Goldbug (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

It was then that Goldbug found himself all alone. The only Autobot in the old house. The only living one, that is.

It's been awhile since I've talked about a Bumblebee toy here and a damn fine time to talk about another one. Or Goldbug, who is another identify Bumblebee has went by over the years. Quite honestly, one that needs more attention. I always like Goldbug. Something about that blue helmet. Goldbug is a repaint of the Earthrise/Netflix Siege Bumblebee mold with a new head. I've got a few different versions of the mold and I've covered at least one of them here before. It's a good toy with plenty of articulation and a great representation of Goldbug.

Goldbug transforms fairly easily into the classic VW Beetle we all know. It's a fairly easy transformation that's just specific enough in some places. You don't have to get everything just right, but they've still got to be right. The trunk of the car can either become a shield in robot mode, or attach to his back for a more classic look. Like all other (I think) instances of this mold, Goldbug comes with 2 blasters that can combine to form a larger rifle. This of course is mostly for the Cliffjumper version of the toy, but I don't see why Goldbug wouldn't have use for a bigger gun on occasion. Considering his adventure in the Creatures Collide 4 pack, a bigger gun would come in handy. This 4 pack was exclusive to Target stores as part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line in 2022. A big priority for me to get and an instant pick up. It's really hard for me to say anything bad about this figure and Goldbug so far might just be my favorite version of the toy mold.

Ironhide 86 24BB (Buzzworthy Bumblebee/Deluxe Class)

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

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

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

Beastly Kindgom

The third part of the Netflix War for Cybertron trilogy: Kingdom debuted over the last weekend. As much of a Beast Wars fan as I am, I was pretty hesitant as the show so far has been pretty hit or miss. I enjoyed Siege for the most part, even though it wasn't great. Earthrise... was pretty disappointing. I went in expecting a repeat of Siege and still don't know what I watched. Even online synopsis's doesn't fill me in anymore than what I gathered from watching it. 

So going into Kingdom, I was tempered. I love my Beast Wars but knew this wasn't going to be the same. Pleasantly, it's been the best out of the three mini series. I'm nowhere near saying it's perfect, but I've enjoyed it for the most part. Seeing the classic cast teamed up with the BW gang is exhilarating, even if each is different from their original show counterparts.

I haven't been fond of some of the voice work in the overall trilogy as is, but some of the new voices I outright don't like. I liked Dinobot's arc a lot, that was a pretty good new way to tell an old story. It felt fitting. The show wraps up the trilogy. I wish I could sat neatly, but it's far from perfect. Still, it's the better of the three installments and a fun watch.

Sky Lynx Is Majectic Nonsense

Sky Lynx from Earthrise was another Christmas gift from the Mrs. He's always been one of the more neat members of the Autobots. You've got a space shuttle that transforms into some kind of dinosaur bird thing, while the booster pack/transporter thing turns into a lynx. The two robots then combine to form Sky Lynx, whom best can be described as something. But a specifically majestic something. He's makes no sense whatsoever and that specifically makes him perfect. Majestically.

This new figure is an extremely solid update. Bringing the original toy to the modern era with all sorts of fancy articulation and improving on the original toys flaws. It's pretty great and he'd tell you the same.

This is a pretty big toy with a bunch of different modes. Despite all of that he transforms really easily. It's a snap to convert everything into everything and combine those everythings into an new everything. He's a lot of things, but not a complex thing. That's a nice thing.

I'm particularly happy that the designers kept him as faithful to the original design as possible while updating him at the same time. Sky Lynx is such an individual, he needs to be stuck in his era. I can't imagine a sleeker version would look any better. Something this weird needs that big chunky 80's super robot aesthetic.

They gave Sky Link a big articulated neck and tail. He's always had a big neck and tail, but the articulation allows for a nice range of movement. My mental go to imagery for Sky Lynx is the episode 'Call of the Primitives'. He's portrayed more like a brontosaurus in that episode and this neck and tail make that more possible than his original toy. By that, I mean, he can actually be bent that way. 

Before anyone tells me a brontosaurs doesn't actually exist, neither does giant alien robots that turn into fifty thousand different things. But they should have feathers. Not dinosaurs, Transformers. 

In case all his different modes weren't enough, Sky Lynx has a base mode as well. Obviously it's meant for Micromasters to function as a base for. However I find it just makes a good launching pad for the space shuttle. Though I guess that would mean the Lynx portion would be left behind. That never stopped Omega Supreme though. It's uh... not a very realistic cartoon.

I do like the base mode a lot, even though mine didn't hold together very well. Admittedly I may not have stuck it all together right. There's a nice ramp that runs up to the shuttles canopy. Said canopy can open, even though it cannot actually hold anything. It's the thought that counts.

It's super hard not to like this toy. Big, chunky, and downright insane. He even comes with some of those plug in action effect thingies. They're all fire blasts. One big segmented one and three smaller ones. You can use them for the space shuttles thrust or Sky Lynx's fire breath. Their may be some other uses for them that I didn't notice.

Like I said directly above, it's hard not to like this toy. It's literally all toy and you can just sit and play around with him forever. There's a real visceral joy to a large dinosaur/space ship thing. Just want to fly him around the house for hours. Watch out for the cat.

Double The Deal, Double The Clouds

Earthrise Doubledealer here was a Chriatmas gift from my wife. I super like him. I've always liked Doubledealer, but I really like this one. Like most War For Cybertron figures, they nailed it. I've got an odd relationship with Doubledealer. He's one of those characters that's been a constant in my Transformers fandom.

When I was a kid, the double Powermaster gimmick blew my mind. If you weren't aware, Doubledealer isn't your average Transformer. He's a double agent! Either posing as the Decepticon Dealer or the Autobot Double depending on the situation. Whichever side he's on at the moment dictates his Powermaster partner and alt mode. With Skar, a Decepticon. However bonding with Knok makes him an Autobot. What dictates who he is? Money. Doubledealer is a Mercenary.

He's that guy who works at McDonald's and Burger King at the same time without one knowing about he other.

I didn't get a Doubledealer in G1. It wasn't until I was an adult that I finally did. Though, it can be hard to get a complete Powermaster. After a lot of searching I ended up with an amazingly good Chinese knock off that was a perfect copy. All features, Powermaster partners, stickers... literally an identical copy. So that's my G1 Doubledealer. He's a little weird, but so am I.

There was another Doubledealer finally released in the Generations Thrilling 30 series. Unfortunately it was just a repaint of Blitzwing. At least the toy looked really good in those colors. Luckily Doubledealer was made in toy form again for Earthrise.

It's great. His chest works like Soundwave's cassette compartment which allows his Powermaster buddies to return. They were released in a Selects gift set much earlier in 2020. I've got them... but not sure what box they're in. I'm still a little unorganized from the move. Dude, this is a really good toy. A really good toy of a guy I've always really liked. Life is rad.

Clone High

Another of the Christmas gifts from my wife was the super cool Autobot Clone 2 pack exclusive to Amazon, otherwise called the Biosfera Autobot Clones. The name is due to the Autobot Clones going to Planet Biosfera to search for Energon and end up fighting the Decepticon Clones. If it was a wrestling match, Jim Ross would say "I can't tell which one's which" a million times.

I haven't made it very clear, but I've always really liked the Clones. Something about identical robots that turn into different alt modes. It just triggers me in a positive way. I really wish there was more of them, they're neat. In a line full of repaints, specific ones that seemingly mock the repetitive nature of the line itself as a play gimmick is kinda awesome. It's like when you shoot somebody a bird, but do that cranking motion first. 

When it comes to G1, it's the post movie era I like the most. Between the space opera and far out ideas is some really neat stuff. Not to mention, there's that point where Decepticons clearly focus on more monster based alt modes with the Autobots holding the line. It's the basic super robot formula with that special something that makes Transformers it's own thing. If you've looked around the site a little, it might be pretty obvious as to why it's something I'd like.

While I super enjoy the wild colors Decepticons tended to have at the time, the more traditional colors worn by the Autobots manage to look pretty far out somehow. Fastlane and Cloudraker here are a pretty traditional mix of red and a cream/buff color with some black thrown in. By all means these are pretty plain colors. They just look extra spacey on these designs. It's a cool contrast to see these bright red heroes fighting those teal monsters. 

As far as the toys go, these are really good updates as the Decepticon Clones were as well. Maybe a little better. As much as I like those far out monster and beast alt modes, they were usually pretty boxy in G1. It came with the times back then and doing an updated homage requires keeping those classic looks. I'm not arguing that, but these guys in alt mode just look a little better as a new toy. Don't get me wrong, I love the Wingspan and Pounce. Just I'm a little happier with these alt modes than those. Just a little. I have no clue how to end this post. Gonna eat a Babybel now, that's a two handed snack.

Optimus And Freinds On Netflix At Walmart

Another of the Christmas gifts from my wife is the Netflix Optimus Prime set exclusive to Walmart. Like some of the others in this line, Optimus comes with some Battlemasters. It makes for a really cool set and still makes we wish the Netflix War for Cybertron series included them as well. 

Optimus is the Earthrise version sans trailer. It's a really good toy. I've talked about it here before and that didn't keep me from wanting it again. His slightly different colors make me think of that one G2 version. Which I've always liked. This is just a really good Optimus Prime, I kinda want them all.

Optimus comes with Battlemasters Sheeldron and Enerax. Sheeldron is a repaint of Soundbarrier whom I've also talked about here before in a really cool yellow scheme. Enerax is a repaint of Pteraxadon from Siege, whom I have but not talked about here before. I'm gonna rectify that now. I also wish there was a Battlemaster named Rectify.

Enerax turns into an energy axe or laser gun. What makes this neat is that his robot mode is a pterodactyl instead of your standard humanoid robot. It's always been pretty cool when Transformers have non-traditional robot modes like this. Enerax is also in that great yellow scheme like Sheeldron. Yes, those are some awkward names. I wish Enerax was Sundor. Another clear yellow bird Transformer.

The addition of the two makes for a more savage Optimus Prime wielding an energy axe and shield in battle. Mentally skipping past the Netflix series, I could easily see this team up on some cosmic adventure. It's visual says Marvel to me more than that War for Cybertron. I love this Optimus toy and partner figures with it just makes a lot of sense. There's literally nothing bad I can say about this set and a million good things I can. Go buy it.

Soundwave Superior

Another of my Christmas gifts from the Mrs. was the new Netflix War for Cybertron Soundwave. Like all other Netflix Transformers toys, he's exclusive to Walmart and quite the hot commodity right now. While most of the Netflix lines is repaints of prior Siege and Earthrise toys, Soundwave is a remold of his Siege toy. In Siege he had a pretty G1 faithful robot mode and turned into some kind of space ship. Now with a few remolded parts, he can turn into a very faithful version of his G1 tape player mode. 

This gives fans the best homage of the original Soundwave as a Generations toy. Prior to that was the Masterpiece toy which can command a pretty high price these days and may not be as easy to find. Now you can easily go to your local Walmart and pick one up for $40. Not a bad deal at all. Now the only issue is if he's in stock, which results may vary.

Like I said, he's a very faithful recreation of the Soundwave from G1 and looks very much like his cartoon appearance. He even comes with a Laserbeak and Ravage. Those are direct reissues of the Siege versions as far as I can tell. I'm a big fan of the Laserbeak, though Ravage is a much blockier cat than you expect going in. I don't mind it, but there's no ignoring it either.

Soundwave can store a single cassette in his tape door and the eject button opens the door as you'd expect going in. The transformation from robot to tape deck is pretty simple and not very much different from the original G1/Microman toy. You do have to get a few things exactly right or he won't tab together correctly. It's not too hard thankfully.

Soundwave overall is pretty great. I already really liked the Siege version. I can't really complain about an improved version of it. He's classic G1 Soundwave with modern toy upgrades such as plentiful articulation. When you buy this, you know 100% what you're buying it for and you're getting exactly that. 

I'm not sure if he can still change into the spaceship mode the original Siege toy has. I didn't even bother trying, I already have that toy (and Soundblaster) and wanted this for the obvious reasons. I don't really have anything to complain about either. Though have seen some complaints about some of the random gaps in robot mode from part storage in alt mode.

That's kinda a 'is what it is' thing with Transformers though, just going to happen sometimes. I've seen others complain that it's another G1 update, which is another 'is what it is' thing. Hasbro is a big successful company, their going to do what makes them money. That's just how the world works. It is what it is.

For me, Soundwave is another one of those classic characters I just can't get enough of. I don't mind when they get experimental with him or when they do something like this. He's one of the more iconic parts of Transformers and as the line approaches 40 years it's legacy is going to be more and more important. They'll make a brand new looking Batman and release a traditional one right after. They'll be a new bad guy in Star Wars and a updated Darth Vader figure on the hooks as well. That's just how legacy brands work and I don't have a problem with that. I'm happy to have another updated classic Soundwave.

Netflix Bumblebee And Chill

One of my Christmas gifts from my wife was the new Netflix deluxe Bumblebee. Part of the War for Cybertron series exclusive to Walmart, I was really excited when I opened him up. I really wanted this one. Y'all know I love me some Bumblebee. Unlike prior Classics or Generations style Bumblebee figures, this one turns into his classic VW Bug alt mode. I've never complained about the sporty hatchback they've used in it's place, but man I do love that classic look.

Bumblbee is a re-shelling of the skeleton used for Earthrise Cliffjumper (I also have him). Which means literally the same thing it meant for the G1/Microman versions of the toy. Same skeleton, different car parts and head. So if you liked one, then you'll like the other. Probably. 

There's also a Bugbite and Hubcap version of the mold and I must get the Bugbite. Ever since that old E-Hobby set, I've had a thing for Bugbite. I'm going to say Bugbite one more time.

Bugbite. 

Bumblebee has the same big ass gun that Cliffjumper had. It can be split into 2-3 smaller guns, which fit Bumblebee better. The back stock of the big gun can be unfolded and used with the guns, but all I could ever come up with was a panini press which is just silly. He's fighting a War for Cybertron, there's no time for lunch.

The back windshield/roof of the car can also be used as a shield. Which anyone who's had a pine comb fall on their car while driving or a rock hit their windshield can tell you is a horrible idea. But once again, alien robots from outer space who disguise themselves among humans as dinosaurs. Reality isn't their strong suit.

I hope Bumblebee doesn't try to run holding that big gun. He's gonna trip and bust his bumble ass.

Bumblebee is exactly what you'd be expecting when buying a War for Cybertron toy. That's a very faithful updated toy of a classic character. There's no mistaking classic G1 Bee when you see him and that's him 100%. As a toy he's pretty well articulated with a variety of joints. If scales your thing, you should be pleased that he's fairly to scale with other Generations figures appropriately to character. I think that made sense.

Transformation isn't too difficult, though I did have problems getting everything to fit in at first. I admittedly use baby hands when transforming these things as to not accidentally break my toy. I have big grown man hands things can happen. That being said, I couldn't get that back portion to sit in flush with the rest of the car. I probably did something wrong.

Overall, I really like this figure. Not in that "Rob likes everything" way (I'm that weirdo that enjoys his hobbies), but as in I was very pleased with him outside of expectations. I've been a fan of the War for Cybertron toys (as you know) and this is another really good one. It feels like Bumblebee walked off my TV screen and awkwardly posed on a TV tray in my living room.

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.

You Can't Walk All Over Doublecrosser

While out doing some Christmas shopping, the wife picked me up Doublecrosser from Earthrise at Target. Doublecrosser is a Battle Master and seemingly the last new mold Battle Master (as of now anyway). It was pretty surprising that she found him as the only Battle Master I've seen has been Soundbarrier after finding exactly one Slitherfang. 

The quest for Shawn's tiny snake Transformer continues. I know he already has one, but I'm still getting him one. I was about to say my word is my bond, but I hated that line. Good movie though... where was I? 

Doublecrosser is a double headed robot like Doubleheader, but since he's a Decepticon... get it? I really appreciate the variety and the symmetry on the helmets is a nice touch. He looks great. Or they look great. Whatever.

I love the way Doublecrosser looks in robot mode. The purple against the gunmetal with that red face has that classic late G1 Decepticon look. Add in the red kibble and it almost looks like a red cape. He almost looks like a Pretender inner robot, so I'm hoping for a Doubleheader repaint that will likely never happen. 

Like other Earthrise Battle Masters, Doublecrosser turns into a shield and a dock plate/connector piece for Micromaster bases. It's done pretty basically by arranging his robot parts under the shield/plate parts which swivel in place. 

Thanks to the color and shape, he almost looks energy generated in in these modes. That's pretty neat. He comes with that gun shot thingy that the others came with and can connect in both modes. This shows him being shot at. Probably because all that double crossing.

That'll get you shot.

Fictionally, Doublecrosser's a Decepticon... and that's about it. On the Hasbro end anyway. He could pop up in later fiction maybe. On the Takara side of things though, like other Battle Masters he's a Selector in the Generations web comics. These take place in Japanese cartoon continuity.

Selectors are a race/faction of Transformers created on Earth who serve menial tasks who ultimately rebel against their human creators. As a Selector, a Doublecrosser units were used as walls and ceilings. Which is absolutely ridiculous. Do you really need a robot to turn into a wall?

No wonder they rebelled.

Tonight On Kate And Allicon

Sharkticon this, Sharkticon that. Where it's really at in on Quintessa is the ranks of the Allicons. An Allicon generally works guard duty for the Judges and other higher ranking Quintessons. They're squat little bots that turn into weird mutant alligator things. Quintessa is a weird place.

The War for Cybertron trilogy continues to deliver exactly the Transformers product I want. This new toy of the Allicon is part of the Earthrise line and might I say they did one awesome job.

In robot mode, it's a short and squat fellow with some spikey armor and trademark spear. Looking directly out of the 1986 movie and pretty well articulated to boot. I really like this toy.

 

It's not an unfair comparison to call the alt mode a robot Street Shark despite these little monsters coming first. That's where your mind will likely go to when you see that characterful sculpt. One again in alligator freak mode, the toy looks like it just hoped off my TV screen. That is awesome.

Transformation is pretty easy, but just involved enough to get everything in place. This is how most Earthrise Transformers have been and I've been thankful for that. Looks like they hired some designers who were able to get a toy from faithful mode A to faithful mode B without accidentally calling forth Pinhead. Little swivel of the waist, locking parts into place, and you've got the weird robot alien alligator mode the guards turn into. 

Quentessons are so wonderfully weird that their far out designs contrast nicely against things like a realistic truck. Groovy weirdos from space man. Dig it.

 

The tip of the space gator's tail is also an additional sword as well as the spear can store on the space gator's back. The sword blends in seamless with the tail but the spear is kinda just mounted. That's probably a strike against the toy for some, but I thought it looked like he was wearing it on his back. The spear can be mounted in either mode or held by both arms. For those moments he'd need to poke somebody. 

I wish I could find something negative to say about this toy. I'm lying, I'm glad I have nothing bad to say about this toy. It's perfectly perfect and I love it. Hasbro and Takara Tomy really nailed it this time. I'm tempted to get a few extra to troop build. The Earthrise Allicon is a great little figure that looks like the character just walked off the screen during a viewing of Five Faces of Darkness. That ain't bad y'all, that ain't bad.

Cold Slitherfang

One of the neat things about the smaller 'master' figures in recent Generations lines is their revisiting older Transformers ideas. Slitherfang his an unused concept for the Autobot Master Warriors from Headmasters. Like Titanmaster Sawback and Ramhorn, Slitherfang here found himself reborn. 

The Titanmasters were based on released toys though. This is Slitherfang's first time being an official Transformer toy after being conceived over 30 years ago. Better late than never huh?

Despite being originally designed as a Headmaster, Slitherfang now is a Battle Master. As an Earthrise Battle Master he can turn into a shield or a connector piece/dock plate for Micromaster bases.  His robot mode as you can tell is a snake. There's bound to be some generic 'beast crap' complaints about this, but animals was a somewhat regular design choice for bot mode back in G1.

I always liked it for the variety and thought it went well with the monster themed Decepticons post movie. Add in the purples and teals of that time and you've got some sharp looking robots.

Slitherfang is mostly translucent purple with a gray tail. There's some black and red detail paint in there that really makes the simple colors look great. Small touches can make a big difference. 

Speaking of little touches, the tank treads on his tail. I love those little old school robot toy details. He almost looks like a little Starriors toy and that's a good thing. Tomy and Takara merged in 2005. Even if coincidental, it seems intended. Did that make sense? 

His shield mode looks pretty good thanks to the cobra's hood carrying over to it's general shape. Included is one of those little blast mark things that has one place to be plugged on. If you're display minded, that's exactly where somebody should be aiming at. 

There's not much fictionally for Slitherfang as of this writing. I'm assuming he'll get worked into Takara's ongoing web manga at some point. I'd like to think it would be more related to Headmasters, but you never know. He'd make a good Selector too.

In Earthrise he's aligned with the Quintessons, which is a pretty good fit. I could see him slithering up during an attack and being used by one of the bailiffs to guard a judge when all hell eventually breaks loose. 

What if he was a Selector that aligned himself with the Quintessons? 

That'd be a neat parallel.

There's not much to say about the connector/dock plate mode. It's a ramp or connector for Micromaster bases. You can plug that blasty thing into this though for dramatic dock plate action.

In all, Slitherfang is a pretty good Battle Master. With these little guys the best part is the bot mode. The shield and dock plate are all pretty similar with small cosmetic differences. But a little purple snake sells itself.

A Squad Intended For Battle

Among the newer Micromasters I found recently was the Earthrise release of the Battle Squad. I wasn't able to get these guys when they were released in Siege, so of course I jumped on them. Then I got the pack I didn't jump on. Whoops.

Now I just hope I can find the Rumble/Ratbat pack at Ross or something. Then I'll successfully gotten all the new Micromasters from Generations. Go me.

Direct-Hit (right) and Power Punch (left) are both members of the G1 Battle Squad faithfully updated in Siege. The Earthrise version is a straight repack of that. So there.

The two combine to form a cannon transport vehicle. I've always liked this type of Micromaster combiner and was pretty happy to see them make a return here. The two are pretty faithful to the G1 versions aside from the black chest on Direct-Hit and that's great. I always really liked the more interesting colors of late G1 and often they're either muted or exaggerated in newer versions of the characters. They got it just right with some extra detailing color. The guys look pretty great.

Newer Micromasters have slightly improved articulation from the originals. You can't really expect a ton from a tiny toy that comes in a two pack for $10. It's just not going to happen. The newer Micromasters are on pare with most Mini-Cons and that's a pretty good amount of movement for a toy this size. The cannon from vehicle mode or Power Punch's back can be held or mounted on compatible Transformers. Really, these newer Micromasters are almost Mini-Cons by another name, which the reverse of that is how many of us saw Mini-Cons during their introduction. I liked those too.

A Barrier For Sound

I picked up Soundbarrier in June shortly after moving. Like other toys bought during that time, I've just gotten around to opening him up. Soundbarrier is a Battle Master from Earthrise which makes him a tiny bit different than the ones from Siege. Instead of a weapon, he turns into a shield and a connector for Micromaster bases. 

I had been looking forward to this guy as he just looks neat. The shield kibble on his back looks like wings giving him a much cooler look than somebody who turns into a dock plate should look.

The bright blues with the grey robot parts with accenting red makes for a sharp looking little robot. I'm sure this mold would look good in almost any color you throw on it. He looks like he turns into a jet almost.

Almost.

I mentioned he turns into a shield right? Two things, he does in fact turn into a shield and I've had to right click on shield every time I've typed it. Clearly cannot spell that right. Considering it's basically just a dock plate that doubles as a shield, it doesn't look too bad. 

He comes with one of those blast mark thingys and two places to connect it. So you can have him being a barrier for blasts as well as sound. 

There's some silver paint here that's pretty nice looking and dresses it up a bit. It mainly dresses up dock plate mode and adds to the appearance when connected to Micromaster bases. 

Not to mention is helps hide the robot hanging off the other side in clear view. You think Micromasters flip him the bird when they drive over? You know they do. 

Jerks.

In dock plate mode, he can connect to any Earthrise Micromaster base or so they say. He can serve as a connector to provide a road from one to another or a ramp for driving up or off. You can still plug the little blast effect thingy on here to make it look like somebody is shooting at Big Daddy. 

He's Autobot in Hasbro releases or on the Japanese side a Selector like Smashdown. Considering his alt mode, it's a good fit for the new group. I could imagine a dock plate having enough of others bull crap and revolting.

He's pretty great. I'd love to see recolors in blind packaging. 

I say that about everything.

Patrol Of The Race Car

Micromasters are a wonderful thing. Purple Robots are a wonderful thing. Bright yellow on robots... These guys are wonderful. In fact, you could call them majestic. I do. 

The Earthrise Race Car Patrol is an update of Roller Force (purple guy) and Ground Hog (blue guy) who were members of the Race Track Patrol in G1. Things change, names change, sometimes colors change. Ground Hog was purple in G1 for instance. They also change into robots, it's the gimmick of the toy line. I'm ok when things change.

I got these dudes last week and was pretty happy to do so. I'm gobbling up all the Micromasters and Battlemasters I can until the seeming end of tiny robots in mainline TF for the time being. Assuming the individual Titanmasters don't get re-released in that upcoming Headmasters thing. If that happens, then game on. Either way, I'm enjoying them while I got them. Surely there will be new tiny robots in TF sooner or later. Humor me.

These two turn into, you'd never guess, race cars. Weirdest thing right? The two can combine to form what's supposed to be a gun, like other newer Micromasters. I didn't take a picture of that. Sorry. I kinda forget they can do this as it just looks like two robots stuck together. Like the designers were told by higher ups to do something like that and they did whatever they did out of spite. "Fine, here's a fucking gun."

The two are pretty faithful recreations of the original toys (aside from colors) with improved articulation. I really can't find anything bad to say about these toys. If this was an email, I'd end it with a bunch of hearts. Like this. <3 <3 <3 <3

Smashdown Is An Allstar

I picked Smashdown up in June shortly after moving, but just got around to opening him up. Life found a way. I was happy to get him as the Siege version never shown up in my area, so when he was re-released in Earthrise. I uh, got him. I really like Battle Masters. A nice evolution of the Targetmaster idea, where not everyone has to be a gun.

Speaking of variety, I really like it when there's variety in robot modes. Keeps things fresh. Smashdown has a bulls head instead of a standard robot one. No real reason either and I'm not complaining. He looks like a Battle Beast and I freaking love Battle Beasts.

Smashdown turns into a hammer. Which seems pretty pointless in a gun fight, but so does a sword and we're all ok with those. The idea here is that he's an ideal weapon for one of The Wreckers. On the Japanese side of things, Smashdown is a type of Selector, another faction of Transformers. 

Selectors are a race of Transformers created by humans using Angolmois Energy as a working class for construction needs. Smashdown is a type of Selector that turns into a hammer. Get it?

Whichever fiction you prefer, Smashdown is a great little toy.  The handle from hammer mode can be used as a gun for bot mode. In hammer mode that handle can be held by most Transformers toys in case they see some watermelons nearby. 

Like most (all?) Battle Masters, Smashdown comes with a little energy special effect piece. This is to emphasize the force from a good whack from that hammer. Considering his body is that hammer, I wonder if that hurts? It's a neat little extra that I'd like to think is appreciated more by those who like to display their toys in action poses or in dioramas. Smashdown is a neat little Minotaur robot that turns into a hammer. I don't think I can find enough words to explain how great that is, it's pretty a pretty universal idea. Go buy one.