Rumble is your basic street punk. Small, but always acting tough. Quick temper and mean disposition. Follows Megatron's orders eagerly. Transmits immense low frequency groundwaves to create powerful earthquakes. His small size limits his physical strength, but his ability to shatter the ground makes him difficult to approach in a fight.
First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 13, March 9th 1985 / Issue 279, July 21st 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / Episode 68 (Season 3 #3), September 3rd 1986
Figure Details
AKA 'Shadow Warrior PE01-R'
Manufacturer - Perfect Effect
Toyline -
Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest
Review
Rumble is like the cocky little bloke you see starting mass-brawls in alcohol-soaked town centres, and you get the sense that without the backup of his fellow
Decepticons, he would be less inclined to run his mouth. Having said that, the annoying little git at least has some power of his own, using his piledrivers to knock
Autobots off of their feet and even on occasion collapse
combiners. So while Rumble is annoying he is essential to the Transformers 'family' acting like the son of an ever-exasperated
Soundwave.
Takara released a version of Rumble (and
Frenzy) in Japan that has so far had a mixed reaction. Personally, I don't like them one bit. They are a bit big, and look slightly odd. This leaves us with either the
Perfect Effect or
BTS 3rd party versions instead. Given that the BTS versions are hideous, there is really only one choice. Let's see if Perfect Effect have captured Rumble's character.
Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
I finally opted for the toy-accurate colour schemes of Perfect Effect's 'Shadow Warrior' mould, and I'm very glad that I did. The mould itself has always been great, and now that the colour scheme is accurate to Rumble (or Frenzy, if you like living under a rock) this little guy is pretty much perfect. His little punky face is full of attitude and it is remarkable that one of my favourite faces is on such a small scale. I stick the piledrivers onto his arms, to differentiate him from Frenzy.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
Well, it's a gun. I'm personally not a fan of alt modes which cannot 'support' themselves, with the exception of
Megatron, I suppose. It is nice enough to look at, though, but it just kind of sits there. It would make more sense if it was being wielded by Shadow Commander. I'm convinced that I should be able to come up with an unofficial alt mode but I really am too lazy.
Transformation 7/10
Surprisingly complex for what is a small figure, Perfect Effect really know how to add value to a small robot. The legs fold in on themselves and the arms tuck into the legs, and the large gun barrels clip over the shoulders, once the head has been folded away, that is. The gun handle can be tricky to connect to the gun, though and has a tendency to pop off.
Poseability 9/10
I would be happy if there was this amount of poseability on a deluxe, but for a legends-class toy, it really is outstanding. The head swivels and tilts (albeit downwards only) and the waist swivels too. The shoulders and elbows are ball-jointed, as are the hips and knees. The feet are also on ball-joints. My only criticism is that there are certain positions where the joints like to 'rest' so getting poses in between these spots can take perseverance. But this is more to do with size limitations rather than anything else.
Quality 9/10
He feels very solid for his dimunitive size - there are no anxious moments when transforming or posing him. A miniature marvel.
Overall - 40/50
Perfect Effect have carved a niche with their tiny figures, which are an absolute joy to own. I'm very pleased with the accurate colour scheme, as I have long been a fan of the mould. And Rumble doesn't have a dodgy hip, unlike his poor brother!
