Transformers Prime - Megatron Voyager Class - In-Pack Peek

I love Transformers Prime. I've grown to really enjoy the show, and I've been waiting eagerly for the toys to hit, which they did...FINALLY!!! Megatron here is a Voyager Class figure, and should run you about $20 (except at TRU, where he'll cost you about 40% more). 

The sculpt looks great in terms of the likeness to the show- he looks generally screen accurate. The colored plastic leaves a bit to be desired, though. He's cast in grey plastic, which looks like what it is. On the show, he's got a much more metallic silver sheen. I'm sure a skilled customizer could do some amazing work here, but that might cut into the play value.

I've got a small nit with the face, too. It's not sharp, and crisp, so he loses a lot of the personality that the show's cgi incarnation carries. The eyes are so prominent on screen, and here they're, well...small and beady.

Megatron comes packaged in an attractive box along with his accessory weapon (batteries are included), which features a "try me" opening and a light-up feature. As long as it looks like the massive cannon on his arm that it's supposed to, I honestly don't care about the push-button gimmick or the lights.

The alt-mode looks like it should be fabulous, and when I get around to opening this guy up, I'll post some additional pics out-of-package. Overall, Megatron looks great. He's about the right size to intimidate the deluxe sized versions of the other Prime figures, and he's (of course) integral to the line up!

Batman Arkham City - Legacy Edition Batman & Catwoman

I was pretty surprised to find this on the pegs at my local Toys R Us last week, mostly because it wasn't something that I was looking for, or forward to. I've been largely underwhelmed by Mattel's offerings in the Arkham Asylum/ Arkham City lines, so (though I've been tempted a time or two) I've begged off of buying any of the previous figures. Catwoman, however, was one figure I just couldn't pass up...

The package features the same design as on the previous Two-Face and Batman, Joker and Robin, etc. releases. It looks ok, but there are so many cardboard edges and it's just so bulky for hanging on a peg that these don't really stay "mint" for very long. That annoys me, as someone who doesn't display all of my figures out of package. It's also very dark, despite the large bubble, making it difficult to get a clear view of Catwoman inside the package. That said, the figures are posed well, and without any ridiculous joint-bending manouvers.

We'll start with Batman. Here, he's in a blue and grey outfit. The detailing is ok, the articulation looks plentiful and possibly practical, but I've got to say, the head sculpt looks ridiculous to me. I have the Arkham Asylum Batman from DC Direct and it puts this thing to shame. Mattel's offering (for what, the 4th time?) has the most elongated forehead I can imagine, putting his eyes somewhere around the cheek area of a normal person. It throws the entire thing off enough for me to say that I'd never buy him on his own. Ugh.

Now, on to the star attraction...

Selina Kyle looks great. Having never played either of the games, I've no idea how game-accurate this figure is, but that aside, Catwoman is well-done. The outfit has at least 3 or 4 different textures I can point out, and uses a nice combination of gloss and matte black to create some contrasts. The paint detail is sharp and clear where needed, though I did check through several to find the best apps around the hairline, which is my one beef with this figure. She's got tufts of hair (bangs?) poking out from underneath her cap that at first glance looked more like slop around the edges. I finally realized they were intentional, but I still find them odd, less like hair and more like sloppy paint. The prototype picture on the package back shows a much smoother, leather-like outfit than on the finished product. There's some pros for either, but the final Catwoman is a cool-looking figure.

There's a variant available at TRU the has both figures painted in shades of gray. I'm told it's based on a poster ad for the game or something. Personally, I thought both characters looked quite good in the gray paint scheme- the highlights worked pretty well and the detail was actually easier to make out. I couldn't afford such a novelty, so I passed, but you may want to keep your eyes out for it. Catwoman, in either form, makes for a great addition to the Arkham rogues gallery. Is she worth the 30 bucks this pack runs? No way, but you may feel differently about the Batman figure than I do, in which case, this pack is definitely worth a second look.

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!).