Windcharger [Studio Series 86 / Deluxe Class]

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about traditional Transformers toys here, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been buying them. Quite the opposite—if you read the Monday updates, you already know. It’s more that I like posts to fit the vibe here on Zone Base, and Windcharger definitely fits in.

I recently received his newest Transformers Studio Series release as part of my birthday presents from the Mrs, and it is excellent. As part of the Studio Series ‘86 line, he’s meant to represent his appearance in The Transformers: The Movie. That movie is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and as someone who was there opening weekend, it’s getting a ton of love from me. Windcharger’s role in the movie was brief—he’s taken out during the brutal opening battle of Autobot City—but before that he was a regular in the first two seasons of the original cartoon. This toy is a great representation of that animated look.

Windcharger is something of an oddity in the original Transformers line. His toy came from Microman’s Microchange series, but that design actually started life even earlier as part of the Mysterians. The Mysterians were Knickerbocker Toy Company’s attempt at a transforming robot toy line in 1983 that never fully materialized. The company was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and Windcharger—along with Brawn, Huffer, and Gears—was originally intended for that line. The molds eventually made their way into Microchange before becoming Transformers. Just in case you ever wondered what the “M” on the original Windcharger’s belt stood for.

In the cartoon, Windcharger was given a different face than his toy, and that’s the look this version proudly uses. With a lot of these Minicar updates showing up in vintage-style packaging with toy-accurate heads and decos, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a version of that original Mysterian-inspired look pop up on shelves down the line.

The toy itself is great. As I always say, it looks like he walked right off my TV screen. Windcharger comes with his blaster and an effect piece meant to represent his magnetic abilities. The effect can attach to his chest or the hood in vehicle mode, and both it and the blaster can store on his back in robot mode.

In robot mode, he’s very well articulated, and combined with the sculpted face, he’s surprisingly expressive. He almost feels alive. Transformation is straightforward, though there are a few tight joints and clearance spots—take your time with him. Car mode is a solid approximation of a Pontiac Trans Am, and the blaster stores neatly behind a rear wheel for a clean look.

Overall, this is the slickest Windcharger has ever looked in toy form—and that’s saying something, because he’s had some pretty great releases over the years.

Bios: Windcharger

"Quick action equals quick victory."

Function: Warrior

Strength: 4 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 8 Endurance: 4
Rank: 5 Courage: 9 Firepower: 7 Skill: 9

Windcharger is the fastest Autobot over short distances. Good in situations requiring fast, decisive action. Enthusiastic but impatient. Short attention span. Casts powerful magnetic field which can attract or repel large metal objects. Smashes them at closer distances. These abilities use up tremendous energy. Often burns himself out due to carelessness.

Autobop in the Key of Chain

Something got me thinking the other day about something completely silly that was a whole lot of fun. Long before these recent days of being able to stroll down the aisles of Walmart and being able to pluck a G1 Minibot off the shelf and long after you could originally stroll down the aisle of Walmart and pluck a G1 Minibot off the shelf, there was another way you could... stroll down the aisle and pluck a G1 Minibot of the shelf...

That seemed a lot more clever in my head.

Around 2002 G1 Minibots were released as key chains by Fun4All. Essentially they were near identical reissues in reproductions of the toys original packaging with a tiny plastic loop molded on and a small key chain attached. At first Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were released, later Windcharger and Brawn followed. These little key chain figures were literally just the thing for somebody like me who was giddy with every step at the time in his love for transforming robots from Hasbro.

I eagerly snatched them up even grabbing multiples as they were pretty cheap and just so damned neat. I loved them. Later at BotCon 2002, there was an incentive exclusive for those who preregistered. Not to mention, as Dreamwave was taking issue with 3H for selling a convention comic, 3H sold a small exclusive who came with the comic included. Those exclusives turned out to be Tap-Out and Glyph, made from the Cliffjumper and Bumblebee key chain figures! I was blown away by the fun exclusives as were others at the show. That was just the ideal thing at the time.

Throughout the con I had a Bumblebee attached to the zipper of my con backpack and noticed others had the key chains on their bags as well. I saw a fan who had all of the key chains (including his new con exclusive ones) attached to his belt loops. It was a fun and everybody just loved these key chain toys. A little later at BotCon Europe 2002 they released Rook as the exclusive, made from Windcharger. Like others, I bought quite a few from 3H. It was hard not to love the key chain toys and exclusive versions were just a little better.

In 2003 the key chain figures found their way to Japan by way of 7-Eleven exclusives with black colored variants as chase figures! I really wish I would have taken the opportunity when I had it to order a set. Those black ones are super cool. Oddly enough Fun4All went bankrupt in 2004 and around 2006 Basic Fun had begun selling the key chains in newer packaging. Yes I bought more, shut up. That was the last of the figures, though plenty of other TF key chains have came since.

Oddly enough the key chain figures have a weird legacy. I've heard several times people misremembering the original G1 Bumbelbee as a key chain. Or I can't count the times I've seen one of the Minibots for sale with the loop cut off with a seller trying to pass them off as originals. I got one for a quarter once. I damn well knew it was a key chain with the parts cut off with some toenail clippers, but dude... a quarter.

I guess with the reissues now hanging from the pegs at Walmart, one doesn't really need a return of the key chains. I hope to see more and more of the little guys at my Walmart. I've always really liked Minibots, it's hard not to. Those key chain versions of the Minibots were silly, but another fun way to enjoy the classic toys. Who doesn't like to have fun with their toys?

Other than assholes.

Power of the Primes Tailgate

It was a big relief when I stumbled onto POTP Legends class wave 2 at my local Walmart. The class is one of my favorites to buy and just like Titans Return, I don't want to miss a single one (still cheesed about the few Combiner Wars ones I missed). In all actuality, just like the Windcharger before it, I was a bit confused for a new Tailgate. Both Windcharger and Tailgate got new Legends scale figures not very long ago and I'd figure they'd want to use the resources towards new molds of other characters first. Though just like Windcharger, I was very pleased with the end result as the new mold is a big improvement over the prior toy. Actually, though Tailgate is basically the same toy with a different head and colors, I like him a lot better than Windcharger. Sometimes it's the little things than can make a big difference.

Tailgate is a short, squat little guy with plenty of articulation for his size. Sure, you can't roll him up into a ball, but he has a pleasant amount for a smaller figure that turns into a car. He also benefits from a  limited color deco being used wisely. Tailgate's always been pretty basic on the color front, but those basic colors look really nice here. He's just a good looking toy.

In his car mode, Tailgate is completely adequate. He looks exactly like he's supposed too with no real surprises, and that's ok. Some people have complained (take a shot) that Generations toys from the past few years are really just G1 toys with better articulation. Which is pretty much the same thing as complaining that water is wet. These are meant to be updates to classic characters, and just happen to be that. I'm sure if they would look up they might see the point sailing over their heads somewhere in orbit.

In all I'm really happy with Tailgate, more so than I thought I'd be. I'm a little surprised just how much I like him as I technically already have the toy since my wife got me Windcharger for Christmas. Like I said, sometimes it's really the little things that can make all the difference. It doesn't hurt that I've been in that frame of mind I get where I can see all sorts of different used I could get from a toy mold if I was in a position to come up with such things. This is a mold that I can see plenty of other uses for, and with the Tailgate head, I can get more out of it mentally.