"Let me at 'em," is Cliffjumper's motto. His eagerness and daring have no equal. He's driven by a desire to win the battle against the Decepticons. Finds Earth terrain a hindrance. One of the fastest Autobots. Often uses his speed to draw fire away from others. Shoots 'glass gas' which makes metal as brittle as glass. His recklessness often leads to actual blow-outs and situations too dangerous for him to handle.
First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 48, February 15th 1986 / Issue 113, May 16th 1987
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
Figure Details
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Classics
Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest to cover the rubsign
- Swapped the head and added weapons from the Beelzeboss 'Yellow Devil Horns' upgrade set, and painted the yellow head red
Review
Cliffjumper was always a bit mad in the cartoon, producing various weapons from nowhere or trying to tackle Decepticons 3 times his size. This really endeared me to the character so I was very pleased when the Classics
Bumblebee mould was used to make Cliffjumper. However, I was concerned about the general lack of weaponry, until a 3rd-party company called
Beelzeboss stepped in and gave him not only 2 great weapons, but also a nice new headsculpt. Well, as with most things I missed the boat on this upgrade set, so had to settle for the later-released Yellow set which meant a yellow head to repaint. oh well...
Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
As with Bumblebee, Cliffjumper really suits this mould, and Hasbro did a great job on it. I was disappointed at the lack of a weapon, I understand that Bumbleebee doesn't need one but Cliffjumper? So this is where the Beelzeboss set comes into its own. The large weapon is awesome and really suits Cliffjumper's gung-ho nature. The weapons here are cast in a darker grey than the upgrade set intended for him, but I actually prefer the darker colour of these. I tried my best to spray the head the correct shade of red, and I don't think I am too far off. The face is very nice and conveys more menace than Bumblebee's friendly expression.
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. The red plastic really pops in this mould but I hate the silver paint apps on the car. If this figure weren't relatively rare, I would probably remove it and have a solid red car. Still, I suppose it is ostentatious like Cliffy himself.
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. Cliffjumper 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
Dodgy paintjob aside, Cliffjumer is still a must-have. This deluxe figure is far better than the Legends-class option. I definitely recommend hunting down the 'Devil Horns' upgrade set for this little guy, as he really needs his guns to feel secure. A nice addition to your Autobot collection.
