Gears of War 3: Locust Grunt figure

This figure is the Locust that came in the Gears of War 3 preview 2-pack with Marcus Fenix. He features awesome sculpting and paint detail, and enough articulation to be fun. The articulation is plentiful enough to get him into fun poses, without being wild enough for Street Fighter karate moves. The v-crotch is enough to get him to stand well, but he won't be crouching low any time soon. My only two disappointments are with the swivel neck (really wish it was ball jointed) and swivel wrists. Otherwise, he's a terrific looking display piece. The Grunt comes with a Hammerburst rifle- two of them, to be exact. One is the orange "flame" thing version, which looks too much like a Starburst candy for me to care to display. The other one (pictured), on the other hand, is well painted and weathered, making for a great look.

He also comes accessorized with a (loosely) holsterable pistol and a non-removable knife sculpted into a scabbard on his right thigh. Otherwise, what you see is what you get- loads of gray and black, full of buckles, pouches, leathery skin and hulking monstrosity. Enjoy! Oh, and yes, that's a hole you see in the lower left corner of his backpack for weapons to plug into...

Transformers Rescue Bots - Optimus Prime, Heatwave & Blades

 

If you're like me, you noticed Hasbro/Playskool's Transformers Rescue Bots a couple of months ago. They appeared around the same time as the Playskool Star Wars figures did. I haven't succumbed to many of those Star Wars offerings, though I'll admit that the ships look pretty amazing to me. These Transformers seemed to pale in comparison. They were blocky, chunky, simplistic, and most of them weren't even characters I'd ever heard of. The Hub aired a preview of the Rescue Bots show in mid-December, and neither I or my 5 year old were particularly impressed. So, why is this review being posted? Because, I've got to admit that I was wrong: for all their un-articulated and simplistic designs, these guys are an absolute blast to play with!

Let's start with the packaging. The designs are colorful and eye-catching cardbacks, with some personalized animation designs that include the robot's human counterpart (apparently, smaller, non-transforming sets include a human and a tool that can also be the robot's "weapon" or whatever). There's only a little wasted space along the "1 Easy Step!" fold-out, and the robot is held in place by 3 easy-to-snip twine ties. You'd figure some possible damage to the toy without a clamshell to protect it, but that isn't at all the case with any I've seen- they are all sturdy enough to withstand peg punishment relatively well (I won't say the same for the card backs, many of which have been bent or dented, but these guys really aren't for MIP collection anyway). 

The card backs include a little personalization in the form of the robot pictures and teammates, along with some generic background above the robot's head. Other figures from the line can be found under the bottom edge. The figures are billed for children ages 3-6, but these should be easy enough to handle that younger kids won't have a problem, and they are fun enough for kids (and adults) older than 6, as well. A small instruction booklet is included, which shows the transformation "process". I say process, but these guys all seem to transform in 1 easy step, which usually involves more of a "mechanism": Optimus transforms when his cab is tilted forward, Bumblebee transforms when his "top" is slid forward, Blades changes at the twist of a button atop his propeller, and Heatwave slides open when his fire ladder is raised. They all work well, are simple to accomplish, and are tons of fun- I've been switching them back and forth for days now.

So, how in the world did I end up with these guys when I never cared to give them a second glance? It all comes down to my kids. We've been messing around with Transformers since we got into the Transformers Prime show. Unfortunately, most of the toys we've gotten a hold of are pure torture for me and the kids. They don't stand up well, or fall apart at the joints, and most are way too difficult for the kids to transform. Many of them even frustrate me to no end. The kids were due for a report card reward, and my son pointed to some of the Dark of the Moon Transformers. The last thing I wanted was to deal with another one of those, so I "re-directed" him to the Playskool Rescue Bots. He grudgingly settled on Optimus Prime, and once we got home and realized how cool he is, the rest became history.

So, let's begin with Optimus Prime. The robot mode is what you see in the package, so his look is no surprise. The overall look, and detailing are both good, though I'm not a big fan of the flat back of his head (though it's necessary due to the toy's design). There's plenty of paint detail to enhance the look, and he's got the stacks and barrels included. Note that NOTHING on any of these figures is articulated. They do NOT pose, there are NO joints. What you see is what you get. That said, it isn't a terrible static pose: the fists and bent elbows add a little personality. But that's about it. As far as the transformation goes- it's truly simple. Push the legs together, elbows in and fold the head down while tilting the cab up, and you're done. Well, not quite. The feet can be tilted up to complete the back end. And that's it.

In truck mode, Optimus looks like...well, Optimus. He's readily recognizable, as you can tell from the pictures. The wheels spin freely and it's a great overall look. We had some issues initially with the head not staying closed, or the elbows popping out, but I discovered that raising the back end fully pops a couple of pins (the blue ones in the picture) right behind the cab into place. These pins, in turn, extend hooks that clasp everything into place. So, if you're having trouble keeping Optimus intact as a truck, check to make sure that the bed is fully locked in place, and you should be good to go!

I'm including a few turn-around shots of Optimus in both Truck and Robot modes to show the details and overall look. My 5-year old wanted to add some words of his own, so I'm including them here: "Do you know what Transformers is? Which Transformer is your favorite? Do you know who Optimus Prime is? This is a picture of my three Primes (below: Rescue Bot Optimus with Kree-O and Animated Activator Optimus Primes). My dad has two Primes. I have one. Animated Optimus one Rescue Bot Optimus and one Kree-O Optimus. My rescue bot Optimus is about 7 inches. The paint is a little scratched off the fists."

That about rounds it up as far as Orion Pax, aka Optimus Prime, goes.

Blades is even simpler to transform: just twist the orange button at the top, where the "blades" meet, clockwise, and the legs separate, the forearms fold down, and the helmet folds up to reveal the face. Turn the button the other way, and the process reverses. Blades looks good in both modes, but the hands are very visible as the landing gear of the coptor, and the lack of articulation makes this robot feel especially "statuesque". I've seen where some folks have had an issue getting the legs to click back together again tightly, and I can see how that's a problem which is likely to develop- there doesn't seem to be anything locking them in place.

 

 Heatwave the firetruck is my favorite of the bunch so far. He looks great as a truck, and as a robot, and the conversion is very cool: his ladder acts as a lever. Lift the lever one way, and he transforms. Pull it back the other way, and the transformation reverses. That simple. The only added step is to fold down the feet. The truck is stout and sturdy, with easy-rolling wheels. Like Optimus, the robot mode includes bent elbows, which I think add some life to the pose.

I must say, I've been very pleasantly surprised by the Transformers Rescue Bots. They are well-made, thoughtfully designed, simple to transform and loads of fun. They run just under $11 a pop at Wal-mart, which is the best price I've found. Now, we're on the lookout for Bumblebee, Chase the Police Car and Boulder the Construction Bot!

Transformers Prime - Arcee Figure Review

 Arcee is one of my favorite characters on the Transformers Prime show. She's tough, no-nonsense, and despite the fact that she's the smallest of all the robots, she's a spitfire. My fondness for the character means that my expectations for a figure representing her would be high. I'm so happy that Hasbro has lived up to those expectations- her Prime figure is excellent!

Arcee's motorcycle mode is functional, if largely unspectacular. She's a bit "thicker" than on the show, but that's a result of her robot parts needing somewhere to hide. The colors and details look appropriate, and she's got a small kickstand for support help. Needless to say, she's not in scale to the other characters in vehicle mode, measuring about the same length as Starscream in fighter jet mode.

The transformation process is pretty reasonable, though there were a couple of steps that required a bit more "push" to them than I was expecting- I was worried about breaking the toy, so much force was needed. There's a point early on in the change where the back wheel is extended, and she looks like an ultra-cool futuristic "stretched" chopper. Anyway, the break-apart wheel gave me some trouble the first time I transformed her, along with her foot extensions (lots of force needed for that!) as did the torso-split later on, where her head is revealed. Otherwise, she converted smoothly. Arcee's robot mode looks terrific! Largely show-accurate, with appropriate highlight colors and details. The front wheel/handlebars backpack is a little awkward on her back, but she's otherwise slim, trim and athletic. Arcee comes with 2 blades which snap onto her forearms.

Arcee features enough useful articulation to get her into a nice variety of expressive poses. She can take deep stances, as long as you can find a way to balance her. Incidentally, this figure includes the same cheap cardboard stand as the others in the line, though I found it quite useless. The stand looks fine, but it's HUGE in relation to the figure. Also, since it's made of cardboard, it tends to dimple and roll- Arcee actually had more trouble standing on it than not (same story with Starscream). The smaller feet provide less surface area for stabilization, and the result is that the "base" is quickly tossed aside. This is a real waste, considering that 1/3 of the package space is to accommodate the base. Arcee is a great representation of the character from the show. She looks good, is fun in both modes, and transforms pretty well. My only complaint with her is with the expression on her face- it's a little too "soft" and friendly for me. Arcee is tough as nails- I don't want a cutesie smile, I want a grim look of determination. Aside from that, she's fab...

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Wing Gundam Zero Custom Review

 

About a decade ago, I was introduced to the world of Gundam mobile suits through Cartoon Network. At the time, it was through the epic 40 or 50 some odd episode Gundam Wing, which was really a science fiction soap opera for kids (if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it). Tons of small figures and snap together model kits were released in various scales, and then the Gundam craze faded. Sure, Cartoon Network kept it up for a while, with MS08th team and another series or two, but none really caught my fancy like Gundam Wing did. Bandai was the main producer of toy products for the shows, and like most of their figures nowadays, they featured plastic cast in colors, ball-jointed articulation, and a very "toyish" look and feel. The one line that swept me away as "collector designed" was the Arch Enemy series (for which only a half dozen or so figures were released). Tonight I'm looking at one of my favorites, Wing Gundam Zero Custom, and it's a gorgeous work of art.

The Arch Enemy series featured attractive window packaging- mine's gotten a bit crushed up top over the years- that shows off the figure nicely. The back has a ton of narrative info about both the pilot and the mobile suit itself, as well as some neat in-action poses of the figure. The figure itself is just about perfect. The sculpt is dead-on, and stands in at about 7" tall, without the wings deployed. The lines are highlighted all around with dark paint to make them pop (back in the day, they actually made Gundam paint pens to color in the detail lines of the model kits for this exact purpose). The colors used are vibrant and appropriately metallic in places, and everything is very nearly perfect. There are even some airbrushed shades in appropriate places all around. If the SDCC version of classic Lion-O was this well done, I guarantee there would have been no complaining! There's tons of articulation to go around, with even the wings having their show-accurate wrap-around ability.

Wing Zero comes with show-accurate accessories. He's got 2 beam swords, which can be stored inside his rear wings (he has 4 fully poseable wings), as well as both halves of his twin buster rifle, which can combine into one really huge gun! There are two machine cannons housed inside his shoulder compartments (which can be popped open for deployment, as well). Bandai's Arch Enemy series was fantastic. The figures are brilliant, and the packaging and accessories provide the complete package. You can still track them down on ebay and such for pretty reasonable prices (I think at the time, that they ran $24.99, and current ending auction prices seem to be just a shade above that at the time of this writing). I'd highly recommend picking one up if given the opportunity- you won't be disappointed. This line makes me realize what Bandai CAN do when they set their minds to it, even amidst the disappointment of the collector series modern version Thundercats line (I'm hoping that the second wave shows more effort in the paint department!).

Halo Reach - Brute Minor Review

It's been a while since I've bought a McFarlane Toys action figure. Where once they got the largest chunk of my toy-spending budget, I've largely forgotten they exist. I have little interest in sports statues, and I'm fairly underwhelmed by the Playmakers, Persia and Walking Dead figures they've turned out. And, though I think they are nicely made, the Halo figures seem to be a lot of the same thing. Not having ever played the game, I don't have much attachment to any of the characters. I have read many of the books and collections, and I even own the animated feature, as well as a dozen or so figures (probably half of them are different incarnations of Master Chief). That said, it's not often that I'm willing to invest in yet another Spartan or Covenant villain. When I saw this guy, though, I had to take the plunge!

This Halo Reach version of the Brute Minor jumped out at me from the shelf. Even though he's reminiscent of the previous Tartarus (another Halo figure that I own), he's got enough of his own look going on to warrant a purchase. He's huge in comparison to the other figures in the line, towering over the Spartan in my final picture below. I absolutely love the sculpt; the head is unique, with deep, sunken eyes and a fearsome non-removable helmet. The musculature and skin are well-developed, with plenty of elephantine cracks and folds (though they sometimes run contrary to one another across mold pieces). The paint work does a great job of providing realism and highlighting the strengths of the sculpt, while the metallic blues create a great contrast with the skin shades.

There's a smattering of "hair" sculpted on the back, which looks a little out of place to me, since there's no difference in the paint work on it. A few leather straps here and there keep his modesty. The articulation is actually pretty good on this guy. Lots of the joints are ratcheted, or are interestingly well-hidden. I especially like the ankles, wrists and knees, which all combine balls and hinges to create some neat movement. The down-side of this is that the ball can sometimes become misaligned- my Brute's left knee doesn't bend forward and back, but more side-to-side because the ball is twisted. Rotating the knee moves the ball as well, so I'll have to get some needle-nose pliers out at some point to try to line things up properly.

The Brute Minor is a good figure. Halo fans would absolutely go for him, but even the casual collector may find him a good addition- I certainly do. I only have 2 major gripes with him: 1) his hands are not well-sculpted to hold his weapon (this seems to be a problem common to nearly all the Halo figures I own), and 2) his weapon is too small. In the pictures I have actually swapped his out with a weapon from a previous Halo Brute release, since it's a bit larger and easier for him to hold. Still, if you see him, I'd certainly recommend the purchase (Toys R Us marks him up to $16, while I found mine at Gamestop for $12).

In-Pack Peek: ReSaurus Quake II Marine Major Figure

One of my first posts here was for Resaurus's Alien Strogg Tank, from their Quake II line. It's one of my favorite figures in my collection, even over a decade after it was made. At one point, I owned the entire line of Quake II figures, but during one of my "collection downsizing episodes", I made the mistake of selling off everything by my beloved Tank. I've grown to regret it, so I'm slowly re-acquiring those missing figures. I'm starting here, with the hero of the line: Marine Major.

The figures in this line come in attractive enough packages, but I'm afraid mine hasn't held up well over time. The bubble is crushed and the card back is bowed inwards. I prefer the NECA style clamshells, as they withstand the punishment of time better than card backs do. That said, there's a nice narrative on the back, along with pics of all of the figures and their accessories from the entire line. I find the colors attractive and eye-catching, and the pictures on the back are great, though they seem to be of the prototypes and (as a result), are a bit better than the finished versions which we actually get (somewhat disappointing). One other small note, each character's name in the lower right corner is color-coded (Tank is yellow, Major is purple, Athena is green and Iron Maiden is red), which adds to a MOC display. 

Major includes an Alien Strogg Shark, which features a rubbery, bendy tail. The Shark oozes with cybernetic detail, and serves as a cool bonus 2nd figure! Two weapons are included, as well: a rocket launcher with a removable ammo belt and the hyper blaster.

The figure himself stands in a 6" scale, and for the most part, is really well done. His armor is outstanding- loads of textures and surfaces, with an interesting maroonish tint- and it has to be, because this guy is a walking target (I count no less than 13 bullet holes/indents in the armor!). He's got a bloody bandage on his left biceps, which hides the articulation there, and a drop of blood running out of his mouth.

Speaking of articulation, the Marine Major features a cut neck, cuts at the shoulders, biceps swivels, cut wrists, cut waist, T-crotch, and single-peg knees. That's 12 points, but his feet are angled such that he really only has one stance below the waist. The cuts limit the poses, so he's more of a decent, slightly tweak-able statue than anything else.

My only gripes with the figure are relatively slight. His eyes are a little off-center, and his neck (though thick) seems a bit too long. I think it's the way the cut is situated. He's also sporting some ridiculously thick and pronounced veins all over his arms. They look more like vines than anything else. Marine Major may have had a highly detailed muscular sculpt for his time, but now it just seems a bit juvenile in terms of style. Also, without a paint wash to add some dirt and grime, the blood and torn shirt look, well...odd. The weapons have decent washes on them to bring out the "metallic rustiness" of them- he could use the same.

That said, Marine Major is a fine figure to battle your Strogg (or Locust!) army. He's relatively easy to find, and pretty cheap, as well. So if you're considering it- go for it. I think of him as a classic piece of video game figure development. It's thanks to Resaurus and lines like Quake II that we have such awesome modern lines as NECA's Player Select, Gears of War, and McFarlane's Halo. Thank you, Resaurus (again)!!!