TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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Seerus Nalaius' review of: Superion Maximus

Name: Superion Maximus
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Aerial Combat/Gestalt Warfare
Sub-Group: Aerialbots

I have very limited memories of any of the original gestalt toys. I know, at one point in my early childhood, I had Abominus and Computron. But, by the time I realized this, I had lost all of the limbs and extra pieces. The new gestalts seem like real fun to me, since they are one of favorite types of Transformer. So, let's get to Superion Maximus.

Robot Mode: For simplicity, I'm going to refer to Superion Maximus as Superion, since it seems Hasbro has some sort of gladiator fetish for the gestalts. The individual pieces are already covered by Auros, so check those out for their specifics.

Superion's construction is a bit...awkard. Having him put together as shown on the back of the packages gives him one short, good length arm, and an awkwardly longer arm, a good sized leg, and a wider and slightly shorter leg. He'll still be sturdy and decently posable, but you will need to experiment on how to find a good pose with this problem in mind. A better way to build him is to switch Terradive's and Windrazor. This gets both the arms and legs to the perfect length, and make him easier to pose.

As far as articulation goes, Superion is more limited than Bruticus or Constructicon (Devastator). The limbs are unable to move in any way, other than at the connection points on Stormjet's body, however you can lift the arms of Treadshot and Windrazor up to make their legs act as elbows or knees, increasing the posability. So you can still get a good number of poses from him, but not as many as he deserves. You can still make him look good, though, so he still is alot of fun.

The color scheme of Superion flows pretty well with Stormjet, Windrazor, and Sky Shadow, but it goes off track with Treadshot's black and Terradive's blue and white. That kinda bugs me, since it such had a nice smooth flow, but that can be countered by doubling up on Sky Shadow and Windrazor.

As limbs, Sky Shadow and Terradive really look best as legs; as arms they just look too long and awkward. The way the weapon is used as a hand also makes it very weird. Oddly enough, Treadshot and Windrazor also really look good as legs too, leaving Superion with too many legs, since the arms were not as well designed. I still use the Aerial bots to make each limb, since it looks better, but feel free to mix and match other arms if you like.

So in the end, Superion is a good gestalt. He's lacking in articulation and a bit poor designed in some limbs, but he is still a good purchase. A word of caution: Be careful when you remove a limb from Stormjet. I've broken one because the pin held on to tight.

Transformation: 7. Stormjet is a little complicated to covert into the torso, but the limbs change incredibly easy.
Durability: 7. Stormjet is kinda flimsy in gestalt mode, but the others are sturdy enough.
Fun: 8. Superion brings a good amount of fun to the party, but he leaves a little too early.
Price: 8. Superion will set you back about $38 or so, once you find all the parts, but he's worth it.
Summary: 7.5. Superion is a good attempt at a new gestalt, and one worth picking up. He needed some better design, but he'll still look good on display and while playing.