Ratchet and Bumblebee [Cyberworld Energon Surge/Armored Cyber Changers]

@robfromzonebase Ratchet [Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge/Armored Cyber Changers] #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #energonsurge #cyberchangers ♬ 苦悩の聖人 (Saint of Suffering) - Akuma Dollz

Last year when I was writing about "season 1" of Cyberworld toys, I regularly took note of what felt like a missing gimmick with all the Cyber Changers having multiple ports. I was also never super fond of the Armored Cyber Changers' "armored" parts, which were essentially larger Mech Tech-style weapons. I didn't hate them, but I rarely felt like they actually fit the toys.

Now, with the new Energon Surge figures, the phantom gimmick and the Armored Cyber Changers are here, and it's awesome.

Like with the new Armored Cyber Changer Megatron we looked at a little bit back, the gimmick is built into the new Energon Surge Armored Cyber Changers Ratchet and Bumblebee, and it just makes me love Armored Cyber Changers instead of simply accepting them as a way to mark up a toy's price. Not to mention, now under the Energon Surge sub-line, the Cyber Changers have wonderful translucent plastic parts that look absolutely amazing.

The colorful clear plastic, of course, reminds me of Microman/Micronauts, and the new armored parts really make me think of 2000s Microman toys. Of course, being Cyber Changers, the articulation isn't anywhere near as extensive, but it's impossible for me not to make that comparison.

I could also make a comparison to the energy weapons from Transformers Energon, and guys... I love this type of gimmick. Translucent plastic looks amazing, even on more simple figures like these.

Bumblebee is a recolor of the first Armored Cyber Changer Bumblebee we've already talked about here. This version feels more like an upgrade, as those new translucent blue parts just pop on the mold, looking a million times better than the original.

His new Energon Surge armor parts include two blade blaster style weapons, two energy stinger style parts, and a large shield/backpack piece. These can be used in multiple ways. I've leaned into using the large piece more as a jetpack than a shield, with the stinger parts as armor and the blade blasters as guns... unless he needs to cut a fool.

The blade blasters can become wings as well, making me use the parts similarly to Macross booster parts for his car mode. It's a modular design, so you can really get creative with it.

It's worth noting that you can combine these parts with the ones from other toys.

Go nuts.

Ratchet is a new mold and a really fun one at that. Instead of changing into his traditional ambulance alt mode, Ratchet converts into a rescue helicopter. That's a neat little touch of variety that gives Ratchet a more exciting look.

The chevron on his helmet is orange, which contrasts nicely with the white and translucent blue that makes up the majority of him. It makes me think of the Powerlinks Red Alert toy from Armada, which has always been a deco I've liked.

Part of me wonders—and hopes—this toy will get more green in the future for a Cyberworld version of Medix.

Ratchet's Armored parts actually work nicely with his helicopter mode, forming jet boosters and rocket pods. Additionally, there are two large bladed bits that look cool, and now that I think of it, they probably would have made more sense if I'd plugged them into the rear section of the helicopter rather than making wings with them.

Oh well.

@robfromzonebase Bumblebee [Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge/Armored Cyber Changers] #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #energonsurge #cyberchangers ♬ One Shot TV size Theme Song of "KAMEN RIDER MY-TH" - THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE

This is seemingly an all-new mold and engineering, so I wonder where it'll resurface? The bits that the helicopter's blades are connected to can be detached, and part of me finds that base body similar enough to a motorcycle without wheels.

As creative as these designers have been with the shared engineering, I'm looking forward to something unexpected.

Part of me can't help but compare the Energon Surge armor parts to the upgrades your ship gets in a shooter game. Like, Ratchet is flying into action and, just because Cyberworld is a video game, he's blasting little floating capsules and adding onto his firepower.In robot mode, the armored bits can make for some nicely dramatic... armor. They can be held as well as plugged in, so get creative. Those big-ass blades, though, make for some sharp ornamentation for Ratchet, giving him some serious super robot energy.

It's really awesome for me to see the Armored Cyber Changers stepping up and bringing that gimmick that the line always felt designed for into Cyberworld. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Cyber Changers feel like the continuation of the Beast Alliance toys that I had such a good time with a few years ago, and it's good to see something like a line-wide gimmick.

I'm hopeful they continue with more fun things like this, or even expand it with even more cool stuff.

Because apparently all these ports were just waiting for someone to finally say, "You know what? Let's put some crazy shit in there."

And I'm absolutely here for it.

Ironhide and Autobot Ratchet [Swapticons]

The Summer of Swapticons continues with probably the most obvious set: Ironhide and Ratchet!

Ironhide and Ratchet almost always share toy molds, so having a toy where the two combine to form an alt mode makes a lot of sense. Normally Ironhide becomes a red van while Ratchet becomes a white ambulance. As a Swapticons set, they both form a white ambulance because synergy is important when you're a team.

I've always been a little attached to Ratchet thanks to his starring role in the early issues of the Marvel Transformers comic. At the time those issues were on newsstands, I was staying at my Grandmother's house while my parents handled the arrangements for our relocation across states. I must have reread those issues a million times and, despite being a cartoon guy, I always think of comic Ratchet cooking hot dogs with his laser scalpel.

I wish I had a story about Ironhide... but I just enjoy him for him.

His southern drawl. Being a good old soldier boy. He's an enjoyable character who's been around since the beginning, but I don't really have something that endears him to me the way Ratchet does. With as many characters as Transformers has, I can't be attached to them all.

But I do like Ironhide.

How couldn't someone?

Admittedly, First Aid would have worked pretty well in Ironhide's place... but Ironhide is the obvious choice.

They're both your standard Swapticons: chonky, silly, with a tiny bit of articulation in the arms and impossible to hate. They're also not as flashy as some of the other Swapticons we've looked at during the Summer of Swapticons... and that's a good thing.

You need standard bearers, and these two are cornerstones of Transformers.

Ratchet [Shining Version 01–Shining Roll Out]

Despite the mountain of Blokees Transformers Blind Boxes kits I own, I’d never picked up any Shining Version blind boxes… until recently. I grabbed a few at Toylanta from my friends at Polaris Bros, and Ratchet here was one of them.

Shining Version kits are essentially upgraded Galaxy Version releases with light-up features. This Ratchet is based on his Galaxy Version 01 kit, which I never actually owned—though I do have the Shattered Glass version. That led to a brief moment of confusion where I could’ve sworn I’d built this before. Of course, Ratchet shares a lot of parts with Ironhide, which I have covered, so that probably didn’t help either.

Rather than retread familiar ground, I want to focus more on what makes the Shining Version different.

Ratchet is largely based on his original cartoon appearance, which I prefer as a cartoon guy. That said, it’s a little hypocritical on my part—my attachment to Ratchet actually comes more from his role in the early comics. It's complicated.

The standout feature is, of course, the light-up elements. His eyes and chest both illuminate, and it looks fantastic. The real highlight is the chest, which is formed from the windshield of his ambulance mode and features a readout on the surface. When lit up, it looks incredible. I keep finding myself imagining a little animated screen in there.

The eyes look great too, but the chest is absolutely the star of the show.

He doesn’t include the snap-on “pew pew” effect parts that came with the original kit (and with Ironhide), but he does come with an Energon Cube—one I somehow forgot to include in my photos. It’s the same cube included with several other kits, and I’m actually pretty fond of that accessory, so I’m a little annoyed with myself for leaving it out.

Another thing I did intentionally leave out is the display stand. I’ve gotten so used to newer Galaxy Version kits not including stands that I almost forgot they used to be standard. The Shining Version stands are a bit larger than the older Galaxy ones, which is a nice touch, and they include plug-in Autobots and Decepticon symbols still.

Overall, this is a really fun variation on the standard Galaxy Version kit. The added light-up feature gives it just enough extra presence—and, that chest readout really makes it all special.

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.

Autobot Ratchet (Studio Series 86/Voyager Class)

I happily picked up Ratchet shortly before Christmas. I say happily as I've been quite endeared to Ratchet since the early days of G1. In particular, during a time when my family was moving to another state, my older brother and I found ourselves often staying with family as our parents locating us a new home. During that time, well, it wasn't terribly exciting. I often found myself re-reading issues of the Marvel G1 Transformers comic. In those early issues, Ratchet took a starring role for a bit. I fondly look back at the frames of Ratchet helping campers cook hot dogs still to this day. Of course this toy of Ratchet is meant to represent him as he appeared in the 1986 movie, being a Studio Series toy and all. I've made my fondness for this series of figures known and having this very screen accurate figure of Ratchet is a real treat.

Of course Ratchet is a remold and repaint of the Voyager Ironhide figure I've talked about before. I raved about that Ironhide... and that's pretty much the same opinion of this Ratchet. A truly excellent toy of a classic character. Let's look at their differences. Not just a simple recolor as you'd assume, Ratchet has some new molded parts. A new head, as Ratchet traditionally has a chevron on his helmet as opposed to Ironhide's 'mowhawk'. Being an ambulance, of course he has a light bar. Most notably and something they really could have not done is Ratchet features a different waist piece. To differentiate the two back in the day, there were slight differences in their show models. Something like a slightly different waist made for a somewhat different looking character. In a toy though... I probably wouldn't have noticed. That little extra attention to detail is appreciated. Ratchet retains the dual pistols Ironhide was packing, they both used them. Ratchet is sporting a show accurate deco that really pops on this toy. Of course the Red Cross markings on his shoulders have been replaced with the Autobot variation seen in recent toys for legal reasons. Like Ironhide before, this is my favorite figure of Ratchet to date. As a legacy character, he gets plenty of updates. This one, however, is special. It feels like a much more premium figure than it should for a standard retail release. That's a good thing and this is a good toy.

Ratchet (Studio Series 86/Core Class)

Ratchet is one of those classic Transformers characters that I have a real fondness for and generally jump on toy updates of. So it's not surprise that his most recent Core Class figure in the Studio Series 86 line was a must have for me. Fortunately the Mrs got me one for Christmas (I've still got a back log). So far I've been really happy with the Studio Series 86 line and generally a big fan of the Core Class in general. Getting a cool figure of a character I like in a line I like at a scale I like? I like it!

Like most Core Class figures, Ratchet is smaller and more simple than larger figures. That's part of the charm of this class, they're relatively inexpensive, pleasant, and pleasantly simple. Considering the economic state of the world currently, I can realistically see Core Class becoming the standard Transformers figure size in the future. Considering what they're doing with the class as well as Warrior Class and the Rise of the Beasts mainline... there seems to be some experimenting going on.

I'd be ok with it as... man things are getting crazy expensive. A deluxe class toy (normally the standard size class) is $25 currently. That's cutting a little close to comfort and a hobby should never feel like a burden. I've said before that I've toyed with the idea of mainly buying smaller figures and occasionally getting the larger ones. With the way things are going, it looks like that may be the direction I go. Fortunately, the smaller and cheaper toys are super pleasant. So it won't be a bad thing for me. Though I could see some fan types tasking issue with it (that always seem to ask for financial support or get plenty of review samples... hrm)

The van is pleasant and rolls along well, the robot mode looks right and has a decent amount of articulation. I do wish he had an Autobot sticker on the front of the ambulance. There's some on his shoulders, but it would complete the package. I could fix it myself, but I have a hard time believing it would affect production costs. I hope that screw gets tightened by the time the Ironhide version of the mold comes out. Why would they release an Ironhide version of the toy when there's one in the line at a higher size class? See what I mean?

Ratchet has those pistols he was blasting Decepticons with right before his death in the 1986 movie. That's a nice touch and adds to the niceness of the figure. They can attach to the sides of the ambulance for storage in vehicle mode… I absolutely love the visage of an ambulance with guns. This is a super little figure. It’s neat and makes for a good update of Ratchet at a price that’s reasonable. I find myself really liking Core Class more and more. If they keep being such solid toys, for less money, Hasbro may find them talking over sales. Which might be the plan.

Boris Pickett Has Nothing To Do In January

If it's Halloween time, The Monster Mash will get played there. If you're lucky, Boris Pickett will perform it live. However it'll be the most low rent thing you've even seen. Boris will be performing the entire month of October with the best paper plate mask monsters two dollars can buy. But he will be doing it harder than anything you'll ever see.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 13: Ratchet

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 13

Autobot Ratchet scowls at the data discs recovered from the Decepticon lab by Smokescreen. Most of them are useless - charred or cracked by the same plasma blasts that had rendered the Autobot warrior himself nearly unable to return to base. But a few have shocking information on them. Information that not only reveals much about the cloning process used to bring the Predacons back to life, but also about the secrets of the powerful new weapons recovered by Bumblebee.

He Ratchet

While running a few errands this weekend I stopped by Walgreen's hoping to find the exclusive Bluestreak. While they still didn't have him, I didn't walk out empty handed either. Walgreen's had begun their Christmas set up and as usual the Authentics Bravo figures were with the extra stock. I quick look through them and I found the newer Ratchet figure. 

I'd been looking for this guy for a little while now, so it was good to finally find him. That's the thing with these discount store figures, they're made for stores that don't heavily restock their toy sections throughout the year. Unless you hit up a random Walgreen's or Five Below, the discount stores might not get any for a while. 

Ratchet is a Bravo class in the Authentics discount line. That means he's the smaller 3" toy as opposed to the 7" Alpha class. These run around 5-6 dollars. I got Ratchet for $6.50, which is pretty fair for a toy bought at a drug store. I almost didn't recognize him at first. I'd gotten so used to never seeing him that upon seeing him... I just stared at it for a minute.

 

At this point I shouldn't need to point out that these little discount toys are not going to be the caliber of a Cyberverse or Generations toy. If they were a little smaller in Legion size, maybe. But they were making a larger toy toy and with a lower price so there's going to be some concessions. Ratchet is a budget toy through and through. He's pretty basic.I know what I was buying and like oddball things like this. These are a quirky side item to the normal Transformers toys I buy. A fun and weird diversion. Ratchet is hollow, flimsy, and a little funky looking and that's ok. I know a 35 cent cup of noodles isn't the same as a hibachi restaurant.

Honestly Ratchet isn't terrible looking. Maybe a little sharper head sculpt and a little more mass in those arms and he'd be a much nicer looking toy. With these proportions he reminds me a little of Armada Hot Shot. As is, he's fine. His head is made from a different material than the rest of the toy. Several of the Ratchets in the little shelf box at Walgreen's had yellowed already. I picked out one that was in better shape and I suggest you do the same. I don't know if it's a lighting thing or just discolored cheap plastic. It was pretty weird though. 

 

Ratchet folds naturally into his ambulance mode. It's a nice little ambulance that's naturally bare on details as paint tends to cost a little higher than a shoe string budget. What painted details he has though looks pretty good. Noticeably lighter in this mode, but still rolls fairly well. Or he did on the TV table I took this picture on. I had just eaten some leftover pizza. It was pretty good.

As far as these little discount Transformers go, Ratchet isn't too bad. It wasn't that long ago that a Transformer from a discount store was a bootleg that often broke in your hands upon opening it. An official toy for the same price is a good trade off. The line itself is a fun little side quest and a fun occasional diversion. Just neat enough for the price and simple to fiddle with while watching TV after eating leftover pizza. Which I did.

Transformers - Ratchet Movie Masterpiece Pre-Order

Transformers: Movie Masterpiece Series MPM-11 Autobot Ratchet

(Ages 8 and Up/Approx. Retail Price $119.99/ Available 11/1/2020)

Recreate your favorite Ratchet scene from the first Transformers movie with the new Movie Masterpiece Autobot Ratchet! The MPM-11 Autobot Ratchet figure completes the Autobots featured in the 2007 film. It is an authentic Transformers collectible figure inspired by the CAD files from the first Transformers film and includes die cast parts and 180 deco ops with over 35 points of articulation. The MPM-11 Autobot Ratchet figure stands at 7.5 inches in robot mode and converts into the movie-inspired officially licensed Hummer H2 SUV in 61 steps. The Hummer mode is modified for emergency duty with detailed rescue equipment mounted along the top of the vehicle including jaws of life, heavy equipment jack, prybar, and shovel. The figure features highly articulated hands, a moveable mouth, laser cannon, buzz saw and 2 missile arm attachment accessories.

Modeled after the Transformers live action movies, Movie Masterpiece authentic figures feature film-inspired details and accessories, ideal for displaying on collectors’ shelves. Available exclusively at Target.com and in-store 11/1/2020.

Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this news!

Grandpa Munster will fart for money

Al Lewis was a well known TV actor best known as Grandpa Munster. He was best known as Grandpa Munster as at some point he started doing literally ANYTHING as the character. Personally my favorite of this time was his stint on TBS's Super Scary Saturday hosting various horror and monster movies. Though in later years it got completely insane.

Who could blame him? Appear as his famous character and get paid. Easy money. This lead to various hotline commercials where he at some point started introducing himself as Grandpo regularly. After a while it got weird. The video above is a VHS release from 1989 where Grandpa hosts various trailers for Universal Monster movies dog shit drunk.

I rented the tape when I was a kid, hoping for more of that great TBS Saturday action... nope. What I got was Grandpa rambling to an off screen Igor, who was probably the guy with the camcorder, and tying it into the various trailers. There's a point where he clearly hits the wall and is just trying to stay awake. It's weird, it's bizarre, and yes I own it on DVD.

Form ratchet Devastator!

It occurred to me that many of you might have assembled your Constructicons from various thrift stores, loose seller boxes, or random bootleg toy sets. Assemble those mofo's into Devastator! Actually, if you've got a bunch of mismatched parts, even better! Know what? If you've got some Frankenstein creation of a Devastator, send me a pic (include a link or something for the pic) with some details and I'll highlight it here on Zone Base. I don't know just how many of those K.O set Devastators I have, but man there's a million! I've seen folks mix and match parts just to form a Devastator and it's usually great! I still regret not building that Walgreen's multicolored set from around 2003 (that joker was diecast!).