Tag Archives: Big Angry Trev

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Titans Return Soundwave

August 22, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Operation: Soundwave Review

Perhaps even surpassing Megatron, Soundwave is along with Optimus Prime the most recognizable and remembered characters and toys from the 1980’s – even non-TF fans remember Soundwave with a fondess – there was something just so cool about him! A tape deck that ejected micro-cassettes that turned into animals and robots and was a bad guy had massive appeal. And here we see Soundwave recreated yet again, this time for the first time as a Headmaster with Titans Return Soundwave.

Robot Mode

It’s lucky that both Blaster and Soundwave are boxy characters, so with a simple palette swap, a new head and a shoulder cannon this does looks like Soundwave rather than a recoloured Blaster (which he is after all). The proportions are ok though I would have liked to see more articulation. Nothing beats a Soundwave that can actually bend his arm upwards and press his eject button (aka MP SW). His gun is from Blaster and for those in the know it looks nothing like Soundwaves regular firearm which is a bit disappointing, but I suppose even Transformers are allowed to change their armament every few million years.

Tape Deck Mode

The smartest thing they did here was to change the way the speakers look. It now looks like a tape deck from the early nineties rather than a proper Ghetto Blaster (all you kids born this century, you might have to do some research here to know what I am talking about). The mode looks better than I thought it would; it looks sleek and somber, just a shame there is the odd little gap here and there.

Base Mode

This mode suits Soundwave far more than Blaster (who I still maintain should have turned into a DJ booth with dance floor. For a review of TR Blaster – see HERE). The darker colour scheme works for the mode as well as the extra cannon. Overall better than I expected.

Soundblaster

For those that didn’t follow the JP G1 cartoon, Soundwave and Blaster killed each other but got rebuilt by their respective leaders, Soundwave turning into Soundblaster (the only difference with the toy besides a darker colour scheme was it could hold 2 cassettes). Soundblaster has been brought back here but this time as Soundwaves head. The funny thing is that they redid the face on his back to look like Soundwave, as well as his little head, but the legs are still those of Twin Cast (Blasters Headmaster partner) with the speakers on the front. Since it would not have affected the face, they should have made his front much darker to represent Soundblaster more.

Transformation

No change from Blaster. If you haven’t converted Blaster know that this figure isn’t difficult for a leader class figure. There is no real challenge here, however transforming him for the first time you have to engage your brain to turn him in to what is a reasonably two dimensional alt-mode as the Tape Deck. Conversion to base mode is very straight forward.

Overall

Soundwave is one of two figures which can be said to be a crossover between Combiner Wars and Titans Return, given that CW Buzzsaw can be put into TR Soundwave in both Robot and Tape Deck modes. Interestingly in the instructions it only mentions him being compatible with the upcoming Laserbeak and Ravage, most likely as these toys are to be released soon (bet Hasbro is just thrilled with IDW for having killed Ravage 6 weeks ago in MTMTE #55). The fact you can insert these smaller figures into him along with the Headmaster gimmick and he is a triple changer means there is a lot of playability with this figure. While certainly not the ultimate Soundwave toy, on the whole this one is pretty good and it’s nice to see Soundwave once again as a musical device rather than a van or truck.

Got your own thoughts on Titans Return Soundwave? Would love to hear them in the comments section below!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – The Mayhem Attack Squad

August 12, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

The Mayhem Attack Squad, a group of psychotic Decepticons grouped together to follow their leaders evil whims in the old G1 comic (and to give a reason to put new toys coming out into print). Now decades later we see the group revitalized by the latest Transformers Collectors Club subscription service toys and with a new gimmick – they combine! Lets have a look at this pack of alien-mechanoid rouges as well as their combined form – THUNDER MAYHEM!

Grabuge
Nicely proportioned, nice colours and they didn’t even need to bother with a new headsculpt since Off-Road was originally going to be Ruckus. I think the axe is a good choice for Ruckus – sorry – Grabuge. You can sorta balance his cannon in his backpack as a reminder of his Triggercon heritage but it doesn’t really work.

Windsweeper

The wings can fold back but I prefer to leave them out, the silver on the wing missiles really pop and also this configuration makes the figure look a bit more G1-Windsweeper-ish. The head is really good on him and the colours overall work quite well.

Spinister
The head is a little squarish and the optics a tad big but otherwise pretty good. Nothing new otherwise physically with the mold. Certainly a lot less stocky than G1 Spinister and the colour scheme is dead on. The two targetmaster partners work well both as guns or as sidekicks.

Needlenose

A very nicely proportioned robot and while they got the face just right I would have liked to see more work on his helmet. The colours are pretty good and his Targemaster partners sit snugly in his grip as well as looking good as little sidekicks. I’d say this is probably the best Needlenose figure we have ever had so kudos to Funpub for coming through.

Bludgeon

By far his strongest mode. Bludgeon is a character that is strongly associated with his Pretender Shell and it’s not been often he has been depicted just as the robot beneath (the G2 and DW comics do spring to mind however). I found this to be a most excellent representation of how Bludgeon would look without his shell if he just concentrated on beefing up his robot mode. The proportions are really good, the colour scheme works a lot better and they did the headsculpt very well. Add in a couple of giant swords and the robot mode is a real winner overall! However it is really hard to beat ROTF Bludgeon for a look that encapsulates both the inner robot and outer shell look combined.

Grabuge – Off-Road Truck

A shame that Beachcomber did not crop up in Combiner Wars as it would have nice to see Ruckus – sorry – Grabuge – done as a Dune Buggy rather than a ute, however it’s still a good choice for the character. The colour scheme is nice, though they have what were relatively small stickers on the original Ruckus into a major part of the colour scheme of the back of the ute here. Still, the paintjobt is pretty good considering that many the G1 Decepticons from 87 onwards had pretty awful colour schemes and the original Ruckus is part of that era. Attaching the cannons in the tray of the ute somewhat gives a shout out to his Triggercon origins.

Windsweeper – Attack Jet
A shame there wasn’t a deluxe CW mold that was a bit more like his G1 incarnation, they would have had to go with Silverbolt to get something more indicativie. But it’s a pretty cool looking jet and the colour scheme not only is fairly character accurate but makes the colours work a bit better than the original toy did.

Spinister – Attack Chopper
I’m not a great fan of how slim this mold is, it didn’t quite work for me as Blades and Vortex and I get the same feeling with Spinister. Still, they got that garish 1988 colour scheme just right! One thing – do NOT try to put the Targetmaster partners into the little black exhaust hubs on the sides of Spinisters vehicle mode. I tried and not only are they that mill too thick but trying to push them in will wear the black paint off very easily and show the pink underneath. You have to attach them via turning his arms around so the fist is up which puts his missiles in an awkward position.

Needlenose – Fighter Jet

They really did a nice job of homaging the original figure here and I really like that unlike Spinister you can connect his Targetmaster partners under the wings. They have done their best with the G1 colour scheme they had to use and made it look a lot more stylish than it used to. As ever the letdown is those damn arms sitting out at the sides of the jet, I wish they had fixed that.

Bludgeon – Anti-Aircraft Truck

Whilst not a tank which most Bludgeons over the years have turned into, this feels like a tank on steroids that mutated into a anti-aircraft truck. Whilst the green is a bit strong and garish, the browns help even the colour out somewhat, though then you deal with the two purple cannons on top. It’s pretty cool overall but there is one significant drawback – the dome of Thunder Mayhems head is very noticeable sticking out of the top. Really looks like he is about to pop up at any moment like a freaky jack-in-the-box.

Thunder Mayhem

Thunder Mayhem is made up of the 5 members of the Mayhem Attack Squad. The reasoning behind the combined mode is that Thunderwing, not Bludgeon, was the leader of the Mayhem Attack Squad so their combined mode becomes an homage to him. The Thunderwing head is very good, perhaps with more expression than any of the Gestalts from both the CW and UW lines – got a real psychotic sneer to him!

The colour scheme however is a real hodge-podge. It’s pretty unavoidable considering the different characters that make up this Combiner but when compared to the likes of Superion, Defensor and Devastator you see why having team-mates with similar colour schemes is a good move for Combiner groups to have. Bright greens, dull reds, purples, yellows, greys, blues etc etc – it looks like Primus swallowed a kids paint palette then threw up on the poor guy. But he is supposed to be a monstrosity powered by a corrupted matrix so monster-wise it works.

The dimensions are like all the other recent combiners, the legs are a bit stubby and the feet too small whilst the arms are almost orangutan like in their length. But Thunder Mayhem in the end is no worse for wear than any of the others and considering he is made up of 2 jets, a helicopter, a ute and an anti-aircraft truck you can forgive these imperfections.

Weapons-wise Bludgeons twin-swords match his stature quite well and of course you can take the cannons off the back for him to use as pistols. It’s a shame there is no clear place for the four Targemaster partners to go – plenty of places to connect them but none really seem to fit and they look ludicrously small in his hands.

So overall a freaky-yet-fun Gestalt and a pretty cool combiner group. For the most part I will be keeping the Mayhem Attack Squad separate so I can finally have the likes of Windsweeper and Ruckus sitting in my Generations Display.

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Titans Return Blurr, Hardhead, Scourge and Skullsmasher

July 25, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

The third in my reviews of the first wave of the new Titans Return toyline, today we are looking at the Deluxe figures. This is the only size that is evenly distributed, two Autobots and two Decepticons. And like the Voyager line they all have Cybertronian alt-modes. So lets have a look at what is predominantly the cast list from Seasons 3 & 4 of a cartoon decades old – Blurr, Hardhead, Scourge and Skullsmasher.

Blurr – Robot Mode

The fastest bot in all Cyber-Mexico! DSCF5579

The fastest bot in all Cyber-Mexico!

Whilst not as tall and lanky as the original it does look really good. You can position the noscone from the hovercar mode either on his arm to simulate the shield the original toy (and the Animated toy) had, or you can put it on his back to simulate the original toys backpack which is where it is supposed to go anyway for transformation. Very easy to pose with lots of points of articulation.

Hardhead – Robot Mode

DSCF5530
Very indicative of the G1 version of the character. I think it’s a nice touch that you can maneuver the cannon on his back to sit up or over the shoulder. Quite good articulation, well proportioned, good colour scheme, poseable. Only downside is his size – he could stand to be a bit bigger, especially when compared to his G1 and Universe incarnations.

Skullsmasher – Robot Mode

DSCF5588

The eyes on Grax are a bit too dark, and while this simulates the G1 toy I think the Takara head looks better. The tail, like the G1 toy, becomes a hand weapon but it’s a bit too big and can’t really be positioned on any great angle. Out of the four new Titans Return deluxes he is certainly the weakest of the four. Also his alligator claws come off really easy in this mode.

Scourge – Robot Mode

DSCF5569

Fracas is a bit too boxy and the laser on the top doesn’t stick up enough to be properly noticeable. Besides that this is a pretty good looking Scourge with a good colour scheme, articulation and the proportions and wings work well. I think he will be serving as a Sweep next to the G1, Titanium and Generations versions in my collection.

Blurr – Cybertronian Hovercar Mode

DSCF5582

Now THIS looks like the speedster we all know and love, not a recoloured Drift. Very compact and sleek, it’s a great representation of the character. The laser under the front even works well. The little hatch for his Titans Return partner is good and it even incorporates the little gap between the back and the cabin that the original toy had – top marks! Only one big downside is for a Titan Master to have his own vehicle you unattach the nose of the car which leaves the front of Blurr looking gutted and horrible.

Hardhead – Cybertronian Tank Mode

A bit flatter than the G1 version, very streamlined, very much how he looked waaaay back at the start of the IDW comics before they gave him his Universe-styled body. Once again the cannon is maneuverable and like the G1 toy you can place a gun in the top of the cannon. Furos can either sit in the cab or the back of the cannon opens up so he can be stood there. He looks a little weird standing right back on the pegs he is supposed to so I personally reposition it so that he looks like he is operating the gun.

Skullsmasher – Cybertronian Gator Mode

DSCF5589

A really good looking gator! Very long and well proportioned. They have done their best with the colour scheme so it doesn’t look as sickening as the G1 versions does and I really like the details in the mouth with all those individual teeth and the segmenting detail on the tounge. The head can swivel somewhat which is good, but it can be hard to make the tail sit flush with the gators arse. Grax’s compartment actually has a rubber hatch which is an odd choice and the placement has changed, instead of being afraid he would get swallowed like the G1 toy, in this case he already has been and is half way to the gut.

Scourge – Cybertronian Hovercraft

DSCF5571

Like Blurr he is really compact and really good looking. One of the most triangular of body in shape ones I’ve seen done of the Sweep class, looks a lot like they did in some episodes the Season 3 cartoon. You can put his big blaster on the front of the hovercraft which makes him look pretty badass, but obscures a lot of the nicer details of the mode. I actually think Scourge having a small cockpit works, it is flush enough with the rest of the hovercraft that it doesn’t change the aesthetic much, however it’s still noticeable and the dark blue hue suits it well.

Overall

The Titans Return toyline, as well as acting as a revival for the Headmaster gimmick, is filling a lot of holes for peoples Generations collections. We now have a Scourge that’s not a flying wing, a Blurr that’s not a terran car, a Hardhead that’s not a SWAT armoured vehicle and our first Skullsmasher(cruncher) of the line. G1 fans will be very happy with the appearance of these four, others may be happy with the versions they already have. But between the great alt-modes, the little Titans Return partners and the overall decent quality I heartily recommend these four figures.

Note: For a more detailed review of Hardhead, check out My Hardhead review thread on Ozformers

Meaty Goodness!

Burgers Review #2: – The TRADIE, The TRUCKIE & The MALLEE BOMB!

July 13, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

As a rule if a dish has a manly name like ‘Tradie’, ‘Truckie’ or ‘Bomb’ then it’s going to be something yours truly is going to want to shove in his gob! Why? Well besides desperately trying to hide ones insecurities from the world by appearing macho and gruff on the outside, hiding the wobbly, gelatin-like persona within, it usually means there is going to be lots of MEAT!

On a recent state-crossing trip I had occasion to drop in to three different cafe’s which had foodstuffs like those described above on their menu. So lets examine them and see if they were worth this weary traveller’s mastication.

The TRADIE Burger

Location: Gray St Café, Swan Hill, VIC

Despite the blokey name this came across as a pretty standard, average burger. Cheese, lettuce, egg, bacon, tomato, sauce – the patty was sausage mince with carrot throughout which was kinda different. No onion which was a shame. It was nice that they will change the fillings based on your predilections (I went with two friends; one didn’t want bacon, another didn’t want egg, I didn’t want tomato) but it all came across as something that you could buy most anywhere. If these burgers were boobs they would be B-cups – certainly enough there to sate your appetite, but leaving you wishing there had been more to them. Not really recommended.

The TRUCKIE Burger

Location: Balfours Cafe, Birkenhead, SA

Now we are talking more of a burger! The usual lettuce, tomato, sauce, onion, egg etc but then double meat, double cheese and double bacon! And by Primus the amount of bacon – they easily could have referred to it as quadruple bacon! The amount of oil dripping off this burger was a bit disturbing, the wrapper felt like I could use it to grease myself up and then toboggan on my gut down the nearest freeway. But you know what, after eating what felt like half a pigs worth of crispy goodness I was feeling sexy enough to try! Happily recommended.

The MALLEE BOMB!

Location: Cobb & Co Café, Murrayville, VIC/SA border

I ordered this thinking it was a lamb burger, but when it arrived it turned out to be some sort of weird dissected souvlaki. Chips covered with Mallee Lamb, with cheese, fried onion and garlic sauce drizzled all over the thing! Chuck a few bits of pita bread on top and yeah, it looks like a souvlaki had a bomb implanted in it which subsequently burst on your plate, leaving it’s yummy innards splayed upon the ceramic battlefield. I will say that they were not mucking about when they said they were using Mallee Lamb – this was really top quality meat! Very tender and succulent indeed, you will walk away from the table feeling fit to burst – the sign of a damn fine meal! Highly recommended!

Fan Interviews & Art

Fan Art – Big PM Trev Campaign Poster!

June 9, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Today I was totally blown away! Scott, a talented fellow who has tirelessly campaigned on my behalf in the past, sent me this mock up he did of what one of my posters would look like if I did run for the Prime Ministership.

I'd vote for me, and I am me so if anyone should know I would... — I’d vote for me, and I am me so if anyone should know I would…

Considering I don’t even know how to resize a pic 90% of the time, I was very impressed with what Scott has done here, as well as admiring him for his excellent choice in subject matter.

Good on ya Scott, I am very flattered and chuffed!

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Album Review – ‘Transformers: Roll Out’

May 17, 2016 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

Many things can inspire someone to song, be it the rise of the sun over the plains, the look of affection in their lovers eye, the heartache of loss and regret. However apparently giant alien robots can stir the muse within as well, and so we have ‘Transformers: Roll Out’

This CD was touted as the Transformers inspired soundtrack. This means it’s not from a Transformers cartoon or movie, but is meant to be a collection of songs by artists that have felt inspired by huge transforming mechanoids from beyond the stars. The CD is made up of 10 tracks, all from relatively obscure bands and artists:

“Roll Out” – Mount Holly
“This House is on Fire” – Bush
“Gigantik” – Crash Kings
“Count to Ten” – MEW
“Into the Fire” – Elle Rae
“Exiled” – SPURS
“Just a Spark” – Jameson Burt
“Stronger” – Ours
“Modern Man” – Darby™
“Our Revolution” – Born Cages

Now some of these songs actually do have Transformer themed lyrics embedded within their songs. Examples are:

Roll Out – Mount Holly

“Let’s Roll Out, Rise Up…”

References to Optimus catch phrase before battle, and Megatrons battle cry from the Animated series

Exiled – Spurs

“We are the exiled ones – the lost daughters and sons of Cybertron.”

Reference to the myriad of Transformers genres where they had to abandon their home planet.

Just a Spark – Jameson Burt

“One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall”

Optimus catch phrase before he and Megatron have a big battle in the Animated and live action Movie.

So yes, there is some Transformer stuff in there for the robot aficionado. However it doesn’t really save this CD from mediocrity. A couple of songs aren’t bad, the first one on the CD by Mount Holly certainly being the best of the bunch. But this is really a CD of filler songs, as in they are not the songs you hate, but ones you’d expect to be jammed between the big hits on other CD’s. The ones you would listen to because you can’t be bothered pressing the ‘Next Track’ button on your cars sound system.

This CD cost me eighteen bucks from JB Hi-Fi. So about $1.80 a song which isn’t bad but you could probably download them cheaper off iTunes or something. There is nothing to hate about this CD, but very little to get excited about either. Only recommended as a purchase if, like me, you are a Transformers fan that does a LOT of driving out of radio range and need all the tunes you can get to fill in those lonely country miles.

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Masterpiece Shockwave

May 2, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Ah Shockwave, the guy that many adults – who liked TF’s but weren’t nuts about it – could never remember the name of because it sounded too much like ‘Soundwave’. To the true TF nut, he was a big purple fragger who psychologically was a mixture of Spock from Star Trek and Brute from Shakespeare – he will stab you in the back if he thinks it’s logical to do so. Or since he turns into a giant space laser, he will just blow you up and whatever planet you happen to be standing on at the time.

Series – Masterpiece
New/remould/redeco – new
Wave – MP-29
Approximate Retail Price – 16800 yen
Approximate Size – 25cm
Allegiance – Decepticon
Alt-mode – Laser Vulcan
Main Features/Gimmicks – Light up guns
Main Colours – Purple, grey/lilac
Main Accessories – Mini Shockwave, backpack/stand, opaque fist & salute hand, clear plastic fist, salute and gun hand

Giant Space Laser Gun Mode

Wow – it’s really long! That took me somewhat by surprise but considering I have the G1 Shockwave toy and have seen every screen appearance Shockers ever made about a hundred times I should have expected it. I think this figure is beating out my G1 Shockwave and G1 Sixshot for the biggest Transformer Gun in my collection (no I’m not counting movie ones that just went from vehicle to hollow blaster you put your hand in).

Length aside, he has girth too. Very solid feeling though because of the relatively light plastic he is not all that heavy. Also the barrel is that nice wide hexagon shape that seems peculiar to Shockwave’s weapon mode. So between length, girth and width Shockwave feels very secure in himself in weapon mode and along with the lovely lilac colour it makes him a perfect Masterpiece present for the ladies. His dimensions certainly makes a lot of the Targetmasters feel inadequate about themselves at any rate.

Robot Mode

We have had quite a few nice Shockwave toys over the years, even those that were not brilliant in alt-mode tended to have some good looking robot modes. This is a great looking Shockwave and much like MP Ratchet whom I opened the other day the most faithful representation of the G1 cartoon character we have had. Everything is there from the see-thru chest, the laser barrel on the left arm, the power conduit going from that arm to his back, the ears/antenna, the cyclopean eye – everything is just right. You would be hard pressed to find fault with him, especially with the myriad of different hand attachments he comes with, the light up features and even the mini-version of himself he used in one episode. Add to all this the spot-on colour scheme, proportions and poseability and he is a winner!

Transformation

One of the most straight forward Masterpieces I have tackled in a long time. One could argue that he turns into a gun with arms as the barrel and legs as the grip so he should be straight forward but Megatron could be said to be similar and transforming that MP was a nightmare! You can do this guy easily without the instructions. Easy, but not annoyingly so, you will be getting your money’s worth.

Overall

Well we finally have the all the big time commanders from Season 1 & 2 – Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream and Megatron in Masterpiece form so there is plenty of battle scenes awaiting you collectors to have fun with! Given the relatively cheap materials Shockwave is made from I think that the price he goes for is a tad exorbitant but I have zero buyers regret. You want a great version of that one-eyed, one-handed, logical-to-a-fault Military Operations Commander? Well you got it!

Space Cop

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Team Sky Reign

April 24, 2016 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Team Sky Reign of the Combiner Wars is one of those groups that doesn’t quite make sense considering the characters in play. Four ground vehicle Autobots from Season 2 of the cartoon, a giant space shuttle Autobot from season 3 as the body and then the Junkion Leader as some sort of proxy backpack. Pretty odd group to become a gestalt eh? Personally I purchased these simply as I find it very hard to pass up a figure that is a G1 character homage – unlike the traditional combiner teams (Stunticons, Protectobots etc) these guys will be staying separate rather than in their gestalt form for the most part in my display.

Robot Modes

Hound – Scout

Quite a nice looking Hound. The mould suits him really well and is indicative of his other incarnations. Good colours and poseability. Nice head sculpt too and the facial expression suits Hound quite well – no chain-beards here!

Smokescreen – Diversionary Tactician

Lovely colours, but one of the boxiest Smokescreens we’ve had in years. No particularly sleek lines and no doors coming off the shoulders. Legs and arms fairly poseable. Nice forehead fins in yellow, a bit too blue in the legs.

Trailbreaker – Defensive Tactician

Actually – surprisingly good! For me the Generations version had the front of the vehicle facing too far forward instead of downward for him to be truly Trailbreaker’esque. The flat chest and stomach actually seem to suit the figure well. Another bonus is his rounded blaster hand – this is something I never noticed in any of the pics I saw online so was a very pleasant surprise and helps give him his own feel. A shame they put it on the right hand instead of the left as in the cartoon it was always the left but you can overlook it. Good poseability, great colours, excellent head sculpt.

Wheeljack – Mechanical Engineer

Wanna know why Wheeljack is so small in the picture? Because every time I took a photo up close Wheeljack appeared as a flare because he is so white with nothing breaking it up! All the rumours you’ve heard about Wheelkjacks lack of paint apps are true. They’ve given him the windshield on the gut yet its white, his hands are white – everything is plain white! Worst looking Wheeljack we’ve had for years (if you don’t count the Tiny Titans one).

Sky Lynx – Lieutenant Commander

A nice looking Sky Lynx indeed. While the poseability isn’t great nearly every part of him can be repositioned to some extent (wings, tail, legs, feet, neck, mouth) so you can give him different looks. Blasters can be attached to the wings or to elongate the tail.

Wreck Gar – Junkion Leader

The beard should have been a bit less dark, as it is it looks like a big black smudge on the bottom of his face – a shame since there is actual definition between the mustache and the beard. He is very lanky too but pretty good for such a small figure. Could’ve used an axe.

Vehicle Modes

Hound – Army Jeep

Like Swindle this is his weaker mode. It’s not a bad looking jeep overall but it doesn’t quite work on some levels. That said, it’s a more grown-up looking jeep than the Universe version and a more milatristic looking jeep than the Alternators version. Having the star on the hood and being able to put the silver gun at the back and off to one side make this toy look more Hound’esque. Once again like Swindle there are little details like saddlebags etc on the sides which are easy to overlook as they have received no paint apps.

Smokescreen – Sports Car

Very nice indeed! Well proportioned, good paintjob, 38’s on the doors and hood – overall very Smokescreen’esque.

Trailbreaker – SUV

A case where using the hand/foot attachment actually seems to serve some purpose. It acts like a removable cab over the ute tray to give him much more of a G1 feel. This is ruined if you look at him from behind with the thumb sticking out and all but from the front and sides it really works. They also got the stripes just right on the sides of the vehicle.

Wheeljack – Race Car

Certainly his redeeming mode. Looks really good and is very faithful in shape, colour and concept to the Wheeljack character. Very nice indeed if still somewhat plain looking.

Sky Lynx – Space Shuttle

Besides the undercarriage sticking out from under the back of the Space Shuttle good and it’s very faithful to the original Sky Lynx concept in terms of proportions, colour scheme and shape. Very nice. Blasters can once again be attached to the wings.

Wreck Gar – Motorcycle

A sleek, futuristic looking motorcycle. Could have used a bit more gray instead of yellow and maybe the odd spike. Not a bad reuse of the Groove mold however.

Combined Mode – Sky Reign

*I showed up once in the comics where I had different limb characters and worked for Galvatron. How humiliating!*

Actually, you know what? It’s not that bad looking a gestalt! The Lynx head looks very cool indeed and differentiates him from the other gestalts in look. Sky Lynx overall works really well as a torse, providing a great looking head, chest and limb connectors. The fact his two blasters combine into one huge sword is very cool too. The rest of the team are quite interchangeable as limbs, it doesn’t really seem to affect the look too much whom you put where. Smokescreen in particular looks like his colour scheme works well alongside that of Sky Lynx. The limbs aren’t really super impressive, you’ve seen all these molds as limbs on the other combiners before. But the overall effect of these guys combined is better than I thought it would be and Sky Reign can be posed in a myriad of ways. Wreck-Gar really doesn’t work anywhere on him, not even as an odd looking backpack, I can understand why he was dropped from the official description of the gestalt at the last second. It’s interesting that Sky Reign has finally shown up in popular fiction (the IDW comics Transformers #52 & #53) yet not only was Wreck-Gar left out but the limbs were completely different characters.

Overall it’s a fun group (Wheeljacks poor robot look notwithstanding) with a surprisingly fun combined mode. It’s a shame that Wreck Gar doesn’t really connect properly since all the other gestalts are made up of six figures (even if they just become a weapon) but there are ways around it. So Wave 6 of the Combiner Wars gets a big thumbs up from Big Transformer Trev.

Multiverse Gallery of Sky Lynx toys

Meaty Goodness!, Tales of the Trev

Burger Review #1: Big Angry Trev vs Australia’s Hottest Hamburger!

April 20, 2016 Big Angry Trev 3 Comments

Preface: The “TNT Burger” is the hottest 100% Australian made burger in the world ! We use sauces made by “The Chilli Factory” including the lastest “Scorpion Strike” which is made with the hottest chilli in the world – the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T,,we also use the famous “Turbo Supercharge” as well as “Devils Delirium” in our patty among with other special flavours ! The patty is 330gm infused with the above sauces,the bun is 200gm,the burger is topped with fresh chillis, 2 rashers of bacon,tomato,lettuce,onion& cheese and of course The Chilli Factory’s award winning sauces! Many have tried with no luck and a sore ring im sure ! Only 14 people have successfully munched it down ! Those who have succeeded get their name on the “Wall of Flame” and receive a Chilli Factory stubbie holder and lanyard ! Now with the new hottest chilli in the world (“Trinidad Scorpion Butch T ) the burger will be at its hottest

Thursday

11.00am: I telephone the venue and book the burger challenge the requisite 24-hours in advance. I am informed that the burger will cost $15 because of the imported chili’s and they will not start it’s preparation until I am on site.

Friday

11.15am: I take a group of teenagers, whom (quite understandably) look to me as their guiding inspiration, down to the venue so they can watch me eat it. I figure that I’m used to eating hot sauce pretty often and if it’s too hot I’ll just wolf it down fast. I have what drinks I will require all squared up in my head and I feel ready for the challenge.

11.20am: They start to make the burger. I see how big the patty is and realize I won’t be wolfing this down fast – it’s very big! The boys and I are watching the chef at work with growing trepidation. We see the imported chili’s taken out, chopped up and put on (there’s a lot of them – I find out later from the chef that they are in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the hottest in the world!). A lot of the sauces being poured on have ratings adorning the labels such as 12/10 hotness!

11.25am: The chefs wife comes out, informs me of the contest rules. There can be no drinking during the challenge (uh-oh!), I have to sit at this table in the middle of the place by myself so no one else gets any of the hot sauces on them by accident. I need to wear special gloves when eating it (holy crap!). They provide napkins and say only use one at a time to wipe my mouth (apparently my lips and skin will be burning) then discard so I don’t spread the juices and make it worse. They provide one of my entourage a cooled tea towel and instruct him that he will need to mop my forehead fairly often. They also instruct me to keep the sauces/juices away from my eyes as I could end up in hospital if I get any in there.

11.30am: I sit down, now somewhat nervous and don the gloves. My disciples set themselves up at a respectful distance to watch and some film with their phones. The burger comes out (it is damn big!). I’m informed I have two hours to eat it, most people that have managed it (only 14 out of the few hundred that have tried) take about an hour.

Burger

11.31am: I take my first bite. It’s hot, damn hot, but nothing I can’t handle. I decide to try and get it down fast so I start really hoeing in. The lads are laughing and encouraging me.

11.35am: Mouth and throat now on fire! Really want a drink. Starting to slow with my eating.

11.40am: Lips and surrounding skin now burning. Using napkins after each bite. Have broken out in the sweats – armpits saturated and forehead needing to be frequently mopped. Lads laughter has turned to unsure giggles.

11.45am: Starting to feel nauseous, eating slow. Needing a break after each bite with eyes closed and slow breathing. The Chef appears and tells my entourage not to make any noise as people often need peace at this part of the process.

11.50am: Taking a full minute break between each bite. Two-thirds of burger gone. Mouth and throat no longer on fire as they have gone numb. Nausea has become quite intense. Really sweating hard.

11.55am: Disciples now silent except for one telling me he thinks I should stop. The chefs wife comes to check on me, tells me if I start to have chest pains she will be forced to stop the challenge.

12.00pm: Nausea now very intense. Feeling a very odd tingling sensation down both arms I have never felt before. Hands shaking, eyes closed, breathing heavily.

12.05pm: Having to chew each tiny mouthful about 50 times before I can swallow it. Throat numb and swollen. Even eating a tiny piece of onion makes me feel like I am going to vomit. Dead silence in the venue, everyone watching intently, no one cheering me on anymore, just a lot of worried faces.

12.10pm: Stomach now not only nauseous but I am feeling definite acute pains down there. The tingling in my arms has become very intense. Strong headache coming on. Skin ever redder than usual. I take a bite of the patty about the size of a mint. Realize that if I swallow it I will definitely vomit. Look at my plate, there is about a fifth of the burger to go. I realize that I’m going to lose the challenge – I just can’t do it! Take the piece of meat out of my mouth, put it on the table and admit defeat with a hung head.

12.11pm: The teenagers all breathe a sigh of relief and I realize just how intense the atmosphere had become. The Chef’s wife brings me some fresh watermelon and a drink which I take gratefully. The Chef himself comes out, we shake hands and I compliment him on his victory. We chat for about 5 minutes, turns out that the first time he tried the challenge he couldn’t do it either. I vow to come back next year and take another crack at it. I don’t get my name on the wall or the other prizes but he gives me a lanyard for getting so close. The Chef’s wife warns me that I should not kiss anyone for the next 5 hours because the heat transfers and it could cause them pain and made quite the point of emphasizing I should not kiss anyone anywhere, don’t think she was talking about at the Opera somehow.

12.15pm: I drive back to work, find a cool quiet bit of carpet in front of an air conditioner in a low traffic area and lie down. A bemused but sympathetic co-worker gets me some pain killers from the First Aid cabinet. I count down the clock until the day ends, trying not to vomit. Go home and spend the rest of the day with severe stomach pains coming and going. Drinking milk seems to alleviate the worst symptoms.

Saturday

3.10am: Wake up with stomach hurting and something definitely going wrong downstairs. Go to the toilet. What I can only assume is a form of viscous fire erupts from the lower part of me. Spend the next half hour on the toilet in intense pain and my backside feeling just as much on fire as my mouth had done 15 hours earlier.

3.40am: Take pain killers and alka-seltzers and go back to bed, vowing not to go back next year and try again.

Afterword: I tell this story with a sense of shame. It is the only time in my entire life I have failed a food challenge and failure does not sit well with me, so I may be stupid enough to make another attempt some time in the future. In the end it was the nausea the burger was creating that beat me (and given the ingredients I am not surprised) rather than how hot it was making my mouth so maybe something to line my stomach beforehand may be in order.

Big Angry Trev!

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