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Out and about today and I found RTS Lugnut at a Marshall's.
Holy. Crap. he looms huge even over other voyagers. I stuck him next to Seaspray and he looms huge over the poor guy. The color scheme is pretty nice and the transformation is not too bad. In short I like him. I like him a lot.
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The Reverend
- Posts: 603
- Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 6:26 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
Since I had gotten Snapdragon I went ahead and bought G1 Apeface. Actually was a little surprised to find that I prefer Snapdragon for the most part. Much better looking jet and robot modes - the dragon mode is somewhat laughable, but it's not the monstrosity of hanging parts that makes up all of Apeface's modes. Geez. Well, if nothing else, he's got a unique design - can't think of any one Geewunner quite like him.
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Heinrad
- Posts: 6282
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2001 5:00 am
- Location: Riskin' it all on my Russian Roulette!
When I ordered my Animated Rodimus from BBTS, I figured it would only be a short period of time before the pre-order I clicked on would show up. After all, the figures were supposed to be in in April.
Finally, about the middle of June, I get an email from them letting me know my pre-order has arrived. And now today, a little over a week later, they're finally here: Warpath, Wheeljack, and Thundercracker!!!!!
Warpath: The best of the three, I think. Nice and tight, plenty of weapon clip-on points(although they'll ruin the paint if you use the leg hardpoints), and has a nice, complex but not too hard transformation. My only complaints are lack of lightpiping and no waist swivel.
Wheeljack: He pulls the Generations Tracks mold off better than Generation Tracks does. I love the feet. They've done enough of a redesign that the figure's not just Wheeljack's head on Tracks' body, and leaving his "clubs"(or whatever they are) attacked to his legs but pivoted down seems to work. Down sides(at least to mine) are that he's a little loose, his right leg sticks, and they could have at least colored his light-piping gimmick.
And now, the one I've been waiting for since 2006....... THUNDERCRACKER!!!!!!! I finally have all the Seekers from 84/85 in the same mold! And now that I've got him, my favorite of all the Seekers..... I think it's time Hasbro gave the mold a regal retirement. His joints are fairly tight, but there's a gap in the back of his lower right leg, and his torso isn't lined up quite right in robot mode because the canopy swivel armature doesn't fold up properly. But he's a beautiful shade of blue and a nice mix of toy accents and toon accents for his detail painting.
Finally, about the middle of June, I get an email from them letting me know my pre-order has arrived. And now today, a little over a week later, they're finally here: Warpath, Wheeljack, and Thundercracker!!!!!
Warpath: The best of the three, I think. Nice and tight, plenty of weapon clip-on points(although they'll ruin the paint if you use the leg hardpoints), and has a nice, complex but not too hard transformation. My only complaints are lack of lightpiping and no waist swivel.
Wheeljack: He pulls the Generations Tracks mold off better than Generation Tracks does. I love the feet. They've done enough of a redesign that the figure's not just Wheeljack's head on Tracks' body, and leaving his "clubs"(or whatever they are) attacked to his legs but pivoted down seems to work. Down sides(at least to mine) are that he's a little loose, his right leg sticks, and they could have at least colored his light-piping gimmick.
And now, the one I've been waiting for since 2006....... THUNDERCRACKER!!!!!!! I finally have all the Seekers from 84/85 in the same mold! And now that I've got him, my favorite of all the Seekers..... I think it's time Hasbro gave the mold a regal retirement. His joints are fairly tight, but there's a gap in the back of his lower right leg, and his torso isn't lined up quite right in robot mode because the canopy swivel armature doesn't fold up properly. But he's a beautiful shade of blue and a nice mix of toy accents and toon accents for his detail painting.
As a professional tanuki (I'm a Japanese mythological animal, and a good luck charm), I have an alarm clock built into me somewhere. I also look like a stuffed animal. And you thought your life was tough......
3DS Friend Code: 1092-1274-7642
3DS Friend Code: 1092-1274-7642
Got a mib universe bluestreak yesterday. He's got a slightly loose knee joint but a little tightening of the screws that holld the lower leg section together has stiffened it up a bit. Just need to find a Smokescreen that isnt going for over £50
Cant believe in 12 months smokescreens gone up in price so much.
Cant believe in 12 months smokescreens gone up in price so much.
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Sunstreaker2
- Posts: 1102
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:16 pm
- Location: Trumbauersville, PA
I got DOTM Crankcase at Wal-Mart today, the new variant with remolded hands instead of snipped thumbs.
Great mold, love his low-key truck mode.
Great mold, love his low-key truck mode.
No longer looking for RID Dreadwind, but I still need Smokejumper. I'm also in need of Mammoth Nemesis Prime's tail piece, as my figure lacks it. Send me a PM.
My in-laws found Warpath for me! I was shocked and awed when I unwrapped him! Very slick mold.
And in looking back over birthday and father's day, it was a good year of Transformers: Generations Warpath, Wheeljack, Red Alert, Thunderwing, and Thundercracker, and DOTM Crankcase. I haven't been disappointed with a single one of them.
And in looking back over birthday and father's day, it was a good year of Transformers: Generations Warpath, Wheeljack, Red Alert, Thunderwing, and Thundercracker, and DOTM Crankcase. I haven't been disappointed with a single one of them.
KRE-O 31146 Autobot Jazz
Once upon a time, there was "Built to Rule". It was so awful that children died from the blood loss when their eyes exploded in toy stores. The entire internet shut down for a single day. Somewhere, high atop the Hasbro Illuminati Pyramid, a lone high priest of the TF Franchise cried out "Dear Dollar, what have we wrought?!"
Thankfully, this is not BtR. Instead we get KRE-O, which is much more heavily influenced by Lego's successful lines. The basic premise of KRE-O Transformers is simple. You get a very affordable 'block set' which enables you to build the character in either robot or vehicle mode. This is the same premise as BtR, but the execution is very different.
The Good
Jazz is the first of these toys that I picked up. He's a 'basic' figure, the smallest non-promo set of the line (along with Mirage). The box is simple and effective in telling you what you're getting, which is a big bargain comapred to the Legos sitting right next to it. Jazz includes 122 pieces and two Kre-Ons. One is based on Jazz himself (and is adorable) and the other is a generic 'racer' with a cap and helmet. We'll call him Augie for now.
It can be said that Kre-On Jazz is the highlight of this set. He's got a lovely sculpted helmet, the fanned-out doors, and a nice tampoed chest which envokes a chibi little Jazz which can almost drive himself. (The doors get in the way of him being a driver.) Ah well. Full of love here, and it's going to be obvious that these guys are the highlights of these sets.
The 'lego' part involves the usual assembly of blocks into either robot or car modes. The robot mode is the nicer of the two, with a very detailed head and surprising posability and sturdiness when assembled. It's not quite perfect, but it envokes Jazz fairly well.
The Bad
One thing you'll notice 'out of the box' is that there's no actual Transforming going on. You have instructions to build one of the two modes and that's it. Each mode will leave behind a handful of pieces used in the other mode. (Car mode has a lot of the jointed pieces left over, and is the worst culprit). This can be a big dissapointment for anyone not expecting it. (Though the box DOES say the figure does not convert...)
Car mode is a bit off, being squarish and boxy. The silver-gray comes from the movie line, but the stickers are from G1, so they don't quite go well together. The doors are quasi-functional but hampered with a questionable choice of support across the top, blocking the Kre-On's access from the sides. To get in, the Kre-on slides down from the hinged roof, which won't fully close once he's in there. Oy. Lastly, the kit included a red seat but no mention of it in the instructions. To use it, you'll have to arrange the cabin a little differently than instructed. Since this is a Lego-like product, it's not a huge problem.
The Ugly
Normally I save a toy's biggest faults for this section, but nothing here is actually that bad. The vehicle mode is a bit iffy, though not terrible. The 'kibble' issue means that you'll need a place for both the loose pieces and the instructions - for when you want to go between models. At the low price-point, however. It may be cheaper and easier just to get a second figure.
Once upon a time, there was "Built to Rule". It was so awful that children died from the blood loss when their eyes exploded in toy stores. The entire internet shut down for a single day. Somewhere, high atop the Hasbro Illuminati Pyramid, a lone high priest of the TF Franchise cried out "Dear Dollar, what have we wrought?!"
Thankfully, this is not BtR. Instead we get KRE-O, which is much more heavily influenced by Lego's successful lines. The basic premise of KRE-O Transformers is simple. You get a very affordable 'block set' which enables you to build the character in either robot or vehicle mode. This is the same premise as BtR, but the execution is very different.
The Good
Jazz is the first of these toys that I picked up. He's a 'basic' figure, the smallest non-promo set of the line (along with Mirage). The box is simple and effective in telling you what you're getting, which is a big bargain comapred to the Legos sitting right next to it. Jazz includes 122 pieces and two Kre-Ons. One is based on Jazz himself (and is adorable) and the other is a generic 'racer' with a cap and helmet. We'll call him Augie for now.
It can be said that Kre-On Jazz is the highlight of this set. He's got a lovely sculpted helmet, the fanned-out doors, and a nice tampoed chest which envokes a chibi little Jazz which can almost drive himself. (The doors get in the way of him being a driver.) Ah well. Full of love here, and it's going to be obvious that these guys are the highlights of these sets.
The 'lego' part involves the usual assembly of blocks into either robot or car modes. The robot mode is the nicer of the two, with a very detailed head and surprising posability and sturdiness when assembled. It's not quite perfect, but it envokes Jazz fairly well.
The Bad
One thing you'll notice 'out of the box' is that there's no actual Transforming going on. You have instructions to build one of the two modes and that's it. Each mode will leave behind a handful of pieces used in the other mode. (Car mode has a lot of the jointed pieces left over, and is the worst culprit). This can be a big dissapointment for anyone not expecting it. (Though the box DOES say the figure does not convert...)
Car mode is a bit off, being squarish and boxy. The silver-gray comes from the movie line, but the stickers are from G1, so they don't quite go well together. The doors are quasi-functional but hampered with a questionable choice of support across the top, blocking the Kre-On's access from the sides. To get in, the Kre-on slides down from the hinged roof, which won't fully close once he's in there. Oy. Lastly, the kit included a red seat but no mention of it in the instructions. To use it, you'll have to arrange the cabin a little differently than instructed. Since this is a Lego-like product, it's not a huge problem.
The Ugly
Normally I save a toy's biggest faults for this section, but nothing here is actually that bad. The vehicle mode is a bit iffy, though not terrible. The 'kibble' issue means that you'll need a place for both the loose pieces and the instructions - for when you want to go between models. At the low price-point, however. It may be cheaper and easier just to get a second figure.
KRE-O 31145 Autobot Mirage
With the explanation of Kre-O out of the way, this quasi-review should be a bit more brief. Mirage is another 'basic' in the Kre-O line, based almost entirely on his G1 form. The kit is 119 pieces and includes parts for either robot or vehicle mode, a Mirage Kre-On, and another race-car driver. We'll call him 'Fred' for now.
The Good
Mirage's vehicle mode has none of Jazz's shortcomings and looks very much like the F-1 racer it's supposed to be. It's very solid and highly evokes the G1 vehicle form. I actually only wish that the sitckers were a bit more up to the job, with the main '26' and Autobot stickers seeming very plain.
Robot mode is fairly solid, and surprisingly good for a basic set. The highlight of this mode is the very nicely-sculpted helmet. I'm imagining that we're going to see a lot of repurposed Kre-O helmets in the future, just because they've realy been that good so far.
The Bad
Like Jazz there are a number of pieces left over in either mode (again, mostly in car mode). This means you need to save the instructions and pieces somewhere safely. If you're going to do a lot of Kre-O, I strongly suggest buying a plastic art box to keep the spare pieces in. I have a feeling this is going to come up a lot.
A minor bit is about the otherwise very-nice head sculpt. The pics on the box show paint details on the side grills. These paint details are not present on the figure. This will be a nit for most people, but it is different enough that there may be some complaints.
Kre-On Mirage is a little plain, despite the nice helmet and the paint apps on the torso. There's probably not enough constrast on him, with the paint being various shades of blue on a largely blue figure. The lack of an Autobot symbol on his chest actually kind of hurts the look as the red would have gone a long way to break it up.
The Ugly
This is a minor nit, really, but Fred's visor and helmet don't mesh up well, resulting in a guy wearing a visor BENEATH his helmet. It looks a little odd here, but it's hardly a deal breaker.
The Upshot
A nice basic with a very nice racer mode. Hard to go wrong here if you're a Lego fan.
With the explanation of Kre-O out of the way, this quasi-review should be a bit more brief. Mirage is another 'basic' in the Kre-O line, based almost entirely on his G1 form. The kit is 119 pieces and includes parts for either robot or vehicle mode, a Mirage Kre-On, and another race-car driver. We'll call him 'Fred' for now.
The Good
Mirage's vehicle mode has none of Jazz's shortcomings and looks very much like the F-1 racer it's supposed to be. It's very solid and highly evokes the G1 vehicle form. I actually only wish that the sitckers were a bit more up to the job, with the main '26' and Autobot stickers seeming very plain.
Robot mode is fairly solid, and surprisingly good for a basic set. The highlight of this mode is the very nicely-sculpted helmet. I'm imagining that we're going to see a lot of repurposed Kre-O helmets in the future, just because they've realy been that good so far.
The Bad
Like Jazz there are a number of pieces left over in either mode (again, mostly in car mode). This means you need to save the instructions and pieces somewhere safely. If you're going to do a lot of Kre-O, I strongly suggest buying a plastic art box to keep the spare pieces in. I have a feeling this is going to come up a lot.
A minor bit is about the otherwise very-nice head sculpt. The pics on the box show paint details on the side grills. These paint details are not present on the figure. This will be a nit for most people, but it is different enough that there may be some complaints.
Kre-On Mirage is a little plain, despite the nice helmet and the paint apps on the torso. There's probably not enough constrast on him, with the paint being various shades of blue on a largely blue figure. The lack of an Autobot symbol on his chest actually kind of hurts the look as the red would have gone a long way to break it up.
The Ugly
This is a minor nit, really, but Fred's visor and helmet don't mesh up well, resulting in a guy wearing a visor BENEATH his helmet. It looks a little odd here, but it's hardly a deal breaker.
The Upshot
A nice basic with a very nice racer mode. Hard to go wrong here if you're a Lego fan.
KRE-O 36412 Autobot Bumblebee
Holy crap. This is a 'deluxe' Kre-O set, weighing in at 336 pieces. The set is basically based on BayVerse Bumbebee, with an alt-mode basically resembling a Mustang. The robot-mode head seems like a cross between G1, Animated, and the BayVerse, and it's kinda hard to tell which it's supposed to most harken to. It's a nice head sculpt, but it combines so much that it comes off as 'generic head'.
The Good
Wow, talk about getting your money's worth. This set is substantial, with quite a few pieces and three Kre-Ons thrown into the mix. You will be definately getting your money's worth out of it. As usual the kit allows you to build either robot or vehicle mode, and it doesn't really transform.
Vehicle mode is nice and hefty and looks just about like it should. It reminds me very much of the good points of Lego's Speed Racer kits, though it's a bit bigger than that. Kre-On Sam (though he's not called that officially) can sit comfortably in the driver's seat, pigning for Kre-On Carly or Mikeala. Vehicle mode also includes a 'push-out' missile to attach to the canopy, somewhat envoking Stealth Force, though not too seriously.
Robot Mode retains the weight and looks pretty good, envoking the BayVerse Bumblebee the most (though, again, the head is pretty generic). At this size-point, the robot actually has hands as well! Pretty good, solid design all around.
Kre-On Red Alert and Bumblebee are perfect and adorable. I kinda wish that Red Alert had more of a 'worried' expression than genero-anger, but that's just a nit-pick. I'm loving this aspect of Kre-O, if it isn't yet obvious.
The Bad
As I already said, the head is a bit too generic to be any version of Bumblebee, much less try to be all of them. This is a serious negative in robot mode. Also, either mode leads to some kibble which isn't getting used. While the design is fairly ingenious about using 'what's there' in each mode, the leftover bits and complexity of the model makes careful storage a must.
Assembling this model is a bit of a beast as well, as there are lots of small parts in either mode and no real forgiveness for error. This is not a quickly-put-together toy, but compares a lot more to a true model-kit. The HG Gundam Zeta was about the same level of complexity and took about the same amount of time. Keep that in mind before you open the box! Bumblebee requires commitment!
The Ugly
In this set, the instructions are lacking. It's often not clear where some of the parts go, which can be pretty frustrating to go back and fix things when you realize you've missed something. Pay very close attention to all the fiddly bits and pieces, or this can get frustrating very quickly. While the set says ages 7-14, I can't see the younger set doing this without some serious parental help.
Upshot
For the 'deluxe' level I've got a little bit of mixed feelings. This is a pretty complicated beast and not quite 'playable', making it on par with a lot of the larger Star Wars Lego vehicles. (That's a nice Tie Defender you got there, pity if something were to happen to it...) An impressive piece that's more than worth the price, but there's a lot to getting it together.
Holy crap. This is a 'deluxe' Kre-O set, weighing in at 336 pieces. The set is basically based on BayVerse Bumbebee, with an alt-mode basically resembling a Mustang. The robot-mode head seems like a cross between G1, Animated, and the BayVerse, and it's kinda hard to tell which it's supposed to most harken to. It's a nice head sculpt, but it combines so much that it comes off as 'generic head'.
The Good
Wow, talk about getting your money's worth. This set is substantial, with quite a few pieces and three Kre-Ons thrown into the mix. You will be definately getting your money's worth out of it. As usual the kit allows you to build either robot or vehicle mode, and it doesn't really transform.
Vehicle mode is nice and hefty and looks just about like it should. It reminds me very much of the good points of Lego's Speed Racer kits, though it's a bit bigger than that. Kre-On Sam (though he's not called that officially) can sit comfortably in the driver's seat, pigning for Kre-On Carly or Mikeala. Vehicle mode also includes a 'push-out' missile to attach to the canopy, somewhat envoking Stealth Force, though not too seriously.
Robot Mode retains the weight and looks pretty good, envoking the BayVerse Bumblebee the most (though, again, the head is pretty generic). At this size-point, the robot actually has hands as well! Pretty good, solid design all around.
Kre-On Red Alert and Bumblebee are perfect and adorable. I kinda wish that Red Alert had more of a 'worried' expression than genero-anger, but that's just a nit-pick. I'm loving this aspect of Kre-O, if it isn't yet obvious.
The Bad
As I already said, the head is a bit too generic to be any version of Bumblebee, much less try to be all of them. This is a serious negative in robot mode. Also, either mode leads to some kibble which isn't getting used. While the design is fairly ingenious about using 'what's there' in each mode, the leftover bits and complexity of the model makes careful storage a must.
Assembling this model is a bit of a beast as well, as there are lots of small parts in either mode and no real forgiveness for error. This is not a quickly-put-together toy, but compares a lot more to a true model-kit. The HG Gundam Zeta was about the same level of complexity and took about the same amount of time. Keep that in mind before you open the box! Bumblebee requires commitment!
The Ugly
In this set, the instructions are lacking. It's often not clear where some of the parts go, which can be pretty frustrating to go back and fix things when you realize you've missed something. Pay very close attention to all the fiddly bits and pieces, or this can get frustrating very quickly. While the set says ages 7-14, I can't see the younger set doing this without some serious parental help.
Upshot
For the 'deluxe' level I've got a little bit of mixed feelings. This is a pretty complicated beast and not quite 'playable', making it on par with a lot of the larger Star Wars Lego vehicles. (That's a nice Tie Defender you got there, pity if something were to happen to it...) An impressive piece that's more than worth the price, but there's a lot to getting it together.
Dotm powerglide arrived today. Only dotm figure im buying apart from maybe blackout.
Powerglide is really well detailed and as mentioned before. Seems to be more suited to the classics,universe,generations,rts line. Pretty decent articulation but his weapon is a bit strange but otherwise I prefer this version over the larger universe version.
Powerglide is really well detailed and as mentioned before. Seems to be more suited to the classics,universe,generations,rts line. Pretty decent articulation but his weapon is a bit strange but otherwise I prefer this version over the larger universe version.
KRE-O 30662 Autobot Ratchet
Very busy today, so this will be a bit short. Ratchet is a 'deluxe' Kre-O, weighing in at 187 pieces. He's a bit larger and more complicated than Jazz, et al, but doesn't even compare to the beast that is Bumblebee. Ratchet includes himself as a Kreon and a medic driver.
The Good
Ratchet has both a passable vehicle and robot mode. The vehicle mode is a true ambulance and harkens to the live-action movies, though it's colored more like Animated. Robot mode is based on the G1 appearance and has a fairly nice headsculpt and suprisingly effective posability.
The Bad and Ugly
Ratchet suffers from the usual Kre-On weaknesses, but nothing else really stands out. There's the usual kibble issues (head, hands, joints) in vehicle mode, and the instruction are a 'must keep' if you want to go between vehicle and robot modes.
The Upshot
Compared to similarly-built Lego sets, Ratchet is a near steal. It doesn't have a strong amount of 'awesome' to recommend it, but it's a solid piece and fills a nice 'heavy' model for the Autobots without requiring a hefty payout. Also, of course, Kreon Ratchet is kawaii!
Very busy today, so this will be a bit short. Ratchet is a 'deluxe' Kre-O, weighing in at 187 pieces. He's a bit larger and more complicated than Jazz, et al, but doesn't even compare to the beast that is Bumblebee. Ratchet includes himself as a Kreon and a medic driver.
The Good
Ratchet has both a passable vehicle and robot mode. The vehicle mode is a true ambulance and harkens to the live-action movies, though it's colored more like Animated. Robot mode is based on the G1 appearance and has a fairly nice headsculpt and suprisingly effective posability.
The Bad and Ugly
Ratchet suffers from the usual Kre-On weaknesses, but nothing else really stands out. There's the usual kibble issues (head, hands, joints) in vehicle mode, and the instruction are a 'must keep' if you want to go between vehicle and robot modes.
The Upshot
Compared to similarly-built Lego sets, Ratchet is a near steal. It doesn't have a strong amount of 'awesome' to recommend it, but it's a solid piece and fills a nice 'heavy' model for the Autobots without requiring a hefty payout. Also, of course, Kreon Ratchet is kawaii!
On a trip to my local TRU in Northampton I was very suprised to see they had Human Alliance in stock. i thought we weren't getting that line in the UK anymore? Picked up Jazz who I have wanted for ages but passed on Black Sideswipe (I already have the silver version). For those of you that maybe intersted they also had some Generations figures (Megatron, Blurr, Kup, Scourge, Skullgrin, Thunderwing) and quite a few MP Grimlocks.
On the way home popped into Tesco and bought DOTM Powerglide on a whim as they had 1/3 off all TF toys. I actually really like this guy, very detailed and poseable - belongs in the classic line though, nothing at all movieverse about him. They had a lot of DOTM stuff in stock including Shockwave and Skyhammer (1st time I have seen them)
On the way home popped into Tesco and bought DOTM Powerglide on a whim as they had 1/3 off all TF toys. I actually really like this guy, very detailed and poseable - belongs in the classic line though, nothing at all movieverse about him. They had a lot of DOTM stuff in stock including Shockwave and Skyhammer (1st time I have seen them)
Just been informed that my Generations Warpath was dispatched on Saturday. Can't wait for it to get here, and the seller is UK-based so it should be here in the next two or three days.
Am I the only one who hates that Gen.Wave 7 has had such wide-spread (cough*global*cough) distribution problems? Now I really want a Wheeljack, but I just know I wouldn't have a cat in hell's chance of getting my hands on one before September or October... and by then, I might as well wait for the London MCM Expo and hope to find one there.
Am I the only one who hates that Gen.Wave 7 has had such wide-spread (cough*global*cough) distribution problems? Now I really want a Wheeljack, but I just know I wouldn't have a cat in hell's chance of getting my hands on one before September or October... and by then, I might as well wait for the London MCM Expo and hope to find one there.
Dark of the Moon (PS3)
A little slow in talking about this one. My dad's visiting this week so my posting moments are few and far between.. I'll have to keep this shorter than I like.
The Good
If you liked War for Cybertron you'll feel very much at home here. The game play is almost exactly the same as the previous game, with the primary addition being 'Stealth Force' tech. This basically means that your default vehicle mode has guns all over it. You can then shift into 'drive' mode which retracts the guns but gives you a tremendous speed boost. This has the result of shifting combat a lot more to vehicle mode, particularly in open spaces.
The Bad
The story for single-player is pretty lack-luster, being prequel filler for Dark of the Moon and somewhat linking in to the unanswered bits from Revenge of the Fallen. It's a workable story, but nothing near as epic or important as the previous game. It's hard to feel excited about playing a third-string story that sets the stage for a REAL story for the movie. Gah.
The price point for the game is now $60, which isn't surprising since most games are like that. However you now have less character models, less story, and less game options than War for Cybertron. Yet most aspects of the game (particularly in multiplayer) are just reskinned and remapped elements from War for Cybertron. It feels more like a $20 add-on than its own game and is immensely hard to justify accordingly.
The Ugly
Remember the number of PC cheaters for War for Cybertron that utterly destroyed the fun in multiplayer when they showed up? They're back and with the exact same cheats. It's like we've gone back to the source code for an early version of WfC in this respect, and it's annoying as all hell. There's really no excuse for this now, and High Moon should be ashamed of itself to reverting back to this problem so blatantly.
The Upshot
In some respects, if you enjoyed War for Cybertron then you'll probably enjoy Dark of the Moon. In others, you're paying more money for the exact same game... only less of it. I really can't in good conscience recommend this game at its current price point. It really is just a reskinned version of the previous game with one new feature (Stealth Force). This game needed a lot more content to be worth the price of admission, and it's just not there. Give this a pass until it's substantially marked down.
A little slow in talking about this one. My dad's visiting this week so my posting moments are few and far between.. I'll have to keep this shorter than I like.
The Good
If you liked War for Cybertron you'll feel very much at home here. The game play is almost exactly the same as the previous game, with the primary addition being 'Stealth Force' tech. This basically means that your default vehicle mode has guns all over it. You can then shift into 'drive' mode which retracts the guns but gives you a tremendous speed boost. This has the result of shifting combat a lot more to vehicle mode, particularly in open spaces.
The Bad
The story for single-player is pretty lack-luster, being prequel filler for Dark of the Moon and somewhat linking in to the unanswered bits from Revenge of the Fallen. It's a workable story, but nothing near as epic or important as the previous game. It's hard to feel excited about playing a third-string story that sets the stage for a REAL story for the movie. Gah.
The price point for the game is now $60, which isn't surprising since most games are like that. However you now have less character models, less story, and less game options than War for Cybertron. Yet most aspects of the game (particularly in multiplayer) are just reskinned and remapped elements from War for Cybertron. It feels more like a $20 add-on than its own game and is immensely hard to justify accordingly.
The Ugly
Remember the number of PC cheaters for War for Cybertron that utterly destroyed the fun in multiplayer when they showed up? They're back and with the exact same cheats. It's like we've gone back to the source code for an early version of WfC in this respect, and it's annoying as all hell. There's really no excuse for this now, and High Moon should be ashamed of itself to reverting back to this problem so blatantly.
The Upshot
In some respects, if you enjoyed War for Cybertron then you'll probably enjoy Dark of the Moon. In others, you're paying more money for the exact same game... only less of it. I really can't in good conscience recommend this game at its current price point. It really is just a reskinned version of the previous game with one new feature (Stealth Force). This game needed a lot more content to be worth the price of admission, and it's just not there. Give this a pass until it's substantially marked down.
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Sunstreaker2
- Posts: 1102
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:16 pm
- Location: Trumbauersville, PA
I got me some more DOTM toys yesterday, namely Deluxe Starscream and Skyhammer.
Starscream is excellent, an amazing attempt at scaling down Voyager engineering and a successful one. Mechtech weapon is insane.
Skyhammer proves there is more than one way to turn a helicopter into a robot, and he does it well. But his Mechtech weapon is total rubbish, a box with gun barrels that turns into a box with a knife.
Starscream is excellent, an amazing attempt at scaling down Voyager engineering and a successful one. Mechtech weapon is insane.
Skyhammer proves there is more than one way to turn a helicopter into a robot, and he does it well. But his Mechtech weapon is total rubbish, a box with gun barrels that turns into a box with a knife.
No longer looking for RID Dreadwind, but I still need Smokejumper. I'm also in need of Mammoth Nemesis Prime's tail piece, as my figure lacks it. Send me a PM.
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Thunderwave
- Protoform
- Posts: 771
- Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:48 pm
- Location: Upstate, NY
I think the biggest problem with it was that wave came out weeks before DotM. Retailers have the choice of ordering more Generations (which will sell) or toys relating to the newest movie (which will sell faster). From a retailers perspective it makes perfect sense to me. If we're lucky when/if Generations (or even the next Classics line) picks back up again we'll see Wheeljack/Warpath/Thundercracker come in one of the early waves.glazios wrote: Am I the only one who hates that Gen.Wave 7 has had such wide-spread (cough*global*cough) distribution problems?
On another note, I picked up HA Icepick. He's a nice looking robot that turns into a nice looking snowmobie, if a little large, that turns into a chainsaw? Well, what the hell ever. I don't care too much about the weapon mode and I've only got a handful of white transformers to wield him, so he'll rarely be in it. He's got good articulation, the bio implies that he's the PCC Icepick, bored and looking for a fight.
Now while I don't comment too often on the human figures that come with the HA figures, this one deserves mention. He's dressed in white mostly, wearing what looks like a paintball mask and a WWII German helmet. Also his chest sports a Decepticon symbol. Add all that to his name, Sergeant Chaos, and I have to wonder how he's sending Icepick information. Not so much because he lacks skill, but why the hell are they trust him to guard the latrine even?
This also brings up another question. Every HA Basic, except Thunderhead, turns into a weapon that the human can ride. Icepick aside (who'd do it because it's "funny"), why does anyone think this is a good idea? I mean, honestly, if Ironhide tried going into battle wielding Backfire with a human randomly sitting on top of him doing jack all, do you think Prime would say nothing about putting the humans in danger? It's not like human sized body armor would protect them from Transformer weapons, weapons designed to shred other giant robots.
Picked a few more figures up today while on a visit to tru for peppa pig figures for my daughters 3rd birthday this Sunday.
Picked up a Generations Skullgrin, dotm cyberverse transscanning bumblebee and starscream 4 pack (universe bumblebee repaint for me and the other 3 will be on their way to numbat) and a dotm go-bot bumblebee for my daughter (she didnt bother with sideswipe)
Picked up a Generations Skullgrin, dotm cyberverse transscanning bumblebee and starscream 4 pack (universe bumblebee repaint for me and the other 3 will be on their way to numbat) and a dotm go-bot bumblebee for my daughter (she didnt bother with sideswipe)