Warcry wrote:(Actually, I usually had complaints about the Armada Minicons' robot modes, not their alt modes. Four modes is too much for such a small toy, though. Hell, three modes is usually too much for a deluxe, so these little guys never really had a chance.
The Classics Mini-Cons had fugly robot modes. Weird, Vehicon-ish, but ugly nevertheless. The Armada guys at least managed to look good from afar IMO, if a little simplified. Better than their larger partners, anyway... And usually they had two or three colours.
I can sort of understand why they would use it for weapons or missiles (although I don't really like it). Making 80% of a robot out of it, though? That's an odd choice.
Takara got away with MP Ghost Starscream...
Caliburst doesn't have it so bad, since his colours are fairly muted. Some of the other PCC Minicons aren't so lucky, though.
Caliburst is the best out of the three that had been released so far, mostly because he has silver paint applications and a big honkin' gun, and passes off as a nice robot mode weapon. Smolder isn't so bad either—the robot gun looks decent.
Backwind? He's nearly completely green bar his knees and face, and all of his alternate modes look like him doing yoga.
Revenge of the Fallen Devastator is... complicated to describe, to say the least. For all of twenty five years, all combiners had been robots that transformed into individual alternate modes, before combining into a larger robot.
In the ROTF Movie, the Constructicon components for Devastator don't even transform, instead immediately combining into the gestalt mode. Meanwhile, duplicates of the Constructicons, namely Mixmaster, Scrapper, Rampage and Long Haul, roam around in robot modes separate from Devastator. This had led to several confusion among the fandom. Most likely the robot-mode Constructicons are there to pad out the Decepticon forces, and to have Devastator combining from robots would be a pain for the ILM animators. Later on IDW would make the matter simpler by stating that the Constructicons utilize something like mass-produced bodyframes of sort, explaining why Scrapper could die and be alive in the next scene.
The matter has been made more complicated with people not being able to decide how many Constructicons combine into Devastator. Michael Bay thinks there are six or seven, while Hasbro only considers the seven made into toys that count. The Supreme class toy has six non-transforming Constructicons (omitting Overload), while the Legends class toy has seven. In the movie itself, there are NINE construction vehicles. Scavenger, Hightower, Rampage, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Scrapper and Overload makes seven. A second, smaller yellow dump truck that is neither Long Haul or Overload is seen beside Rampage, possibly making up for the mass that would make a bulldozer similar in size to have the same mass Long Haul's gigantic truck mode, since both legs are same in size. A tiny bulldozer is also prominently featured to serve as the clawed hand that gets scooped up by the Hightower arm. So neither toy is 100% accurate to the movie version, but the Legends toy is superior since it's much cheaper (the Supreme is a waste of money anyway) and the individual Constructicons can transform, so it attracted me more.
I can't find the Walmart exclusive Hasbro-produced one, other than the fugly Geewun colours version, so I passed it over. Lo and behold, the moment I turned away from the ugly Geewun colours Devastator, I was greeted by the sight of individually-packed Legends class (or rather EZ Collection as it's TakaraTomy-issued) Constructicons. Turned out to be the Japanese-imported EZ collection Constructicons. I wasted no time in purchasing them. Sadly, I don't have the Hasbro version to make comparisons with.
Here are individual reviews for each of the Constructicons, then the set as a whole.
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Name: Overload Allegiance: Decepticon Function: To add mass to Devastator
Yes, Overload is the first we'll be covering. Why? Because Takara has that numbering system, and D-1 happens to be Overload. So Overload first it is.
Poor Overload gets overlooked by everyone. He is excluded from the Supreme class toy, as well as the 'official' handbooks to the movie. Some control art for Overload omits him as well, even though concept art for Overload's robot mode has been created. But Hasbro seems to have forgotten about Overload, even though Overload appears practically everywhere. His alternate mode drove past the screen in a close-up during the combination scene in the movie. His robot mode appears in a kiddie book, as well as IDW's Movie Adaptation. More recently Overload also appeared in a Tales of the Fallen issue. He's just easy to overlook, that's why.
Basically Overload is there to add mass. While the toys cheat by making Rampage (a mere bulldozer) the same size as Long Haul (a mammoth of a dump truck), the movie control arts are more strict with their mass conversions. Thus, the existence behind Overload and that yellow dump truck.
The name Overload was first assigned for a forgettable Micromaster in G1 that looks like Optimus Prime's little brother. It was reused for an equally forgettable power-up mushroom for Optimus Prime in Armada
ALTERNATE MODE
Overload transforms into Komatsu articulated dump truck. Like Scavenger and Long Haul, Overload's alternate mode is a gigantic vehicle, although probably not as big as the other two. Hasbro certainly wanted Devastator to be huge.
It's almost totally red, with the cab and wheels being grayish-black. Sadly, all the white in Overload's paint scheme is gone It's very plain, with the truck bed done as a solid piece instead of having a depression. The two front wheels and two back wheels are able to roll, but that's about it. The 'articulated' dump truck can't move its bed, although it could hinge upwards. That's more to make Devastator bend forwards, though.
ROBOT MODE
In robot mode, Overload is plain. His design really bears a resemblance to Movie Bonecrusher, with long gorilla arms, a stubby head and a long tail extending from his back. Again, Overload looks very plain. Other than the thin yellow visor, two gray portions on his legs and the black wheels, Overload is entirely red.
For a Legends class toy, he is decently articulated, although not as much as, say, the Scrapper included in this set. I am prepared to give the entire individual members of the team some leeway due to the ability to combine, but as an individual—the Constructicons could be purchased as such in Japan—Overload doesn't deliver. This is a little sad since it's probably the only toy the little guy is ever going to get.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 7/10 Nifty. Fast and simple... I like it. Durability: 7/10 The ball joints on the shoulders are alarmingly loose, and pop off easily. Otherwise he's solid. Fun: 3/10 Without the rest of the set Overload isn't much fun by himself. Aesthetics: 4/10 The robot mode looks like a Bonecrusher clone, and being nearly solid red doesn't help. It's a shame since his original concept art was this wicked monster thing with crab-like legs and multiple arms ending in butchering equipment. Articulation: 4/10 Your basic Legends class articulation. Shoulders, elbows, legs, tail. Overall: 3/10 A nifty addition to the set. He's not that strong individually, though, and I wouldn't recommend him as a toy. I like him for the virtue of being someone forgotten most of the time, but his toy is rubbish.
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D-2 is Mixmaster. His Voyager class toy was a mess. An enjoyable mess, but a mess nevertheless. Mixmaster probably had one of the more unworkable designs when designing a toy, with the mixing drum splitting into four arm-mounted shields. The Voyager class toy did not have the hassle of turning into Devastator's monstrous head, and manages to be a great toy. Sadly, met with these expectations mini-Mix can only be expected to fail.
Mixmaster appeared in a good bit of the movie, although he lacks a proper defining scene, like so many others. He first appeared alongside Rampage, Long Haul and 'a' Scrapper (more on that later) when they dived into the Laurentian Trench to revive Megatron. In theory, anyway- all Mixmaster did was stand around and tear Scrapper apart when Doctor said that they needed spare parts. Mixmaster was later seen for a short scene where he knocks down an American flag. He then drove past the Protoforms for a split second during the final battle, before harassing the humans (Meanwhile the other Mixmaster formed Devastator's mug). Mixmaster then transformed into his cannon mode and says 'listen up!' Jetfire comes down, though, and slices Mixmaster into two and beheads him.
Poor guy.
The name Mixmaster was first used for the G1 Constructicon, naturally. It was next reused for the cement truck part of the Universe Micromaster Devastator set, a repaint of Sixbuilder. The name Mixmaster was then reused as the cement truck drone in the 2007 Movie game, which was thankfully not made into a toy. Transformers Animated had their own Mixmaster, who transforms into an amalgram of a cement truck and a payloader. Then, there is this guy.
ALTERNATE MODE
Mixmaster transforms into a Mack cement truck. It's a decent representation of one for a Legends class toy. At the very least, at least they have nicely done alternate modes. There are some nice touches, like the moulded ladder at the back of the truck. Mixmaster is dominantly dark gray, with silver for part of his drum and purple windows. Two Decepticon insignias adorn either side of the mixing drum but they are not as large as the Voyager toy or Mixmaster's movie appearance.
No Decepticon-headed dogs, though.
All of Mixmaster's six wheels are able to turn individually, unlike Overload. But that's about it for his alternate mode, which is expected.
ROBOT MODE
Mixmaster's robot mode, sadly, is a total wreck. His main body is too skinny, and his limbs are like misshapen sticks, ending in blunt boxes. The cement truck halves don't look like shields, while having the whole wheeled section as the lower arm is a stupid move. Along with Rampage, he's the worst of the bunch. However, unlike Rampage he has an excuse—Devastator's head is hanging off his ass. Together with the fact that Mixmaster's transformation is already complex enough for a Voyager class, a Legends class coupled with the ability to combine couldn't be expected to be any good.
That said, though, Mixmaster is so far out from the CG model that it's hard to feel sorry for him. He looks bland and ugly, with really no merits in robot mode.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 2/10 Very poorly executed. Then again, the Voyager class is a mess so you could argue that mini-Mixmaster couldn't do the same. Durability: 6/10 Despite his long limbs Mixmaster is actually very durable, with his ball joints being tight enough. Fun: 3/10 Mixmaster isn't as fun as his fellow Constructicons are, but fiddling him between his two modes is easy enough. Aesthetics: 2/10 He has Devastator's head on his ass. His robot mode doesn't look good at all, although his alt mode is decent Articulation: 4/10 He has several points of articulation, but none of them are really useful, other than the legs. The elbows are so low it's impractical, while the shoulders can only move side to side. Overall: 2/10 One of the weakest of the bunch along with Rampage. Even the excuse of Devastator's head being hidden in him couldn't quite excuse the poor arm design.
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The components for Devastator included a bulldozer. Now while most of the other Constructicons follow the naming scheme of their G1 counterparts, with Hightower substituting for Hook (whose name isn't available for Hasbro). However, Bonecrusher, the bulldozer in G1, has been used in the first movie as the hate-happy Decepticon beheaded by Optimus Prime. So the bulldozer in the second movie ended up being christened as Rampage.
He was meant to be yellow originally. Concept art and the toys and everything showed him to be yellow, but in the movie itself the non-combining Rampage is recoloured red to differentiate him from Bumblebee during their fight scene, which is a good move. He was also originally called Skipjack in the concept stages, before Hasbro thought up a proper name for him. He is still credited as Skipjack in the credits, sadly.
The red Rampage first appeared alongside three others, bouncing off the ship and diving down to witness Megatron's rebirth. He then appeared much later in the final battle. Starscream ordered him to spring a trap for Sam, by holding his parents hostage. Bumblebee arrived and after a brutal battle, Rampage is beheaded and torn apart. Poor fella.
The name Rampage was first used for the G1 Decepticon tiger, which combined with the rest of the Predacon group to form Predaking. The name Rampage is next assigned to an indestructible, batshit crazy Predacon in Beast Wars. BW Rampage transforms into a king crab and a tank. More recently, the name Rampage was used for the Shattered Glass 'mirrorverse' counterpart of G1 Rampage, although this one is a Mini-Con Micromaster. Then, there is this guy.
ALTERNATE MODE
Rampage transforms into a D11 Caterpillar Bulldozer. Again, it is sufficiently detailed, just like his larger Deluxe class counterpart. The main colour is yellow, with black treads and baby blue for his windows. Rampage's alternate mode is a 'normal' construction vehicle, unlike the gargantuan ones chosen by the likes of Scavenger, Hightower or Long Haul. Presumably, when forming Devastator's leg, the unnamed yellow dump truck helps to give the mass in order for it to be as large as the Long Haul leg.
There's not really much you could do with him, though. The stationary pistons don't allow the shovel to move around much, which is a pity, since they are hinged. Rampage is also able to roll on the molded tiny wheels.
ROBOT MODE
Rampage's robot mode fails to deliver. The lower half of the bulldozer folds out to represent the pogo-stick/jackhammer portion of Rampage, but the tread-halves which support it ruin the look. The tread-halves fold down horizontally to help Rampage to stand better, but it still fails to look like the movie design past the general shape. The top half is still too bulky, and the hands don't look anything like what they're supposed to look. The fact is made worse by Rampage being mis-transformed in every single stock photography, making him look like he has three legs and no arms.
It's a shame, really, since Hasbro and Takara had shown that the Rampage design is workable into the legends scale. Just look at the Legends class Rampage released in 2010. Yes, this one needs to combine and support the weight and everything, but a little work to make the hands look better couldn't hurt.
To their credit, Rampage's face is coloured meticulously with silver paint.
The arms, though, are horrible. The upper half of an arm is a portion the treads while the lower half is the shovel. Even when transformed properly, Ramapge doesn't look like his CG robot mode. However, you could argue that if the Deluxe class toy is mostly rubbish, what chance does a Legends class toy have?
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 1/10 Completely lazy. At least Mixmaster and Long Haul try to emulate their larger counterparts. Rampage is nowhere near them. Durability: 4/10 The shoulder ball joints are already worn out by friction and refuse to hold together. Fun: 2/10 Fun? Nah. Aesthetics: 4/10 The bulldozer mode's okay, like the rest of the Constructicons. The robot mode is rubbish, though. Even when transformed properly, it looks bland. Articulation: 2/10 Only the shoulders and elbows move. Overall: 2/10 Weaker than Mixmaster. And unlike Mixmaster, Rampage doesn't have the excuse of having a head to lug around. While I may be too harsh on the little fella, it still stands that his toy is too fiddly.
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Scavenger is the first one I opened, because he looks adorable. Those tiny hands and wheels, and his face seems like an adorable little kid trying to be scary. "Rawr!" Scavenger never appeared in the movie in his robot mode, but his design was shared with Demolishor, who was the first Decepticon the Autobots faced in the second movie. Most of the new designs in ROTF focus on unconventional robot modes, like how crazy you can make the Transformers be.
The name Scavenger was first used for the Constructicon steam shovel from G1, who formed Devastator's arm. In Beast Wars, the name Scavenger was reused for a non-show Predacon ant. The name Scavenger was reused Beast Machines as a non-show Vehicon drone. RiD re-released BM Scavenger as the Autobot Scavenger. In Armada, Scavenger was reused for one of the main Autobot cast, again transforming into a construction vehicle. The Universe line saw two Scavengers belonging to two Devastator teams (one a repaint of Sixbuilder, the other of Landfill/Build King) that may or may not be G1 Scavenger. The second Universe line also had another Scavenger, a Mini-Con wolf. Finally, we have this guy.
Scavenger never appeared separate from the Devastator components, unlike most of the other Constructicons. Instead, his 'clone', Demolishor, is featured prominently in the Shanghai scene.
ALTERNATE MODE
Scavenger's alternate mode is a Terex Excavator. It's a mammoth of a machine, nearly as large as an office block. Put it this way—a conventional excavator, like, say, G1 Scavenger, would fit in ROTF Scavenger's scoop. Of course, all the Constructicons are the same size with each other, so scale relative to each other is thrown out of the window.
Scavenger's main colour is red with white and black as its secondary colours. Demolishor's original toy (and all his appearances bar the movie) uses Scavenger's paintjob as well. Scavenger is a nice enough representation of the Terex. The shovel is able to move. The robot-mode wheels are very visible in the excavator's main body, but it can't be helped. Other than that, it's a neat little alternate mode, and is able to roll along on tiny wheels.
ROBOT MODE
Unlike the more complex design of the Voyager class Demolishor, Scavenger's transformation features his alt-mode treads and robot mode wheels separately. It's not a bad compromise, and allows Scavenger to actually stand without support from his arms, since the alt-mode treads can support him.
Scavenger's face detail is well done. His elbow is movable, and his shoulders have limited articulation, while the large wheels are able to roll. He may lack the gyroscopic turnaround of the wheel assembly (so he can't assume the motorcycle-of-doom thing seen in the movie), but he at least retain most of the playability of a larger toy. It's a nice move. While Long Haul, Rampage and Mix sadly abandon the design from their larger counterparts, they did the right (and probably time-saving) move with Scavenger.
I simply adore Scavenger/Demolishor's Vehicon-esque design. It looks unique, and a refreshing break from humanoid robots. No matter what the toys look like, designs like Demolishor and Rampage and Doctor look great on the screen.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 7/10 Not a bad compromise from the Voyager class toy. Durability: 7/10 Scavenger's probably the most solid of the seven Constructicons in the set, surprisingly. Fun: 4/10 He's not that fun alone, but he's cute and strike several poses. Aesthetics: 8/10 He looks cute! And not as bland as Scrapper or Overload. Both his robot and alternate modes are decent downsizing of the Voyager class. Articulation: 5/10 The elbows, shoulders and the wheels are articulated. Not much, but that's all he's got... you don't see any legs or hips on the guy, no? Overall: 7/10 Having a larger toy to reference must've helped Scavenger a bit. Even as a solitary Legends class toy, Scavenger is fun to fiddle around with. He's probably the best of the seven.
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Name: Scrapper Allegiance: Decepticon Function: Spare Parts
Poor little Scrapper. Scrapper never got a toy in the ROTF line, since unlike the other Constructicons there's not much to remember about him. He first appeared alongside Rampage, Mixmaster and Long Haul as they jumped underwater to revive Megatron (after a weird set of shots showing him alternate between his normal payloader mode and a Volvo Excavator). The Doctor demanded that Scrapper be killed for spare parts. Despite this, Scrapper appeared alive and fine as a crowd-filler in the final battle, chasing Mikaela and Sam for all of five seconds with a ball-and-chain weapon and walks around for a bit before being blown up by the air strike.
Either the Doctor was being a ham and Scrapper was repaired afterwards (which would explain the whole sonar numbers goof), or the two Scrappers are different characters. After several Q &A sessions, that usually ended with Hasbro giving stock beating-around-the-bush answers, Hasbro actually gave a coherent set of answers to ActionFigs and TFWiki, saying that they do not consider the 'little one' as Scrapper, rechristening him as 'Scrapmetal'. Fitting name.
Sadly, Scrapper never got a transforming toy. It's a shame, really. While I understand that having construction vehicles clog the shelves, what with three Voyager class toys and a Deluxe that turn into Construction vehicles and the Supreme Devastator toy, Scrapper could've been made into a decent Scout class figure instead of random shite like Dirt Boss.
The name Scrapper was first used for the G1 Constructicon payloader. The name was reused for the payloader portion of the aforementioned Micromaster Devastator from Universe. Then, the movie game used the name Scrapper for the forklift truck drones seen in the games (whose design would later become ROTF Dirt Boss). Animated would give us another Scrapper, this one transforming into a construction... thing. Then, there is this guy.
Oh, for those that are interested, ROTF Scrapper appears in the movie tie-in game as a set of generic drones.
ALTERNATE MODE
Scrapper transforms into a predominantly yellow payloader. His cab windows are blue, while his wheels (and several other parts) are black. He's a decent representation of the payloader that he's modelled after, even if he looks a bit like a large chunk of yellow plastic.
Scrapper's claws show rather prominently in this mode, but they could pass of easily as pistons or something similar.
ROBOT MODE
Scrapper's transformation is relatively simple, but it's fun. While the end result is rather plain, it is close enough to the CG design for Scrapper's robot mode. No flail weapon, of course, but the long, deadly claws are there. Silver paints the middle part of his chest, and his eyes (and forehead) are coloured red. I'm pleased that this only transforming toy of Scrapper has a decent robot mode.
I used to bitch about this for a while back, actually. How Scrapper didn't have even a Scout-sized toy while random junk like Stratosphere hog the Voyager class aisle. It's a shame that this design didn't make it as a larger toy, truthfully. At the very least, Hasbro should've replaced Dirt Boss with a proper Scrapper toy. But if Hasbro did what I think it 'should' do, then we'd be seeing nothing but show-only characters, an endless slew of new Classics molds and Mini-Cons, so it's a good thing that they didn't.
The claws look a little impractical for construction, but you could easily imagine them being used for shredding Autobots. It's a shame that they did not include knee joints for Scrapper, something that could've been done easily with his long legs. But all in all, Scrapper looks great.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 6/10 It's simple and well-designed. I like it. Durability: 7/10 Scrapper's rather durable. The long limbs might break with rougher play, though. Fun: 6/10 He's a decent Legends class figure, even alone. But I still want my Deluxe-sized Scrapper... Aesthetics: 5/10 Scrapper looks very plain in both modes, being almost solid yellow. The robot mode is cool, though, with those wicked claw arms. Articulation: 7/10 Scrapper probably has the most useful articulation of the bunch. He's got ball joints for his shoulders, legs and ankles. Overall: 7/10 He's not a bad Legends class figure by himself, certainly. A decent transforming Scrapper toy. A little simplified and barren, but he's a decent toy by himself.
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Name: Long Haul Allegiance: Decepticon Function: Transport
ROTF Long Haul was designed by artist Ben Procter as a fanmade art showing how Long Haul would look if he were in the movie. Michael Bay and several others saw this, and Ben Procter was hired to work on ROTF. Long Haul's design in the movie is pretty much unchanged from Ben's original design.
Long Haul first appeared among the quartet that dived to witness Megatron's revival. He tore apart Scrapper (or rather, Scrapmetal) for parts. Long Haul was then seen driving towards battle after the Protoforms landed. He pretty much just spends his time walking around, searching for Sam and company. Long Haul is pretty prominent in the screen during the 360 degree rotation thing. He got blown apart during the air strike, and his shoulder-mounted wheel was thrown towards the screen.
Despite his short screen-time, Long Haul was also featured as one of the main Decepticons in the XBOX/PS3/PC version of the game, sporting grenade launchers and a flamethrower. He has a huge chunk of health, coupled with the ability to heal. His design, coloured yellow, was also used as drones in the Autobot campaign.
The name Long Haul was first used for the Constructicon dump truck in G1. During the Universe line, two Devastators (one a repaint of Build King/Landfill and the other of Sixbuilder) were released, both of which contained a dump truck named Long Haul. ROTF then gave us this guy.
ALTERNATE MODE
Long Haul transforms into a CAT 773B dump truck, a massive mammoth of a vehicle. Just look at how small the cab is. Sadly, the sheer scale of Long Haul is lost due to having him the same size with the more conventional-sized Scrapper and Rampage. Again like most of the other Constructicons, Long Haul's vehicle mode is well done. Well-detailed, kibble-less and all that.
Like Overload his truck bed is flat and you can't put anything on it. It could be raised oh so slightly, but not without having to resort to transformation. He's predominantly green with black for his cab and wheels. He's the closest we have to a shout-out colourscheme to the original Constructicons. It's a good thing, really. Have you seen the G1-colours repaint of EZ Collection Devastator? Ick.
ROBOT MODE
Long Haul's robot mode sadly does not follow the Voyager class (which is the bomb) transformation scheme. The robot mode's hands are arranged in something like the letter 'H', and the whole hulkling, bulky figure edge is lost. Long Haul's chest and legs have lots of black paint applications, though, making it more pleasing visually compared to Rampage and Mixmaster.
Arms aside, the rest of Long Haul's robot mode is very close to the CG model. The legs are bulky and the head is nestled deep enough in his chest. If only he had better hands, it would've been perfect. As it is, Long Haul's articulation, especially in the hands, are severely limited. The hands form the soles of the feet, though, so it could be taken as an excuse of sorts. All in all, though, Long Haul's robot mode is moderate. It's a shame.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 6/10 Simple and sweet. You could argue that he should follow his superb Voyager toy's transformation, but the combination gimmick says otherwise. Durability: 8/10 He's a brick. A tiny brick. Fun: 5/10 His transformation isn't fiddly and there's no parts to break, so he's fun to tinker around with while you watch the Teevee. Aesthetics: 5/10 Doesn't look as good as the Voyager toy. Articulation: 3/10 Long Haul's articulation is limited to his legs and hinge joints on his shoulders. Overall: 5/10 Long Haul is poorly designed, and it's probably because of the combining gimmick. However, he still manages to look good, and I have a soft spot for the little fella.
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Right, the last Constructicon. Sorry to keep you reading for so long, but we're nearly finished. Only Hightower and the big D himself to go! Poor Hightower, like Overload, had a robot mode developed for him early on. However, it was dropped by the designers. Apparently they don't like it at all, so all concept arts with Devastator had a note on the Hightower portion that says 'NO ROBOT MODE'.
So apparently Takara had to design the EZ Collection Hightower's robot mode. It's plausible that the toy designers took a sneak peek at the abandoned concept art, since the end result of the robot mode is nearly identical to the abandoned concept. The wrecking balls are missing in the toy, though.
Wait, so that's where Devastator's balls came from. One of them, anyway.
Hightower is the only name in this set that didn't come from G1's original run. The name first appeared in RID as one of Landfill's components, transforming into a crane. He is then used as a substitute name for Hook ever since in all further Devastator-themed sets. The aforementioned Buildking repaint and Sixbuilder repaint in the Universe line? Both featured their own Hightowers that transformed into cranes. The Classics repaint of Devastator (repainted from the Energon combiner) also included a Constructicon named Hightower, replacing Hook and Mixmaster. Of course, the Hook analogue in ROTF is renamed Hightower as well.
ALTERNATE MODE
Hightower transforms into a truss crane, one of the largest construction cranes. Like Scrapper and Rampage, Hightower is yellow, with his crane assembly and treads done in dark gray.
The crane hook is able to move back and forth. Unlike the rest of the Constructicons in the set, Hightower had several pieces of kibble showing. His grabber claw is slightly visible in the crane assembly, while the hockey mask thing is visible if you turn Hightower around.
ROBOT MODE
Hightower's robot mode is crazy. Most likely the designers knew that no one would be buying this toy separate from the set, so they followed the concept art, even though it looks queer. It is ugly and awesome in the same breath.
I'll try and describe it as best as I can. The crane assembly ends up as a gigantic upraised tail, with a massive three-pronged claw replacing the hook. The treads extend out as legs, while Hightower's face is protected in some sort of sick hockey mask with T-Rex arms. Looking at the concept art Hightower's mask is supposed to be an extension from the crane assembly.
All in all, it looks really alien. Forget Demolishor and Arcee and Rampage and Ravage and everyone else in the movie, Hightower is the weirdest transformer full stop. Being someone who has a weakness for unconventional robot modes, I fell in love with Hightower immediately. Sadly, like Scrapper, we would probably never see this guy in a bigger format.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 7/10 Wicked sick. I love Hightower's transformation. Some work should've been done to hide the Hannibal Lecter mask, though. Durability: 4/10 The rubber T-Rex arms seem fragile, and the crane ensemble might seem to be able to break on weaker samples. Fun: 4/10 A mixed bag. Despite the wacky robot mode, Hightower isn't terribly fun. Aesthetics: 6/10 He's not a display piece, certainly. But he looks nice and different enough, and it's pretty great. He's adorable! Articulation: 2/10 The grabber claw moves, and he's able to roll around on the wheels on the treads. That's about it, really. Overall: 5/10 Most of the ROTF Decepticons seem to try and experiment with wacky robot modes. While some (like Rampage) are unfeasible toy-wise, at a small scale Hightower manages to deliver as a decent toy. If it wasn't for the combination ability, though, he'd probably be shelfwarming.
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Devastator! The Constructicons' combined form. The first-ever combiner to be introduced in the transformers mythos. Unlike the humanoid warrior we saw in G1, ROTF Devastator is more like a monstrous beast, lumbering on all fours. Considering how much mass must be in him (Scavenger alone is nearly the size of a small house) it's appropriate. More importantly, Devastator's sheer scale gives several breath-taking scenes in the movie. Devastator first appeared when his component parts arrive, freaking Simmons and Leo (who were hiding near the Long Haul component) out. What follows is one of the best CG scenes as Devastator forms. The sheer scale is made known when the giant Decepticon simply slams down on an entire minivan with a hand. Devastator then proceeds to turn his mouth into a giant black hole that sucks everything into his maw, including Mudflap. Mudflap manages to break free and the Twins distract Devastator for a bit before presumably escaping with the Twins.
Sadly, Devastator is probably a parallel to why the second movie is so reviled and abhorred by critics. The visuals are impressive and everything, and even gave the Twins something cool to do. But the seriousness and threat of Devastator is ruined by a gag where Simmons finds himself under the 'enemy scrotum'. The joke itself is harmless enough, but having Devastator's 'balls' for all of his scenes is a tad excessive. More importantly, Devastator's whole function in the movie is to destroy the pyramid and uncover the solar harvester. I was anticipating a showdown where Ironhide and Sideswipe and the Twins and the others fire futilely on Devastator without any noticeable effect, until someone like, say, Optimus Prime arrives and blows Devastator into pieces. It would've been an awesome climax to the battle.
But instead of that, Devastator got killed off by a previously-unseen human weapon in the sea.
Devy's death is made worse by the fact that Fallen, who arrived several minutes later, apparently could raise rocks telekinetically. So Devastator's role is really unneeded and he was in no way vital to the plot. It's a shame, since if Devastator had engaged the military (instead of the comedy quartet) it would've made several awesome scenes and he would be a credible reason for why they couldn't reach Sam that quickly (or vice versa).
COMBINED MODE
Right, I got it off my chest. On to the review. Combining the Constructicons is actually rather fun. I really like how Overload and Scavenger latch together at several places, and how Mixmaster clips on afterwards. The main body is pretty solid, and the limbs are later attached to this main body. Rampage and Long Haul form the legs, while Scrapper and Hightower form the arms.
Devastator, lest we forget, does not stand up straight and is hunched like a beast. His highest point (the hunch) is about as tall as an average Deluxe class toy. He looks okay, even if there are some oddities here and there. Scavenger's scoop arms are prominent, since Devastator's arms attach to Scavenger's elbows. This looks as if Devastator has an additional pair of tiny hands, a la Monstructor. While not necessarily bad, it is still not show-accurate.
Hightower, meanwhile, doesn't have the tiny scoop loader to form his fingers. The Supreme class toy cheats by placing clawed hooks on the truss crane's back, but the EZ Devastator uses the mask and face halves of the robot mode as claws. It's not particularly bad-looking once you get used to it, but it still looks odd.
Devastator's face hangs rather low, separate from the cement drum 'neck'. This makes Devy look a little odd, especially when you try to turn his head around. His headsculpt is done well, though. The eyes and interior are green, while the rest of the face is silver. It could've been better with additional red paint, like what Takara had done with the Supreme class toy.
All in all, Devastator is pretty impressive. Sure, he might not be able to menace tiny toys, or make annoying sounds, but at least he is worth your buck. He can stand on two legs, but Overload's waist could be bent slightly to let him bend down. Since Scrapper and Hightower are connected to Scavenger's arms, you could adjust them so Devastator assumes the four-legged animal gait he uses in the movie. By straightening Scavenger's arms, Devastator could reach for something above him, although this looks awkward.
As a display piece, Devastator looks cool enough. It's a shame that three limbs (Rampage, Scrapper and Hightower) are all nearly solid yellow, making it look a little bland somewhat.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: 6/10 Could use some improvements—most noticeably put the shoulders higher up and the head higher up—but more or less it's adequate. Combining him isn't tedious, which is a bonus. Durability: 8/10 Combined, Devastator is pretty solid. Barring Mixmaster, they won't pop off while display. The individual ones, though... see above. Fun: 7/10 As a set Devastator is rather fun to play around with. Aesthetics: 4/10 Looks ugly, but then it is supposed to look ugly. Having three yellow limbs doesn't help, though... Articulation: 2/10 Scavenger's shoulder joints allow Devastator some sense of movement in the arms, as mentioned above. The head is on a ball joint but moving it too much looks awkward. Other than those, though, he's a brick. Price/Value: 7/10 Seven not-too-stellar Legends class figures, with the added bonus of combining... if you're getting a Devastator, get this instead of the Supreme class. It's exactly the price of seven figures (since I didn't import it), so it's worth my money. Overall: 6/10 Okay, he isn't the best playset ever. The combined mode isn't that spectacular and the individual Constructicons are hampered by the combination gimmick. Mixmaster and Rampage in particular suffer terribly. But personally I like it, and I would recommend it to any Constructicon fan. It's miles better than the Supreme class, anyway.
After narrowly avoiding sale in my big clearout recently, Swerve is now firmly lodged in the core of my (now much smaller) collection.
I will actually review him shortly, if nobody else is champing at the bit to review him after over 2 years of waiting!
I am running my own company now, and work is currently mental, so I can't guarantee I will get round to it in the next couple of weeks. However, I should be able to find the time over the next couple of months!
Apologies for the delay and any inconvenience caused!
I did actually like Huffer as a kid - I thought he was funny in the cartoon, and liked the fact he towed Prime's trailer when Prime was worn out. He was a neat wee Minibot too.
As to Mini-Cons, I like the weird out-there transformations and robot modes of later figures. I don't like the look of these transparent monstrosities though, and think 4 modes is pushing it, although was achieved with decent results in Rollout with Armada Overload back in the day (albeit, Rollout was the largest Mini-Con ever!).
The summary at the end of the review seems to have more categories than I am used to - I may well be out of the loop here. I find articulation fits fine in 'fun', but that's just my opinion. I do like the clarification of 'Transformation Design' rather than just 'Transformation' and will be using that in my own reviews in the future!
Blackjack wrote:Reuploaded the proofed review. Don't see any difference, but hey, better safe than sorry.
Sorry - didn't realise it had already been proofed.
There were a few typos, gramatical errors and incorrect words (e.g. colour 'palate' was used instead of the correct 'palette'), but it was very good (I make more mistakes!).
numbat wrote:Sorry - didn't realise it had already been proofed.
There were a few typos, gramatical errors and incorrect words (e.g. colour 'palate' was used instead of the correct 'palette'), but it was very good (I make more mistakes!).
Actually, I didn't proof it... I simply re-read it, ran it through a spell-checker before feeding it to the site as a test drive for the 2010 category. Bad me...
I did proof the Smolder one before uploading it, though. Honest!
Blackjack wrote:Actually, I didn't proof it... I simply re-read it, ran it through a spell-checker before feeding it to the site as a test drive for the 2010 category. Bad me...
I did proof the Smolder one before uploading it, though. Honest!
numbat wrote:The summary at the end of the review seems to have more categories than I am used to - I may well be out of the loop here. I find articulation fits fine in 'fun', but that's just my opinion. I do like the clarification of 'Transformation Design' rather than just 'Transformation' and will be using that in my own reviews in the future!
I haven't reviewed anything in ages, so I took the categories from here.
Thanks for getting this proofed and uploaded, guys!
numbat wrote:The summary at the end of the review seems to have more categories than I am used to - I may well be out of the loop here.
Warcry wrote:I haven't reviewed anything in ages, so I took the categories from here.
Well, since I forgot to reply to numbat about this, the new categories were revised recently when Cliffy pointed out that the hardness of Transformation is pretty much not the way to rate how good a toy is — a sentiment shared by me, incidentally, since I used to place two scores on transformation in some of my older reviews to describe the hardness and the design.
Afterwards, there was this whole discussion (that I missed) about the new format. Kamen then posted the revised review format, which IMO is more informative.
Thanks for getting this proofed and uploaded, guys!
No need to thank me, it comes with the job. Not that I get paid, though...
By the way, does your Huffer (or anyone else's) have a loose ball joint for the 'normal' robot mode head, or is it just me who's unlucky?
numbat wrote:Although I am effectively retired from TF collecting, this is one figure I must have! I wonder if it will appear in the UK...
Yeh, Thrust's a gem.
I like how Hasbro is pissing at those who got Botcon and Henkei Thrust by releasing a mass-market one that's more show accurate than the other two. He even has the Henkei chrome!
I like how Hasbro is pissing at those who got Botcon and Henkei Thrust by releasing a mass-market one that's more show accurate than the other two. He even has the Henkei chrome!
But will they re-release Thundercracker and Dirge? I'd bet on it, but then the question becomes can I find a Classics Starscream to complete the set (because Hasbro certainly wouldn't re-re-re-re(?)-release that figure.)
Transformer Kamen wrote:But will they re-release Thundercracker and Dirge? I'd bet on it, but then the question becomes can I find a Classics Starscream to complete the set (because Hasbro certainly wouldn't re-re-re-re(?)-release that figure.)
Dirge=yes. Confirmed by Hasbro and photos of what I think is a stolen prototype have been seen on Seibertron.
Thundercracker? Probably not. The Starscream v2 I had seems like some parts are going to break, and I think that the mold is degrading. Presumably the Conehead retooled mold isn't degrading yet, which is why we got Thrust and Dirge.
Plus, Hasbro isn't the type to waste a heavy retool for something exclusive.
Thanks for updating me Blackjack. I've been out of the loop for way too long!
I do like the new summary categories - much more informative.
I am a big fan of the new transformation category - I always had difficulty scoring my old reviews, because to me the important factors were how well thought out and how much fun the transformation is. Complexity for the sake of it is never a good thing. And, after all, I am a big Legends Class fan!
Blackjack wrote:By the way, does your Huffer (or anyone else's) have a loose ball joint for the 'normal' robot mode head, or is it just me who's unlucky?
I've never had that problem. It's not the tightest joint on him, but it's tight enough to keep his head from swinging around when I don't want it to.
Well, I did come across the line in a store in Glasgow today. Only WFC Bumblebee (what a misguided mess!) and Drift in stock - but both priced at £14.99!
If that's retail over here, I doubt I'll be buying any.
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