Bonecrusher

"Hit it till it stands no taller than dust."

Rubble-strewn wasteland is his idea of beautiful landscape. His wild ways create fear and terror. As vehicle, at 30mph. Exerts 800,000psi... has short-range concussion bomb launcher. As robot, carries laser pistol. As left arm module, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot "Devastator".

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

2

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

4

COURAGE

8

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

6

OVERALL

46

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 10, November 1985 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 61, May 17th 1986 / Issue 81, October 4th 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 16 (Season 1 #16), December 15th 1984 / Episode 96 (Season 4 #1), November 9th 1987 First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Bulldozer'
Manufacturer - Maketoys
Toyline - Type 61

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest

Review

Bonecrusher is the posessor of one of the more outlandish Decepticon names there have been. He sounds more like one of the evil giants in the 'Big Friendly Giant' than he does a malevolent automaton but no matter. This pea-green pugilist is one sixth of Devastator, and this mere fact alone already makes him great. This character has recently been homaged by both TFC and Maketoys - I went for the Maketoys version. Did I make the right choice?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 6/10
This is very much a figure of 2 halves, as I think the lower legs have been designed very well and look impressive enough. However, the upper half has some big problems. Firstly, the lower arms are just hollow, and you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a modern Hasbro toy, were it not for the fact that it is too large and well-designed. There is hideous gapping in and around the neck area as well, and the head seems to float just above the shoulders. Also, the back is extremely hollow, with the combiner joint just kind of sitting there, protuding out of the back. I can't help but think that this kibble could have been integrated alot smarter to make the rear of this figure more cohesive. The colour scheme is perfect though and the paint apps that are present are all of an excellent standard. The headsculpt itself is good, although there is no light-piping unfortunately.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
The Bulldozer mode is great, with minimal robot/combiner kibble on display. The little yellow/black and white/red chevrons reall complement the dramatic green finish as well. The scoop cam move up and down, which is nice. Despite the fact that I would never use the feature, I am disappointed that there are not little wheels embedded into the tracks, because this vehicle cannot roll at all. All in all though, Maketoys have done a great job on the alt mode.


Transformation 7/10
The transformation sequence is fairly involved. The legs are formed by snapping the treads and rotating the bottom part to reveal the feet and heels. The head can be a little hard to seperate from the cabin part, as both swing out in the same direction to form the robot, with the head stuck awkwardly inside. The shoulder balljoints are pretty tight, and can make swinging the shoulders out the correct way tricky. Also, I have found that in order to move the scoop halves to the desired position, you have to swivel the waist just so to allow for clearance. Finally the combiner kibble is pushed flush to the gaping hole where the back should be, but there is nothing to hold it in any kind of position, which is pretty bad.

Poseability 6/10
Bonecrusher's head is on a balljoint, which allows for a good range of movement (although I would have actually preferred a more substantial neck in this case), and there is waist swivel. The shoulders and hips are ball-jointed. There is bicep and thigh swivel (although this is impeded by the way the treads affix to the thighs). There are double-jointed elbows and ball-jointed knees. Additionally the wrists and 'toes' are ball-jointed as well, allowing for a variety of poses. The reason I don't really rate the poseability of this figure is because of the big gaps in it. Articulation is actually above average but really there are only a few angles where Bonecrusher looks good. You will probably never see a shot of this robot from above, because then the gaps in the neck area and back are there for all to see, which is a real shame.


Quality 8/10
Any flaws with the quality of this toy are all in the design, rather than the materials used. All of the plastic feels excellent and very strong, which means I will now trust Maketoys with any further releases as they are right up there with FansProject in terms of quality. I wouldn't recommend unleashing a kid onto this toy though because they are likely to cut themselves on the sharp edges or just snap bits off. This (and all the other 3rd party toys for that matter) has not been rigorously tested to ensure clumsy little oafs can't break bits off and eat them.

Overall - 35/50
I appreciate that Bonecrusher is merely a small piece in the overall puzzle which is the glorious Devastator, but I do feel some unnecessary concessions were made to make the best combiner possible. There is so much which is really great about this figure, and compared to Hasbro's recent combiners it is laughably superior. But the gaping voids around the neck and back are really not good enough, which is why Bonecrusher is probably my least favourite of the Constructicons.

Goldbug

"To know others you must know yourself first"

Has the mind of the Autobot Bumblebee, but new, improved body. More serious, assertive, mature than he was. Realizes what others think of him isn't nearly as important as what he thinks of himself. Excellent fuel efficiency; 2 1/2 times better than the next best Throttlebot. Adaptable to underwater, cold and hot environments. Can withstand temperatures from -150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

8

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

7

OVERALL

55

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - G.I. Joe and the Transformers Issue 4, April 1987 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 117, June 13th 1987 / Issue 118, June 20th 1987
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 95 (Season 3 #30), February 25th 1987 / Episode 98 (Season 4 #3), November 11th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1987

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Bumblebee'
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Transformers 2010

Additions/Mods:
- Added the Beezleboss 'Growing Pains' upgrade kit (New head and guns)

Review

Goldbug is a character who popped up briefly and then was made back to Bumblebee again. There are only 2 interesting facts about Goldbug as far as I can tell: One is that he has 3 different and conflicting origins, and the other is that his Throttlebot 'update' toy offered zero poseability, which is even less than Bumblebee started with. Those gems aside, is Takara's (with Beezleboss's help) remake of him as pointless as the original character?

Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
This is why 3rd parties can work harmoniously with Hasbro/Takara. Takara elected to reissue Bumblebee, this time with a lustrous gold colour scheme, clearly homaging Goldbug. And then Beezleboss made a brand new head and some neat weapons, and all of a sudden, everyone needs to buy a new character! I like the Bumblebee mould, so it's then unsurprising that I similarly enjoy this figure. The paint looks fantastic, and the new head does the job perfectly. Even without the replacement head, this version of Bumblebee is very easy on the eye.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
The metallic paint really 'shines' in car mode, which now looks spectacular. This toy comes with the 'waveblaster' accessory, but it really doesn't go with the vehicle in its new gold form. For me, it detracts from the overall look, so I don't use it. Other than this, even Tracks would be jealous of this alt mode.

Transformation 7/10
An unusual but fun transformation sequence. Although personally I have issues getting the panels to all align nicely when changed back to car mode. I would also add that this mould is getting long in the tooth these days, which is perhaps why the panels seem even harder to get flush than the original Bumblebee/Cliffjumper. It could also be the added paint that has contributed, because for whatever reason, I find transforming him a real squeeze.

Poseability 7/10
Not bad, but the mould betrays its age when compared with more recent 'classicsverse' deluxes. Big feet allow for a variety of poses though.

Quality 3/10
The niceness of the paint is also my main issue with this figure. A few years back, there was an ailment called 'gold plastic syndrome' which made plastic of that colour become brittle over the years, and eventually disintegrate altogether. Some original G1 and Beastwars figures have pretty much turned to dust because of it. This, then, is why Takara have elected to cover a yellow Bumblebee with gold paint (either that or they had a surplus of them). Unfortunately, the paint is prone to scratching. As it is, my figure was scratched right out of the box. He is packaged in his robot mode, meaning that the feet are in constant contact with the bonnet. Where these 2 panels meet, my figure is hideously scarred with deep scratches. Apparently all of the figures have the same problem. In robot mode, the problem is not evident, but in alt mode, the fantastic finish is ruined by the scratches (I have photoshopped mine out, which is why you can't see them). It is completely unacceptable for a brand new figure to be damaged out of the box!

Overall - 35/50
This figure is a million miles better than the risible Legends class 'Gold Bumblebee'. However, it is costly, especially when you factor in the head upgrade. Still, at least now you don't have to explain how Bumblebee's 'upgrade' consisted of shrinking and losing pretty much all of his articulation. It's just a shame that Takara decided to package these guys so they would be damaged before they were even opened, because this figure really deserves a better score.

Hook

"Strive for perfection even if others must suffer."

With the precision of a fine jeweler, Hook performs his job with skill unequalled among the Transformers, whether reconnecting a damaged microchip or setting a two ton girder into place. He's a snobbish, supercilious, unpopular perfectionist who is able to lift 20 tons. As shoulders and head module, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot "Devastator".

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

9

SPEED

3

ENDURANCE

6

RANK

4

COURAGE

6

FIREPOWER

5

SKILL

10

OVERALL

51

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 10, November 1985 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 61, May 17th 1986 / Issue 279, July 21st 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 16 (Season 1 #16), December 15th 1984 / Episode 96 (Season 4 #1), November 9th 1987 First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Mobile Crane'
Manufacturer - Maketoys
Toyline - Type 61

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the cabin

Review

Hook is a lean, mean, green machine. As well as being Grapple's bete noir, he transforms into the crane which allows the Constructicons to build their dastardly weapons of mass-destruction. He also fills the important role of being Devastator's upper torso. Maketoys made the brave decision to incorporate the head into the robot itself instead of an additional part, so have they managed to hide the massive noggin when in robot and vehicle mode?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
This figure somehow manages to look decent despite having a head which I would charitably call 'derpy'. Hook's head also sits on a narrow balljoint, which only exacerbates the narrow jaw. Conversely, the rest of the figure is solid and well-proportioned. The crane arm can be detached altogether, or attached to the back on a small clip. This is the configuration I prefer as it gives the figure a more interesting and asymmetrical appearance. I think the crane can also be wielded as a club, but I haven't really investigated that. The combiner head plainly makes up the right foot of the robot, but it is disguised somewhat by a strip of green which works surprisingly well. The paint apps are all excellent as is standard with this Maketoys set.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
The crane truck is very decent to look at. If it wasn't for the combiner head kibble idly sitting next to the cabin I would score this higher than I have. On a more positive note, there is a fair amount of articulation on the crane. The entire crane arm can rotate, and can be pitched up and down. It is also telescopic, and the hook is on a pivot as well. There is definitely a lot more play value (not that you play with these toys, right?) with this alt mode than the others. Unfortunately, using the crane arm only highlights the head kibble, which is significantly better hidden when the crane arm is down. Shame! There are lots of solid paint apps on this alt mode, and all are understated and very high quality.


Transformation 7/10
Hook's transformation is one of the simpler Maketoys offerings, in fact it looks like it comes right out of the Hasbro playbook. The lower legs fold out from the upper legs. The forearms unfold from the upper arms, and then the arms as a whole splay out and rotate 180 degrees to form the robot. And that is pretty much it. The simplicity is actually somewhat welcome after some of the trickier Constructicons. The crane can be easily removed which helps when transforming this figure, and can be stowed in a variety of ways in robot mode.

Poseability 6/10
I am going to judge this figure based on how poseable the other Maketoys Constructicons are and to that end this doesn't score very well. I'll start by stating what articulation this figure does have, but will point out what is lacking in each case. The head is ball-jointed (no complaints there) The waist however has no articulation whatsoever! The shoulders are ball-jointed. There is thigh swivel but no bicep swivel! The elbow joints are double-jointed, and the knees are jointed too. But the joints are too low! There is zero articulation in the wrist and there are no feet to speak of at all, apart from a huge toe which is actually a head(!). All this limits what Hook can actualy do. I think that some of these issues are more excusable (the waist is on a hinge, necessary for the combiner mode, and the bicep has to accomodate 2 wheels per side) but surely wrist articulation could have been included, especially when bicep swivel is already missing.


Quality 7/10
Great materials have been used to cast this mould and the quality is of a very high standard. I do have 2 concerns abou this figure though and they both concern the heads. The smaller head has a pretty small balljoint and looks kind of vulnerable. The combiner head is on a sliding rod, so it can be centralised to make Devastator. I really don't like messing with this piece as it also looks a bit flimsy.

Overall - 35/50
This figure flatters to deceive in robot mode as it looks great, but ultimately has limited poseability. Conversely, the alt mode looks quite dodgy from some angles but actually has more interactivity than the other vehicles can offer, courtesy of the crane arm, which has been well-designed and thought out. I'm not hugely impressed with this figure, but y'know Devastator needs his head and shoulders, right? If you like the others and you like Devastator, you will just need to suck it up and get this figure, which is still OK.

Hound

"Observe everything, remember even more."

Hound loves the natural wonders of Earth, prefers it to Cybertron. Brave, fearless, loyal. Secretly desires to be human. Uses turret gun as radar scope, infrared radiation collector. Tracks machines as well as humans. Hologram gun projects 3-dimensional grid laser-light topographical maps. Vulnerable to thermal and electromagnetic interference.

STRENGTH

5

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

5

ENDURANCE

7

RANK

6

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

3

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 1, September 1984 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 29, September October 5th 1985 / Issue 103, March 7th 1987
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

AKA 'Autobot Hound'

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet (covering the smaller tampographed one)
- Added Reprolabels sticker set
- Added the FansProject G3 trailer weapon

Review

Poor Hound. He started off as the main 'kiddie appeal' character in the cartoon until he was unceremoniously ditched by Spike as soon as Bumblebee shaked his chromed tailpipe in the young human's direction. Hound sought solace in the arms of Mirage instead as their special abilities made them natural allies - Mirage able to cloak himself and Hound able to project images of giant robots at will. Quite why Hound didn't reattempt this subterfuge to flummox Devastator in the movie is beyond me, but presumably he hid in the shuttle like a big jessie instead. This aside, Hound is a cool character with an alt mode which is a bit more rough 'n' ready than his other Autobot car counterparts.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
As much as I like this incarnation of Hound, something about him seems very at odds with the rest of the 'classsicsverse' figures, and I struggle to pinpoint what it is. It's almost as if the headsculpt and some of the chunky features are aimed at a younger age group than, say, Prowl. In it's own right, I like the look of him, but for me, he displays somewhat incongruously with the others. He is also fairly bland, so I decided to augment him with some of the specifically-designed Reprolabels stickers. The gun is courtesy of FansProject from their Optimus Prime G3 Trailer which also replaces the cartoonish launcher supplied with the figure. I further think that the plastic is too pea green, and should have been a lot darker, as with the Henkei release.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
Stylistically the alt mode clashes with the rest of the 'classicsverse' far less than the robot, and the result is a nice-looking Jeep, which again would be pretty plain had I not put extra stickers on it. However it looks very nice with the chrome gun in place. Ravage can also be stowed on the back of the jeep, as these 2 figures were originally packaged together. The front wheels also turn nicely, allowing you to 'pose' the jeep more dynamically.


Transformation 8/10
This is a fun and rewarding transformation. The seats fold down and eventually become the 'thighs' of the robot, the lower legs and feet being formed by the rear of the jeep. The middle of the fuselage is lifted into place to create the 'spine', after the arms have been freed from the chassis. The front wheels are jointed allowing them to be moved out the way for transformation and then posed how you like them in robot mode. Just be sure that the spine is fully locked into place as otherwise there is a gap between the 'chest' and the waist area.

Poseability 6/10
'Loose hips sink ships' so the bastardised saying goes. This figure is almost ruined by incredibly loose balljoints in the hips and slightly average articulation. He has a ball-jointed head and shoulders but no waist swivel. He also has elbow and knee joints, although the knees are very high on this figure giving him tiny thighs. His ankles also have a joint although his wrists can only fold away and offer no meaningful poseability. His feet are huge but don't have much of a heel, and when this is coupled with loose hips you have a figure who is reluctant to stay upright.


Quality 7/10
This figure feels solid and the Jeep holds together very well and the articulated front wheels show no signs of breakage. However the robot mode floppiness is a big worry. I'm not sure if the loose hip issue is a general complaint with this figure or not - I can't vouch for other peoples experiences. But I would definitely be wary of moving the hips of this figure too much.

Overall - 35/50
I kind of like Hound as a figure in his own right, but aesthetically, he is a bit of an oddity. His new figure definitely feels more basic and cartoonish than the original, and for that reason I don't really like how he displays with the majority of my other figures. Perhaps he was the re-use of a mould intended for another line that was aborted? Who knows. Otherwise he is pretty decent but marred by major issues in his hips. I may try to varnish the balljoints to stiffen him up a bit. But, I would recommend you pick this figure up as there are no other options and also Ravage is included!

Thunderwing

"Cover yourself with lies and no one will find you."

A two-faced, lying, cheating, back-stabbing scoundrel. The ultimate Decepticon villan. Armed with power-enhancing, impenetrable exoskeleton. Also equipped with electrostatic gun ports in shoulders and metal-eating laser beam in forehead. Reserve fuel tanks in legs provide unlimited fuel supply and aerator hoses in chest emit noxious gases. Armed with cyclone cannon and transforms into inter-stellar jet that carries full payload of plasma charges. Outer shell jet equipped with neutron power pack that increases firepower by 50%. combines with jet pod to form super jet armed with heat seeking laser blasters.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

7

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

6

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

9

OVERALL

57

View the rest of the album here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 60, December 1989 / Issue 75, February 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 230, August 12th 1989 / Issue 242, November 4th 1989
First/Last Cartoon Appearance -
First Toy Appearance - 1989

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Generations

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest

Review

Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
This is a very good representation of one of my favourite characters. Thunderwing looks imposing and the kibble actually adds to his menace. Nice headsculpt but the angle of the neck is odd, especially if you have him looking sideways. Also, for such an imposing character, he is too damn small, being one of the smallest deluxes.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
The plane looks brilliant and integrates/hides the robot kibble successfully. The drone at the front can also detach as with the original pretender but leaves an odd-looking void near the cockpit. Colour scheme is a little flat.

Transformation 7/10
Quite unusual in that the stomach area lifts up to accomodate the legs which tuck in towards the chest. The arms just kind of sit there in jet mode though.

Poseability 7/10
Pretty good and a lot of poses can be achieved. The large amount of back kibble does make him somewhat back heavy though, and he is prone to fall over.

Quality 6/10
2 issues with this figure that I know about - one being that the thumbs will pop off if you get him to carry the wing-mounted missile launchers (I haven't tried this though as I don't want his thumbs to fall off) And you can leave stress marks either side of the chest piece if you mistransform him.

Overall - 35/50
Very close to a great figure but he just isn't imposing enough for a character who went on a rampage beating up whoever got in his way. he really needs to be a voyager (or even a large deluxe.)