I’ll put my hand up to not being a massive Transformers Crossover toy fan. Oh I’ve got a few token ones – a couple from Star Wars, a couple from Marvel, heck – even one from My Little Kitty. So I was kind of bemused when I saw they were making to celebrate it’s 30 year anniversary Street Fighter II Transformer figures.
But then I saw some pics and knew I had to have some!
Nerd Nirvana!
The Bison/Ryu set didn’t hold much appeal. I thought the reuse of an Optimus mold as Ryu to be particularly poor (I mean really, Ryu has a faceplate now?) but the Chun-Li/Ken set looked great! The only way it could have appealed to me more was for it to have Vega instead of Ken so I could recreate that awesome fight seen between him and Chunners from the great animated movie from the 90’s.
The whole gang
So today I received the figures. Now, unlike other reviews I write, I’ll be going from a purely aesthetic viewpoint as I intend to keep these figures relatively MIB. That means no transforming and minimal removal from packaging. I’ll be including a marketing pic at the very end from Google Search but otherwise all the pics are mine. And I invite anyone who has opened and transformed their figures to pop in a review in the comments section – if good enough I might even add it to the review and credit you!
I… I just cant bring myself to play with toys these, though by Primus I want to!
To be honest, I think this is a set you would want to keep MISB, especially given the price tag for what is a couple of Deluxe figures. Chances are you already have these molds as other characters anyway. Ken is redone from Rodimus and Chun-Li is redone from Arcee. I’ve got a couple of each mold (including the fantastic Legends Nightbird) so am able to restrain myself, though I am sorely tempted to see how Chun-Li looks in vehicle mode.
Just so friggin well done!
The paintjobs are fantastic, though Ken’s eyebrows look even more ridiculous than in the video game which is no mean feat. Chun-Li is most definitely the stand-out of the two, all the little details and changes in colour work surprisingly well on many levels – just superb!
The box-art is very good, showing the SFII origins of these two. It also shows how each character can be put into one of their special moves, and indeed they are packaged with Ken throwing a Dragon Punch and Chun-Li performing a Spinning Bird Kick, a testament to how artciulated the Arcee mold is.
Do you need these toys? No. But will you want these toys? If you are of my age, you may remember just what a huge deal SFII was, it was a revolutionary game and many of us bought a SNES just so we could play it! I’ve been a rabid SF fan for most of my life, though kinda lost track after Street Fighter Alpha. This set will sit with pride within my display case for years to come.
Got something to add, or actually bit the bullet and played with these toys yourself? Would love to read about it in the comments section below!
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!
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!
Over the 5 live-action Transformer movies we’ve had our share of traditional bad guys (Megatron, Galvatron etc) as well as a Prime gone bad with Sentinel Prime in DOTM. In The Last Knight we get to see a Prime go bad again with Optimus siding with Quintessa as Nemesis Prime.
Like a lot of the characters from TLK, Nemesis Prime hasn’t gotten a general toy release, putting him alongside many of the other on-screen robots we have been screaming for a figure of. Luckily Takara Tomy has come to the rescue with MB-20 Nemesis Prime.
Nemesis Prime is a redeco of the TT exclusive Calibur Prime which itself was an extensive (and much needed) retool of Armor Knight Optimus Prime. He comes in a gorgeous box – I was so impressed when I received this in the mail I nearly decided to leave him MISB, but the desire to play was too much!
Truck Mode
Essentially unchanged from the past two incarnations. However in deference to the fact he is a darker character as Nemesis rather than Optimus, the paint job had been made more subdued with the red and blue being darker hues. I think this actually works to make the chrome to be found on various parts of the truck pop more. It’s a lovely looking truck, being a big solid size with excellent dimensions.
Robot Mode
Whereas AK Optimus had a big, ungainly backpack, Calibur Prime had this convert into a huge shield which was a massive improvement. This has been carried over for Nemesis Prime, where the main change from Calibur is again the colour scheme with the reds and blues more subdued and the axe and shield have been given a purple tinge instead of orange. Speaking of purple, the eyes are now purple like in the movie, and in certain lights they look absolutely fantastic! Once again, we are looking at good proportions on the toy and it’s an excellent representation of the onscreen character.
The Head
As well as the new purple eyes, Optimus Nemesis is sporting the big red streak on his face to show his allegiance to Quintessa. Both versions of the face (which can be rotated for either mask or non-mask) have this. I thought maybe it would have been good for one version to not have the streak so you could show him changing from Optimus to Nemesis and back, but it’s a minor quibble.
Transformation
It’s at the level I quite like, as in its far more complicated than a couple of quick movements, but you don’t have to take 20 minutes out of your day to get it done. The only thing I found was the head, the instructions assumed you had played with previous versions of the toy so did not say that you had to press the chest to make his bonce pop up – I had to look it up online. The back of the truck turning into the shield is very well done.
Overall
There have been very few official Quintesson-aligned toys over the years, far too few. So when the likes of Infernocusand Nemesis Prime came up for grabs I was all over it! It you have the previous versions of this toy mould you probably don’t need Nemesis, but if this is your first time encountering it or you want a representation of the on screen character, then I heartily recommend giving MB-20 Nemesis Prime a go.
Got something to say about this figure? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
The short-lived Season 4 of the US Transformers cartoon introduced (or perhaps jammed in is a more accurate term) a slew of new characters in its 3 episodes. Notably very few of these characters had Earth modes and most of the new Decepticons were weird space animals, showing the direction the brand was heading in. Also new concepts were introduced in these episodes such as Clones.
Two of these characters were the Decepticon Clones Pounce and Wingspan, two of the few Western on-screen G1 toys I have yet to obtain. These characters got a far greater outing in the Japanese cartoon and it’s from Japan that I have obtained the new toy versions of them. So let’s have a look at the LG61 Clones – Pounce and Wingspan.
Pounce – Robot Mode
‘Thundercats Ho!’
Now this is what a Clone should look like – not a hint of kibble anywhere to hint at what his alt-mode is (besides the big sticker which we will address later). Nicely proportioned, good colour scheme – quite nice really. Shame he has no guns.
Pounce – Puma Mode
Protoform bearing hips
Like many Transformers with a quadruped alt-mode, Pounce suffers from having oversized upper hind legs. Don’t know why this is – you can trace it all the way back to the G1 Predacons. Due to his arms adding a lot of bulk on the underside of his animal mode, he does not look particularly streamlined. I think his legs on the whole are an improvement on the sticks the G1 toy had though. His colour scheme is based on his Headmasters appearance rather than his G1S4 appearance, personally I think the Hasbro colour scheme is a bit better than this.
Wingspan – Robot Mode
‘Am I wearing a Klingon insignia?’
The only kibble in evidence here is his alt-modes wings on the sides of his calves. However they are very thin and sit snug against the body so at least the kibble is very minimal. Like Pounce he looks pretty good as a robot overall.
Wingspan – Hawk Mode
Living up to his name
There is a good wingspan on the hawk mode, which I guess one would expect considering his name, and the darker purple on them works well. The claws underneath have got decent detail and make it easy for him to balance, even if not very far off the ground.
The Clone Concept
‘Wow – we actually DO look alike!’
One of the things that irritated me with the LG58 Autobot Clones was that with all the extra kibble that Fastlane was sporting they looked too dissimilar. The Decepticon Clones have done much better here, with only a tiny amount of kibble visible on Wingspan’s legs which you can ignore pretty easily if you try. However like the Autobot Clones, these two sport big stickers which show what their alt-modes are, kinda defeating the purpose of ‘the enemy doesn’t know which is which’ concept. The rubsigns on the original G1 toys was much better.
And thus the mystique is blown
Overall
I am far more impressed with these two than I am their Autobot counterparts. They are good representations of the original characters and whilst I think Pounce’s Puma mode could have been better, it’s still an improvement on the original. These two will make fine additions to your Generations/Legends collection.
Got anything to add? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
The short-lived Season 4 of the US Transformers cartoon introduced (or perhaps jammed in is a more accurate term) a slew of new characters in its 3 episodes. Notably very few of these characters had Earth modes, showing the direction the brand was heading in. Also new concepts were introduced in these episodes such as Targetmasters and Clones.
Three (or should I say four) of these characters were the Autobot ClonesFastlane and Cloudraker and the Decepticon TargetmasterSlugslinger with his diminutive partner Caliburst. Lucky for these characters, the G1 cartoon continuity in Japan continued with the series Headmasters, in which these guys got a far greater outing.
As the characters were more prominent in Japan, I decided to get the Legends versions of all these guys, so today we will be looking at LG55 Slugslinger with Caluburst and LG58 Autobot Clones Fastlane & Cloudraker.
Slugslinger
Robot Mode
As can be expected with most Takara Tomy versions of Hasbro figures, Slugslinger comes with a rich vibrant painjob that looks fantastic. They really have done a marvellous job of making Slugslinger very G1 comic/cartoon accurate, right down to the shape of the legs, the chest adornments and the dual cockpits sticking up over his shoulders. The Headmaster figure looks great with a smooth rounded forehead, settting it apart from most ‘blockheads’.
Schizophrenia – Cybertron style
Cybertronian Dual-Cockpit Fighter Jet Mode
‘Didn’t Starscream blow me up in Season 2?’
As Sluslinger transformers into dual-cockpit jet he does not even try to conform to earth standards. Once again, a great job of replicating (and dare I say improving) on the original toy design and concept. His Headmaster fits snugly and easily into the cockpit (a bit odd he already had two and they had to put in a 3rd) and Caliburst can be put under either wing. However I find that makes the alt-mode look off balance so I tend to place him on top of the jet like the G1 cartoon and toy.
Noice! Just not aerodynamic
Caliburst
Robot Mode
“Go on, spend the extra money – you know you want me!”
Wow – this little guy really makes me wish I had shelled out the extra money to get the Tak/Tom versions of the other TR Targemaster characters. Well proportioned, nicely coloured and lots of detail in the little face – very good!
Gun Mode
Engine or Gun?
It’s a cool looking gun and is well scaled to Slugslinger in robot mode. However I would say that with the flats of the robots feet joining up at the front makes the gun look like it would be a major airflow impediment when attached to Slugslingers jet mode, creating a lot of drag.
The Clones
Cloudraker
Robot Mode
‘No kibble here pal!’
Looks exactly like the G1 version, though the JP G1 rather than the US G1 due to the more pinkish body. In my opinion he is how the clones should look, as in no hint of alt-mode so you can’t tell what they are going to turn into (except for that damn big sticker on the chest of course).
Cybertronian Space Jet Mode
Snug
Much more compact than the original toy, which I was quite the fan of. He actually looks like he was designed for space which works well for him, though I do miss the yellow on the nosecone and longer black wings of the G1 figure.
Fastlane
Robot Mode
“I’ve got no kibble either” “LIAR!”
Though I loved the original toys when I had them as a kid, one thing that bugged me was that you could always tell Fastlane was the ground vehicle clone because of the wheels and spoiler obvious over his shoulderblades. Not only have they not rectified this but have made it worse with wheels visible on the legs as well.
Cybertronian Dragster Mode
No awards for the ‘best alt mode’ here
I think the front wheels on the side are an improvement rather than the old single one underneath. Something I felt that the G1 toy could have benefitted from was some colour to show the grill and headlight details on the front of the vehicle that were made up of the tips of the robot modes feet. Those details aren’t even present here which was a letdown. With wheels on the side he looks a bit better than the G1 toy but it’s still a pretty weak vehicle mode.
Cloudraker and Fastlane – The Clone Concept
‘One of these kids is not like the other’
As mentioned Fastlane’s obvious kibble really detracts from the ‘you can’t tell which clone is which’ concept. When I saw their little jet and car symbols on their chests I thought ‘Oh cool! Rubsigns!’, figuring that since it was a hot day they must already be heated. Imagine my disappointment when I found they were just stickers, which means you can permanently tell one from the other.
Stuff ya clone concept!
The other disappointment here is that neither bot comes with his dual hand weapons. Given the cost of the figures, I think it’s a bit lousy for them to not come with their guns, especially since they could be used in either mode by the original figures.
Overall
Slugslinger is fantastic and as stated, really makes me wish I’d gone the Tak/Tom route with his compatriots. If you don’t have the Hasbro version go online and grab him – Caliburst makes it well worth the few extra bucks. As for the clones, I ordered these from Japan since the Hasbro versions of both clones were only available at US stores and I live in Australia. Cloudraker is OK but Fastlane is fairly weak, so unless you are like me and want every Classicsverse version of every G1 character you can get, these two are an easy pass.
Got anything to add to this review? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
Overlord – a gigantic Decepticon despot! From the Japanese G1 continuity, he was the staunch foe of Ginrai and was manned by both a male and female Powermaster. A cool character with an even cooler toy! This character has become very popular with Western TF fans of recent with his outings in the IDW comics where he has been portrayed as a truly unstoppable psychopath.
This rise in notoriety has facilitated Overlord getting his first toy in a long time in the Titans Return line, and like most toys from Hasbro he has also cropped up in the Takara Tomy line. So today we look at the Legends toy – LG 60 Overlord.
Mega & Giga
The two Headmaster partners here are Mega and Giga respectively and each turns Overlord into the Mega or Giga version of himself. Each is slightly different coloured and sports a different expression for Overlord when becoming the face. I’ve found the left arm on Giga keeps popping off so you may want to watch this so you don’t lose it.
Mega Jet
Stealthy (bar the lavender highlights)
I don’t know why but I really like the little landing struts that come out of the bottom. It’s a fairly sleek looking jet and the subdued colours makes it look like it could be streaking silently across the night sky to bomb some Bots. No visible weapons except for two very tiny lasers in the nosecone. The cockpit can open up for Mega to sit in, though mine sticks a bit so requires application of a fingernail to open.
Overlord Mega
In this mode I’m a grinner and a leftie
What a big bloody robot – awesome! This character deserved a big build and that is what they got! The 6 cannons on one side like the G1 toy are represented but sadly the corresponding panel on the right does not fold out into lasers. In ‘Mega’ mode the chest panels are closed, revealing the shoulders more. The nose of the jet becomes detached and attaches to the left shoulder like the G1 toy to serve as a quasi-shield. Overlord Mega has a great smirk going and is by far my favoured of the two faces.
Giga Tank
The paint store was out of black
Despite the garish colour scheme, quite a good looking tank. Bulky yet compact, it feels a very solid toy to play with. Big cannon on the front, detailed tank tracks on the sides and a cockpit at the top that Giga can either fully sit inside or otherwise stand up in to survey the carnage being dished out. Very good!
Overlord Giga
In this mode I’m a serious rightie
In this mode Giga becomes the serious looking face and the chest panels open to reveal some detailed Powermaster components. However I personally would have preferred for one of these spots to be empty like both were on the Hasbro version, so that the current Headmaster not in use could reside in the hole. Some detailing on the back of their legs could have made them look like a Powermaster engine like the original G1 toy. As it is I put the spare Headmaster in the jets cockpit.
Combined Vehicle Mode
‘I ripped off the idea from Flywheels cameo in the S4 opening credits’
I’m not surprised that this mode doesn’t have a specific name as it doesn’t make any sense! The best you could say is it is designed for the jet component to whisk the tank component off to drop at the site of a new battle.
Fortress Base Mode
Not remotely phallic
In this instance the original toy (which is on my ‘grail’ list) is far superior. This is a more compact version with no ramps and one central elongated structure. The cannon in the middle works well and I like how there are spots for both Headmasters to stand. Connector joins come out at the front so that you can affix ramps from the likes of Titans Return Soundwave or even Overlords sworn enemy, Legends Ginrai.
Overall
I’ve never even touched the G1 toy (though by gods I’d love one!) and did not pick up the Titans Return Skyshadow or Overlord. I even bypassed the 3rd party Carnifex so this is my first time playing with both this character and this toy mould. I must say I am quite impressed all up! Sure the transformations are a tad simplistic but with a multitude of modes and two Headmasters this toy has a LOT of play value. If you have not picked up one of the aforementioned toys then I heartily recommend you give this figure a go – well worth both your money and your time.
Got anything to add to the review above? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
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 thelive 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.
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!
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.
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!
The Quintessons have been a part of Transformers lore since the much-beloved 1986 animated movie. They went on to feature heavily in season 3 of the G1 cartoon as well as make appearances in the Marvel, Dreamwave and IDW comics. In non-print media the only outings we have seen for these multi-tentacled menaces have been the character Alpha Qin the Energon cartoon and a passing reference by Swindle in the Animated cartoon. Therefore I was very happy to see them crop up in the live-action movie series.
I may be small but I tote a big gestalt!
In the 2017 movie The Last Knight, we are introduced to one of the Transformers creators – Quintessa, who has herself a big beefy enforcer named Infernocus. Later in the movie we see that Infernocus is actually a combiner – made up of 6 identical Infernicons. Thankfully, unlike many characters, Infernocus has been blessed with an actual toy so today we will be looking at the The Last Knight Infernocus figure.
Unlike the movie, where there are six identical Infernicons that make up this gestalt, the toy is made up by five different figures. Four of these are recolours of toys from the Beast Hunters Terrorcon Predacon team that make up Abominus. Each of these figures has remained essentially the same, except for a uniform black & red paintjob and the removal of their individual weapons.
Rupture
Thrash
Gorge
Glug
These reworked figures serve reasonably well in their new roles as Infernicons, though with the exception of their colour schemes they do not particularly resemble their counterparts from the live action movie. However an added bonus to them is that unlike the movie they actually have alt-modes – monstrous beasts that adds a lot of extra play value to the set.
Skulk
The torso component character from the Terrorcon Predacon set – Hun-Gurrr – has been replaced by a brand new figure Skulk. Unlike the limb component characters, Skulk does not have an alt-mode. This is in my opinion is forgivable. Hun-Gurrr, the previous torso character of the set, was the same size as the limb characters which made Abominus look rather silly. Skulk is over twice the size of Hun-Gurrr and adds much needed bulk to the set, making their combined form of Infernocus approximate in size to Voyager-class figures. On his own Skulk looks pretty cool and works quite well as a representation of Infernocus on his own when put alongside smaller figures, especially his master – Quintessa.
Quintessa
Quintessa herself is a very small translucent figure and is the only toy representation of this major character from the live action movie. She has nice little details but when I ordered this set I didn’t realise quite how small she was. Make sure you put her somewhere safe as the potential to lose her is extreme!
Transformation
The individual figures are relatively simplistic. Combining the Infernicons into Infernocus is quite fiddly. Due to the colour schemes of all 5 figures being so uniform black it can be hard to ascertain which piece you are putting where. Also the set does not lend itself to the relatively simplistic combinations from sets like from Combiner Wars such as Computron and Sky Reign. Don’t get me wrong – you wont have an aneurism of frustration here but at the same time it can be fiddly.
Overall
This is actually quite a nice figure and I am very pleased with it. Unlike the Terrorcon Predaconcombiner from Beast Hunters I will be keeping Infernocus in his combined mode. Given the sparsity of official Quintesson-affiliated figures from the toyline over the past 31 years I’m very glad to add him to my collection.
