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 183, September 17th 1988 / Issue 251, January 6th, 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986 / Episode 98 (Season 4 #3), November 11th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 2001
Click here to see Figure Details and review
Figure Details
AKA 'MGT-01 Delicate Warrior'
Manufacturer - M&G Toys
Toyline -
Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet
Review
Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Poor old Arcee has been 'blessed' with some truly ugly incarnations over the years - for me, this is the first mould of her which approximates her movie look successfully and looks decent. This figure looks great, and the light-piping on the eyes usually tends to get overlooked for 3rd-party figures. My gripes are the use of die-cast metal on the chest area - the paint isn't great and the white inevitably looks different. Also, the back kibble is a bit distracting.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
This looks OK, I guess. Not a bad stab and the movie alt mode. The wheels are too thin though and so much of them are exposed that what should be a sleek race car looks a bit like a pram. I am impressed by the detailing though and the paintwork is vivid enough.
Transformation 6/10
Quite the unorthadox 3rd party transformation, this one. I feel like I have to be very delicate with it, particularly with the way the head and rear of the vehicle are attached by a thin piece of plastic. Both modes just kind of sit together, without any tabs locking.
Poseability 8/10
Arcee scores highly here, with loads of cool articulation. Unfortunately the tiny feet make balance an issue, and the hips have a habit of splaying apart. With perseverence, however, this figure is capable of some very nice poses.
Quality 4/10
I am very careful with this figure, which I guess could be due to the price tag... But more than this, everything about this figure does not feel like your typical transformer. This would certainly struggle to pass any tests regarding robustness in my opinion. Give this to a kid and my prediction is that the head would be snapped off in no time, along with the legs.
Overall - 33/50
Don't get me wrong - I am very pleased that I have this figure in my collection. Without a doubt, this is the best Car-based incarnation of Arcee you are likely to see for some time. The faithfulness to the original character is probably what gives Arcee all of the weaknesses, regarding the odd alt mode and lack of durability. But treat her nice, and she will do just fine. An impressive effort from M&G toys.
* These Tech Specs were taken from the 'Diamond Select' Mini Bust released in 2009. The only earlier Generation One Tech Specs for this character were those of the Arcee Botcon Exclusive from 2001, but in that incarnation Arcee was a redeco of Blackarachnia. Given that Arcee was a monstrous spider, I decided to use the 2009 Tech Spec scores, which were more in keeping with her humanoid form and vehicle alt mode.
