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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.
Toy Review Archives
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Treadshot A1
- Posts: 2411
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Yea, checked my sources (Ain't Google wonderful?The Reverend wrote:Jazz's visor wasn't blue on at least the earliest originals.
). From 1985 onward, the words Martini Porche was removed due to a flap with Porche (which Porche still bang their heads these days! I mean free advertising for your company and they threw it away...By the time they realize just how popular the Transformers was, it was too late). Also, the earlist (1984 or so) was a direct copy of the Diaclone one. So the visor was still chrome, not blue.SWMBO just discovered I preordered MP-20 Wheeljack, MP-21 Bumblebee and MP-22 Ultra Magnus perfect edition for almost $300 = My butt goes on the couch for another week...or two..........or.........three!!!!!
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electro girl
- Posts: 1719
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:38 pm
- Location: Robot Republic of Yorkshire.
- Contact:
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The Reverend
- Posts: 603
- Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 6:26 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
Yeah, I have a secondhand G1 Jazz with a blue visor, but it looks like the previous owner painted it. The one I had as a kid had a grey visor. Pretender Jazz also had the grey. So far as I know Action Master Jazz was the first one with the blue, unless Hasbro started coloring the visor in the G1 original mid-run.
Yea, the Encore line reissues really has Hasbro and Takara trying to make the toys alike like their G1 cartoon conterparts.The Reverend wrote:Yeah, I have a secondhand G1 Jazz with a blue visor, but it looks like the previous owner painted it. The one I had as a kid had a grey visor. Pretender Jazz also had the grey. So far as I know Action Master Jazz was the first one with the blue, unless Hasbro started coloring the visor in the G1 original mid-run.
Encore Sky Lynx for ex. I really thought they got it wrong with the grey blaster and the blue Lynx's eyes.
But I then went back and popped in my DVD cartoons again. Notice carefully into Sky Lynx's mouth and the Lynx's eyes during the fifth and final episode of "Five Faces of Darkness". YEP! The blaster and the eyes are grey and blue!
Go figure! Never notice that till now. I always thought the original G! Sky Lynx, with the red blaster and golden eyes for lynx are correct!
SWMBO just discovered I preordered MP-20 Wheeljack, MP-21 Bumblebee and MP-22 Ultra Magnus perfect edition for almost $300 = My butt goes on the couch for another week...or two..........or.........three!!!!!
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Treadshot A1
- Posts: 2411
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:49 am
- Contact:
Marvel Crossovers Venom--[proofed]
Name: Venom
Alligeance: Himself
Function: Villain
Alt mode: Black Muscle Car
Can anyone think of any quote for Venom?
Hasbro's done it again. First they combine forces with Star Wars to create transforming SW characters, now they combine it with Marvel heroes and villains. This brings 'Transformers and New Avengers' to a whole new level.
The backstory for them is that Mr Fantastic and Iron Man experiment with tech that create large transforming armour for them. Dr Doom copies this for the bad guys. The heroes should sue. One of the baddies given the treatment is Venom.
The name Venom has actually been used once in Transformers history, for the cicada Deluxe Insecticon of G1. That Venom has only appeared in UK comics, and later in Dreamwave. This Venom is the infamous Spiderman 3 villain, the symbiote, and NOT an Insecticon. Yet.
Venom is an alien symbiote from space. He stuck on Spidey as the black costume for a while and made him do bad stuff until Spidey gets the idea of using Sound waves to get rid of him (no puns intended), but like all self-respecting villain, Venom merges with Eddie Brock to get even with Spidey. He later spawned a 'son' named Carnage. Sounds like a repaint coming up...
ALTERNATE MODE
The mold is amazingly nice. The overall effect reminds me of the Insecticons, Lockdown, Blackjack, Stockade, even IDW Hot Rod. Good for kitbashers. I'll explain why later.
Venom's alt mode of choice is a sexy muscle car, which looks similar to Lockdown's, except this one looks more lifelike, more earthen, less cartoony, and looks a bit similar to Blackjack in some ways. Oh, and the license plate reads 'VENOM'.
The thing is sleek and quite deadly-looking. Mainly black (obviously) with silver for wheels, bumpers and the spider symbol on the hood. There is obviously also standard Decepticon purple to make it more attractive. And lite blue windows. Basically Blackjack's colour scheme. Overall? Insecticon colours, harking to his Insecticon origins. Ironically G1 Venom is orangey green. I bet some kitbasher is using this mold to make a modernized Insecticon. I know you are reading this, Treadshot A1.
Detailing is rather impressive, with no robotic kibble visible, even at the bottom (save the palms, but that is negligible). Venom's web projectiles are stored on clip-ons on the bottom of the car.
No action features, no semi-attack-modes, no kibble, no pointless gimmick, Insecticon colours, looks like a true Decepticon, sleek muscle car, looks like Blackjack... No wonder I like the vehicle mode.
TRANSFORMATION
If you even try not to follow the instructions like I did, you will get a jumbled up mess, kinda like Lockdown. The similarities increase. If you follow the instructions, you also get a jumbled mess, so I reccomend to try to follow it. The frontal transformation is nearly identical with IDW Hot Rod, with the sides of the front hood forming the shoulders while the center plate (with the spider symbol) forming the chest.
ROBOT MODE
Venom's robot mode is interesting. Note: it is only interesting, not actually nice. He is kinda stout, have thick feet, long hands, short upper legs, short torso, kinda like Movie Stockade.
The head is well detailed, with the tongue slithering out. Venom has several purple robot mode joints and parts that looks like it was made up of web and pipes, making Venom look more Insecticon-esque.
This guy is Venom, yet it has wheels and mechanical parts. How nice! Venom's hand is heavily detailed, and as a bonus, both the thumb and the index finger (claw) can move individually and point. He has two wrist mounted 'web blasters' which fires black coloured plastic projectiles.
Overall, try this guy out, this guy is quite nice, especially in vehicle mode. (wonder what's the connection between Venom and the muscle car...)
DURABILITY 9/10 Quite solid, but if the shoulder joints go loose it's a pain to put it back on.
TRANSFORMATION8/10 the instructions are useless. This thing is very hard to place back together from robot to vehicle mode. Very hard
PRICE 5/10 a bit steep on this... Deluxe packaging, yet almost Voyager price.
FUN 8/10 fun to play. But robot mode is not too good.
OVERALL 7/10 If you like villains, buy him. If you like Transformers, try him. If you like Venom, try him. If you are curious, try him. If you like sleek black cars, buy him. Coincidentally I fall into every point above.
Alligeance: Himself
Function: Villain
Alt mode: Black Muscle Car
Can anyone think of any quote for Venom?
Hasbro's done it again. First they combine forces with Star Wars to create transforming SW characters, now they combine it with Marvel heroes and villains. This brings 'Transformers and New Avengers' to a whole new level.
The backstory for them is that Mr Fantastic and Iron Man experiment with tech that create large transforming armour for them. Dr Doom copies this for the bad guys. The heroes should sue. One of the baddies given the treatment is Venom.
The name Venom has actually been used once in Transformers history, for the cicada Deluxe Insecticon of G1. That Venom has only appeared in UK comics, and later in Dreamwave. This Venom is the infamous Spiderman 3 villain, the symbiote, and NOT an Insecticon. Yet.
Venom is an alien symbiote from space. He stuck on Spidey as the black costume for a while and made him do bad stuff until Spidey gets the idea of using Sound waves to get rid of him (no puns intended), but like all self-respecting villain, Venom merges with Eddie Brock to get even with Spidey. He later spawned a 'son' named Carnage. Sounds like a repaint coming up...
ALTERNATE MODE
The mold is amazingly nice. The overall effect reminds me of the Insecticons, Lockdown, Blackjack, Stockade, even IDW Hot Rod. Good for kitbashers. I'll explain why later.
Venom's alt mode of choice is a sexy muscle car, which looks similar to Lockdown's, except this one looks more lifelike, more earthen, less cartoony, and looks a bit similar to Blackjack in some ways. Oh, and the license plate reads 'VENOM'.
The thing is sleek and quite deadly-looking. Mainly black (obviously) with silver for wheels, bumpers and the spider symbol on the hood. There is obviously also standard Decepticon purple to make it more attractive. And lite blue windows. Basically Blackjack's colour scheme. Overall? Insecticon colours, harking to his Insecticon origins. Ironically G1 Venom is orangey green. I bet some kitbasher is using this mold to make a modernized Insecticon. I know you are reading this, Treadshot A1.
Detailing is rather impressive, with no robotic kibble visible, even at the bottom (save the palms, but that is negligible). Venom's web projectiles are stored on clip-ons on the bottom of the car.
No action features, no semi-attack-modes, no kibble, no pointless gimmick, Insecticon colours, looks like a true Decepticon, sleek muscle car, looks like Blackjack... No wonder I like the vehicle mode.
TRANSFORMATION
If you even try not to follow the instructions like I did, you will get a jumbled up mess, kinda like Lockdown. The similarities increase. If you follow the instructions, you also get a jumbled mess, so I reccomend to try to follow it. The frontal transformation is nearly identical with IDW Hot Rod, with the sides of the front hood forming the shoulders while the center plate (with the spider symbol) forming the chest.
ROBOT MODE
Venom's robot mode is interesting. Note: it is only interesting, not actually nice. He is kinda stout, have thick feet, long hands, short upper legs, short torso, kinda like Movie Stockade.
The head is well detailed, with the tongue slithering out. Venom has several purple robot mode joints and parts that looks like it was made up of web and pipes, making Venom look more Insecticon-esque.
This guy is Venom, yet it has wheels and mechanical parts. How nice! Venom's hand is heavily detailed, and as a bonus, both the thumb and the index finger (claw) can move individually and point. He has two wrist mounted 'web blasters' which fires black coloured plastic projectiles.
Overall, try this guy out, this guy is quite nice, especially in vehicle mode. (wonder what's the connection between Venom and the muscle car...)
DURABILITY 9/10 Quite solid, but if the shoulder joints go loose it's a pain to put it back on.
TRANSFORMATION8/10 the instructions are useless. This thing is very hard to place back together from robot to vehicle mode. Very hard
PRICE 5/10 a bit steep on this... Deluxe packaging, yet almost Voyager price.
FUN 8/10 fun to play. But robot mode is not too good.
OVERALL 7/10 If you like villains, buy him. If you like Transformers, try him. If you like Venom, try him. If you are curious, try him. If you like sleek black cars, buy him. Coincidentally I fall into every point above.
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wolfbolt86
- Protoform
- Posts: 415
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:45 pm
Marvel Iron Man [proofed]
Name: Iron Man
Allegiance: New Avengers
Function: Moneybag
Alt Mode: F22 Raptor (?)
When Man and Machine meet... You call in an expert. Know anyone like that?
Marvel and Hasbro has created a crossover, making Marvel characters that transform into vehicles. Obviously the currently movie-ized Iron Man and Hulk got the Transformers makeover.
Iron Man, a robotic character himself, built these exo-suits with Mr Fantastic, according to the back story. Not too hard to believe. One of their first exo-suits is Iron Man himself. Even easier to believe, considering him. Read New Avengers/Transformers, which features Iron Man wearing a Transformer-sized battle suit and kicking the crap out of the Decepticons. Now if the story or the art has been better...(I mean, come on! Using radioactive blood to empower himself? What happened to the classic giant laser?)
To get those I-only-know-Transformers-and-nothing-else guys up to date with Iron Man. Genius billionaire playboy Tony Stark was injured in a terrorist attack, and to keep him from dying he designed the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and placed it into his chest, and transformed him into the greatest Autobot... Naw, just joking. He built something like a power core which also powers his Iron Man armor. Watch the movie, duh.
ALTERNATE MODE
Iron Man owns a weapons factory, and in the movie, miscommunication pits him against his own F-22 Raptor jets. Hey, they look like Starscream! Apparently the designers like Starry so much that they gave Iron Man's alt mode a Starscream-ish paintjob, minus the blue.
Actually the jet mode is not as sleek or deadly looking as the real F-22, or even movie Screamer's alt mode. The nosecone looks pudgy, the main inaccuracy. Iron Man has a whole bunch of weapons under his wing. First up, there are working missile launchers. Then on each wing there are (annoyingly) removable missiles, including one small and two molded together on each wing. These fall off very easily, mind you. Choking hazard: keep Iron Man off kids under age, dogs, cats and other pets.
The robotic kibble is not too visible, except for the arms, poorly disguised as jet engines.
Overall, a solid (if goofy) jet mode. The redeeming feature of this toy.
TRANSFORMATION
Very needlessly complicated. (whatever happened to classic Seeker or Aerialbot transformation?) You are more likely to get the folding connectors pop out. The pieces don't fit together very well either.
ROBOT MODE
Iron Man is his normal robotic self with a jet cockpit on his chest instead of the Matrix. Sorry, power core. This time all the Starscream gray has disappeared and replaced with golden.
Not too poseable, I am afraid. Iron's joints are stiff and cannot move too well, making transformation so much harder. Iron also has two arm-mounted Null Rays. I mean rocket launchers. Unlike Venom's, Iron Man's hands are not molded in great detail.
Iron Man looks slightly taller than his comrades. The wings fold behind Iron's back but the wings can open up for a cape-esque (or Seeker-esque) effect.
Lastly, don't forget that this toy is fragile and easy to fall apart. Although both modes are rather solid, Transformation sucks. Overall, I recommend not to buy it if you aren't an Iron Man or a TF fan.
DURABILITY4/10 Very easily separated, these parts. The missiles can go missing easily.
TRANSFORMATION 6/10 in hardness 1/10 in design. You'd think ole' moneybag Tony Stark would be able to afford a better transformation.
FUN 8/10 Iron Man SMASH! If you don't like him, pretend he's, I dunno, Powerglide.
PRICE 5/10 Very steep. Nearly the price of a Voyager.
OVERALL 5/10 Not too great in durability or poseability, not as much fun as other jet Transformers, but if you have money to burn, go for it. Just don't say I don't warn you.
Allegiance: New Avengers
Function: Moneybag
Alt Mode: F22 Raptor (?)
When Man and Machine meet... You call in an expert. Know anyone like that?
Marvel and Hasbro has created a crossover, making Marvel characters that transform into vehicles. Obviously the currently movie-ized Iron Man and Hulk got the Transformers makeover.
Iron Man, a robotic character himself, built these exo-suits with Mr Fantastic, according to the back story. Not too hard to believe. One of their first exo-suits is Iron Man himself. Even easier to believe, considering him. Read New Avengers/Transformers, which features Iron Man wearing a Transformer-sized battle suit and kicking the crap out of the Decepticons. Now if the story or the art has been better...(I mean, come on! Using radioactive blood to empower himself? What happened to the classic giant laser?)
To get those I-only-know-Transformers-and-nothing-else guys up to date with Iron Man. Genius billionaire playboy Tony Stark was injured in a terrorist attack, and to keep him from dying he designed the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and placed it into his chest, and transformed him into the greatest Autobot... Naw, just joking. He built something like a power core which also powers his Iron Man armor. Watch the movie, duh.
ALTERNATE MODE
Iron Man owns a weapons factory, and in the movie, miscommunication pits him against his own F-22 Raptor jets. Hey, they look like Starscream! Apparently the designers like Starry so much that they gave Iron Man's alt mode a Starscream-ish paintjob, minus the blue.
Actually the jet mode is not as sleek or deadly looking as the real F-22, or even movie Screamer's alt mode. The nosecone looks pudgy, the main inaccuracy. Iron Man has a whole bunch of weapons under his wing. First up, there are working missile launchers. Then on each wing there are (annoyingly) removable missiles, including one small and two molded together on each wing. These fall off very easily, mind you. Choking hazard: keep Iron Man off kids under age, dogs, cats and other pets.
The robotic kibble is not too visible, except for the arms, poorly disguised as jet engines.
Overall, a solid (if goofy) jet mode. The redeeming feature of this toy.
TRANSFORMATION
Very needlessly complicated. (whatever happened to classic Seeker or Aerialbot transformation?) You are more likely to get the folding connectors pop out. The pieces don't fit together very well either.
ROBOT MODE
Iron Man is his normal robotic self with a jet cockpit on his chest instead of the Matrix. Sorry, power core. This time all the Starscream gray has disappeared and replaced with golden.
Not too poseable, I am afraid. Iron's joints are stiff and cannot move too well, making transformation so much harder. Iron also has two arm-mounted Null Rays. I mean rocket launchers. Unlike Venom's, Iron Man's hands are not molded in great detail.
Iron Man looks slightly taller than his comrades. The wings fold behind Iron's back but the wings can open up for a cape-esque (or Seeker-esque) effect.
Lastly, don't forget that this toy is fragile and easy to fall apart. Although both modes are rather solid, Transformation sucks. Overall, I recommend not to buy it if you aren't an Iron Man or a TF fan.
DURABILITY4/10 Very easily separated, these parts. The missiles can go missing easily.
TRANSFORMATION 6/10 in hardness 1/10 in design. You'd think ole' moneybag Tony Stark would be able to afford a better transformation.
FUN 8/10 Iron Man SMASH! If you don't like him, pretend he's, I dunno, Powerglide.
PRICE 5/10 Very steep. Nearly the price of a Voyager.
OVERALL 5/10 Not too great in durability or poseability, not as much fun as other jet Transformers, but if you have money to burn, go for it. Just don't say I don't warn you.
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Detective Barricade
- Posts: 973
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:39 pm
- Location: Middle of Nowhere, Canada
Review of BM Dinotron [proofed]
Name Dinotron
Function Ground Infantry
Group Dinobots
"Never let down your defenses..."
Stubborn and surly, Dinotron is the most uncooperative of the Dinobots.
Does not favor his new technorganic design, but is disgusted by
Megatron's 'new order'. Diamond plated 'helmet' coupled with explosive
speed send Vehicons flying. Giant tail can shatter a 20-foot concrete
cube while titanium hide makes him resistant to most attacks. Tail
weapon deploys into spinning blade attack that immediately carbonizes
and disintegrates all alloys with which it comes in contact.
This little Dinobot is one of the oldest surviving figures in my TF
collection. I had gotten him 8 years ago. This figure is probably the entire
reason why I am collecting today. I had been collecting Beast Wars figures
up till 1999, when my mother in an attempt to stop all the fighting between
my siblings and myself, trashed and then burnt all of my toys. That was a
crushing blow for a little kid and I actually lost interest in everything. Later
I got my first toy since that incident, Mirage, yes not Dinotron. It was cool
but I didn't feel like he was what I was looking for. Many months later I
found Dinotron, his similarity to Dinobot gave me hope that I could get back
what I lost and do even better.
Dinotron is one of the Beast Machines Dinobots. This short lived line had
8 members. These Dinobots were featured in one on of the Botcon Wreckers
comics. They were for the most part repaints of previous dinosaur Beast
Wars figures. Dinotron is a repaint of Hardhead from the Japanese series Beast Wars Neo. Not much else to say about the history of this guy, so on to the review.
Beast Mode
Dinotron is a pachycephalosaurus, a dinosaur known for the plated skull it
used for a battering ram. He is a poor representation of one though. He
really looks like, well, a Veloceraptor with an armored skull. This makes
sense as the figure's moulding is a re-tool of the Dinobot mould. The color
scheme is basically green. He has black spots covering his back, sides, legs
and tail. His hips, claws, and arms are black. The main contrast in this is
that his eyes are red and his skull plate is yellow. I have to mention the
most recognized problem with this mould, the chest. It is formed from the
parts that form the legs of the robot. Making him look like he is very
deformed. Plus the exposed peg on the tail is kinda bad looking. His only
gimmick in this mode is that if you open his mouth his skull plate rises up.
Why? I don't know, but he does it. It looks a little silly. Nice articulation for
a beast mode. Overall he is a good for play in this mode, but a display piece
he is not.
Robot Mode
After the transformation I memorized years ago, he is in robot mode. It looks
very good, well proportioned and good in over all appearance. He is still
basically green and black, his legs are yellow on the sides. He looks much
more robotic than Dinobot, his legs have exposed servos and his head lacks
the mutant helmet of Dinobot. The head is actually completely different from
Dinobot's. It is much more streamlined and has an exposed face. They painted
his face red, with yellow eyes and his mouth wide open. The positioning of
his dino parts to make the robot mode is almost perfect. Dino legs are now
arms, chest is now the legs, dino head as a chest plate. Looks great, even
better that Dinobot in my opinion.
The articulation of this figure is superb. Four points on each arm and on each
leg, plus movable head and grasping claws. Very well balanced and posable.
His weapons are derived from his tail, which becomes a spinning weapon, and
a sword stored inside of it. They can be used separately, placed in either
hand or they can be put together to make sort of a drill weapon. The
spinning blade is moved by pressing the long tab on the bottom to the handle.
The weapons can be turned back into the tail and stored on his back as well.
He is a very fun toy, I used to (and even still do occasionally) enjoy making
this guy slag the living daylights out of any Vehicons I could get my hands on.
All the fun of BW Dinobot, but with a cooler paint scheme and look.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation 4 for difficulty, but it is very fun.
Durability 8 He is pretty tough, but his dino toes/robot claws come
loose very easily as do the tail pieces on the spinning blade.
Price 9 back then he was well worth the $10 I spent on him, but today
he is probably much more expensive.
Fun 9 A lot of fun to be had. The only reason I took off points was for
the appearance of his beast mode.
Overall 7.5 I really like this guy, but I realize that he is not a must have
nor a really memorable figure, but I have a soft spot for this guy and suggest
if you get the chance, go for it.
Function Ground Infantry
Group Dinobots
"Never let down your defenses..."
Stubborn and surly, Dinotron is the most uncooperative of the Dinobots.
Does not favor his new technorganic design, but is disgusted by
Megatron's 'new order'. Diamond plated 'helmet' coupled with explosive
speed send Vehicons flying. Giant tail can shatter a 20-foot concrete
cube while titanium hide makes him resistant to most attacks. Tail
weapon deploys into spinning blade attack that immediately carbonizes
and disintegrates all alloys with which it comes in contact.
This little Dinobot is one of the oldest surviving figures in my TF
collection. I had gotten him 8 years ago. This figure is probably the entire
reason why I am collecting today. I had been collecting Beast Wars figures
up till 1999, when my mother in an attempt to stop all the fighting between
my siblings and myself, trashed and then burnt all of my toys. That was a
crushing blow for a little kid and I actually lost interest in everything. Later
I got my first toy since that incident, Mirage, yes not Dinotron. It was cool
but I didn't feel like he was what I was looking for. Many months later I
found Dinotron, his similarity to Dinobot gave me hope that I could get back
what I lost and do even better.
Dinotron is one of the Beast Machines Dinobots. This short lived line had
8 members. These Dinobots were featured in one on of the Botcon Wreckers
comics. They were for the most part repaints of previous dinosaur Beast
Wars figures. Dinotron is a repaint of Hardhead from the Japanese series Beast Wars Neo. Not much else to say about the history of this guy, so on to the review.
Beast Mode
Dinotron is a pachycephalosaurus, a dinosaur known for the plated skull it
used for a battering ram. He is a poor representation of one though. He
really looks like, well, a Veloceraptor with an armored skull. This makes
sense as the figure's moulding is a re-tool of the Dinobot mould. The color
scheme is basically green. He has black spots covering his back, sides, legs
and tail. His hips, claws, and arms are black. The main contrast in this is
that his eyes are red and his skull plate is yellow. I have to mention the
most recognized problem with this mould, the chest. It is formed from the
parts that form the legs of the robot. Making him look like he is very
deformed. Plus the exposed peg on the tail is kinda bad looking. His only
gimmick in this mode is that if you open his mouth his skull plate rises up.
Why? I don't know, but he does it. It looks a little silly. Nice articulation for
a beast mode. Overall he is a good for play in this mode, but a display piece
he is not.
Robot Mode
After the transformation I memorized years ago, he is in robot mode. It looks
very good, well proportioned and good in over all appearance. He is still
basically green and black, his legs are yellow on the sides. He looks much
more robotic than Dinobot, his legs have exposed servos and his head lacks
the mutant helmet of Dinobot. The head is actually completely different from
Dinobot's. It is much more streamlined and has an exposed face. They painted
his face red, with yellow eyes and his mouth wide open. The positioning of
his dino parts to make the robot mode is almost perfect. Dino legs are now
arms, chest is now the legs, dino head as a chest plate. Looks great, even
better that Dinobot in my opinion.
The articulation of this figure is superb. Four points on each arm and on each
leg, plus movable head and grasping claws. Very well balanced and posable.
His weapons are derived from his tail, which becomes a spinning weapon, and
a sword stored inside of it. They can be used separately, placed in either
hand or they can be put together to make sort of a drill weapon. The
spinning blade is moved by pressing the long tab on the bottom to the handle.
The weapons can be turned back into the tail and stored on his back as well.
He is a very fun toy, I used to (and even still do occasionally) enjoy making
this guy slag the living daylights out of any Vehicons I could get my hands on.
All the fun of BW Dinobot, but with a cooler paint scheme and look.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation 4 for difficulty, but it is very fun.
Durability 8 He is pretty tough, but his dino toes/robot claws come
loose very easily as do the tail pieces on the spinning blade.
Price 9 back then he was well worth the $10 I spent on him, but today
he is probably much more expensive.
Fun 9 A lot of fun to be had. The only reason I took off points was for
the appearance of his beast mode.
Overall 7.5 I really like this guy, but I realize that he is not a must have
nor a really memorable figure, but I have a soft spot for this guy and suggest
if you get the chance, go for it.
Universe Classics Sunstreaker Review
Name: Sunstreaker
Function: Warrior
Allegiance: Autobot
Group: Universe Deluxe Classic Series
"They can’t beat the best."
Sunstreaker is a fighter for a cause, and that cause is Sunstreaker. If it’s not in his best interest (and not too threatening to his paint job), he’ll take out anyone he needs too, no matter where he is. Still, he’d rather be back home, kicking back, polishing his chrome and preparing for a good, old-fashioned arena right, rather than hunting Decepticon assault squads across deep space.
Sunstreaker was the first of the new Classics/Universe line that I really wanted, and also happened to be the first that I got. I never had one during the G1 days, but now that I’ve had the opportunity to pick one up (and an updated one too) I can’t complain at all. This figure has got some really cool features, and also looks really good on a shelf as part of a collection.
Alternate Mode:
This mode is actually really good, and I’m not a person to go nuts about an alternate mode. I really like the car design in this mold; it’s a good throwback to the G1 Lamborghini that Sunstreaker was then. It keeps that same Lambo feel without actually being one; it’s a slick looking sports car that definitely looks like it can get some speed on the highway. The yellow color really stands out, and the black highlights here and there give some really good contrast to a simple but effective look. I give Hasbro a lot of credit for going out of their way to provide attention to detail in this one, there are clear plastic parts for the headlights, small red paint spots for the turn signals, a small black grill in the front of the car, and some ribbing on the top of the car for some texture. The back end of the car also gets some surprising attention to detail, with a majority of it getting painted a dark silver color, with red taillights, and a license plate on the back reading “WE R 84”. The wheels get a cool chrome finish on the rims, and a spoiler and turbocharger system on the top of the car are small bits that make a sweet car out of an otherwise simple look. There’s also some cool detail in the rear fenders that make the car look sporty. The quality here is good too; the alternate mode feels very solid and nothing easily comes off (the turbocharger detaches, and Sunstreaker’s gun fits nicely underneath the car to provide exhaust pipes). Size-wise, in car mode, Sunstreaker is slightly smaller than Classics Rodimus. Overall, this is a high quality mode.
Robot Mode:
Transforming from the alternate mode can be a chore at times. It took me quite a while to figure out how the arms all fit into place, and how they slide around without breaking something. Maybe it’s my gargantuan hands, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was going to break while shifting parts around. However, when something did pop off, it went right back on due to a lot of ball joints, which is also a bonus since things can be moved out of the way so other things can be shifted. There are some really cool aspects of the robot mode. One cool part is actually in the transformation; to get Sunstreaker’s head up, you rotate the top/windshield of the car, and out pops his head from the inner workings of the car. This is kind of like the automorph feature in the movie line figures, but it really works well here. This figure has an impressive amount of articulation in this mode, and for the most part, it seems really balanced, so you can set him up in multiple positions for some really cool display looks. Ball joints in the shoulders and hips, rotating and bending arms, bending knees, moveable feet, and rotating wrists and neck make this one cool robot. There’s also some great detail going on in this mode too; the head has a great paint job, with yellow running through the solid black, a silver face, and some blue eyes that really stand out and give Sunstreaker some character. There’s a red Autobot symbol on the top of the car too, which then becomes situated in the middle of his chest, and there’s also some red streaks running on the shoulders for some added detail. Clear blue plastic lines the thighs, and a mixture of silver and black plastic for the arms and legs give the figure some really nice color and makes it look like Hasbro really did a great job here. Plus, his former tailpipes are now his electron pulse blaster. At first I thought it looked a little small for him, but it fits nicely. Just for measurement purposes too, Sunstreaker in robot mode is slightly larger than Classics Rodimus, so it appears that Hasbro really tried to make good use of space inside the car for the robot mode. I really dig both modes in Sunstreaker, but I think the robot mode takes it due to all the articulation and added detail.
Transformation: 8. There are some tricky parts, and I really like the automatic rising head feature (kind of like the automorph in the movie line).
Durability: 7. Solid, but some parts can pop off during transformation. Luckily it’s mostly ball joints, so things pop right back on. I can’t help the feeling though that this is slightly lower quality plastic.
Fun: 9. Some cool transformation points, along with a massive amount of articulation in robot mode. This figure is balanced well, so you can get him into cool positions. Car mode is slick as well.
Price: 10. $10 US Retail; you get a good figure for a cheap price.
Overall: 8. Sunstreaker is a great addition to any classics collection, and you can’t beat the great articulation in this guy, plus, he’s got a good paint job too.
Function: Warrior
Allegiance: Autobot
Group: Universe Deluxe Classic Series
"They can’t beat the best."
Sunstreaker is a fighter for a cause, and that cause is Sunstreaker. If it’s not in his best interest (and not too threatening to his paint job), he’ll take out anyone he needs too, no matter where he is. Still, he’d rather be back home, kicking back, polishing his chrome and preparing for a good, old-fashioned arena right, rather than hunting Decepticon assault squads across deep space.
Sunstreaker was the first of the new Classics/Universe line that I really wanted, and also happened to be the first that I got. I never had one during the G1 days, but now that I’ve had the opportunity to pick one up (and an updated one too) I can’t complain at all. This figure has got some really cool features, and also looks really good on a shelf as part of a collection.
Alternate Mode:
This mode is actually really good, and I’m not a person to go nuts about an alternate mode. I really like the car design in this mold; it’s a good throwback to the G1 Lamborghini that Sunstreaker was then. It keeps that same Lambo feel without actually being one; it’s a slick looking sports car that definitely looks like it can get some speed on the highway. The yellow color really stands out, and the black highlights here and there give some really good contrast to a simple but effective look. I give Hasbro a lot of credit for going out of their way to provide attention to detail in this one, there are clear plastic parts for the headlights, small red paint spots for the turn signals, a small black grill in the front of the car, and some ribbing on the top of the car for some texture. The back end of the car also gets some surprising attention to detail, with a majority of it getting painted a dark silver color, with red taillights, and a license plate on the back reading “WE R 84”. The wheels get a cool chrome finish on the rims, and a spoiler and turbocharger system on the top of the car are small bits that make a sweet car out of an otherwise simple look. There’s also some cool detail in the rear fenders that make the car look sporty. The quality here is good too; the alternate mode feels very solid and nothing easily comes off (the turbocharger detaches, and Sunstreaker’s gun fits nicely underneath the car to provide exhaust pipes). Size-wise, in car mode, Sunstreaker is slightly smaller than Classics Rodimus. Overall, this is a high quality mode.
Robot Mode:
Transforming from the alternate mode can be a chore at times. It took me quite a while to figure out how the arms all fit into place, and how they slide around without breaking something. Maybe it’s my gargantuan hands, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was going to break while shifting parts around. However, when something did pop off, it went right back on due to a lot of ball joints, which is also a bonus since things can be moved out of the way so other things can be shifted. There are some really cool aspects of the robot mode. One cool part is actually in the transformation; to get Sunstreaker’s head up, you rotate the top/windshield of the car, and out pops his head from the inner workings of the car. This is kind of like the automorph feature in the movie line figures, but it really works well here. This figure has an impressive amount of articulation in this mode, and for the most part, it seems really balanced, so you can set him up in multiple positions for some really cool display looks. Ball joints in the shoulders and hips, rotating and bending arms, bending knees, moveable feet, and rotating wrists and neck make this one cool robot. There’s also some great detail going on in this mode too; the head has a great paint job, with yellow running through the solid black, a silver face, and some blue eyes that really stand out and give Sunstreaker some character. There’s a red Autobot symbol on the top of the car too, which then becomes situated in the middle of his chest, and there’s also some red streaks running on the shoulders for some added detail. Clear blue plastic lines the thighs, and a mixture of silver and black plastic for the arms and legs give the figure some really nice color and makes it look like Hasbro really did a great job here. Plus, his former tailpipes are now his electron pulse blaster. At first I thought it looked a little small for him, but it fits nicely. Just for measurement purposes too, Sunstreaker in robot mode is slightly larger than Classics Rodimus, so it appears that Hasbro really tried to make good use of space inside the car for the robot mode. I really dig both modes in Sunstreaker, but I think the robot mode takes it due to all the articulation and added detail.
Transformation: 8. There are some tricky parts, and I really like the automatic rising head feature (kind of like the automorph in the movie line).
Durability: 7. Solid, but some parts can pop off during transformation. Luckily it’s mostly ball joints, so things pop right back on. I can’t help the feeling though that this is slightly lower quality plastic.
Fun: 9. Some cool transformation points, along with a massive amount of articulation in robot mode. This figure is balanced well, so you can get him into cool positions. Car mode is slick as well.
Price: 10. $10 US Retail; you get a good figure for a cheap price.
Overall: 8. Sunstreaker is a great addition to any classics collection, and you can’t beat the great articulation in this guy, plus, he’s got a good paint job too.
Marvel Crossovers Spidey [proofed]
Name: Spider-Man
Alligeance: Avengers
Function: Wisecracking webslinger
Altmode: Motorbike
"Hey Megs, you may have stolen my radioactive blood, but can you swing from a thread?"
Spider-Man had been there from the start of Marvel G1 comics, namely issue 3, where he (in the black getup and all) battled Megatron alongside the Minibot Gears. However, the idea of Transformers in Marvel universe was dropped soon after. Spidey popped up later in the more recent crap comic of New Avengers/Transformers. He was captured by Megatron who used Spidey's radioactive blood to use as a power up. How low can Megs stoop? I am not saying that you shouldn't read it, it's that you will regret it.
Hasbro has released a crossovers with Marvel. Spidey, Marvel's main man, obviously got the treatment. Supposedly Iron Man and Mr Fantastic built transformable battle suits for the heroes to use.
Spidey I got after Venom (which I like) and Iron Man (which I don't like too much). My brother, being a fan of Spidey, bought this... Well, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a cycle can...
Alright, origin time... Nerdy Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider (fact: the spider was Tarantulas' ugly unemployed brother) and was given super strength and can do whatever a spider can. At first he wanted to use the powers to get fame, until his uncle got killed, and 'with great power comes great responsibility' and stuff. That is better, when you consider Animated Blackarachnia, who was bitten by spiders... And became a freak. Yet she is a better toy than Spidey. How odd.
ALTERNATE MODE
Spidey transforms into a motorbike. Yeah. While the others, (Venom, Iron Man and Hulkimus Primal) hid their robotic kibble excellently, alas poor Spidey... You'd think that the main protagonist would get a better mould than Venom. The chest, the bloody bloody chest is smack right on top of the bike. The legs aren't hidden also. A few years ago I would not have complained, but seeing the excellent toys in the Movie, Animated, Classics, Alternators... Heck, even Energon Arcee's legs blend in better than Spidey.
To add insult, Spidey's transformation scheme exactly duplicates that of Movie deluxe Arcee, that which duplicates her Energon counterpart. Honestly, can't anyone think of a different transformation sequence for a bike? I mean, Cybertron Lugnutz and Ransack, both two or three years ago, are quite good. And they are Scout class material. Animated Prowl, for a guy that cost half as much as this goon does, is twice as good as he is.
Two web bullets can be stored in the sides or placed on the back of the seat (wrist) to shoot. There are two 'kickstands' that don't really work. The choice of coloring -- red and blue -- seem to be applied haphazardly, unlike the robot mode.
Honestly, someone please tell me what's the connection between a cycle and Spider-Man. I never remembered a time when Spidey rode a bike. (Parker did, though...) What we need is a Green Goblin that turns into his glider.
That's all about cycle mode, but you'd think that having a bad alt mode will give us a good robot mode. Wishful thinking...
TRANSFORMATION
Exactly the same with Energon Arcee. Or Movie Arcee. Or the other Movie Arcee. Or Movie Elita One. Or the numerous repaints of the Scouts class mold.
The back wheel splits and become shoulder armor. The back part of the cycle becomes hands, the legs form the legs... Just read my review for Elita-One. One redeeming feature: the front wheel no longer hangs on the butt, but can rotate up, reducing the kibble.
ROBOT MODE
After seeing this mold, even Movie Overcast or Swindle seem interesting. The head is kinda over sized and has a different shade of black for the mask, the hands are permanently molded in the 'web spraying' motion, over sized lower hands... Shall I go on?
To be fair, compared to Irons, this guy is more poseable. The kibble ain't too visible either. But this guy is plain ugly. An insult to Spider-Man. Oh, and it replicates the Arcee mold so throughly, including the high heels. Spider-Man. With high heels.
Actually, this guy is kinda similar to G1 Override -- a red and blue motorbike. Only Override has a kind of a nice cycle mode, and is very cheap in his days. Ah well, at least Spidey can be used as Blackarachnia's motorcycle. Maybe they're related, who knows?
Itsy-bitsy spider is a nice character, no doubt, but his toy sucks. Avoid this at all costs. If you have to buy it, spray-paint it black. It's much cooler.
DURABILITY 8/10 Does not suffer from weak parts due to transformation like Iron Man or Venom. A plus.
TRANSFORMATION 2/10 Copying from a mold four years ago. Boo. You get a E for effort.
FUN 2/10 Best used as Autobot fodder.
PRICE 0/10 At almost the price of a Voyager, Spidey is not worth it. My Scout class Elita-One achieves the exact same transformation. Buy Animated Prowl, for crying out loud.
OVERALL 1/10 Not creative? Check. Bloody expensive? Check. Kibble not hidden? Check. Both modes ugly? Check. Reused transformation sequence? Check. Bad representation of a character? Check. So, in conclusion, your friendly neighborhood Blackjack hates him.
Alligeance: Avengers
Function: Wisecracking webslinger
Altmode: Motorbike
"Hey Megs, you may have stolen my radioactive blood, but can you swing from a thread?"
Spider-Man had been there from the start of Marvel G1 comics, namely issue 3, where he (in the black getup and all) battled Megatron alongside the Minibot Gears. However, the idea of Transformers in Marvel universe was dropped soon after. Spidey popped up later in the more recent crap comic of New Avengers/Transformers. He was captured by Megatron who used Spidey's radioactive blood to use as a power up. How low can Megs stoop? I am not saying that you shouldn't read it, it's that you will regret it.
Hasbro has released a crossovers with Marvel. Spidey, Marvel's main man, obviously got the treatment. Supposedly Iron Man and Mr Fantastic built transformable battle suits for the heroes to use.
Spidey I got after Venom (which I like) and Iron Man (which I don't like too much). My brother, being a fan of Spidey, bought this... Well, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a cycle can...
Alright, origin time... Nerdy Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider (fact: the spider was Tarantulas' ugly unemployed brother) and was given super strength and can do whatever a spider can. At first he wanted to use the powers to get fame, until his uncle got killed, and 'with great power comes great responsibility' and stuff. That is better, when you consider Animated Blackarachnia, who was bitten by spiders... And became a freak. Yet she is a better toy than Spidey. How odd.
ALTERNATE MODE
Spidey transforms into a motorbike. Yeah. While the others, (Venom, Iron Man and Hulkimus Primal) hid their robotic kibble excellently, alas poor Spidey... You'd think that the main protagonist would get a better mould than Venom. The chest, the bloody bloody chest is smack right on top of the bike. The legs aren't hidden also. A few years ago I would not have complained, but seeing the excellent toys in the Movie, Animated, Classics, Alternators... Heck, even Energon Arcee's legs blend in better than Spidey.
To add insult, Spidey's transformation scheme exactly duplicates that of Movie deluxe Arcee, that which duplicates her Energon counterpart. Honestly, can't anyone think of a different transformation sequence for a bike? I mean, Cybertron Lugnutz and Ransack, both two or three years ago, are quite good. And they are Scout class material. Animated Prowl, for a guy that cost half as much as this goon does, is twice as good as he is.
Two web bullets can be stored in the sides or placed on the back of the seat (wrist) to shoot. There are two 'kickstands' that don't really work. The choice of coloring -- red and blue -- seem to be applied haphazardly, unlike the robot mode.
Honestly, someone please tell me what's the connection between a cycle and Spider-Man. I never remembered a time when Spidey rode a bike. (Parker did, though...) What we need is a Green Goblin that turns into his glider.
That's all about cycle mode, but you'd think that having a bad alt mode will give us a good robot mode. Wishful thinking...
TRANSFORMATION
Exactly the same with Energon Arcee. Or Movie Arcee. Or the other Movie Arcee. Or Movie Elita One. Or the numerous repaints of the Scouts class mold.
The back wheel splits and become shoulder armor. The back part of the cycle becomes hands, the legs form the legs... Just read my review for Elita-One. One redeeming feature: the front wheel no longer hangs on the butt, but can rotate up, reducing the kibble.
ROBOT MODE
After seeing this mold, even Movie Overcast or Swindle seem interesting. The head is kinda over sized and has a different shade of black for the mask, the hands are permanently molded in the 'web spraying' motion, over sized lower hands... Shall I go on?
To be fair, compared to Irons, this guy is more poseable. The kibble ain't too visible either. But this guy is plain ugly. An insult to Spider-Man. Oh, and it replicates the Arcee mold so throughly, including the high heels. Spider-Man. With high heels.
Actually, this guy is kinda similar to G1 Override -- a red and blue motorbike. Only Override has a kind of a nice cycle mode, and is very cheap in his days. Ah well, at least Spidey can be used as Blackarachnia's motorcycle. Maybe they're related, who knows?
Itsy-bitsy spider is a nice character, no doubt, but his toy sucks. Avoid this at all costs. If you have to buy it, spray-paint it black. It's much cooler.
DURABILITY 8/10 Does not suffer from weak parts due to transformation like Iron Man or Venom. A plus.
TRANSFORMATION 2/10 Copying from a mold four years ago. Boo. You get a E for effort.
FUN 2/10 Best used as Autobot fodder.
PRICE 0/10 At almost the price of a Voyager, Spidey is not worth it. My Scout class Elita-One achieves the exact same transformation. Buy Animated Prowl, for crying out loud.
OVERALL 1/10 Not creative? Check. Bloody expensive? Check. Kibble not hidden? Check. Both modes ugly? Check. Reused transformation sequence? Check. Bad representation of a character? Check. So, in conclusion, your friendly neighborhood Blackjack hates him.