Tag Archives: Power of the Primes

My Transformer Collection Showcase, Transformatorium

Transformers Collection – Toyline Cards

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To take a little break from cataloging action figures, I decided to catalog my Transformers Trading Cards.

However its been a much bigger task than I thought  Where I thought I had a few hundred, it turns out I have over a thousand!

So I’ve broken my card collection into catagories such as Movieverse cards and TCG cards, and here we are with the 3rd category – Toyline Cards.

 

Transformer Toyline Trading Cards

 

G1 Reissues

*Item #GRTC001:  Decepticon Nautilator

*Item #GRTC002: Overbite

*Item #GRTC003: Decepticon Seawing

*Item #GRTC004: Skalor

*Item #GRTC005: Decepticon Tentakil

*Item #GRTC006: Decepticon Snap Trap

*Item #GRTC007: Decepticon Piranacon

 

Encore/JP Reissues

*Item #ETC001: 16 Special

*Item #ETC002: D-62-S

*Item #ETC003: E-Hobby 68

*Item #ETC004: D-73

*Item #ETC005: D-74

*Item #ETC006: D-75

*Item #ETC007: D-76

*Item #ETC008: D-77

*Item #ETC009: D-78

 

*Item #ETC010: Encore 05

*Item #ETC011: Encore 06

*Item #ETC012: Encore 13

*Item #ETC013: 46

 

Robots in Disguise (2001)

*Item #RIDTC001: Dreadwing

*Item #RIDTC002: Smokejumper

 

Armada

*Item #ATC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #ATC002: Jetfire

*Item #ATC003: Sideswipe

*Item #ATC004: Blurr

*Item #ATC005: Smokescreen

*Item #ATC006: Scavenger

*Item #ATC007: Overload

*Item #ATC008: Red Alert

*Item #ATC009: Hot Shot

*Item #ATC010: Megatron

*Item #ATC011: Tidal Wave

*Item #ATC012: Demolishor

*Item #ATC013: Starscream

*Item #ATC014: Skywarp

*Item #ATC015: Thundercracker

*Item #ATC016: Cyclonus

*Item #ATC017: Predacon

*Item #ATC018: Thrust

*Item #ATC019: Sideways

*Item #ATC020: Unicron

*Item #ATC021: Laserbeak

*Item #ATC022: Laserbeak (2nd unit)

 

Energon

*Item #ETC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #ETC002: Rodimus

*Item #ETC003: Jetfire

*Item #ETC004: Omega Supreme

*Item #ETC005: Prowl

*Item #ETC006: Inferno

*Item #ETC007: Hot Shot

*Item #ETC008: Roadblock

*Item #ETC009: Downshit

*Item #ETC010: Ironhide

*Item #ETC011: Tow-Line

*Item #ETC012: Landmine

*Item #ETC013: Bulkhead

*Item #ETC014: Storm Jet

*Item #ETC015: Grimlock & Swoop

 

*Item #ETC016: Megatron

*Item #ETC017: Scorponok

*Item #ETC018: Starscream

*Item #ETC019: Shockblast

*Item #ETC020: Slugslinger

*Item #ETC021: Barricade

*Item #ETC022: Snow Cat

*Item #ETC023: Demolishor

*Item #ETC024: Steamhammer

*Item #ETC025: Sharkticon

*Item #ETC026: Alpha Quintesson

*Item #ETC027: Mirage

 

Transformers Go!

*Item #GOTC001: Ganoh (robot)

*Item #GOTC002: Ganoh (vehicle)

*Item #GOTC003: Ganoh (combined)

*Item #GOTC004: Kenzan (robot)

*Item #GOTC005: Kenzan (vehicle)

*Item #GOTC006: Kenzan (combined)

 

Henkei! Henkei!

*Item #HHTC001: C-19 Cosmos

*Item #HHTC002: C-19 Warpath

*Item #HHTC003: C-19 Wheelie

 

Transformers Music Label

*Item #MLTC001: Soundwave

 

Thrilling 30 Collectibles

*Item #T30TC001: 1/30 Optimus Prime

*Item #T30TC002: 2/30 Megatron

*Item #T30TC003: 3/30 Ratchet

*Item #T30TC004: 4/30 Starscream

*Item #T30TC005: 5/30 Soundwave

*Item #T30TC006: 18/30 Ultra Magnus

*Item #T30TC007: 19/30 Grimlock

*Item #T30TC008: 20/30 Rodimus

*Item #T30TC009: 22/30 Prime Shockwave

*Item #T30TC010: 23/30 Prime Wheeljack

*Item #T30TC011: 25/30 Prime Insecticon

 

Combiner Wars

*Item #CWTC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #CWTC002: Rodimus

*Item #CWTC003: Wreck-Gar

*Item #CWTC004: Silverbolt

*Item #CWTC005: Alpha Bravo

*Item #CWTC006: Skydive

*Item #CWTC007: Firefly

*Item #CWTC008: Powerglide

*Item #CWTC009: Victorion

*Item #CWTC010: Computron

*Item #CWTC011: Scattershot

*Item #CWTC012: Sky Lynx

*Item #CWTC013: Hot Spot

*Item #CWTC014: Groove

*Item #CWTC015: Windcharger

*Item #CWTC016: Huffer

*Item #CWTC017: Pipes

*Item #CWTC018: Warpath

 

*Item #CWTC019: Megatron

*Item #CWTC020: Armada Megatron

*Item #CWTC021: Shockwave

*Item #CWTC022: Starscream

*Item #CWTC023: Thundercracker

*Item #CWTC024: Thundercracker 2

*Item #CWTC025: Cyclonus

*Item #CWTC026: Skywarp

*Item #CWTC027: Skywarp 2

*Item #CWTC028: Devestator

*Item #CWTC029: Liokaiser

*Item #CWTC030: Onslaught

*Item #CWTC031: Motormaster

*Item #CWTC032: Drag Strip

*Item #CWTC033: Blackjack

*Item #CWTC034: Blackjack (2nd unit)

*Item #CWTC035: Bombshell

*Item #CWTC036: Chop Shop

*Item #CWTC037: Buzzsaw

*Item #CWTC038: Viper

 

Titans Return

*Item #TRTC001: Powermaster Optimus Prime

*Item #TRTC002: Sentinel Prime

*Item #TRTC003: Alpha Trion

*Item #TRTC004: Blaster

*Item #TRTC005: Rewind

*Item #TRTC006: Stripes

*Item #TRTC007: Bumblebee

*Item #TRTC008: Cosmos

*Item #TRTC009: Seaspray

*Item #TRTC010: Perceptor

*Item #TRTC011: Road Burn

*Item #TRTC012: Wheelie

*Item #TRTC013: Chromedome

*Item #TRTC014: Hardhead

*Item #TRTC015: Highbrow

*Item #TRTC016: Hot Rod

*Item #TRTC017: Seargeant Kup

*Item #TRTC018: Blurr

*Item #TRTC019: Broadside

*Item #TRTC020: Topspin

*Item #TRTC021: Twin Twist

*Item #TRTC022: Breakaway

*Item #TRTC023: Windblade

*Item #TRTC024: Twinferno

*Item #TRTC025: Fortress Maximus

 

*Item #TRTC026: Brawn

 

*Item #TRTC027: Galvatron

*Item #TRTC028: Scourge

*Item #TRTC029: Soundwave

*Item #TRTC030: Rumble

*Item #TRTC031: Laserbeak

*Item #TRTC032: Ravage

*Item #TRTC033: Wolfwire

*Item #TRTC034: Skullsmasher

*Item #TRTC035: Mindwipe

*Item #TRTC036: Six Shot

*Item #TRTC037: Blitzwing

*Item #TRTC038: Octone

*Item #TRTC039: Sky Shadow

*Item #TRTC040: Triggerhappy

*Item #TRTC041: Misfire

*Item #TRTC042: Quake

*Item #TRTC043: Krok

*Item #TRTC044: Kickback

*Item #TRTC045: Trypticon

*Item #TRTC046: Gnaw

*Item #TRTC047: Gnaw (2nd unit)

 

Power of the Primes

*Item #POTPTC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #POTPTC002: Rodimus Prime

*Item #POTPTC003: Wreck-Gar

*Item #POTPTC004: Optimal Optimus

*Item #POTPTC005: Elita-1

*Item #POTPTC006: Novastar

*Item #POTPTC007: Moonracer

*Item #POTPTC008: Beachcomber

*Item #POTPTC009: Tailgate

*Item #POTPTC010: Outback

*Item #POTPTC011: Grimlock

*Item #POTPTC012: Slug

*Item #POTPTC013: Sludge

*Item #POTPTC014: Swoop

*Item #POTPTC015: Snarl

*Item #POTPTC016: Slash

*Item #POTPTC017: Windcharger

*Item #POTPTC018: Jazz

*Item #POTPTC019: Inferno

 

*Item #POTPTC020: Starscream

*Item #POTPTC021: Blackwing

*Item #POTPTC022: Dreadwind

*Item #POTPTC023: Rodimus Unicronus

*Item #POTPTC024: Hun-Grrr

*Item #POTPTC025: Blot

*Item #POTPTC026: Rippersnapper

*Item #POTPTC027: Cutthroat

*Item #POTPTC028: Sinnertwin

*Item #POTPTC029: Roadtrap

*Item #POTPTC030: Battleslash

*Item #POTPTC031: Cindersaur

 

Kingdom Cards

*Item #KTC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #KTC002: Nemesis Prime

*Item #KTC003: Blackarachnia

*Item #KTC004: Blackarachnia (2nd unit)

*Item #KTC005: Blackarachnia (scanning)

*Item #KTC006: Blackarachnia (Predacon)

*Item #KTC007: Blackarachnia (Maximal)

*Item #KTC008: Blackarachnia (Maximal) (2nd unit)

*Item #KTC009: Ark

*Item #KTC010: Ark (Decepticon)

*Item #KTC011: Ark (Robot)

*Item #KTC012: Ark 1984

*Item #KTC013: Dinobot

*Item #KTC014: Dinobot (2nd unit)

*Item #KTC015: Dinobot (altmode)

*Item #KTC016: Dinobot (Maximal)

*Item #KTC017: Dinobot (Predacon)

 

Tiny Titans

*Item #TTTC001: 1/12 Ultra Magnus

*Item #TTTC002: 3/12 Terrashock

*Item #TTTC003: 12/12 Autobot Jazz

*Item #TTTC004: 10/12 Grimlock

*Item #TTTC005: 11/12 Crazybolt

*Item #TTTC006: 12/12 Barrage

*Item #TTTC007: 10/12 Perceptor

*Item #TTTC008: 2/12 Repugnus

*Item #TTTC009: 3/12 Wreck-Gar

*Item #TTTC010: 5/12 Filch

*Item #TTTC011: 6/12 Decepticon Fracture

*Item #TTTC012: 7/12 Shockwave

*Item #TTTC013: 9/12 Wheeljack

*Item #TTTC014: 12/12 Autobot Twinferno

*Item #TTTC015: 1/12 Bumblebee

*Item #TTTC016: 2/12 Sky-Byte

*Item #TTTC017: 4/12 Cheetor

*Item #TTTC018: 5/12 Minimus Ambus

*Item #TTTC019: 7/12 Nightstrike

*Item #TTTC020: 8/12 Optimus Prime

*Item #TTTC021: 8/12 Optimus Prime (2nd unit)

*Item #TTTC022: 9/12 Unicron

*Item #TTTC023: 9/12 Unicron (2nd unit)

 

Masterpiece

*Item #MPTC001: MP-3 Starscream

*Item #MPTC002:  MP-5 Megatron

*Item #MPTC003: MP-8 Grimlock

*Item #MPTC004: MP-10B Black Convoy

*Item #MPTC005: MP-11 Starscream

*Item #MPTC006: MP-11 Starscream (2nd unit)

*Item #MPTC007: MP-11T Thundercracker

*Item #MPTC008: MP-11ND Dirge

*Item #MPTC009: MP-11NR Ramjet

 

*Item #MPTC010: MP-11NT Thrust

*Item #MPTC011: MP-12 Lambor

*Item #MPTC012: MP-12G Lambor G-2 Ver.

*Item #MPTC013: MP-14 Alert

*Item #MPTC014: MP-15/16-E Cassettbot vs Cassettron

*Item #MPTC015: MP-17 Prowl

*Item #MPTC016: MP-18 Streak

*Item #MPTC017: MP-19 Smokescreen

*Item #MPTC018: MP-20 Wheeljack

 

*Item #MPTC019: MP-21 Bumble

*Item #MPTC020: MP-22 Ultra Magnus

*Item #MPTC021: MP-23 Exhaust

*Item #MPTC022: MP-24 Starsaber

*Item #MPTC023: MP-25 Tracks

*Item #MPTC024: MP-26 Road Rage

*Item #MPTC025: MP-27 Ironhide

*Item #MPTC026: MP-28 Hot Rodimus

*Item #MPTC027: MP-29 Destron Laserwave

 

*Item #MPTC028: MP-30 Ratchet

*Item #MPTC029: MP-33 Inferno

*Item #MPTC030: MP-35 Grapple

*Item #MPTC031: MP-36 Megatron

*Item #MPTC032: MP-39 Sunstreaker

*Item #MPTC033: MP-45 Bumble Ver 2.0

*Item #MPTC034: MP-46 Blackwidow (Beast Wars)

*Item #MPTC035: MP-47 Hound

*Item #MPTC036: MP-51 Arcee

 

*Item #MPTC037: MP-53 Skids

*Item #MPTC038: MP-53+ Senator Crosscut

*Item #MPTC039: MP-55 Nightbirdshadow

*Item #MPTC040: MP-56 Trailbreaker

*Item #MPTC041: MP-57 Skyfire

*Item #MPTC042: MP-58 Hoist

 

*Item #MPTC043: MPG-01 Trainbot Shouki

*Item #MPTC044: MPG-02 Trainbot Getsuei

*Item #MPTC045: MPG-02 Trainbot Yukikaze

*Item #MPTC046: MPG-04 Trainbot Suiken

*Item #MPTC047: MPG-05 Trainbot Seizan

Card Count: 295

 

OTHER

Cards that don’t fit under any other catagory

 

Top Trump Mini

*Item #TTMTC001: Optimus Prime

*Item #TTMTC002: Cliffjumper

*Item #TTMTC003: Bumblebee

*Item #TTMTC004: Hound

*Item #TTMTC005: Jazz

*Item #TTMTC006: Bluestreak

*Item #TTMTC007: Ironhide

*Item #TTMTC008: Ratchet

*Item #TTMTC009: Grapple

*Item #TTMTC010: Megatron

*Item #TTMTC011: Shockwave

*Item #TTMTC012: Soundwave

*Item #TTMTC013: Frenzy

*Item #TTMTC014: Laserbeak

*Item #TTMTC015: Ravage

*Item #TTMTC016: Grimlock

*Item #TTMTC017: Starscream

*Item #TTMTC018: Cover Card

 

Transformers Collectors Club Australia

*Item #TCCATC01: 5 Ultra Magnus

*Item #TCCATC02: 6 Shockwave

*Item #TCCATC03: 15 Springer

*Item #TCCATC04: 16 Cyclonus

Card Count: 22

 

Transformers Collection – Movieverse Cards

Transformers Collection – TCG Cards

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – POTP Inferno

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Finally we seem to be getting some of the Wave 3 figures from the Power of the Primes toyline on Australian shelves, a long wait for many of us who no longer do our shopping overseas online due to the GST.  There is only one Voyager class figure in this wave and it’s a character that had their last Generations toy come out a full 10 years ago – everyone’s favorite firetruck – Inferno.

 

 

Robot Mode

Inferno has received a new head along the lines of his G1 incarnation.  This is predominantly the reason I ended up picking him up as otherwise he would have looked like either Hot Spot or Pyra Magna/Megaempress.   He comes with Hot Spots two guns which he can either hold in his hands, or be attached to the gestalt feet and then his back to form shoulder cannons.  The box artwork shows him having a windshield on his chest like his other incarnations, however the toy itself looks like every other character that shares the mould and has chest armour instead.  He is fairly tall and lanky which is at least kinda more reminiscent of his G1 heritage than the very stocky Universe version.

 

Vehicle Mode

Like all others of the mould he transforms into a Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 Fire Truck.  He has his big long white ladder back like the G1 version which I believe is an improvement over the water cannon the Universe and Energon versions sported.  However he is so long in this mode you can’t help but think ‘This is Hot Spot cosplaying as Inferno’.  His guns from robot mode can be affixed to the base of the ladder, giving Inferno some alt-mode combat options.

 

Combiner Mode

Don’t I look cheerful

I haven’t bothered to combine him here since he doesn’t even have a name for his gestalt mode.  At first I thought has been slight retooling from the Defensor version with a visor instead of individual eyes but then I realise the yellow paint app had just gone over the nose.  So really there is no difference except for the colour scheme.  The combiner mode will add a lot of play value for younger fans, however for the GeeWun crew it’s hard to think of Inferno has a Gestalt torso (even if the Energon version was a combiner too) and he wont get much play in this capacity.

 

Worth Getting?

It’s a hard call.  In some ways this version of Inferno is superior to the Universe version that came out a decade ago.  However in some ways he is inferior too.  If you have the Universe version of Inferno as well as any other version of this particular toy mould then this Inferno figure is an easy pass.  But on the whole it is still a good toy, a decent representation of the character and the combiner gimmick will be fun for many.  For the most part though I think I’ll be playing with my Masterpiece version more.

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles

Toy Review – Masterpiece Inferno

Toy Review – Unite Warriors Megatronia

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – POTP Punch/Counterpunch

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The original G1 Punch/Counterpunch was a very cool toy with a very cool concept!  Whereas all Triple-Changers in the past had two vehicle modes this toy had two robot modes.  He was an Autobot that could not only turn into a Pontiac Fiero , but also transform into a Decepticon in order to act as a spy!  Despite his abysmal appearance in Season 4 of the cartoon, the toy was so cool that it proved extremely popular, and lead to Doubledealer expanding upon the concept the following year.

We have only had one new version of this character since then, the Timelines version that was released several years ago (I don’t count the subsequent Counterpunch based on a CW mold since he only had one robot mode).  While that toy was good, it was let down primarily by a small and weird looking head and of course a very limited release.  Fans have been awaiting a new toy that could do this unique character justice.

Well wait no more, for now we have the Amazon exclusive Power of the Primes Punch/Counterpunch.  Let’s take a look and see if it was worth the wait.

Not available in stores

Vehicle Mode

Sexy… as long as my doors don’t pop off

One of the appeals of Punch is he was one of the very few Transformers released in 1987 that had an Earth alt-mode (the others being the Throttlebots and new Decepticon Cassettes) when the line was moving heavily into Cybertronian and/or Creature modes.  The vehicle mode has been faithfully redone here, down to the red hubcaps.

The arms/shoulder come misassembled which means that the arms don’t tab properly when you are folding the doors over to make his car mode.  This is apparently easily repaired though I haven’t gotten around to it yet, I’ve found with sufficient (yet carefully applied) force that you can tab the doors properly, though they come back loose with the slightest knock.  When I get around to making the repair I will post the method here, much like I did with the problem regarding Trypticons hip.

 

Punch Mode

I’m a heroic Autobot – check out my orange chest!

Excellent colours, well proportioned, good articulation, an orange gun – what more could one ask for!  Well, perhaps some feet.  But he balances quite well all the same and really puts the Timelines version to shame.  You can fold down a tab on his back to hide the Decepticon symbol located there.

 

Counterpunch

I’m an evil Decepticon – check out my purple kneepads!

Like the original toy, you turn this figure around, adjust the set of the shoulders, flip the helmet and viola – instant Decepticon!  Like his Autobot version you can flip a tab on his back to hide the other factions symbol and he also lacks feet.  Additionally what he lacks is a blaster of his own.  In my opinion it helped differentiate the two robot modes with the original toy by each having its own gun.  Since Counterpunch looks weird holding Punch’s gun, I give him the otherwise useless combiner appendage (since this toy does NOT combine) as a sort of black shield.  Still on the whole he looks excellent, you can even flip the hands around so they are different colours!

Prima Prime

I am the leader of the Original 13 Primes! Check out the power contained in my tiny, tiny body!

You can turn him into a box and stick him in the shield – that’s all I can say about this figure, except perhaps he has some cool pipelighting from the back the other POTP Primes lack.  But I don’t like the concept as a whole and find them mostly useless little figures just waiting to get lost – give us some proper figures of the Original 13 more than just the likes of Alpha Trion and Megatronus.

 

So is this figure worth getting?

As long as you can afford the bigger (but not gigantic) price tag I’d say definitely yes, especially if you are a G1 fan!  3 great modes, a few accessories and a cool collectors box – he is good quality and a lot of fun!  Now we can simply hope this toy prompts the character appearance in the upcoming IDW reboot of the Transformers universe.

 

Got anything to say about this figure?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

POTP Terrorcons – Wave 1

POTP Unicronus and Primal

POTP Dinobots

 

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – POTP Optimal & Unicronus

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The Power of the Primes toyline continues at a good pace, and just in time for some midyear toy sales, the next two leader class figures – both sporting the evolve gimmick – have hit the shelves.  The first of these is a brand new mould and likely to excite those who are Beast Wars fans – Optimal Optimus! The second is a recolour (albiet a very cool one!) of a previous figure and a brand new (sorta) character – Rodimus Unicronus!

 

Optimus Primal

Robot Mode

‘I aint no stinkin ape!’

Optimus Primal looks quite good here, reasonably faithful to how he looked on the cartoon, though minus the hair, and very well proportioned.  He comes with two guns instead of his signature swords, and though that is unfortunate it is forgivable.  His backpack is fairly visible, personally I fold the cockpit up when looking at him head on to minimize this.  The red on the body, along with the Maximal sticker, give the figure that little bit of contrast in his colours which makes him pop more.

 

Hoverboard-Spaceship thing

An Uber driver for Silver Surfer

Primal’s alt-mode, instead of being a gorilla, is the flying surfboard that was used by his second incarnation back in the Beast Wars cartoon.  While personally I think this is a good way to incorporate all of the forms he had back in the day, purists will be annoyed at the lack of Beast Mode.  Optimal Optimus can affix to the top fairly well without falling off.

 

Optimal Optimus

Robot Mode

The big fella!  One of the biggest Beast Wars figures has been very well recreated here.  The guns from the smaller figure can be combined into one large rifle, or else can affix to his chest to represent the weapons that the original had.  Likewise the armour from his forearms can be removed and added to his shoulders to make him appear more like the original.  The face sculpt is very good and, the colour scheme is well done and he has those gigantic orange signature hands.  Overall pretty good.

 

Cyber-Gorilla Mode

“OK, I lied – I am a stink ape”

Really just the robot mode but with shortened legs and a different head.  Works well on the hoverboard but you would be hard pressed to call this a proper transformation.  The hoverboard can transform into a gun-toting backpack for some variety.

 

Cyber-Jet Mode

“I beat Victory Saber in the ‘weirdest spacecraft’ competition”

This is pretty much the robot mode lying down with the hoverboard attached to the back to add a cockpit and guns.  It’s not bad, but certainly not great, I haven’t been less impressed with a Transformers flying mode since RID Twinferno.

 

Nemesis Hot Rod

(Please note: As I have already reviewed POTP Rodimus Prime, I will be giving an abridged review of this figure.  For a more comprehensive review of this toy mould, please check out my review of Rodimus HERE)

Robot Mode

The Hot Rod of nightmares

Geez the colour works well here!  I was that in love with the Unicronus mode that I didn’t think I’d pay much attention to how Hot Rod would look, but one look at that face changed my mind completely – almost makes me wish I had the cash to buy a second so I could have both the robot modes on display!

 

Sports Car Mode

Kit from Knightriders bad-news cousin

Really sexy!  Got that evil-mirrorverse motif down-pat!  Looks exactly like a macabre version of Hot Rod should look!

 

Rodimus Unicronus

Robot Mode

“You can tell I’m the evil twin because I have a beard”

Oh he is just cool!  I’m absolutely loving the beard!  You just see him and Motormaster arm-wrestling while they pound some Energon-brews in some dingy cyber-pub somewhere!  Big, black, bulky – just great!

 

Cybertronian Winnebago Mode

What Hells Angels go touring in when they retire

Probably the least impressive of all the modes for this toy.  It has the faults that Rodimus Prime has, but a lot of the cool little details are hard to see because there is too much black in the paintjob.

 

Overall

I can’t say I’m hugely overwhelmed by Optimal Optimus, however my son, who is vaguely aware of the existence of Beast Wars at best, can’t stop playing with him so that’s a big tick.  And personally I am loving Nemesis Hot Rod/Rodimus Unicronus and plan on picking a second one up if they ever become super cheap.  Both would do well to find a place in your collection.

 

Got anything to add to the above review?  Write it in the comments section below!

Related Articles:

POTP Dinobots

POTP Terrorcons

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review: POTP Terrorcons – First Lot

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During the Combiner Wars toyline, many G1 fans were screaming for the line to be widened to include the creature themed gestalt groups.  Well with Predaking on the way and the latest offerings available now, Power of the Primes has come through on this score.  And in Wave 2 of POTP we get to see a group that was last featured in the Predacons Rising line – the Terrorcons*

(Note: There were already zombie robots called Terrocons in that line so the actual Terrorcons were referred to as ‘Predacons’ – confusing eh!)

Today we will be looking at the two first Terrorcons to be released – Rippersnapper and the Terrorcon  Leader – Hun-Gurrr.

 

Rippersnapper

Robot Mode

“With this face and shoulder guns I’m sure to come first in the ‘Crankcase Lookalike Competition’!”

The colours are quite strong here and I like the fact that he can either have his guns mounted on his back or hold them as hand weapons.  Besides that there is nothing really inspiring about the figure, since he is yet another retool of the much used CW limb mould so looks very much like every other bot.  You can place his shield on his chest, but frankly that looks stupid.

Battle Mode

Land-Shark-Monster Mode

“Overbite and I go to support groups together”

A very nice update of what was a weird toy back in G1 and never made much sense.  I really like the silver on his teeth that makes them stand out.  His legs are moveable and do provide some poseability .  As long as not looked at directly from the back, his shield actually adds some colour and bulk that works for him with the guns attached.  I have no idea why his teeny bio on the back of the card refers to him as a ‘Ground Attack Specialist’ since he is supposed to be mainly a shark, albeit a bipedal one.

Battle Mode

 

Hun-Gurrr

Robot Mode

“If being a Terrorcon doesn’t work out, I’m going to become a ballerina”

Like the G1 toy, the robot mode suffers from being a bit bland without a great deal to recommend it. Don’t get me wrong, the proportions are fine and the colour scheme is, well, G1 accurate, but he just isn’t very striking. The arms are a bit bulky but not overly so and can have Abominus’ feet attached to them to provide arm cannons.  Legs, arms and head can all be moved about with ease to put him in a variety of poses on his rather comically dainty feet.

Battle Mode

Two-Headed Dragon Mode

FREAK-ING COOL!

Wow – this is where he shines!  It’s like he magically bulks up, looks like he could almost be Leader-Class rather than Voyager-Class.  His necks are HUGE but can be moved about to a variety of poses and given the joints just behind the heads and at the base of the necks Hun-Gurrr can be made to take on most any pose you like!  There are only two things that detract from this mode: the chest armour for Abominus is on his undercarriage and given its strong pink colour is very visible from the sides.  The other is that while his back legs are big and chunky, his forelegs are tiny!  They really don’t look like they belong on the same creature.  The Feet/Cannons can be put on his thighs for extra firepower and look ok but not fantastic there.  Despite these few quibbles, I am extremely pleased with his beast mode in general.

Battle Mode

 

Abominus

“‘Told ya we shouldn’t have given the other three the evening off!”

Sadly the pattern continues of them spreading Combiner Group characters over a couple of waves in order to keep you coming back to the toy isle in your local store, so so far I have only been able to make his head and arm.  I’d say he is shaping up to look quite good when finished.  I am extremely disappointed that the Takara Tomy versions of the Terrorcons are going to be identical to the Hasbro versions (much like Trypticon was).  Part of the appeal of the Unite Warriors line was it was in many ways subtly different to Combiner Wars so you didn’t feel ripped off buying a second lot in order to have both the Gestalt and the Individual Bots for your display.  One can only hope a slightly altered gift set of all 5 characters comes out one day down the line.

 

Fake Rubsigns

LIES!

I got such a delighted surprise when I looked upon the bonce of Rippersnapper to see a rubsign there!  But very soon it became apparent it wasn’t real.  I call this a tease rather than a nostalgic nod to the Cons of yesteryear.

 

Overall

While the robot modes are not particularly inspiring, I really dig their monster modes and if you are a G1 fanatic then it will be hard to bypass these two characters, certainly worth picking up!

 

Got anything to add?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

 

 

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The Dinobots – a fan favorite!  Is there anyone that grew up with the G1 cartoon that doesn’t have a soft spot for this gang of cantankerous Autobots?  Turning up in the Transformers Animated cartoon and even the live action movies the Dinobots have appealed to new generations as well.  It’s easy to see how; Dinosaurs are cool, Robots are cool – transforming alien robots that turn from giant robots into space dinosaurs?  It’s a no-brainer – they are awesome!

Oh hells yeah!

The new Power of the Primes toyline has finally given lots of Generations collectors what they have been crying for for years, new versions of many of these classic characters.  Some have come out in the first wave whilst others are slated for later in the year and they come with not only a new character but a new trick – they combine!

But for now, let’s take a look at the four Dinobots that have been released so far – Grimlock, Slug, Swoop and Slash.

 

Grimlock

Robot Mode

The Leader of the Dinobots, unlike his compatriots, has not suffered from a lack of toys based on him over the years and here is the latest incarnation.  At first impression his robot mode looks good but pretty stock standard.  It is very faithful to his G1 cartoon incarnation as have many toys over the years (FOC in particular looking great!).  Don’t get me wrong, this is what most Generations fans are after, their childhood characters reimagined but staying true to their roots.  He looks good – he just doesn’t take your breath away.

‘Bring it!’

Instead of his usual weapon of choice – a big red energon-sword, Grimlock is sporting what could best be described as arm-mounted knuckle-dusters.  These also become the feet of the Dinobots combined form.  I kinda like this idea – Grimlock is definetly a character that would enjoy smacking a few Con’s in the face with these!  Also you can place the little Prime characters in the slots to, I dunno, add a splash of colour.

Space T-Rex Mode

“Me Grimlock cut out carbs – lose weight good!”

Big alien-metal T-Rex – just so cool!  However not the coolest Grimlock we have seen.  His body is a bit too elongated which makes him look like he needs bulking up.  Also there is a gap between where his chest armour stops and his underbelly armour begins, making him appear he is wearing a golden nappy (diaper for you US readers).  There is good rotation on his little forearms and his jaw opens and closes, a shame you cannot swivel the head though.

 

Swoop

Robot Mode

“I’m blue – da ba dee da ba daa”

I think this is the best official Swoop toy we have seen since G1.  Energon Swoop had odd hands and odd colours and Animated Swoop was painfully thin.  This Swoop does a great job of looking like he did in the G1 cartoon, right down to the blue body.  Personally I would have liked red more like the G1 toy in order to fit in with the other Dinobots better, but then you would have had people complaining about that so it shows you can never please all the fandom.  He is the only Dinobot so far I’ve seen to come with their signature swords.

Space Pteradon

Brooding

The Pteradon mode is quite good but the legs add a lot of bulk to the back, taking away a lot of the streamlined look you would expect in a flyer.  In this case he does resemble Energon Swoop.  The feet hang off the back of the body at the bottom but can be folded underneath so Swoop can sit up, a position he looks surprisingly good in.

“It’s why they call me Swoop – NOT because my old name got stolen!”

The mouth on Swoop opens well and looks excellent open.  You can position his sword under his chin but frankly it looks ridiculous.  What I do like is not only can you fold the wings in closer to the body but you can also angle them up – giving Swoops alt-mode a multitude of flying-poses.

 

SlagSlug

“Got fire breath? Try Tic-Tacs!”

Robot Mode

Slag has a reputation in the fiction as being second only to Big Grim in terms of strength and ferocity and even outstrips Grimlock in terms of temper!  Therefore it would have been nice for Slug to look a bit more bulky in robot mode.  Whilst not slim, he lacks that bit of thickness that would have suited him, his proportions are good though.  The way his robot head is imbedded into the underside of the Dino-head is super G1-esque, the colour scheme is spot on and he looks grumpy enough.  I would have liked to see him have his sword though.

Space Triceratops Mode

The cooler version of a Star Wars AT-TE Tank

Looking at this mode, you can imagine him having been a tank before he got outfitted with an Earth mode.  Very strong and compact.  His mouth opens the least of any of the new Dinobots which makes it hard to make him look as though he is breathing fire.  But like Swoop, this is the best rendition we have had of the classic character since G1.  A shame he is not Voyager-sized – now that would have been something to behold!

Dino Riders eat your heart out!

The legs all have knees so that can change his pose slightly.  His gun can be put in multiple ports – personally I think it looks best on his back but it can be put in his hip like the rocket-launcher on the G1 toy.

 

Slash

New Girl

In the Movieverse line, there has been a raptor character named Slash.  Slash has had a sex-change (according to Jurassic Park they can do that) and is now the first official female Dinobot toy.  Slash is significantly smaller than the other Dinobots and sports no weapons but is nicely proportioned and has a suitably feminine face.  I don’t mind them introducing new characters to classic groups, teams grow over time and the X-men would have been pretty dull if they still only had the 5 students.

Space Raptor Mode

She ate her sisters

It’s not a bad looking raptor, but like MP Dinobot, suffers from looking odd around the ribcage.  The arms and neck are manuverable and she looks quite good with her jaw open ready to bite.  Something that is disappointing is that Slash, in no way I can find and certainly not in the instructions, does not combine with the other Dinobots.  It would have good for her to turn into chest armour (like CW Groove) or a weapon (like CW Shockwave or Powerglide).  However a little Prime figure can ride on her back, much like the Diaclone versions of the original Dinobots.

 

Combined Mode

Taken at the Hasbro sneak peak 2017

I’m not really going to comment on this much since I am waiting to see how Volcanicus will look with Sludge and Snarl onboard – I tried making him with Jazz and Dreadwind and it just didn’t work for me.  Stay tuned for that review down the line.

 

Overall

Swoop could have been more streamlined, Grimlock less streamlined and Slug bigger.  Besides that I think this is a really good Generations outing for the Dinobots and if you are a fan of the subgroup then I heartily recommend you go and grab these bad bots up!

Got anything to add to this review?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

 

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So here we are in the third instalment of the Prime Wars Trilogy and the latest toyline is Power of the Primes!  This toyline will be filled with combiner groups like the Combiner Wars and smaller characters that can attach to bigger characters like in Titans Return.  However a new gimmick – Evolution – is being trotted out for arguably the two most well known leaders in Autobot history – Optimus and Rodimus Prime!

For those that don’t know, before he because Optimus  Prime this inspirational leader was a much humbler character named Orion Pax.  Likewise before he because Rodimus Prime, this headstrong leader was a less-than-humble Hot Rod.  Once given a matrix both of them got bigger, stronger, wiser and a kick-ass trailer!

We’ve had a plenty of Hot Rod and a few Rodimus Prime toys over the years.  Likewise we’ve had a few Orion Pax toys and you could fill a real life truck trailer with the amount of different Optimus toys there have been.  But this is something new – we are getting these characters combined.  That’s right, Orion and Hot Rod can become their matrix-infused selves with the help of transforming trailers – let’s have a look!

 

Robot Modes – The Primes!

Beefcake!

Both these characters are really big and chunky.  I don’t mind this, I think a bit of bulk suits both characters quite nicely.  Both are well proportioned and able to perform a decent amount of poseablity.  It’s a shame Rodimus Prime’s arm’s don’t come forward further as to hold his rifle in both hands he has to hold it almost perfectly horizontally.  Also his (what would you call it – a ‘crest’?) yellow fins look too small on his big frame.  Optimus resembles his Powermaster incarnation a bit more than his original incarnation but given his trailer makes up the bulk of his body, this is forgivable and perhaps even to be expected.

‘Roduimus – what HAVE you been eating?!’

Both characters carry a Matrix of Leadership within them in their Prime modes.  Optimus’ one resides in his chest as to be expected, however Rodimus looks like he is trying to digest his.

 

Robot Modes – The little fellas

‘Before they were stars’

Hot Rod looks quite nice and looks pretty much most other incarnations of the character from recent years.  Here the yellow fins are quite proportional.  The Orion Pax toy looks more like he did in the original G1 cartoon than any other Orion toy I have seen to date – the screen dominating his chest piece and the sculpted head going a long way towards doing so.  The larger rifles from the bigger bots split in half to become two guns apiece for their precarnations, which works well for Hot Rod in particular.  Once again there is decent poseability here and the proportions are nice.

Bloody teenagers – always depressed

The only thing – why do they both look so serious and miserable?  If I remember they were both pretty happy characters before being dumped into their leadership roles.

 

 

Prime Vehicle Modes

Optimus Prime

Always nice to get an Optimus’ sporting a trailer.  The back of the truck cab has a lot of kibble and looks frankly bollocks from the side and back but the front view is fine.  It lacks the big grey smokestacks that the robot has – it’s odd that the robot mode has truck kibble that is not used for the actual truck.  The trailer looks quite good and you can imbed his rifle in the middle.   The toy rolls and mauvers well.

 

Rodimus Prime

‘Cybertronian Winnebago’ – for when Mini-Cons retire and hit the road

There have only been a handful of Rodimus Prime toys so not that many with trailers.  Besides the Masterpiece version I think that this is the best of the lot of them vehicle wise.  The Cybertronian Winnebago is faithfully represented, though there is a fair old gap between the overhang of the trailer at the front and the vehicle underneath.  When transforming into this mode one needs to make sure that you get every tab in nice and tight before moving on to the next step, otherwise the next set of table will not align properly.  Getting the tab from the bottom of the trailer into the top of the car is very hard to get tight.

For the first time in history, I prefer Rodimus to Optimus

 

Precarnation Vehicle Modes

I won’t even bother with Orion Pax’s here since he doesn’t have one.  It’s simply Optimus’ truck cab without the trailer attached.  A bit disappointing, I know he didn’t show an alt-mode in the cartoon on which he is based but it has been widely accepted since then that he turns into a Kup-esque vehicle.  So let’s look at Hot Rod.

22 years later and it’s still a sexy alt-mode!

To get Hot Rod into his vehicle mode all one needs to do is remove the trailer and reposition the arms/doors on the sides of the vehicle – that’s it.  But nevertheless it works and it’s a good sized alt-mode, looking a fair bit bigger than most deluxe versions of the character in recent years.

 

Overall

Look, these aren’t perfect toys.  The backpacks on the Prime modes that carry their precarnations are fairly bulky and Orion really could have used his own alt-mode.  It also would have been nice if the trailers had battlebase-modes for the smaller bots to use.  However these are fairly minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things.  These toys trot out a very clever idea with the Evolution concept – makes one wonder if they could somehow make a Megatron that turns into Galvatron or a Bumblebee that turns into Goldbug.  Both kids and older fans of the original series are really going to get a lot of enjoyment out of these figures!  Well done Hasbro – a fantastic start to your new toyline indeed!

 

Got anything to add to this review?  Would love to read it in the comments section below! 

 

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On Monday, myself and 14 other lucky fellows were treated to a behind the scenes look at the offices of Hasbro Australia, located in Sydney.  Organized by the operator of Ozformers, this was for a hands-on experience with the newest Transformers toyline: Power of the Primes.

My Graceland!

After a short wait, myself and my compatriots were ushered up to the fourth floor of the Hasbro offices where a space had been prepared.  Scattered around various parts of the room were examples of some of the great Transformer products that have come out of recent.

 

Of course there was one other major Hasbro product on show and that was My Little Pony.  Whilst this was largely ignored by the Transfans I couldn’t help but have a good look.  I loved the huge Pinkie Pie – if it had been Rarity I would have forgotten the TF’s altogether and tried to work out a way to smuggle her out of the building for me to ride whenever I saw fit (sounds kinda dirty I know but Rarity – I loves ya!).

 

 

Power of the Primes

Of course the main point of the day was to give fans a hands-on experience with the new toyline.  This consisted mainly of Wave 1 which has been released in the USA already and is due out in Australia within the next few months.  Whilst this is all the same toyline, it can be broken into different groups.

The Dinobots

Something that has all the fans excited is that for most of the Dinobot characters this is their first Generations treatment.  On display was the latest (of many) Grimlock‘s as well as Slug and Swoop.  Also on display was the newest addition to the classic Dinobot team – a female raptor named Slash.

POTP Slug meets G1 Slag

Of course, without Sludge and Snarl we couldn’t see the fully combined form of the Dinobot gestalt but I will say that what we could put together did look a lot better than what I had seen in photos to date.

 

The Original 13 & Pretenders

Now I’ll admit – I was not a fan of the Pretenders from G1, not particularly liking organic modes.  But many of these characters have been brought back and in a bizarre twist, has been combined with the characters from TF lore which constitute the first 13 Primes.  The classic Pretender shell characters are used to ensconse the mini-Primes within.  Rather odd, but I know when they hit the shelves I wont be able to resist.

Apparently Landmine & Alpha Trion were the same dude

 

The Primes

A rather interesting concept that has been done here is with Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime.  Not only do both transform from Truck/Cybertronic Winnebago to robot, but you can remove a smaller robot which transforms into their pre-evolved forms – Orion Pax and Hot Rod.  I  really dig this concept and both toys looked great!  Both also came with a Matrix of Leadership.

The evolution of a hot head

 

And the others…

There were several other figures on show from the new line.  These included Beachcomber, Windcharger and a Dreadwind which is based on an older Combiner Wars figure.  The Ozformer owner was also kind enough to bring a couple of figures that were US exclusives that not many Aussies would have touched – Arcee and Grotusque.

 

So overall it was a very interesting hands-on experience and behind-the-scenes look at Hasbro.  I’d like to thank Hasbro for the opportunity – I’m sure my fellow 14 fans had as much fun as I did!  And to top it off, in the raffle at the end I scored a The Last Knight Hot Rod to take home!

Free toy!

 

Got anything to say about this visit to Hasbro?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!