Bumblebee (Devastation) [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Transformers: Devastation was one of those games that came in hot, got a ton of fanfare, and then kind of slipped into obscurity. Lately it’s been getting a bit more attention again, and I’m pretty happy to see that version of Bumblebee finally get a toy.

Admittedly, it’s still your standard Bumblebee at its core—but I like this variation a lot.

Instead of the classic VW Bug, he’s got that sporty hatchback look, which I’ve always felt was a great modern equivalent. Add in the cell-shaded style deco, and it ends up being a pretty slick take on a familiar design.

A big part of why I like this one is how much it resembles the 2006 Transformers Classics Bumblebee, which served as a base for his design in the game. Even 20 years later, Classics is still a high point for me, so that connection goes a long way.

I initially thought this might be a retool of the Studio Series 86 Bumblebee, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. In robot mode, he’s armed with twin blasters like in the game, along with a larger vehicle-mode blaster mounted on his back. It gives him a much more aggressive look than you’d normally expect from a “kid appeal” character.

Transformation is pretty straightforward, though some of the parts fit a bit tight. Be careful when folding the head into place—I’ve seen reports that the molded copyright info can scrape the paint on his nose.

In vehicle mode, he turns into a clean little hatchback. The large blaster mounts on the roof, with the smaller ones on the sides for a bit of vehicular combat flair.

Overall, this is a simple, solid figure. Good articulation, decent firepower, and a really nice-looking alt mode. The cel-shaded deco does a lot of the heavy lifting, and I’m just happy to have a strong take on Bumblebee from a game that deserves a little more love.

Gamer Edition Ironhide [Studio Series/Voyager Class]

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

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

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

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

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

Gamer Edition Ratchet [Studio Series/Voyager Class]

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

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

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

Gamer Edition Bumblebee [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Transformers: Reactivate is a video game that will allegedly come out at some point. That point is probably never, but allegedly should come out at some point maybe. Fortunately Hasbro released figures based on the game on a time table that possibly included a time that the game was promised to come out... but didn't. The figures were initially released in two packs that I passed on, but are now also being released as Gamer Edition Studio Series. I decided to get them now, because they look cool... despite being tied to vaporware. Bumblebee takes a somewhat new look at the classic character as he might have appeared in the game if it ever comes out. It's not going to, but if it did, this is what he'd look like. Maybe. Part of me thinks in an alternate universe, this could have been a live action movie design for Bumblebee.

Bumblebee is a realistic sci fi take on his classic look that looks pretty neat even with those tiny pistols he's packing. Those same pistols can be mounted on his shoulders as well. Robot mode is fairly articulated and looks bigger in pictures than in real life. I say this because I swore it was a larger toy prior to getting one. Alt mode is a sporty dune buggy type vehicle. I like this quite a bit. It manages to resemble the classic Volkswagen vehicle form while being something else. This is a completely solid alternative to the Bug. I recall thinking Bumblebee should be a dune buggy before and having one is great. It just works. Transformation isn't terrible hard, but is pretty involved. There's a few parts you have to really work into place and it's not clear how to do so until you've got it. Once transformed it's a solid car and those guns I spoke about earlier can either store in his undercarriage or mount on his hood (it's the same joints as the shoulders in robot mode). I liked this toy more than I thought I would. It's been funny laughing at the games failure to launch and the fact that there's figures from a game that might never see the light of day. Though the designs are cool and I'm looking forward to getting the others when they find their way out in Studio Series.

Gamer Edition Sideswipe (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

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

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

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

Gamer Edition Cliffjumper (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

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

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

Gamer Edition Starscream (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

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

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

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

Gamer Edition Optimus Prime (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

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

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

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

Gamer Edition Megatron (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

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

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