Soundwave

Animated, Deluxe, Toy Reviews No Comments

Soundwave: superior. Lack of reappearances in later episodes of the show: inferior.

Yeah, I love Soundwave. I don’t know why (probably the voice), but he was the character that stuck in my head the most from G1. I never had a G1 Soundwave, or any of the homages in later series. I picked up the Classics Soundwave when it was at Toys R Us, which is close enough for me. But this review isn’t about that, it’s about Animated Soundwave! Unlike his previous incarnations, Soundwave turns into a station wagon rather than a tape deck or whatever else he’s been over the years.  He’s a pretty solid little car, and rolls well despite the low clearance (although I find that he’s not always rolling on all four wheels). I think it’s fair to break out the dreaded descriptor neon for his paint job, with electric blue detailing against a dark blue body. Actually, maybe argon is a better choice for that, but I don’t think it’ll catch on. He’s got a pattern of electric blue creating a vaguely cassette spool-like design on the doors, a power symbol (IEC 5009, to be precise) on the roof, and in gold on the front bumper he’s got a duplicate of the original Soundwave’s control buttons. All he really needs is an eject button. There is also unpainted detail molded into the back window of two more cassette spools with a bar graph in between. Read the rest…

Bumblebee

Animated, Deluxe, Toy Reviews No Comments

Okay, now it’s time to review the fastest thing on wheels, Deluxe Animated Bumblebee. You’d think after the movie toyline pimped ‘Bee out, I’d be sick of him, but, uh, yeah. I’m not. It looks like he’s not going to get the endless new versions this time around, too. But I bloody well better get a Wasp and Cliffjumper, because I’m a redeco junkie.

Out of the box, Bumblebee is a sporty little compact, done up in the yellow and black colours you’d expect. The yellow isn’t too bright, which is nice, but I’d have liked it if the paint apps for the headlights were a little brighter. They just blend in, to the point where I’d almost think they weren’t there. It’s a nice, simple deco, and the light on the roof is a nice touch (I hope they have a change of heart and remove it from later uses of the mould, especially ones that don’t give it a paint app of its own). The colour does appear a bit uneven on the bits that are painted yellow (because they’re made of translucent plastic for the windows) versus the parts that are moulded yellow. In vehicle mode, you can attach the Sumdac turbo boosters to the rear windows (those peg holes are well placed, and blend in nicely when not in use, I find) for some added fun. Read the rest…

Jolt

Deluxe, Movie Toys, Toy Reviews No Comments

Jolt (movie) in Vehicle ModeWell, it’s another Bring Your Transformer to Work day, and this week I let my wonderful lady pick one out. I opened the bag this morning, and to my surprise (because I’d forgotten I’d bought it) it’s Jolt, one of the Walmart exclusive deluxes from the Movie line.

Jolt (Movie) in Vehicle ModeJolt is a redeco of Cybertron Crosswise, according to the Wiki, and transforms into a Bugatti EB 15.4 Veyron. Supposedly. I’m not going to claim to be an expert on either Cybertron or Volkswagens, so I’ll take them at their word. It’s a nice looking car, at least, and the purple/silver/black colour scheme really seems to work on this mold. I’m reminded of Swindle, but I may be biased because that’s the colour I painted my spare. Nothing stands out from the vehicle mode as “missing”, except maybe “missiles”, but those can be added by inserting the key into the rear of the car. Voila, missiles (of the non-firing variety). If you want to shoot, he can fire a single spring loaded missile from his spoiler, but he’ll only hit targets behind him. If you want him shooting that missile at something in front of him, he’ll have to transform… Read the rest…

Big Daddy

Deluxe, Movie Toys, Toy Reviews No Comments

Okay, time to review the first Transformer from my little project, Bring Your Transformer to Work Day. That’s right, it’s time to review that awesomely named Walmart exclusive, Big Daddy.

Big Daddy is a redeco of Cybertron Downshift, according to the Wiki. I don’t own that figure, so don’t expect any comparisons. His altmode is a bitchin’ muscle car, with orange flames against a navy blue body (I think he’s an Oilers fan). It’s quite the styling ride, which apparently fits the character. Being a Cybertron repaint, his gimmick features are activated by the nice little Cyber Planet Key (or is it an Allspark Power Key?) that was included. Lifting up the rear window reveals the keyhole, which pops a capture claw out of the front grille of the car. There’s no way to actually make it pinch, so it’s not really any good for capturing. It sure looks menacing, though. This altmode is almost enough to make me take back any mean things I said about Cybertron. But enough about that… Read the rest…