Autobot Devcon [Legacy/Deluxe Class]

Back in the day, Devcon was a name that came up pretty often. Like other show only characters, he built up quite a fan base appearing in tons of fanart and fanfic. Despite all that, he's only gotten 2 toys. A BotCon exclusive and today's subject. Originally released a few years ago in Legacy, this Devcon toy was recently re-released as a Target exclusive. I was both thankful for the second chance to get him and for my wife picking him up for me while out.

Using the Studio Series 86 Blurr as a base with some heavy remolding, we've got a pretty screen accurate Devcon! You know, it's funny how Blurr can look so unique... yet his toys end up getting made into so many other characters. Devcon is looking pretty good here with his bright blues and reds. Like the base mold, he has a decent amount of articulation giving his far out looks plenty of range for expressiveness. He's got a blaster which can be held or plugged into his forearm (like in the show). There's also two boosters from alt mode that can plug into the blaster for some extra firepower.

Transformation is pretty easy, like Blurr. Evey thing just folds up into place and out of the way. Those little boosters plug into the rear and the blaster right under the nosecone. Alt mode is a non-de script Cybertronian aircraft. The Gambler was a season 2 episode that took place in space, but his design could easily fit into season 3's space opera setting. It's pretty cool looking and a little different. Originally this toy was near impossible to locate, but thankfully with the re-release many will finally get a chance to own one. It's nice to finally own a toy of Devcon, who despite being around so long and being so favored by so many, has hardly gotten any toys. Though I guess it's only fitting that his only toys have been harder to get. Thankfully this is  a good toy and a solid representation of him as he appeared in the cartoon. Who knows if they'll be another?

Tigerhawk [Legacy United/Leader Class]

My love for Beast Wars is probably pretty well known. Earlier today (as I'm writing this), I was watching Beast Wars on the Transformers channel as I often do. It inspired me to talk about today's toy that I haven't covered on the site yet. This Legacy version Tigerhawk was a Christmas gift from the Mrs. last year and a most welcome one at that. The original is one of my 'best of all time' Transformers and something I hold in high regard.

Tigerhawk was created when the Vok merged Tigatron and Airrazor together creating a singular being. With that in mind, the designers used the more recent Kingdom  Tigatron and Airrazor molds for parts to use on this toy. That was both a fun bit of synergy and a good way to keep costs down. This time around, Tigerhawk is very show accurate in a way I wasn't prepared to appreciate.

Original Beast Wars Transformers were pretty thick and chunky as was pretty standard for robot toys at the time. Of course those looks were often streamlined on TV, and it was just something I was used too. This new Tigerhawk has the show models look down really well, and it's impressive. Of course I'm accustomed to the chonk, so it's weirdly different... but I'm very happy that the show model is so right on. I like having my original toys and show models represented well. There's no beating that original toy to me, so the new figure being the show model is a perfect solution!

They even nailed the proper purples and copper Mainframe used. In robot mode, he looks great and is nicely articulated. The feather missiles no longer fire, but can be held in hand. The same is of those wing mounted cannons. The chain gun ends are still present, but they flip around manually to reveal static cannons. Those cannons can be removed and held as well. They even combine to form a larger gun! The wrist mounted blaster is now an removable piece that can be placed elsewhere also. Tigerhawk was always heavily armed, but feels even more so now.

Transformation is similar to the original, but has it's differences. I had a little difficulty getting the chest to close correctly. It fits around the cockpit a certain way and it's all got to be in place just right to work. After a little finagling, it finally worked. The wings have a wide range of movement and can fold forward in attack mode as the original. Being show accurate, the battle mode helmet is gone as is the hidden tank mode. The cockpit is on Tigerhawk's robot shoulder, but hidden in beast mode like in the show.

Cockpit?

Yes, Tigerhawk originally was one of the Beast Wars toys designed with a Spark Figure cockpit. The gimmick was dropped, but those cockpits remained on the figures. Here it's just for show, but I'm glad it's there. This is a really cool toy and a great update of a classic. I'm very appreciative of it's show model accuracy and enjoy the differences from the original. That original may be an all time classic, but chasing down those missiles when accidentally fired was a nightmare. Like the original, this feels like something special I own. It's not just a toy, but a representation of a cherished character from a special time in my life.

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. 

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. 

Wheeljack [Legacy United/ Deluxe Class]

Transformers is a funny line. Now in it's 41st year, it's been reinvented countless times while still revisiting older settings quite often. As a life long fan whose been around since it launched, there's a clear split down the middle of before the 2007 movie and after. Before that movie, there was tons of reinvention with some revisiting. Ever since the movie, there's been tons of revisiting with some reinvention. I say that as today we'll be looking at the Legacy United update of Wheeljack... the one from Transformers Armada.

Beast Machines was fundamentally the end of the mainstream G1 timeline (excluding prose, comics, etc). Robots in Disguise (2001) served as a filler while Hasbro changed directions behind the scenes. Originally, Beast Machines was to be followed up with Transtech. Transtech would have continued the story with a combination of classic and beast era characters. However, as Beast Machines wasn't as successful as Beast Wars before it and things were getting pretty convoluted for what was meant to be a kids show... it was time to refresh.

Transformers Armada kicked off what was called The Unicron Trilogy with cartoons,comics,video games, merchandise, and of course toys. Armada reintroduced the Autobots and Decepticons on a new adventure chasing after Mini-Cons and ending with a big showdown with Unicron. There was a mixture of new and old characters with a lot of name reuses... which sometimes lead to a lot of confusion. That's where Wheeljack comes in. Some of you might have noticed he's definitely not the classic Wheeljack you're familiar with. This Wheeljack used to be a young Autobot warrior, who was believed to have died in battle. However, Wheeljack survived and believed he had been abandoned. The understandably angry bot joined the Decepticons and became quite the adversary for Hot Shot, whom he had blamed for the abandonment. That's the reason for the cool scratched out Autobot symbol and admittedly hard to see in the picture (it got a little lost in the black) Deceptcion emblem underneath.

Now you might have thought he looks more like Sideswipe and that the name Sideswipe would fit the character better. Well... it would have, but there was another Autobot named Side Swipe... who didn't look anything like traditional Sideswipe. Somehow, a lot of names got thrown around leading to this kind of madness and for whatever reason it just stuck. Don't ask me, I had nothing to do with it. Even more confusing was that a year later In Energon, there was a PERFECT new Wheeljack figure... that was named Downshift. Because there was already a recent Wheeljack. Pass the Tylenol. For what it's worth, his name is Rampage in Japan... which I like. In Hungry his name is Volán Jack. That translates to 'Steering-Wheel Jack'... and I kinda love it.

I've spent a lot of time talking about the time Wheeljack originally came out and his confusing name, but not a lot about his newest toy that we're looking at today. As many of you can tell, he's based on the Siege Sideswipe toy mold that's been heavily reused in Transformers Generations. It's a great toy, but I've covered the details before a few times. I've gotten most of the molds uses and really like it. Wheeljack does have a new head sculpt that resembles his original toy and show model quite a bit.

While there isn't any Mini-Con unlock-able gimmicks as in the original, he does have those clubs weapons. They were firing missiles from the Mini-Con gimmick that could hold as melee weapons. In the cartoon, lasers would fire from them... it never was very clear what they were exactly... admittedly they were a bit of strangeness in a very cool toy. The clubs serve as running boards in car mode and they look pretty neat. The car mode has a new front fascia and doors to make it resemble the original more. He does include Sideswipes missile launcher which can be held as a gun. I love those classic shoulder launchers, they look great on anyone.

Wheeljack is colored to match his show model, which matched his Japanese toy deco. The Hasbro version featured yellow stripes in place of the blue ones and a more grayish car mode. It was never quite clear as to why the difference. Often the toy designers answer to someone in marketing, so they could have been given an order based on... anything. It still looked great and there was a future recolor of the mold as Drench in Transformers Universe planned at the time. That toy never came to be, but a similar design was used for the BotCon exclusive Shattered Glass Sideswipe that used the Armada Wheeljack toy mold.

This Sideswipe always felt like the toy Wheeljack was meant to be and has always been popular. It's popped up in Blokees and even inspired a character in SSSS. Gridman, which I've talked about here before. Wheeljack and SG Sideswipe have a great look and it's not surprising to see it get homaged. I've always felt like the blue stripes on the black resemble Nightracer and Shadow Striker. That's neat. Both the Hasbro and Takara versions looked great, but I'm glad this version is show accurate. Wheeljack is a cool character with a great toy regardless of his confusing name. To me he's a solid representation of the time shortly before the launch of the 2007 live action Transformers movie. I don't think that was what the Hasbro designers had in mind when they decided to update him, but that's what they did... and I'm glad.

Galvatron [Legacy United/Core Class]

Say what you will about Energon, but the series had some really cool designs. I have vivid memories of Hasbro unveiling it at OTFCC 2003 to thunderous applause. I still like it to this day and feel like a look at the Transformers Legacy United Core Class Galvatron is in order! Galvatron, is not merely a repaint of the Core Class Energon Megatron, it's a repaint of him in (mostly) show accurate colors!

That's important as the original toy had it's differences while the Takara version was much closer (but not exact). Finally, 20 years later, we've got a (mostly) show accurate color toy. While I've covered much of the details about this toy in the Megatron post... I felt the urge to talk about something else as everything is the same here from that toy aside from the colors. The tank/sword weapon. What a weird combination, right? Of course the tank is meant to represent his former Armada body, the sword is an oddity. Instead of being a normal hand held weapon, it plugs into the tank. That's always been a bit strange. In the original toy, the sword would light up and a 'clang' noise would emit from the tank if pressed against something. That's a neat gimmick, sure, but most folks would rather a traditional sword for Megatron/Galvatron to hold. I can't say I'd be opposed to one either, but just took the whole thing in stride.

At the time, lot's of fans were finding work around for the toy so that it could hold the damn sword traditionally. From gluing handles, to using bread ties (I'm not kidding), to tethering it to his hand... folks were really focused on making it a hand held sword. I recall a garage kit version of the sword making the rounds. There was a Wonderfest Exclusive set to convert a Microman female body into Misha to match with Kicker. Maybe it came with it? The specifics of that are a little fuzzy but I remember a friend creating a harness with wire crystal clear. It was a strange, but fun time.

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!

Geocron [Legacy United/Core Class]

It's time to look at another Armorizer, a favorite group of Transformers around here on Planet Zone. Armorizers are a fun combination of Rock Lords, Mutores, and The Rock People of Daira. Georcron's head sculpt in particular is based on one of those Daira residents in particular as was Calcitron. Armorizers have been a fun throw back to a time when transforming toys were certainly more imaginative. Also... I really like Rock Lords, so they've been a fun thing for me on a personal level.

Geocron might be the last Armorizer sadly (I haven't seen any more listed), so it's fitting that he uses the same mold as Bouldercrash, whom was one of the first. I really liked Bouldercrash, so the use is a welcome one. Unlike the other Armorizers, it's not specified what type of rock Georcron is composed of. It's pretty obvious by his colors and name that Geocron is a geode. That works pretty well as I'm taking that as a Jewel Lord reference, even if it's unintentional. It's also not clear if this is a male or female, so I've been referring to it as a him generically. Georcron is a mixture of browns with a metallic purple color showing through at parts. It's surprisingly nice looking as that purple really contrasts sharply against the brown.

Transformation to rock bike is easy, and his weapon mode can be formed from vehicle mode or during transformation as it's not much more than an extension of vehicle mode. I didn't take a picture of it here, but there's one in Bouldercrash's post. Speaking of weapon, Geocron has the same as Bouldercrash... a sort of rock sword thing. It's hard to describe without sounding silly, but it looks neat. I like to think it shoots an energy beam. Geocron looks great and by all counts is a pretty solid toy. If he is the last Armorizer, he's a good one to go out on. I've been really fond of the Armorizers and hate to see them go. It's nice to see that Infernac, a setting from Inhumanoids, get revisited and offer a new Transformers life form while at it. Ever since Rokkon and Stonedar I've been hooked on transforming rock toys and a new set was and still is exhilarating for me as a fan. Geocron, and all the Armorizers is awesome. It's a rock fact.

Squeezeplay with Lokos and Browning [Legacy United 4-Pack/Deluxe Class]

Finishing up with our look at the Target Exclusive Transformers Legacy United 4-Pack is the main reason I wanted the set, Squeezeplay. I've got a real fondness towards the era of G1 he's from and the gimmicks they had. Admittedly I have a fondness for Transformers period, but it's like your longtime favorite restaurant. There's multiple things you like for multiple reasons. Squeezeplay is from the post movie G1 era where the Decepticons had fun colors and changed into more crazy alt modes like monsters and I love monsters. He's a Headmaster, I love partner figures and pilot figures.

His Japanese incarnation, Cancer (like the crab, I didn't name it), was heavily featured in Masterforce. A specific series I really like. Adding to that, this update is a reworked Titans Return mold, which is going down as one of my favorite Transformers series. Let's add one more specifically 'me' thing, he comes with a tiny gun mode Browning as a weapon... things like that are super awesome for me. This toy is like a bunch of beloved songs from my favorite band.

Squeezeplay uses Titans Return Mindwipe as a base mold. I most recently talked about this mold in it's use as Draculus, which was another clever use of it. Squeezeplay is pretty ingenious as they took a bat alt mode and turned it into a pretty convincing recreation of his reptile/crustation themed monster form. The entire toy is a pretty remarkable update of the original all things considered. I should probably talk about the actual toy more than just go on and on about how cool he is.

In robot mode Squeezeplay looks an awful lot like his original toy with Lokos transforming into his head. There's a little tail piece from alt mode that can be a shield or weapon and cleverly playing into the similarity of his original gun accessory is a gun mode Browning. Browning is another original series Transformer made from a Microman toy. Browning was also in Masterforce and tended to partner up with Cancer. Just so we're clear, there a character in Masterforce named Cancer whom was a child that worked with the Decepticons and was carrying around a gun that he was friends with.

Browning doesn't transform, but is a cool little extra. Robot mode is decently articulated and looks pretty good for a mold from 2016 compared to the other more recent molds in the 4-Pack. Transformation isn't difficult, but just involved enough that you need to pay attention. Lokos feels like a softer plastic, I popped his legs off accidentally bending his knees to sit him in the cockpit. I'm really impressed that his transforms mostly the same way as Mindwipe did, but now instead of wings there's arms. Alt mode looks pretty on par as an update to the original. I'm very surprised just how good this came off as, once again, the source mold turned into a bat. I think the only new parts here are the head and arms too. I'm always fascinated by design stuff like this. Ingenuity is really neat, you know? The monsters chest compartment opens up to become a cockpit for Lokos as I mentioned above and Browning can be stored on the tail... or just held. Man, imagine a monster packing heat. The really did an amazing job with Squeezeplay. The 4-Pack is a good set all around, but Squeezeplay is definitely the stand out toy of the set. So, so very good.

Tarantulas [Legacy United 4-Pack/Deluxe Class]

If you would have told me I'd end up with a Tarantulas in his original prototype colors a few years ago, I probably would have scoffed. If anything it'd be a convention exclusive or something. However thanks to the Target Exclusive Legacy United 4 Pack... here it is. A recolor of the Kingdom Tarantulas figure with a new head makes for a good base to finally give this version life. I quite liked the Kingdom Tarantulas, so it's probably to no surprise that I like this version. I'm mostly in awe of it's existence. I'd expect a toy based on his Fox Kids deco before this, but I'm not complaining.

I'm really happy with his orange colors. Partially because it makes me think of one of those plastic spider rings at Halloween, but also because it's kinda freaky. Gives a mutated vibe to him... which leads us to his new head. The original Beast Wars toys often had a regular head and a Mutant Head gimmick. The idea was the character's head would change for battle and often which head was the regular or mutant would be swapped for new characters made from repainting a toy mold. Blackarachnia was a repaint of Tarantulas that used his Mutant Head for a main head. Mainframe took some creative liberties with that to create the Blackarachnia we all know today. This new take on the original Mutant Head looks the part, though is painted with more colors than the original prototype featured. That prototype had a gray head, while this is in more classic Tarantulas colors. He actually matches up with the Tarantulas released under the 10th Anniversary Beast Wars line. I wonder if that's intentional or just a neat coincidence.

Aside from the head and colors, Tarantulas is the same toy as his Kingdom release. Nothing seemed loose on mine, so I think the mold has held up well. I liked the figure then and I like it now. Part of me wonders if that prototype could have became a Japanese BotCon Exclusive like Double Punch and Barbearian. Another part of me is considering if the orange colors were inspired by Creepy Crawlies as they were popular at the time. As someone who loves Beast Wars, I'm obviously happy with this toy. It's cool to have a little bit of random history put out in toy form after almost 30 years. Not to mention, Tarantulas is such an established character... seeing him in a different set of colors is neat. With the Mutant Head I almost want to make Monster Gobot comparisons. He seemed like the perfect figure to start a new year at Zone Base off with. Hello 2025!

Tarn [Legacy United 4-Pack/Voyager Class]

I can't explain why exactly, but ending the year with a look at Tarn just felt right. Also from the Target exclusive Legacy United 4-Pack, Tarn is a recolor of his first toy that I never found. That toy was, however, made into a Bludgeon figure that I talked about during this years Halloween Hootenanny. I liked it quite a bit, so there was a lot of positivity going into this figure. This Tarn is meant to represent the character as he appeared in the Cyberverse cartoon. In which he was a Decepticon Supersoldier from an alternate reality who rose to power.This version of Tarn became the big bad guy in the final story arc of the series. Representing this character in toy form means Tarn has a brighter color palate than his prior toy's darker color scheme. I prefer this as it gives him something of a cyberpunk vibe that feels out of an early 90's CD Rom video game.

To my understanding, Tarn is largely the same as his first version aside from paint. Bludgeon was pretty similar aside from head sculpt and the additional sword. This Tarn comes with Bludgeon's sword as well... which just feels right. I love a good super robot with ridiculous melee weapon. Tarn has some large cannons that can be held individually or doubled up. I suppose if he misses his target, there's still the option to use the sword. Tarn is a larger toy as a Voyager and feels like it thanks to his design. He looks tall, you know? His Decepticon symbol mask always looked cool, but something about those highlighting colors makes it a little better to me. Transformation was less pleasant than it was with Bludgeon. I had a problem with a few parts constantly popping off while moving around. That's frustrating. Not sure if the plastic grade is different or the mold is showing some wear. So far it's been used for two different Tarn and two different Bludgeon figures. I'm sure some wear and tear has to be showing by now. It happens. Overall it's still a good toy and looks great. 2024 was a hell of a year. I guess it takes someone like Tarn to see it out. Happy New Year!

Cliffjumper [Legacy United 4-Pack/Deluxe Class]

I thought a good way to end out the year and start the new one would be taking a look at the Target Exclusive Legacy United 4-Pack released this past summer. I got one as soon as they were available on the Target app as these exclusive sets of theirs are usually pretty great. While this one didn't get a catchy name, it sure does have a great set of toys inside. I also figured with Christmas being this week, somebody red would be a good choice to cover. This Cliffjumper toy is a representation of how he appeared in the Transformers Prime cartoon. Like the other characters from Prime in Legacy, he ditches some of the signature style from that series to blend in with a more traditional Transformers aesthetic. It works out pretty well for Cliffjumper who looks a lot like a his on screen counter part. So much so that it's hard to believe he's a repaint and retool of a prior toy.

Cliffjumper used the Chase mold as a base that works pretty well. New to the mold is the bull like robot head that Prime Cliffjumper had as well as a pair of bullhorns attached to his car mode hood. Chase's light bar is removed, but that's to be expected. Cliffjumper was initially voiced by the Rock and they really worked The Brahma Bull into his design. It looks great and natural on a muscle car. I can see some Texan driving this in a Cannonball Run movie. Like with Chase, the transformation is easy, albeit a little involved. In robot mode the figure looks great as Cliffjumper, I really like the red. There's plenty of articulation and he retains Chase's weapons that are now in a pleasant translucent black. I liked Chase quite a bit, so it's probably to no surprise that like this Cliffjumper. I say on the site a lot that nice things are nice. Seeing as I'm posting this on Christmas Eve, nice things tend to be favored by another guy in red. This Cliffjumper definitely isn't getting any coal in his stocking.

Quake with Heater and Tiptop [Legacy United/Deluxe Class]

Quake is a slightly obscure member of the original Transformers cast who made his debut as a Targetmaster in 1988 and didn't have another toy (officially) until 2017 in Titans Return. I loved Titans Return style figures, but it is nice that his third and newest toy is another Targetmaster. I sure do love partner figures and there's just something indescribably great when they form weapons. This Quake toy is the subject of a good amount of derision among the Transformers fan community. Instead of a brand new mold, or using a better suited mold, Quake is a very heavy remold of Legacy Skullgrin. There's so many new parts, you can't help but to wonder why they didn't use another toy as the base.

I do admit that the robot mode is pretty faithful to traditional Quake, so I'm not bothered. I even like it... but I've always had a soft spot for Quake after carrying around a bootleg of him with me for awhile a long time ago. It was purchased randomly and somehow found it's way into the messenger bag that went everywhere with me. Quake is decently articulated and does make for a good update of that G1 toy. The orignal figure was a little flat in robot mode and that's replicated here. I've always liked his colors. Heater and Tiptop are new molds that strongly resemble their G1 counterparts. The two are not articulated and convert very simply into guns for Quake to use. They can also combine into a larger gun by plugging one into the other. As guns they can be held or mounted in vehicle mode. Like other recent Targetmaster toys, I wish recolors of these would be available in blind bags. That would be a super fun thing to buy, you know? There used to be Micron/Mini-Con blind boxes and I loved them. I'm sure I've brought this idea up before, it's a hill I'm prepared to die on.

Transformation to tank mode is a trying process. I found Skullgrin (and Cybertronian Trooper) to be relatively easy to transform. Despite being made from the same skeleton, Quake transforms quite differently. His body fold up and the tank treads fold out from his legs to wrap around the base. It's an odd transformation that I did not care for. It was frustrating ad those tank treads seeming got hung up on themselves before magically being in place. I have no clue what happened either. One second they were a jumbled mess, and then it was finished. The tank is oddly proportioned and seemingly the target of that fan derision I talked about prior. I think it's serviceable and you can put the Targetmasters at different posts which does help the alt out. Overall, I like Quake quite a bit, even if the transformation and tank is weird. Maybe I should put him in my sling bag for old times sake.

Twin Twist [Wreck 'N Rule Collection/Deluxe Class]

Transformers is a funny toy line. Funny, as in the early years are full of reused toy molds from other robot toy lines. Many, of course, came from Diaclone. The Jumpstarters, were among those. Jumpstarters were more simple figures with pull-back motors. When the vehicle was pulled back on a solid surface, it would roll forward and flip into robot mode. They were often joked about by fans and considered lame, but I've always liked their futuristic appearance. Topspin and Twin Twist have received updates over the course of time, but most notably was their Titans Return figures that were very accurate to the originals appearance wise, but with modern engineering (and no flip changing gimmick). Most notably about those toys were that with the Titan Masters, they had strong resemblances to the original Diaclone toys as well as the Headmasters everyone related the line with. The Titan Master would become the main robot modes head, but could also pilot the alt mode. Titans Return was one of my favorite Transformers lines in recent years mostly because of that. It was neat.

For the Amazon Exclusive Wreck 'N Rule Collection, Twin Twist was re-released in his Diaclone colors and billed as from the Diaclone Universe. Other more recent Transformers repaints have done this and I like it. Though, it is funny considering the original Transformers versions of the toys were made from Diaclone only for the new Diaclone toys to be made from Transformers. I've got the original Titans Return version of the toy (and loved it), but never talked about it here. Today felt like a good time. Twin Twist is a very cool looking toy. The red and blue look sharp on his spacey design. There's a good bit of articulation and he's got two laser rifles that can be combined into one larger gun if so chosen. That combination has more use in vehicle mode. Transformation is pretty involved, but not too hard. There's just a lot going on, but it all just works and everything goes into place just fine. Alt mode is a sci fi drill tank. His Titan Master/Headmaster changes from the robot's head into a pilot for the tank. The pilot isn't named in this release, but was called Flameout in Titans Return. I'm not sure if this is still Flameout or meant to be a generic Diaclone driver.

Those guns I mentioned above can be mounted on either side of the tank or in the combined form. Combined they can serve as another place for a Titan Master (or Diaclone driver in this case) to sit. The main spot for the pilot would of course be the cockpit, which opens and allows for such. I've always liked the Jumpstarters for their designs, especially in a time when Transformers were primarily modern (at the time) Earth vehicles. When I got older and learned about Diaclone, I liked them even more. As a kid back then... we just didn't know. My brother and I would often put Zoids pilots in Transformers seats. I'd regularly send one flying in my Topspin during his flip transformation. These additional gimmicks really add to these figures making them really cool toys. I've always been a sucker for partner figures, especially when the partner interacts this well. As the 40th Anniversary year winds down, it felt appropriate to take a look at Diaclone and reflect on my own memories in the process. Nice things are nice.

Megatron [Legacy/Core Class]

As the 40th anniversary of Transformers winds down, I feel as though it wouldn't be right to not take a moment and pour one out for Generation 2. Often wrote off as neon repaints of G1 toys, G2 actually had a lot of original molds and introduced innovations in engineering Transformers that would pave the way for toys for years to come. Our highly articulated figures of today got their start in G2. The tank Megatron was one of the first original molds in the line and a standout toy for years to come. The figure we're looking at today pays homage to that toy and it's bright colors. This Core Class Megatron figure is a repaint of the Kingdom Megatron Core Class figure.

In robot mode Megatron is pretty great. He's basic, sure, but pretty decent. I like Core Class quite a bit admittedly, but this is a solid figure for the size. He's nicely articulated and that G2 neon green and purple deco just works better on the sculpt than traditional Megatron colors. This just is a much nicer looking toy in eye searing neon. A nice touch that's carried over from the original release is his blaster. In addition to the trademark fusion cannon is a tiny replica of G1 Megatron's gun mode. Transformation to tank is easy, though like the Kingdom figure, leaves a little to be desired. You'll have to plug the blaster into the cannon for it to protrude further out. There is some aftermarket add on upgrades available that extends the cannon and creates a more desirable looking tank if you so choose. It's not the end of the world for me, but also impossible to ignore. I like this toy overall and find it a fun homage to an important piece of Transformers history. MEGATRON ATTACK!

Motormaster [Legacy United/Voyager Class]

Transformers Animated was a fun series with some really cool toys. The stylized sculpting was a fun alternative to the movie and classics styled toys available at the same time. It was only natural that the BotCon, which was officially affiliated at the time would offer an exclusive set based around the series. The Stunticon Job was a cool way to introduce the Stunticons to the series and make use of the prior existing toy molds as is a necessity when making exclusives. Motormaster is one of those characters folks automatically assume will be made from an Optimus Prime, so it just worked out naturally. Luckily, the Animated Motormaster was really cool.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to that BotCon, nor acquire a set. It always stayed in the back of my mind as a 'someday' type of thing. Flash forward to present day and amazingly enough, things like formerly hard to acquire toys are getting updated in Generations. Giving second chances to get some of these ideas. It may not be the original... but often time it's good enough. That's where Motormaster finds it's way here, as a reworking of the Animated Optimus Prime toy update that was released earlier this year. I really liked that figure, so it's probably to no surprise I liked this one. It doesn't hurt that the happiness of finally getting some version of this Motormaster put a nice cherry on top of everything.

Since I've talked about the mold before, I'm going to focus more on what's different. Most noticeably, the new head. Motormaster famously has a square head. That's replicated here with additional characterization. Long story short, he's Macho Man Randy Savage as a transformer. Specifically, Macho Man as a bad guy. Considering the colors, I like to think N.W.O era Macho Man. Considering Randy Savage is one of my all time favorites, it's probably to no surprise I like this. His colors are mainly black with some purple and green thrown in and it looks fabulous. Both modes look great. Transformation did feel a little looser this time. That could be from mold degradation or just mine in particular. The original Optimus Prime toy was just a good figure all the way around and I feel like this is a total upgrade based on the colors and new head alone.Can you dig it?

Road Pig [Star Raiders Collection/Deluxe Class]

Yarr matey! The Star Raiders continue to plunder the galaxy with a look at Road Pig today. Road Pig is an update to the wonderfully cool Transformers Generation 2 Laser Cycle that frankly just doesn't get enough attention. Road Pig is a repaint of Crashbar with a new head. Using Crashbar's parts means Road Pig can also be taken apart and made into armor or weapons for most other  current Transformers toys.

The exhaust pipes can be attached to his forearms to create a mode faithful to the original toy robot mode. I kept them on his back as I love those big honkin guns he's packing. Like Crashbar, one of his bike wheels can separate and become a blades weapon or shield. Road Pig's deco is very faithful to the original toy. The exhaust pipes mentioned above are in a pinkish red hue that simulates the originals light up feature. Neat!

Transformation is easy and can be done without completely dissembling the figure like earlier Weaponizer figures. I did have a little trouble getting the parts to fit into place a little. Not sure if that's from mold usage and repair or big clumsy hands. It's not a deal breaker either way. Once in motorcycle mode, Road Pig is a pretty solid homage to his original toy again. Just needs his windshield. I've very fond of the Transformers logo and G2 symbols on the motorcycle. Transformers from from late G1 and G2 tended to have logos on the vehicle modes. It's silly, sure, but also looks cool. I've always liked the G2 logo and at times have preferred it. I can't see it without instantly being reminded of older fandom times due to it's regular use back then. Road Pig is a great update of a classic toy and another cool member of the Star Raiders Collection. I really enjoy these Walmart exclusive series from the past few years. The random homages blended with fun themes is awesome.

Bludgeon [Legacy Evolution/Voyager Class]

For whatever reason, when Bludgeon was created, it was decided that he should be a skeleton samurai and the world has been a better place because of it. This recent Voyager mold from Transformers Legacy has been used in Evolution and United for various toys of Tarn and Bludgeon. Today we'll be looking at the Evolution standard retail version because I like the signature skull face better and well... *ahem* it's Halloween. I like this toy a whole lot. Not just because of the skeleton samurai thing, but it's a fun robot toy. He's a pleasantly large Voyager figure with lots of articulation (even in his hands!) and cool weapons. Of course Bludgeon has his sword that can be held or plugged into places for storage.

He also has a cool gun as a holdover from his tank alt mode. The dual cannon barrels can either be mounted on his forearm or held individually. They can even be combined into a super long gun (EVO-FUSION!) that looks really hard to use in a practical way. The tank mode also feature 2 smaller guns that apparently can be disconnected and held. From what I understand the connection points are really easy to break, so I would recommend caution when doing so. It's allegedly an 'undocumented feature', which usually means a happy accident. So don't unhappily break your toy by accident trying out something that's probably not intended.

Transformation to tank mode is not super hard, but does take a big of 'just right' maneuvering of parts around. I had a little trouble getting his head to store away in the chest cavity thanks to the shape of it. Not to mention, the side of his upper body folds up around that chest piece in a way that's a bit of a tight fit if not positioned correctly. Then there's the matter of his arms. The tank's treads are composed of them and there's a good bit of folding them around, once again, just right to allow the proper clearance for parts to be put into place. Transformation is a lot like an unorganized house move with people trying to walk up the hall while others are trying to maneuver the couch down it and around doors. It will eventually work out, but you're probably going to curse out somebody in the process.

Once transformed, you've got a pleasantly Mad Max style Cybertronian Tank with lot's of firepower! The sword stores on the side and let me just say... I find it hilarious when a heavily armed robot has a sword. He literally has a million ways to shoot you and also a sword if he misses every shot. Just in case, you know. There is a common complaint that his hands are visible in alt mode and that is true. I do find that if positioned correctly, they'll blend in pretty well thanks to some outer hand armor. Tricky transformation aside, this is a great toy that I liked in both modes. I've always liked Bludgeon admittedly, but the actual toy mold is pretty good. Spooky scary skeletons that transform into tanks.

Ferak [Star Raiders Collection/Legends Class]

Ferak first joined the Star Raiders/Star Seekers in the BotCon 2014 convention exclusive set "Pirates vs. Knights", however the character has been around since the G1 comics making his first appearances in the UK Transformers comics. Ferak is a sadist inventor whose creations are usually pretty evil. Despite being around for so long, he's cruelly only gotten 2 toys. Both are repaints of Cyclonus figures and both exclusives. From that BotCon set we just talked about and the newest is today's subject matter.

The only Voyager Class figure in the Star Raider Collection (exclusive to Walmart here in the states), Ferak is a really nice repaint of the Kingdom Cyclonus mold. I really liked that figure even though it wasn't talked about it here. I've generally have always been a fan of Cyclonus and always look forward to his toys. Ferak is mostly a grayish white with some dark grey and red detailing. It looks really nice on the toy mold and really gives it a new life from a sculpt so instantly recognizable as Cyclonus.

Personally the white reminds me of a common white colored bootleg of the original G1 Cyclonus toy that made the rounds in the 90's-early 2000's. I had one myself until finally getting my own G1 Cyclonus shortly after the bootleg fell apart. The shoddiness of it's own existence was too much for it's molecular matter to hold together. As a robot, Ferak is large with a pleasant heftiness in hand. He feels solid in that way you want a Transformers to to feel. It's a nice toy. There's a decent amount of articulation and he comes with 3 guns. The first is a large Oxidating Laser that can be held and stored on his back or canopy in vehicle mode. Then there are 2 thin blasters that can be attached to his wingtips in either mode, attached to his arms, or held as pistols. These are holder overs from Cyclonus and there's no ignoring that, but they still look great.

Transformation is easy, everything goes where it looks like it should. I really like this vehicle mode in these colors. They have that classic space opera look and would match right up next to a Star Bird. Ferak has always turned into some variation of a star fighter style vehicle, so Cyclonus really does work well for him. He was portrayed with a horned helmet in those old UK comics, which makes those bunny ears work out. There's even some great landing gear that can unfold. That's a nice little touch I always appreciate. This is a really good toy that looks great in these colors. I know some folks won't be able to see anything but Cyclonus, but in that case, it's a nice looking Cyclonus in different colors! I really, really, like the accenting darker greys and the reds really pop. It's just a good looking toy no matter who it is.

Thundertron [Star Raiders Collection Multipack]

Rounding out the Star Raiders multipack is Thundertron, the captain of the pirate crew. This version of Thundertron is a repaint of the Legacy United Thundertron I talked about a little while back with some new molded parts. While he may not look much different initially, the colors match his original toy much more as well as his new head sculpt is also much more like the original toys. In addition, he now has a hook in place of a right hand. This makes me wonder if he has history with Skullcruncher. Understandably some fans may choose this multipack over the single release or vice versa. The main draw for me personally was the other included robots as well intention to complete the Star Raider Collection as I have with the Toxitron and Velocitron Speedia 500 Collections prior. These are super fun sets of exclusive figures that excite me as a long time fan.

Nightstrike can sit on Thundertron's shoulder, that's neat.

Despite owning the prior Thundertron figure (and the original), this is still a fun version of him. I like his new head sculpt and hook hand. Like the other Thundertron figures, you can remove his right foot and store it on his sword as a more pronounced hilt. Personally I prefer both feet shown, but displayed the peg leg this time. It's really neat that Thundertron is a pirate and his beast mode is cool. His name being a combination of Thundercats and Voltron is fun. I do wish the Star Seekers/Star Raiders were a bigger deal in the world of Transformers. Their appearance in the Aligned novels is neat, but I'd love to see them in a cartoon. The Legacy version of Thundertron's lion mode is a Zoids crossover as he crashed onto Planet Zi in search of Armorizers. Judging by Calcitron in this multipack, he found at least one. Zoids will always have a special place in my heart. I have fond memories of assembling them on the kitchen table with my brother back when they were called Robostrux and grew up with them. This is a cool toy from a great set of Transformers. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.