Astrotrain

"Sow panic and surrender will bloom."

Creating confusion is his specialty. As a Triple Changer, can switch from space shuttle to train to robot almost instantaneously. Thrives on foes' panic and fear. As shuttle, travels at 20,000mph in orbit, up to 50,000mph out of orbit... can launch weapons and satellites. Carries cargo. As a train, top speed is 400mph, range 1700 miles. As robot has great strength, carries powerful ionic displacer rifle.

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

10

ENDURANCE

7

RANK

6

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

8

OVERALL

60

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 30, July 1987 / Issue 67, June 1990
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 88, November 22nd 1986 / Issue 283, August 18th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 36 (Season 2 #20), October 15th 1985 / Episode 93 (Season 3 #28)
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Classics

Additions/Mods:
- Added Decepticon symbols to the leg, covering the rubsign
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the back of the train roof

Review

Mass-shifting is an poorly explained technique which several Transformers use to somehow explain away the enormous disparity between their robot and alternate mode sizes. Megatron is an obvious example who shrinks down to a weenie handgun, which even humans can wield. He's not alone though, with Cyclonus able to comfortably carry Galvatron in robot mode as a passenger, and a whole wealth of Autobots happily clambering into Jetfire. Then in the movie, Astrotrain is shown to easily accommodate the entire remainder of the Decepticon landing party, including a (briefly) combined Devastator! You might think then, that Astrotrain would be as large as Trypticon in robot mode, but for some reason he shrinks down to a lowly rank-and-file grunt. Other strange things about Astrotrain include the fact that one of his alternate modes was a Space Shuttle, while the other was an old-fashioned-looking locomotive. He also has a very strange voice in the cartoon, at least when the production team remembers. However, designing a toy which changed to a shuttle and train was an inspired move to my 9-year-old self, who thought that those 2 vehicles were about the best in the world. Hasbro would pick this figure as a surprisingly early addition to their burgeoning 'Classics' line, perhaps they wanted to prove to themselves that they could still make a decent triple changer. Were they right?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 6/10
Hoo boy. The kibble is very obvious on this figure, which is perhaps unsurprising given the issues of squeezing 3 modes into the one toy. It is most obvious on the forearms, where you can only see the hands from certain angles. If you can get over the kibble, there are elements to the figure which are really nice. Astrotrain retains his signature breastplate and his headsculpt is well defined and reminiscent of the figure of old. Unfortunately there is no light piping here, as is the case with quite a few Classics deluxes. The train kibble is actually utilised well to form the shoulders, giving Astrotrain a tough look, and the classic wing kibble is in the correct place.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
One of the problems with 2 alt modes is where to stow the bits that obviously don't belong in the other mode? Hasbro seemingly scratched their heads on this one, and just kind of fudged it. The space shuttle is the more successful of the 2 modes, with only the 2 front halves of the train mode sitting over each wing giving the game away. Colour wise we have a homage to the earlier toy, not the animation model which famously deviated from the toy and was homaged by Takara in their Henkei line. Needless to say, the Henkei Astrotrain is much sought after and expensive to boot. Anyway, the predominantly white colour with purple and red accents works well. Moving onto train mode, the front half of the train looks great, and has received a much-needed update so that the two modes no longer look a century apart in terms of design. At the back half things fall apart somewhat but I suppose it is just about passable.


Transformation 8/10
In a nod to the original toy, the upper legs retract into the lower lags and then they tab together to produce the shuttle cockpit. The head is secreted by first opening a panel at the back and swinging the head into position. The forearms are covered by the 'nose' of the train and the shoulder pads folded down to complete the train cockpit. Other than these key areas it is then just a matter of moving a few parts about to create either the shuttle or the train. Everything holds together very well in either mode, with several discrete tabs utilised to keep the various panels solid and aligned. Hasbro have done a great job.

Poseability 6/10
This figure is reasonably articulated but some of the kibble really reduces the range of movement possible. It's understandable given the triple-changing nature of this toy, but still a little annoying. Astrotrain has head swivel, but no waist articulation. He has lateral and side-to-side movement in the shoulder, as well as ball-jointed elbows which offer a nice range of movement. His tiny upper legs have decent hip articultion but unfortunately no hip swivel, but the far less useful lower leg swivel is provided. There are also knee joints. Poseability is further impeded by this figure just not looking great from certain angles.


Quality 8/10
Especially when compared with more recent figures, you appreciate the build quality of this figure. The plastic used is tough, and allows just enough flex to ensure that you can't make a mess of things. There are ball-joints in strategic places, minimizing the risk of breakage, and all of the joints and tabs used in transformation still feel tight several years on.

Overall - 34/50
I guess that making a triple changer which looks great in all 3 modes is a real challenge, and perhaps a step too far for the engineers of the time. What we have instead is a figure which makes a decent fist of all 3 modes, with the compromises glaringly obvious. Not that I would class this figure as a failure though, Hasbro have built in enough design cues of the original figure for you to immediately identify this figure as Astrotrain, and he still looks pretty good on a shelf.

Beachcomber

"Know the conflict within before facing the conflict without."

No interest in warfare; prefers long, lone trips into deserts and along coasts... only places he feels he can escape to and relax. Cool-headed, low-key, personable -- what Earthlings call "laid-back". Fights when called upon despite anti-war feelings. Range of 800 miles... can go over very rugged terrain. Sensors can determine chemical composition of land and find needed resources. Susceptible to mental stress.

STRENGTH

3

INTELLIGENCE

9

SPEED

5

ENDURANCE

7.5

RANK

6

COURAGE

6

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

10

OVERALL

47.5

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 17, June 1986 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 103, March 7th 1987 / Issue 235, 16th September 1989
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 29 (Season 2 #13), October 9th 1985 / Episode 70 (Season 3 #5), September 19th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Duneraker'
Manufacturer - iGear
Toyline - Mini Warriors

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest
- Added Autobot symbols to the sides

Review

Poor Beachcomber has been under-represented so far, ignored by Hasbro in favour of other, less pacifistic Autobots. He did receive a legends-class update which was pretty nice, but suffers the usual lack of articulation which plagues that size class. Then there was the awful Movie-verse figure, who had a terrible head and was later repainted as Sandstorm - thankfully Hasbro amended that particular error. But this doesn't help poor old Beachcomber, who still awaits a decent Hasbro representation. So there were muted cries of cautious optimism when it was announced that iGear would be homaging this popular counter-culture icon. The first renders surfaced and the figure looked decent! So there was no way iGear could stuff this up, right?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 6/10
The Oxford dictionary definition of 'meh' should come with a picture of this figure. Sure, he has a headsculpt and overall design which really evokes the character, but this figure is very simplistic and was definitely upscaled from a more palatable Seaspray size. It is crying out for reprolabels. There are three paint apps on the entire figure - the wheels, the visor, and a pathetic bit of yellow on the midriff. Also the blue is way wrong, and conspires with the cheap and dull grey plastic to look distinctly amateurish. The provided gun is a lot better than the other Mini Warriors have been 'rewarded' with, with the droopy flower (which is thankfully removable) being a nice nod to the sensibilities of the character. I might give the gun to Perceptor.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
Criminally, the hands can easily be seen from the side of the vehicle mode because they do not stow properly which is just shoddy design. It's a shame because otherwise the proportions and detailing on the mould are pretty nice, but then the dull plastic and lack of paint apps really conspire to make this vehicle look so plain. This is a beach buggy - it should be exciting and interesting to look at. It just isn't.


Transformation 7/10
This is a pretty simplistic affair but I quite like it. Sometimes it's nice to have a 3rd-party figure which does not require a 3-volume manual and an engineering degree to transform. The lower arms fold into the shoulders and loosely tab in place, the head rotates at the neck and neatly slots into the engine block, and the legs fold back in on themselves, once the useful heel supports are folded away. You can literally transform this guy in a few seconds.

Poseability 8/10
It's hard to fault this figure in this area, but I will do my best. Some of the ball-joints are a wee bit tight, with others being slightly loose. This is not as bad as the issues on the Brawn/Cosmos moulds however. Articulation wise, he has a ball-jointed neck and waist swivel. He also has ball joints in the hips, shoulders and elbows, with an additional joint half way up his bicep, which is only really useful for transformation purposes. He also has jointed knees but no ankle or wrist articulation. I was really worried that this figure would be forever falling over, as he doesn't really have any heel to speak of. Thankfully though there are additional supports which swivel out from the front of the feet, and this figure balances very well.


Quality 7/10
I don't really have any complaints in this area. The plastic may be pretty dull to look at but it is resilient too. One slight worry is the front bumper which needs to be moved up before unfolding the legs for transformation. If you're not careful you could put undue stress on the part.

Overall - 34/50
If iGear were willing to go the extra mile, then this could have been a really nice figure. As it is, it suffers from being not only the wrong colour but also from a very spartan paintjob. It feels like the design phase happened at a decent pace and then they rushed the production phase, cutting corners to get this figure to market. You never get the sense with other 3rd parties such as FansProject that they rush - they may release figures late, but they are quality when they arrive. iGear seem to release their figures late, and unfinished to boot.

Bluestreak

"I never met a Decepticon I didn't dislike."

Bluestreak often talks incessantly and inanely. Lightens the situation for all Autobots with his good-natured manner. Despite formidable weaponry and blazing speed, he hates war. Haunted by memory of Decepticons destroying his home-city. Fires bombs up to 8.3 miles and lightning-like 80,000 volt beam up to 12 miles of limited accuracy. Often inhibited by his disdain for combat.

STRENGTH

6

INTELLIGENCE

6

SPEED

7

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

2

FIREPOWER

9

SKILL

7

OVERALL

51

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 50, March 1st 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Silverstreak'
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Universe

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet (covering the dingy tampographed one)
- Added some Reprolabels

Review

Bluestreak was a strange Transformer in that he was called 'Bluestreak' yet he had not a scrap of blue on him. Unfortunately this was about the only thing I can remember. I don't ever remember him being pivotal (or even involved) in a single interesting story line at any point. For me, he always sunk back into the shadows a bit when compared to Prowl (Police car) and the garishly-hued Smokescreen, so it was with trepidation that I got my hands on this drab little robot - would I be able to say anything about him other than 'meh'?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 6/10
I really want to like this mould but I have a real issue with the way that the (admittedly nice) head sits on the bonnet, giving the impression of an elongated neck. This issue aside, I'm also not that keen on the lower legs. He has a peashooter of a weapon, which doesn't really help. I think stowing weapons in the alt mode is laudible but sometimes they are just too small because of this, although not as bad as the Alternators toyline. I applied a mixture of Rerpolabels plus some slot racing decals to try and lift his appearance somewhat, although he is still as forgettable as a grey February morning. The Reprolables at least lift the lower legs, where the shiny blue rear windscreen stickers porvide some much-needed impact.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
The car mode is similarly plain but for some reason this doesn't invoke the same feelings of boredom as the robot mode does. It's pretty nice, in fact. The anatomical issues present in the robot mode are of course not a problem here and the few stickers I have applied have added a bit more dynamism to the overall effect. I suppose this would be a decent low-key 'spy' car, when compared to the other ostentatious cars in the line. Pretty neat in its' own way.


Transformation 7/10
I would describe this process as fiddly, but you do feel satisfied when you clip everything back together for the alt mode. My main issue is swiveling the doors up and out without accientally removing them, which is a task indeed. Also, it can be hairy disengaging the roof from the bonnet, if you are not careful with your angles. The shoulder-mounted missiles also have a tendency to get in the way somewhat. Remember to extend the feet properly or otherwise poseability is limited.

Poseability 8/10
Finally, something about Bluestreak that is above average... He has neck swivel, waist swivel, full range of motion at the shoulder, bicep swivel, elbow hinges and wrist swivel. His hips don't lie and he also has joints at the knee and swivel below the knee. There is also limioted movement in his feet. I think his balance could be better though, because even though he has extendable heels, they ought to be a bit longer.


Quality 6/10
Worries I have with this mould are the aformentioned doors which pop off, plus the tabs around the windscreen look flimsy, and indeed could snap if the bonet is disengaged at the wrong angle. It's kind of heartening that the modern windscreen shares some of the frailty of the old G1 windscreen. Also, the way the missiles slide in during transformation could scratch the windscreen.

Overall - 34/50
This mould is a great fit for the character really, in that it is pretty good, but forgettable. In all honesty, I can't really remember Bluestreak being featured in any media, and I don't know if he is supposed to be dead or what by now. Did he die in the Movie or did he fall asleep? The worst thing is that I don't care. This figure is an absolute must for any completist, and I have been rather harsh regarding the underdeveloped character. But if you only want one example of the mould I would steer clear of this one.

Buzzsaw

"My bite is worse than my bark."

Civil and sophisticated yet very cruel and destructive. Approaches his lethal tasks like a fine artist. Each deadly mission is like working on a new masterpiece. Can pinpoint and photograph a thumbtack from 20 miles away. Flies at 250mph. Carries twin mortar cannons. Diamond-hard, micro-serrated beak can carve up almost any opponent. Due to large ego, will often sulk rather than proceed if his plans go astray.

STRENGTH

5

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

8

ENDURANCE

4

RANK

6

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

4

SKILL

9

OVERALL

51

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 13, March 9th 1985 / Issue 18, May 18th 1985
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 19 (Season 2 #3), October 17th 1985 / Episode 33 (Season 2 #17), October 16th 1985
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Buzzer'
Manufacturer - Perfect Effect
Toyline -

Additions/Mods:
- Added a small Decepticon symbol to the 'back'

Review

I feel sorry for Buzzsaw, for he was always 'the other one' to Laserbeak. He was so forgettable, they even forgot to put him into the cartoon until season 2. I guess it's a fate shared by the less-illustrious 'mould mates' in the franchise. I know that he was the one with the sharp beak and I think he had a run-in with Omega Supreme at some point, but other than that who knows or even cares? I will try to put my apathy aside while I have a look at this Perfect Effect offering - if I can only keep awake...


Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
Ok so we're not strictly dealing with a 'robot mode' here, but it certainly feels more like a 'main mode' than the others. As you might expect, Buzzsaw shares an identical mould with his more famous 'sibling'. I like Perfect Effect's interpretation of the 'bird of prey' cassettes, although they seem to have become vultures as opposed to condors, perhaps snacking on too many Energon cubes along the way. The head sculpt is really very nice, and the wings give them an added menace. Unfortunately, there are no feet or talons to speak of, but the paint apps are decent enough for such a small figure, with nice amounts of moulded detail.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
Not much to write home about, really. The mode I have pictured is supposed to be a shuttle-type thing. I suppose it's ok. I guess that I am being a bit unfair, because there is another alt mode which resembles a pod which you attach a massive blade onto. It's only really any use if you have Shadow Commander. I suppose Perfect Effect had little to work on if they were not going to go down the cassette route, and at least the alt modes seem an appropriate match for the characters.


Transformation 7/10
This is a cleverly-constructed figure and the transformation is pretty nice, really. It's not massively complex. The head folds in to the 'neck' which becomes the cockpit of the craft. The wings fold away particularly cleverly, as does the extended neck. The small weapon pod thingies are a real pain to remove and stow, though.

Poseability 6/10
I dunno. I mean, it's a bird. The neck arcs and cranes nicely, and the pitch and angle of the wings can be tinkered with, so that is pretty nice. But the thing has no damn feet to speak of, which really limits what you can actually do with the figure. Although, you can supposedly attach him to Megatron's arm, but I haven't figured out how to yet, because I am a moron. Besides, Megatron wouldn't have any time for Buzzsaw. No-one does.


Quality 8/10
All the Perfect Effect efforts feel impressively sturdy for their size (with the exception of the dreadful Kingbat), and this figure is no exception. I never feel like I am going to snap anything, despite the tiny parts. Which is more than I can say for some other 3rd parties. Nicely done.

Overall - 34/50
I appreciate that Perfect Effect had to squeeze 3 different modes into this pretty small figure, and I am only reviewing 2 of them. Despite the fact that Buzzsaw has no feet to speak of, this is still a nice little figure. It is miles better than anything Hasbro will bother to produce, so if you want a Buzzsaw in your collection (and that's a big if) then I suppose this is a good choice.

Counterpunch

"In my business, there are no friends, only suspects."

Punch, the Autobot, transforms into Counterpunch, the Decepticon, to infiltrate enemy installations. Cool-headed, a robot of few words, reveals little of his true self to either side. Maximum car mode speed: 160 mph. Uses twin mortar launcher in Autobot mode, photon cannon in Decepticon mode.

STRENGTH

6

INTELLIGENCE

9

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

6

RANK

7

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

9

OVERALL

57

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) -
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) -
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 96 (Season 4 #1), November 9th 1987 / Episode 97 (Season 4 #2), November 10th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1987

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - CHMS (KO)
Toyline - TFCC

Additions/Mods:
- Added Decepticon symbols to the shoulders
- Added a Decpticon symbol to the supercharger
- Added and painted a new Shapeways head

Review

Counterpunch made a couple of appearances in The Rebirth, and was featured more prominently in the Headmasters Japanese cartoon. I always despised the character because he spent his time sneakily spying on the Decepticons, micro-breems away from discovery. I was really looking forward to TFCC producing a modern-day version of this character, but was nervous when they elected to not display it in robot mode prior to its release. I need to confess that this is the CHMS KO version and not the sought after and incredibly expensive TFCC figure, so the contents of this review reflect QC issues that do not exist on the official figure. I have been pondering whether to get this figure for a long time, and I have been unable to justify the expenditure, particularly when I have heard a lot of bad things about him. The worst of this figure was the pitifully small head, and with that in mind, I recently upgraded the stock head with a Shapeways one. The set also came with reversible fists! Counterpunch/Punch is of course one figure, and in this review I am going to look at Counterpunch, the Decepticon.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Counterpunch uses the same torso template as Sunstreaker for his robot mode, which is the reverse of Sideswipe. Counterpunch also benefits from having the front of the legs, which improves his overall look somewhat. The colour scheme is very faithful to the original. The paint apps are pretty good too. The main improvement I have made is the head, which is a much better than the original and still fits perfectly into the neck area for car mode. I painted it best I could, but unfortunately even the best Shapeways material (Frosted Ultra Detail) is difficult to work with and provide a smooth finish. But the overall figure is improved leaps and bounds by this addition.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
I am marking this down, because the panels do not sit flush in the alt mode. This is because, again, this is a KO. The rear of the car does not sit snugly together, so you can see gaps where the 2 halves join. Nothing too bad though. There is also a gap where the legs join the roof. But I have seen KOs with much bigger problems than this. Otherwise, the car mode is pretty bland, with only a few paint apps here and there. I have affixed a small Decepticon symbol on the supercharger, which is covers up the Autobot symbol on the roof!


Transformation 6/10
The legs are formed by splitting and unfolding the rear of the car, and the arms are stowed underneath the bonnet and middle of the car. The bonnet is then pulled out and folded over the reveal the chest. I particularly like the automorph feature whereby the cabin is spun around to reveal the head. The lower legs are used in the 'classic' configuration in this guise. However, the transformation is slightly marred by the way the panels fit together. Nothing is quite right, and you have to use a lot of guile to free up the panels to begin the robot mode transformation. You can just see that the tolerances are off, because CHMS have ripped off the mould.

Poseability 7/10
This mould sports decent articulation, with a ball-jointed head and waist swivel. It also has ball-jointed shoulders and hips, bicep and thigh swivel. There are double joints in the elbows and wrist swivel. In addition to this there are jointed knees with an added side joint used in the transformation sequence, and the feet also have 2 joints. Unfortunately, various joints are incredibly loose while others are stupidly tight. This is again because I have a KO version.


Quality 6/10
I have to say that the actual plastic used here is of a very high standard, and the best I have seen on a KO. It is only the mould itself which causes tightness and wear, but then it is only to be expected. My main concern is the automorph feature, as I worry that it may fail one day.

Overall - 34/50
I have given this guy a pretty hard time, and I have to say that some of it is my own fault for buying a KO. That said, I would not recommend the official version of this figure to anyone at the current extortionate asking prices. If I put aside the problems created by it being a KO, there are still some issues which would prevent me from buying it. Firstly, the head is stupidly and unnecessarily small, and I still feel that they could have done a better job on it. If this was available for £60 I might be tempted. But you'd be more likely to pay £160 for it these days. Not worth the money, unless you are the most avid Punch/Counterpunch fan. The good thing about having a KO is that you're less worried about modifying it, I needed to thin the neck ball-joint down and make other changes which I would not dream of doing to an expensive figure so I am pleased I ultimately went with the KO version.

Dion

"Efficiency makes you strong. Speed makes you lethal."

There was a time when Dion cared little for the echoes of war beginning to spread across his home world. Occasionally he'd opine on the feats of the new robots with flight capabilities, who he secretly envied, but otherwise turned a deaf audio receptor to the discussion about the start of what some were calling the second Cybertronian war. All that changed the day the war finally found him. The flying robots landed at the front door of the storage depot, led by the one called Megatron. Amicable at first, the encounter quickly turned for the worse when Megatron unleashed his full fury on the dockworkers and fled with that cycle's shipment of Energon.

When Dion awoke, he now was fully aware of what Megatron and the Decepticons were capable of, and having lost all that he had known, Dion decided to join the Elite Guard and now works to stop the Decepticons any way he can!

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

9

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

9

SKILL

8

OVERALL

63

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) -
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) -
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 59 (Season 2 #43), December 25th 1985
First Toy Appearance - 2005

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - TFCC

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the roof

Review

Dion started life as an improbably-named Transformer (similar to if Optimus Prime were called 'Kevin') who showed up in the cartoon as Orion Pax's sidekick and was promptly (supposedly) dispatched during the same episode. But his death was not seen on screen, which has allowed Fun Pub to provide a new figure of him. Let's see if it was worth the bother.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Since his rebuild, Dion is a bit more badass than the sap who Megatron blasted a hole in, and accordingly, his figure is pretty cool. The colour scheme is reminiscent of the original, although the yellow is a bit too orange for my liking. The headsculpt is very nice, with a moveable visor, and the guns are decent looking, when not displayed with the silly 'blob' missiles attached. All in all, Dion looks very striking in this mode.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
The car mode is slightly more chunky than the standard cars in the 'classicsverse' range, which is understandable as this mould has been repurposed from an earlier toyline. There is a big gap on the rear spoiler which is supposed to be taken up by a small helicopter minicon that this guy comes with. I just pretend that the small helicopter chap doesn't exist. This aside, the car is pretty cool and has some great Autobot decals by the front wheel arches. The twin exhaust (comprised of the guns) works very well.


Transformation 7/10
This figure is reasonably shell-formerish, which means a lot of making sure all the body panels are aligned just so to make the car mode not look like a M.O.T. failure. But, there are some neat touches. For example, the groin splits (ouch) and the head ends up somewhere between the legs. Dion was clearly a hedonist who warranted more that one episode of screentime.

Poseability 6/10
This guy ain't half bad. His feet have some articulation, allowing you to redistribute the weight subtly, which lends itself to some neat poses. However, there is no waist swivel, and the car kibble on the back of the shoulders collides even in a neutral pose. Also, his arms are splayed out somewhat, as if Dion was quite the power-lifter in his spare time. He has head swivel, and only the one axis of movement in his shoulder. He is blessed with bicep swivel and double-jointed elbows though. He has better movement in his hips, but is crucially lacking thigh swivel which has been replaced with the pretty useless 'shin' swivel.


Quality 6/10
I fear what a mischievous child could do to this toy. There are lots of thin panels which could easily snap or bend if the transformation was done out of sequence. Keep your ham-fisted friends away from him. I also feel like excessive force is required to split his groin, and as I mentioned the shoulder kibble is constantly colliding.

Overall - 34/50
For someone who showed up briefly and then supposedly died, Dion has been awarded a disproportionately nice figure. He even works well as a 'generic' Autobot despite his slightly incongruous alt mode. I bought this from Fun Pub directly for a steal, and would recommend him should you see him going cheap. Now it's up to Hasbro to hurry up with the forthcoming Orion Pax!

Grapple

"Beauty is in everything except war."

On Cybertron, his buildings are considered works of art. On Earth, his ideas are limited by war. Takes pride in his work, prone to severe depression if they're destroyed in battle. As crane, can lift up a 35-ton object and position it with precision and grace. As robot, has high-temperature arc-welder rifle... can launch rockets 4.5 miles from wrist sockets. Prone to breakdown in vehicle mode.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

3

ENDURANCE

4

RANK

7

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

9

OVERALL

53

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 14, March 1986 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 80, September 27th 1986 / Issue 148, January 16th 1988
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 30 (Season 2 #14), September 25th 1985 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Solar Storm Grappel'
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Transformers 2010

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the cab
- Added an Autobot symbol to cover the heat sticker
- Added some Reprolabels

Review

Grapple was another of the season 2 cartoon cast who inexplicably turned up halfway through and just kind of slotted in as if he had always been there. He liked to build things so handy then that his alt mode was a crane truck. He spent most of his time building things with Hoist and in terms of his dealings with the Decepticons, he reserved a special dislike for Hook. Other than this, he did little of note in either the cartoon or the comics, running about a bit before disappearing off into obscurity. But is this 'Reveal the shield' incarnation of him equally forgettable?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
The Inferno/Grapple mode is an acquired taste but one that I happen to like very much. These guys really suit having a voyager class figure. The shoulder kibble can swivel to behind the arms or alongside them, and I tend to display Grapple with the kibble alongside. It makes him look like he could lift some of those beams he so elegantly slots together. His hands are really stupid though, having inexplicably been remoulded from Inferno (who had proper fists) to open hands which are moulded directly into the forearm. Plus, the forearm panels which could discretely rotate on Inferno are now static. In terms of the colour scheme, vibrant yellow is a plus for me, and I think the head sculpt is one of the better I have seen. This mould is about the same height as Optimus Prime but is substantially bulkier. A nice job all round.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
The truck mode is very decent, and is only marred by the fact that looking down at the back of it reveals the arms, there is no 'shell' to cover the robot kibble which is a shame. This is partially obscured by the crane arm, which is articulated and telescopic. This adds somewhat to the playability of the figure, and from the front there is little to suggest this is a Transformer. There is also a wealth of sculpted detail, and some nice paint apps which I have augmented with a few choice Reprolabels.


Transformation 7/10
There are lots of 'shell' parts to this figure but they collapse nicely so are not very evident in robot mode. The panels either side of the cabin windows fold onto themselves and then the 2 parts of the cabin separate and form the upper arms. The lower arms are separated from the bottom of the rear, and the legs are then formed. The front wheels tuck in to allow the hips to move up into position, and the head reveal is spring-loaded. The lags are then rotated by swiveling the thighs and the feet are unfolded. Then you are done!

Poseability 5/10
For me, this is where both Grapple and Inferno fall down, and quite literally in this case. You may think that the mark is harsh but it is an absolute nightmare trying to pose these guys. Both of these were bought brand new and both are incredibly loose around the hip and shoulder joints, which are the most important for poseability imo. They literally flop all over the place, so buyer beware. Articulation wise, they aren't too bad though, with head swivel, lateral and side-to-side movement in the shoulder, bicep swivel, elbow joints, but no wrist movement. There is also no hip swivel but there is (too much) movement in the hips, and elbow joints. The 'toes' can be tilted up and down slightly. The crane arm can also be posed facing forwards or behind.


Quality 6/10
On this mould, arms tend to pop out at the bicep during transformation. The bigger problem is the aforementioned loose joints which are already terrible, so Primus only knows how bad these will get!

Overall - 34/50
Grapple is crippled by joints which are inexplicably loose. This is a real shame as the mould has a lot of promise. I severely limit how much I pose this mould as I worry that he will not be able to stand up soon, so before you get this figure, please be aware of this. I imagine if a kid played with these that they would be useless pretty soon. However, aesthetically this figure is really great and is a nice homage to the character.

Ironhide

"High tech circuitry is no replacement for guts."

"Go chew on a microchip!" is Ironhide's slogan. Prefers action to words. Oldest, toughest, most battle-tested Autobot. Bodyguard to Optimus Prime. In charge of guarding anything of importance. Gruff, but kind. Trithyllium-steel skin makes him nearly invulnerable to attack. Shoots variety of liquids from supercooled nitrogen to superheated lead. Has sonar, radar, radiowave detector. Slowest and most fragile of the group.

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

3

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

7

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

7

OVERALL

57

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 78, May 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 47, February 8th 1986 / Issue 288, September 15th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Universe
Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet

Review

Ironhide was everyone's favourite cantankerous old git until Megatron rather brutally blew his head apart. Hasbro were obviously sick of having such a cliched character and wrote him out which was why their next step was to immediately introduce a character called Kup, who was soon to become everyone's favourite cantankerous old git. Ironhide was my first Transformer bought for me back in '85, and I spent many a moment furrowing my brow, trying to work out how this paraplegic-looking automaton with no face bore any resemblance to the cartoon model. I concluded it didn't and that my dad had unknowingly bought a knock-off from Singapore as opposed to the real 'bot. Let's all face it, the original Diaclone Ironhide mould was an unmitigated piece of crap, which is why I feel Universe Ironhide gets an unfairly bad time. Yes, it is a bit rubbish in places, but compared to the G1 toy? Let's have a look shall we.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Ironhide has always been a grizzled veteran and I think that his robot mode complements this well. His headsculpt is fantastic with the bonus being that this figure actually has a headsculpt; it's just a shame that it is difficult to see his chin because for whatever reason the windshield piece sits a bit too high. The open hands are seen as controversial but I don't mind them, and I like the double edged weapon attachment. Paint apps are a bit lacking as with most Hasbro deluxes but his red is nice and vibrant at least. Ironhide is also endowed with a rather generous groin area, a shame then that I only have the one fembot to go around and she is already in a love triangle with Hot Rod and Springer.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 5/10
Oh dear. the minivan looks like a cross between a jigsaw and a shattered egg, owing to the admittedly clever transformation. I feel this could have been mitigated a bit more by Hasbro. Also, the paint apps of the windows are nowhere near the right colour for the clear window sections. It is just ugly.


Transformation 7/10
Really unique which deserves praise, but is responsible for much of the ugliness in vehicle mode. The arms unfold in a rather complex manner from the rear of the cab, with the legs forming from the bonnet, via the removal of various tabs. There is a thin central 'spine' which has a habit of separating easily, thankfully it is easy to reattach. The automorph feature whereby the symbol pops into place in the chest is a nice touch.

Poseability 7/10
Ironhide's arms are always splayed apart quite wide, he continually looks like he is in a duel and about to draw his six-shooter. His head always looks slightly down. This is a shame, because otherwise he has a nice range of movement, and large feet which make balancing pretty easy. He has head and waist swivel, ball-jointed hips, and lateral and side-to-side movement in his shoulders. He has elbow joints and his forearms can swivel, as can his wrists. He is also blessed with thigh swivel and joints in his knees and ankles. However there is no Bicep swivel which is pretty inexcusable.


Quality 7/10
He is solid enough but I do worry about the aforementioned spine weakening, which seems to be stressed during transformation. While it has a socket which does pop out to avoid breakage, I feel that over time the socket could become loose.

Overall - 35/50
A shoddy alt mode lets this figure down somewhat, as there is so much about Ironhide that seems right. Although it's not like Ironhide spent much time in his alt mode anyway, so I'd still recommend this figure over the expensive and too large iGear alternative. And obviously he is miles better than the G1 monstrosity. If you can, try to source the Henkei version, which has better paint matches for the windows but is rare as hen's teeth.