I thought the knees weren't terrible, and that it was more like "almost no elbow"; there is a bit of movement there that can be put to use. Then again maybe you can call that wrist articulation if you want, then there wouldn't be an elbow. I dunno, honestly.

All in all there's no way I'd ever pay $10 for this if I knew exactly what I was getting into...I got it as a gift. The articulation is ridiculously poor for a modern figure. I also don't like how I'm never sure about where to put the dino head in robot mode, and that it looks terrible sticking out that far no matter what I do with it.

But, it is a pretty cute figure if you're not looking at it from the side. I'll fiddle with it every now and then.

[Slayer-Fan123]

Could you show a pic of that paper model, I would really like to see that

[The Reverend]

That was when I was a kid in 1985-86, it hasn't survived to the present day. I made lots of them back then to stand-in for TFs I didn't have, although not all of them transformed the same way as the toys. (Sky Dasher's actually did.) I used construction paper and brass paper fasteners to make moving joints. Heh, that might be a good idea now, I could post a cut-out pattern.. "MAKE YOUR OWN SKY DASHER!!"

[numbat]

Tech Spec: - Strength: 4
- Intelligence: 9
- Speed: 6
- Endurance: 9
- Rank: 5
- Courage: 10
- Fireblast: 3
- Skill: 10


Name: Ratchet (Limited Edition Best Buy Exclusive Metallic Finish / ‘Premium’)
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Medic
Sub-Group: Voyager Class

Autobot Ratchet is devoted to saving life, no matter what form it takes, or whose it is. No one among the Autobots hasn’t had his Spark preserved at least once by him, and more than one Decepticon has opened his optical sensors after a mortal blow only to find Autobot Ratchet welding shut the final incision. He joined up with Optimus Prime not because he wanted to be a soldier, but because he believed the Autobots presented the last, best hope of preserving life in the universe against the evil of the Decepticons.

Ratchet was the last of the Autobots I picked up from the Movie. Although not my least favourite character or design (I think that honour falls on Jazz…), I just could not stand the horrendous luminous green that Hasbro and Takara moulded the Voyager (and Legends Class) figure in! Now, I know Ratchet was rather brightly coloured in the film, but the toys really took this to an extreme. So many of the 2007 live action movie figures were unusually dull and bland in comparison to most Transformers releases in recent years, due to the nature of the film designs, and it just seems that Hasbro latched on to the opportunity to aim a brightly coloured toy at the main Transformers market – children! I am totally cool with this – as I am the addition of blue to Leader Megatron to liven things up a bit. However, unlike Megatron, bright green Ratchet just could not have a place in my collection.

In many ways, it seems a shame that such the Hummer license was used on a bright green custom modified rescue vehicle. This is further compounded by the simple fact that Movie Voyager Ratchet’s mould is absolutely fantastic.

Yet, the only mainstream repaint is a hideous redeco homage to the G1 character.

However, there was an exclusive Best Buy release of the toy with a metallic finish. Unfortunately, living in the UK, I was at the mercy of online scalpers, and did not feel I could justify paying the sums requested for a Voyager figure. This turned out to be a double blow when the Movie Premium series was announced, which allowed me to pick up a decent version of the rather under-rated Jazz mould. Best Buy Ratchet, alas, was considered a forerunner or early installment to this line, and not scheduled for a wider release.

I was fairly dismayed by this turn of events, and had resigned myself to never completing the Big Five movie Autobots.

As time rolled on, though, interest in the two early exclusive metallic finish movie figures (metallic finish Voyager Megatron being the companion piece) seems to have waned, and I was fortuitous enough to pick up Best Buy Ratchet at little more than UK Voyager shelf price!

I have to admit, I am very pleased with the figure, and totally underestimated the mould.

[Packaging note: Interestingly, the standard Movie Voyager Ratchet is depicted in all pictures on the box, while the Rescue Ratchet repaint is shown on the photograph on the instructions, although they are labeled ‘Autobot Ratchet’, and take you through transforming from robot to vehicle, as he is packed (although beware! his windscreen is not correctly transformed when you get him out the box, so be careful turning him into the Hummer).]


Alternate Mode:

Ratchet transforms into a heavily modified Hummer H2, measuring 6 ¾” (17.5cm) from bumper to bumper, placing him at roughly 1/28 scale. The level of detailing is fantastic, and, unlike other reviewers, I don’t think the figure suffers from lack of paint applications – on the contrary, I think that had any more detail been picked out, the figure would have come away appearing cluttered. Also, unlike subsequent ‘Premium’ releases, Best Buy Ratchet does not appear to have any paint applications additional to those on the standard Voyager release.

The majority of the vehicle is a metallic green, which is far duller than the neon of the standard release. As such, the detailing on the bars, tires, mirrors, and underside do not contrast as heavily, while the silver of the lights appear brighter. The red does not appear quite as vibrant, however – both on the light bar, and on the printed details which are so beautifully applied to either side of the Hummer. Indeed, the tiny shield and Autobot insignia on either door are incredibly fine – although the black outlines are misaligned on the left, just as Knightdramon found with the standard release. There is also a gold stripe painted on the rear of the vehicle, and another under each door – also present in the standard release.

The transparent dark blue plastic works well for the windows – although does not completely hide the hinges within. Still, I prefer the transparency to a solid windscreen and door windows which would completely hide these chinks in Ratchet’s disguise!

The one element of the figure which I was particularly pleased with in this mode is the fact that Ratchet’s head is hidden on the underside (at least from the front and sides). I had thought that the head would be visible, based upon photographs – however, I think that the panel which hides the head was absent from many of these (and it does come loose very easily). Still – of my Movie Voyager figures (Ironhide and Blackout being the other two), Ratchet has by far the best disguise. It’s just a shame that you can just see parts of his arms protruding beneath the doors…

It’s not all sunshine and sweets, though. Ratchet’s Hummer mode does not hold together particularly well, and I feel that there is a little too much pressure around the tiny hinges which hold his shoulders / doors to the vehicle. Plus, for some reason, Hasbro cast his feet in black plastic, resulting in two sole-shaped black panels in the roof, which really detracts from the otherwise more ‘realistic’ finish.

Still, overall, a very impressive alternate mode, improved immeasurably by the metallic paint job!


Robot Mode:

Ratchet’s transformation is quite unusual, and belongs to the same family as Leader Class Movie Prime – not like his ex-mould brother turned contortionist, (Movie Voyager Class) Ironhide. And, it’s surprisingly easy, despite it’s complexity – all of his parts lock in place happily (although the rear panels of the Hummer are apt to pop off if you don’t adjust them at the right moment – still, they readily reattach). As far as Automorphs go, his reside in his legs and are utterly pointless – basically, when you flip out his feet, his knees slide out and panels on the insides of his legs protrude, just as with the film design (and, just like his movie counterpart, they have lettering from the Hummer printed along them). Unfortunately, when you pose Ratchet, and shift his feet, you end up with his legs in varying stages of Automorphing. Luckily, the knees and side panels are not particularly obvious at the best of times.

Voyager Ratchet stands an impressive 8” (20cm) tall, and is very bulky, striking an imposing figure beside other Transformers (unlike the gaunt Voyager Ironhide).

I am really impressed at how well the design works – Ratchet has far less faux vehicle parts to create that more authentic Movie design – those are Hummer parts, reconfigured! The design plays on convention, with the front of the Hummer forming the chest – but inverted and warped, with wheels protruding at his shoulders, which looks incredibly cool. I’m also impressed with how little kibble he has – almost everything slides happily into place in this mode, and even the roof rack can be attached to his back (it looks great locked in its open configuration). The peg and socket are designed so as the rack faces downwards in the locked open position. However, it can be arranged so as it faces upwards, with the lights aligning above the wheels on his shoulders, mirroring the Movie design nicely. Alas, I have found this configuration to be rather unstable.

The colours are much the same as with the Hummer, although some of the more interior parts of his robot form (i.e. under the armour plates) are the lime green of the original release, while his hands and elbows are a yellowish gold. These uses of different shades provide added depth to the figure, and surprisingly do not jar. Red and gold stripes decorate various body parts, including his perfectly sculpted head – which benefits from good detail, paint application, and blue light piping. Unfortunately, the feet, although sculpted to match the film design, are cast in solid black (while the Ratchet boasted green plates over much of his feet in the film). A shame – he would have fared better with solid green feet in my opinion, if they had to choose one colour. Alternatively, the green could have been painted on the plates, leaving the black between. Never mind…

Ratchet has two gimmicks (other than Automorph) – he can hold his roof rack as a ‘stretcher’ (erm, maybe for a Legends Class figure…), or use it as a claw (a small peg allows you to open and close it, and it can be locked in the open position), while his right hand can retract, and a butterfly-shaped axe unfolded. I actually really like the axe gimmick (although only one blade is painted with red stripes, while the other’s left plain, which is a bit odd), but don’t care for the basic roof rack thing. However – the peg on the roof rack can act as a Mini-Con port! And so, you can not only attach a Mini-Con to Ratchet, but also use it to activate the claw gimmick. That appeals to me more – certainly the ability to attach a Mini-Con. But I’m a fan of the wee guys. (It’s pretty cool that the Hasbro designers still include Mini-Con ports on some figures in the newer lines. It’s like a hidden underground element of TF culture, only not that sordid… A good few Movie line figures have this feature, as do Classics.)

Ratchet is a real surprise for me – his mould is amazingly good. It’s so unfortunate that the general release versions of this figure are so hideous. This more realistic metallic version just shows how much difference a slightly different shade makes to the figure – it’s such a shame that it was an early exclusive.

However, if you can’t track down this version for a price you’d be happy to pay, I would recommend the bright green standard version, or Rescue Ratchet repaint – both of which so warmed the shelves. The mould is so good, it’s worth suffering the awful colours of the mass market versions!


Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 9 – It’s not difficult, although it is fairly unusual – it’s great fun, though, and very well thought out. It’s just a shame the Hummer mode doesn’t seem to hold together that well (it’s just issues with pegs and joints – it has the potential to hold).
Durability: 6 – I am fairly concerned about those hinges at his shoulders, and the rear panels do pop off easily, as does the under panel which hides his head in Hummer mode. He’s a brick otherwise.
Fun: 9 – He’s really great fun! Very well articulated, great transformation, great alternate mode (even if it is a bit rickety). It’s a shame he lacks any real character. Hopefully Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen will set that right in 2009.
Price: 7 – His price is fairly variable just now. A lot of sellers are charging through the nose ( >£40 [$80]) while there are some popping up at more normal Voyager prices. I got mine for £25 including postage to the UK, which I’m chuffed with. (I think the focus has shifted from the Movie line to the Animated figures, perhaps, leaving overpriced metallic Ratchets unsold.)
Overall: 8 – This is a great mould – highly underrated – and this is the best version, in my opinion. However, if you can’t get this release, you owe it to your collection to pick up one of the other two. This is a great Transformer.

[Detective Barricade]

Oddly, my Ratchet figure does hold up quite well in vehicle, and yet I keep hearing these problems with the mold holding together like you mentioned... At least it won't ever let one forget that it's alt mode is a Hummer!;)

[Knightdramon]

Name: Sentinel Prime
Allegiance: Autobot Elite Guard
Function: Commander

I've been on the fence about animated toys from the get-go. At first I pondered about getting the five Autobot main cast, then decided to try my luck and just get Lockdown. Unexpectedly pleased by the figure, I went ahead and ordered pretty much anything that was available at the time; deluxe wave 4, voyagers Screamer, Lugnut, Grimlock, deluxe Cybertron Prime and lastly Ultra Magnus.

Even before released, fans have been skeptical about Sentinel Prime [part of wave 4]. Many thought that he was extremely short; that's wrong. He's just the right size for a deluxe. Being one of the two original moulds in his wave, how does Sentinel fare against his Autobot brethren?

Vehicle Mode

Sentinel Prime's first toy appearance features a snow-plow monster-truck of sorts. He measures almost 14 centimetres from one end to another, being half of that in height with the lance\shield combo equipped. The dimensions are satisfactory as he's bulkier and taller than deluxes Jazz and Bumblebee.

There's some sculpted details, though not as many as you'd expect. There's detail on the fat tires, some ridges beneath the doors, minimal panel lining on the front end and some sculpting on the rear windows of the cab. Most of the detail comes from the use of colours rather than sculpt.

The main colour is a very nice, pleasing pearly metallic blue. Some orange plastic is used for the snow plow and for some parts on the rear end of the truck. Gray is used for the bumpers and black for the windows and headlights\taillights. Yellow and gray paint are on the snowplow, redeeming the plain pieces of plastic and a nice tampographed elite guard insignia is on the engine bump on the hood.

There's not much to do with him other than roll him around, truthfully. The snow plow can be moved right and left due to the way its joints are constructed, and the all spark baby blue shield and lance can store on the back of the truck for a semi-attack mode.

Robot Mode

Sentinel's transformation is not complicated, the only tricky part being trying to align the back wheels to the front wheels' locks. Sentinel is close to 15 centimeters tall [6 inches for our American friends]. As you can see, he's a fairly modest size for a deluxe figure.

With the exception of the baby blue shield and lance, he gains no new colours in this mode. He's primarily metallic blue with black and gray used for some parts of the limbs and torso.

There's still very little detail on the figure when it comes to the sculpt, except for that awesome head unit. The paint applications on the head are FLAWLESS. Kudos to Hasbro for not messing up, as there's four colours besides the base blue. Sentinel is depicted with what some view as a smirk, I tend to familiarize with it as a tough-bit grimace. The laughably big chin is toned down and appears as almost a natural part of the helmet.

There's not much besides basic articulation on this mould. Sentinel boasts 13 points of articulation, almost evenly distributed. The legs feature ball jointed hips with sockets just below for slight rotation and swivel knees. The arms boast lots of articulation due to the way they are formed, but lack a very basic swivel joint that would allow for some kick-ass lance poses. Unless the whole arm is raised at the shoulder, there's no way for the lance to point sideways [sort of like Cyb. Scourge]. The head is on a ball joint with slight restrictions on the movement.

Keeping the trend of the Autobots in the animated universe, Sentinel features no firearms. He's instead equipped with a lance and a shield, lending him a medieval approach to battle. Any other colour than the baby blue [or all spark blue] used on them would make them infinitely better, but those two are all the accessories he's got.

Overall, Sentinel is a pleasing addition to the Autobot figures. I didn't expect to like a figure with such a basic design that much, but I honestly did. It rounds up the current elite guard quite well [comprised of Bumblebee, Jazz and Magnus]. Recommended for people who want a Prime with a different take on their shelves.

Transformation: 5. Nothing too complex besides the arms, fairly straight forward.
Durability: 9. Nothing except the small antennas on his head and the spiky parts on the shield appear to be able to break off.
Fun: 7. Eh, he's ok, I imagine some kids will have a blast with him and the other figures of this line.
Price: 7. Next to the movie deluxes or even animated Bumblebee, he feels less complicated for what you pay. I got him for around 11 USD a good two weeks before US retail release.
Overall: 7. Fans should get him for their elite guard rooster; I got him basically because he's the first Sentinel Prime to appear in toy form.

[Knightdramon]

Read through a second time and found like zero mistakes [would have corrected them the first time]. I believe it's ready to be uploaded with the next batch.

[numbat]

Ordered mine of e-bay yesterday for £15 + £5 p and p. After been unable to secure a Classics version at the time of release I thought I might as well go for this one.

I doubt you'll be disappointed.

I have found that I personally prefer Henkei Astrotrain for display.

Sadly, all I can think of now is "Triple Takeover" .. I half expect Railracer to take out a water main...

And what's wrong with that? Was a totally solid G1 episode!

(Which has reminded me of an episode of RID where the bullet trains are wading through flooded subway tunnels... Alas my brother has borrowed those DVDs just now, so can't check... funny, that's twice today I've wanted to bung 'em on. Ah, RID - thoroughly underrated series...)

[numbat]

Read through a second time and found like zero mistakes [would have corrected them the first time]. I believe it's ready to be uploaded with the next batch.

Thanks for checking it through man!

Did you pick this guy up as well?