You Wana try it?

Wana Wana is a game by TOMY that... why does this exist?

Seriously... it's a toy bear trap that you stick your head in. Essentially, you and your friends play chicken with this thing, taking turns sticking your heads in it until it snaps on the loser.

You know what? Forget what I said... that looks amazing!!

Make Mine Monster

TOMY is a company readers of the site should be well acquainted with. They merged with Takara in 2005 and the shared logo has been printed on Transformers packages ever since. Not to mention Zoids, Starriors, and other cool toys. TOMY makes A LOT of toys, big and small... which brings us to the Mighty Men and Monsters drawing set from 1978. It's a gadget where you arrange various plates and stencil in a monster or super hero. Pretty neat. The real draw here is the commercial itself. Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Mummy are having a great time in a spooky castle drawing all sorts of cool pictures. Best brunch ever.

Predacon Inferno (Legacy/Voyager Class)

I was absolutely ecstatic when Inferno from Beast Wars was announced for the Transformers Legacy  toy line. A long time fan (and personal) favorite from the series was finally getting an update. Unfortunately distribution wasn't the greatest and it took a while to find one. I finally did sometime in the late spring/early summer of this year, thankfully, and now seems like a great time to talk about him. Like most modern updates of classic characters, Inferno is very show accurate. I know I often say they look as though they walked off my TV screen a lot, but that's what they do and Inferno most definitely does. His mouth can even open for those famously maniacal bouts of insanity. Inferno rules.

As he should, Inferno transforms into a fire ant. A VERY LARGE FIRE ANT. The ant is fairly realistic and transformation from robot to beast mode is reasonably easy. The ant's legs feature a decent amount of articulation with moving legs and pinching pincers. In robot mode, Inferno has an impressive amount of movement. This is really a great toy of him. I've always held the original up to a high standard and this is a big improvement. They did a great job. Inferno's signature BFG from the show is well represented and doubles as the rocket for his blender butt flight mode. Said mode doesn't have the propeller gimmick of the original toy... but I don't mind that. There is some inner detailing sculpted in intended to resemble Scavenger. The Antagony version of this mold comes with a Scavenger head that can be used on Antagony or Inferno to bring the third Beast Wars ant toy up to date. Scavenger is a different character, however the toy was meant to represent a Transmetal version of Inferno in Japan. So you can either have a new Scavenger or Transmetal's Inferno if you choose.

I don't have anything bad to say about Inferno. I can imagine the beast mode kibble turning off some... and that's fair. I personally expect it to be there as the bug legs have a history of hanging around in robot mode. Fortunately they can be posed out of the way or removed if one desires (just don't loose them for later transformations). Once again, this is a really great update of a classic fan favorite that looks like it just walked off my TV screen. I shouldn't speak for others, but I feel like saying this is a special toy for Beast Wars fans. The others get regular updates, but Inferno... not so much. That's not cool. Inferno rules. Thankfully this one's good enough to fill that insane gap for a while. 

For the Royalty.

Bumblebee (EarthSpark/1-Step Flipchanger)

It's not secret around here that I'm a Bumblebee fan. So obviously I've got a high opinion on his 1-Step Flipchanger figure. Real Talk- If you don't like these, you're not going to like this. He's got the same amount of articulation (none), the same simple color palate, and the same gimmick as the others. I'm taking a look at these as a fun and simple way to look at EarthSpark characters and to give spotlight to some figures that are probably not getting a lot of attention. Not to mention, they kinda remind me of Gobots for some reason. Mostly for the similar overall look as Gobots have articulation (a decent amount all things considered) and generally involved transformations. You know, I could see these coming in a little box with individual numbers for each toy. That'd be great.

Bumblebee is Bumblebee and he looks as he should. Of course this is the EarthSpark version of the character, so there's that. Despite the simplicity of the toy, it has a pretty decent sculpt. The Tomy Takara version does have a better paint deco and that brings out the toys looks a bit better. You know, this toy would look great in translucent plastic. It looks like these figures do have the ability to hold 5mm accessories. While the lack of articulation obviously wouldn't allow for any dynamic poses, a gun or two would add some visual flair. I can see Bumblebee packing some heat. Bee transforms via the 'switchblade' configuration most common in 1 step style toys. I've yet to tire of it personally. Of course being a Flipchanger, you either flip him in the air on just push him over in robot mode and Bumbleee is now a cool sports car! I really like the EarthSpark design for BB, it just looks cool. If these toys aren't your thing, Bumblebee won't be either. If they are... he will be. I should have made all those be's a pun.

Swindle (EarthSpark/1- Step Flip Changers)

Swindle is a fun addition to the EarthSpark series. Not just because Swindle is a generally fun character, but they homage an often forgotten about version of him. In Cybertron, Swindle and Hardtop were toys that shared a mold. Taking note of this, the characters were brothers. In EarthSpark, both characters are brothers again. I'd like to think that was an intentional homage. While the characters aren't twins, they've got similar colors to their Cybertron selves. Not to mention... I'm pretty sure they'd repaint this toy for a future Hardtop judging by other incidents. Not going to lie, this  toy would look great in those colors. Another neat thing about Swindle is, in the EarthSpark Expedition video game, the generic Mercenary enemy uses his CGI model. I'm also hoping for another repaint as that.

I should talk about this toy though, huh? It's a pretty good little figure of Swindle in Flipchanger form. Swindle transforms from robot to armored truck mode in a simple one step. Just push him forward and he'll spring loaded convert quickly. Or you can flip him in the air as the name would suggest. It's a simple toy meant for simple fun. Like other Flipchangers, Swindle has no articulation. The toy itself is it's gimmick. I like EarthSpark, but so far my plan for it's toy line has been to buy all the Flipchangers and Tacticons with the occasional Warrior or Deluxe Class. Legacy and Studio Series is the bulk of the Transformers toys where my attention is mainly focused currently. This is a good way to get the characters from EarthSpark and also feed into my love of these types of toys. I like Swindle's stockiness and colors (though the Takara version is more show accurate). This is just a neat little figure in a neat little sub-line from a neat little show. Neat little things are neat.

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.

Cosmos (Velocitron Speedia 500/Deluxe Class)

Like Override, Cosmos was one of the harder to find toys in the Velocitron Spedia 500 Collection. Thankfully, Shawn had sent me both when I was having problems finding them. Fortunately for others, it seems leftovers are popping up at liquidation stores. Giving fans another chance to get their hands on these really cool figures. That's one of the problems with all these recent exclusives. It's really hard to get them because the stores don't stock them well. Pre orders sell out within seconds bought by seemingly ninjas and the whole deal is incredibly frustrating for someone who works for a living. I was fortunate to complete the Velocitron and even the Toxitron sets... and now seems like a good time to start taking a look at these really cool toys. 

Cosmos is one of the bigger surprises in the Velocitron Speedia 500, because he's a flying saucer... not exactly what one would think of in a race. However thanks to the manga, we learn that he's serving an official roll. That's cool, it's fun that not every figure in the set is a participant. Who'd thought a company would consider the people who help make the event possible? Cosmos comes with a blaster (in case a fight breaks out at the race) and a little flag that can snap onto the blaster for officiating. The blaster can be held by the barrel so it can be waved in flag mode. One side of the flag is checkered, Cosmos will wave it around at the end of the race. The other side is plain white due to budget for when cars need to slow down or they've reached the final lap. Fun fact, my dad used to be a race car driver. When Days of Thunder came out, he was pissed off because Tom Cruise's car had the same number as his (46). He still bought a little toy of the car from Hardee's.

Cosmos transforms really easily. This is due to the pretty clever engineering from his design. Originally he was planned to be a retool of Origins Bumblebee. The designers were able to work out a brand new toy from three sets of new tooling (which would have been the amount needed for the retool most likely). Part of me wonders if Cosmos could have been a Core Class, but it's nice having him at a Deluxe size. The simplicity doesn't take away from the figure either, he's decently articulated and an all around pleasant version of Cosmos. You know, Cosmos should be simple to transform. Just look at him... making him complicated just wouldn't feel right. This is a great figure of Cosmos and I'm glad to see more people getting a chance to get one now that he's hitting the discount circuit. It's hard not to like Cosmos and good to see him get great toys.

Stranger Things x Transformers

Skullgrin (Legacy/Deluxe Class)

The thing I hate most about skeletons is you can never tell when they're smiling.

Skullgrin is one of those bots I just like. So far, I've managed to get each one of his toys (that I know of) and plan to continue doing so. It's hard not to like this big skull headed  brute. His newest figure is an update to the original Pretender toy (of course) that's combining the originals shell and robot mode. Most modern Pretender updates do this and they really nailed it with Skullgrin. For whatever reason, his big mechanical body with random skulls just works.

The big old skull head is made of a softer plastic. This is probably for safety concerns and helps move it out of the way during transformation. His sword/gun weapons are also made of a similar plastic. Those can be held as a sword or a gun. Hence the wording. They can be attached to his upper arms as well, giving him arm sword laser things. The tank mode cannons mount either on his back or can be held as guns. If you're covered with skulls, having a lot of firepower is expected. 

A neat callback is the fists carved into those tank cannons. They draw back to the original toy for a cool big of design homage. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed by that little touch. I mentioned a tank, that's what Skullgrin turns into. It's very similar to the original toy tank mode, while being a lot beefier and more tank-y looking. One little neat bit is... Skullgrin's tail. It's silly, sure, but cool for the design. That tail turns into a seat for the tank! I'm pretty sure you could fit an Inchman style figure in there. Try it! I dare you! Those original Pretender alt modes are pretty simple, so fleshing them out more is a good idea. Skullgrin is decently articulated and is just a good toy. Like, I have nothing bad to say about him and that's not just because I have a thing for the character. They did a great job here. Transformation is good and I just can't find anything to complain about.That's awesome, and so is he.

Prowl 86 20BB (Buzzworthy Bumblebee)

Prowl was found down the hall. A lone body who's spirit has moved on and now possibly another otherworldly resident of the house.

Coming with Ironhide in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee two pack of dead robots is Prowl whom also was killed in that same scene. There was a few others, so I wonder if there'll be future installments of dead robot toys? I don't know if the release time frame was intentional and there's nothing specifically Halloween-ish on the packaging... but it all works out. Like Ironhide, Prowl is a remold of his Earthrise toy released as a Studio Series figure. I took several Earthrise toys to be Studio Series toys released under another banner... so it works for me. It occurs to me that I haven't spoken of the mold here before. Like other Earthrise toys, the pandemic caused some distribution issues. I did get Bluestreak from the Buzzworhty Bumblebee line (dang, that's one all encompassing little imprint), so I have experienced it before.

Prowl transforms into his classic Fairlady Z police car here in a fairly accurate toy. Like other recent figures, he really looks like the cartoon model come to life. Transformation is pleasant and fairly simple without being too easy. He's packing his trademark Acid Pellet Gun but unfortunately missing the shoulder rocket launchers. The original Earthrise toy was also missing these as they're not a part of his show model. That's fine, I just like them. As part of the dead guy remolds is a wound from the fatal laser fire and a VERY accurate face sculpt of childhood trauma is being enacted on the move screen. All that's missing is the smoke... literally as there's blaster effects to plug in the fully recreate his getting shot to death. This set is ridiculously morbid and I'm all here for it.

Ironhide 86 24BB (Buzzworthy Bumblebee/Deluxe Class)

Nobody knows when it happened or who did it. Ironhide was found laying on his back. Mouth agape with a large wound signaling the arrival of his passing.

Don't look at me, but Hasbro thought to make a set of a dead Ironhide and Prowl in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. These are Studio Series 86 figures released under the Target exclusive banner meant to represent them during their deaths at the hands of the Decepticons during Transformers The Movie in 1986. Today we'll be looking at Ironhide... as you've probably figured out by now. Ironhide is a slight remold of the Earthrise Ironhide toy. Now with a uh... dying face and a wounded chest. While I don't have it pictured, the toys also come with blast effects that can be plugged into the wounds to replicate the laser shots that did the killing. Dang Hasbro, you took it to an extreme... and I dig it.

While it's not as great as the Voyager Studio Series Ironhide, this is still a solid figure. To be honest, I just like classic Ironhide. It's hard not to love that bright red on grey and that boxy robot body. They really took the Diaclone toy and improved on it with the Sunbow animation model. Ironhide of course transforms into a van. This time a van that's been shot up. His twin pistols can store on the roof like other of his toys of late. He has a decent amount of articulation and is an all around a good figure. The transformation is pretty easy, but not super simple. I like this toy and had the same opinion with DK-2 Guard whom shares the mold. It's hard not to like Ironhide and even harder to hate a good Ironhide figure. A dying version is unique and the blast effects are a great morbid bit of fun.

Override (Cybertron Speedia 500/Voyager Class)

Often with updates and homages to older figures, the design is improved. This makes for a better figure than the original in most cases. Override is a prime example of that when released as part of the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection that I loved so very much. When the original toy released in Cybertron/Galaxy Force, I looked forward to the then new Override/Nitro Convoy leading me to actively hunt the figure. She was initially pretty hard to find (not knowing just a few months later she would be plentiful), finally tracking one down at Kohl's of all places. Unfortunately I didn't the toy as much as I wanted too. Her arms were pretty stubby against her seemingly too large upper body. Don't get me wrong, I got the GTS version and even used the toy for a custom Blaster figure. I didn't hate it at all, those proportions just irked me.

A lot more years later than if feels like, Override got an update as a new Voyager scale figure that improves on the original toy perfectly while still capturing that way cool design. Ironically, this figure was pretty hard me to find at first. After weeks of never finding her, thankfully I was gifted her and Cosmos (also hard to find) by my good friend Shawn. Being a Walmart exclusive, I don't think Kohl's would have came through again. A few weeks later she became more abundant and I ended up with another copy thanks to my Mom's habit of shopping the clearance aisles. I definitely don't mind having another one to keep in box as I love this figure. Those formally stubby arms and weirdly too large upper body are now perfectly portioned in a figure that I have nothing bad to say about.

Override transforms very easily, yet still has a great deal of articulation. Her Mach 5 inspired race car mode is pleasing to the eyes and the entire toy looks like the character just walked off my TV screen. This is the figure I wanted in 2005. Her blaster is still made from the cars engine and transforms from engine to gun simply, this time without the aid of a Cyber Planet Key. I've been told this toy is still compatible with one. That's neat. Personally, I was always a mixed bag about those. I thought they were cool looking, but was often annoyed with them generally in the way most of the time when plugged in. While I liked Cybertron, there was some issues that thankfully updates like Override eliminate. Override is a cool toy. I've always liked the design and colors. Now they're on a toy that's much better than the original. Awesome.

Wheeljack (1 Step Flip Changers/EarthSpark)

Getting back to the 1 Step Flip Changers from EarthSpark (because I like them) is today's look at Wheeljack. While I've always I enjoyed 1 Step Transformers for various reasons, it's taken me a minute to figure out what it is about these newer Flip Changer versions that I like. I think for the most part, it's because they remind me of Gobots in a way. Certainly not all of them, but a good bit of them have similar proportions. Obviously Gobots had articulation and had to be manually transformed, this is just a slight similarity. With Wheeljack, I'm reminded of the Machine Robo version of Major Mo a little. Similar car, similar robot (the head obviously isn't the same).

Wheeljack of course transforms automatically, however does so with the "butterfly knife" transformation so many 1 Step Transformers use. It's been almost 10 years of this and I've yet to tire of this simple transformation. Wheeljack, like the other Flip Changers doesn't have any articulation (boo), is pretty pleasant regardless. He's just a likable little toy. I will say some more colors would be great as the little bit looks nice on the mostly all white toy... but also the mostly all white could use some more. I understand that these are inexpensive toys and there's some budgetary trimming... but that's bullshit. Core Class costs the same and are fully functional and colored. These should be cheaper. Aside from that, Wheeljack is a very pleasant little robot. I see that a recolor of this mold as Breakdown is on the way and... while it doesn't look like Breakdown, I do find it pleasant looking. Maybe a Major Mo version could come along just to make me happy.

Scorponok with Sandspear (Beast Weaponizers/Beast Alliance)

Beast Weaponizers are my favorites from Beast Alliance with the individual Beast battle Masters coming in second. I love a good partner figure and love one even better when they turn into a weapon. I was really looking forward to Scorponok with Sandspear ever since the set was announced. Currently, as I don't own the Arcee or Wheeljack Beast Weaponizers yet. It's my 2nd favorite after Optimus Primal. Scorponok just has one glaring problem that I'm going to focus on now before I spend the rest of the post talking about everything I like about it.

His upper body is ridiculously hollow. I expect some hollowness in my Transformers. That's a reality of the line. Either from engineering or keeping the toy on budget, it's just something to expect. Sometimes it can be ignored or is hidden... not with Scorponok. His upper body is literally just the front, there's no back. One can be argued that this is due to the transformation... it feels cheap here and seems like it could of been done better.

With that out of the way... this is a great toy. Scorponok and Sandspear are both scorpions as seen in Rise of the Beasts. Sandspear turns onto a bladed melee weapon that works oddly well. In addition to Sandspear, Scorponok's tail can be wielded as a sword. Clearly he's a melee fighter. The weapons look cool and give an air of menace. Both toys are primarily brown with some accent colors. Scorponok features some green giving him a Rocks Bugs & and Things vibe. If I'm comparing to other toys though and to be honest, this looks like a Gobot. Scorponok's robot head and overall look make me wish Scorponok was a Monster Gobot... because he looks like one. This design feels more like a Bandai toy than a Takara toy.

I really wish a version of this toy in Scorp or Creepy's colors would be released. Sandspear could be one of the alternate colors... or hey McDonald's Scorponok. Whoa. Either way... this is a spiritual Monster Gobot or Devil Invader in my opinion. Scorponok is well articulated and is a really pleasant figure (outside of that back issue) that transforms into a gnarly looking scorpion with some viscous claws. It's a simple toy... but a really cool one. I do hope for some future recolors. It just such a cool set that I want to buy it over and over again in various decoes. I really like it... as you can probably tell. Scorponok with Sandspear is released as part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. That adds to it's uniqueness I think... I don't know how to end this. I just keep wishing he was a Monster Gobot. 

Jawbreaker (EarthSpark/Warrior Class)

I liked Jawbreaker almost immediately when he first appeared on the show. Of course when his toy came out, I jumped right on it. Jawbreaker is a Warrior Class figure, like others in the class in EarthSpark, he's not too much different than a Deluxe Class toy. Only paired down for price and difficulty. Just right for the younger audience they're aiming for. I guess the adult nerd crowd is a given. I really like his colors. The orange looks good against the black and silver. It's plesant looking.

Jawbreaker transforms into a dinosaur, specifically a Stygimoloch. According to the TF Wiki, this may not be an actual species. That's ok, living alien robots from outer space that turn into things aren't either. It's an easy transformation, which is to be expected. Simplicity aside, Jawbreaker is a pretty neat toy. There's a little hollowness that's mostly easy to ignore, but a surprising amount of articulation. Jawbreaker also has a flip out blaster. I like these little self contained weapons some EarthSpark toys have. While not wanted all the time, it can be fun when used right. Jawbreaker almost feels like he's from another toy line other than Transformers, but I can't quite place where exactly. Maybe Masterbotix. He's a neat little figure for the lower price a Warrior Class costs. A little simple, but not in a bad way. I'd like to see it in other colors. I could just see a weird colored pack of these dinosaurs running together.

Skywarp (EarthSpark/Warrior Class)

The Cyberverse Seeker mold has seen it's fair share of repaints as Seeker molds generally do. It's a likeable toy that's unfortunately a little too simple. I've grown to appreciate it over the past few years. I haven't gotten every instance of it, and strongly prefer the Vic Viper flavored version better (really regret not getting that box set of recolors), I've still gotten quite a few. The mold, like other Cyberverse toys, has gotten re-released in EarthSpark as Skywarp. I got her a little while back as her colors are just great. Skywarp is a female character in EarthSpark following Cyberverse's female version of the character. This makes for a little fun variety since EarthSpark follows a kinda nebulous version of the events in the G1 days (it's not exactly a follow up, but the flashbacks are specifically flavored as so).

I made a point to get this toy as I like the colors quite a bit. Skywarp has always been one of my favorite seekers, partially due to that. Skywarp has her traditional colors in the cartoon, however they got a little creative with this new toy. The black and purple is swapped out for a metallic blue and black. It's very pretty looking and kinda reminds me of old Diaclone art. Aside from that, Skywarp is the same toy I've talked about here a before. I like it, but wish for some leg articulation. Skywarp easily converts to jet mode and features a spinning waste gimmick that I'm sure is entertaining for the children it was intended for. I bought Skywarp for the colors and general like of the character. I guess there's just something to a fresh coat of paint. Skywarp can hold most 5mm weapons and accessories, I can imagine some BattleMasters would liven up the toy quite a lot. 

Arcee with Silverfang (Beast Combiners/Beast Alliance)

Arcee has gotten a variety of different figures in Rise of the Beasts. Each one based on the same design, but also coming out completely different. As a Beast Changer, she's a much more simple toy for gimmick compatibility and I kind of like it in this case. Beast Alliance as a whole brings up strong comparisons to past Transformers gimmicks and Arcee has Pretender vibes. Specifically because her combined form reminds me of Jazz's Pretender armor, or maybe even Dee-Jay from GIJOE. Both toys I've always liked from an era in which bother were really neat. During the concept art phase of this toy, Silverfang (her Maximal partner) had purple armor. This lead to a really neat combined look that was clearly  a victim of cost cutting.

Arcee turns into her ROTB motorcycle alt mode as to be expected. Like I said above and is the case with all the Beast Changers toys so far, she's a fairly simple toy. In Arcee's case, it works as she has a fairly generic robot body. I could see customizers turn this toy into just about anyone. Transformation is simple and combination is done the same was as other Beast Changers. Silverfang slips over he shoulders and select bits can become a gun or melee weapon and a bit of armor/shield. I think that simple robot toy makes it work well in this case as Arcee practically becomes a new robot in this mode. A better looking robot, the wolf armor is cool and that new super mode head are great. So far this is one of the better looking super modes in the Beast Combiner assortment IMO.

Silverfang is a pretty large wolf as is the case with these Combiner partners. Simple like the others as well with unfortunately no articulation. Part of me wishes they would have more features for a more impressive toy, however I'd rather not pay the price that'd come with that. As fun as these are, the lower cost is an incentive and as they are aimed more towards children... I think it'd be pretty detrimental. Not to mention, the old school robot fan in me appreciates the simple figures with a combining gimmick. There's quite a few more Beast Alliance figures still to go and two more Beast Combiners I've yet to acquire as of this writing (Optimus Prime and Scourge). I don't expect the sub line to go on after Rise of the Beasts dies down... but I'd love it too. It'd be super cool to utilize this gimmick with more traditional designs. I could see it working well in the Authentics line.

Tacticons Wave 2 (EarthSpark)

I enjoyed the first wave of Tacticons so much, that the surprise of seeing Wave 2 at Target a little while back was a very welcome one. Honestly, I wasn't aware that they'd be happening as I couldn't remember anybody saying anything. Of course not being from the more popular size classes that's to be expected. Wave 2 features Arcee, Hashtag, and a repeat of Bumblebee. Of course I already have Bumblebee, so I snatched up the two new figures. Like the ones before, these are simple and small 1 step transforming figures that can fit on your finger tip like a finger puppet. As silly as the premise sounds (and is) they're really satisfying little toys. If you're a fan of smaller Transformers like I am, these mentally fall into the category that Micromasters, Mini-Cons, World's Smallest, and Botbots fall into. They're not articulated unfortunately... but it's ok. They just are what they are.

Of the two, Hashtag is my favorite. I don't know how well it shows up in the amazing cell phone photography I do, but there's a great glitter sparkle in her purple colors. It looks really nice in person and I like her communication truck alt mode. Arcee turns into a 50's type car in EarthSpark and I do like it, but for some reason this toy makes me think of Galaxy High (for some reason) and I like that better. It's a neat alt mode. Thanks to their size and Arcee's silver helmet, I'm reminded of Diaclone drivers a little. They're a little bigger than a Micro Machine, but could work well in one of those play sets. You could make a neat little scene and post the picture to your Instagram. I'm sure it'd get plenty of likes. Hopefully there's more of these Tiny TF's on the way. They're just right to stick in a hoodie pocket and carry around with all day. Not everything needs a million points of articulation or a specific shelf to be displayed on. I keep my smaller ones in a plastic shoe box.

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.

Bios: Backstop

Once the most feared and powerful warrior on the Jungle Planet, Backstop was long ago beaten and cast out by Scourge. Forced to live among weaker beasts, he came to value the equality of all creatures above all else, and now fights against Scourge with the other Jungle Planet rebels. He hates the cruel dictator, and dreams often of the day on which he will finally throw down and destroy the evil, three-headed dragon-bot.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 6.5 Speed: 5.5 Endurance: 7
Rank: 5 Courage: 9 Fireblast: 7 Skill: 6

Please Like and Follow!