Sky-Byte [Age of the Primes/Voyager Class]

It's pretty cool that I get to talk about two different new Sky-Byte toys this close to one another. Even better, both are really neat. Today we'll be talking about the new Voyager Sky-Byte figure from Transformers Age of the Primes. Like most Generations releases, this is an update of the original toy using modern engineering... and they nailed it! This is literally the original Sky-Byte toy with a bunch of extra articulation.

The improvements are specifically noticeable in shark mode, where his head can be moved around to mimic his appearance in the show Robots in Disguise (2001) in which he stole the fan bases heart. It's funny, considering the original toy was a repaint of a Beast Wars toy (Transmetal 2 Cybershark) that sat on clearance for quite some time. Yet later reached stardom thanks to that show. It's still one of my favorites and is always good to see one of the characters get some attention in the mainline.

Like I said, this new figure improves upon the original adding a great deal of articulation and improving on other things. Most noticeably, the sharks body is no longer curved. The sides of the shark become giant dramatic shoulder armor in robot mode. Not being curved makes this much more pleasant, look better, and not potentially get in the way of the arms. Those shoulder pads plug into place, so you can wiggle them around while transforming for extra part clearance. Sky-Byte has a something extra in terms of weapons as well. Those pectoral fins can be used as little swords... which I found pretty neat. His gun no longer features firing missiles but still retains the originals look. I've never cared much for it, but appreciate the effort. Honestly this is a near perfect update of the beloved original toy.

My only complaint isn't a complaint about the actual toy itself, just wishing it had paint apps the original had. Being such an improvement of the original... I can't help but to wish he had that fabulous chrome. I know it can flake over time, but it looks marvelous. That and it'd been nice if his Spark Crystal had been painted. I really liked the Spark Crystals from Transmetal 2 and when they carried over with reuses of those molds it just made me happy. So really, that's it. No actual complaints. Just wishing for a few extras that would have been appreciated. Sky-Byte was such a great character that he's managed to become a mainstay of the Transformers brand. Part of me hopes they release a Cybershark version of this new mold... just because the original's paint apps came off almost instantly. I don't know if Sky-Byte will ever get a much more premium figure... but this one feels like a Missing Link version of the original in some ways. Maybe they can release a special edition with some chrome.

Sky-Byte [Cyberworld/Cyber Changers]

One of the most exciting figures in the first wave of Cyber Changers is Sky-Byte. Sky-Byte has been a fan favorite character since his introduction in Transformers Car Robots/ Transformers Robots in Disguise. He's a lovable bad guy who writes haiku's and sings little songs whilst getting into mischief. While he hasn't appeared yet in the Cyberworld cartoon (as of this writing), one can only hope this incarnation will retain some of the originals charm.

Seeing as his alt mode is a reference to the episode 'Skid Z's Choice', one can only hope we'll have some poetry being recited while he's participating in some weird challenge. In the episode mentioned, Sky-Byte participates in a race by giving himself car parts. That leaves us with a silly shark car that this new toy transforms into. In robot mode Sky-Byte is the standard Cyberworld figure we discussed earlier this week with Optimus Prime. However, despite that uniformity... he's different. Turning into a sharkcar means his robot mode is pretty beastly. He's normally a Predacon and a bit of a Beast Wars remnant. His original toy, like the majority of the Predacons in Robots in Disguise, was a repaint of a prior Beast Wars toy.

Those beasty designs stuck with all his other incarnations since then. Thanks to the Cyberworld style, there's a Machine Robo flavor to this toy. It's probably unintentional, and maybe just my own take... but he feels like a Devil Invader in so many ways. It's cool. One thing I didn't mention in the Optimus post, these bots have a standard 5mm hole in their hands for holding weapons. Obviously that's great for the Armored Cyber Changers, but give me the hope that something like BattleMasters is on the way. After all, why do bots that don't include weapons have to possibility of holding them? They're unified in design for a reason. Sky-Byte's left hand is his signature claw made from the sharks rear fin. Be careful, this is a separate piece that you have to plug in, it can get lost by accident.

Transformation to sharkcar... damn I love saying that. Sharkcar, sharkcar, sharkcar. *ahem* Transformation to sharkcar (sqweee!) is pretty simple and makes me compare him to a Gobot again. The way he folds in half is very similar to many of those Machine Robo transformation schemes. Not to mention, something like a sharkcar (yay) is so Monster Gobot. Sharkcar (teehee) is a pleasantly satisfying mode. The wheels are nicely large, so you feel like he could easily roll over most obstacles. It's just the right size for such a toy too, just big enough to hold and push around your desk.

Really, this is a great example of how fun Cyberworld looks to be. A solid little Transformers toy that so full of fun that the limited articulation and paint aps are hardly noticeable. Sky-Byte fortunately doesn't have as much of the visible hollowness as Optimus did. It's there, but easy to ignore. I forgot to mention, his claw can be mounted on the sharks head in vehicle mode. Why? I don't know, but there sure is another 5mm port there than could hold a Battlemaster. Maybe something like that is on the way. I keep saying fun in reference to Transformers Cyberworld and Sky-Byte is an ambassador of the brand in that context. He's the greatest shark in town after all.

Bios: Sky-Byte

 

"Flash of metal fins. Sharkticons tear foes to shreds. Die quick, Autobots."

Sky-Byte is a Predacon by design, but, like his Quintesson creators, works with the Decepticons from time to time when it's profitable to do so. He leads the new-generation Sharkticons into battle, ruthlessly shredding all cars and robots on his way. He sees himself as a sophisticated warrior poet, the self-proclaimed "greatest shark around," composing haiku about the robots in disguise he's about to deactivate. Exposure to forestonite has given Sky-Byte a devastating new ability; he can unleash a "Tsunami Blaster" freeze attack from his chest, paralyzing his foes. Combined with an already impressive arsenal, air speed, and his Sharkticon hordes, he's a menace to everything in the air, land and sea. Were he more competent and less given to overblown theatrics that leave him vulnerable, he'd be one of the Autobots' greatest threats.

Weekly Spotlight: G2 Redux Sky-Byte

Flash of metal fins. Sharkticons tear foes to shreds. Die quick, Autobots.

Sky-Byte is a Predacon by design, but, like his Quintesson creators, works with the Decepticons from time to time when it's profitable to do so. He leads the new-generation Sharkticons into battle, ruthlessly shredding all cars and robots on his way. He sees himself as a sophisticated warrior poet, the self-proclaimed "greatest shark around," composing haiku about the robots in disguise he's about to deactivate. Exposure to forestonite has given Sky-Byte a devastating new ability; he can unleash a "Tsunami Blaster" freeze attack from his chest, paralyzing his foes. Combined with an already impressive arsenal, air speed, and his Sharkticon hordes, he's a menace to everything in the air, land and sea. Were he more competent and less given to overblown theatrics that leave him vulnerable, he'd be one of the Autobots' greatest threats.