RotF: Sideswipe
You got to applaud Michael Bay. Hack director or not, he knows his shit when it comes to making money. Instead of upfront payment as a director, the man now demands a slice of net profits. That means whatever money one of his movies brings in after the studio expenses, he gets a percentage. For “Pearl Harbor” it was 50%. Who knows how much how much it was for the Transformers movie or for the sequel.
He gets the same kind of deal for the toyline. According to Forbes, The Bayman gets an estimated 8% royalty on Transformer toy profits. Imagine the kind of moolah that brings in? Every time you go to the toy store and pick up a new movie toy, a few pesos are going into this doink’s pocket.
It’s almost enough to make me want to return my Sideswipe.
Almost.
Apparently, this new bot is the cream of the crop from Wave 2 of the new Revenge of the Fallen Toyline. It’s not hard to understand why. The toy is the epitome of slick, with a great vehicle and robot form, a gimick that doesn’t completely suck, and a paint job that rivals the ones on Premium Jazz from the first movie.
Overall, Sideswipe definitely deserves the praise he’s been getting on the forums, and the attention he’s been getting from scalpers. You’d be lucky to find this guy in toy stores nowadays. As soon as he’s re-stocked, their picked up by either voracious collectors, or opportunistic specialty stores to re-sell. I’ve been actively searching for one since missing out on it during the toy lauch a few weeks ago and have seen him for more than 200% of retail at several shops. Luckily, I was able to find one in Kidstation in Greenbelt.
Naturally, I did the Meposian Dance of Joy and ran to the cash register, cash in hand.
I don’t know how accurate to the original his back story is, but the toy itself isn’t too close to the G1 Sideswipe. For one thing, he was a red Lambourghini. This guy’s a silver concept Corvette. Pretty looking thing really, almost nice enough to replace the Shelby GT as my favorite car. While I wish they had stuck with the nice candy apple red of the original, this silver finish is really beautiful for a mass market toy.
There are problems with the silver paint though. From looking at Sideways and the old Premium Jazzes, there’s a high chance of an error somewhere. Dust, scratches, globs of paint on the surface, or at the edges. I can see it’s going to be hard to keep this guy in pristine condition.
There is also the fact that unlike the old Premium line, He doesn’t get much paint on the internal parts. Alot of his robot parts are just cast plastic. Not really bad, and totally understandable considering costs, but It would have been nice to see a few more paint apps on his arms and legs.
The transformation to robot is unique. It’s nowhere near as hard as the Leader Class Prime, but it’s very satisfying for an old fan like me. It’s not something rehashed from past bots for one thing. You basically start by pulling out his arms from the rear, opening the hood and flipping down his legs, locking the chest in place. You can do it in a minute or two.
There is another quality issue on mine where the hood halves don’t lay flush together. You can see it in one of the pictures above. I think there may be some extra plastic in one of the tabs underneath that is preventing it, but I’m loath to mess with it.
He’s got the chicken legs that are becoming so popular in the Bayverse. The biggest problem he has really is the feet, and it’s one I can’t understand. They’re made from the corners of his hood, and aside from being backwards, they are not flat. This makes him a real bitch to stand up, forget any kick tests. If you have any stands from other toy lines like Gundam or Revoltech, I suggest you use them.
His gimick is his “swords” which while generally looking the part, don’t really sell themselves as blades. They are way to thick and look more like exactly what they are, pieces of his doors. Still, it’s a nice little tick that you can add on, and I can forgive them that since it is made for kids.
The door pieces are geared, so when you turn one, the other turns with it. You can leave them up, like in the photo above, or you leave them in the middle, you get Edward Scissorhands.
He’s also got this “Mech Alive” malarky that is on all the new toys. It’s a ridiculous marketing ploy that touts it self as pieces of armor that move to the ideal angle that will deflect incoming laser attacks. piffle. On Sidswipe, you’ll find it on his knees. If you move his leg, a blue piece on the front moves out. Nothing that adds anything to the toy, but nothing that subtracts from it either.
With all the ball joints on this sucker, you’ll get him in some great poses, but with his feet, you’ll need the aforementioned stand for him to keep any of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of him standing on his wheels like rollerblades, but there should have been an extra piece that would allow for some stability.
That being said, he’s a great toy and shoud be added to any shopping list of fans.
Dirge vs. Roadbuster
I reviewed the Springer vs. Ratbat boxset a while back and alot of the same things can be said of this one. Thanks to Hasbro’s need to clear the shelves for the coming of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Playkit, the local distributor was able to get a ton of cheap Transformers and give everyone a chance at figures that we weren’t able to score when the first movie came out.
It was a great move on the part of the distributor, since many new kids and collectors were introduced to the various Transformer lines and were parents were actually able to afford them despite the economic downturn. In addition, the deluge of cheaper toys has fueled a frenzy of demand that I’m sure hasn’t been seen in a long time. If you were at the Revenge of the Fallen Toy Launch held in Megamall on March 30, 2009, then you saw first hand how big Transformers has become. Brand recognition hasn’t been this good since the 80’s.
Anyway, among those bargin bin toy sets that are filling shelves in Toy Kingdom, the Target Exclusive two-pack, “Autobot Ambush” is one of those with the best value.
The box has two Transformers in it, one Voyager Class, and one Deluxe, which is why this is such a great deal. Usually, this set is priced at about p2200-2500, but thanks to Playkit and Hasbro, we can enjoy a sweet sweet price of just p1000.00. That’s the same price as some of the other Voyager Class toys from the Movie line that are on sale. And these sets even come with a comic (though it’s not a great one).
Out of the box, they look kind of mis-matched. The odd color choices are a turn off for me. I would have preferred a more realistic scheme for Roadbuster than the orange and green, and the freakishly bright blue of Dirge just screams “SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME!.
Since these two are both re-paints from older toy lines, they don’t really fit in perfectly with the newer figures. Some of their joint work is obviously a little older and you won’t be getting them into any super acrobatic poses. Still, the Cybertron line was pretty good compared to the old bricks articulation wise so these remain pretty fun.
Roadbuster is a great figure despite the fact that he isn’t really in scale if he really is an APC. At the Deluxe size, he’s comparable to the tiny Transformers Universe Galvatron, who was a tiny tiny tank. Next to the other Deluxe cars, he’s puny. Really really miniscule. itty bitty.
But like I said, there are things that make up for these little things. For one, his robot mode looks totally amazing. He looks like a little unruly schoolyard devil looking for trouble. It’s perfect for a member of the Wreckers, and if they would go ahead and make a DECENT Springer already, this toy would look great right along side him.
Another thing about the Deluxe figure in this set is the articulation. He’s very good considering the age of the mold. Though some of the arcs are interrupted (like his knee joints) by the body or kibble, for the most part, he’s got pretty much what you need from a Transformer toy. It’s not Marvel Legends level articulation, but he stands well, and doesn’t look like a brick doing it.
The best thing about him is the hidden missle racks. Sure he’s got two top-mounted machine guns, but that doesn’t cut it considering the advance armor tech Cybertronians are bound to enjoy. If you remember Robotech (or Macross and the thousand rip-offs thereof) then you probably wowed at the little boxes of tiny missles that went every which way but straight ahead and then proceeded to blow up a cloud of enemies. It was like the opposite of a GI Joe vs Cobra firefight. Never understood how anyone survived those exchanges.
Well, Roadbuster is packing 6 hidden missle racks while he’s in robot mode. There are two on his shoulders you just open, two on his legs you have to flip over, and two more that are unlocked using the Cybertron key gimmick (my collection of Cybertron molds is growing, but I still am not sold on this key thing). He’s a veritable wall of ordanance by himself, and what he lacks in size, he makes up for in firepower. If that weren’t enough, he’s got a little detachable sword in case he runs out of gunpowder.
The APC mode is ok, but nothing to write home about. This is where the weird color combos really show up. The orange, brown and green make him look very odd. I would have prefered a more realistic look to him.
The only missle rack you see in this mode is the ones inside his guns. You can activate it the same way, using his key. It look really unusual though, so I keep ‘em closed. 
Unlike most people buying this set, I prefer the Dirge toy to Roadbuster though. He’s bigger, being a Voyager Class toy and his color scheme is less ridiculous. The blue and black go well (though still too bright), and though I could do without the browns, it’s passable. I do like how his face is black. Makes him look… shifty.
I prefer him in robot mode to his jet mode. It’s not that the jet mode is bad, it’s just that his robot form is so much more fun. He comes with a spring-loaded weapon that acts as a pistol for the robot or a cannon for the jet. Like Roadbuster, Dirge shares a Cybertronian feature and it unlocks two blades hidden in his wings. They pop out when you insert the key in his back. They make for great looking weapons, though because of his bulk, alot of the articulation they’ve given him is limited in range.
There is a quality concern with his swords. On mine, the key mechanism isn’t fully functional and it doesn’t allow the sword on one side to extend. The lock won’t disengage. It’s really frustrating and I have to get a knife to pry out the sword if I change my displays. I don’t know if it’s like this with all of them, but it’s something you might consider before buying one.
His jet mode is pretty straight forward. A “futuristic” spaceship. It doesn’t look all that great, but I find it fun. Much better than the “Cybertronian jets” we’ve been getting from the movie lines. The pop-out swords still work while he’s in this form, but look kind of silly. There are Legends Class toys based on this mold that have gun barrels instead of swords, and I think that might have been a better choice of weapon.
Both of the toys have a pretty simple transformation scheme, an they’re both fairly obvious. If you can’t transform them without the instructions, you deserve to get your fanboy badge revoked. This isn’t a bad thing, since simple transformations allow you to have alot more fun with the toys. Witness the incredibly complex Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Prime. Level 4 complexity means about 15 minutes from robot to truck. There’s only so long I can do the “choo-chew-chu-chew” noise before I turn blue in the face.
Both Dirge and Roadbuster are good toys. Getting them together for p1000.00 is even better. If you don’t have either molds from their previous releases, I highly recommend getting this set while you still can.
RotF: Scout Class Assortment 1
Of all the sizes of Transformers today, I think the Scout Class is by far my favorite. They are just the right size to allow you to play with them at your desk, transform in a reasonable amount of time, and allow for some decent articulation. Legends Class figures are cute, but many have horrible articulation and can’t really do anything. Leader Class figures are expensive and their “Level 4″ transformations are way too involved to go over it regularly. Scout Classes are just right.
Which is why when I was given the chance to buy either the new Deluxe movie toys or these new Scout robots, I chose these.
There are supposed to be 6 new Scouts in the assortments for the new Revenge of the Fallen movie, but only 4 have made it to our shore so far. They are Dirt Boss, Dead End, Rollbar, and Knock Out. Depthcharge and Ransack will come in later assortments I assume.
The packages for Scout Class figures never really changes. They are always on blister packs, with cards that display their two forms. This time around, they come in robot form. The price has jumped from it’s p500.00 mark when the original movie came out to now p650.00. Considering a Deluxe figure goes for p700.00, it’s hard to justify the price hike. Word has it that the Deluxe assortments will get their price hike too, so maybe it’s not so bad.
Out of the package, these are just as cool as any Transformer I have in my collection. Each has excellent articulation and unlike most movie toys, a relatively un-silly robot form. First up is Knock Out.
He has a transformation similar to the Arcee/Elita mold from Energon, which isn’t bad. I think most will agree that that is the best way to transform a motorcycle to a robot. He shares the same wheels over the shoulder design she had, so it looks as if he’s got a jetpack attached. His exhaust forms a gun, which is a great little touch.
Articulation is excellent, second only to Dirt Boss. His paint and colors are really nice, making him good for just about any mission. I really like his sculpt, and if you want, you could even use him as a bike for 1:18th scale figures. Or at least Microman scale.
Dirt Boss is my third on my list. He has excellent articulation, better than any, with some wrist and ankle action thown in. I love the fact that he transforms into a forklift. It’s just so backwards. What do you change into. A Porche! Well I’m a FORKLIFT!
His forks (?) become his weapons. Twin blades that are slung underneath his arms. They look kind of bulky. I’d love to see some kind of add on to turn them into chain guns for some real bad-assery.
Roll Bar is probably my least favorite. He’s got a nice transformation, mostly shell-former with a little twist thrown in. I would have liked him better if he looked more like a FedEx or UPS van, and didn’t have such a long torso and short arms. It really looks un-proportioned. Still, his decent articulation and fun factor really count for alot.
Dead End is just plain cool. From the time I read his description, I couldn’t wait to play with him. It says he walks around on all fours and tends to suck other Decepticons dry without them realizing it. It sounds alot like the old Night Vipers from GI Joe.
His articulation is weird, with his arms limited by the big panels and his feet not really lending themsleves well to him crawling. But with a little imagination, he can be pouncing on bots in no time.
So bottom line. Are they good? Yes. Definitely. If you have the scratch, go out and find them.
Are they value for your money? Absolutely not. These things are about 3-4″ tall. At p650.00 a pop, they aren’t cheap. If you’re on a budget and only want the core bots, I suggest getting the Deluxe assortment.
Leader Class Optimus Prime
If you read any of my reviews of the toys from the first movie, you’ll not that I’m not really a fan of the line. There are alot of things they try that doesn’t really work. The original Voyager Starscream, the Voyager Ironhide, and the abyssmal Leader Class Megatron, which frankly belonged in the bargin bin it ended up in. As the second movie approached, Hasbro needed to get rid of the their leftover stocks, so local distributors got a great deal on the toys which translated to very, very happy kids and collectors here in the Philippines.
Among that sea of blah product, I found the original Transformers the movie Leader Class Optimus Prime. This was the one Transformers Movie toy that I could not stop playing with. It had all these great things going for it. Heft, electronics sound and lights, articulation, a spring-loaded projectile launcher, rubber tires, a a great look that was worthy of the name “Prime”.
Skip to today. Hasbro releases the toys for the second movie. Overall, I think they did a fantastic job. Not only did they bring back favorites (re: re-paints) like Ratchet, Ironhide, and Bumblebee, they gave us brand new characters, and still managed made new molds for some of the biggies. Megatron (aka “Chickenwing”), Starscream (a huge improvement), and Optimus Prime.
The new Leader Class Optimus Prime comes packaged in a box that is more well designed than the original. At first I didn’t like the look of them, since it looked like it was complicated and going to be quite a job opening from the pictures, but it turns out, the box is perfect. It’s just big enough to offer some protection, but not too big to waste tons of space. It’s has a nice window on the front to show off the figure, and even windows on the side. It opens like a REGULAR BOX. You cut the tape on the side and open it, sliding out the tray. How INGENIOUS! There a few twist ties to go through, but once they’re cut through, you’re good to go.
Out of the box, he’s a monster of a robot. He’s easily a head taller than the old Leader Class Prime, with a sleeker, more “athletic” build. It really is amazing how they’ve engineered him to have the least amount of kibble he possibly could. The first release had an odd sort of backpack with all this extra truck stuff, plus little doohickeys and thingamajigs that were obviously after thoughts that didn’t have anywhere to go. This guys all put together. There is still a backpack, but it looks more like it’s supposed to be there, like it houses important, FUNCTIONAL gadgetry.
Articulation is even better than the first Optimus. Because his legs are longer, he can have a much wider stance. His arms as well have a range of movement that just boggles the mind. His feet still retain the ball joints the first one had, but they’re much more useful now.
If there was a two-handed sword that came with him, I’m sure that he could hold it above his head and swing for the fences. He’s even able to look down in a way, thanks to a little extension that has to do with his transformation.
He still has the whole electronic lights and sounds gimmck that kids seem to love. In Robot mode, he says “I am Optimus Prime” over and over again. In truck mode, there’s a sound that I suppose is something like a truck rollign along the highway. When you transform him, there’s also an automatic “Transformation” sound (It’s triggered by a hidden switch which really sucks). If you’re a dad, I’d think twice about buying this for your son as all three sounds will be triggered when he transforms this thing, which can get really REALLY irritating.
Speaking of transformations, this has got to be the toughest sonofabitch I’ve ever come across. I love trying to figure out how to change a bot to vehicle without the instructions, but after a good hour trying to figure out how to get the cab to come down, I gave in.
I shouldn’t have bothered. It turns out, the instructions are worthless. due to the way he transforms, the graphics on the sheet are useless in illustrating what you need to do.
I got about here when I gave up:
After struggling with him for that hour, one of his chest pieces finally came off and I realized it was supposed to. You took them off like so:
And locked them into place beneath the hood cover, like so:
Sad to say, the vehicle mode leaves something to be desired.
I don’t know if I was spoiled by the first toy, or if it really is a reality, but the Return of the Fallen Optimus seems to be much cheaper than it’s predecessor. First off, you’ll notice he’s smaller than the older one. Though he towers over him in robot form, in vehicle mode, he’s slightly smaller in dimensions. His wheels are noticably smaller too.
Speaking of wheels, the new one’s are made of crappy plastic, not the excellent rubber tires of the first one. That feature sold me on the first one, and it’s lack in the new one is a big mark against it. There’s also the problem of his articulation. Though he does have some great arm movement, his leg joints leave something to be desired. His knew and ankle joints are good, but his thigh cuts are not. For some weird reason, mine are locked and can only rotate a few degrees, which makes all the other articulation less useful. Talk about aggravating. They also did away with the individual fingers. One of the best features in my opinion.
You’ll also note that if you were lucky or hard working enough to get yourself a Premium Optimus Prime during the overstock sales, then you’ve seen the nice sheen on the toy. The Nightwatch Prime shares the same kind of finish, which almost looks like metal. The plastic on the new one looks like the cheap cast plastic you’ll find in most toys, and it doesn’t have much in the way of paint apps to cover for it. The plastic of the smokestacks really annoys as well, since they’re translucent and bend much too easily.
Lastly, the swords. While the idea of Prime having two pop-out weapons to kick Decepticon tail with is all sorts of awesome, I do wish they didn’t pop-out every time you blew on them. It’s impossible to keep they in place while transforming him, and when he’s in robot mode, it’s impossible to pose him satisfactorily unless they’re out. They do not fit well in on his arms in the folded position and you can’t hid them. Personally, I liked the one you could remove.
Overall, I think that thought the new Optimus is a nice piece of engineering wizardry, it’s inferior to the first set of Leader Class toys. The points covered above take alot away from him. If you don’t have any of the first batch of Primes (regular, Nightwatch, or Premium), I’d say get him. If you do, then he’s not really a must buy.
Then again, This might all change when the Leader Class Jetfire comes out. The combined mode might push this Prime over the edge.
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Slangards
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