Alchemist Prime [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

To be completely honest, I had hardly any interest in Alchemist Prime before buying him. Literally, the only reason I did buy him is the desire to complete the 13 Primes from this series. Neat looking, sure, but eh. Upon opening him, however, and what a great toy! I was truly blown away by just how good of a figure this is. Alchemist Prime has dominion over the elements and legend has it he chose to walk among the mortal Transformers. No bot knows if that's actually true... but rumor has it that Maccadam, whom runs Maccadam's Old Oil House, is actually him. Of course it's silly that the legendary bartender could actually be one of The Thirteen... isn't it?

Isn't it?

Alchemist Prime is a burly hoss of a robot with glasses and a handlebar mustache and beard. He makes me think of various old world characters from TV shows. The design of his body armor even resembles a suit with a vest. He could be working that bar when not up to adventure. Considering his *ahem* magical nature, you can be assured that his stories are beyond your wildest imagination. He's seen Unicron and the Demons that live under the surface and still got that friendly smirk when you ask for another drink. 

It's a good think his figure has so much articulation and is so expressive, because you can tell he talks with his hands. His weapon is a weird one. Clamped on his forearm they make blasters or can be flipped around for energy blades. If the situation calls for it, they can even be held for a more direct attack. If you noticed that there is what appears to be lenses on them, that's because once joined together they form a magical pair of glasses that allow for vision beyond our comprehension. Though any mortal can pick out the ancient Transformers symbols, it's probably best these are left up to the more enlightened to use.

Transformation to vehicle mode is pretty easy, though getting the rear portion exactly in place can be a little fiddly if you've got clumsy fingers. Once done, he's a neat looking heavy duty vehicle of sorts. It looks like an armored Strike-X side by side ATV, and that fits such a fellow whose seen a lot of adventure. The weapons can attach on the roof to provide some vehicular firepower... I'm sure that comes in handy. It's easy to overlook Alchemist Prime with his drab green colors... but their fitting of someone like him. They match his utility vehicle well and carry over to his reserved look. Like I said, I really liked him a whole lot more once the box was opened... wand that is fitting considering how much more there is to Maccadam than meets the eye. It's almost like he's the standard bearer of that old tag line.

Soundwave [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Prior to the Bumblebee movie, Dark of the Moon was my favorite of the Transformers live action movies. So various Studio Series releases of the characters from that film tend to catch my eye. The Mrs. probably didn't know that when she picked up this Soundwave for me as a Christmas gift last year. It was originally released in 2019 with a Target Exclusive reissue last year.

I had completely missed out on it's initial release and the universe just made it happen. Neat! Soundwave was pretty cool looking in all his movie appearances, but his DOTM look was really slick. He changes into a licensed Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which is a really expensive car. According to Google, in 2011 (when the movie was released) it cost from $169,800 to $275,000. I hope nobody scratched it during filming. 

Yikes.

This is a very well done representation of Soundwave from DOTM, looking like he just walked off the screen and very sleek. He comes with a tiny Laserbeak whom can perch on his arm or top of the car. In robot mode, Soundwave is very articulated and can be put into all sorts of poses. Like all the Bay era film designs, there are a lot of sharp points and edges. These are present... but cast in a softer plastic for safety reasons. He is very well sculpted and there is a lot of detail. More than you'd expect for a standard retail figure. I guess Mercedes had requirements for their licensees.

Transformation is the standard car mode layout you can expect, but man it is a tight fit. There's hardly any wiggle room getting everything into place and that can be frustrating. You might notice in the pics mine doesn't look completely connected in car mode. That's because it isn't, I have no clue what black magic it takes to get everything to align properly, but I gave up after taking too long trying to get everything into place. His robot mode hips are between the forearms in car mode and that tight fit meant something was clearly off just a touch right there and I could not figure it out. Even with some gaps in the panels, that is one sleek looking vehicle. Thanks to various pictures online, I don't have to imagine just how sleeker it is without those hips causing a problem. Despite the frustration, I really enjoy this figure. Studio Series is supposed to be the higher quality representation of the on screen characters and it's shows here.

B-127 [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

It's a shame Transformers One didn't do as great in the theaters as it's been doing on streaming. Not only was it a great film, but it's got some great toys. I had been putting off getting the Studio Series B-127 for a little while now. Not because I didn't want to get one, but because there was always a lot of them at my stores. So I felt like I could take my time. That turned out to be a good idea as my local Target had him on sale for $12 (which is what a deluxe would have cost in 2012), which was the universe telling me to just buy the thing already. I'm glad I did, because not only was the price great, but the toy is pretty great too. That's the second time I've said something was great and great too. Sometimes you've just got to repeat yourself.

As you already know, this is the Studio Series version of B-127 from Transformers One. As a Studio Series figure, it's nicer than the Prime Changers one I talked about last year. Considering that was already a pretty good toy, nicer should say something. It's more detailed, more solid, more accessories, just better all the way around. Back in the day (and sometimes still today), you'd often see 'STD' and 'DX' on robot toys. It was there to clarify which one was the standard toy (STD) and which was the deluxe model (DX). Studio Series versions are pretty much the DX versions and I'm sure companies have thought twice about putting the term STD on a toy box. B-127 now has more accessories. Instead of just one hand blaster and knife hand attachment, there's two. He's also got a Tracker rifle, one of those generic guns I've been enjoying to talk about with the TF One Blokees. It's neat that he's got so many accessories, as most deluxe class Transformers only have one or two.

He transforms into his Cybertronian car pretty easily, though there is definitely some spots where everything has to be just right. There's just not much wiggle room for error. In car mode he looks as he should, like he did in the movie... which is the point of the figure and how it looks overall. I do like how the weapon storage in vehicle mode makes the car more heavy duty looking overall. It's small, but neat. I wonder who else they could make from this mold that would take advantage of that? I know that I make a lot of comparisons to Microman when talking about modern Transformers, but I feel like one is warranted here. This is another case of the family tree is very evident in the toys design.  I can honestly envision a Takara version using chromed colors (like they did with Transformers Animated) that would make the comparison even stronger. Out of the three B-127 toys I've talked about here, all have been winners. This one is definitely the most premium one of them so far... or should I say DX?

Solus Prime [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

Joining the ranks of the butt heads I talked about last week is Solus Prime, another figure from Transformers Age of the Primes that I had bought and almost forgot about. Solus, like Prima Prime, is a member of The Thirteen. One of the original Transformers made by Primus. Solus Prime's role is maker and creator. With that fancy hammer you see her holding in the pic, she can make just about anything.

The Thirteen Primes are the template for the Transformer race and all female Transformers are based on her. She was also in a relationship with Megatronus Prime, which obviously didn't go as planned. Solus Prime created many of the more powerful and mystical objects in Transformers lore. Personally I think it's cool that they made her a more in depth character and didn't go down a cringe route like often happens with female characters.

Solus, like Prima, has a more fantasy themed appearance. I've always liked when robots are designed with similar cues. Egyptian, Easter Island, Mid-evil, and similar design elements make for an interesting looking character. Solus is pleasantly colored in dark purple armor with gold highlights on her grey robot parts. She's pleasantly articulated, you can even move her dress (is that a dress?) in sections to allow for leg movement. Her hammer can be held by one or both hands, though you'll have to disassemble it first. Solus Prime transforms into a Cybertronian Armored Truck, and that's unfortunately where things go south.

Transformation is not a pleasant experience at all. Honestly, it feels like the alt mode was an after thought. It looks cool, but the shape suggests they initially had something else planned. There's a few spots that feel over complicated for no particular reason. The arms, for example, form the front wheel assembly. By itself it's fine, but there's an odd flat plate in both shoulders that has to be folded into the truck body. I never noticed these panels in either mode and have no clue what purpose they serve. Fitting them into their spot in vehicle mode wasn't easy for my big fingers either.

Then there's the feet. the legs fold up into the rear section of the truck. Like the arms, that's mostly ok, but getting the feet to fold into place is pretty unclear and awkward. Even looking at the instructions, it just doesn't work until miraculously it just does. Of course you'll have to knead the toy a little to get everything to align properly after doing so. It just doesn't seem to work right. The biggest problem that's actually a problem and not subjective is various parts just kept coming off during transformation. The plastic grade on some joints isn't great and various places (like the knees on mine) pop out of place while you're folding them around. It's infuriating. Several others have complained about this online, so I can be assured it wasn't a case of clumsy fingers or QC issues specifically with mine.

Truck mode looks neat, though after the unpleasant transformation it'll take a minute to appreciate. The hammer can attach to the side. You'd think since it can be disassembled that the pieces would be distributed about the mode. That's another thing that makes me think the truck mode wasn't originally intended. She folds up into a shape and there just happens to be truck parts to put into place. The dark purple and gold highlights are dominant in the form and once again look great. It's a very neat looking toy, I just wish the less than stellar transformation didn't overshadow the positives. 

Air Raid [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

Rounding out the second new Aerialbot available as of this writing is Air Raid. Air Raid, like his team mates, is a butt head. He's fearless, reckless, and often in some sort of trouble. While that doesn't sound so fun to most folks, Air Raid couldn't be happier. I've actually got a bit of affinity towards the little shit. When I was younger Air Raid was my first Aerialbot outside of Easter Basket bootleg sets.

I had acquired him for cheap and happy to finally have an official member of the team. Those G1 toys are actually pretty small, and Air Raid found himself in my bag for a little while. I still remember a late night visit to Dunkin Donuts with friends after work with Air Raid getting passed around. Good times.

Air Raid is very faithful to his appearance in the original Transformers cartoon. He's well articulated and just overall pleasant. To be fair, the Aerialbots are pretty plane looking... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *cries*.  Originally, the Scramble City Combiners and Metroplex were designed to be Diaclone toys, but were released as Transformers only. I can see that Diaclone heritage in this Air Raid toy a lot. Makes me wonder what if Transformers never happened. Imagine if Diakron and Kronoform had lived and this was a new updated toy from those series? Air Raid has two blasters that can connect under his wings for alt mode firepower. That's a small thing that's done often... but I like it.

Transformation to his black F-15 Eagle jet mode is pretty easy. Everything just goes into place easily. The only place where you've got to be careful is when folding his legs into the rear of the jet. There's nothing too hard about it, but it's another one of those exactly right or it's not working type spots. It took me a second to get the two sections to snap together out of lack of wiggle room. Not a deal breaker and or a dark spot. Just a brief moment of saying dammit. Air Raid's mix of white, red, and black looks great. It gives a fairly simple looking bot and give him some visual pop. It's funny that a team of butt heads have such simple looking figures. I guess the old mantra 'keep it simple stupid' is always true for a reason. Air Raid looks great in his simplicity and jet mode is fun. Maybe I'll take him with me to Tim Hortons and relive some old memories. My local Dunkin sucks.

Slingshot [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

The other day I was at Walmart with the Mrs and my Mom. When we had walked out to my car, a Slingshot was parked next to us leading my Mom to marvel at how neat it looked. That lead to me remembering the Age of the Prime toys I've been sitting on without posting about.

For example, today we'll be looking at Slingshot the Aerialbot. The Aerialbots, like other classic combiner teams is getting updated with all new and improved toys. It feels like just yesterday that the Combiner Wars version came out... but it sure wasn't. That was 9 years ago. So hey... almost a decade later they're getting updated with new engineering and frankly, they look great!

The Aerialbots are mostly remembered for being butt heads in their initial appearances in the original cartoon. Slinghsot's claim to fame was his adventures with Prince Jumal/Hassan in the episode Aerial Assault. During this episode, the Aerialbots were damaged and got repaired with car parts, leading to Slingshot having an older cars grill for a chest. I think an aftermarket company is making a snap on version of that car grill, which I might be tempted to buy. Slinghsot is also known for his G2 toy being one of the most fragile Transformers ever. It's made of solid gold plastic, which doesn't age well.

Horror stories of fans finding theirs in piles of rubble are well spread. Allegedly newer metallic plastics don't have this problem, but time will tell. Fortunately his newest toy is pretty good. Thanks to advances in toy engineering in the more recent years, the design team is able to make toys that look as if they stepped right off the TV screen. Well, toys that actually physically transform that walked off the TV screen. Slingshot looks like the butt head I just watched the other day. Just so happened Aerial Assault was recently aired on the Transformers Channel. I watch it daily.

In robot mode Slingshot is fairly well articulated. He can be put into a variety of poses and is pretty expressive. It's like the design team made a point to engineer his attitude. He's packing twin double barrel blasted that plug under his wings in jet mode. Transformation is pretty easy and he folds into a jet pretty quickly. Jet mode is the same Sea Harrier you know from his classic appearance. It looks great and is pretty solid. I enjoy how the front landing gear unfolds from the back of Slingshot's head.

Like most jet Transformers, there's a good bit of robot folded under the plane. It's been 41 years, I'm used to it. Thankfully there's not much to really complain about. The bulk of his jet kibble in robot mode is part of his classic appearance. Like I said, transformation is pretty easy. My only gripe is the same I have with a lot of recent cad designed Transformers. There just isn't a lot of wiggle room in the design, so you'll have to get thing exactly right or it's not coming together. Fortunately that wasn't as much of a problem with Slingshot, who being a butt head, you'd expect a little fuss.

G2 Universe Breakdown [Legacy United/Deluxe Class]

Generation 2 recolored versions of Generation 1 characters are always fun due to the loud neon colors. Seemingly the Legacy Stunticons are slowly getting a G2 release as a few of them have been released so far in their respective G2 colors. I'm pretty hopeful for a full team as I missed out on completing the full Legacy set and honestly would enjoy a G2 version better. With Breakdown here, I've gotten all that's been released so far. Go me. Of course the original G2 Stunticons were canceled and the few completed sets out there (from various merchandising samples) are extremely rare and expensive.

Newer Stunticon toys have gotten the G2 treatment over time, especially Breakdown. The original G2 Breakdown toy was the very first BotCon exclusive toy as the convention was given stock produced prior to the teams cancellation. Since then, there's been various G2 versions of Breakdown. Usually with some sort of exclusivity along with it. This version is a general retail toy, but released during the tail end of Legacy. So it still might be tricky for some to get. He was among my birthday presents from the Mrs., so mines extra special to me.

Variations of teal tend to be some of my favorite colors, so it's probably to no surprise that I gravitate towards G2 Breakdown over his original self. This version doesn't feature the Trapper Keeper style graphics the original and a few updates have. That's a little disappointing... but at the same time it looks so sharp that I don't really mind. The teal and purple with black and silver just looks so sharp. Outside of those truly majestic colors, is also a pretty good figure. Normally Combiner limbs are often sacrificed a little as they're a unique type of triple changer. The third mode is a body part, and that leads to robot and alt modes that have to be worked into that shape. Astrotain works because his train mode can be configured into a space shuttle, but how do you get a car into an arm? Thankfully these newer combiners side step that as the main body component member forms something of a skeleton and the limbs just sort of connect into place. This works pretty well and looks great. So we have a Breakdown who manages to be a normally functioning Transformer.

Robot mode is pretty good with plentiful articulation. His car mode kibble mostly resides on the backside of robot mode and is hidden pretty well. The hood forms a backpack that can separate enough as to not be a giant brick on his back. I normally like the backpack look, but can appreciate these improvements that don't block articulation. Breakdown has his usual laser pistol, but the car's spoiler can be held as a weapon too. Frankly it's king of a dumb weapon as he doesn't hold it like a sword... just kind of awkwardly. What the hell is he supposed to do with it? I stuck it on the back of his leg in the picture above as there wasn't much of a place to store it anywhere else. It feels like a design oversight more than an intentional choice. Maybe if it could attach to his forearm it'd be better... how do you even swing that effectively?

Transformation is pretty easy, and like many other car mode Transformers, you can pretty much figure out to do by looking at him. Despite all the folding pieces from the hood, there's not much panel forming and it all just goes into place easily. The pistol stores underneath the car and that spoiler works well as it's intended element. Honestly, it should have been a molded in part that split in half. I'm not ragging on the design, just everything about this toy is pretty great... except that. It just doesn't make sense to me. Remember how much I liked the colors? Well, they continue to look great in car mode. Just look at that damn thing! That's one cool looking car. The black hood and G2 Decepticon symbol on the hood look super sleek making what would normally be considered gaudy colors look very nice. Overall, Breakdown is a pretty solid toy that looks amazing. I'd be happy with him as a stand alone figure, let alone a member of a combiner team. 

Devastation Optimus Prime [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Transformers: Devastation was a pretty fun game and now that video game depictions are included in Studio Series, I'm glad to see it included. Admittedly I'm mostly glad to see it included for the character designs than the game itself. They had an almost Studio Ox look to them that I loved and feel like a counter part to the Studio Series 86 series I've been enjoying greatly. I am curious as to why the Devastation figures aren't given the 'Gamer Edition' title like the War for Cyberetron ones were, but I guess this is an easy way to keep them separated.

After all, there's multiple versions of the same character as a gamer edition in Studio Series is obviously going to be confusing. I've been critical of the naming in Transformers, so an attempt to stay simple it is appreciated. Once again, Devastation was a fun game, and the designs make for some nice looking figures. Especially with the cell shaded look from the game being carried over. I love cell shading, it's so pretty.

This Optimus has the unfortunate luck of coming out not long after the more higher end Commander Class Studio Series Optimus Prime, Missing Link Optimus Prime, and even the same price class Legacy Deluxe G1 Optimus Prime. After those toys meant to celebrate the 40th Anniversary, a regular figure is going to get some unfair comparison. Fortunately enough time has passed since those toys that I can look at it with some fresh eyes and appreciate it on it's own merits. Of course when it was announced, I was originally excited for it as I think it resembles a cab mode Ginrai/Powermaster Optimus Prime. That combined with that Studio Ox resemblance and I was sold right off the bat. In robot mode, this is a pretty great toy.

Lot's of articulation and the design just looks great. I appreciate that he has full smoke stacks. Toy safety laws usually have lead to the shortening of the stacks in the past 20 or so years. Obviously if it makes things safer for a child, I'm not taking any issue with it, but it is nice to see a full set. They are removable and look to be the right size to be safe if swallowed. Optimus also has a removable Matrix of Leadership in his chest. I'll never get tired of this gimmick no matter how many times its done. It's unpainted and the same color as the smoke stacks, so I assume they're molded from the same sprue. The Matrix cannot be held unfortunately, that's probably going to be an issue for someone I'm sure. While Optimus doesn't have his trademark Ion Blaster, he does have his Energy Axe. It has a molded in swoosh effect to resemble being swung in the game. It's a neat weapon. 

Transformation is pretty easy and... pretty much the same as other deluxe sized Optimus's. I guess there's no reason to overly complicate it. The truck is fine, though there's no ignoring the cab portion looking a little small compared to the rest of the truck. If there was a trailer, it'd probably look more proportionate. It doesn't bother me, but I'm sure that it gets under the skin of others.

Admittedly I mainly wanted the toy for the robot mode, so there's that. The energy axe can store on the area of the truck the trailer would fit over. I have no clue what that's called. Overall this is a pretty decent Optimus Prime toy. I was happy to see it in my Easter Basket from the Mrs. and have enjoyed it thoroughly. It's a good toy and it looks great. Once again, I really like it's overall visual. I also like Optimus Prime toys, he's a cool looking robot. Here's looking forward to the other Devatration figures.

Optimus Prime [Legacy United/Deluxe Class]

Considering the amount of Optimus Prime toys released a year, you'd imagine it'd be hard to get excited over just one. Well, that's not the case today Zone Base readers, because we'll be looking at the Deluxe Class Optimus Prime from Transformers Legacy United. Similar to Takara's Missing Link Convoy, this Optimus is meant to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Transformers by making a figure that looks like the original, but updated with modern engineering. Think of it as the Transformers version of Masters of the Universe Origins. With this figure we get a toy that looks directly out of 1984 with a lot more articulation.

In all fairness, the original Optimus Prime was fairly possible for a toy of his era. This one, however, is a definite step up. It's fairly identical as well... with some obvious differences. It's a new sculpt... not a 100% match, but really close. Optimus is also a little smaller than the original toy funnily enough. I couldn't tell initially, but it became obvious when compared side by side. Being a standard retail toy, he's all plastic... but does have rubber tires. That's something I didn't expect at all. It's been a while since Hasbro has graced a main line Transformers toy with rubber times and I'm all here for it. It's a superficial touch... but I like it! Neatly enough, the tires are branded CYBERTRON RADIAL 275/80 R22. Cybertron Radials are the brand of tires used on Transformers Alternators. Neat, huh?

Optimus comes with his iconic laser blaster, in fact he comes with two. During the original run, a running change created two versions of the classic gun. Originally a fatter design, later versions got thinner (ozempic works on plastic?) as time went. My original had the fatter gun, but some reissues came with the skinny one. This initially confused me as I wasn't aware that there was a variation. There I was with a reissue and hey... the gun looked different. These days I've got quite a few reissues and there's been some variation in those guns over the years. That's why I'm glad he comes with both. That way whichever one came with yours, he cane use. One can store on his back as well, which looks pretty cool. His smoke stacks can also be held as guns, which is a fun little touch.

Speaking of pretty cool, Optimus has that energy axe he's become known for using since More Than Meets the Eye episode 2. This axe is specifically based on the version that was packed with The Transformers Collection Convoy reissue. He's also got a Autobot Matrix of Leadership that can be stored in his chest (but not held) that's specifically modeled after the Matrix that came with the 2002 New Years Special reissue. I love how this toy homages so many things from prior toys without being completely obvious about it.

Optimus is very well articulated, something that isn't obvious at first glance. He looks so much like the original toy that I wouldn't be surprised if he was mistaken for it. He almost transforms like the original as well. Most noticeably, the hands fold inside of his forearms instead of being removed and probably lost under the couch. Guns and axe easily store in vehicle mode and everything is nice and compact. It's pretty obvious that there's no included trailer. I'm hoping a future edition will be released with one. That'd be perfect. He is compatible with the Earthrise and Original Optimus Prime trailers. Potentially with others, but those are the ones I know for certain work. The Earthrise works best as his slightly smaller size makes the G1 trailer comically huge. Overall, this is a very neat toy that I'm very happy to own. I look forward to buying every ridiculous reuses of it in the future. 

Cannonball [Star Raiders Collection/Deluxe Class]

I've been a big fan of the Walmart Exclusive Transformers Legacy series as they're just so cool. Somehow, I've hardly covered them here on the site until the Star Raider Collection, which I've managed to completely showcase. That was a weird way to reflect on the series while also acknowledging that today's space pirate is the last of the series. Like Lockdown, Canonball was a Christmas gift from the Mrs. who spoils me every year.

Cannonball has pretty much always been a pirate character, though his crew tends to change depending on fictional setting. As a toy, he's always been a repaint. The original was a repaint of the Deluxe Cybertron Red Alert figure. This new one is the latest use of the Legacy Skids mold. That mold itself has seen more miles than a long haul tractor trailer with multiple repaints and remolds. Cannonball specifically is a repaint/remold of Crankcase. I have Crankcase, but don't think I've covered him here. Despite the reuse of prior molds, Crankcase and Cannonball almost feel like completely different engineering. There's only been two Cannonball figures, but ironically he's been a Walmart exclusive twice. The original was reissued in an exclusive set, while this new figure is from the Star Raiders collection.

Cannonball is very similar to his original design, but now turning into a crossover style SUV while the original was a Dodge Magnum. Which was a station wagon that was pretty popular at the time. Cannonball has a new head that looks almost just like the original as well as the original's laser hand. There's a claw and hammer accessory that can fit on the laser hand and store in his legs. He's holding the hammer in my pic as I wanted to show it off, but apparently in not the very best way. One nice touch is the Cyber Key. It doesn't unlock anything... but is a nice nod to the past. The key is sporting a Star Seeker insignia, and that's really cool.

Another nice touch is the skeleton graphics on the original toy's car doors are replaced with a Vok one. The Vok resemble a flaming skull, so it's a really nice Easter Egg. Like all the other instances of this mold, like Burn Out, transformation is easy and articulation is plentiful. It's really neat how much this toy looks like the original. The Star Seeker Collection was fun to collect as was the exclusive sets prior. I'm sad to see it over, but as Cannonball was originally a Cybertron toy, I feel like him ending this series makes a nice segway to this years Walmart set. An all Cybertron themed collection to celebrate the series 20th anniversary. So look forward to more Cyber Key action later this year!

Optimus Prime (EarthSpark/Deluxe Class)

At some point I got over my initial irritability over price points in EarthSpark and decided to get the Deluxe Class figures. As of this writing, I just need Starscream to have all the Mandroid build-a-figure parts. Neat! This figure of Optimus is a very good representation of Optimus Prime as he appears on the EarthSpark cartoon. Thankfully, however, his face plate is up. Interestingly, this Optimus figure is a heavy remolded version of the Cyberverse Deluxe Class Optimus Prime figure. Sharing essentially the same 'skeleton' , but with new robot and truck parts. I never got that Optimus, so I can't compare the two in person. If this information wasn't made known to me, I'd never been able to tell. Optimus transforms into a semi-truck as you'd expect.

Optimus transforms fairly easily. Aside from getting his legs in just the right spot, I practically did it purely from muscle memory of other Optimus Prime toys. This is generally a pretty standard toy of him. Thankfully, it's also a pleasant toy of him. Featuring a fair amount of articulation and a very traditional looking rifle and energy axe, Optimus is ready to fight! The rifle and axe store away very conveniently in truck mode, which is something I just love. Honestly this is a pretty predictable Optimus Prime figure. It's pretty much what you expect. However, it's a good figure of Optimus Prime as he appears in the EarthSpark cartoon. So I can't complain. The Hasbro release comes with a Mandroid part, though I'm hearing newer found copies don't now. I'll need to find that Starscream sooner than later. Like other EarthSpark toys, the Takara version doesn't have the Mandroid part, but a more show accurate deco. 

Terran Nightshade (EarthSpark/Deluxe Class)

Nightshade is a unique figure as they don't specifically transform into an owl, but a statue of one. This ties into the show where the various Terrans took their time to pick an alt mode and went with one that they felt fit them. As a long time fan of this sort of thing, that's funt. It gives a different look into the characterization of Transformers. Normally we'd just accept that Bumblebee was a car or Starscream a jet. Nightshade chose an owl statue from a book series they liked. Not to mention, the statue was in a cemetery. Nightshade's colors match that really well. Spooky Season may be over, but Christmas time is for scary ghost stories and it's fun to think Ebeneezer was right around the corner in that cemetery.

Nighshade is a pretty well done figure that closely matched their appearance on the show. I say closely as you'd have to remove the beast mode wings to really nail is and due to the plastic quality of them... that's not super recommended. They'd break after a few times. Fortunately I really like the winged look in robot mode. It works well overall with the statue flavoring of the toy... and the wings just look cool. In addition, Nightshade comes with a neat pair of knives and a Mandroid part. Initially I wasn't planning to complete Mandroid... but I've changed my mind. I've got a good bit of him now and it'd be fun. I don't think the Takara Tomy versions of these come with the Mandroid parts, but they have slightly different decos. Nightshade is more show accurate in the Takara Tomy release, but it's not that different from the Hasbro version in my opinion. 

Transformation was very easy for me. Everything just folded away and Nightshade turned into a statue of an owl. Those cool knives fit into the owl's wings neatly and everything just works well. As a robot, Nightshade is fairly articulated and the same could be said for the owl form. That cool green looks great in both modes and brings out some well done sculpting. This is certainly a toy full of character. Part of me wishes to see a repaint as Hoot from Convertors, but that'd never happen. Like Twitch (who I just realized hasn't been covered here yet... dang it), Nightshade's robot mode gives me strong Microman/Micronaught vibes. That's neat, I like the similarities even if they're probably unintentional. Nightshade is a really cool toy. I think my only complaint is their hands. They too small. That's probably a necessity, but I'd like them a little heftier. If a minor nitpick is my only complaint, then there's nothing to really complain about. Neat toy.

Wheeljack (Jungle Mission 3 pack)

Wheeljack has been the subject of much controversy in the Transformers fan world lately. Mostly because he doesn't traditionally look like Wheeljack. Normally that's not much of a surprise with movie designs, it's just that he looked so perfect last time. However, all that aside... I like the design.With his suspenders and big glasses, he looks like Steve Urkel. Someone I'd associate with gadgets. With Wheeljack's TV repair van alt mode, it works. I've always associated Wheeljack with that guy who's always making something in his garage. Every neighborhood has one. The local Doc Brown type who drives around a motorcycle made from a lawn mower engine duck taped to an old bicycle. That's Wheeljack to me, and this fits. So, I'm ok with it. 

This toy comes from the Jungle Mission 3 pack that's exclusive to Target stores in the states under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. As part of the mainline Rise of the Beasts toy line that is separate from the Studio Series in a move that feel at this point serves only to confuse the average consumer. Yes, the movie is a big deal this summer... but there's multiple versions of the same guy on the shelves and in some instances at the same price class. Studio Series is meant to be a fancier, more pretty toy line for collectors... but ultimately it's another version of the same guy in the same area at Target. I understand capitalizing on the movie hype, but I can't help to feel like it's bordering on potential saturation.

Not to mention, so far, the mainline has been cooler toys. At this point, I don't feel like the Studio Series version of this Wheeljack can compete. This is a great figure. Fortunately it's exclusive to a retailer in a kinda expensive boxed set. I got mine on sale for 50$, which was a good deal considering deluxe figures cost around $22 and you get three in the box. The set is normally around $70. While that still works out to be the cost of three with tax... it's a big upfront cost when economic times are tough. Stretching buying the 3 out individually would be a lot easier for most, or buying it on sale like I did. I could have bought it full retail, but it just felt irresponsible. Come on companies, do better.

The toy itself is pretty great. I REALLY like it. In robot mode Wheeljack is stocky and pleasantly sturdy. He turns into a van, you'd expect that. He's a nerd that can kick your ass. Wheeljack has a laser rifle that I think looks great. He turns into this kinda clunky old van and then whips out a neato space laser gun. It's a nice clashing of styles. Kinda like classic Star Wars, everything is run down and busted except for the guns. Considering how many battles the get into a day... I kinda understand. Wheeljack is also very pleasantly articulated. I'm sure others will point out he doesn't have some point of articulation he doesn't have (his pant's don't crease or something), but it never felt lacking too me. 

Transformation is fairly easy. I say fairly because there's a few spots you'll have to get everything just right or it won't all fit together. That's a regular sticking point in modern Transformers I've noticed. I'm not an engineer, but my theory is somewhere between the CAD model design and probably a rushed production schedule, a looking over is missed and that's a shame. It just feels like a little extra QC could go a long way. I'm not even the type to complain about big companies, so when I take the point in doing so... it's obviously hitting the unacceptable level. I feel like I'm complaining a lot here, which I don't want to do because as I've said, I really like this figure. When the only negative thing you can say about a toy has nothing to do with the actual toy. I love Hasbro's products, but the company themselves... *sigh*

I really like Wheeljack's colors. The white and copper look great. It looks used and a little faded. The only thing that would have been more perfect would be a fender painted only in primer and a few repaired spots. Work vehicles take a beating and Wheeljack seems to be the type that would use a lot of Bondo. I really dig this toy. I know my complaints about the business end have taken a lot of space in this post but that's literally the only negative thing to say. I wasn't looking for anything negative to say either, it's just unavoidable. Hell, the big complaint is that his design was changed and that too is at the corporate level. Dammit companies, get your shit together.

Bumblebee (EarthSpark/Deluxe)

EarthSpark is a generally pleasant Transformers series that I have hardly anything to complain about. Of course Bumblebee is one of the stars of the series, so he's getting plenty of toys. Fortunately I'm a Bumblebee fan and enjoy his design in EarthSpark, so you'll hear no complaints from me. Today we'll be looking at his deluxe class toy from the toy line. I said I like his design, and I do. The yellow doesn't match on his various parts. I suspect that has to do with the yellow on different plastics used on the toy. It's not a deal breaker for me, just an inconvenience.

Another thing I don't like is that I find his robot mode arms just a little too short. The car fenders look really cool as shoulder pads... but I could have used a little extra arm length. Once again, not a deal breaker. I get accused some times of being too positive, so i thought I'd lead with the things I don't like about the toy. Honestly they're just some minor quibbles as I actually like this toy a lot. It's really cool looking. His gun/stinger turns into a car thingy that fits on the car roof. I'd like to think it's Tupperware that was forgotten up there. Grandma sent some lasagna home and somehow it just didn't fall off.

Bumblebee is very well articulated and his transformation is pleasant. I really like the car mode. While I prefer Bumblebee to be his traditional Volkswagen form or a sporty small car when they have to go another route... I don't mind his sports car forms. In EarthSpark they actually give an in story reason for it and it works pretty well in story. Seeing as that episode was pretty recent, I won't spoil, but found it pretty sensible. This time they got a little more creative with his sports car and it's a pretty sharp ride. I'd like to see this mold repainted into other characters (maybe with a different head) and I keep picturing this car in black. It'd make a great Drench.

Slug/Slag (Cyberverse)

 

Not going to lie, this is one of the most impressive figures I've seen in a while. Slug is just oozing personality and damn near impossible not to like. This is the Cyberverse Deluxe version of Slug (formerly Slag) and a real stand out. I love Dinobots (still need to find Snarl) and was all too happy to see him underneath the tree on Christmas (thanks to the Mrs!). If Cyberverse isn't your thing, then you're probably unaware just how much they nail the classic characters with a touch of stylized flair. I'm normally a big fan of the warrior class. Warrior class is a more simple figure, but in that simplicity is an accidental throwback to older robot figures. Still, I've gotten some of the Deluxes (need to get Hot Rod and Bumblebee still) as they're quite nice. As of right now, I think Slug is the best one they've done.

Slug turns into his trademark triceratops and looks 100% like classic Slag in both forms. HOWEVER, in that stylized flair I talked about above is some extra charm. They've added spikes and a facial expression that makes him look as if he walked off the pages of a Generation 2 comic. If they ever repaint this mold, I really hope it's in green or red. It's one of those things I just can't un-see. 

As a figure on his own, Slug is pretty great. Make no mistakes, I'm outright gushing. I was completely blown away by how good this figure is. If I have anything that resembles a complaint about him, it's that I had a little trouble transforming him. The robot mode legs make up the rear section of the dinosaur and arranging them didn't go so smoothly. I haven't seen any other complaints about this, so that very well could just be me being clumsy. Outside of that, Slug is well articulated and decently so in dino mode as well. Instead of a sword, he's packing a hatchet and the gun you normally see him use. The two can be combined which makes for a great cannon for the triceratops. There's also one of those action effect blast thingies included to plug onto the guns barrels. I normally don't care much for those, but in this case I actually like it. This toy is so good it sold me on something I normally don't like!

Score One For This Deluxe Cat

Sunday I picked up the new Cyberverse Deluxe Cheetor figure. I also got a Cherry Vanilla Coke and a Bueno bar, but I didn't want to show off. Let's just focus on the cat. Speaking of, what a good kitty he turned out to be. Normally I prefer to focus on the other classes with Cyberverse. Warrior, Turbo Changers, you know the variety. It's not that I don't like the deluxe class, I do. I also buy plenty of it in Generations and enjoy the variety. Not to mention, like I've said before, I enjoy the old school nature of these simpler toys. With the design aesthetic of the more kid friendly lines, they really take me back to older robot toys. It's something I enjoy a lot. Am I crazy? Probably.

Cheetor really works for me here. Cyberverse gave him a more angular design, similar to G1 Predacons. While I love my Beast Wars, I admittedly have always dug that angular animal look and it looks fabulous here. As you could expect from a Cyberverse toy, it's a faithful character representation in the visual style of the series. Cheetor looks like you'd expect him to and turns into what you expect. They did give him some new gear. Dual energy swords similar to the scimitars he carried in Beast Machines and cool snap on armor for beast mode. Combined with the swords, the armor makes for a cool new look on an old design. The claws and helmet can be mounted on his robot mode as well. It's a nice little extra touch. 

Cheetor looks pretty great, and is well articulated. In all he's a pretty good figure. If I had any complaints, it would be his beast mode chest didn't hold together super tight. Or at least it didn't on mine. Another point of concern is newer Transformers toys are moving away from cellophane on the boxes. I don't mind that too much, however you really have to check your figure ahead of time to assure it isn't missing anything. I'd advise looking over the toy and in the box to be sure that you're getting everything that's supposed to be there.

Fortunately the little tie downs they use in packaging hold things in pretty well, but I saw one missing a cheetah head on the shelf. With shitty people in general you can never be too careful. Take an extra second to look over your purchase. Come to think about it, with Christmas around the corner... your loved ones may not know about this. Either let them know or be prepared to do some exchanges in the future. You never know if somebody trashed a toy on the shelf or stole a part. Some people suck.

I really liked this figure. It was fun to play around with in my living room while watching paranormal TV. Cheetor is one of my favorite characters in Transformers and I try to get as many of his toys that I can. Despite my issues getting his beast mode to hold together perfectly, it was still a pretty good cheetah. It's not exact, but it's similar enough to his toys that have came before. I transformed him mostly by muscle memory from those figures and that's not something I mind. The battle armor is a welcome addition and I thought it made him a little more badass. I would easily welcome several repaints of this mold. Score one more for this cool cat.

First Looks And Thoughts At Kingdom Wave 2

I recently received a press release with early looks at Kingdom Wave 2 toys. Since you've been bombarded with 50 million links to the same news already, I thought I'd just talk about the toys. It's what I've been doing with these things the last few times anyway. You cool with that?

Starting off, let's talk about Core Class Megatron. It's another G1 Megatron, and he turns into a tank again. That being said, he looks pretty sweet. I think the smaller size works pretty well with the design and he looks like a good toy. I don't get advance review copies, but if I did, this would be one I'd really like a look at. Like the seekers, when it's the same idea repeated often, it's neat to see what's different this time.

 

Speaking of Seekers, here's the Core Class Starscream. People can't get enough seekers and it's safe to assume this one will get a few repaints. At a small size and lower price, I'm sure building that seeker team again won't be so hard.

I'm really looking forward to getting a hold of the new Core class toys. Some folks got some already and they look like fun little figures. Distribution is pretty wonky this year and frankly I don't see a reason to pre order general retail figures. So I'll just have to be patient until I see them at my local stores to find out for myself. Also I'd like to point out spellcheck always suggests pee order in place of pre order. 

Ractonite is also setting off spellcheck as well as Fossilizer which is the type of Transformer he is. I really like the look of Fossilizers. What's not to like about a robot dinosaur skeleton? Not to mention, the human race has only seen dinosaur skeletons as opposed to actual dinosaurs. So there.

Replacing the Weaponizers... man spellcheck is having a rough day... Fossilizers break apart into weapons and armor for regular Transformers to use. Do I have to explain just how awesome that is? I mean... a robot wearing bones as armor. That's probably the most metal thing ever. Then you add in a robot skeleton that transforms into a dinosaur skeleton and my mind just exploded. 

Another nice thing about Fossilizers is that they're something new. A new type of bot and new characters. The past 20 years of Transformers has been pretty slim on new characters with each series having less than the one before. It's not just new to me, it's new to you as well. They remind me of Bone Age also and that ain't bad y'all. That ain't bad. 

 

I've always liked Inferno and he's making an appearance in Kingdom as a Voyager. Just as he and Grapple have usually shared a mold, Inferno is based on the Earthrise Grapple mold. I really liked that toy, so I'm sure I'll like this one.

I wish I could tell you I like Inferno based on his character or some odd trivia like how Simon Furman kept killing him over and over. Really though, I just think he looks cool. I don't think I've ever gotten over that childhood appreciation for a big red firetruck. 

 

Huffer is getting a new deluxe toy in Kingdom and might I say it's really nice that he is. His last few toys were repaints of other toys, so it's nice to see a new mold. I've always liked Huffer anyway. I think we all know a whiny grumbler and would like to strangle that person. When Huffer does it for some reason it's charming. 

I've always enjoyed his little orange truck mode as well. I remember as a kid my older brother had Optimus and it never occurred to me that I could own one too (kid logic). When he pulled Optimus's trailer in Heavy Metal War it blew my mind. For awhile there I figured he could be 'my' Optimus Prime since my older brother already had one.

 

If you couldn't get a hold of Arcee in Earthrise, don't worry, her Deluxe figure from that is getting released again in Kingdom. I haven't gotten one yet myself, so this might be how I do as well. There was a time when a figure of Arcee was just wishful thinking and those days are over. She's had a few figures by this point and this one seems the most faithful to her classic appearance. 

The figures will be available April 1st 2021 (no fooling) and will be available for pre order Thursday 12/3 (tomorrow). The Core class figures have a MSRP of $9.99, Deluxes $19.99, and Voyagers at $29.99. A big thanks goes out to Hasbro and Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this cool news and giving me something to talk about. If you like what I do, thanks! Please share with your friends. That's all I ask. You could share with people who aren't your friends... but that'd be weird.

They call him the Streak

Some of the more cool toys that have come around in the history of Transformers are the non show characters. While this kind of character doesn't happen as much these days, there was a time when they were a good portion of a toy line. In Beast Machines there was some really good figures in the off camera character category. Maybe even better than the main cast folks. Spy Streak was one such toy.

A basic class Vehicon, Spy Streak was a sci fi jet that would look at home in a shoot 'em up video game or a tokusatsu production. Of course being that Vehicons were Cybertronian based vehicles in alt mode, this was a good fit for the theme. In robot mode he had a fun design that fit in with robot designs at the time, while having an alien looking appearance. Simply put, Spy Streak looked like he was from another planet.

The toy mold got used again in Robots in Disguise (the 2001 line) Nightcruz. Nightcruz was a great repaint with the jet parts being mostly black with white robot bits. Blue and yellow accents with dry brushing bringing out the jets tech detail made for a great looking toy. Released in a cool 3 pack with Scavenger and Mirage GT (also Beast Machines toy molds), the toy fit in with the look of the new molds of the line while helping to add more product to shelves.

The toy got used one more time a few years later in the original version of Transformers Universe as Fireflight. Now in an awesome white and blue-gray deco with red highlights, this is my favorite version of the toy. While I normally don't mind when a name gets reused, I do wish Fireflight had a more original name to make the figure more than just another repaint. Fireflight came packed with two Mini-Cons to put the toy in the deluxe price class making for a great little set of toys.

Fictionally non of these great toys got more than a background appearance in BotCon/OTFCC comics. During the 3H fan club, I submitted a bio for Fireflight to the magazine shortly before that clubs demise. At the time I had made him into a version of Randal from Clerks. Looking back now, that was terrible.

Combiner Wars: Bruticus vs Sky Reign commercial

For some reason, I've been thinking about Combiner Wars toys. Specifically the deluxe class. Ironically, in a line focused around combining, I found myself really enjoying the individual members on their own. While some complained (take a shot) about the rampant reuse of engineering in the line (they wanted scramble style combiners, but I guess not the working system?), It never fazed me. I really liked the proportions of the figures and the overall build of the robots. I found myself really liking the odd members of more random combiners like Sky Reign that were composed from classic characters that were traditionally not combiners. There was just something about those proportions that just clicked with me as a figure. Sometimes I'll find some customs or digi-bashes of the toys and wish they could have been real. Not that I minded the Titans Returns figures or anything (man, I love that line, it's right up there with Beast Wars as far as favorites go), but it could be part of the reasoning that I enjoy the Power of the Primes figures so much, even though they've got somewhat different proportions.

The Walgreens Wreck-Gar saga keeps on saga'ing

There's been a slow trickle here, a little drip there regarding the Walgreen's exclusive Wreck Gar I've talked about here before with nothing more than some pictures popping up a little while ago of a Combiner Wars Groove repainted and given a new head as Wreck Gar to go by. While everyone assumed it was more evidence of this cryptid of a toy seeping out, still no one really knows anything. Well, some official pics of the toy have found there way all over the internet (you can see them at any TF news site or group) and boy is this toy a weird one. You got CW Groove with a new head and deco to be Wreck Gar. Then you have the Generations/Reveal The Shield Wreck Gar's weapon (from around 2010/20111). Then instead of CW hand/foot pieces, you've got the POTP hand/foot/Prime armor thing. The former makes sense as it's released in POTP, so might as well tie in the gimmick. The mold makes sense as it's a completely compatible combiner limb deluxe that turns into a motorcycle. Not to mention, the CW molds are recent enough to not be lost in a warehouse somewhere. But man, that axe thing is out of the blue. Realistically, they could have used the hatchet from other CW deluxes to give Wreck Gar his trademark axe, so it's a little weird to pull a weapon tooling from so long ago out of the storage abyss.

I'm sure the toy will be available in the fall as the past two Walgreen's exclusive Transformers have been. I'm looking forward to it too. I quite likes Combiner Wars deluxes and Power of the Primes as an evolution of the idea. Not to mention, I just plain like Wreck Gar. So as usual, I look forward to that evening this fall when I take a break from work to visit my nearby Walgreen's and grab this guy and a pack of gummy worms.