TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

ganon578's review: Grapple

Name: Grapple
Function: Architect
Allegiance: Autobot

"Beauty is in everything except war."

Back on Cybertron, Grapple's building designs were considered works of art. He realizes that now, in an alien environment on Earth, his ideas are limited by the necessities of war. Nevertheless, he still takes enormous pride in what he does and strives for beauty and quality in all his creations. His problem is that he cares too much; he often succumbs to severe depression should one of his constructions be destroyed in the course of battle.

I, personally, am a HUGE fan of Grapple. He was my second best Transformer back in the day (aside from Optimus Prime) and I still have him even though he’s a little beat up. He’s got great alternate and robot modes, and I really like his color scheme (I don’t own any other orange Autobots). Here goes the review…

Alternate Mode:

Grapple has a pretty sweet alternate mode. He’s a good-sized crane truck, about the same size as your typical deluxe Transformer today. In this mode, Grapple is pretty well disguised, and you can’t really notice any parts on him that make him look like a robot while he’s a vehicle. At first you might think that his middle hinge will be wobbly in this mode, but his arms pull back and lock into the crane base, which makes him pretty sturdy. Speaking of the crane base (which houses his head), it does not swivel, which takes away from the fun in this mode. The crane arm does, however, move up and down, and you can also extend it to use the hinged hook. The cab of the truck has some nice detail; it’s black and has seats and a console inside to make it look like a genuine crane truck. The cab also sports some cool clear lights on the top for when he needs to caution others when he’s constructing a massive building. The rubber wheels are nice (but with time they crack, I just recently replaced a couple using eBay), and Grapple easily rolls along the floor with his six wheels. Overall, Grapple has a pretty cool alternate mode, although there’s no place to stick his fists, missiles, and gun while in this mode.

Robot Mode:

Grapple really comes out to play when he transforms into his robot mode. The downside is that he doesn’t really have much articulation. His arms move around ok, but his legs are locked in place pretty well with the exception of his ankles moving up and down (which serves more purpose for transforming rather than posing). His fists and/or missiles fit nicely into his arm sockets and can shoot out if the buttons on his forearms are pushed. Traditionally Grapple comes with 4 missiles and both fists, but mine is old so I only have one fist and make due with a missile in the other socket. Either way, he still looks cool even with only one fist. Grapple also comes with a black gun, which fits him well. It’s not that big, but he’s more an architect than a fighter anyways. He’s got a cool face, and the color contrast between black, silver, and yellow gives him nice detail. The stickers on his body break up the orange and black and really help make him stand out. I really dig the chrome in certain spots like the grill and bumper in the front, and also the ends of his forearms. Small spots of chrome over the body look nice and add some spice. Grapple in robot mode is a great G1 display piece.

Transformation: 7. Not difficult by any means, but it’s clever, so it scores a little better.
Durability: 8. Quite sturdy, mine has lasted since about 1985 with tons of playing. Some smaller parts can break though.
Fun: 8. Tough to not score this one a 10 since I’m a big fan of Grapple, but he’s fun no matter what.
Price: 7. Varies on eBay and stores depending on completeness. Worth the money though if you’re a fan.
Overall: 8. I recommend him since he’s really cool and a great display piece. Not necessarily a must have though.