TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

FireStrider57's Review: Powerglide

Name: Powerglide
Faction: Autobot
Size Class: Cyberverse Commander Class
Function: Warrior/Acrobat
Alternate Mode: A-10 "Warthog"/Thunderbolt/Tank Killer

Powerglide is one of the most charismatic minibots from G1. In the Bayverse/Movieverse, I thought throughout the whole time we would see him, but, alas, no Powerglide. Funny how Bay never caught on to true TF fans and what they liked to see. Powerglide may not be the fastest flyer, nor the strongest bot, but his aerobatics are second to none.

There are quite a few things I have to say about Powerglide, and in spite of the size of this dude, the review might actually be bigger than the figure.

Powerglide first showed up in G1 along with such other personalities as Warpath, Seaspray, Beachcomber, Smokescreen and Inferno--very interesting personalities. Minibots were like minidogs, twice the personality at half the size. Many of these had a lot of screentime. Gears had a whole episode! Powerglide had a sizzling personality. He never saw any negatives and never seemed to fear anything, nor care for anything. Like Jazz, a completely cool dude.

The figure in question has had a pleasant update to the original . Even though this is not a "main-line" figure, yet his dimensions are perfect to stand in for the original minibot, with a few improvements.

Alternate Mode:
Overall, the look of the new DOTM Powerglide looks more authentic than G1. The only exception to this is the robo-kibble near the rear jets. This is a "larger Legends class" so really, what can you realistically expect? I was overall disappointed in this design flaw, but understood that if I wanted better, I would have to settle for Classics 2.0 Ultra Class Powerglide, a figure much too large for my collection and much too large to be Powerglide. I like the overall detail to this figure. This one looks the closest to the A-10 Warthog than any other version. Movieverse figures tend to get the realism factor quite well.

The A-10 Warthog or Thunderbolt is not my favorite airplane in the least. It's ugly and rather stupid looking with a minimum of options. It carries huge weapons loads and isn't at all what I think of when one talks about "acrobatic" airplanes. Yet that's Powerglide. Powerglide's character is antithetical to the type of character one could expect from such an alt mode. He's small, pesky and somewhat comical in his bearing. Overall, he ain't "heavy" enough for this aircraft.

Nonetheless, I like this rendering of the A-10. It looks like a mature model of the actual plane, with, of course, the leg kibble that is clearly seen. I also have a "thing" for maroon transformers. Maroon is such a very good color for this character, mainly because it was the original color. It also helps the personality along.

Transformation:
The transformation of this dude is somewhat involved for such a tiny toy. You have to be somewhat of a contortionist to figure out those confusing arms and wings. The legs are the easy part! Overall, once you get the fuselage figured out, the rest isn't that bad.

Robot Mode:
Powerglide has only changed minutely in appearance from his G1 self, yet this is a very pleasant update. After transforming the A-10 into the Robot mode, it looks more like the G1 Character than the G1 figure itself. The rockets make a great weapon, something original Powerglide never had. The legs look and act like they should, not like a Fisher-Price cop out for such a character. He is just about a cm taller than the original, but no one's keeping track. The only troubling thing about this whole figure is the arms: Get the arms figured out , and the rest of the figure's a breeze. Articulation is above-par for this character.

If you want to fill in your Autobot ranks with mini's, this is the best mini on the market! He's only intended to be a paperweight , since he is along the same "scale" as Cyberverse Commanders Sentinel Prime. In all actuality, He really needed to be a bigger bot because of the Alt mode, yet seeing him in this series makes me wonder about the scale of the toyline as a whole. If you park him next to Classics 2.0 Prowl and 2007 Movie Voyager Optimus Prime, He is in perfect scale to be G1 material. I must admit when I buy TF's I try to buy in scale of the original G1 as much as possible. Powerglide is perfect for this very reason.

Overall, he is very sturdy, so don't be overly concerned about destruction. He can take it.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 6 Somewhat convoluted, with the confusion mostly in the arms.
Aesthetics: 9 A really great mould. It is very alt-mode accurate. The only detractor is in the kibbly legs or jets on the leg portions.
Durability: 8 Given that somehow I can see the arms potentially snapping over time, he isn't too flimsy nor is he indestructible.
Fun: 8 Given the overall transformation time, this could be a little more fun. Weapons are a good touch. At this time , he is the closest thing to G1 Powerglide that we have.
Price: 5 Given that this is a new size class not previously used in any other series, I shrink at the price of $10 CAD to get too many of these.
Packaging: 7 I am not a big fan of this packaging. Movie 2007 was the best of these packages. However, I do like the "paper" twist ties better than the silver wire.
Articulation: 8 Really, articulation is great, especially since the feet separate. The arms are great, too. The only reason why this isn't a 10 is the lack of a neck as well as waist articulation
Overall: 8 With an authentic look as well as a combo weapon, this guy is far from bad. Get him while he lasts!