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!
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:
