So I'm really excited about some of the upcoming Transformers releases that they showed off at Toy Fair this weekend. By far I'm most excited about the Generations Sky-byte, and I'm hoping to have the chance to pick up that Jetfire as well (on a side note, anyone know how much leader class figures cost? - just curious how much he'll set me back). The other generations voyagers are looking good as well.
One thing that I forgot to get a picture of to post here is the MP Grimlock that was being shown off - with a new redone box in the style of MP Soundwave and Acid Storm. I'm expecting (and really hoping) that this means we'll see a re-release of him! I love Grimlock, but wasn't collecting TFs much at the time of his MP release, and the crazy ebay prices have kept me away from him since. I'll definitly be on the lookout for him if he gets a release - which may lead me into picking up that third party MP Slag too!
EDIT: Wow, surprisingly poor pic quality here... sorry about that. Check out TFW2005.com for better quality images and a full look at the Transformers shown off at the show!
Sorry for not posting in the last few days... I had some organizing going on in my computer room and actually haven't really been online much. Anyway, last weekend I decided to touch up my FoC Grimlock transformer (or is it considered Generations Grimlock? I don't know...) I ended up painting a lot more on it than I expected to, but I'm really happy with the results. I think that it really added some depth to the figure (if you get what that means) and it really makes him stick out on the shelf. Check out the pictures and video below to see for yourself:
When I first bought Air Raid I didn't actually have any plans to keep him - got him at a good price and was going to resell - but then I got my hands on the figure and it was one of the best Transformers I've played around with in a long time. Now that's not to say he's perfect, just for some reason I absolutly adore this figure.
To begin, he's surprisingly good figure in robot mode. There are some really great example of articulation here, especially in the arms and legs. Very sturdy and stable as well. The paint application is very impressive to me - the silver looks really nice, and so does the red and gold. There's still a lot of detail remaining on this figure that would look great being done up with some paint - a huge plus for anyone looking to customize this figure.
His transformation is rather complex - in the perfect way. Instead of it being like a typical Bumblebee figure or something, and trying to cram all of him into a tiny space, the transformation itself was very fluid, and the complexity/ingenuity of it continued to surprise you along the way (if you know what I mean). All around it was probably the best time I've had transforming a figure since I messed around with Generations Blaster about a year ago.
Alt mode itself is great too (sorry I don't have a picture). I've actually had him displayed in alt mode more often than in robot mode, and that's really saying something for me. The weapons he comes with a very impressive too, especially the sword. The sword in itself is a fun little toy, and it would have been more than enough alone, but the weapon in the picture above is included as well. What is it exactly? Well, I'm not too sure. I have it posed as a gun/laser bayonet kind of thing... and I guess I still kind of like it! It's really that great clear red effect part and gold barrel that make it all so nice despite the fact I have no clue what it's supposed to be or how he's technically supposed to hold it.
Finally, there are a few criticisms to the figure. Mostly they have to do with the articulation. While I don't mind this too much, it could be bothersome to some people. The feet have a very small range of articulation due in part to his design, and the head has very little articulation too (more so because of the transformation than design here though). Another negative is that the legs are mostly hollow - this is really my only nitpick of the whole figure, as I wish they were just a little bulkier. As you can see in the second picture here or Air Raid straight on, they just look a little tiny; like toothpicks on him. But all in all, these complaints really hold no real meaning to me as the overall aesthetic and superb transformation of this kit make him one of my favorites in quite some time.
My overall rating of Generations Air Raid? 4.5/5
For my full review of him, check out the video below:
Welcome to my first installment of Transformers Tuesday! Each Tuesday I will be reviewing a Transformers figure - some old and some new. In this case, it's the brand new (at least to me) Generations Waspinator!
As someone who grew up watching Beast Wars, finding this figure was a top priority for me. Unfortunatly I live in a small town in the midwest - not exactly a hot spot for new transformers releases. So nearly a month after most people got ahold of theirs, I finally found one at a Toys'R'Us last Sunday. I was ecstatic to finally find him, and I must say he didn't disappoint.
First a foremost, I want to highlight just how great the all around sculpt for this figure is. From the head all the way to the legs and feet, he looks absolutly perfect. Even the paint work that Hasbro put into this figure was very nice, the only place that was missing is a few details on his face. What really stands out though is the paint used on the Wasp's eyes, the perfect shade of metallic blue really makes them shine in his Wasp mode.
Another cool feature to him is that his wings flap up and down. There is a little tab on his back that when pushed makes them flap. It is a simple feature, but one that is surprisingly effective in my opinion.
He also comes with his weapon, as seen in the first photo here, that doubles as his stinger in Wasp mode. While it is a nice weapon, I do feel as if some paint would have greatly helped it out. As you can (barely) see in my photo, it is competely transluscent and just blends in to wherever you have him displayed. While this is just a minor issue, it is the one that I actually plan on fixing with just a bit of paint.
Lastly, the only real issue on this kit is his lower legs and feet. While they look great (that paint and scuplt is beautiful) the articulation is sorely lacking. The bend that you see in the picture above is literally all that he is capable of, and it doesn't help that his feet don't move side to side at all. This can make posing him a pretty big pain, especially when you want to get him into a pose other than just standing straight up. While the leg movement is a significant disappointment in my opinion, it still doesn't make him not worth buying. For anyone that loves Beast Wars, or anyone that just wants a really nicely scuplted and painted Transformers figure, this guy is worth a buy.
My very nostalgia influenced rating? 4/5. Check out my full video review below.
