Brawl

"I was built to be wild."

Noisy, irritates all nearby. Hair-trigger temper, blusteringly belligerent... a terrifyingly effective warrior. Enormously strong, resistant to most conventional artillery. As tank, goes 45mph, range 600 miles. Turret mounted gun shoots 200lbs TNT-equivalent shells, twin sonic cannon shoots powerful, ear-splitting 300-decibel bursts of concentrated sound energy in stereo. In robot Mode, has 10-Megawatt electron gun. Combines with fellow Combaticons to form "Bruticus".

STRENGTH

7.5

INTELLIGENCE

2

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

8

SKILL

7

OVERALL

51.5

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 24, January 1987 / Issue 43, August 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 63, May 31st 1986 / Issue 137, October 31st 1987
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 58 (Season 2 #42), December 10th 1985 / Episode 98 (Season 4 #3), November 11th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - ROTF

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the shoulder
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the tank body
- Added various Reprolabels

Review

Brawl is the left peg of Bruticus and other than that importand fact he is a big, green tank. That's about all I can remember of Brawl, he lacked the personality of his 'leg mate' Swindle, and was little more than a blunt instrument used to blow stuff up and presumably kick some Autobot tail in his combined form. In the repainted Energon set, the figure used to represent Brawl was at least a tank, and was the right colour, too. But is this similarity enough to convey the character of old?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 4/10
I'm going to be 'brutally' honest and tell you that this robot looks dreadful. There is no way that I would have this abomination of a figure in my collection if it wasn't for the integral part he plays in forming Bruticus. Firstly, he resembles a grasshopper more than a humanoid robot, thanks to his stupid feet and enormous back kibble which resembles wings more than anything else. Brawl should be short and squat, powerfully built and angular. What we have here is a skinny, insectoid mess who looks unpalatable from any angle at which you choose to display him. His head sculpt is utterly daft, with huge protuding 'ears'. The light-piping is nice but that's about it. FansProject provide a large gun for him to hold but unfortunately that is insufficient to obscure the entire figure. I decided to add some feet which I stole from a spare Air Raid to redress the ski feet issue, but there's only so much feet can do to rescue a poor robot.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
Thankfully the tank isn't nearly so dire as the robot mode, but that's only because so many concessions were made with the robot to keep the tank looking decent-ish. The distinctive single barrel sported by Brawl has been replaced by a twin barreled configuration, which looks ok, but again isn't Brawl as we would know him. The turret does offer a good range of movement and the guns can be adjusted vertically too. The colour scheme is 2 vaguely clashing shades of green and grey which look OK, but not particularly impressive.


Transformation 6/10
This figure looks damn ugly due in some part to the overly-simplistic transformation. The figure may be scout sized but it is inexcusable that the entire length of the tank is left to just dangle off the back of the robot, like a pair of deflated wings. Surely, these treads could have had a split in the middle and end up being stowed in a more elegant way. The head is obscured by the chest area, and the stupid 'ears' of the head are in fact guns that add nothing to the figure at all. The rest of the turret is formed by the arms, which are tabbed together, and the guns are then reversed to obscure the arms somewhat.

Poseability 6/10
Articulation on this figure isn't bad with neck swivel, ball-jointed shoulders, hips, elbows and knees. The feet also have limited ankle articulation. There is no waist swivel however, but this figure should still be able to pose pretty well if it were not for the stupid kibble weighing the back of the figure down. Basically, despite the fact that this figure has ridiculously enormous skis for feet, he finds it rather difficult to stand up without having the tank kibble also in contact with the ground. And why would you want to pose a figure who looks so daft, anyway.


Quality 7/10
Unfortunately this figure is quite robust so will probably survive a nuclear winter unscathed, not that you would want it to.

Overall - 29/50
In truth, this is a ghastly looking figure which no-one would have in their collection, were it not for the absolute necessity of it to create Bruticus. I really hope that one day FansProject replace this silly-looking thing with their own take on Brawl, which does the character justice. This is a terrible, yet utterly essential figure.

Brawn

"Might over microchips."

To Brawn, Earth is essentially a hostile environment - and he loves it. Strong, rugged, agile - the most macho of all Autobots. Delights in challenges. Sorry for those not as tough as himself. Second strongest Autobot - can list 190,000 pounds and knock down a small building with one punch. High resistance to artillery fire. Vulnerable to attack by electromagnetic waves.

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

4

OVERALL

45

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 257, February 17th 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

AKA 'Hench'
Manufacturer - iGear
Toyline - Mini Warriors

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet
- Added various Reprolabels

Review

Brawn was hard as nails, until he inexplicably died like a massive wimp in the animated Movie. Despite this, he really deserves a good figure, but until he has one, there is a plethora of choice to fill the angry wee robot's shoes. I have bought various figures to represent him, and now I will see if the iGear version is the best of an underwhelming bunch...


Appearance (Robot Mode) 5/10
Much like their Cosmos figure, iGear upscaled an existing mould because they are greedy shysters the fans wanted it. This figure suffers from the same defects as their 'UFO' figure - massive balljoints, crappy plastic and rubbish to non-existent paint apps. This figure is also laughably large - as big as Bumblebee - when you consider that this mould was supposed to be somewhere between legends and scout size, you can perhaps appreciate why the detail is quite so sparse. Brawn has 2 headsculpts but both are pretty poor. The saving graces of this figure are the colour which is spot on, and the figure itself is well-proportioned, and evokes the original character successfully. This would've worked pretty well as a scout-sized figure.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
The alternate mode looks quite nice but looks and feels very cheap in hand, again due to the fact it was lazily upscaled. The tyres are nicely sculpted albeit somewhat sparse.


Transformation 7/10
Brawn actually has a nice transformation sequence. The doors slide up and then the sides of the vehicle are pulled out and folded back on themselves to form the legs. The waist is twisted 180 degrees and the arms pull out from the recesses either side of the torso.

Poseability 7/10
Brawn has some tight balljoints, but nothing as bad as Cosmos, besides his head balljoint, which alternates between immensely tight and super-loose at the drop of a hat. I haven't figured out why. His head is hard to move anyway because of the cavity it sits in. He has balljointed shoulders, hips, elbows and knees. His waist swivels. His knee joints are very far up on the leg, although not as bad as RID Ultra Magnus. He has some balance issues due to the tabs which form his 'heels'.


Quality 6/10
Intermittently tight and loose balljoints, rubbish, streaky grey plastic and the fact that my figure was dirty out of the box all suggest to me that quality is not at the forefront of iGear's mind. Seaspray was loads better.

Overall - 31/50
This is another crap figure from the iGear stable. I just hope that the remaining 'Mini Warriors' are actually delivered in the scale they were designed for. I'm OK with larger figures if the quality has been upped along with the scale. Unfortunately this is the most representative figure of Brawn by some distance. If something else comes along which is a bit nicer, I will chuck this piece of junk in the bin where it belongs.

Bumblebee

"The least likely can be the most dangerous."

Small, eager, and brave, Bumblebee acts as messenger and spy. Due to his small size, he dares to go where others can't and won't. He idolizes the bigger Autobots, especially Optimus Prime and Prowl, and strives to be accepted. He is the most energy efficient and has the best vision of all the Autobots. He can go underwater for reconnaissance and salvage missions. Although physically the weakest Autobot, his stealth more than compensates for this inadequacy.

STRENGTH

2

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

7

RANK

7

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

7

OVERALL

46

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 77, April 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 13, March 9th 1985 / Issue 289, September 29th, 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / Episode 94 (Season 3 #29), February 24th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Classics

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest to cover the rubsign
- Added some Reprolabels
- Added the FansProject G3 Trailer weapon

Review

The modern Bumblebee is both loved and derided in equal measure. OK, that is not strictly true - most people have had quite enough of him and his seemingly endless toys, which have grown exponentially with his awful characterisation in the movie, where the power of speech was deemed too good for him. I love the way that the Transformers are this alien race who have existed for millennia, they have achieved interstellar flight, shape-shifting and the space bridge amongst other technological marvels, but they cannot fix Bumblebee's voicebox. Another reason to dislike the movies, I guess. Anyway, the Bumblebee of old was a plucky wee robot, lacking the strength, firepower and even guile of his team mates. But he had courage in spades. But not Cliffjumper-esque bravado, for Bumblebee had no unfeasably-sized guns to bring to the battle. Despite this, he was an endearing little robot, well-respected by Optimus Prime and his comrades. And no collection of Autobots would be complete without Bumblebee, that is for sure.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Bumblebee really suits this mould, looking somewhat like a teenager (albeit a happy one - is that an oxymoron?) in this incarnation thanks to his chunky feet which remind me of trainers and the fact that he is pretty short for a deluxe class. There are various paint schemes available for Bumblebee, with this one being the original Classics release in light yellow, white and grey, which I prefer to the later colour schemes. I would really like an all-yellow Bee, but this is nice enough for now at least. The mould also seems to be wearing a vest, and his slightly stunted proportions mirror the character nicely. I do, however, think that the world has changed a lot since 1984, which is why I have equipped Bumblebee with his FansProject G3 trailer pistol. I'd be too worried about him otherwise.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
A neat little compact car mode suits the 'choro q' aesthetic of the original G1 toy down to the ground. The 'wavecrusher' trailer is OK I suppose, but I can imagine it hindering speedy getaways, which is why I tend to not use it. I find myself sometimes really liking the colour scheme, and sometimes wishing for a simpler palette. It is superior to Cliffjumper's paint though, because at least the design is kept pretty simple and isn't as jarring as the red mentalist.


Transformation 7/10
An unusual but fun transformation sequence. The roof folds forward to form the 'vest', which I think looks great. The arms tuck under the legs, which form the seats in car mode. The door kibble which is visible in robot mode swivels around the forearm depending on what mode the car is in. The bonnet splits and pops up to form the lower legs.

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 stable poses though. Bumblebee has a ball-jointed head, with the movement slightly impeded by the new headsculpt. He also has waist swivel, ball-jointed shoulders and hips, and ball-jointed elbows. No wrist swivel though. Also, there is no thigh swivel but curiously swivel beneath the jointed knee, which is quite odd. This impedes things somewhat. There is also limited ankle tilt.


Quality 8/10
I do tend to worry when there are fairly large, load-bearing bits of clear plastic in a figure as they can become brittle over the years. This mould basically has a 'vest' that is formed from the roof in robot mode and is all clear plastic. No issues as yet though but perhaps one to watch...

Overall - 37/50
Bumblebee is a successful rendition of the original character and is a lot of fun to boot. While he is one of the older moulds, he still looks good enough to pose with the later figures in the line. A nice (and completely essential) addition to any collection.

Chop Shop

"I take no prisoners, just spare parts."

Sneakiest of the Insecticons... if it's not bolted to the floor, it's not safe from his greedy grasp. No challenge is too great; the more difficult something is to steal, the more he wants to steal it. As insect, flies 30mph with two small jets on his back. Pincer-like antennae can slice through 2-inch thick steel. Has twin pinpoint lasers on mouth; can carry 30 tons. As robot has photon cannon.

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

5

RANK

6

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

10

OVERALL

53

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) - Issue 205, February 18th 1989
First/Last Cartoon Appearance -
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Blockade'
Manufacturer - FansProject
Toyline - Causality

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

Review

Chop Shop is a character I feel was criminally underused during the halcyon days of the original G1 fiction - his entire run can be attributed to one issue during the UK Timewars saga, in which he briefly turned up only to be ruthlessly dispatched by the combined might/lunacy of Megatron and Galvatron. Although perhaps he should be glad of that, considering that his sole appearance is one more than his fellow Deluxe Insecticons managed. Even FansProject emphasised this figures anonymity when they swapped his and Barrage's names around, so apparently Chop Shop's FansProject moniker is 'Blockade' as opposed to 'Teardown'. I know which one makes more sense. He has been more prominent in the modern G1 fiction, but my recollection was seeing this figure and noting how striking he was visually. I knew nothing else about the character other than I wanted the figure. I never did pick it up (given its non-availability in the UK), but now thankfully FansProject have stepped in and retooled their Shrapnel figure, to great effect.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
Chop Shop obviously shares the physical characteristics of Shrapnel in looks like a tough little bot that you would not want to mess with. He is extremely stocky. His head sculpt perfectly evokes the original and is excellent, although as per usual with FansProject there is no light-piping. His kibble can be displayed as you see fit - I tend to have the legs on his torso hanging down but you can recreate the 'legs akimbo' look of the original is you wish to do so. Unlike Shrapnel with his rather bonkers weapons, Chop Shop comes with brand new mouth parts which much better homage the original figure. These are affixed to the uppermost insect legs when he is in robot mode. His colour scheme is just great, he really pops in the way that only Transformers of a certain era can. He has many white paint apps which contrast really well with his claret and amber plastic. Did I mention that Bradford City, the best football team in the world play in Claret and Amber? This guy could be the mascot!

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
This version of the mould is marginally nicer than the Shrapnel one, mainly because FansProject omitted to pick out the 'cockpit' detailing in a different colour. This improves the look in my opinion, because it makes the cockpit less noticeable. I still don't really understand why it is there, when the other moulds have no similar feature. Anyhow, this is a great-looking alt mode and looks very coherent overall. The mouth part is also much nicer than the Shrapnel counterpart. Sorry Shrapnel.


Transformation 6/10
This is my least enjoyable of the Insecticons to transform, which is a shame. Firstly, I find it difficult to align the arms up just so to enable them to slide through the lower legs. And the robot feet? you have to flip and swivel them to the side for the alt mode and I have real difficulty doing this without colliding them into the adjoining surface. There is a 'sweet spot' but as can be typical with FansProject, there is more drama than there needs to be. Elswhere, there are some innovative features, such as the hips which are slid back before the waist is rotated. OK, it is vaguely similar to Hot Rod, but it is nice to see different things from time to time. Also, don't forget that the shoulder piece rotates for the robot mode, I have seen loads of pictures that has this part mis-transformed. The mouth parts are connected to the detached forearm 'armour' and slotted in to from the menacing gob.

Poseability 9/10
My one gripe with this figure is that his hip joints are very stiff. Other than this though, he can do just about anything. He has a ball-jointed neck, swivel waist, and ball-jointed shoulders/hips. He has bicep swivel and double ball-joints at the elbow, which is handy because this negates the need for wrist swivel. He also has thigh swivel, knee joints and a very decent range of movement in his feet, which are also large enough to hold a variety of poses.


Quality 6/10
I feel that the transformation sequence puts the plastic under unnecessary strain, which always makes me annoyed. I really like this guy and would not let anyone else attempt to transform him, for the spectre of gouged plastic is all too real! It's a shame because this is otherwise a decent quality, stocky little figure.

Overall - 39/50
Aesthetically this figure is very successful, looking great in both modes. He also offers a plethora of poses, and options regarding how you set him up with his weaponry. However, I have some concerns regarding his transformation which is why the Shrapnel mould is probably the least recommended of the 3 Insecticon moulds. That said, in his own right, he is still a very decent figure. Also, I think that the additions made to Chop Shop marginally improve the figure overall, and the paintjob is awesome.

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.

Gnaw

"I live for the taste of an Autobot's fuel line!"

Travels in packs with fellow Sharkticons. Fearless and vicous. Loyal only to the master who last fed him. Powerful tail fin allows him to travel at speeds over 150 Knots. Carnivourous with a voracious appetite. Possesses several rows of razor-sharp teeth that can tear through solid steel. In robot Mode, carries a maceration laser that shoots salt-based corrosive liquid. Also carries a barbed mace.

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

2

COURAGE

8

FIREPOWER

4.5

SKILL

4.5

OVERALL

41

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 43, August 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) -
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986 / Episode 94 (Season 3 #29), February 24th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Sharkies' Manufacturer - Unique Toys
Toyline -

Additions/Mods:

Review

Since the demise of Impossible Toys people have been wondering who would next tackle the non-Transformer races. In particular, fans intent on collecting the various types of Quintessons etc were still waiting for someone to step up and homage the Sharkticons. And now, in a pattern that seems to be spreading to all 3rd-party figures at the moment, 2 different manufacturers have thrown their hats into the ring. Not to mention that Hasbro has also got in on the act, finally realising that these little guys might shift a few units. iGear announced their intention to create a set of 3 a while ago, but then I don't really like iGear so avoid them wherever possible. Then another company called Unique Toys announced theirs - I wasn't thrilled because I didn't like the designs they had come up with so far. But then I saw the renders and prototypes and my mind was made up. Unique Toys' 'Sharkies' would be mine!


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
There are actually 3 little robots in this set, and generally I feel this represents good value for money - particularly in the 3rd party market. One of the sharkies has a different colour scheme, so because of this I have picked him out as Gnaw, who is the only officially-named Sharkticon. I have used the 'appearances' stats from the Sharkies in general, as there isn't really a way of proving or disproving that Gnaw is not present, amongst all of his pals. Anyway onto the figures who are something of a treat. They are diminutive and barrel-chested, with tiny little legs. Their heads are disproportionately large, yet somehow everything ties in nicely. Regarding the headsulpts, these are finely detailed with 3 distinct faces, all of which are well done. I am also very impressed by the paint apps on this figure, which are really rich and contrast nicely against the electric blue and dark grey plastic. These guys come bundled with their spiked club weapons and a pistol each, and manage to look both comical and menacing at the same time.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
It is in this particular mode where these guys really shine, and I mean that quite literally with their nicely-chromed eyes, cast in a sumptuous gold. These figures have an impressive set of teeth, which are satisfyingly sharp, thanks to this toy being firmly in the realm of 'adult collectable' and out of reach of the majority of 5-year-olds who could cut their wee pinkies on them. The club weapon works perfectly as a tail and these guys look good from every angle aside from right underneath, which makes them infinitely more coherent than FOC Grimlock. These monsters definitely look better in groups, and I am sorely tempted to buy another 3 to boost their numbers further!


Transformation 8/10
Ostensibly a shell-former, this figure still manages to squeeze in a quite innovative transformation. Firstly the head is rotated to face backwards and is snapped into the shark maw. This is then closed up, and the belly opened up. This allows the legs to be folded, rotated and tucked into the torso and also the arms are rotated down at the shoulder. This is to move them fractionally lower on the body, and also to facilitate slotting the shark arms into place. The robot arms are then repositioned, with the fists collapsed. And with that, you are pretty much done. One of the shark horns has an annoying propensity to pop off - I actually cut them down slightly at the point they connect to hold them in a bit better.

Poseability 8/10
generally this is decent but lacks a forward-facing 'knee joint' in shark mode. But then you do get nice little arms and horns that pivot. Onto the robot mode and the head is ball-jointed but regrettably waist swivel is missing - a necessary concession to facilitate transformation. This figure does have ball-jointed shoulders and hips, and swivel at the bicep and thigh area. The elbows are also ball-jointed, although the range is limited by the plastic either side of the joint, limiting what you can do. His wrists are not articulated although he does have ball-jointed feet. His sheer belly mass makes some dynamic poses impossible, although the balance is very impressive considering the diminutive feet and big belly.


Quality 7/10
This is a solid effort from Unique Toys. Compared to, say, MMC, the plastic used feels quite light and thin although not in any way brittle. The paint apps are also plentiful and well-applied, with my main criticism being that the shark 'horns' pop off with alarming ease, particularly on the side of the head where they are masking the screws. This is because the tabs are slightly too long, and they protude a bit because of the screw. I took a few millimeters off of the tab and now they sit in a bit more securely. They still pop off though, and I would be tempted to glue them in place if I didn't like the fact they could be repositioned to make the sharks look 'happy' or 'sad'.

Overall - 40/50
I heartily recommend this set of Sharkies - I doubt the Hasbro effort will be up too much and they will also be too small. As for iGear they are dragging their heels as usual, and will surely conspire to mess their figures up, as is their propensity of late. The 'Sharkies' are very cute and intricately designed figures, and Unique Toys have not scrimped on quality either, managing to deliver 3 very decent figures for a relatively cheap price. Pick them up, they will make you smile!

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.

Headstrong

"The best advice is not to listen to advice."

Doesn't listen to anyone, particularly his friends. Smug, arrogant. Puts up a stubborn front to hide deep-rooted insecurities. More vulnerable to psychological rather than physical attacks. In rhinoceros Mode, his horn can puncture 3-foot thick steel, release corrosive acid. Uses plasma-sphere shooter that emits explosive energy balls; has light distorting diffraction sword. Combines with fellow Predacons to form Predaking.

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

5

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

7

RANK

5

COURAGE

6

FIREPOWER

8

SKILL

6

OVERALL

48

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 25, February 1987 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 96, January 17th 1987 / Issue 279, July 21st, 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 70 (Season 3 #5), September 19th 1986 / Episode 79 (Season 3 #14), October 31st 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Fortis'
Manufacturer - Mastermind Creations
Toyline - Reformatted

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

Review

Headstrong, like Ramhorn, turns into a rhino, however unlike Ramhorn this particular rhino is rather large, and part of the most feared unit of combiners ever known, the Predacons. He is quite the formidable opponent so thank Primus for stupidity, otherwise this character would be far more effective. He, along with his other cohorts, very nearly dispatched Optimus Prime, in a typically decent Simon Furman-penned story called 'Prey'. Perhaps 'Pray' would be more appropriate. This was the single appearance which really impressed upon me how feared the Predacons were. Headstrong is the second member re-imagined by MMC, and he shares the same mould as Predaking's other leg, Tantrum. I thought Tantrum was decent enough so let's hope for the same.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
When I first saw this figure I was somewhat disappointed, although it has grown on me since I started messing around with it. My initial bad impression was due to the size of this figure - he is a tall and bulky voyager. Too big? I guess only time will tell - this is only a limb-bot, after all, but absolutely dwarfs the components of any other combiner in my collection. The headscuplt is way less offensive then Tantrum's, being a rather neutral expression in this case. My other complaints about the head still stand, though. The red visor is practically indistinguishable from the red of the helmet. In actual fact, the visor is painted in a nice metallic hue but it is head to discern. The face is painted but it is yellow over a very vibrant red, so the coverage is not ideal. Also, the definition of the face is lost because of the thick paint. I would have preferred an extra piece of plastic, cast in yellow for the face. With those gripes out of the way what remains is a really great-looking figure, with nice proportions, and a colour scheme which perfectly recalls the original. I prefer the more contrasting colours over Tantrum. headstrong comes with 2 arm-mounted guns which cannot be wielded otherwise, but in a nice touch they have extendable barrels. His 2 knives are also easier to attach to his fists, but I don't really like them anyway. The lower legs are rather on the wide side, but this helps to emphasise the sheer power of the character. This is definitely a better robot mode than Tantrum.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
This mode is a really nice, with a head which is more in proportion with the figure, and some impressive detailing. Again things feel slightly sparse overall, with the expanses of yellow and virulent red punctuated by blacks and greys. Unfortunately the usually ever-reliable Reprolabels produced 2 sets for Tantrum, both of which are crap so I don't think I can rely on them to enhance these predacons at all. I would have liked to see some more paint apps, although what is in place is very high quality. There is a decent range of movement in both legs, you can also splay them as well. The eyes in the headsulpt are much more easy to discern than Tantrum, not being as deep-set. But when the beast mouth is open (even a crack) it is all-too-easy to notice the robot face, lurking within. It should have been handled better.


Transformation 8/10
This area is where I think MMC excel because they have struck the right balance between an overly-simplistic transformation and one you lose sleep over. The wrists fold into the forearm and then the forearm is connected to the upper arm. The front feet are unfolded from behind the upper arm and click securely into the resultant 'stump' to form the front beast leg. The large pods on either robot leg are pulled free of their tabs, and again the lower beast leg is unfolded and slotted into place, in the manner of the front legs. The robot head is rotated and slotted into place to form part of the lower jaw. The large robot feet are rotated and tabbed onto the lower leg, and the waist is rotated. Then the robot legs fold back on each other and form the rear of the beast mode torso. You are then left with a very squat and imposing rhino.

Poseability 8/10
This figure comes with a lot of articulation, but in one or two places the actual positioning of the panels gets in the way of a decent range of movement. He has lateral and side-to side movement in the shoulder and hip area, as well as a swivel waist and ball-jointed head. He is equipped with both bicep and thigh swivel. He has double-jointed elbows and wrist swivel, and also the fold inwards necessary for transformation. The knee joints offer good poseability, and the ankle is ball-jointed with an additional joint towards the 'toes'. It is unfortunate that the shoulder movement is largely impeded. He is a heavy figure but stands up well thanks to the large feet. Most of the joints are very tight and some offer ratchet-like performance which is great on a figure of this size.


Quality 8/10
I have heard reports of the right elbow ratchet stripping, and although this is a purely cosmetic issue (apparently) it is still a real shame. Because in every other respect, quality is probably the most impressive aspect that MMC have to offer. Anyway, I removed one pin from the assembly which allows you to face the joint the correct way. Basically there is a tab which strips the gear from the right elbow because it is the wrong way around, youtube reviewer Peaugh details the fix which took me about 2 minutes. The plastic used is extremely durable and feels fantastic in hand. Just the weight of this figure is incredibly impressive, and I have no doubt that this figure will be able to stand up to the rigours of being the limb of an absolutely massive (and heavy) combiner.

Overall - 40/50
This figure builds on the Tantrum mould and actually improves it with a better headsculpt (in both modes)and a more inspiring colour scheme. Regarding the elbow issue, I have heard that MMC are going to issue replacement parts for free once they have tooled them. Headstrong also comes with a replacement arse for Tantrum, I'm not really sure why to be honest but it is a good sign that they are making these amendments. This is a largely successful figure, and a really positive sign of things to come. I can't wait for the rest of the Predacons to arrive!