Transformers War for Cybertron; Kingdom Voyager Class Optimus Primal: Begun again, the Beast Wars have.

With the recent onslaught of G1, words can't even describe how refreshing it is for me to see the concept of Kingdom. The Maximals and Predacons' return, new versions of Beast Era characters, many not seen at general retail since the mid-2000s (if they're lucky). To celebrate this, I'm going to (for as long as I can) make a pattern of reviews. Autobot, Decepticon, Maximal, Predacon. The Arcee crew got the first Autobot review. Soundwave and his minions got the first Decepticon review. First Maximal review? Who else could it be than the big bot himself, Optimus Primal.

 
Starting in Alternate mode, though the gorilla mode isn't amazing, there's always going to be some sacrifices for the sake of the different modes, this is still an excellent gorilla mode. Primal gets it a bit easy, as it's a humanoid animal turning into a humanoid robot, the only kibble issues will be the legs. I'll admit getting the robot thighs to behave in gorilla mode is a struggle, but it's a minor issue compared to the rest of the toy. I love the sculpted fur on Primal, it looks great and helps him and the other Beast Wars characters stand out against their G1 wave mates. The muscle sculpting on the figure also helps give it a decent presence, even when standing still in basic poses, it feels alive. Due to the need to hide the robot thighs, the articulation is hindered in gorilla mode slightly, but I don't find it that much of an issue. Maybe it's because I don't need it to do a lot of drastic gorilla poses, but as I said, the all fours look has enough of a presence that it doesn't bother me.

                                            
Robot mode is an interesting beast, though. He's significantly shorter than many other recent Voyager Class figures, but unlike figures like Studio Series Scourge, there isn't a reasonable explanation for the size decrease. There are no large chunks of kibble that explain the size and the transformation is pretty simple, like WFC Tank Megatron. It even has a transformation like Tank Megs, where it's mostly moving large chunks of gorilla around. It's a situation similar to Earthrise Cliffjumper and Arcee, where you're unsure where the budget is going. Cliffjumper is probably the best comparison to make, though, as the size doesn't bother me. Scale wise; it fits in mostly well, Beast wars figures aren't going to scale well with G1 figures unless you want Micromasters. The smaller size combined with the more rugged plastic makes it feel larger then it is. I know this has been thrown around a lot when it comes to the War for Cybertron trilogy, along with the Studio Series 86 figures, but this does feel like a budget, mini-Masterpiece, as it does everything I want it to do. Articulation is excellent, with no sacrifices made to make it as poseable as possible (though I would have liked a swivel above the elbow for the sake of the gorilla mode. I love the fact that he comes with all of the hidden guns the original toy used to have, and they're all blast effects compatible. However, that does lead to a small flaw I have with the toy. I don't know if it's because I'm used to it or not, but I find it weird that aside from effects parts ports on the guns, Primal doesn't do the WFC gimmicks. He hasn't got weapon ports to plug any of the partformers like Cog, Black Rorichi, or even the new ones like Paleotrex. There aren't any blast effects spots in places to look like he's getting shot. At the time of writing this, I also have Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Paleotrex, and all of them are in a similar situation when it comes to the WFC gimmicks, but I'll go into details on those another time. Does this make Primal worse? Not really, it's just something odd that I'm noticing when it comes to these new Kingdom toys (for all I know, these gimmicks could be for the G1 figures).

It's great to have a representation of this character, of this version of Primal, done to such a high degree. Does it do everything the original toy did? No, but are you going to miss the mask and mace that never appeared in the cartoon? This wave of Kingdom has, to me at least, felt like the opening wave of Siege (minus the distribution issues Siege Wave 1 had here). A celebrity lineup of memorable-iconic G1 characters, and modern revivals of long-forgotten (at general retail) Beast Wars characters... along with a few outliers but that's beside the point. I was excited for Siege, and I'm excited for Kingdom because we're in for a great year of toys by the looks of it. If you can find him, definitely pick him up. He's a great representation of the character and a clear sign of what we're in for with Kingdom. Hopefully, the next review will be his counter, but if not, I have a few other Predacons to fill that hole.

Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Soundwave x2 (with minions): I'm done putting this one off.

I see you Takara Soundblaster, with your Mercenary badge, gorgeous black and red paint job, and your ability to store two Micromasters in your chest thanks to a window that sticks out awkwardly. I've got it on order, but I've wanted to do a review of Siege Soundwave for a while. I kept putting it off because new minions were announced, then obtained, then the Netflix one was announced while I was in an awkward "no real reason" hiatus. So know what? No. We're doing this! This review is long overdue!

We'll start by looking at the original version of the mould, a figure that suffers from the G1 toy being a Micro Change toy. How do you make a Soundwave toy that collectors will like while still having it be an exciting toy for kids? You try and turn Soundwave into an awkward Spaceship, with an Easter Egg lamp post mode. I think it goes without saying at this point that the original Siege Soundwave, and the Soundblaster as mentioned above in the intro of this review, do not have nice looking alternate modes. What's frustrating is that they're almost cool looking, with the only real issue I have with the modes themselves being the vents and thrusters' positions. They look like they're supposed to fold down and rest on the sides of the ship, instead than sticking out not doing anything. There's even a tab on the body doing nothing, and a slot in the thrusters that look like they line up perfectly. But with the way the hinge pieces were designed, they physically can't get to that point, there's an intentional stopper, why? What's the point? Was the storage for that one grey gun that looked like it was meant to go to Siege Megatron anyway (to the fact that most people gave their Siege Megatron that gun) that important? As for the lampost mode? It's neat that they include it as a nod to G1, Season 1, Episode 1, Scene 1, but it looks even dumber than the space ship. I usually groan when I see people try and force Megatron toys into having a gun mode, or Soundwaves into a cassette player mode. But when you've got two bad modes already, is it any wonder why people were making parts specifically to turn it into the cassette player?

So it should come as no surprise that Hasbro eventually made one that turned into the Cassette player. Released for the Netflix Siege line, Netflix Soundwave (a heavy retool of the Siege Soundwave) does look like an excellent Mini Cassette player, but only from the front. Due to it being a retooling, the mode does not look good from the sides or back. I don't find this to be that big of a problem though, mostly because it is a retool. It wasn't going to have Masterpiece levels of panel management to hide the arms better. It looks great from the front, and it does look a lot better than the Siege one being twisted and contorted into a cassette player. For what we got, I think it's great.

Why was the alt mode vital? Because it doesn't make sense for a spaceship to drop rectangles out the back. Through the power of Micromasters, This version of Soundwave has minions! Between the two years of toylines, Soundwave has eight rectangle minions that he can store in his chest, have out deployed in their robot/ animal modes, or wear as shields because Micromasters had to have weapon modes for War for Cybertron. So to quickly give them mini-reviews:

• Siege Laserbeak: Siege Laserbeak is probably the best of the lot because it looks good in all its modes. It doesn't feel like anything was compromised when designing the toy to pull off everything it needed. I love the detail on the wings, and I especially love the fact that the blast effects ports on the back mean you can pull off a hilarious rocket bird mode. You can also have Laserbeak perched on Soundwave's arm. While it does make the feet look big, it's a minor complaint and adds stability—a great companion piece for Soundwave.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Siege Ravage: It's a shame though that his packmate is terrible. Siege Ravage does not look good in cat mode. The cat legs look awkward. Paint is excellent, I like the purple along the back, and the red eyes look cool, but due to the size, the legs look too bulky for something that's supposed to be a sleek, stealthy predator. There's a reason mine usually live inside Soundwave's chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Netflix Laserbeak and Ravage: Packed in with Netflix Soundwave, they're both the same, with the only noticeable differences being the paint applications (in an attempt at being more G1 toy accurate) and both having new heads. Pretty much everything I could say about these two has been covered when looking at their general retail release predecessors. The only reason I bring them up separately though is because I wish these two were Buzzsaw and Howlback. Out of the regular minions for Soundwave (trust me, he gets some weird ones in the toys), Buzzsaw is the only one missing, which is odd because the original partner he came with back in 1984 was Buzzsaw. Considering how hard the Laserbeak and Ravage shelf warmed, I'm surprised they didn't take the chance to repaint them and fill in those minion gaps, as anyone who wanted the Netflix Soundwave likely already had Laserbeak and Ravage. Were people that desperate for G1 heads for them?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Siege Ratbat and Generations Selects Wingthing: Though the rectangle mode for these two does look bad, the bat modes look great, like Micromaster Batterangs (and thus concludes obligatory Batman reference). The only real complaints I have are Wingthing's missing paint applications (not sure why), and the fact that the post for plugging them into bigger bots isn't in an excellent position to have them be flying on display. You could probably pull something off, but the back-mounted port does look awkward to work around.
  
  
  
  
  Above image was sourced from https://thelastgherkin.tumblr.com/post/628351249459331072/generations-selects-soundwave-spy-patrol-3rd-unit (it was the only image of that half of the Generations Selects pack I could find)
  
  
• Siege Rumble and Generations Selects Frenzy: No, I'm not going into which one is which, these are what they're called on the box, regardless of if I agree with them or not, that's what I'm calling them for this review. For a pair of mini humanoid robots, they're alright. I think the hips are a bit too wide, and the thighs too short, but I wasn't expecting much out of these two, especially when it comes to articulation, as none of the Micromasters has had strong articulation. No pile drivers for either of them, but with blast effects ports on their hands, they can pull off some hilarious overkill pyrotechnics. Paint on their chests though is very weak, as both of mine have been chipping off over time. It sucks, but at least with Siege, you can pass that off as battle damage.

Soundwave's robot mode is extremely basic when compared to other Transformers. A good G1 Soundwave doesn't have kibble, and credit where it's due for both versions, they're very clean transformations, with the only notable instances of kibble being the landing skids on both versions arms. Moving these two around is an absolute delight, thanks to the sturdy joints (a little too sturdy in the case of my Netflix Soundwave's shoulders). You can even fudge your way into them pressing their eject buttons to deploy the minions inside. Head sculpt is frustrating on both of them, because while I love the detailing on the Siege Soundwave, they went for the toy accurate yellow yes, which I'm not a fan of. While on the Netflix one, it has the red eyes and a simpler, more cartoon accurate head sculpt. Why did that need to get remoulded? Thanks to the C.O.M.B.A.T port gimmick of Siege, both versions can store all the minions on them. I've got all the minions with Netflix Soundwave, and what I tend to do with the pointless pipe gun that looks awful as a gun, and even worse when combining his actual firearms. What I do is that I use it as a makeshift flight stand for Laserbeak, plugging it onto Soundwave's back so that it looks like the bird is flying over him.

If you can't find a Netflix Soundwave on the shelf, I still think the toy's original Siege version is an excellent representation of Soundwave. The reason to get the Netflix one is if you absolutely must have a G1 faithful version of Soundwave that scales with your other Generations Figures. It's like trying to decide which War for Cybertron Optimus Prime you should get. Both are excellent toys, and there's no definitive answer to which one is objectively better or worse. I hope that we get a Blaster in the future. While I don't think the Ravage mould would work for Steeljaw, I could see them getting a great Ramhorn out of it, and all they'd need to do for Rewind and Eject is change the deco on Frenzy and Rumble. It would also be an excuse to get the missing Buzzsaw and Howlback (Spy Patrol 4th unit anyone?). Blaster did play a decent role in the 86 movie, after all. Just saying, it could happen. This toy is a significant improvement over the Titans Return one, a great figure to add to your Decepticon army.

Transformers War for Cybertron Earthrise Arcee, Netflix Siege Elita-1 and Galactic Odyssey Paradron Medics Lifeline: Oh dear...

 Is it just me, or does it feel like we're regressing? I applaud Hasbro and Takara for them adding more female characters to the franchise and giving them more toys, but I'd be lying if I said they were doing a good job at it lately. The problems mostly come from the execution of the toys themselves, primarily by kibble management, and a barrage of repaints. I can cut Victorion and Megatronia some slack as "repaint spamming" was the subtitle of Combiner Wars. The three girls of Titans Return were all unique in their own ways, even with two of them sharing Blurr's mould, Power of the Primes was when it felt like they were taking the piss with it. A fembot combiner with limb bots that were the same toy, just with different colour pallets, with alt mode junk slapped onto their backs in a hideous way (which says something for a Combiner Wars styled limb bot). That mould got retooled into Tentakill and Scylla for Pirahnacon and God Neptune, which somehow made the alt mode junk look even more slapdash. The mould got retooled into Siege Chromia (and then repainted into Nightbird for Generations Selects), and like before, she had kibble issues! Siege Chromia is a figure where they could have addressed the backpack issues if they remembered the problem fans had with her last toy (Generations Chromia, a retool of Transformers Prime Arcee), and let people use the windscreen as a shield. Now in Earthrise, where they at least made a new Fembot mould, that allows you to do something with a large chunk of the backpack, but at a cost. Earthrise Arcee, a figure many consider to be one of the worst toys in the Earthrise line, not that it saved her from getting two repaints.

Usually, I start these reviews in Alt mode and then go into Robot mode. However, in this case, I think it's best to start with the reason for the flaws, before going into the flaws themselves. The robot modes themselves look ok. The parts that are the robot look quite good, with solid articulation that's serviceable, although I do find it odd that they don't have wrist swivels. Paint applications on Arcee though are ok except for her face, in that she doesn't have any paint on it (except for her eyes), which makes the detailing on it look fuzzy, unfocused. Granted, the white face is G1 accurate, but like the Siege Rainmakers, G1 accurate isn't always a good thing. Paint though is something that Lifeline improves on, sporting pretty much all the same paint applications as Arcee does in robot mode, but also has some colour on her face and head to help break up the giant chunk of white and make it look more like a face and not a ball with blue eyes. I also appreciate the fact that Elita-1 isn't a full repaint, as the torso, shoulders, and head are all original for this toy, giving her a different presence compared to her pink and green sisters in arms. However, for some reason, all three get tiny pistols moulded in the same plastic as their windscreens, which looks terrible. Instead of a way to store them on their hips, they plug into their strangely defined asses... make of that what you will. Unfortunately, though, that's where the positives (and in the case of weapons and storage, questionable choices) end.

A G1 faithful Arcee was always going to have some form of a backpack on her; it's more a matter of how large it would be and what you can do with it. Unfortunately, the Earthrise Arcee mould has an awful backpack on her, regardless of the version of the toy you have. The entire car mode is crushed onto her back if you choose not to parts-forming anything. It looks ugly, and even when removing the part that you can, the entire back half of the car, you're still stuck with something that looks bolted onto her back, but does at least look better, all it would need is a few extra joints to compress it a bit more. If the sides had hinges on them so that the backpack (not counting the back of the car) could create a triangle-like shape with the car hood's headlight sections, I think that would have gone a long way to help to improve the backpacks. If you do detach the car's back though, you can fold out some panels and turn them into hoverboards for the girls. Yes, this is dumb. Maybe if they did more to make these look like actual vehicles and not just the backs of cars, perhaps this could have worked. At most though, these are subpar stands that you can use to have the girls do poses on (though my Lifeline does have slightly weak hips, however, that's more of a minor QC issue with my copy of the toy).

As for the car modes, they're not great. For the sake of a shell forming transformation (when the alt mode wraps around the robot mode), the three cars look boxy, something that goes against the design of Arcee's alt mode, a rounded, sleek futuristic space convertible. What doesn't help is that due to the car mode being nothing but panels, it doesn't hold together securely compared to any other Carformer in recent memory. Elita's is probably the worst of the three due to paint, or a lack thereof for the car's back. Still, when the only thing making a car better is paint (the winner of that once again going to Lifeline, with Arcee coming a close second as the only thing missing is some grey on the sides), you know you've got an awful alternate mode. I can forgive a bad alternate mode if the robot mode is great, it's why I can give a pass to stuff like Siege Soundwave and his rectangle pooping spaceship mode. These three are why I think G1 Arcee needs a massive, modernized redesign, something that tries to incorporate the car mode into the robot mode. The G1 cartoon design was not designed to be a toy; it was intended solely for animation in the cartoon and movie. While they've been able to do accurate cartoon designs for the other movie characters, Arcee has consistently failed due to varying degrees of awful kibble management. Sure, Masterpiece and Third-Party companies have come close, but I genuinely think it is impossible to pull off a completely cartoon accurate robot mode that also transforms. The feminine physique first, transformers second thing for the fembots needs to stop. They're great characters and deserve great toys. Stop designing them like Transformers Cybertron's Thunderblast, where the kibble blatantly looks like kibble.

The frustrating thing is that I wanted to like this mould. I've wanted a G1 Arcee to add to my collection. She was one of the final members of the 86 movie crew that I was missing having a version of. I also wanted a better version of Elita-1, and though I wish it were taller, upscaled to stand closer to Optimus' height, it wasn't something I was expecting out of this. Why did I get Lifeline? Because I like seeing novelty characters get new figures, and even if I wasn't the biggest fan of the original toy, it is nice at least to have a version of Lifeline in my collection. I know this mould had potential, it's not a lost cause, especially as people are customizing Arcee to ditch the backpack to give her a better looking back in exchange for losing the car mode. What makes this frustrating is that these three are tiny compared to other deluxe class figures in the line when it comes to plastic mass. You'd think there would have been more room in the budget to do things like better compressing the mandatory backpack, or giving something to the back of the car to make it look more like a hoverboard, but there isn't. They're not compatible with the War for Cybertron play patterns either, as none of them have any decent weapon ports (save for on their feet), nor do they have any blast effects plugs in robot mode, with the only two meant more for the hoverboard gimmick. There were just enough cut corners to turn this from passable, to frustrating.

I can see why people are keeping the old Generations or Takara Legends one if you're wondering why there aren't any comparisons to it, it's because I don't own one. The only comparison I could make is Elita with her Power of the Primes version, and that's not a reasonable comparison to make. Arcee is getting a reissue in Kingdom. If you're desperate for a representation of them, they'll do, but you can do better for Arcee and Lifeline (according to the community). Elita though? This figure is the best version of her so far, which is a depressing thing to think about, considering her status in the franchise. A leader in her own right, a character gaining a lot of attention recently thanks to the Netflix seasons, and the best representation in plastic that she has is a repaint of one of Arcee's worst G1 toys.

Top 10 Transformers figures of 2020

 *insert obligatory "2020 was a awful year" joke here

 

Now that 2020 is over, I thought it might be fun to look back on what has been, because while reviews haven't really happened this year, my collection did keep growing. Delayed? Yes, but here's hoping that this can kick off consistent reviews again, here are the top 10 best figures I got in 2020... which all came out IN 2020, as I didn't really get anything older last year...

10. Netflix Nemesis Prime

 

This feels like a steal in terms of value in the box, considering all the accessories you get in it, along with a black repaint of Siege Optimus Prime. The weapons once exclusive to the Power of the Primes Nemesis Prime along with Earthrise Optimus Prime's trailer, some Energon cubes and even a Battle Master that I'll get into later in the list for $120 AUD and the stink of unnecessary Play-Doh? Nemesis Prime is a character that gets my attention at the moment mostly because I like black repaints of Optimus Prime, there's just a intimidation factor to it that I don't think other designs for Evil Optimus Primes capture. My one complaint though with this figure comes from the reuse of Power of the Primes accessories. Though the Nemesis Prime Takara put out (which I almost got this year, but cancelled when the Pandemic struck in order to help cover the cost of the Seacons) has the better looking sword, the Power of the Primes swords aren't the issue for me, it's the arm cannons. They're too big, and barely fit into the trailer, certainly can't fit onto the weapon ports inside the trailer. If vehicle mode storage was more reliable then "try and squeeze all these bits of plastic in the box", this would have been put even higher on my list. 

9. Generations Selects Lobclaw

 

Representing both sets of Seacons, the one member missing from God Neptune. If you're sick of Combiner Wars styled combiners, then you're not going to like the Seacons, but that being said, it's nice to get a Combiner Wars team that feels complete in terms of gear. Lobclaw/ Nautilator is the stand out of the team, even if the Lobster legs don't want to stay in place in beast mode, mainly due to the use of Blot's mould for the foundation. It's a shame he never got a white repaint in God Neptune, as it was way better Overbite. Granted the name Sea Phantom is kinda badass.

8. Studio Series Scrapper

 

From one combiner crew to another, Studio Series Scrapper is probably the one member of Devastator that I can recommend on his own, because he isn't compromised that much in order to do the combined mode. Granted, he still suffers from the overly designed issues that plague the live action movie characters and his proportions are a too leg focused, but the excavator mode looks great. I do wish his wrecking ball hand was a normal hand with the wrecking ball whip as a accessory, as it looks more like a odd looking claw in robot mode rather then a weapon.

7. Earthrise Slitherfang

 

How did this become a thing? Not that I'm complaining, I think this is amazing, but just imagining the pitch for this guy. "Ok, so the new Battle Masters are going to be roads and shields, right? What if one of them turned into a snake?". I don't have much to say about this one because the Battle Masters are so basic, but the idea of a chunk of road turning into a giant snake is kind of amazing. This Battlemaster got repainted into Fangtron for the previously mentioned Netflix Nemesis Prime, which honestly further drives home the idea that the person who designed this works in the GI Joe team and snuck the design in. Question though, why aren't there official Transformers that turn into GI Joe vehicles? Hasbro, you're underestimating the interest this crossover would have. Make the vehicles generic Autobots and Decepticons and you have Army building the toyline.

6. Generations Selects Black Rorichi

 

The Decepticons pulled off the Weaponizer gimmick a lot better then the Autobots did. Though I have enjoyed the Modulators that have released this year, to the point that next year I'll be able to make my own take on the Micromaster Rocket Base, even with a Countdown I bought off a Omega Supreme owner who didn't want it, there's something sattisfying about a robot that turns into giant guns for another robot. Originally I was going to skip this guy, as I picked up Fasttrack and was enjoying him, plus considering as I don't own a Earthrise Skorponok, the chances of me owning a modern to of Black Zarak are insanely low. But this and Doublecrosser qualified for free shipping, and Rorichi is tons better then Fasttrack. So much so that I've considered getting a few more Fasttracks to army build Rorichi's drones from Super-God Masterforce. I just hope that this one is more durable then his original toy was.

5. Earthrise Sky Lynx

 

Like many, I thought the last we'd see of Sky Lynx was Combiner Wars. He is the biggest outlier in the G1 roster when it comes to a "Where did this come from?", both in concept and the toy itself looking nothing like any other figure in the G1 toyline. It seemed unlikely that they'd make a modern version that could pull off all the modes, that he'd be stuck as a new Combiner torso due to the sheer size of him. Well, it turns out he can survive in the modern day as (almost, there's no motor walking gimmick) his original self. In fact, he can thrive! It just makes me smile whenever I look at it, because it is such a stupid idea done so beautifully. He's a pain in the ass to store, don't get me wrong, but considering as this may never happen again, I'm willing to give it to him. Fitting that his space shuttle is called the Magnificence.

4. Earthrise Ramjet

 

This team was way harder to complete then it needed to be. I've probably spent way too much on trying to complete a Seeker Squad this year, something that many would say I still haven't because I haven't got Red Wing and the Rainmakers from Siege (maybe someday? but G1 accurate... not always a good thing!). Though Thrust didn't make the deadline (not that he would have made it anyway if I'm being honest), the best of the 5 that I did get this year would have to be Ramjet, if for nothing else then the fact that I can fold his wings forward, meaning he doesn't take up as much room when in Robot mode. They're all solid, and great if you don't have the Classics Seekers, just... be ready for the continued barrage of repaints.

3. Studio Series Jazz: 

 

Time to flex a little for anyone overseas who reads this (at least it would have been if I got this out at the start of the month like I intended). Australia seems to have gotten Studio Series 1986 first, and after picking up all three Deluxes, and the two Voyagers of the sub-series, all I can say is that if this is a indicator of where they're going with SS86, I'm excited! Paint and plastic matching isn't great on it, though it's not a deal-breaker for me as the plastic matching is only noticeable in Daylight, and the paint matching is hidden away in robot mode. Definitely worth getting this one, especially if you're a fan of Jazz.

2. Alternate Universe Optimus Prime

 I couldn't find any good pics of it as a corpse, so here it is as a Zombie!

 Or to give it the toys real name, Dead Prime. Though I still really enjoy the Siege version of Optimus Prime, it's hard to deny that the Earthrise one is a step up in terms of engineering. They're both as good as each other, but when comparing the versions of the Earthrise one that are out there, Dead Prime is the one I find the more interesting of the two I personally own (the two Leader versions, sorry Shattered Glass fans... for now...). It's rare to get novelty repaints of Optimus that aren't Nemesis Prime in general retail, and I think the first time Dead Prime has gotten a general retail toy. With the influx of 86 movie characters coming soon, it's a great figure to include with them.

Before getting to Number 1, some honorable mentions:

• Earthrise Doubledealer: It's the thighs that kill this figure for me. I can live with the hollow legs, that was done for Transformation, though I wish there was something trying to cover it. The thighs though that are a problem, he's too short! It's a shame because he's so close to becoming a great modernization of Doubledealer. It's nice though that his Powermasters got a release in Generations Selects, credit where it's due at least.
  
  
  
  
  
• Earthrise Runabout and Runamuck: I have a soft spot for Z list nobodies. The Battlechargers were not good toys from what I can tell. Better then the Jumpstarters, but that's not saying much. Their Earthrise figures do look good though, not great, I think Runamuck should have had Orange somewhere in the colours to help break up the white plastic and white paint, but that's a minor complaint. I love the fact though that they can pull of the G1 toy accurate robot modes though, very nice touch.
  
  
  
  
  
• Generations Selects Rotorstorm: Why has it taken this long to get a new Rotorstorm? The original toy is one of the coolest looking Helicopter Transformers I've seen, the fact that it took a repaint of Siege Spinister to get a new Rotorstorm is absurd! Still, love the Spinister mold, and once I found some 3D printed blasters that replicated his Turbomaster canons, he just got better. This doesn't excuse the fact that this is a repaint, maybe someday the Turbomasters can get new toys. Maybe Hasbro are waiting for all the Thunderclashes to be destroyed by Gold Plastic Syndrome...
  
  
  
  
  
• Studio Series Kup: Though I wish the front of the car that made up his chest poked out a bit more in robot mode, I don't have many complaints about this guy. Head looks great in person, I love the accessories he comes with, I just wish a Battlemaster Flintlock existed so I could give him his Targetmaster.
  
  
  
  
  
• Masterpiece Hound: So... funny story behind this one, I won it as a raffle prize drawn New Years Eve on a Facebook group I'm a part of... Though I didn't get a choice in prizes as my number was the last one called in the Skippie, so I got last dibs on prizes, some how I've ended up with one of a few MP Hounds that is still in one piece. How that happened is beyond me, though a part of me still wishes I got that Blackarachnia... oh well, at least Kingdom will give me some exposure to the Beasts outside of Transmetal Primal.
  
  
  
  
  
• Earthrise Quintesson Judge: All I can really say about them is "how did this get green-lit to go into production?"
  

 And for the best figures I got in 2020...

1. Studio Series Scourge and Hot Rod: 

 

I couldn't decide which was better, both are amazing interpretations of the characters for two different reasons. I love the engineering that went into Hot Rod, along with how effortless he is to pose. Being perfectly honest, he's the main reason I hope those rumors of a Commander Class Rodimus are fake, I just don't think we need a Rodimus that's that big (or more accurately, I don't know if he needs a giant trailer that fits the Leader class sized bot part, can't it be a Leader that turns into the car and trailer like what DX9 did?). Tangent aside, those Scourge is the lesser of the two in terms of complexity, he always has a strong presence to him, so much so that I'm actively considering getting more of him to make a Sweeps squad of that mould, even though I still have a Titans Return Scourge, and 5 of the Generations Bomber (thank you to whoever it was on Facebook selling all of those bombers in a cheap lot). It makes me really excited to get Kingdom Cyclonus, and see what Galvatron will eventually look like. 2021 looks to be a exciting year for Transformers.

 I plan to catch up on proper 2020 reviews, mixing them in with reviews of the 2021 figures, hopefully this year won't be as barron content wise as the last. Coming up though as the next review? A look at a mould that many consider one of the worst of Earthrise... Surf's up?