The relatively short first season of the Cyberverse cartoon has come to an end, but new toys are still turning up on the shelves. I must admit I am eschewing most of them but when I saw Acid Storm in a local store I couldn’t help but pick him (or is it her?) up. So let’s have a look at the characters first foray outside of the Generation One universe with Cyberverse Warrior Class Acid Storm.
Robot Mode
‘It’s not easy being green’
The wing shape over the shoulders is reminiscent of the characters Thrilling 30 toy. And the colour scheme? Well the colour scheme is very G1 reminiscent, ya gotta give it that. We are talking green here. I mean, really green. Besides some grey on the torso & thighs and a yellow cockpit there is very little to break up the overpowering green to be found here. This may be case of where being a G1 homage might be taken a little too far.
G1 Acid Storm
Toxic Slice
The flip out toxic wings
The gimmick here in robot mode is to swivel the entire upper body around a couple of times and let it go, making it spin and the coloured end sections of the wings spread out. It doesn’t work, which is to say it works too well. Acid Storm spins so fast it’s just a blur and you can hardly make out the wing segments at all.
Jet Mode
Pretty stock standard with little to recommend it above the litany of other TF jets out there. The backs of the legs are visible from above and the annoying thing is you can’t take out Acid Storm’s landing gear without having to reverse the transformation somewhat. A bit of a let down overall.
Is He a She or She a He?
A ‘He’ on Cybertron……then a ‘She’ on Earth
There is a bit of confusion over the gender of Acid Storm. In the cartoon Acid Storm’s first appearance on Cybertron portrays the character as male. Yet on Earth the character is definitely portrayed as female and appears in multiple episodes as such. Yet when one looks at the toy, the toys box art and the official Cyberverse website Acid Storm is once again male. Therefore we are forced to conclude that the character was intended to be male, but the writers at some point after the initial Cyberverse episodes arbitrarily changed the gender.
The official website description
Worth Buying?
Battle of the average toys
To be honest, not really. The transformation is uninspired as is the jet mode and colour scheme and the whole toy feels cheaply made. The Toxic Slice gimmick is also a joke. However it isn’t a completely horrible figure and it’s nice to see Acid Storm finally get an outing in a non-G1 toy line. So if like me you are a Seeker enthusiast, you may wish to pick this guy (or perhaps gal) up.
Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!
Today, instead of interviewing our usual Aussie Transformers Fan, we will be interviewing an international one, and someone who could be considered the quintessential expert on all things toys. Today we are in fact interviewing the Jolly Fat Man himself, Santa Claus.
B.A.Trev: Santa, thanks for joining us for this interview. I appreciate this is a very busy time of year for you.
Santa: Ho ho, no problem Trevor. I’m a big big fan, love your work.
B.A.Trev: Glad to hear it. And thank you for being so generous over the years.
Santa: Oh ho ho, you’ve always been such a good boy!
No coal in my stocking!
B.A.Trev: Now, are you aware how these interviews work?
Santa: Oh yes, I read everything on your fantastic site so I’ve seen all the previous interviews. Have at it!
B.A.Trev: Ok, here we go:
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU Real name or what friends call you?
Saint Nick, but my friends call me ‘Joe’
Country you live in?
I actually live on constantly converging and shifting sea ice in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Makes getting the mail a real headache.
Your occupation?
Anthromorphic Personification of Yuletide cheer and commercialism
Your dream job?
Surfer
Your age?
I stopped counting after 300, it got depressing.
Single/married/kids?
Got a missus. There are lots of children-sized elves that work for me but they are NOT my kids, no matter what that lying bitch Debbie in accounts says!
What other (non-toy) interests do you have?
(sighs) Keeping warm
What type of music/movies/TV/books do you enjoy?
I’m a big fan of Die Hard. A great Christmas movie and book!
TRANSFORMER QUESTIONS Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?
Ho ho, an Autobot of course!
Your Techspec motto if you had one?
‘Whatever happened to wooden trains?’
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?
Astrotrain, he can carry a huge amount and fly around the entire planet in one night!
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?
Skywarp’s teleportation, then I’d never have to go down another damn chimney again!
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?
(looks morose and resigned) Other people get to die, I just have to go on… and on…. and on. Never do I get to feel the sweet kiss of eternal slumber.
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?
Well, I attend a lot of shopping malls I guess.
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?
I outsource all that these days.
Favourite series/era/year, and why?
Beast Wars – all the kids in that era wanted were pointed sticks and to not get eaten by robotic insects.
Least favourite series/era/year, and why?
Cyberverse – where is the craftsmanship? I’d fire an elf on the spot if he designed that Warrior Megatron figure.
Collect any comics (which ones)?
Do you know what snow does to paper?!
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?
The IDW Holiday Special is a wonderful! The Dreadwind one where he is visited by ghosts is very good as well.
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?
Definitely Transformers Animated: Human Error I & II. The one where Gears becomes all jolly is a favorite from years gone by.
Favourite Video/Board game and why?
Transformers: The Robot Warrior Game. No electronics to soldier.
Favourite Character, and why?
Tracks. He is a flying car – no rule that says ground vehicles shouldn’t fly, it’s very believable.
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?
Toys are NOT sexy! They are to delight youngsters and encourage play and creativity…
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?
Tidal Wave – big enough to house my manufacturing plant and he won’t sink every time the ice moves. (looks exasperated) Honestly, why did I choose to live there – it makes no sense!
First Transformers toy?
I remember making a little wooden man who when you folded him backwards would look like a horse. I thought it was a real winner until Ms Claus pointed out that the mans (expletive deleted) became the horses tail. What’s wrong with it being anatomically correct I say? You have dolls that (expletive deleted) and (expletive deleted) themselves for the kids to clean up for (expletive deleted)s sake!
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?
Atari Jaguar – do you know how long it took to make the controllers for that thing? 3 elves died of exhaustion and then no one played with the finished product anyway!
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?
An elf once presented me with a snow globe with a figure of me inside. Yeah, that’s what I want, to be in more (expletive deleted) ing snow! I kicked his little (expletive deleted) so hard he was (expletive deleted)ing blood for a week!
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertable Transformers toys?
Non-convertible Transformers are great! Take zero time and effort to build.
Thoughts on unlicensed fan-project figures/accessories?
Wannabe toymaker hacks – the lot of’em!
Thoughts on Crossover Transformer toys (Star Wars, Street Fighter etc)?
I always thought some Yuletide ones were in order, maybe a sleigh that turns into a jolly figure in a red suit? Would be a real winner!
Thoughts on the Transformers Brand over the last five years?
They seem to get more simplistic as the years progress which is less work for me I guess. Takes an elf about 5 minutes max to put together a Cyberverse toy.
Which single TFs toy should every fan own?
Optimus Prime – he is big red and his trailer is magic!
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?
Don’t I give enough presents already?!
B.A.Trev: Many thanks for answering those questions. Do you have time to answer a few questions sent in from fans?
Santa: Ho ho, of course Trev, anything for all the little boys and girls out there.
Hey there Santa. Pretty sure I asked for a G1 OP circa 1984/85. Any reason you didn’t deliver?
(Just so there’s no lingering ill-feeling, would be happy to accept one this year. MISB if you please).
Because you were on the naughty list then and you are still on the naughty list now! I’ve seen the Facebook clips where you demolish perfectly good toys in order to ‘make them better’. How do you think that makes me feel!? My craftsmanship isn’t good enough for you – you need to turn a perfectly good Transformer into a MOTU figure!? Screw you Michael – if I see you you’ll be getting a lump of coal shoved straight up your ass!
From Trent
So Santa, there is only one of you. And obviously there is a limit to whatever black magic you tap into to fly around the World in one night. This is most evident in the fact that no 2 Santas are the same when it comes to Christmas photos. So how do you explain it? My parents tried saying that they are your elves dressed up but we both know that’s false. Your elves are far too short to impersonate you. How do you justify holding kids to the high standard required to get presents year after year when you yourself lie and send impersonators, impostors even, in your stead? Do you see the hypocrisy here Santa? What does Mrs Clause think?
It’s called outsourcing – just be thankful all my Santa’s aren’t some call-centre rejects from the 3rd world. And I’m trying to grow a franchise here, people pay me to dress as me and give me a cut of their earnings, then they recruit 10 more people to dress as me and they get a cut of their earnings and so on. It’s called an ‘iceberg scheme’ and everyone wins!
As to what Mrs Claus thinks, just leave that alone. The day I came home to find her in bed with 3 Santa Impersonators and she swore that she thought I had just used some Xmas magic to clone myself in order to really give her stocking a good stuffing – it still haunts me to this day! I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.
Also, my next question; Why only the Christian world? What you got against everyone else you fascist?
They believe in me, they get a gift. They don‘t believe in me then they don’t. I live off the belief and worship of others and in return they get crass consumer products. It’s not fascism, its commercialism – where have you been?!
Santa: I thought you said these questions were from fans?
B.A.Trev: Er… yes. But I think some of them are more my fans than yours.
Santa:Grumble, fine let’s just get the rest over with.
My question, I was always the good child growing up and my brother the naughty one yet he was younger and always got more presents than me. Wtf?
There is a thing called ‘The Hitler Gene’. It’s very diffuse now to the point that even when both parents have it, it doesn’t guarantee that all their kids will. You have it, he doesn’t. How do you think people would react if I was heaping extra presents on the opffspring of the great great, great nephew of the 15th cousin thrice removed of the world’s greatest monster (not counting the guy that came up with Kiss Players)? Don’t blame me – blame Uncle Adolf!
Santa, so.. lugging all those toys around… how do you manage the storage of the pressies and where do they hide on the sleigh? Is it like Optimus Prime‘s magically disappearing trailer? And if so did he show you the trick or did you show him?
Indeed I do use a subspace fold in order to increase the storage capacity of the sleigh. I have to admit, I learned it from him. I might be centuries old but he has a few megaannum on me.
Do you deliver presents to good protoforms on Cybertron too? Or do you delegate to a Cybertronian (and if so who?)?
I have a couple of reps on Cybertron who handle things up there on my behalf
Megatron was responsible for billions of deaths but has turned over a new leaf abroad the Lost Light. Has he done enough to deserve a present this year or will he get coal again? (Of course he could turn that coal to Energon so maybe that’s not a bad gift for a Transformer)
Well I have to handle things year by year. I can’t not give little Timmy a present this year because of naughty things he did the year before. So yes, Megatron will be getting a present…
… an old copy of ‘Interstellar Travel Guide to Pleasant Planets’. Of course most of the planets in it have been destroyed because of his war, but it can’t be helped if my gift reminds him of all the death and destruction he caused can it?
From Mayza
Movie Optimus has been executing Cons, will he be getting a lump of coal?
Those Cons were killing humans. Less humans means less belief to power me. Have at them I say Optimus! It’s ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Men’ not ‘bots’.
Also Santa, what are your thoughts on Michael Bay, will he also be getting a lump of coal?
I think all the reviews of the new Bumblebee movie, when compared to the reviews of The Last Knight, will be punishment enough this season.
After giving so many of us coal for so many years, do you regret that now, given you could have been giving us solar cells or something similar?
People were supposed to stick those lumps of coal under a heap of heavy books for a few hundred years so their descendants could have diamonds – not my fault if people burned perfectly good gifts!
Also, my kids said they’d like the first issues of Whatever IDW are going to produce next for Transformers, I told them it was a long shot since it’s not available yet, but they insisted.
I’ll have a chat with Vector Prime and see if something can be worked out.
B.A.Trev: Well Santa, thanks so much for taking the time to answer all these questions today.
Santa: Ho ho, my pleasure, Merry Christmas to all!
(sotto voce as he walks out) except for that Trent guy, now there is someone who is going to feel the sharpened end of a candy cane shoved right up his stocking!
Over the past 5 live-action Transformer movies we’ve come to expect certain things. From the humans: wacky, half-psychotic characters and overly-sexualized stereotypes. From the robots: zero characterization and dialogue, overly-complex bodies and fight scenes one has no hope of following. Throw in a few convoluted plots and some smutty humour and badda-bing badda-boom, another TF movie pumped out by Hollywood.
However Transformers 6 – Bumblebee, seems to be something different. Something GOOD!
What a delightful breath of fresh air this movie is! It contains none of the issues listed above, and replaces them with relatable characters, great dialogue and a lot of heart!
The Plot (yes, there is one this time!)
The Bumblebee movie is actually a prequel to the last 5 movies, set in 1987. Bumblebee comes to Earth, after a 10 minute opening scene which will have every G1 fan looking for the tissues for their eye ducts (and possibly elsewhere) due to the amount of fan service contained within. The first 10 minutes is based on Cybertron and showcases G1 characters actually looking like G1 characters, still in their Cybertronian modes having a huge battle! They are all there – Soundwave, Shockwave & The Seekersall blasting away at the likes of Wheeljack, Arcee, Brawn, Ratchet and so on. Seeing the battle will be lost, Optimus Prime orders the Autobots to evacuate Cybertron and sends B-127 to prepare a base for them on the aforementioned Earth.
Arriving on Earth, B-127 is almost immediately attacked by the US Army (their involvement one thing that has not changed) and then near killed by Blitzwing, the only character in the movie bearing no resemblance to his G1 incarnation (besides having a jet mode). B-127 loses his voice, loses his memory, and manages to scan a Volkswagen Beetle before going dormant.
We now get introduced to the heroine of the story – Charlie. Just turned 18. But unlike Sam Witwicky she doesn’t seem like a nutjob. And unlike every female character before her, she seems to dress in a way that doesn’t border on the pornographic. In fact, Charlie turns out to be a very endearing character that the viewer comes to care about. This was a very smart move on the part of the new writers and directors, going with a female-teen instead of a male and keeping sexuality completely out of it. It stops them retracing old ground from the TF1 and good on them. In fact all the humans are fairly likeable and all seem to serve a purpose to the plot, rather than being thrown in for the sake of it.
You know what? It IS as sweet as this pic suggests!
At the same time this is happening, the only two completely new robot characters in the movie – the Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick make an appearance. In fact starting off by torturing Cliffjumper on one of Saturn’s moons looking for B-127. They soon find their way to Earth, adopt car alt-modes, (and later secondary flight alt-modes) and search for the missing Autobot in order to find Optimus. They trick the human army into letting them use their equipment and the race is on!
Bad guys with dialogue – what a twist!
From there it could be said to be the usual. Charlie reactivates B-127, freaks out, he freaks out, they bond, they have some loveable adventures, they get found by the military, he saves her, she saves him, he saves her again, they get found by the Cons, have a huge fight and then save the day. It’s kinda predictable but is an enjoyable ride and very entertaining to watch.
Continuity Errors
Being a prequel, this movie should match up with the previous 5 and set the stage for TF1. It doesn’t. There are multiple continuity errors brought up in this, such as Bumblebee only arriving in 1987 when yet in The Last Knight he was shown to be present during WWII. Optimus arrives on Earth that same year rather than in 2007. The Transformers know English rather than learning it from the world wide web. There are many more but you get the drift. To be honest, this really should have been a reboot rather than a prequel, as this is far better than anything that has come before and I’d rather have the new ideas than the old.
G1 Goodness!
What?! Arcee isn’t a motorcycle that goes around on one wheel and has a face like a smashed in colander?!
For your G1 fans, this is the movie you always wanted. Bumblebee is a VW Bug. Optimus is a short-nosed truck with a big silver trailer. The Seekers on Cybertron are Tetrajets. Everyone looks like everyone hoped they would all the way back in 2007. There are plenty of Easter Eggs, it brought joy to my heart to see my son whoop with joy when Bee started playing ‘You’ve got the Touch’ when encouraging Charlie to dive. It’s… it’s just beautiful!
A PG Rating
Another smart move made by the makers of this film is making it PG rated. A lot of the adult Transformer fans have become pretty jaded from the last four films in particular, so this enabled the producers to open this flick up to a younger audience untarnished by Michael Bay scrotum jokes. And it’s worked. My son turned 6 three days before TF6 was released, so it was perfect to take him and his friends to. And they loved it! Some kids that age might find a few things scary, but most will enjoy it. No blood from the 2 humans that get killed, minimal swearing, zero sexuality. It was a smart way to go.
So worth watching?
Yes. YES. A thousand times yes! This is the movie we hoped for many years ago! So much heart and character and humour and joy! Great for kids, amazing for G1 fans; the only ones disappointed will be those in love with the Bayverse and those folk are hard to find these days. Take the whole family out to see this, you will not be sorry!
Got something to add? Pop it in the comments section below!
Nasty little parasites who eagerly buy up all the figures they can and then flog them for twice the price. Evil pricks without an empathy or remorse.
No, I don’t like scalpers – no sir!
Now I want to make a distinction here. I don’t consider scalpers people who sell rare old toys for a lot of money. Yes sometimes the prices they ask are ludicrous, but there is no rule saying you have to buy what they are selling. You need food. You need water. You need sleep and shelter. You don’t need action figures.
So if someone has an old toy from the 80’s that they are selling for 10 times what it originally cost, I don’t consider that scalping. The toy is not available anywhere else, it’s been maintained for 30 years, chances are there is someone out there that is willing to pay the larger amount and be happy with getting a long sought figure. That’s fine, no problem
No, what I consider a scalper is some unscrupulous sod that goes from store to store (and even online) when a new figure is released, buys every single one, then is selling them on eBay half an hour later for twice the price or more. In those cases you are a scalper sod. A prick of the highest level! Because you are stealing the opportunity for others to buy the item fair and square and then making them come to you to buy it at an inflated cost.
As a Transformer Collector, I have seen 3 major incidents of scalping over the last 6 years:
2013 – Hasbro Masterpiece Soundwave
Everyone was so excited for this figure! An MP Soundwave with 5 cassette warriors included! Personally I got on the American Toys’R’Us website the moment it was listed and refreshed the page for an hour until I finally got one in my basket. Only then to be thwarted at the checkout with ‘This item does NOT ship internationally’. Would have been nice for them to have that on the product listing. No wonder the company went out of business.
Half an hour later the item was completely sold out. And surprise surprise, within the hour those Soundwave’s were being listed on eBay for twice the price. Usually with the disclaimer ‘shipping will be delayed two weeks’ because these pricks didn’t even have the figure themselves yet!
The same thing happened in the US when Soundwave hit the physical TRU stores. People were walking in the moment the doors opened, taking every single MP Soundwave off the shelves and then going through the checkout. So if you came in at 10am – too bad! You want that toy now? You have to go online and pay the bastard that came in at 9 twice the price!
2015 – Combiner Wars Devastator
Picture provided by fans still annoyed years later
Rather famously here in Aus, there were several people (and I use the term loosely) in particular that went from store to store in Capital Cities and bought every single one! Once again, those figures were then listed online for twice the price within a day. The outrage on the Aussie TF chat forums was palpable. But to show the lack of ethics and empathy inherent within your average scalper, one seller even went online showing a photo of himself with a stack of Devastator’s and thanked the irate members of theOzformers site for all the free publicity.
2018 – Heavily Discounted TLK Figures.
What the items cost in stores…
This has just happened within the last week here in Australia. Big W had a sale where a large range of figures fromThe Last Knight were being sold in stores at incredible discounts. Most notably Voyager class figures were going for $5! So many TF fans were rushing to stores to pick up figures they had previously been unable to afford, only to find the shelves empty. Why? Because the F’ing scalpers had bought them all and stuck them on eBay – that’s why!
…what the toys cost a few days later. Only a bit over 15 times the price!
So why do scalpers annoy me in particular?
This last incident, despite affecting my collecting the least, has annoyed me the most. I was lucky enough that a friend in the US was able to find a lone MP Soundwave sitting in a TRU for me, and likewise my mother-in-law was able to find a CW Devastator in Bathurst by asking the staff who luckily still had two sitting in their storeroom, the shelves themselves now bare. I missed out on the TLK figures last week but, for myself, I don’t really mind. I would have liked to pick some up at that price but it’s not like they were figures I felt I had to have.
No, what annoyed me about this last incident is it was robbing struggling families of the opportunity to buy a big toy at a cheap price at Xmas time. There are a lot of families doing it tough and can barely afford to eat, let alone get their kids a decent present. Especially out here in rural NSW where we are still in the midst of a shocking drought.
Transformers aren’t the cheapest of toys, and there are lots of little boys and girls who will never own one because their parents can’t afford it. Some of these kids wonder, when they have been good all year, why Santa won’t even bring them a little robot, whilst the kid up the road who habitually beats them up gets a PS4 under their tree. For those kids and their parents, the opportunity to buy a $50 Optimus Prime for only $5 would have been a godsend at Xmas! But nope, the scalpers had to go and buy them all up first and now eBay is awash with them. Bastards!
So scalpers out there, I say this to you: You are scum. You are filth. You have no kindness or empathy in your hearts. I may not believe in God but I do believe in karma and I hope you never sell a single figure. I hope that under your Xmas tree this year you find naught for yourself as you don’t deserve a gift. And I hope most of all that maybe you meet one of these struggling families one day and you have to stare into the face of those whose opportunity to give their kid a happy Christmas you stole. Maybe that might make you finally have some self-reflection. Because right now you are not a part of humanity, you are simply a leech that feeds of it.
Got something to add? Pop it in the comments section below!
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!
A few months ago the Transformers: Trading Card Game was released. Much like Magic: The Gathering, this game focuses on using different characters whom you instil with different defences, attacks and upgrades, to take out the opposing team, all whilst taking advantage of their own unique abilities.
Now, not long after it’s release, we have the first committed deck since the Starter Pack – the Metroplex Deck. Due for international release on November 16th, this deck appears to offer a whole new element to what is quickly becoming a popular and addictive game.
Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have been kind enough to send me for free both the Starter Pack as well as the new Metroplex Deck so as to do a review on this blog. It should be noted that I have received no financial remuneration to write this, nor have either company tried to dictate the content of my review. So I’d like to thank Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro for their generosity.
Luckily for them, I’m pretty taken with these packs so their generosity might just get rewarded through subsequent honesty.
This review is focused primarily on the Metroplex Deck, and in writing this I make the assumption that in reading it you are already familiar with Transformers: TCG and the various gameplay strategies it entails. If not then by all means check out the official website to see how the game works, then come back to get all the new extra information here.
The Metroplex Deck offers the following:
*1 Titan Character Card: METROPLEX
*3 Character Cards: SCAMPER, SIX-GUN and SLAMMER
*Ready to play Battle Deck of 40 Cards
New Characters
Now the first thing you will notice is the Metroplex Card. It is HUGE! 19.5cm x 14cm. Like the Transformers character it is based on, it dwarfs the regular character cards. And so do some of his stats:
Robot Mode – 6 Attack, 35 Health, 1 Defense
City mode – 4 Attack, 35 Health, 2 Defence
Now these Attack and Defence stats are pretty common but his Health is MASSIVE! The most a character has had up to this date has been 21 with Cosmos, and Metroplex outshines him by a full 14 points!
The other is his Stars. Each team can have a total of 25 Stars spread over their character cards, which usually dictates a team of 2 to 4 characters. However Metroplex has 25 on his own! This makes him a team unto himself. A team of one… or so it would seem.
Anyone familiar with the G1 cartoon and toy representations of Metroplex will remember he had 3 sidekicks. First Scamper who turned into a Cybertronian Battle Car, Six-Gun who would disassemble his robot form into Weapons useable by Metroplex, and Slammer who was a drone tank. All three are represented here. And all three are subordinate to Metroplex in a way we will examine shortly. However before doing so it is worth noting that these characters are useable in regular teams. With their relatively low 4 Star ratings, if you have a team made of 21 Stars, one of these guys is perfect to round up the numbers.
Character Abilities
Metroplex differs from other character cards in many respects, and not just by his size. Hidden underneath Metroplex are the three sidekick cards. Whenever you flip your Metroplex card from Robot to City side, he is able to deploy one of these characters. This makes flipping every opportunity you get essential, as you need to get him to robot mode and back again in order to deploy another character. This in of itself is perhaps more important than the almost inconsequential differences between the Attack and Defence stats of his two modes.
Each sidekick has different abilities. Slammer for instance, being a drone, has no robot mode and will deal out 1 Attack Damage to every enemy bot when first released. This makes him a favourite to bring out first in order to hurt as many enemy bots as possible before you KO any of them.
Scamper and Six-Gun’s various abilities rely on Metroplex still being on the board as they mainly power up his abilities. Whilst this makes them a boon to your main Metroplex card, it lessens their value considerably when being used in a team which does not contain the Titan.
Dedicated Battle Deck Cards
The Metroplex Deck is designed to be used by a single player against an opponent. As such it has dedicated cards that are of no use in a regular deck, but are very advantageous when using with this dedicated team.
Rally The City allows an extra card per character you have out (if you still have Metro on the board).
Height Advantage gives Bold 4 so when you use Metroplex to attack you get to flip 4 extra cards.
Protected by Metroplex means that you can transfer any damage being inflicted on your sidekick characters to Metroplex instead. Out of the three cards I found this one to be the most useful. Given Metroplex’s huge Health and the extremely poor Health of his Sidekicks (all pretty easy to knock out in a single round) it helps to keep these little guys on the playing field for an extra turn or two.
In Gameplay
I wont go into all the technicalities and ins and outs of using this deck against an opponent as there are just too many scenario’s to cover. However I can point out some trends I found when pitting the Metroplex Deck against a team made up of the Starter Pack:
*When playing the Basic Game (not using special abilities etc) which I played with my 5 year old son, the advantage tends to lean slightly in favour of Metroplex, even without his ability to deploy the smaller bots. His Health is just so massive, and combined with a 6 Attack Rating in robot mode, means you are able to withstand the onslaught he receives from being the only target on the board as you KO your opponent’s cards one by one. He is by no means invincible, but he is definitely hard to beat.
*When playing the Advanced Game which I played with a bunch of my nerd peers, surprisingly the advantage tends to lean slightly towards the opponent, even with you being able to deploy Scamper, Slammer and Six-Gun. Your opponent using the Special Abilities of cards means that your three smaller bots are often KO’ed as soon as they hit the board, with only a Protected by Metroplex card having a hope of saving them. You may find that your opponent often uses this strategy, going after the little guys as soon as they are able before focusing back on the big guy.
Also with more bots being on the opposing team, the opposition has the chance to have more Upgrade, Attack and Defence boosts in play as well as having a greater range of opportunities to use their characters synergistically with each other. Once again, it is by no means impossible to defeat your opponent, but it can be a hard road with a bit of luck required to take the win.
So is this Pack worth buying?
If you are a Transformers: TCG player then it is a most definite yes! The introduction of a Titan Card adds a whole new element of gameplay, and the pack comes with 4 characters and three action cards that you cannot purchase anywhere else. It would have been nice to see Trypticon released first (as I’m sure he eventually will be) as it means the two dedicated packs released thus far have all Autobots in them (the Starter Pack containing Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Red Alert and Ironhide). Part of the fun of anything remotely Transformers is pitting Autobot against Decepticonand I actually went out and purchased some Booster Packs just so I could play out some of these scenarios (luckily for me I scored both Starscream and Megatron). I would also have liked to see Scamper and Six-Gun have at least one inherent ability each which would be useful within a regular team that does not involve Metroplex, giving these characters more scope for play.
However despite the onus still being on the Autobot side, this pack is definitely worth picking up. I look forward to its general release in a week in the hopes one of my friends picks one up so that I can battle Metroplex Deck against Metroplex Deck – now that truly will be a clash of the titans!
Got anything to say about this Expansion Pack? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
The original G1Punch/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 exclusivePower 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!
For a bit of fun and a bit of comparison I pulled out of my storage crates a lot of my Decepticons. In particular, toys that were updates of classic characters, mainly (but not exclusively) from G1. I was amazed and how many characters have gotten new toys!
So enjoy this short video I made of the display. Also below you will find some screenshots and a full list of the Decepticons on display along with links to reviews of many of the figures displayed here – have fun!
There have been a ton of Transformer gaming apps in recent years on both Android and iPhone; a few have retired and several are still chugging along. In anticipation of the new Bumblebee Movie coming out later this year, we have a new game (currently only available through Apple) based on everyone’s favorite little yellow bot in Transformers Bumblebee Overdrive.
Pretty much every app has been based on either the Movieverse or Generation 1. This is most definitely G1 with a bit of Generations thrown in. And like G1, this game is 80’s arcade all the way baby!
You start the game as Bumblebee and work your way through 4 main stages over and over, gathering crystals and coins in order to unlock new characters. Once you reach a certain points level, you then take on a boss character, the defeat of which will unlock new weapons and bonuses within game.
Lets fight!
The four main stages consist of Highway, Canyon, another Canyon and Decepticon bases.
Highway
Like the run to Brisbane Airport
Lots of innofensive traffic which you need to dodge, the only real enemy you encounter and flying Decepticon Drones that fire off missiles, one hit of which can kill. It is during these highway drives that you can try to earn bonuses from completing events, such as destroying a certain amount of Phone Booths or Fire Hydrants.
Canyon – style 1.
Who takes a sports car that expensive offroading?
Lots of swerving required here. Surprise spike pits pop up, silver mines are laid about, more flying Missile Drones and as you progress Laser Cannons. Ironically the main thing you need to avoid are rock columns, crashing into one kills you instantly.
Canyon – style 2.
Air Time!
Nothing to crash into here, but you are being pursued! Here we get some G1 goodness with you being chased by Stunticons Dead End & Breakdown as well as other G1 Cons Ruckus and Ground Hog. There is also the StunticonOffroad from Combiner Wars and Slice(r) from Timelines thrown in. Taking out these other cars is probably the easiest of the levels, though as it gets harder sometimes you find ones parked in your way as you fight the others.
Subtle hints are provided
Decepticon Bases
Here is the only part of the game where you get to fight as robot mode and a plethora of different dangers get in your way. Laser Canons in different configurations, barriers both physical and electric and purple flying Conheads who resemble the same ones found in Transformers: Devestation. These levels are also the ones were you get to test out the different weapons you have unlocked by defeating bosses, in particular I like the laser beam you get for defeating Acid Storm.
The laser kicks ass!
Bosses
Nearly all G1 based (apart from GenerationsBattleslash) and they are a lot of fun! You only get to fight these when you have reached a certain amount of points. In the classic 80’s arcade style, these bosses throw different energy weapon patterns at you and as long as you avoid the obvious patterns the bosses are easy to defeat. Quite an enjoyable part of the game, it’s a shame that they come along so rarely.
And you only get to fight them once
Character Unlocks
You start as Bumblebee and, much like any toy isle you go down, the easiest other character to get is another version of Bumblebee, this one resembling in part his look from TF: AOE. The other characters to get at this stage are Sideswipe, Arcee and Optimus – Optimus requiring a whopping 500 crystals! When you obtain a character you use your coins to increase their armor and firepower, then use crystals to ungrade them to the next level to start all over again. I just got Arcee this morning and she is quite fun in robot mode since she has two guns, which means double the firepower when you use the upgrades like lasers and homing missiles.
‘Freedom is the right of all sentient beings – as long as they pay through the nose with crystally goodness’
In-Game Purchases
Guess the game companies need to make their money somehow
What app doesn’t have these. Personally I’d never buy even the cheap ones but maybe there is someone out there willing to spend over a hundred bucks on the big pack.
Yeah, good luck selling these!
Is the game worth playing?
In short doses yes. It’s lots of fun! In big doses no. Your finger gets tired after a while and to be honest when I was most of the way to the points total for Battleslash I was hoping I would crash as I had had my fill. Also despite the minor variations you get each run through, having only 4 stages to work through over and over again gets understandingly repetitive.
Will I still be playing this game in a months time?
I doubt it. I’ll unlocked Arcee a few hours ago but no way could I be bothered saving enough crystals for Optimus. Also as mentioned before, the amount of points you need to gain increases exponentially to reach bosses. The first three (Tracer, Quake and Acid Storm) are not too onerous but then suddenly you find Battlelslash to be a whopping 256,000 points and that takes forever to reach.
So should you download it?
If you are a TF fan sure, why not! It’s a bit of cheesy 80’s arcade fun but it really doesn’t have anything to keep you there for the long haul.
Got something to say about this App? Put it in the comments section below!
With RID disappearing into the sunset, leaving most fans with a ‘yeah, it was alright I guess’ taste in their mouths, many have been anticipating the new Cyberverse cartoon and toyline. However if what one reads online is to be believed, fans are already being put off with what they perceive to be overly simplistic figures.
On Father’s Day I received two from the new line, and both characters I obsessively collect. So without further ado let’s take a look at Cyberverse: Warrior-Class Shockwave and Ultra-Class Grimlock.
Shockwave
Robot Mode
Though small in stature, Shockwave comes in a really vibrant purple with pink highlights via circuitry lines on the arms and the hexagon on his chest. He has shoulder, elbow and knee articulation though his head is immovable. His proportions are quite good and he has his signature blaster on his left arm.
Logical my ass – I’m pissed off!
I really like the head on this Shockwave. I think because you only see the bottom half of his eye so it makes him look far more angry than usual.
His ‘Wave Cannon’ weapon sits behind his right shoulder. Moving it up onto the shoulder makes the pink laser fire automatically pop out. Personally I prefer to leave it behind his shoulder but it adds a lot of play value for the kids.
Cybertronian Spider-Tank Mode
Really, this is the first alt-mode of this kind we have seen in a Transformers toy. There was Thunderhead from DOTM which had treads so perhaps this is the first walking spider-tank in the Transformers line *. That novelty value alone made me want to grab Shockwave. It looks odd but fairly good overall. Really they needed to find a way to shorten Shockwaves thighs so that the two back legs were the same length as the front, and have a bit more detail and variety in colour so it’s not one big block of purple. It’s nice to see that they have kept with the theme of Shockwave not having an Earth mode, and this makes a nice variation on the Cybertronian Tank form he has been rocking for the last few years (such as in Energon, Animated, Prime and DOTM). Since all 4 legs are able to be positioned in different ways, both on the horizontal and vertical axis, it means this toy is great to set up on battlescapes with uneven terrain.
*I have subsequently been reminded by Laine from Melbourne that in fact ‘Scrapmetal’ from the Cybertron series can be considered the first ‘walking spider-tank’. Thanks Laine! I actually own this toy so I feel particularly silly for forgetting this figure 😉
The laser turret on top of the tank can once again activate his ‘Wave Cannon’ for pink laser fire but only one pops out. There is an Ultra-Class version of this character coming out in subsequent waves where the laser turret resembles his Prime incarnation more.
Grimlock
Robot Mode
My wrist-bling is massive!
It is a big bulky and solid looking Grimlock. Despite being depicted in the shots of the cartoon as having a mouth (like in RID) they have given Grimlock back his faceplate and overall a much more G1 head than the ‘teddy-bear’ look he was rocking in Robots in Disguise, which I was not a fan of. He is well proportioned and has a very G1/Evergreen colour scheme. This figure has minimal articulation, his shoulders and elbows both have a small amount of movement but he has no knee or head articulation whatsoever. The front half of his Dino-mode folds down the back of him and goes all the way down to his knees; the figure could have benefitted from this folding in half so that it formed a backpack, but I guess that was not possible due to the figure having to accommodate the ‘Rocket Roar’ feature that the robot mode doesn’t use. I quite like Grimlock having missile pods on each shoulder, it’s something new for the character and makes up to a small extent him not having any other weapon such as his signature Energon-Sword.
Cybertronian T-Rex Mode
Look at my raised eyes, scientists must have put frog DNA in me
It’s an interesting look, very distinctive with the raised eye sockets and the way it leans forward is quite indicative of the Animated version. The spikes on his back, forehead and tail are quite interesting too. A black tail instead of the usual gold but it still sorta works.
By pressing down on one of his back nodules (the foot from his robot mode) you activate the ‘Rocket Roar’ feature which not only shoots ‘fire’ out his mouth but also causes it to flare up from his back. It looks pretty cool and it will be interesting to see if this happens in the upcoming cartoon as I think it would look quite boss for his back to be spouting fire as he breathes it at Cons. My only gripe is you have to lean Grimlock even further forward in order to get the nub that activates the switch to be in the right position, meaning Grimlock has to be virtually horizontal for this to work.
Transformations
Both this figures are very easy to Transform, in particular Shockwave whom my 5-year old can do with his eyes closed. Didn’t take too long for him to figure out Grimlock either. Not much challenge for the adult collector but then that’s not who these toys are aimed at.
Overall
Fire fire fire fire!
Look, I have to put my hand up to say that I’ve been feeling fairly negative about this new line from all the images I’ve been seeing online. But now having two in my hands I gotta say they are a lot of fun! I received these two for Father’s Day and I think my son played with them more than me and he had an absolute blast! I think given the relative simplicity of these figures that their price tags are a tad steep and feel that set at about 2/3rds their current cost would be more appropriate. However that said, if you are a fan of these two characters or you have kids that are really into Transformers they are both worth picking up.
Got anything to say about these toys? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
