TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Additional Image:

Box Art:

Quadpredacus's Review: Overkill

Name: Overkill (Special Edition)
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Brute Force Destruction
Sub-Group: Rogue Cassette-Bot?

"Formerly bound to Soundwave as a partner and slave, OVERKILL was often overlooked by enemy and ally alike. Recently, however, he has overcome his diminutive size, reinstalling his cerebro-circuitry in a larger, more dangerous body. Now, he is free to indulge his destructive whims, stomping cars flat, snapping tractor trailers in half in his jaws, and being generally terrifying."

I love this bio. It really captures the true essence of what Overkill should have been, and contains A LOT of G1 references. First of all, Overkill did appear in the television series, with a name call and cameo in "Call of the Primitives." He also got a couple comic bouts in the Marvel UK comic. Most of these were very small appearances, but it all added to his character.

I purchased this toy, which is a recolor of Classics Grimlock, at the same time I purchased Megatron. Both of them are Universe 2/Classics Special Editions. And I have one thing to say about it. I like this toy. A LOT. He retains his G1 colors, like he did in the comic, while throwing a couple new colors in there, to make him look that much snazzier. And he is, to my knowledge, the first toy to carry the name overkill since the G1 cassette. But enough of my ramblings, on to the review

Robot Mode:
This is the mode he comes packaged in, so this is where I’ll start. As I said earlier, he is a recolor of classic Grimlock, which means he has a lot of articulation. 22 joints in all, four of which are his tail joints. He is also done up very nicely in the G1 Overkill’s colors, with a tiny bit of translucent yellow and some silver thrown in. He comes with two weapons, the first of which is his tail. He can hold the tail in his hand like a whip, or it can be straightened out to be used as a lance/sword. The second one is a very nice missile launcher, done up in the same blue, white and silver as Overkill. The missile is a very deep, dark yellow, which looks almost as if it glows, and reminds me of energon (gee I wonder why?). The missile shoots the farthest out of an missile I have ever seen on a toy, which is very nice. The launcher also has a blade underneath it, like a super-sized bayonet. He has individually sculpted fingers, but as one would expect, they’re not individually poseable, but it’s very nice detailing. He has a nice Decepticon symbol on the left side of his chest, painted in silver on a crystal made of that same energon plastic. The only problem I have with this mold is that Hasbro wasn’t very inventive with the legs and feet. They are just the T-rex’s head and neck split in two, with the mouth opened up as far as possible to form the feet. The dinosaur’s feet are on the backs of his fore arms, but it doesn’t look as bad as you would expect. It gives him a slightly fiercer look, actually.

Transformation:
Ok. Im almost scared to try and describe this to you, as it is a transformation that certainly deserves a difficulty rating of 3 out of 4, and quite possibly, he might deserve the 4. But here goes. First off, take the tail weapon out of his hand, and fold the peg out, for later. Now fold the three panels on either side and the back of the head up. Next, take his right arm, and swing it out so the hinge is at a right angle to his body. Do the same with his left arm, except it swings in the opposite direction. Take the entire chest piece, arm and all, and turn it 180 degrees, so both arms/legs are on the same side of the body. I would advise flipping the feet down and over the hands here, as after this they’ll get in the way if they’re not. Turn the head and panel section around the head, so that it is looking towards his left shoulder. Swing both legs out so they stick straight out to the left. Now twist the entire lower body/head and neck so that it is facing the right way a T-rex’s head and neck should be in relation to the legs. Make sure to peg the head and neck together, so they are a whole head and neck, not two halves. Now push the entire head and neck section back, and the joints will fold up at the back section of the neck, you should notice a little tab that looks like it clips onto something. push the neck back until you feel it clip around a little peg on the main body. Fold the little column sticking out the side of him so that it sticks out the top, because this is where you’ll put his gun later. Now take the dino’s legs, and fold the hinges up alongside the main body, so he doesn’t have chicken legs. Take the tail, and slide it down over the still visible head, making sure to pop the little blue piece that sticks out over the top onto it’s tab on Overkill’s back.now fold down his little arms, and you have Overkill in T-rex mode. You can take the peg on his gun, and tab it into the little column that sticks up off his back.

Beast Mode:
This mode is my favorite out of the two. It looks very fierce, and is a very streamlined robotic dinosaur, like a Grimlock 2.0. There is a strip of that pale blue running down his back, which make his ridge of spikes stand out, and it goes all the way down to the tip of his tail. He has a lot more white in this mode, with his legs being primarily blue and silver, with white joints and feet. His little arms, and the lower half of his jaw are also blue. The rest of him is white. Bright white, just like the original Overkill. His legs and tail retain good articulation in this mode, and his arm are on little ball joints. His mouth also opens and closes, but only big enough to maybe munch through a World’s Smallest Optimus Prime or Jazz. Most of the time in toy like this, you see one mode sacrificed for the other, or both sacrificed for the sake of articulation. He is lacking in none of these departments. This toy is awesome, and a great representation of Overkill.

Marks Out Of Ten For The Following:

Durability: 10 - He is very sturdy, with tight joints and made of nice, heavy plastic.
Transformation: 10 - He has a relatively complex transformation, certainly deserving of the 3 out of 4, unlike Megatron, and the transformation hides the robot parts well.
Fun: 10 - A very enjoyable mold, great for play, and sturdy enough for kids
Price: 9 - A steal at 10 bucks for a deluxe of this quality, not worth the full 18 dollars you would find him for at most places though. Go to your nearest Marshall’s and pick him up at the almost 50% discount price, if you can.
Overall: 9 - Great toy, a lot of play value, well made.