TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Additional Image:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Kremzeek75's review of: Landquake

Name: Landquake
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Unknown
Sub-Group: NA
"Behind my sensitive exterior lives a hardened fist"

This incredibly powerful Autobot possesses a physical design similar to his brother, Landmine. Unlike Landmine, Landquake does not enjoy one-to-one scrapes with Decepticon enemies. He believes that fighting is a waste of time. Instead, he prefers to help the Ominicons mine energon. During many excavations, Landquake has used his powerful fists to crack open energon-rich rock deposits in extreme climates like the Arctic. When there is a call to battle, however, he will not hesitate to use his brute strength to thwart an enemy attack. Many Decepticons have learned that angering this gentle giant can prove to be a ground-shaking error.

Repaints, repaints, repaints……..gotta love them repaints, and without question, Hasbro gives you a lot to love in that department. So for those of you who are familiar with Energon Landmine, you know what you are dealing with here. I already had Landmine, and when I saw Landquake, I didn't immediately pick him up - I was actually more interested in what I term his "brother in arms", Bulkhead. So I picked up Bulkhead, and after looking at the two together in the stores, I just couldn't help but feel that these guys are so similar in function and, to a certain extent, appearance, that I had to get this repaint at some point in time, and I wasn't displeased at all. As a matter of fact, I kind of like this version of the mould a little better. I guess it's the paint job that sold me on it. So without further ado, let's get to the heart of the subject: Landquake.

Vehicle Mode:
Since I can't find an actual description on the box, what we basically have here is a combination crane/tow/plow truck that really rocks. Sporting a primary snow white color scheme with dark/light blue, orange, and gray overtones, Landquake is 10 inches in length, and not an area is wasted. Great detail abounds here: the rear tracking system looks awesome, and the front end is pretty menacing if you are a Decepticon that happens to be caught in Landquake's path. There are also light blue hood cannons that jettison upwards, and the entire rear of the vehicle (which can be separated, but leaves the front vehicle part looking a little naked IMO) has the crane system, which when you depress a button on the top of the crane, emits a "reeling" sound. There is also a spring-loaded cannon that shoots one projectile missile. For the very end of the vehicle combo, there is one mean looking bumper which made me think "I would hate for him to back up over me if I were a Decepticon." So, we have a pretty stacked bot here, but it is not without problems. One problem I have had with the mold overall is that the very front fenders (which make the robot's legs) do not stay connected to the main center of the hood very well. Also, the front blast shield/plow is very hard to maneuver in terms of getting it in the right place so that the vehicle can sit on the wheels without interference from the shield. However, I really dig the shield itself - it is very menacing in terms of appearance, especially with the 4 bottom teeth sticking outwards to put a good dent or two into the unwary Decepticon.

Robot Mode:
First off, let me be honest here: transforming Landquake is no easy feat. You WILL need directions, especially to figure out the upper body part of the robot. After you are done, you have two versions: the regular "naked" bot, and then the Powerlinx feature, which, IMO, is the ONLY way to display him. Regarding the regular version, his chest (which is made up of the truck hood) sticks out too far for me, leaving his head all the way back to the rear of the figure. The arms are your standard faire- push out hands with one hole in the fist to hold weapons (even though he doesn't come with any hand held weapons). My biggest complaint though, is the feet- they are very hard to manipulate in terms of getting them into just the right position for the bot to stand in a solid fashion. And to be honest, I think they kind of look dorky because the shield part of the vehicle is what transforms into the feet - they look rather big and clumsy, however, when you get Landquake into Powerlinx mode, you don't really notice it. So let's get right into that- what you do here is take the rear portion of the vehicle with the crane, disassemble it somewhat, and then attach the separated portions to the robot. The track systems attach to the arms, and that menacing rear bumper I mentioned turns into a sort of mechanical claw that would swipe the smile off of any Decepticon. Lastly, you take the crane/missile cannon apparatus and attach it to the back of the robot, almost like a backpack. Immediately upon doing this, you will hear an electronic "transforming" sound, but if you are like me, you take out the batteries. Lol. I'm not much for sound, and I prefer not to leave batteries inside my transformers in case of possible explosion. At any rate, the crane and cannon extend to either side of Landquake's head again, making him look very menacing. And it is precisely here why I think he has so much in common with Bulkhead: they both have Powerlinx apparatus's that do not require another robot for combination, they are equal in size, and they just look great together.

Transformation: 5 - Like I said, you will need the directions, so don't go trashing them in a fit of excitement over opening the box
Durability: 7 - Pretty solid, but the 3 point deduction is for the front shield in vehicle mode that just doesn't seem to stay in place.
Fun: 9 - Very fun, both for playing action and shelf exhibition. The added sounds enhance his overall presence, if you can tolerate them.
Price: $30 at Walmart. It's no big deal - He is on par with Scorponok and Tidalwave, so I wasn't surprised. I thought it was worth it.
Summary: 9 - Just because I think of him as Bulkhead's main bro, you should get them both at the same time, and hopefully understand what I'm saying here. Alone, he is also great - I did wait a bit before getting him, seeing him around occasionally, but I was ultimately glad when I got him. A good, solid buy.