Gamer Edition Ironhide [Studio Series/Voyager Class]

Along with the Age of the Primes deluxes I had been talking about, I had grabbed some Studio Series that I had meant to post about a little while back and just completely forgot about. Admittedly, I don't cover every toy I buy, but like to get a good range in. Gamer Edition Ironhide joins the other War for Cybertron figures in Studio Series. As you'd expect he's a repaint and retool of Ratchet, whose toy I liked a lot.

It's probably no surprise then that I'm fond of Ironhide as well, but we should get into the differences first. I do admit, this version makes me think of the Doomslayer (the newer incarnation of the Doom Guy) and that flavors my opinion some. You all know I love to play Doom. It's funny, the similarities to games like Gears of War was an early criticism of the War for Cybertron games within the Transformers fan base. I guess opinions may vary.

In robot mode, the obvious difference is in the colors and new head sculpt. There's also some other new parts that may not be as instantly recognizable. He's got new shoulders, chest, and a new EMP shotgun weapon. I didn't notices the shoulders at first, but they are indeed different. That feels like a little extra effort that could have probably been skipped, but... Whose going to complain about extra effort? Like Rathcet, Ironhide's right forearm can be removed to attach his gun to match the game appearances. He can also just hold it, which I'm more of a fan of. If you so choose to use the gimmick, the arm can store in his robot backpack as can the gun. The axe is the same as before and can be held by both hands. Ironhide looks pretty sharp in robot mode and is very well articulated wielding his weapons in any badass pose you'd want to put him in.

Transformation is my only complaint with this toy. While I don't remember any trouble with Ratchet, Ironhide gave me a little. Those new shoulders combined with some new vehicle mode back panels proved to be a little too fiddly for my liking. There is some panel forming which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but when done well, I generally don't take any issue. The new parts didn't seem to work as smooth as the existing parts did with Ratchet. Considering these parts are usually included at design time, I'm thinking it's possibly a symptom of mold usage. He transforms the same as Ratchet, it just didn't seem to fit into place as well. That was frustrating.

Once transformed, vehicle mode looks great! While I normally like Ratchet more than Ironhide, this Cybertronian Tactical vehicle seems like a better fit for Ironhide and it looks great in his colors. Like I mentioned above, there's new vehicle mode back panels that I honestly didn't notice initially like the shoulders. Once again, I'm not complaining about the extra effort that went into the toy even though they gave me a little trouble in the transform. Thanks to the new robot mode chest, the vehicles bumper is also slightly different. It's just a neat looking alt mode that looks even better in these colors. The EMP Shotgun can store on the backside, while the axe forms a cannon of sorts on the roof. If you didn't get those back panels just right, the axe won't connect right. Be sure everything clicks into place. Ironnhide looks great in both modes, and despite some annoyance during transformation, I really like this toy. It just looks awesome, you know?

Gamer Edition Ratchet [Studio Series/Voyager Class]

One of the earlier posts this year was a Ratchet toy, so I suppose it's only fitting that one of the last posts of the year would also be a Ratchet toy. As the 40th Anniversary year comes to a close, it feels super appropriate to me that Ratchet makes an appearance. I've mentioned it before, but those older issues of the G1 Marvel comic where Ratchet took a starring role have always stood out and endeared the character to me. This specific figure of Ratchet represents him as he appears in the War for Cybertron video game. As the game is set during the early days of the war, Ratchet has a Cybertronian based design. That's something I've always gravitated towards in Transformers, I love those creative takes on the characters. Ratchet looks badass, which was a hallmark of those games. Everything and everyone was just awesome looking.

Ratchet is a Voyager Class figure and the larger build suits his bulky design. These War for Cybertron Studio Series figures have featured a removable arm to mount the weapons on in a way that mirrors the game. That's present here, but in a pleasant twist, Ratchet can forgo that gimmick and just hold his 'Energon Repair Ray' in a more traditional way. Or the gun can be stored on his back in case he wants to hold his battle axe with both hands. Considering how big it is, I understand. Fortunately Ratchet is articulated very well and can assume whatever pose you'd like to put him in. Well, I think he can anyway. Transformation is pretty easy and it doesn't take too long to get from robot to Cybertronian Medical Vehicle form. It's definitely not an ambulance, but I can see him rushing to the front of a battleground to administer some first aid in this form. It looks cool and I love the white and red colors on this design. His weapons store on the vehicle nicely and in all is a satisfying little car-like thing.

Ratchet is one of those characters who gets a lot of toys and that's ok. The main cast in a long running series tends to get the most attention. The War for Cybertron games were a lot of fun and spawned some great toys. These more recent Gamer Edition Studio Series figures are much more screen accurate and have a premium feel. Ratchet comes off great here and looks amazing. I love the more sci fi look of the toy and really enjoy the colors on the design. The figure is well articulated and the vehicle is cool. It's hard for me to find anything about this toy that I don't like. Nice things are nice.

Gamer Edition Sideswipe (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

Sideswipe is one of those Transformers characters I always look forward to a new figure of. One of the classic cast whose toy molds often get reused for several different characters. Not only is a new toy of him exciting for another Sideswipe, but also potentially means more similar and cool toys on the way. I like Sideswipe and generally all the reworks, so it's generally a positive thing. This toy of Sideswipe is based on his appearance in the War for Cybertron video game. Another of the 'Gamer Edition' figures being recently released, Sideswipe is a screen accurate representation. I'm actually of a mixed mind when it comes to the Gamer Edition figures. I was a big fan of the 'Fall of Cybertron' figures when they were released and still think of them fondly. So an 'improvement' like this Sideswipe to the original is something I'm going to side eye a bit.

Thankfully they did a pretty good job with this figure and made what feels more like a premium offering. While being the same size class as that original toy, I can't help but to feel like this one is bigger. I think it's the implied bulkiness of his design more than actual mass. That's not a bad thing considering the continually shrinking of size Transformers has been going through over the past few years. Ironically, it was that original Fall of Cybertron line when the figures first noticeably got smaller and received a price hike. From 10-12 dollars for a deluxe. Man, if only that was the cost today. Like other Gamer Edition figures, Sideswipe is able to swap out his arm for a 'gun arm' like the weapons mostly appeared in the game. I'm still on the fence if I like this feature or not. Allegedly the weapon arm can be held like a traditional arm, but I didn't notice the possibility of this while playing with him. The unused arm can store on his back which is useful. I didn't notice if this was possible with others using this gimmick. It's definitely appreciated.

As a robot, Sideswipe has a decent level of articulation as is sure to please most in that department. Transformation isn't hard, though a little fiddly in some spots. There's parts that have to line up just right and it can be a trick to get them into position correctly. Tight transformations have been a recent complaint of mine are certainly an issue with Studio Series. I guess all that screen accuracy doesn't allow for much wiggle room. Vehicle mode is a Cybertronian car of some sort. It's neat looking and looks different from the Siege Sideswipe's Cybertronian car design. The weapon arm can attach to the roof of the car which looks sharp. Sideswipe is a very nice figure of a cool design. Like other Studio Series figures, he feels more premium than your standard fare Transformer. It's a nice toy. I anticipate/hope other characters will be made from this mold. While I generally like Sideswipe toys, this is a nice toy.

Gamer Edition Cliffjumper (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

I had high hopes for Cliffjumper. The original War Within toy of Cliffjumper was a nightmare to transform, leaving me to not bother with the Bumblebee that shares the same mold. Fast forward to this version and I can't find the Bumblebee, but found the Cliffjumper. This version of Cliffjumper is also supposed to represent his appearance in the War for Cybertron game... but has his Fall of Cybertron deco and head sculpt. I guess they were really stuck on the War for Cybertron branding for the Gamer Edition series. In robot mode Cliffjumper is a really good looking toy. The reds and blacks look sharp and he's got some great articulation. Like other Gamer Edition Studio Series figures, Cliffjumper's right arm can be disconnected and a gun plugged in it's place. This resembles the game model accurately and Cliffjumper even has two different gun attachments to choose from.

He's also packing his sword melee weapon that can be held in either hand. I love robots with swords, even if they have a lot of guns. Honestly, I really like Cliffjumper in robot mode. It's a fun toy, until you transform him. Good grief what a nightmare. Honestly, it isn't too bad, just a little fiddly. HOWEVER, the back panel would just not go in place. I've learned later that his head is actually to big to fit in the space correctly. So no matter how hard you try, that panel is not going to close all the way. You've probably noticed on mine that the back area didn't cooperate either. I have no clue what I did wrong. I could not for the life of me get it to close up. Maybe mines defective, maybe I did something wrong, maybe Cliffjumper is a jerk. I've complained before about how recent Transformers everything having to be exactly right or things won't line up and that's probably what happened here. What I did wrong is a mystery as I checked the instructions, looked online, and sat working with the toy for far too long. I gave up after lots of cursing and aggravation. I really wanted to like Cliffjumper and did like his robot mode. Transformation is crap and I guess his vehicle mode looks cool online. If I ever find Bumblebee I probably won't transform it.

Gamer Edition Starscream (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

These Gamer Edition Studio Series Transformers are pretty great. Updated toys from the War for Cybertron games with modern engineering, what's not to love? Frankly, I was a steady fan of the Fall of Cybertron set of Seekers from 2012 and wasn't too interested in any updates of them. I decided to go ahead and get the new updated Starscream and was pleasantly surprised. The FOC Starscream was a decent Deluxe Class figure and this larger Voyager Class sized upgrade is a nice and beefy. I do like my chonky robots and he fits the bill. There's something decidedly old school feeling about this toy while still being a modern Transformers figure.

Starscream turns into a Cybertronian jet. Not the Tetrajet from the cartoon, but a sci fi take on the jet mode we're all used to. It's a neat little aircraft with a decidedly bigger cockpit than the in game model has. This leads me to think there's some other than Seeker uses of this mold planned... which I'd be happy for. This is a good base for someone like SkyQuake. Starscream has the mace melee weapon used in the game and his Null-Ray rifle. The gun is a standard rifle as opposed to the traditional Seeker arm mounted laser guns. This is a holdover from the game design as your character switched weapons, so the hand held weapon is a little more practical design wise in that aspect. For a Starscream toy, it's different... but makes me think of other portrayals of him as well as potential other uses of the mold.

In robot mode, Starscream is decently articulated. There's nothing to complain about there and it's a little surprising considering how hefty he feels. Transformation is pretty easy, though you may take a little longer the first time doing so than later transformations. He pretty much folds in half with his mid section becoming the front of the jet, while everything else folds up to form everything else. The gun and mace attach to the top of the jet...that feels like an after thought. I do wish they blended in better. Though that made is a giant brick and there's not much more that can realistically be done. I suppose if the clumsiness of weapon storage is my only complaint, then we've got a pretty successful transformation. I like this toy a lot. Surprisingly so as I was pretty happy with the FOC version from a decade ago.

Gamer Edition Optimus Prime (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

While I still don't understand the Gamer Edition figures being in Studio Series and not Legacy, I am quite fond of them and am enjoying the updates to some generally neat looking takes on classic Transformers characters. This Gamer Edition Optimus Prime is his War for Cybertron design as a Voyager Class toy instead of the smaller deluxe class figure it was originally released as in 2010. Even for a Voyager Class, Optimus is really large and imposing. His War for Cybertron look was so bulky, he needs to be big for it to work properly. If it seems like I'm focusing on him needing to be big, then you've arrived at one of the reasons I like this figure. It's big and imposing as it should be. Optimus is not some little squirt, he's a big bruiser and this toy conveys that very well. While there's definitely larger scale Transformers toys out there, this feels substantially larger than other Voyager Class toys. Like a Armada era figure level of chonk. That's good.

Optimus is also pleasantly articulated with plenty of gimmicks. You can remove his lower right arm and replace it with a gun arm. This is more screen accurate to how he's portrayed in the War for Cybertron video game and similar to the live action movies. It's pretty neat, just be care not to lose that arm. Optimus is carrying his big axe as well. It can be unfolded to be double bladed as it is during melee attacks, or folded in half to match it's appearance in cut scenes. I've been told blast effects can attach to the gun, but I've never done so myself. Last but not least, Optimus's chest can open up and reveal a removable Autobot Matrix of Leadership. I'm always a sucker for this gimmick, no matter how many times they do it. Sadly the Matrix is too small for Optimus to hold it, but it's still super neat.

Optimus transforms into his Cybertroinan truck mode fairly easily. I say fairly as one of my major complaints about the original War for Cybertron figures was the complexity of the transformations. Some weren't so bad, but others.... look, it took years to run the Cenobites off. Everything goes where it should with minimal fiddling. With so many toys having odd clearance issues these days (I swear it's the CAD models being a little tight), it's nice having one with things just going where they're supposed too without trivial adjusting. Remember that removable arm I mentioned above? Make sure you've reattached it for transformation. Unfortunately the gun arm and axe don't have anywhere super convenient to go in vehicle mode. There's places to put them, but results may vary. The gun actually looks pretty decent on the roof, but you'll need to get creative with the axe. That or stick it somewhere and don't loose it. That's the closest to an actual complaint I have and it's really just a nit pick. I could complain about how easy it would be to loose the removable forearm, but that'd be a nitpick as well. This isn't intended for children to play with, it's meant to be a collectors thing like GI JOE Classified or Star Wars Black Series. These little extras are meant for a nicer figure to stick on a shelf and show off. They didn't sacrifice some details just so I could stick the axe somewhere. I get it. It's like buying a Lexus and complaining that the car was nicer than a Kia. That being said, it's a great figure of a cool design. I really appreciate having a nicer figure that's meant to be a more premium item available at standard retail. Not to mention, there's just nothing better than a big chonky Optimus Prime toy.

Gamer Edition Megatron (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

It feels kind of odd that Transformers Studio Series would dip into video games for inspiration. Not that I'm opposed to it, just it seems more like something for Legacy. Regardless, nicer and higher quality toys of the War for Cybertron designs are welcome. Once again, thanks to Hasbro's reuses of names, I should clarify it's the War for Cybertron video game and not the War for Cybertron Trilogy. Considering we're at 40 years of Transformers, I suppose the entire thing is a War for Cybertron. Regardless, they made new toys of older designs that looked cool then and still do now. I was always fond of this version of Megatron. The War for Cybertron game (WFC from here out) featured the characters before arriving on Earth and with sci fi Cybertronian alt modes and designs. I've always enjoyed that aesthetic.

The original WFC Megatron figure was a Deluxe Class and pretty good honestly. This step up to a Voyager does add some extra heft to the big bad leader of the Decepticons. Like I said, I like this version of Megatron. So obviously I'm going to think this new and updated version looks great. I used to joke that his Cybertronian tank was a Roomba, but these days I can't help but to make comparisons to Action Master Megatron's Neutro-Fusion Tank. I think it's the similar shape. If it were in more similar colors it'd probably work. That's obviously a coincidence. Transformation from robot to tank isn't too hard, but a little fiddly at spots. Your mileage may vary of course. As a robot Megatron is fairly articulated. I've seen some complaints of his knee joints being weird. I personally didn't notice it on mine, but admittedly wasn't measuring the entire range of motion either. Once again, your mileage may vary. The tank's cannon barrel is Megatron's signature Fusion Cannon in robot mode. He also has the games take on his classic energy mace/morning star. Personally, I'd love this design to use the sword the Microman toy had. That design would work very well. I'm really happy with this toy and plan to get all the Gamer Edition figures in Studio Series. Those were some cool games and the designs were awesome. I'd love to see Fall of Cybertron get this treatment as well.

Rodimus Prime (Kingdom)

 

Rodimus Prime is one of my favorite Transformers characters. Like Galvatron, after his introduction everything changed for the better. His latest figure is a large Commander Class figure that the Mrs gave me for Christmas. She knows how much I like him and this is one impressive gift. Like the Kingdom version of Galvatron, this Rodimus Prime works as both a Generations and Studio Series version of the toy. It's also a very pleasantly chunky robot toy that I had a lot of fun with. As you'd expect, Rodimus turns into his trademark Winnebago of Doom. What you probably didn't expect was the front 'cab' portion separates into the car Rodimus changed into as Hot Rod. As a kid, this is what I wanted the original to do. In a way, it makes him more like an Optimus Prime toy when the cab separates from the trailer.

The 'trailer' portion of the alt mode converts into a battle platform similar to the original toy. Now, however, the cannon is detachable and has treads for movement. It can be used as a portable weapon as well. There's plenty of connection ports in the battle deck for various Weaponizers and other add on fun. Rodimus comes with plenty of those energy action effect thingies, they make good blast effects for the cannon. Rodimus himself is contained within the car. This leads to my only dislike about the toy. I hated transforming it. He's a pretty tall robot that unfolds out of that car in not the most graceful manner. The end results are great, but the trip from A to B was a nightmare.

Transformation aside, in robot mode Rodimus is very sharp looking and well articulated. He has some great accessories including his Photon Eliminator rifle, Sword of Primus, and a Matrix of Autobot Leadership that stores nicely in his chest. There's even one of those energy effects thingies just for it! There already has been a Masterpiece Rodimus toy, but I am WAY more impressed with this figure than that one. There's even removable smoke for the smoke stacks! This is one of those toys that feel proud to own, like it could be a showcase piece. I've been really happy with Transformers toys in general over the past few years and this definitely is a solid example as to why.

Galvatron (Kingdom)

 

When it comes to Transformers, the movie and it's post years are a particularly favored era for me. The space opera, far out designs, and darker tone improves what was already a solid formula. Galvatron is a much more interesting villain than the earlier version of Megatron. Like Rodimus Prime with Optimus, he influenced the writers when it came to making Megatron more interesting. It seems like that to me anyway. This Kingdom version is something of an anomaly. It's the Generations version of Galvatron and the Studio Series 86 toy as well. Like Cyclonus and Ultra Magnus, it's clearly intended to fill both roles.

Galvatron will be re-released in Legacy sans the signature War for Cybertron battle damage deco as well. I'm ok with or without it, but you may have your preferences. I'm not sure if I'll get that Legacy version, but am really tempted on the Pulse exclusive version. I just like Galvatron, and I'm pretty fond of this toy as well. I'll admit though, to date my favorite version has been the Energon version. It's a mix of classic and update that's also really cool. This however, is a strong contender for that spot. 

The toy is 100% classic Galvatron. Robot mode to laser cannon, everything looks and feels right. A nice little extra touch is replacing his classic rifle with one that looks like the ship Unicron gave him in the movie. Another extra is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership dangling from a chain to be worn around his neck like in the movie. The gun and Matrix can be utilized in cannon mode and add a little extra to an already cool toy. I like both modes, but don't like transforming it. It's not hard or anything, I just don't enjoy the transformation. I'm not sure of there's an official laser gun mode, but sure one can be pulled off. The original wasn't that amazing to begin with. 

Galvatron is one of those great characters that doesn't always get the best toys. Usually the better ones have an all new design as the original is pretty hard to pull off. His cartoon appearance took some liberties with the toy design that went on to define the character. This is a good version. It looks great in both modes and is a solid toy as well. Plenty of articulation, the cannon is sturdy, and everything serves a purpose. This is another Christmas gift from the Mrs and it's a great one. He's big, evil looking, and imposing. All hail Galvatron!

Tigatron (Kingdom)

 

I was pretty happy to open up Tigatron on Christmas morning. He was one of the presents my wife gave me and what a great gift. I'd been looking forward to getting this new version of him since he was announced and having him is no disappointment. Tigatron is one of those great characters that I feel doesn't get as much attention as he should. The original toy was a repaint of the original Cheetor. In Kingdom he's a new mold but still definitely borrows Cheetor's engineering.

That's not a bad thing as they're both great toys. Though Tigatron is a voyager making him bigger than Cheetor's deluxe toy. That's super appropriate all things considered and feels more natural in hand. The bigger size is a definite improvement in the already solid design. His head sculpt really nails the look and once again Kingdom brings a toy that feels like it walked off the TV screen. If I had a complaint, it's that his gun doesn't work into the alt mode and merely pegs into his belly. That wouldn't be an issue if not for the fact that this is the trademark 'gut gun' and has the pink guts incorporated. I appreciate the gun being there, just wish it was worked into the toy a little better.

Tigatron is well articulated and transformed pretty easily. I can't stress just how much I appreciate him being a larger size. It's just more satisfying in hand. Even though I love smaller toys, there's nothing like a big robot toy. Some of the white parts are a different shade than others. I'm sure this is either a plastics issue or maybe the designers thought it made him look better. The white still looks great here and really contrasts well with the metallic teal of his robot parts. Tigatron has always been a really sharp looking character and that continues well here. This is one of those toys that feels more like a premium effort.

Ractonite

A long forgotten Christmas tradition is to tell scary ghost stories at night. That tradition is so forgotten that it seems totally out of place these days. You all know I like it spooky and can appreciate it as a counter point to all the sugar and spice. Admittedly my habit of listening to paranormal and true crime podcasts while at work is a regular thing anyway. But it does help alleviate some of the stress of the holiday season. With that in mind I thought looking at the spooky skeletal Fossilizers would be just the ticket! While I was getting sick this past summer the wife picked him up for me. He's been in my backlog since then and I'm glad I finally opened him up. I like Fossilizers as is. Nothing like a Transformer that's a skeleton that transforms into a skeleton. Add in that the body can be broken up and used as armor or weapons for other transformers and you've got quite a morbidly weird idea. They also remind of of Rock Lords and Bone Age.

Ractonite transforms into a triceratops. That's probably not the most accurate description of the exact dinosaur species represented here, but I'm pretty sure the dinosaurs never turned into robots either. It's a pretty good skeletal dinosaur. Decently articulated. Of course he can be split up and made into a variety of weapons and armor as a Fossilizer. There's a combiner you can make with them and these are the parts that make up it's torso and feet. Considering that he's the widest of the Fossilizers, you'd figure more would be used. I may do so whenever making mine. In robot mode there's a strong resemblance to Ribcage that I cannot ignore. If I was on whatever official board decided exclusives, there would definitely be a Fossilosaurus set pitched using these guys. However that gate is firmly kept by others.

Deep Cover (Netflix version)

Deep Cover is one of those characters who's been around for awhile but is just there. Literally a repaint who serves as only a background character. I'm not complaining though, because he's a cool repaint that pays tribute to Transformers history. Originally Sideswipe was made from a Diaclone mold which came in a few different variations. Deep Cover originally was a E-Hobby exclusive made from the early 2000's Sideswipe re-issue based on a version of New Countach LP500S.

Along comes the Siege version of Sideswipe and there's a version of Deep Cover based on that toy (which I sadly missed out on). Then oddly enough this Deep Cover was released in the Walmart exclusive Netflix War for Cybertron line. This time seemingly based on the G2 Sideswipe Go-Bots toy. Which is funny since a lot of folks thought Deep Cover was based on the regular Sideswipe G2 toy.

With all of that talk of different versions and repaints, I didn't talk about this toy very much. That's because it's another repaint of a toy that's gotten quite a lot of repaints. Deep Cover is based on the Siege Sidewipe mold which is a very good toy. I'm generally fond of Sideswipe toys and I liked Siege a whole lot. It's nice to revisit Siege and one of my favorite molds from it in such a cool way.

Deseeus Army Drone

There are some really good characters in the Transformers universe. This isn't one of them. I'm not being sarcastic, for you see the Deseeus Army Drone are literally just Drones used under the command of the Quintessons. This one specifically works for Deseeus, though I'd like to think the other judges have some as well. Going by the original cartoon creation story that the Transformers were created by the Quintessons before miraculously gaining sentience, it only makes sense that they'd have some non-living ones still in use. Not to mention, drones make for good generic soldiers and this literally is just that. If it looks familiar, that's because the Drone is a straight repaint of Siege Ironhide.

The Drone is a silver/grey robot with a lot of black undercoat. Clearly the War for Cybertron has caused some paint damage. The Cybertronian vehicle makes for a cool sci fi alt mode and with the gun mounted on top, it looks like a solid military grade vehicle form. Several of the Siege molds had that Diaclone flair and it works pretty good here. Really, I can't think of a better mold to use for this idea. I liked the Siege Ironhide mold a lot. I liked Siege a lot in general so it's nice to revisit it. The rifle can convert into a sledge hammer for some melee combat. Really, this is just a solid Transformers toy. The mold has gotten a lot of use and each time felt fresh. There's plenty of articulation and it looks the part. Deseeus Army Drone may have a funny name, but it's a great idea.

Warpath post with clever title

Kingdom Warpath was one of my birthday gifts from the Mrs. I'm not sure what's taken me so long to get around to opening him, but my backlog does have a few stragglers from before I got sick. Adulthood sometimes gets in the way of childlike hobbies. I'm pretty impressed by just how much Warpath looks exactly like Warpath. I say that because so many toys of his is a different take on the design. This is 100% classic Warpath and a pretty good Transformers figure as well.

He's got a good amount of articulation and while I wasn't a fan of how the legs work in transformation, the tank mode is pretty solid. Warpath is one of those bots that manages to stick around, but still is a little under the mainstream eye. He's usually not the first or even second that come to mind when most people think about Transformers. However Warpath isn't obscure by any means either. That's an odd place for a classic character to be in, but it fits him doesn't it? This is a really good toy of Warpath. Really happy with it.

Wings Down

I bought Airazor sometime last spring. That's the thing with my backlog, it's pretty fucking big. Though select items from it will make for fun posts here! Released in Kingdom, Airazor is making a return appearance from her time in Beast Wars and a brief appearance in Armada. This new toy is based on her original toy which honestly benefits from the update. Airazor looks like she stepped right off the TV screen. 

As soon that description stops being applicable, I'll stop using it. 

Airazor is a pretty good toy. She has a lot of articulation in both modes. I'm honestly impressed by all the ways her wings can move. Transformation into a falcon is pretty smooth even though I had a little trouble getting things to tab in correctly. That was probably on me. In beast mode she looks great, though admittedly there's a bit of robot mode kibble underneath that really has nowhere to go. That's a pretty common thing in Transformers that turn into birds and jets. I'm not apologizing for it, just accepting it. Like I said earlier, her wings can move in all sorts of poses making for a pretty neat toy falcon. I regret taking so long to open her up now that I've finally gotten around to the mountain of unopened toys. I thought her old Transmetal toy would be hard to beat. I still prefer it, but this is a nicer figure thanks to modern engineering.

Superior to the Core

I picked up Core Class Soundwave this past weekend. I really like this new size class Kingdom introduced. Seeing as it's continuing in Legacy and being worked into Studio Series, I'm not the only one. Soundwave is a really nice toy for what's is the new basic size.

He's pleasantly articulation. Mostly due to transformation, but I'm not complaining. In fact, it almost makes him comparable to the Microman figures he originated from. Soundwave turns into his traditional cassette player and even has an opening door complete with Laserbeak in tape mode!

Laserbeak doesn't transform, but it's still a nice extra. I have no complaints with this figure whatsoever. I do wish his robot mode feet tucked away better in alt mode from abetter looking tape player. So far Core Class has had some really great figures. I'm really looking forward to more as it's been great so far. This one though, is going to be pretty hard to beat.

Waspinator here looking for Sara Connor

A few weekends ago, when the Mrs picked up Shadow Panther and Tracks for me, she also found the new Kingdom Waspinator as well. Like many of you, Waspinator is a favorite character from Beast Wars of mine. Obviously I was looking forward to this new toy. Like most newer Generations figures, Waspinator looks like he walked off the TV screen. That's a pretty impressive since something like a wasp that transforms into a bipedal robot cannot be easy to design. It's not perfect s there's some left over kibble from each mode slightly visible in each mode and not everything held together as well as I would have preferred. However, I'm mostly happy with him and not to bothered by his flaws. Your mileage may vary.

It's been great having these new updates of classic Beast Wars characters lately. Sure, they occasionally put one out every so often, but the past year has been full of Maximals and Predacons much to my happiness. I'm not sure how many will be in Legacy, there'll be some in the Rise of the Beasts toy line , but that's not due until 2023. Guess I'll just have to see. Good thing I like the way the Legacy figure are looking anyway. Like I said, Waspinator is a fan favorite and it's hard not to be happy when he gets a new toy. Just thinking about it brings up a ton of memories of horrible impressions of him at BotCon (myself included). The last Waspinator mold got used as Waruders at a BotCon which is funny since this one makes me think of Repto. That's probably unintentional, but I wouldn't mind seeing some of those older bad guys made from this toy.

Tracks in the sky with Diamond Cylones

When the Mrs. picked up Shadow Panther for me, she also grabbed Tracks. I've always really liked Tracks and have been looking forward to this toy despite hearing various people online say he wasn't so great. I don't mean to be totally dismissive of others opinions, but these kind of things are subjective, so I generally decide for myself. Not to mention, some folks just can't be pleased. Regardless of the cries of those with urine soaked beds, I was looking forward to Tracks. Like I said, I like him. I've always thought he looked cool and had a cool personality. Just a good Autobot car, you know?

Tracks is a pretty good toy once you get him into the various modes. Transformation though, wow, really didn't like that part. Lot's of panels that have to be aligned just right and getting his legs into the cars front end was not pleasant at all. Once you got through the frustration of all that, he's a pretty nice looking toy. Tracks looks like he just walked off the TV screen like most recent Generations toys.

He's pleasantly articulated and everything is where it should be. In car mode, assuming you got all the panels to pop into place, he looks great. From car mode, conversion to flight mode is simple. Just fold out the arm parts and wings/fins. Tracks's flight mode is the predecessor of  those Transmetals vehicle modes and similar to M.A.S.K. Basically, it's a car with wings. Before you comment on how that's unrealistic, remember it's an alien robot from outer space that disguises itself as a car. Also remember it's a toy. Then remember the word masticate, it means chewing. Somebody felt another word for chewing was necessary.

Aside from the frustrating transformation, I don't have a single bad thing to say about this figure. Generations has really been on a roll in the past few years. As an adult who grew up with Transformers since it's inception, these are exactly the toys I want as a fan of the line. Classic characters updated with improved designs that look as they should. While I absolutely love it when we get new characters, I'm not going to pretend that new toys of classic characters aren't great. Even as frustrated as I got with Track's transformation, I still liked the toy. The colors really look great and he's fun to fiddle around with. Kingdom made Tracks pretty good.

Living on the edge, not afraid to die

A few weeks ago I spoke about how excited I was for the new Kingdom version of Shadow Panther. Fortunately the Mrs found him a little bit back and I now happily have one. If you don't know who Shadow Panther is, let me educate you a little on him. His bio reads-Outer appearance looks like a Cybertron but in fact he is a Predacon soldier. Shadow Panther specializes in performing surprise attacks from the darkness. He doesn't stop his hunts until he has preyed upon countless Maximals. Depending on release, he may or may not be Ravage. That's because he was originally a Japanese exclusive character, however Hasbro chose to import him when they ran a collectors web store (pre-Hasbro Pule). Initially sold as Shadow Panther, however at some point they renamed the toy Tripredacus Agent.

If you couldn't tell, it's a repaint of Cheetor. However not a direct repaint as Shadow Panther has a different head. The first bath of Beast Wars toys had the mutant head gimmick. This would usually give the figure another head that could be swapped out to represent a battle mask or helmet. When it came to repaints, these mutant heads would usually serve as the new characters head. Shadow Panther normally used the standard Cheetor head, but for this release he has the mutant head. Considering there's another Cheetor likely on the shelf nearby, that's a pretty good idea. Not going to lie either, it's a good choice. Makes him look more savage. With that sickle/whip weapon and the black colors, Shadow Panther looks like the anime shadow warrior the bio makes him out to be. 

The black on yellow with silver colors look as good as ever to me. Silver on black is a classic look and the yellow is so strikingly different that it contrasts nicely. Not to mention, makes me think of a Henshin Cyborg. There's a pretty big Transformers iceberg, and it's probably a coincidence, but the similarity is hard to ignore. As you've guessed by now, I'm happy with this toy. You might be too. The base mold is already a good one and it's a character I have a fondness for. I'm pretty happy that Hasbro went with Shadow Panther for Kingdom. With the Netflix version of Cheetor also available, I would have assumed they'd pass over another use of the mold on the shelf at the same time. Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

Shadow Panther, Best In The World

I'm looking forward to finding Kingdom Shadow Panther at my local stores. I've always liked the guy, it's a simple Cheetor repaint that just works. Part of my admiration for him comes from the way I got the original one. BotCon 2002 I was roaming the dealers room looking for some good deals. The dealers room was a lot more fun back then, more weird stuff, more of a community atmosphere. It really was a different world back then. You may not have known everyone, but you always felt you were part of something. I was looking around and a dealer had the Beast Wars Metals Jaguar X-9 (Beast Wars Ravage) figure for a really good price. I'm blanking a little now on the number, but it was a steal. I realized I only had about $20 bucks on me and needed to use the ATM machine. 

These days almost every dealer has one of those card readers for mobile devices or a way to process your card. Not so much back then, it was a cash only business. This usually meant the ATM's in the convention centers were always out of cash and you'd have to find an nearby one at a moments notice. Which is what happened and I found myself running to the adjacent parking lot machine. By the time I came back, all the X-9's the dealer had were gone and noticeably other dealers now had a X-9 for sale. Also noticeably marked up. While I was there in front of the dealer who originally was selling X-9 for a non-predatory price, I saw he had Shadow Panther really cheap. In box, unopened, super cheap. I had been wanting one and knew a sign from the universe when I see one.