The Transformers Archive Skip to main content / Also skip section headers

[The Transformers Archive - an international fan site]
Please feel free to log in or register.

 
  • transformers forum
  • transformers fandom
  • transformers toys
  • transformers comics
  • transformers cartoon
  • transformers live-action movies

TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Hover here to pick reviews from this section! ↵
Latest Reviews, Toy Checklists,
Resources & Current Lines
Transformers Toy Review Archive (older series, 1984 to date)
Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

HotShot81's Review: Generations Fall of Cybertron Starscream

Name: Starscream
Allegiance: Decepticons
Function: Air Commander
Accessories: Two Assault Cannons
First Appearance: War For Cybertron

Starscream, if a name was ever associated with deception, and cowardess, it is Starscream. Starscream is one of the first Transformers ever seen, and despite the passing of the late Chris Latta, who gave him such an iconic voice, the power of the character has kept him at the forefront of Transformers who are introduced with each new series of the classic battle of Autobots vs. Decepticons.

Right off the box here, "Long isolated aboard an orbital platform made Starscream greedy and ambitious. Given the opportunity to once again lead troops, he gladly joined Megatron."

Starscream in the War For Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron universe doesn't display the open avarice for power that his predecessors have shown. Where with them, they might take a shot Megatron in the back, and declare themselves leader of the Decepticons. This one tries not to committee too much to one side, so that if things go badly he can either sue for peace, or to switch sides. 110% perfect Starscream, a coward to the core.

In a sense he also takes moves he has before, when Megatron gets destroyed, who should claim to be the new leader? Why our good old friend Starscream, and in typical payback Megatron tries to destroy him. Guess Megatron didn't take that lesson, you do or do not, you do not try. Either though luck or skill, Starscream avoids his "loyal" Decepticons who are trying to arrest him, thanks in part to him unleashing the Dinobots on them from Shockwave's lab.

As an interesting note the books that are connected to the games, tend to portray Starscream as a having more courage that he has shown before. He's willing to stand up to Megatron, and his inner circle. He's not so much a Decepiticon because he wants to be one, but because he wants power, and sees it as a road to power. He actually cares about bots loyal to him when Megatron clears them out Trypticon station.

Robot Mode: Starscream is a Deluxe class sized, and this is the smallest version of Transformers action figures, with the exceptions of the minicons. I've grown to accept that we can't see the detail we would in larger sized figures that Deluxe class usually presents. Notice the warning, usually. If there is to be an exception to the rule, it is Starscream!

I have to respect this version of Starscream he doesn't look like the snivelling rat that he usually is. He looks like a bot who if he got into a fight, while he might not beat up Optimus Prime, he'd give Prime a good run for his money. He actually looks tough. Given how he acts in the game, and in the books, the model fits the behavior he has shown.

Starscream's eyes light up from the light panel in the back of his head, a feature I've seen in other Transformers of recent vintage. It gives him a sense of power, I find you don't need to over expose him to light to see his eyes light up, and give him that snarl, that he is a warrior, and he will destroy your very spark to do his duty. His face does look traditional in a sense, long nose, and chin, and a black helmet/hair around his face.

He has two gray towers which form the connection from the body to the cockpit when he transforms. They have red counterparts up front, which don't close completely to his body, which is a minor flaw. His chest is the cockpit of his jet, and is hallow on the inside, but it doesn't feel as oblivious as with other Generation figures.

His shoulders do appear wider, but they are the same size as other Deluxe sized figures. What make's Starscream look so big is that his feet look like pile drivers. Yes, the legs are a bit narrower, but from the knees down they look huge. I will admit, I originally thought with the way they were designed, that there was minimal movement there, but I was wrong. He can do full knee bends.

Does Starscream look like he appears in the games? Yes. He might not be able to pull off the cape look with a Deluxe class figure, but I can see a fan doing the crown. The colouring for him is dead on. They avoided the ball joints in him, but he has about 20 joints in him. I have found that when posing a Transformer for a long period of time. The Transformers who lack ball joints hold different harder poses longer. He might not have the widest ranges of poses, but I can see Starscream standing triumphantly over the body of some dead Autobot.

I've got to give some credit here to the design team who cooked up Starscream's weapons. With the two plugs on them, there is two ways for them to be held. You can link them together very nicely to form a chain gun, and because the teeth lock in together. They do look odd apart, but still nice looking weapons.

Vehicle Mode: Starscream is in a sense a flip-former; he's one of those Transformers where a flip of the character does a load of the transforming. I've got to give respect where it is due, as much as Starscream is like that, he's not.

Those red tabs I mentioned earlier. You need to flip the forward, and rotate Starscream's head 180 degrees, and flip it back. Push his wings towards his back, and rotate his arms, so the holes on his arms match up with the ones on his legs. Here comes the big pull and flip so to speak. Flip the red tabs forward, pull Starscream's back out. Now lock the tabs so they meet the arrows from Stascream's back.

Flipping him over makes this phase easier I find, you are going to want to bend the shoulders inwards, so they interlock, and twist the arms so the holes face towards you in the middle. Then legs flip back, you close up the toes, flip the nose forward, and hey you now have a Cyberiotain jet.


To firm up old Starscream in jet mode there are a load of holes, and plugs. It depends how you want him to look. I will note that he looks better when you pay attention to transforming him. I've got to give the guys who designed Starscream their dues, since despite the ease of transforming him, Starscream looks great. The colours and the way all the parts fit together it does a great job of covering up the relativity easy transformation.

Let's break down old Starscream as a Cybertronian jet. The red, blue, and gray color scheme is the first thing you notice looking him over. He has a transparent yellow plastic cock pit, and there is a small space behind it where his head is hidden that does stick out. He definitely looks more bulked up the further down the body you go. His wings do have some range of motion, and the guns can connect to either them or the legs. The guns can also fit into a pair of holes under the triangle rear wings. The arms are snuggly hidden between his legs/jet engines.

I've got no real complaints about Starscream, either as a bot or a vehicle. He looks game accurate in both modes. When I go over a Transformer for reviews I try to see places for improvements, and with Starscream, I can't simple as that.

Final Call!

Transformation 8/10: Starscream has an Intermediate rating according to Hasbro, and normally with a Transformer who all it takes is a flip, I'd be inclined to dispute this. However, given the detail work required to really transform him, I have to agree. He's not too hard, or too easy to transform. I can see a kid learning and loving to transform him as much as I can see an adult having the same experience.

Durability 8/10: Maybe I got lucky, or maybe Starscream broke the Generations model. He is made of solid plastic, he doesn't feel cheap in the least weight wise. He doesn't have any easy break point, except maybe for the teeth for his duel guns, and even to break them would take some work. I sense Starscream having a long future fighting for his own reasons.

Fun 10/10: It's always hard as a reviewer not to compare one Transformer to another Transformer from the same production line and not see how they are the same. Starscream despite having weapons that are longer than his arms and legs, can still hold great poses with them. He has hidden features. Even as an old fossil, part of me wanted to pretend Starscream was swooping down killing Autobots.

Price 10/10: After several disappointments with the Generations line, I didn't want to blow a load on another Deluxe or Voyager class disappointment. I figured for $8, I got nothing to lose. Instead, I got one where they did everything right. Even at $16, Starscream is fairly priced.

Final Score 9/10: I almost want to say Starscream is a must have for a collector. Starscream will be a standard other Generation figures will be held against because of how great a toy he is. Even as a Deluxe class figure he has moving weapons. He's got multiple poses, which in turn makes him fun to play with. I don't see him falling apart if he takes a decent fall, or hit from a firing weapon.
 
With thanks for long-term support to sponsors: