TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

Sir Auros' review of: Prowl

Name: Prowl
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Military Strategist
Sub-Group: NA

Aside from being one of the G1 figures I found nifty done up in Alternators style, I was really looking forward to Prowl having the most articulation out of any Alternators figure so far. Upon receiving the figure from the Official Transformers Collector's Club Store, I found that my expectations weren't going to be met, but I was far from going to be disappointed. This figure is awesome, it' a significant departure from the existing figures in the line, and it's one of the more G1 accurate figures available.

Vehicle Mode:
Ok, I'm going to get the major failings of this figure out of the way right now. The paintjob isn't the highest quality and the seams where the car comes apart are highly noticeable in alternate mode mainly due to poor painting. A lot of people have been talking about Hasbro's quality declining in this line and I've always defended them and pointed out that my figures were lacking most of (if not all) of the usual complaints. Prowl is the first major exception and I'm somewhat ticked that the paint was applied so poorly to the figure. That aside, there are very few things I have issue with concerning the mold.

The Acura body style is fine, but seems odd for US police car. Most police departments tend to go with domestic cars instead of imports (yes, I know many Hondas are made in the USA), and I can't recall ever seeing a police cruiser in the USA that was a coupe. Wouldn't it make transporting suspects unsafe and/or difficult? The reality check aside, the vehicle mode looks good, the interior sculpt is great as usual, and I like the design on the lights.

Robot Mode:
Well, the arms do have an insane amount of articulation and this is the first Alternators figure that has a decent amount of articulation around the shoulders and elbows simultaneously. The figure also miraculously comes with a laser pistol and a nightstick. The big, obvious difference between Prowl and every other Alternators figure released as of now is the way his hood folds down in robot mode. I think it looks good even if it is reminiscent of a Spychanger.

The figure has this great arm articulation, but lacks very much in the legs because of the design. The rear of the hatchback cuts into the backs of the knees, severely limiting how far they can bend. As Clay pointed out in his review for the Binaltech versions, you can turn the legs around to get normal movement out of the figure, but then you're dealing with the screw holes showing up. What seems simple to us must have been something the designers just overlooked or something. If the crotch had just been switched around, I don't see why our arrangement wouldn't work.

Transformation: 9 - Much, much easier than most of the other Alternators figures. The legs are frightening to transform for the first time because of the amount of force involved.
Durability: 7 - There is a small chip off of the paint on the red wing on mine's helmet. Also, some parts feel like they're made of cheaper plastic.
Fun: 9 - Loads of fun, but mine doesn't roll so well in car mode.
Price: 8 - Seeing as how rare this figure is right now, the online prices aren't worth it. I'd recommend getting it through a friend. Then you're only paying for shipping on top of the retail price instead of gouger's profit. My friend was the OTFCC Store!
Summary: 10 - Despite my incessantly finding fault, this is an excellent figure that takes Alternators in a new direction both in design and articulation.