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Detective Barricade
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Post by Detective Barricade »

Though it didn't appear in Beast Machines, there was a Vehicon called Mirage, who, not surprisingly, turned into a F1 race car as well. Nice review though!
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Clay
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Post by Clay »

You have this written:
Not as good as the Galaxy Farce stealth jet
So I changed it to Galaxy Force since I assume that's what you meant. (Unless you were making fun of it, in which case I'll change it back.)
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riPcuRrenT
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major

Post by riPcuRrenT »

Major durablity issues in my book. Not sure if Toys R Us sold me a returned item but the right hand fell off to which I had to pop back, and The nose isn't clicking back as it should be when I transformed it from jet to robot mode.

I love this unit but it's quite a shame that I'm going through all these junk.
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Post by riPcuRrenT »

Sick bike.
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Post by Detective Barricade »

So far I've been lucky with QC, but something like this is bound to happen with mass produced things. If your Starscream was a returned item, you would see that the box would've been re-taped shut, or otherwise appear to have been opened before.
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Post by Blackjack »

Actually I was making fun of the series. "May the farce be with you!"
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Universe/Classics Legends Onslaught Review [proofed]

Post by ganon578 »

Name: Onslaught
Function: Combaticon Commander
Allegiance: Decepticon
Group: Universe Classics Legends Series

"The mind is the greatest weapon."

If Onslaught enters into direct combat, it's only because something has gone wrong with his battle plan. He prefers to remain on the sidelines of a fight, directing the action and revising his tactics second by second. Nothing gives him joy as much as a well-executed ambush, or the swift, organized destruction of an Autobot base. When he must get involved in a fight himself, he does so with cold fury, advancing meticulously across the battlefield with his fire focused on the most dangerous opponent. Every variable in a fight is taken into account in his mind, every possibility assessed, and every contingency planned for.


I don’t have many Legends class Transformers, and quite honestly I usually stick to the Deluxe class, but since I wanted to collect more of the Classics/Universe line and since I don’t have the space nor the money to pick up the Ultra class Onslaught, I thought I would try the Legends class Onslaught. I must say that I am happy with my purchase, but at the same time feel cheated since he’s only a repaint of an old mold (Cybertron Red Alert and Classics Perceptor). There is some fun to be had here though, so on with the review…

Alternate Mode: Onslaught’s alternate mode is a tough call. Yes, it’s an assault vehicle, and a decent one at that, but I think Hasbro just wanted to slap one out there so they decided on this mold and painted it. There are a couple key good points here about this mode though, one of which is the overall quality of the figure. The plastic here seems quite sturdy and I don’t think it will break anytime soon. I think the color scheme that was chosen for Onslaught is appropriate, and paint detailing is quite good here. There is nice black and blue detailing to break up the dismal gray chosen for the character, and the large cannon atop Onslaught is silver, with a small hint of red on the cannon tip. The detailing of the mold is great for such a small figure, especially the cannon, which make it stand out as a really cool Legends figure. Another fine part of the cannon is the ball joint it sits on. This allows for positioning in multiple directions (up and down as well as side to side) so Onslaught can hit targets other than right in front of him. Conveniently, Hasbro also placed a Decepticon symbol in a spot on top of the vehicle that is easily visible between the two sides of the front part of the cannon. One also nifty piece of detailing is the “S.W.A.T.” painted on the front sides of the vehicle in white. It stands out well against the darker plastic, and adds a sense of realism to this mode.

There are some bad parts to this mode though; one (which really surprised me) is the lack of moveable wheels on the sides of the mold. I figured when I got him that the eight wheels on the outside of the vehicle are what move, but alas, movement comes from four really small wheels underneath Onslaught. If you feel like rolling him over some thick carpet, you’re out of luck. Another part that frustrates me about this mode is the back half of the vehicle. When in the alternate mode, you can see all of Onslaught’s body, which basically leads to a gaping hole in the back half, with his chest and face staring upwards. If you move the cannon out of the way, this is really visible, and takes a lot out of the assault vehicle mode.

Robot Mode: The transformation from alternate mode to robot mode is really a lot simpler than I expected, and I’m not even sure it deserves the ‘2’ grade in level of conversion on the package. I’d almost have to downgrade this to a 1.5 or 1. It’s just WAY too simple. The robot mode looks really good when it’s in place; the detailing of black on the legs and blue in the arms, chest, and thighs are good. Onslaught even gets a red visor which makes his face stand out a little more, which is better than some other Legends figures. The detail of the chest is good too, just like the outside of the alternate mode. The cannon can also be put into multiple positions here, and adds a little fun to the robot mode. One really nice part of this mold too, is that the front parts of the assault vehicle flip down so he actually has feet, so getting him balanced in this mode is not a problem. Even rotating the cannon a decent degree back has no affect on him standing up.

One huge problem I have with this mode though, is the complete lack of any interesting arm movements. This is a seriously poor job on Hasbro’s part; all the arms actually do is move up and down, and his hands are just molded in to the arms and are barely noticeable. It even took me a bit when I got him out of the package to even realize he had fingers of some sort. The legs don’t have much movement here either; only ball joints at the hip.

Overall, Onslaught is decent. Not great or very good by any means, but decent. I look at it this way, if you want to flush out your Classics collection, or if you like the character but don’t want to get the Ultra class Onslaught, this one’s the one for you. He’s a cool figure if you don’t own Classics Perceptor or Cybertron Red Alert, so if you like the Legends class and don’t have the two aforementioned Transformers, he’s an inexpensive addition to your collection. Otherwise, he’s difficult to positively recommend.

Marks out of 10:

Transformation: 2. Soooooo simple. No impressive transformation of any sort.
Durability: 9. I don’t think anything will break. It’s really well made.
Fun: 3. There’s not much that can be done with him, and he’s doesn’t have a lot of movement. The cannon is the only worthwhile fun part.
Price: 5. For $5, you might want to save that and put it towards a better Transformer.
Overall: 5. I like the colors and the character, but the lack of effort here makes it tough to recommend him unless you’re starving for a figure in this mold.
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Tech Specs

Post by ganon578 »

Strength: 8
Intelligence: 8
Speed: 3
Endurance: 7
Rank: 7
Courage: 8
Firepower: 8
Skill: 9
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Universe/Classics Legends Red Alert Review [proofed]

Post by ganon578 »

Name: Red Alert
Function: Security Director
Allegiance: Autobot
Group: Universe Classics Legends Series

"Caution can never be overused."

Paranoia is the character trait that makes Red Alert as good as he is at his job. Nothing escapes his notice - a whiff of smoke, a whisper of crackling electricity, a faint scent of fuel exhaust. Anything, no matter how small, that triggers his sensory circuitry directs his thoughts immediately to the expectation of trouble. Most of his comrades find his edgy, driven nature unwelcome presence among their ranks, but they all appreciate his dedication to his duty. "He may have a few wires crossed in his logic center," says Inferno, "but at least his optical sensors are looking straight ahead."


I recently picked up Legends Red Alert and Onslaught from the Classics/Universe line, and an odd thought occurred to me. This quirkiness comes from the fact that Legends Onslaught is a repaint of Cybertron Legends Red Alert. This Red Alert, however, is also a repaint, but of a different Legends Cybertron Transformer, and I must say that I was really surprised at the quality and features of this little TF. Review time!!!

Alternate Mode: Not being one for the alternate mode of Transformers (I’m a robot mode junkie) I actually like this mode for Red Alert. The colors and detail match that of the Generation 1 Red Alert, but I like the update to a more modern car type. This really fits the “old but new” look of the past and current Classics. The paint job is pretty good here, red and white (just like it should be) and the red is a good shade. Not bright towards the point of being orange and not dark to almost a maroon. Just right. I was also happy that the side windows and windshield are all painted a silver/blue shade too (feeling cheated by my Legends Movie Jazz), and black rolling wheels (with some good tread too) complete the color combo. There is some nice detail in this mode; a large Autobot symbol on the hood of the car and also the “badge” symbol, which are both taken directly from the G1 version of this character. I’m also a fan of the detail of the mold. There is some ribbing on the hood, and also an intake/turbo-charger on the top of the car, which really gives the car a sporty look, but the “emergency” paint job keeps it grounded. There is a small spoiler of sorts too, which is a nice little addition. I’m actually very impressed with this mode. On another note, the quality here is great, the plastic does not feel cheap or easily breakable at all.

Robot Mode: I was really surprised at the depth of the transformation from alternate to vehicle modes. The legs slide out first, which is alien to me for Legends since I own so few, but makes Red Alert taller than I expected. The arms (or doors) flip up, and then the shoulders separate and shift down (hood). After this cool little bit of shifting, I was surprised to find out that the top of the car (or the back of Red Alert) is actually spring loaded to lift and rotate to make the back a little taller, which also adds some horn-like protrusions that rotate out from the top of his back. It’s a nice feature to a surprisingly complex little TF, and gives Red Alert a little bulk in robot mode. The colors and paints are done really well here too, with some black highlights on the chest and lower torso, and the thighs are red, along with the shoulders. All of this detailing does a good job of breaking up the white of the base plastic. While in this mode, Red Alert seems quite balanced, though sometimes it can be tricky to get the legs right so he stands straight. This could have been helped with the addition of some flip-down feet, which I was disappointed that they were not included. However, this small balance issue is somewhat resolved in the fact that the spoiler also gives him more surface area to stand on. If there were anything else I dislike about this figure, it would have to be a lack of detail in his face (only red is present, aside from the top and sides of his head being white), a non-moveable neck, and also the reduced movement in his arms. Mostly they just shift up and down, but you can rotate them outward a bit with some jockeying of his back and shoulders. The mold of the arms is nice since he does sport some easily recognizable hands, and there are also three small guns on each arm just on the top of his knuckles, which I think is pretty cool little secret for a Legends class TF. The mold detail is also very good in the face/head area. On top of all this, I was also really pleased to see another Autobot symbol on his chest, which, in red paint really stands out from the white background. This is just a well-made figure.

Overall, Red Alert is by far my favorite out of the two new Legends class Universe TF’s. There’s a surprising amount of effort that went into this, the transformation is really cool for a little guy, the colors are great, the alternate mode is great, and the robot mode is cool looking. This is a great homage to a Generation 1 Transformer, and a worthwhile inexpensive addition to your collection.

Marks out of 10:

Transformation: 8. Not difficult at all, but it gets high marks for being very interesting for a Legends class figure.
Durability: 9. This is quality. Nothing seems cheap.
Fun: 7. He’s a great little ‘bot, but since he’s a Legends class, play is limited.
Price: 8. I really think he’s got a lot to offer for such a small price. I picked mine up retail at $5 US.
Overall: 8. A really nice addition to your Classics collection; just an overall great figure.
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Tech Specs

Post by ganon578 »

Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 8
Endurance: 5
Rank: 7
Courage: 7
Firepower: 7
Skill: 8
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Review Photos

Post by ganon578 »

Here are the photos for the review. I originally posted them in Photo Submissions, then realized I was crazy and should have posted them here. Sorry.
Attachments
UniverseProwl_Alt1.JPG
UniverseProwl_Robot2.JPG
UniverseProwl_Robot1.JPG
UniverseProwl_Boxart.JPG
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ganon578
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Review Photos

Post by ganon578 »

Here are the photos for the review. I originally posted them in Photo Submissions, then realized I was crazy and should have posted them here. Sorry.
Attachments
UniverseTankor_Alt2.JPG
UniverseTankor_Alt1.JPG
UniverseTankor_Robot2.JPG
UniverseTankor_Robot1.JPG
UniverseTankor_Boxart.JPG
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ganon578
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Review Photos

Post by ganon578 »

Here are the photos for the review. I originally posted them in Photo Submissions, then realized I was crazy and should have posted them here. Sorry.
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ganon578
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Post by ganon578 »

This time with the attachments.
Attachments
UniverseLegendsOnslaught_Alt1.JPG
UniverseLegendsOnslaught_Robot2.JPG
UniverseLegendsOnslaught_Robot1.JPG
UniverseLegendsOnslaught_Boxart.JPG
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ganon578
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Review Photos

Post by ganon578 »

Here are the photos for the review. I originally posted them in Photo Submissions, then realized I was crazy and should have posted them here. Sorry.
Attachments
UniverseLegendsRedAlert_Alt1.JPG
UniverseLegendsRedAlert_Robot2.JPG
UniverseLegendsRedAlert_Robot1.JPG
UniverseLegendsRedAlert_Boxart1.JPG
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Detective Barricade
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Post by Detective Barricade »

You do realize that Prowl's feet extend downwards from the inside of the back, right?:confused: It helps him stand much better. If you already knew this, then sorry to waste your time!:D
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Post by Warcry »

Yeah, I know. But even then, Prowl is still falling over backwards all the time. :(

He's still awesome, though.
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Post by Detective Barricade »

Warcry wrote:Yeah, I know. But even then, Prowl is still falling over backwards all the time. :(

He's still awesome, though.
Well, can't be any worse than Universe Fall-back-atron (Galvatron), from the reviews I've seen of him... I find the biggest drawback on Prowl is that Hasbro left his shoulder cannons unpainted. It makes them seem out of place a little... Maybe I'm just lucky with getting figures to stand, as I don't have much trouble with Movie Payload, despite his enormous ram sticking out of his back!:\
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Animated Optimus Prime (Voyager) [Proofed]

Post by Detective Barricade »

Name: Optimus Prime
Function: Autobot Leader
Sub-Group: Animated Voyager class
"While I function, Earth is under my protection." or “Autobots, transform and roll out!”

When Optimus Prime crashed to Earth with the rest of the Autobots, he didn’t really know what it meant to be a hero. He spent most of his time in space dreaming of glory, but it wasn’t until he was first faced with the terrible decisions that inevitably come with leadership that he finally understood. He became a true hero - a being who does what he does not for glory and fame, but because no one else can do it.

Galactic Powers and Abilities:
- Supplementary battle armor
- Rocket-assisted axe
- Grapnel launcher in arm

Optimus Prime has been in nearly all Transformer series to date in one form or another. And he’s always been the leader of the Autobots. So of course the most easily recognizable Transformer of all time would appear in the new Animated series! But, there’s a twist: he’s not the supreme leader of all Autobots this time. That position belongs to Ultra Magnus. Prime still leads a small group of Autobots, with the help of Ratchet. Now that that’s been taken care of, let’s get on with the review!

Alternate Mode:

In alternate mode, Optimus Prime turns into a futuristic truck that can be outfitted with a fire engine section on the back. He’s supposed to be a fire engine, but since he doesn’t often have that back piece on, I’m calling it a truck. However, it seems that the back piece is almost necessary for this mode. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have it on! There’s some rather intricate detailing inside his windshield as well as what might be seats inside the interior. In order for the water cannon to sit right, it has to be facing back. There is virtually no kibble in vehicle mode. He’s also one of a few Transformers that manage to keep all of the wheels on the ground, unlike some figures... (Barricade, I’m staring at you).

Optimus Prime’s colors are pretty close to the Animated counterpart and almost every Prime to come before him. He’s got a red cab with a blue chassis, a grey front fender, yellow lights, and a black stripe that runs below a silver stripe. The grill and hub caps are also silver. The light bar and windshield are translucent blue. In robot mode, Prime gains some light blue for his actual face, which can be covered up by the face plate.

In either mode, one can squirt water from the cannon by filling it up and then pulling the nozzle back. In robot mode, moving a lever on the back of his neck makes his face plate move up or down, similar to Cybertron Leader class Optimus Prime’s face plate, but it looks best to keep the face plate up.

Robot Mode:

To get Optimus into robot mode, first remove that back piece and unfold it to form his axe. Flip the feet up and flip the front bumper down. Next, separate the front and rotate the halves to the sides. Push the catch on the back down to release his waist, which will spin down into position, and push the waist forward to ‘lock’ it. Extend the legs and separate them. Then, rotate the rear wheel over to the inside of his leg so that the front halves can fold up onto the sides. Open the panels on the front of the cab and rotate the arms out. Flip his hands out and clip the flaps on to them. Pull his shoulders out a little, pop the light bar up and rotate it back. Flip his head out and close the back. And now he’s done!

In robot mode, Optimus Prime puts away any doubts one may have had about him not being Prime. Red torso with windshield chest? Check. Blue lower arms and legs? Check! It’s nice to see that familiar G1 Prime look to him. He’s got decent light piping and makes good use of it! Like G1 Prime, he wields an axe and a gun, albeit, the axe is held instead of arm mounted, and the gun is a water cannon instead of an ion one. He can also store his weapons on his back, giving him a sort of ‘jet pack’.

Being an Animated figure, Optimus is of course going to have a lot of articulation. With the face plate up, his head can rotate a full 360. There are four joints in each shoulder, but one needs to pull his shoulders out to make any use of them. His elbow can swivel and bend in two directions. His hands and feet don’t move. His waist rotates a full 360 and his hips move in the usual directions. Finally, the knees bend and swivel. His joints are mostly pinned, but are stiff enough to hold his axe up in nearly any pose.

Marks out of ten for the following...:
Transformation: 4 Not hard at all, but getting the Automorph to reverse is a little tricky.
Durability: 7 His joints hold well, but some are pin hinges. The Automorph on him may wear out over time.
Fun: 9 Play value is extremely high with this version! The cannon even squirts water!
Price: 7 Yours for only $20USD! However, he doesn’t even take up half of the room in his box.
Overall: 9 Possibly one the best versions of Animated Optimus. If you see him, grab him!
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Review of Animated Activators Starscream [Proofed - needs photos]

Post by zeoman4.5 »

Name: Starscream
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Decepticon Air Commander
Group: Activators

Sneeky, mean, and ambitious would be a bad combination of personality traits in anyone, but in a giant robot warrior bent on conquering the universe they're the worst. Starscream loves power for its own sake and will blast anyone who gets in his way. There's no reason he does all the awful stuff he does, except that he thinks he's so much better than everyone.

First of let me say, "Yes, I know that this is a different bio than the Voyager class figure." This is what they put on the package. It's accurate though, that's for sure. Second, you might be wondering why I would get a figure which is mostly regarded on forums as a "baby toy". I was just browsing my local Wal-Mart, and thought he looked cool so I bought him. Not expecting much, I was surprised.

Animated Starscream holds true to his previous incarnations in that he is a back-stabbing, lowdown coward. The master of treachery never looked better. This Starscream was one of the Decepticons with Megatron in the first episode of Animated, he would betray Megatron, get abandoned, then battle Optimus for the Allspark. Later he would get slagged by Megatron, and find out he is immortal thanks to an Allspark fragment embedded in his head. He would then go into the cloning business, and in a moment of gloating lose it all and get trapped in space, bodiless.


Robot Mode:

Since this guy is packaged in robot mode I'll start the review with here.

The look is just cool. He looks almost exactly like the TV character. He is truly nifty; none of the images on the web quite do him justice. His color scheme is mainly a grey/blue, with metallic red on the chest, shoulders, and wing stripes. His lower arms, feet, and shins are black. Of course he's got a cockpit on his chest, which is orange. His face is pure Starscream. Its got a huge chin, a G1-esque seeker helmet, and a little smile that is pure evil. His red eyes stand out on his silver face and pull everything together. He is a great looking figure, not at all like the Fast Action battler figures from the Movie line. This is a welcome surprise and makes him match up to his larger Voyager class incarnation in quality of design.

He is very well articulated for a smaller figure. His shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, and neck are all ball and socket joints. His feet are clamp-like but they balance well and can be adjusted to help him stand in numerous poses. He is incredibly poseable, making him very fun to display. As for play, heck yes, he is very play worthy. He's got a null-ray on both of his arms. They don't fire missiles like the Voyager figure, but they are show accurate and look cool. Honestly his good looks and articulation make his robot mode very cool and I find myself playing with him for no reason ‘cause he is so neat and almost hypnotic...


Alternate Mode:

As he is Starscream, he transforms into a jet. I'm not really sure what kind of jet he is though. He has reverse wings, and a blocky nose piece. He has the null-rays under each wing. This mode is generally the reason why people call this figure a "baby toy". It is very blocky, a little squished, and his robot arms are showing. It’s not as cool as his robot mode, but it looks like a jet, has the right colors, and is still very fun to play around with. Not great, but it works and it could be worse.


Gimmicks:

Gimmicks for the Animated line as of yet have been very mediocre. Blackarachnia's grapnel launcher, Ratchet's spring loaded arm things, or Bumblebee's stingers. However the Activators gimmick is truly a bright spot in my Animated collection so far. What is it? The ability to transform from his jet mode to robot mode with the push of a button, and a couple little things being flipped up. The transformation is just fun. I always wanted my Transformers to change as fast as they do on the show, even though I like the challenge of changing them. With him it is finally as I like it and this is the evolution of a theme that started in G1 with the Jumpstarters, Topspin and Twintwist, and now is perfected to the degree where it is truly cool. This is what surprised me and makes me think (along with his cool robot mode looks) that this is a great figure. I'm happy with him, trust me, I think any good fan would be.


Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 1 – Difficult, but incredibly fun.
Durability: 8 – He is pretty tough, but he's got a lot of springs which could get jammed, although he seems to be built well.
Fun: 10 – So much fun, poseable, transforms, fun overload......ahhh!
Price: 8 – Worth the price – $7.99, basic price nowadays.
Overall: 8 – A really nice figure and worth getting, but if you own the Voyager figure you don't need to get him. I don't own that one, so this is truly a blessing.
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