Bludgeon [Legacy Evolution/Voyager Class]

For whatever reason, when Bludgeon was created, it was decided that he should be a skeleton samurai and the world has been a better place because of it. This recent Voyager mold from Transformers Legacy has been used in Evolution and United for various toys of Tarn and Bludgeon. Today we'll be looking at the Evolution standard retail version because I like the signature skull face better and well... *ahem* it's Halloween. I like this toy a whole lot. Not just because of the skeleton samurai thing, but it's a fun robot toy. He's a pleasantly large Voyager figure with lots of articulation (even in his hands!) and cool weapons. Of course Bludgeon has his sword that can be held or plugged into places for storage.

He also has a cool gun as a holdover from his tank alt mode. The dual cannon barrels can either be mounted on his forearm or held individually. They can even be combined into a super long gun (EVO-FUSION!) that looks really hard to use in a practical way. The tank mode also feature 2 smaller guns that apparently can be disconnected and held. From what I understand the connection points are really easy to break, so I would recommend caution when doing so. It's allegedly an 'undocumented feature', which usually means a happy accident. So don't unhappily break your toy by accident trying out something that's probably not intended.

Transformation to tank mode is not super hard, but does take a big of 'just right' maneuvering of parts around. I had a little trouble getting his head to store away in the chest cavity thanks to the shape of it. Not to mention, the side of his upper body folds up around that chest piece in a way that's a bit of a tight fit if not positioned correctly. Then there's the matter of his arms. The tank's treads are composed of them and there's a good bit of folding them around, once again, just right to allow the proper clearance for parts to be put into place. Transformation is a lot like an unorganized house move with people trying to walk up the hall while others are trying to maneuver the couch down it and around doors. It will eventually work out, but you're probably going to curse out somebody in the process.

Once transformed, you've got a pleasantly Mad Max style Cybertronian Tank with lot's of firepower! The sword stores on the side and let me just say... I find it hilarious when a heavily armed robot has a sword. He literally has a million ways to shoot you and also a sword if he misses every shot. Just in case, you know. There is a common complaint that his hands are visible in alt mode and that is true. I do find that if positioned correctly, they'll blend in pretty well thanks to some outer hand armor. Tricky transformation aside, this is a great toy that I liked in both modes. I've always liked Bludgeon admittedly, but the actual toy mold is pretty good. Spooky scary skeletons that transform into tanks.

Dinobot Sludge (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

It's taken me longer than intended, but today we're looking at the final member of the Core Class Dinobots. Sludge comes in forming Volcanicus's lower torso and mirroring Rairyu in the eventual Dinoking version of this set. Sludge is a likable little fellow, though his dino mode kibble is impossible to ignore. There's two rear legs just hanging to the side of his robot mode legs. There is no getting around them and that might be a turn off for a few people. Honestly, the blocky old schoolness of this set that I've mentioned before keeps me from disliking it that much. In a stand alone figure, it'd be annoying. As a small chonky little robot whose part of a combiner team... I can't help but to instantly compare it to older toys and enjoy it for that. 

Part of a combiner team is accepting that there'll be some compromises and Sludge is a big compromise. Forming the lower torso of Volcanicus means some load bearing and this (little) big boy is built for that function. Transformation to brontosaurus is easy and just works. I have no complaints about that and found the entire process likable. As a brontosaurus, Sludge is absolutely adorable. Just a cute little dinosaur. Once again simple, but simple works.

Slugde forms the lower torso and waist of the combiner. The other parts form together fairly easily into a delightfully little version of Volcanicus. Volcanicus has a decent amount of articulation for a combiner and his smaller form makes for an easier time playing around. His fists strongly resemble those of older Micromaster combiners and of course there's the obvious Dinoking resemblance. I'm really happy with how he turned out. I really like Volcanicus despite the initial idea of the Dinobots as a combiner irked me. Thanks to misinformed folks in older days spreading a rumor that the original team could combine, the idea was a bit of a thorn in my side. However, ever since Volcanicu's introduction... I've liked him quite a bit. He's a cool combiner and I'm a sucker for the Dinobots.

Dinobot Slug (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

Around 2009, someone at Hasbro discovered Slag wasn't a friendly term everywhere in the world and started using alternates with Slug being the most often used. At this point there's more Slag toys named something completely else than Slag... but it's still an elephant in the room in some corners of the Transformers world. I'll be calling him Slag, but the name on the box says Slug for those reasons. Slag is another member of this Core Class Dinobots set and a classic Dinobot as well. As a Core Class, he is pretty small. though apparently is one of the larger toys in the class. Slag, like Snarl, could almost pass for a regular toy as his combiner limb nature isn't completely evident. If not for his dino tail weapon containing Volcanicus's head, it'd be pretty easy to hide.

Well that and the assorted pegs visible in robot mode. Slag looks fairly accurate to his classic character here with obvious omissions for size and paint. He's a good looking figure. Transformation from robot to Triceratops is fairly easy. He's another one of those toys where everything looks like where it would go. The dino tail forms a 'blaster' in robot mode. It also is storage for Volcanicu's head and forms part of the combiners abdomen. Snarl forms the main torso of Volcanicus and mirrors Kakuryu in Dinoking... which is obviously another use of the mold set coming at some point. As a Triceratops, Slag has a fair amount of articulation considering his small size. All four legs can move and his mouth can open. Opening his mouth would of course expose the robot mode head... but that was the case on his original toy as well. This is a perfectly serviceable little figure of Slag. Like the other Dinobots in this set, I like him a lot. In fact, I like this set and am honestly enjoying it more than the full size Volcanicus from Power of the Primes. Not disparaging that version at all (I like it quite a bit), but the more compact design benefits the combiner overall. Everything is just sturdier. Not to mention, I really enjoy the blocky old school nature of this set of toys. We've got one more Dinobot to go until Volcanicus awakens! 

Dinobot Snarl (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

Halfway to Halloween is the perfect time to take a look at a Snarl toy. Long time readers know about my Snarl Halloween costume, but in this case it's time we got back to our look at the Core Class Dinobots from Transformers Legacy Evolution. Like the other Core Class Dinobots, Snarl is small and a little blocky. Small, because he's a Core Class. The blockiness obviously also comes due to his smaller size and brings a level of old school charm. It's impossible not to compare this set to Dinoking, which possibly could be coming out later made from this set of molds. I hope it does, Dinoking is pretty great. Volcanicus, the combiner this set, is also pretty great and so is this set of figures. It's really hard to complain about a dinosaur combiner robot.

Snarl, of course, transforms into a stegosaurus. Dinosaur mode is pretty faithful, though I can see others take issue with his hind legs. Those are formed from Snarl's robot mode arms and the feet are at his elbows. This leads to his forearms effectively hanging out the back of the feet and impossible to ignore. In a larger toy, these would fold up. It doesn't bother me as the size and combining nature of the toy will lead to some compromises. I can see how it would turn off some though. Transformation is pretty easily and everything goes where you'd expect too by looking at it. You do have to remove the red portion of the dino back and manually attach it to the robots back. Theirs also a little maneuvering of this piece when converting Snarl to Volcanicus's right leg. So try not to loose it.

Snarl comes with a sword. The sword can be mounted to the top of the dinosaur or beneath. It goes without saying he can hold it in robot mode, but it also can be mounted on his back as that's the same part as the dino back. In robot mode Snarl is fairly faithful to his classic design. He's not as blocky as some of the other Dinobots and probably could have been a stand alone toy. I normally favor Snarl figures, but this one really is a good little toy. Just two more Dinobots to look at until Volcanicus!

Antagony (Generations Selects/Voyager Class)

In another case of a prior BotCon exclusive getting a second life in recent years, Antagony is made from the wonderful Legacy Inferno toy as the original was made from the Beast Wars toy. I missed out on that original figure. I was working my way through local city college in 1998 with a job at Office Max and generally broke. BotCon was still out of reach for a few years and so were those wonderfully cool exclusives. However, like Sandstorm (whom I must cover here at some point), good fortune shone with a second chance at owning the character in an updated form. As much as I love that original Inferno mold, the Legacy version is a great new toy that improves on the original with modern engineering and great sculpting.

If you came looking for the more human faced Antagony Andrew Wildman drew, this is more screen accurate to Geof Senior's depiction. Antagony, being a straight repaint of Inferno doesn't offer anything new aside from including an alternate head. The alternate head can change her or Inferno into Scavenger, the other Beast Wars ant. It's a neat extra and makes me wonder what the Legacy version of Scavenger would have looked like sold on his own. Like Inferno before, Antagony replaces the original toys missile firing gun with a update of Inferno's BFG and the flight mode no longer has it's spring propeller gimmick. That's something I consider an improvement.

Antagony transforms into her giant ant beast mode fairly easily and robot mode is satisfyingly articulated. I really enjoy the new Legacy head sculpt with its opening jaws. It's just so satisfying to open and bare those big teeth! Antagony is a black ant with great uses of purple and lavender. While no longer a BotCon toy, she is exclusive to the Generations Selects branding making her exclusive to online and specialty retailers. Antagony was another Christmas gift from the Mrs. which makes the toy a little more special to me. Like my own little special edition.

Insecticon Bombshell (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

I'm quite fond of robot bugs... it's no secret around here. I have no clue as to why either, I HATE real bugs. So of course fate would wind up with me loving their robot toy counterparts. I dunno. Bombshell here was another Christmas gift from the Mrs and the newest Legacy update of an Insecticon. This leave me to find Shrapnel (who has eluded me) to complete the trio. Bombshell is an extensive retooling of Shrapnel (who I'm mildly annoyed at not being able to find) and my first experience with the mold which seems to be quite different from the first instance of it's engineering (that I don't own yet, kinda peeved). I must say, I like it! It's a pleasant robot toy that turns into a wonderfully blocky rhinoceros beetle. As an old school fan of robot toys, this is absolutely delightful. Bombshell is an update of a classic design that still feels like an older toy.

As a robot, he's pleasantly articulated and packing his signature Twin Ion Impulse Blaster weapon and two small blasters that can be placed at varying points on his body. I chose the forearms to keep a resemblance to his original toy. Transformation to insect mode is fairly easy and results in a beetle that looks fairly close to the original toy. The rear portion is a bit bigger, but not in a bad way. It's a big black box with a red stripe that brought back memories of older toys like Micro Trailers in such a way that I'm just too biased to hate. Those small twin blasters I mentioned earlier can either mount alongside the Twin Ion Impulse Blaster on the top of that rather boxy rear end or be worked into rear legs for the beetle.

Bombshell was always a cool villain thanks to the mind controlling Cerebro-Shells that he fired from the horn of his beetle mode or knight like helmet as a robot. The Insecticons were always creepy and mind control is a classic bad guy attack. Bombshell is a pretty close approximation of how he appeared in the original cartoon and this new figure is a really satisfying new toy of a classic villain. I'd love to see a Kabutron version at some point. I've been really happy with Legacy as a whole and Bombshell is a good reason as to why. Sure, updates of classic Transformers characters are nothing new and have been going on longer than G1 actually ran... but who cares? These are classic characters that maintain an ongoing presence. Having new versions of them that improve upon the older versions is great and I never see anyone complain about the countless Superman figures that come out. Once again, I love a good robot bug toy and this is a really good one. There's plenty of old school flavor improved with modern engineering. This is just all around my cup of tea.

Strongarm (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Longtime readers of this site probably know I'm a big fan of both Transformers Robots in Disguise series (despite being peeved at the confusing name reuses). So it's probably to no surprise that I was excited to see the new version of Strongarm from RID 2015 under the tree. Once again the Mrs came through with another great gift. Strongarm is a Legacy: Evolution toy, so the differences in the design process from her original release around 9 years ago is very evident. However, unlike her original toy, this figure isn't an original work. Strongarm is a heavy retool and repaint of the Legacy Elita-1 figure. I haven't gotten around to opening that one yet, so this is my first time with the mold. It's fairly common for Transformers toys to reuse engineering like this to save costs, though I might not have noticed it if not told ahead of time. It's fairly extensive.

One of the reasons I liked the original Strongarm toy was for it's strong resemblance to early 90's Transformers figures. She could easily blend in next to Pyro, Clench, or Skyquake. That resemblance is back with this new toy, though now I liken it more to how she would have appeared in a UK comic around that time. There's just a certain something about her sculpting that looks like she could have been in an Earthforce story or a member of the Survivors. Strongarm once again turns into her Police SUV alt mode, though it's a bit smaller this time. I think it's fair to consider this more of a Crossover vehicle than a SUV. I like it and thanks to it's smallness and blocky appearance am strongly reminded of Tackle. With another head, I'm sure a reasonable update of him could be made from this. Transformers has been around for 40 years, so it's hard not to be reminded of other things at times. I like that and this toy.

Strongarm is fairly articulated. However, her shoulder kibble does impede movement some. Ironically this was more of a problem with toys from Robots in Disguise 2001 and not at all a problem with the Robots in Disguise 2015 she hails from. Strongarm comes with a Blaster that looks kinda similar to the one included with her original toy. As a Police vehicle, she has a light bar. Said light bar can be removed and placed elsewhere on Strongarm. I left it on her back as it just seems natural. The truck mode does feature rocket boosters on the rear . This is a holdover from the Elita-1 design that looks kind of cool here. Something about a rocket powered Police SUV seems out of a video game and I'm all for it. Strongarm is a cool toy and it's great to see character from Robots in Disguise 2015 making a return. Hopefully more of the cast will come soon. Like Steeljaw. Specifically.

Transmetal II Megatron (Legacy: Evolution/ Leader Class)

I can't think of a better way to welcome the Year of the Dragon than taking a look at an update to my favorite version of Beast Wars Megatron. In the show, BW Megatron was attempting to merge his spark withthat of G1 Megatron. This combined with an act of treachery knocking him into lava resulted into the creation of Transmetal II Megatron, whom transformed into a giant red dragon! Even though later G1 Megatron's spark was removed, BW Megatron was a dragon through the bulk of Beast Machines. When I was younger, the original toy was one of the most badass things in Transformers. Right next to Unicron in my mind... and it's still there now. Dragon Megatron is just a cool concept that you wonder why it took as long as it did to happen. This new toy is an update of the classic one (of course) and a really solid one. Vastly improving on the original idea and looking far more like his cartoon model. The original toy's third mode isn't available now... though you could probably do it yourself with some added on wheels.

As both a robot and a dragon, Megatron is large and imposing (as it should be). Transformation isn't hard, but is a little tricky the first time. There's a few parts that don't work exactly how you imagine when moving everything around. However, once you've done it... you've got it. Megatron comes with a fire breathe effect that can be placed in the dragons mouth or held as a club by Megatron. The original toy had two missiles to fire from the dragons mouth and I'd often have Megatron in robot mode hold the extra one as a weapon. I'm not sure of the designers had the same idea with the orignal toy, but it's a neat bit of symmetry. One big improvement of this new toy is that the dragons neck is jointed instead of a rubber piece as was the original. This allows for more posing while the originals just hung there and could also possibly rot. As you can see I'm very happy with this new toy of a favorite. It was another gift from the Mrs. who absolutely spoils me every Christmas. I hope a Cryotech version follows and would love for TM2 Megatron to get more exposure overall. Sure, his dinosaur mode is cool... but the dragon is badass! 2024 is the 40th anniversary of Transformers and the Year of the Dragon. I can't help to think it's going to be special. Gong hei fat choy

Nova Prime (Legacy: Evolution/Leader Class)

Nova Prime is a former Prime who lost his way and became a very bad guy that resides in the Dead Universe. Instead of the 'Autobot Matrix of Leadership', he wields 'The Darkness'- an evil counterpart of the famed magic relic. Wielding The Darkness transformed him into another variation of Nemesis Prime and into a really powerful being. It goes without saying he'd be pretty awesome looking. This cool new figure of Nova Prime was another Christmas gift from the Mrs and dang it is impressive. The toy is based on his appearance from the Transformers: Devastation video game. I really like that as not only was I a fan of that game, but I'm more of a cartoon guy than a comic guy and Devastation is more cartoon flavored. 

Nova Prime is a retool and repaint of the Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime toy. That toy was a retool and repaint of the Siege Ultra Magnus. All were toys I really liked and using it as a base for this figure really works. It's a mixture of that traditional Transformers 'big important guy' design and Super Robot looks. Nova Prime feels more like a prestigious award than an action figure and definitely a more premium item than your standard fare. I'm legitimately proud to own this. 

Nova Prime transforms from armored truck to robot mode via parts forming. The trailer separates allowing the cab to form his standard mode robot mode. This is similar to the original Powered Convoy toy and the idea has been replicated in most Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime with super mode toys ever since. I absolutely love it's use here as I'm a fan of this style of Transformer and appreciate a bad guy Convoy using it. The trailer pieces can be re-arranged into armor for Nova Prime's super mode which makes him much larger, more imposing, and extra badass. Super mode has big guns, big wings, and a much grander look over all. He looks awesome. I'm mostly gushing about this toy because that's my honest take away. It's IMPRESSIVE and COOL. I also like the white color pattern for such an evil character, especially an evil Prime. It's a nice contrast and not as predictable as an all black deco. Sometimes if you want darkness, you've got to portray it brightly. Nova Prime has a cool 'Evil Knight' appearance and this figure just represents that well. I can't say enough good things about it... it's awesome. 

Shadow Striker (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Shadow Striker is a character with an oddly complicated history. She began life as a Transformer as one of the exclusive toys for OTFCC 2003 in a set with her sister Roulette. In those earlier days of BotCon/OTFCC, the exclusives were generally kept secret until the show. Something most in the fandom really enjoyed. However, click bait happy news sites did their nonsense and leaked images. One of the leaked images was a repaint/remold of Side Burn that looked like Nightracer. Pointless drama ensued and when it was all said and done, the toy was actually a new character named Shadow Striker. As time went on Shadow Striker made appearances leading up to Transformers Cyberverse. This new version was an interesting patchwork robot... and apparently was originally to be named Nightracer.*sigh*

This is a new figure of Shadow Striker as the Cyberverse character in a toy that's VERY similar to Side Burn. Of course leading to speculation that a Legacy Side Burn using this engineering (with maybe new car parts) is coming. I also wonder if a two-pack of OTFCC Shadow Striker and Roulette using this mold will find it's way out as a Generations Selects release. This new figure really cool on it's own, despite the obvious 'other bot' -ness of the design. Like I said, Shadow Striker was something of a patchwork robot in Cyberverse. I often felt like she was based on Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy. Toy wise... she didn't get much. A Scout Class figure that I always enjoyed, and an Ultra Class that wasn't as patch work like the normally is. Kinda makes me think that toy was designed when the character was meant to be Nightracer. The Legacy toy isn't as patch work looking either. Only the larger eye really stands out in that way. Maybe she got some repairs. The dark purple and red colors of the figure really look neat with the chrome and black accent colors. It's a simple color deco that looks very sharp.

Shadow Striker has a lot of carryover from the Side Burn design. You can either arrange the parts to resemble the that design or get a little creative. The car roof makes for a robot mode shield, but I stuck it on her back for a more stocky appearance. The blaster can also be held as a blade or combined with eh bumper to make Side Burn's Exhaust Bowgun. I opted for her to wield the blaster as a gun and stuck that bumper on her forearm. Transformation is pretty easy (much easier than the classic Side Burn mold... yikes). The only hard part for me was getting the car hood to attach. It's an odd connection and I was a little too clumsy with it. In alt mode, Shadow Striker is a sports car that's similar to a Doge Viper. In these colors, I'm reminded of the M.A.S.K. Manta. Ironically from a a toy line that oddly enough had a spiritual successor named Shadow Strikers. This is a great figure of Shadow Striker that makes me look forward to the eventual Side Burn toy quite a bit.

Detritus (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Detritus is one of those Transformers characters that means something to me for reasons I can't fully explain. To begin with, I've always been a Hound fan. Classic cartoon Hound to be specific. In 2004, Takara re-issued G1 Hound in their Book style series in which I bought that immediately. I still have my childhood one, but it was nice to have a complete Hound again. Hopefully I can find that Walmart exclusive version of the G1 toy as well. Love Hound. Well, around that time e-Hobby was running exclusives based off most of the Takara reissues. These would often be brand new G1 characters using original molds.  Sometimes they'd be based off Diaclone versions or take inspiration from other sources. It's probably pretty easy to guess I was quick to snatch up one made from the Hound toy mold.

Detritus was based on a desert colored variation of a military Jeep that really looked good. He was a new character and with a name like was obviously a Junkion! At the time, there wasn't many Junkion toys. Only G1 Wreck-Gar specifically. The Junkions have always had a cult following with many Transformers fans, so this was very welcome. Adding to Detritus's coolness was that he was a Mercenary! That wasn't very commonplace back then either. Detritus was a Junkion who left the planet and took up arms dealing. Working for whomever paid him and would eventually side up with whatever group won. His ultimate goal? Take over the Junkions! Dang! We got a new bot that was full of character, not bad for a straight repaint. Detritus also saw life in Takara's incarnation of Power Core Combiners as a repaint of Mudslinger. I hope to get that eventually.

This new toy of Detritus from Legacy: Evolution is a bit of a weird one. The Siege Hound toy mold was heavily retooled into a fairly updated G1 accurate toy. The figure at some point will be released a Buzzworthy Bumblebee figure that I look forward to. This new Detritus figure is a repaint of that which has not came out yet. Whacky. I liked that Siege toy, but wasn't fond of transforming it. This version, however, I had no problems transforming. Either they made it easier somehow or I just got better at it. Regardless, it's a nice new figure of Detritus. Transformation was easy for me this time and both modes a really nice. The Jeep is very pleasant and the desert deco looks good. As a robot, Detritus is fairly articulated and has two guns that can be combined in a few ways into bigger weapons. You know, Evo-Fusion. I tried to mirror the original toy a little because I love those G1 shoulder rocket launchers. If there is anything to take issue with, the front hood portion of the Jeep does stand out a little extra. Not a deal breaker or anything, but it does seem a bit big. Regardless, this is a very good toy of a character I like quite a bit. It's got me excited for the eventual Hound toy as well. Whenever that comes out. 

Dinobot Scarr (Legacy: Evolution/Core Class

Getting back to the Core Class Dinobots I started talking about a little while back with Grimlock is Scarr, whom we'll be looking at today. In the IDW comics, Scarr (spelled Skar there) is the Tactical Medic of the Dynobots. I'd like to think this set represents another version of the team as a combiner team. Scarr transforms into an Ankylosaurus and the left arm of Volcanicus. For many of us, there was an instant comparison to Gairyu when Scarr's images first got out. It's almost impossible not to make that comparison.

Like Grimlock before... there's no ignoring the fact that Skarr is a combiner component. I can look past it seeing the larger picture, but I know others can't. He's a smaller toy at a lower price who's one part of a bigger thing. There's going to be some compromises, the Real World is more than a long running TV show. Scarr is pretty neat though, he's this chonky little fellow that's hard to dislike. Scarr's gun is one of Volcanicus's fists. That's a fun way of using the combiner parts in the individual robot modes that's been done before. I personally couldn't stop comparing it to toys like the Micromaster Combiners or Landcross. I really liked those so the comparisons made it impossible for me to dislike. Your mileage may vary. It's worth noting that Monstructor and Dinoking had the same type of weapon/parts. Hrm. Scarr is a great addition to the Dinobots and one I could see being a member of the original gang. So far this set is pretty great and the similarities to older combiner teams is awesome. 

Prowl (Legacy Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Neatly enough, the Legacy Evolution Deluxe Class Prowl is his incarnation from Transformers Animated. Animated was a very fun show that had the misfortune of airing between the 2007 movie and it's 2009 sequel when the Transformers world was full on live action movie focused. The show certainly garnered a large following, but I've always felt got a little lost in all the attention the movies were getting at the time. In Animated, Prowl's character was quite different from the Prowl we're used to. He became more of a martial artist warrior as did Jazz. Instead of a Police car, he transformed into a Police motorcycle and featured mostly black color scheme as opposed to the traditional white and black. To my understanding, this design was based heavily on a California Highway Patrol motorcycle ala CHiPs. Like the Transformers Prime based toy in Legacy Prior, this Prowl toy is more traditional looking to fit in with other Generations figures while still homaging his Animated design. I like the results.

Like I said, Prowl transforms into a motorcycle. With recent motorcycle Transformers, I haven't particularly enjoyed the transformation much. Specifically the Legacy Prime Arcee mold that has gotten a lot of reuse lately (I've gotten them all but Flamewar). This time, however, it's no sweat. I just put everything where it was supposed to go and didn't curse once. Your mileage may vary. Prowl's throwing stars return and still store in vehicle mode as hubcaps. They of course unfold into the stars and can be easily held. This is his 'Evo-Fusion' according to the box... yeah. Prowl has quite a bit of articulation as he'd need a great deal of flexibility for martial arts. This is a really likable toy of a cool design and character. Animated is on regular rotation on the Transformers channel. I can imagine people recently discovering the show appreciating a version of the character more easily accessible. With the Animated Bumblebee and Optimus Prime on their way in Legacy Evolution, they'll have even more chances.

Crashbar (Legacy Evolution/Deluxe Class)

There's not a lot of new characters these days in Transformers, so when there is one, it's usually pretty great. Crashbar is just that, a new character. Not just a new character, but a cool one at that. One of the new Junkions from Legacy Evolution, Crashbaris a spiky motorcycle straight from a post apocalyptic scene and I like it. Also, like other new Junkions, he can separate into pieces to combine with other toys. That's a super neat gimmick I've been enjoying since Siege, but these newer toys don't require separation for transformation. While I don't mind partforming, it is pretty neat. I've been told other toys can ride Crashbar in motorcycle mode, but haven't tried it myself. I do wonder if a Microman could as well. Crashbar is a little bigger than a Laser Cycle, but maybe it could work.

Crashbar had two big blasters for weapons. I've been told these are gravity cannons, though I'm sure would double as standard blasters in fiction. One of his motorcycle wheels can also detach and form a saw blade type weapon or shield. Not to mention two exhaust pipes that can be worn or used as melee weapons. I guess he's going to use the gravity guns to hold a Decepticon in place before beating them with the pipes. I really like Crashbar's expressive face. It really conveys that same swarmy charm Wreck-Gar has. That post apocalyptic pirate crew vibe the Junkions have is too cool to ignore. Makes for some cool punk rock types. Crashbar is a little smaller than your average Junkion, but I like it. This is a great figure full of articulation, weapons, and a fun gimmick. Not bad for a guy supposedly made of garbage.

Metalhawk (Legacy: Evolution/Voyager Class)

Thoughts of Masterforce take me back to the days of fuzzy episodes on worn out VHS tapes and VCD's full of digital noise giving me a different appreciation of toys I already had like Powermaster Optimus Prime and desire for out of reach ones like Overlord. It was exciting to see the Pretenders animated (aside from footage used in commercials and the season 5 intro) lead by Metalhawk. 

Thankfully, Metalhawk these days has the occasional release outside of Japan, like the toy we're looking at today. Released in Transformers Legacy: Evolution, Metalhawk is a remold of the excellent Kingdom Cyclonus toy (who I have, but never talked about here). Unlike his prior updates, this time Metalhawk is based on his inner robot form and not the Pretender shell. I'm a fan of the shells designs,but it's a nice change of pace. 

Metalhawk is a larger toy as a Voyager Class figure that's pleasantly articulated and features his trademark sword and blasters. The blasters are formed by the tail fins from vehicle mode. They join together for form the blaster. The Evo-Fusion gimmick of the Evolution sub line isn't always spectacular, but I guess it makes sense here. In all honesty, it's just clever marketing to keep retailers happy while not sacrificing anything on the toy. Still, it can be funny sometimes. Other than the shell, all Metalhawk is missing is his larger rifle. Hopefully some fan groups produce an aftermarket gun and shell to really round out this pretty solid toy. 

To be honest, if I didn't know better, I would have thought this was a new mold. Metalhawk is a great update to his original toy. They really did a good job here, it looks like he stepped right off the TV screen.  Transformation is easy and felt natural. If you have Cyclonus you already know this as did I. Though it felt fresh this time. Even though I have a few other Metalhawk toys, it's still exciting owning this one. I'm brought back to the days of being a purple haired kid in a dingy hoodie working at a office supply store despite being a shaved haired middle aged man working an office job in a regularly washed hoodie. It's much easier to watch Masterforce now than it was then, though I still have that VCD set somewhere.

Tow-Line (Buzzworthy Bumblebee/Deluxe Class)

Robots in Disguise/Car Robots has always been a bright spot for me in my Transformers fandom. It was the gateway from my beloved beast era back to vehicular bots. As much as I loved beast era, it was time for a change and RID was just right. It still had beast warriors, but the overall direction was back to cars and jets. It didn't hurt that the designs were super slick and the cartoon was entertaining as hell. There was a lot of repaints in the line and the original Tow-Line was just that, a repaint of the Machine Wars Hubcap/Hoist mold. A really solid toy that didn't get a lot of attention like most of Machine Wars at the time. 

In the show, Tow-Line was a charming character who lived out the role of his tow truck alt mode of a little too much. His infamous "No parking means no parking" catchphrase was forever cemented in fans minds. Later he got an 'evil' repaint in Robot Masters that has on and off been one of my user pics ever since. I was really surprised when Tow-Line got an update in Legacy: Evolution under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee banner. What's now referred to by Hasbro as Robots in Disguise 2001 doesn't get a lot of love unfairly and of all the bots, Tow-Line isn't the one you'd think would get a new toy. Like his original toy, Tow-Line is a repaint of an existing mold. This time of Scraphook from Legacy: Evolution, a toy I've not yet found, so this was my first experience with the mold.

Tow-Line turns into a Mad Max sort of tow truck. This is in line with all the other new Junkions in Legacy: Evolution and a direction I quite like. However it is odd on Tow-Line as he's normally just a regular old tow truck. It makes me REALLY wish for a repaint based on his Robot Masters toy though. The spiky, post apocalyptic design plays oddly well with Tow-Line's trademark bright colors. It just works somehow as does the new faithful recreation of the classic toy head. They did a really good job with a toy that's a mix old old and new.

These new Junkions can separate into parts and connect to other bots similar to the Weaponizers from Siege. For once giving the Evo-Fusion blurb an actually good example. Unlike the Weaponizers though, the toys doesn't part form as transformation doesn't require disassembly. You might find yourself pulling off a piece by accident like I did though. Various parts can be attached or held as weapons. This leads to blasters from parts of his hood that resemble the original toys gun and a spiky spare tire that could work as the Boost Hammer from the Robot Masters toy. Maybe. I really like this toy, it's fairly articulated and transforms pleasantly. Mine has a bit of loose joints. Not sure if that's the mold or I just got a random floppy one. Stop laughing. Either way, it's hard not to love a Tow-Line update. Especially when it's a good one.

Cloudcover (Toxitron Collection/Voyager Class)

The Toxitron Collection is this years Walmart Exclusive sub-line taking the place of last years Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection that I loved. This time the toy's concept is unused Generation 2 designs and the original unused Toxitron from Universe. With EXTREMELY AWESOME black light art boxes (and instructions) selling these VERY BRIGHTLY COLORED toys. I love them... maybe more than the Velocitron set. The story line is that these radical radioactive robots rose from the Toxic Sludge Swamps on Cybertron to cause all sorts of mayhem and anarchy. Hopefully Takara will produce another manga like they did for the Velocitron Speedia 500 set to flesh it out some more. It's not super necessary for a store exclusive set to have such a thing... but it's fun and I appreciate it.

Cloudcover is based on a mock up Seeker whose picture I feel like I've been looking at forever. Like everything else from this set, it's an un-produced concept that's finally being made on a newer updated figure. This time the Earthrise Conehead Seeker mold. I didn't get that specific mold, but really liked the Starscream version. The urge to get all the various Seekers was ruined for me thanks to the Seeker mold, but it is nice to finally get a version of the Conehead version of an excellent Seeker base toy. It's also nice to get it in such a specifically awesome concept. To be honest, I wasn't as interested in Cloudcover as the other members of the collection. Like the Velocitron set, I just want the entire set and he's the first toy from it that was found. In hand however... wow this color scheme is awesome. Over what's felt like a lifetime of looking at that blue Seeker mock up (and not being very concerned about it), I'm actually glad to own it. The blues and whites are specifically nice in robot mode... but are amazing in jet mode. This is a very nice looking toy and makes me a little sad that the original never happened. That cloud camouflage design is super pretty.

I talked about the base mold in the post linked to above, but this is a little different with a few mold changes. Specifically the head and wings. Cloudcover is a repaint of Earthrise Ramjet as the original mock up was a repaint of the G1 Ramjet toy with the Earthrise Dirge head was used. I know the pictures don't show it pretty well, but his mouth is open and there's some nice dark red eyes. That black contrasted SO HARD against the lighter colors and I'm obviously not a professional toy photographer. Hence the lace of monetization and actual content produced on a regular basis. The toy itself is pretty nice, but the real draw is the color scheme. Hopefully I can score the rest of the Toxitron Collection, Cloudcover is a wonderfully surprising start of the series for me.

Leo Prime/Lio Convoy (Legacy Evolution/Voyager Class)

Lio Convoy is one of those Transformers characters that'll forever be on a higher shelf in my heart. He was introduced in Beast Wars II when I was in college, blowing me away with just how cool he looked. I even made a poster from some Beast Wars II art featuring Lio Convoy facing off against Galvatron. That poster remained a fixture on my walls for a long time. I still have it, though it's folded away and enjoys retirement inside a box these days. When Hasbro announced an update, I was ecstatic. Sure, he's gotten some new toys over the years and I've gotten a lot of them... with the current updates the excitement was much higher. They're just that good. These days he's known as Leo Prime here in the states to be more English packaging friendly, but it's the same guy.

This new Voyager Class toy is a really nice upgrade. As much of a big deal getting the original toy was to me back in the day, it's far from perfect. In Legacy Evolution he gets a nice upgrade. As the name implies, Leo Prime transforms into a lion. A white lion to be specific often speculated to be playing off Kimba the White Lion. According to various sources, his original concept was to be a Cheetor retool as Optimus Prime. Beast Wars was original conceived as a continuation of the original ongoing Transformers story line. Cheetor was intended to be Prowl, and Optimus got toys inspired by Batman and King Kong. A majestic lion Optimus was a natural choice, and not the first time a lion Optimus was considered. For Beast Wars II a new cast was created and with it a new leader. That lion finally found it's way to toy form.

This new toy is a pleasantly large Voyager Class figure with lots of articulation and features. Lio is a little tricky to transform, but not anything resembling the Lament Configuration. Part of his robot design is the regal draping of the lion over his shoulders giving a royal vibe. The lion's mane can be used as a weapon too. It folds out in places to display weapons for an attack mode. This is a throwback to the original toy as is a hidden Matrix of Leadership within his chest. That sort of thing always triggers the same sense of giddiness it did back in the older days when it wasn't as often used. In lion mode, Lio Convoy has giant fold out claws that also can be deployed in robot mode as can the beast mode's attack forms.

They look cool and give that royal look a little edge. Lio Convoy, Leo Prime... whatever he's called is a classic in my book. This newest figure is a wonderful update that makes me just as happy as the original did a long time ago.

Grimlock (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

I really like the Dinobots, Core Class, and Volcanicus. What happenes when all three of those things are combined? You get a Core Class version of Volcanicus! Obviously this is something I'm interested in and happily found Grimlock before seeing Rise of the Beasts a little while back. There's no denying Grimlock's very blocky proportions. Make no mistake about it, this is a small combiner peice and some sacrifices were clearly made. Giving you a simple and blocky robot mode and one awkward dinosaur.. I'll admit my forgivness is heavily influenced by the smaller Pretender toy vibes I get from the toy. Not to mention, I'm used to giving combiner limbs a pass.

There's often some comprimisng done in the individual toy as part of the overall team. I know I'm not the only person to make the comparison, but there's a heavy Dinoforce vibe with this set and hopefully a remold results in an update of that team as well. Perhaps even a future Monstructor. That'd be great. I also can't help but to make mental comparisons to Pretender Grimlock as well. It's not an exact comparison, but there's some familiarity. The gun made from the tail bit contributes to that. Grimlock is a pretty decent little figure. On his own, maybe not so great, but as part of a neat looking combiner... yeah he's ok. Part of me wants to see him worked into a Pretender update as well.

Origins Jazz (Buzzworthy Bumblebee)

Like many folks, I was pretty excited when first seeing Origins Jazz announced online. Those cool Cybertronian forms from the opening scenes of More than Meets the Eye have stayed in the fandom lexicon since those olden days. Having these cool new toys of them is really neat. Jazz is a Buzzworthy Bumblebee release, meaning it's exclusive to Target stores here in the states. Normally it's pretty easy to get those, but not this time. I had firmly accepted that I wasn't ever going to find one until recently lucking stopping by Target for pasta. The didn't have the ravioli (seriously, it took 3 stores), but they did have an Origins Jazz.

This may be my favorite Jazz figure so far. I'm not just saying that because of the cool alt mode, or the elation of finally finding one, but it's just a really good figure. Jazz is like that, they seemingly improve each design as they go along. Considering the formula and regular updates to existing characters, that's great. I know that's the general idea... but it doesn't always work out. Jazz also looks similar to his Action Masters figure. I've always been pretty fond of that toy, so it's something I'd like overall.

Another neat feature is the weapons. Jazz has his standard Photon Rifle as well as a grappling hook. In transformation, fists are folded inwards. This provides a place to plug the grappling hook in similar to it's appearance on the show. There's even a winch on the left arm for it! The hook can also attach to the rifle so Jazz can fire it up high. I really like the inclusion of the hook, it's just a neat little extra they could have skipped and I wouldn't have noticed. It's inclusion is a fun little extra that frankly the rising cost of Transformers really should have. I'm paying more, I should get more. There's a difference between rising costs and gouging. They've been firmly in the latter lately.

Origins Jazz is an overall excellent figure. He has a ton of articulation and that dang grappling hook is a winner. Transformation is a little persnickety. It's not super hard or anything, but there's some points I found myself saying "come on dammit" or "aw dammit" and sometimes just plain "dammit". Ultimately, that's my only complaint with the toy. There's a few spots where you've got to get everything just right and I fumbled with it a little getting it there. Jazz's rifle can store on top of the car and it kinda looks like that's where it belongs. I really like this figure and wish he wasn't so hard to find. When he was announced it was a cool surprise as was finding it that day.