Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom Commander Class Rodimus Prime: You just always have to be controversial, don't you?

 I don't know if it's a bad habit of mine or a bad habit Hasbro has developed, but "Rodimus Prime" and "Controversy" seem to go hand in hand. The managerial plans for the 1986 Transformers animated movie are well known in the community. In an attempt to tie replacing stocked characters on shelves with a shift of the main cast in media, Hasbro tried to get kids to like a replacement for Optimus Prime. A new leader for the Autobots would rise in the form of Rodimus Prime, with commercials even teasing Optimus's demise. However, that plan became tainted by people blaming Rodimus for Optimus's death in the movie. Power of the Primes was, by comparison, far less controversial, but many hated how the execution of the gimmick was handled for him and his black repaint: Rodimus Unicronus. Unwanted Visible hands in two of the three modes, trailer kibble on the back, Hot Rod's thighs awkwardly acting as shoulders for Rodimus, there was just a lack of polish in the overall toy. It just felt clunky compared to how effortless his wave mate, Optimus Prime, handled the gimmick (though I think we can all agree that Optimal Optimus managed it the worst). Now it's not a matter of engineering, but something else entirely. To begin rounding out this pseudo, unofficial series of reviews celebrating the 1986 movie, let's look at the chosen one who crushed the dreams of many a child in 1986. Arise Rodimus Prime!

Before covering the toy, let's cover the controversy first: The Size class. As mentioned in the Hot Rod review, one thing Hasbro has been doing is making toys that scale with a size class but selling them at a larger size class due to enhanced engineering. For Studio Series 86 Hot Rod, he was a Deluxe Class sized toy but sold as a Voyager, a somewhat frustrating but easy to ignore element as the toy was $15 more (based on recommended retail price). Another thing Hasbro has been doing is releasing Voyagers with a lot of accessories and calling them Leader Class toys (for example, Earthrise Optimus Prime and his trailer). What's causing the controversy here is that Kingdom Rodimus does both of these, which stands out badly when you consider that he's the third ever Commander Class toy, and the price jump from Leader to Commander is more significant than the jump from Deluxe to Voyager. When he was officially revealed, people were furious at him because he is a Voyager Class toy with Leader Class engineering sold at a Commander Class price primarily because of the trailer. It was a hard pill to swallow compared to the previous two Commander Class toys, Jetfire in the Siege toyline and Sky Lynx in Earthrise. As someone who acknowledges the need for the trailer for car mode, but was hoping it would be something more along the lines of a third party take on Rodimus Prime, DX9's Carry (where the robot was the entire vehicle and not just the car), it was something I wasn't overly impressed with at first either, especially for the recommended retail price of $150. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be too hard to find him on sale, and with the Christmas Season sales beginning soon, it'll likely be even easier to see him for cheaper. I bring all of this up now because I will be making critiques of this toy with the understanding of its full RRP (even though I got it for a little over $120).

Looking at the Space Winnebago mode (because no one knows what this is supposed to be), this has one thing over the Power of the Primes toy: The look of the detachable car modes. Due to PotP's car needing to look more like Hot Rod's car mode while still connecting to become Rodimus, the car mode didn't look like a car, more so a doorstopper with wheels. The sleek curves of Hot Rod's car mode seemed too flat, which meant that I often kept both Rodimus Prime and Rodimus Unicronus in either Combined Vehicle mode or Combined Robot mode (because the robot mode for Hot Rod was also rubbish). Kingdom Rodimus' detachable car still looks like a car, but for those looking for it to look more like Hot Rod's car, you're going to be disappointed as now we have an opposite situation. The car mode has a lot more bulk to it now, but I find it fitting for Rodimus Prime. It's a car mode that trades speed for power, not only to lug the trailer around but to move around any terrain. It's a car mode that invokes the power of Optimus's truck mode while still having Hot Rod's sense of speed. 

When plugged into the trailer, the overall combination is fine, but I wish some elements were a bit more refined. One of the most significant elements of this is the prominent quality control issue most people have with this toy: the trailer is not shut. I've not found any conclusive fixes to this, the one I've personally been using is wrapping a rubber band around the front for a few weeks, but while that has mostly worked for me, it doesn't seem to be a definitive fix. I wish there were more locking points for the sealed trailer to secure the two sides better. Another minor design element that I wish was different is the overall size of the trailer. I find the car spoiler poking out the sides to look awkward, mainly because it causes a visible gap in the smokestacks that are meant to connect to the car's engine (based on the intended sculpting). I wish either the trailer was a little wider, or there was a way for the car spoiler to compress in a little to try and hide it. A nice addition the trailer does have is a Masterpiece styled accessories tray, intended to hold three specific effects parts (two smoke effects for the smokestacks and a "light our darkest hour" Matrix illumination effect). An otherwise useless compartment in the front of the trailer is ideal for storing some of the smaller blast effects. The main section of the trailer can hold either an Autobot car or the sentry turret alongside Rodimus's gun and sword, giving the overall set a nice amount of playability, especially when compared to Optimus and Ultra Magnus' truck modes. 

For me, though, the robot mode is where Rodimus shines. While the overall execution of Studio Series 86, Hot Rod was less than ideal thanks to tolerances and quality control, the same can't be said for Rodimus. The transformation is one of, if not the best in the trilogy. The tolerances are balanced so perfectly that they're effortless to move but sturdy enough to hold any position. The sculpting on the plastic is beautiful. But the use of paint is probably the weakest element of this. I'm not a fan of moulding large chunks of Transformers just to recolour it with paint completely. The leading cause of this view is figures like Power of the Primes Jazz and Kingdom Tracks having the mass majority of their cars painted transparent plastic just for the sake of the windscreen). Thankfully Rodimus isn't as egregious as those examples; the spoiler was moulded with the same plastic as the windscreen. However, I can't tell what colour plastic the thighs are underneath all the orange. This isn't a judge of the quality of the paintwork itself. Everything yellow and orange on the robot mode is painted plastic. Nevertheless, the overall effect is impressive; the issue mainly comes down to questionable plastic sprew organization, an issue not limited to Rodimus.

As with SS86 Hot Rod and Earthrise Optimus before him, the smaller size but higher price tag does give him extra points of articulation, making him one of the most agile Transformers mainline has seen in a long time. The articulation is on par with what many expect from a Masterpiece Transformer toy, with the only thing missing being an ab crunch. I can easily see an upscaled version of this working well as a Masterpiece stands in for Rodimus. With my copy of the toy, I noticed that I don't see many bringing up the new Matrix of Leadership. This isn't the same Matrix that comes with Earthrise Optimus Prime and SS86 Hot Rod. It looks to have been the same CAD file, just shrunk down to allow it to fit in Rodimus' chest. Unfortunately this means that the same issues I had with Optimus' Matrix also holds for Rodimus; in fact, it's even worse here because it's even smaller. Another minor nitpick for me is the size of the sword; I wish it were bigger. It would make a great sword for a Deluxe Class toy to hold, but figures can only hold it with the ability to open their hands. 

It's hard to deny that this is a good toy; any issues I have with it on its own are minor issues at best. But the question of cost does need to come back again. Yes, it is a good toy, but I don't think it's worth $150. He lacks the presence of the other two Commander Class toys, and if you're not someone who'll be displaying him in his alt mode, or actively playing with him, most of the cost of the toy will feel like a waste of money. Would people have bought a Rodimus Prime that was just the car? Probably not because the trailer is a part of the look of G1 Rodimus Prime. It's not as easy to ignore as Optimus Prime's Trailer. Not having it would be like releasing a G1 Ultra Magnus that's just the truck cab, a nice novelty maybe, he is a nice easy repaint of Optimus after all, but for what many people know as Ultra Magnus, he needs to have the car carrier trailer. It was a no-win situation on the design team, and it was always going to cause some controversy. What might have helped was if there was more of a definition to what Commander Class as a concept is, even if it was a second Commander Class figure in Kingdom as a way of saying, "This class can be for either semi big characters or smaller characters with a lot more engineering". After all, one of the reasons why Cliffjumper's height didn't cause more issues was because his wave mates included Wheeljack and Hoist. If rumours are true, then the definition of the class will continue to change as it's looking like 2022's Commander Class figure is going to be Motormaster, which would technically blend the "Big impressive bot" and "smaller but with a lot more engineering" definitions together. Time will tell how that experiment goes for them. As for next week? Well, who else could it be other than Megatron's replacement?

G.I. Joe Classified Cobra Island Major Bludd: Really trying to break that first boss stigma aren't ya Bluddy?

Due to my lack of knowledge about broader points on the franchise, particularly the "A Real American Hero" era, some characters get a lot of attention, but I struggle to grasp why. Jinx is one, but that's because I've only seen her in the original G.I. Joe movie, where her gimmick was that she was a lousy fighter unless she was blindfolded. While she's more interesting in shows like G.I. Joe Renegades, the original source wasn't that interesting for me. I bring this up because Major Bludd is another one of those characters. He's somewhat interesting in later interpretations (though I struggle to remember much about them), but he came off as a very "First Boss" member of Cobra in the original cartoon. Brock from Pokemon Gen 1, the wrecking ball from Sonic 1, Wispy Woods from Kirby, bosses you remember existing, but don't leave much of an impression because they're the first boss. When he was leaked for Classified (remind me to do a post at some point talking about Hasbro leaks if it interests you because I've got stuff to say, but it may not be interesting), it was a fitting inclusion, but one I probably would have skipped if I didn't know of an easy way to get Classified Figures imported. So, how's the serious, adult collector reboot treating you Cut Man? 

Sculpting wise, Bludd is an interesting figure when compared to other figures in the line. Design-wise, he looks to be a take on the original design run through the same filter as the v6 version from 2005. Going into this review, I thought the cybernetic right arm was an introduction for this design of the character. Still, it looks like it was a part of the original toy (just more visibly shown as a robotic arm and not just an unpainted black arm). Bludd has the feel of a front line trooper in terms of design; he has more body armour and protection on him when compared to other Cobra leaders. I love how the body armour is designed; it's refreshing seeing an extra layer over the torso that doesn't block the ab crunch. It makes him look far more dynamic when compared to figures that limit that joint. The robot arm is also very nicely detailed, thanks to an aggressive feeling sculpting the "metal" plates look like muscle, and even sculpting under the shoulder pad to explain how the arm would move if it were real. Unfortunately, on my copy of the toy, the ratchet in the joint is exceptionally stiff, and I've barely gotten it to move outward. It's not an inherent deal-breaker, as any position I want to replicate can be faked without it; it's just a minor blemish on the quality control. 

While I like the look of the base figure, I'm not as sold on his accessories, though. The two guns look great, and the helmet looks good while it's on him (it would, however, be nice if it worked similar to Lady Jaye's hat to make it more secure on him), everything else is a bit of a miss for me. The dog tags I find to be entirely redundant, and I often leave them off. The backpack with the rockets is the biggest oddity for me. You can plug the rockets into one of the two guns, but because the gun is designed like a handgun, it looks awkward when it's got a rocket on the end of it, doubling its length. Is the pack meant to be like Mandolorian jetpacks, and the rockets are meant to fire from the backpack? If so, couldn't there be some better way to secure them because breathing on them will knock them out. The accessories are based on the original toy, but I don't think these do a good job replicating them because the gun from those toys looks like it's more of a, to put it the best way I can, a rocket crossbow launcher without the bow. Here, the rockets look like an optional form of ammo, and it makes the launcher look awkward as a result. The gun makes for a great looking firearm but an awful looking rocket launcher. This is one figure I'm content with not having completely geared up.

While the core of the toy, Major Bludd himself, is excellent, some elements could have taken a bit longer to perfect, to improve. However, I can see why many people like him; Bludd would likely make my top 10 of the Classified line so far. The best of the line so far? I'm not convinced of yet, but part of that comes from not knowing who would be that "best of Classified 2021". That list will come, but I have two more G.I Joe reviews to get through this year first. The focus of those reviews is up to you (as I doubt any new products will make it here in time). Your choice of Joes are: Scarlet, Flint, Lady Jaye, Breaker, and Commando Snake Eyes with Timber. For Cobra, your options are Destro, Zartan, Cobra's army builders and The Baroness. You have until my next upload, which will cover the Pulsecon reveals that interest me. That will be next week's post, but the following review will be one I wanted to do months ago, but delays got in the way. Rodimus Prime!

Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom Deluxe Class Predacon Scorponok: "What happened here?"

If there is one thing that has been nice about Kingdom, it's the focus on getting the Season 1 Beast Wars characters. Though there is a gap so far in the form of Tarantulus and Inferno, rumour has it that we'll be getting them next year. Unfortunately for all the good figures, some will be worse, though "absolutely terrible" is in the eyes of the beholder. For every Blackarachnia, there's going to be one like today's subject, where the issues come more from how you prioritize elements of Transformers. From Second in Command of the Predacons to nameless cannon fodder, and now to this. This year has not been kind to you, has it Scorponok?

 
I want to start the review of the beast mode with the most significant issue and the cause of the title: the Scorpion legs. I remember when they revealed the Kingdom toy line and talked about the first wave of toys, they said they spent a lot of time getting the tolerances right for Blackarachnia's spider legs. Even though they're ball joints, they're tight and nicely support her weight in spider mode (this even holds true with her Buzzworthy Bumblebee repaint). Scorponok doesn't get that luxury. In comparison, his beast mode is severely compromised, with the legs being the starting point. The legs feel hollow; the ball joints are loose; the scorpion legs themselves don't support the robot's weight. That title goes to the opened up chest with a robot leg stuffed into it. Usually, with Transformers waves, some compromises are made to figures to make others better. That's the perception of the situation, at least. I don't know if that holds here because I can't see where the compromises went too. Scorponok's wave includes a reissue of Earthrise Wheeljack, Fossilizer Wingfinger, and Autobot Tracks, none of which feel like the cause for the compromises. Is it because they knew the legs were never going to support the robot? Maybe. One day I hope to review the original Beast Wars Scorponok as the way it handled robot mass is extremely different. It would have been nice if they could have worked that engineering into the new toy, but that might not have been feasible at a Deluxe budget. There is also a third party one intended for a Legends Class Scale display that might also get a review later to see how well the bot junk is handled. While the underside of the beast mode isn't great, the top is really good. It's why the issues involving legs sting that much more. Once again, the texture work on the plastic is fantastic, adding to the creepy crawly feel of the figure. It's a shame that it's so static, with things like the tail not having a lot of articulation points without taking the other robot leg out of the tail. Overall, not a good beast mode. The positives bring it back a bit, but it feels like a letdown compared to others in the line. Does the robot mode do it better? 

It's complicated. In robot mode, Scorponok falls into a similar situation as Siege and Kingdom Ultra Magnus. He's in scale with other Predacons and has a design based on artwork from the original figure's box. But to some, it doesn't feel right, as evident by the thigh extension upgrades you can buy that make the legs into a glorified stand for the Scorpion. For me, the legs aren't the issue for the robot; it more comes down to the boxed shape of the chest. It's a minor issue, but it does throw off the look quite a bit. The robot is a significant saving grace for this toy. Though it's still not as good as other figures in Kingdom, it doesn't feel as compromised as the scorpion mode does. There are still compromises. The hollow tail looks terrible, you're not getting much of a waist swivel out of him due to the tail, and the head doesn't like to move due to how it's sculpted (which does look nice, by the way). But none of those issues feels like glaring issues compared to the overall look of the figure. The scorpion pincers look great in both modes, and thanks to them needing the robot arms, they're nicely articulate in both modes as well. I also love that he comes with both his twin missiles and the Cyber Bee, both of which effortlessly store in the pincers, though I do wish the missiles weren't hollow as those gaps are hard to ignore.

While I don't think Scorponok's one of the worst in the line, he's undoubtedly one of the worst Beast Wars figures in the line. A large chunk of that comes down to how good the other characters are, which is unfortunate but not unexpected. The good elements do claw back some quality, but it ends up making the figure underwhelming, something that stings even more, when you consider who it is. This would be like getting an underwhelming Starscream, only without the barrage of Seeker repaints that will follow. I kind of wish this got the same treatment Studio Series Hot Rod did, where it was sold at a higher size class for the sake of engineering. It could have been really interesting to see how they handled the robot mass for the Scorpion mode. Again, it's not the worst of the line (that title currently goes to Tracks), but unless you're really into Beast Wars and want an entire team of Season 1 Predacons, I'd say skip it.

Transforemrs War for Cybertron Kingdom Voyager Class Rhinox: Who says you can't have brains and muscles?

If you were to compare the main casts of Transformers shows throughout the years, you'd quickly find some tropes the personalities tend to fall into. The leader, the backstabbing second in command of the villains, the kid appeal character, the loner on the heroes side, to name a few. I bring this up because today's subject is a fusion of two of these tropes, the group's muscle and the engineer. A fusion of G1 Ironhide and Ratchet, with a bit of extra wisdom thrown in. A long-anticipated figure for me in the Kingdom line, allow me to introduce to you Rhinox.

As you've probably noticed by now, the vast majority of Beast Wars figures sacrifice articulation for sculpting when it comes to the beast modes, only breaking that rule if it's needed for the robot mode. Funnily enough, it's hard to make plastic move like realistic skin and muscles. I start the review here because Rhinox suffers from this pretty badly compared to other Maximals in the Kingdom line, second only to Rattrap (out of the ones I currently own). Without using transformation joints and breaking up the sculpt, you will not be making this rhino charge at anything. It's a good thing then that the sculpting is exquisite, with a lot of texture and subtle paint applications on the rhino skin to make it a very lovely looking Rhino shaped brick. Ok, maybe not a brick, the mouth can move, the front legs can move a little bit, and the back legs can move at the knee, but that's all the movement you're going to get out of him. From what I've seen, this is far more limited than the Thrilling 30 Rhinox from 2014, but I honestly think this looks better in Rhino mode when comparing the two (based on videos and pictures, I don't own a Thrilling 30 Rhinox). Thrilling 30 is more realistic to actual rhinos, whereas Kingdom Rhinox is more in line with the cartoon model. Maybe it's because I'm more familiar with how rhinos are animated and not how they look in the real world; Kingdom Rhinox looks more accurate to me, though a significant factor of that could be the colours rather than the sculpting. If anyone wants me to properly compare the two (and is willing to sell me a Thrilling 30 Rhinox), let me know, and I'll put that on the priority list. 

One element of the transformation frustrates me, more so when going into Rhino mode than going into robot mode. The leg transformation feels very cluttered, the clearance for moving parts around is a bit too tight, and because of that, it feels like I'm bending plastic to make parts move past other parts. It's not a pleasant transformation, something that I wished was refined a little more. The result, though, is a nice looking Rhinox, something that is very show accurate, though it does cheat in certain areas to pull it off. The Rhino mouth now no longer forms the chest plate, and the robot's main body looks a little too flat. Neither issue bothers me as the fake mouth makes the chest look a lot nicer, and the arms and rhino head nicely cover up the flat back. What does bother me, though, are the guns. For the sake of beast mode storage, Rhinox's Gatling Guns of Doom look bad from any angle other than from the front. While they are nicely painted from the front, the handle elements make them look more like the toy accurate flail sawblade rather than the cartoon accurate guns. It's an odd choice for something that's clearly aiming to replicate the cartoon look. I would have prefered the loss of internal weapon storage for them if it made the guns look better. It would have even been an excellent excuse to give Rhinox more C.O.M.B.A.T Ports (something that I wish wasn't all but exclusive to the G1 characters). I love how poseable Rhinox is in this mode. While he was a brick in Beast Mode, the joint implementation in robot mode makes him one of the most poseable Voyager figures I've ever seen, with the only joints missing being a waist swivel and an ab crunch, the latter I'm willing to accept as a loss as we got butterfly joints in the shoulders. 

While I can't say which is superior, this or the Thrilling 30 version, I do think this at the very least compliments the T30 release. A full replacement? Not entirely, but it does act as a nice Rhinox for those to get who can't/ haven't yet found a T30 version for sale. Neither is entirely perfect; we might be waiting for a Masterpiece version for that to happen. At the very least, this does what I wanted it to do almost perfectly, be an excellent representation of the Axalon's engineer.

G.I. Joe Classified Cobra Island #32; Barbecue: "I fear no man. But that... thing... it scares me."

Toy Logic: A concept that goes against what many would see as sensible, practical and realistic and relies on what would appeal to kids, be it something cool, something cute, or something in between. While I usually accept what would seem to be jumps of logic for the sake of Toy Logic, every now and then, one feels like it's going a bit too far. For example, robots turning into animals? Sure. The bad guys having a Pillbug in their ranks? That's a stretch. A firefighter in the anti-terrorist team? It seems like a stretch, but when said terrorists are employing arsonists, maybe not that much of a stretch (even if it's a bit of a niche specialist). Meet Gabriel Kelly, better known as Barbecue. 

 

"One shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind that mask. What dreams of chronic can sustain the cruelty?"

 

For a hero, though, he's undoubtedly intimidating. This look for Barbecue is based on a heavy-duty Fire retardant suit, with onboard oxygen and smoke filtering system. Not the kind of suit you find on your average joe (joke intended) firefighter. Due to that, though, there's a heightened intimidation to the look. If I saw this when I was in a building that was on fire, my first thought wouldn't be, "Sweet, a firefighter has cleared the path to escape", my first thought was "oh shit this guy's come to kill me!". On the plus side, it is faithful to the 1985 toy for those looking for accuracy, just with some minor modernization updates. A few new paint applications, some tweaking to the sculpt. To those who still have the original and can put them side by side, you'll probably be able to spot more differences than I can with YoJoe images. Still, for those without direct side by side comparisons, it's in a similar category to MP-10 Optimus Prime. Different in subtle ways, but unquestionably the character when looking at the figure as a whole. I just wish he came with an alternate head to help ease the intimidation of the design. Are we sure he's not a robot?

 

While there's no alternative head, there is an extra accessory when compared to the original. You get a three-piece assembly of an all-purpose multi-tank (I'm pretty sure you can't use the same chemicals to put out all the different types of fire, it's why there are multiple types of fire extinguishers), a hose and a nozzle to put out fires. The complete assembly looks good overall, though it is a missed opportunity not to have an effect part for the nozzle. The hose itself doesn't feel brittle, but that remains to be seen as it's potentially a long term issue. However, what is far less likely to break are the two axes. You have a short axe that is a modernization of the axe he originally came with and a far larger, more intimidating axe. I've got no complaints with these; they both look great. I appreciate the silver on the axe heads, making them look far more dynamic when compared to most toy weapons I see. Unfortunately, the hose gets in the way when the nozzle is stored, and the giant axe is a nightmare to store thanks to the plastic used for the pack, to the point where I'm not sure I'm even putting it in correctly.

 

Plastic use is the only major issue I have with this figure, as aside from the backpack, the only other note about it is in the hands. They feel stiff compared to the other figures I own, again making using the weapons somewhat frustrating (though thankfully, these don't appear to be painted like Gung Ho's hands were). Barbecue, to me, feels like the kind of exclusive character that should be in the Cobra Island line of exclusives. Though he seems to have been somewhat prominent in the comics (from what I can tell with brief gloss overs), he didn't have much to do in the show, only being in one episode. It makes getting him feel more like a nice novelty, but not a necessity, kind of like a good chunk of the Generations Selects toys for Transformers. While it would have been nice to get an alternate head and an effect part (requests that could probably also be said for many characters in the line), what we got is solid. A great find if you can get him, but not someone to lose sleep over if you can't (unless you're a big Barbecue fan). All this talk about Barbecue has made me hungry, so I'm going to go make some snags for lunch.

Transformers Shattered Glass Voyager Class Megatron: Last time, I promise...

With the inclusion of Shattered Glass Optimus in the last review and a parcel that was due in with Shattered Glass Megatron, I figured I'd delay the review by a week and cover something a bit more recent. The original plan was Earthrise Runamuck and Runabout, but instead, let's continue on this mini Shattered Glass marathon I was planning on doing anyway. Plus, it gives another chance to look at that tried and true mould that's now had three posts dedicated to it (at least I didn't review the Netflix ones), the Siege Megatron review. This won't be a review looking at engineering (barring one exception). This is the third review covering this mould; nothing's changed in terms of engineering. This is a figure sold on the aesthetics, so how well does it pull that off? 

 

Credit where it's due with this version of Megatron when compared to the five previous versions (not counting Earthrise). This has three modes: the tried and true Tank mode. Thanks to some bonus accessories and half transforming Megatron from tank to robot, a Jet mode inspired by the original Shattered Glass Megatron, a repaint of Transformers Energon Megatron. Though I have an Energon Megatron, I'm not going to make a proper comparison for the sake of review as it's not complete (I'm missing the sword and the missile), one comparison I can't help but make between the Energon version, and even the other Siege versions is the stability. Because this is a tank that's being forced into something looking like a plane, the connection points required to complete the look aren't there, it makes the jet mode feel as flimsy as it seems. In the looks department, though, once again, it's a tank that's trying to be a jet, and seeing as the back of the tank becomes the front of the plane, the flimsy feeling just becomes stronger. Thanks to the fact that the front of the tank does not change at all for the sake of the jet mode, all it gets are some extra wing pieces that plug into 5mm ports. That is the only change to give it the jet mode. I go into this more at the end of the review, but while I respect the effort of trying to make this work, it does sting and blatantly feels like a downgrade. The tank mode isn't even an official mode. Was it too much to ask for the front track sections to be remoulded into something resembling thrusters?

Remoulding of parts is also one of the most significant issues I have with the robot mode. Like with the G2 repaint reviews, it's hard to get anything out of this mould other than "G1 Megatron in different colours". One of the biggest reasons for this likely traces back to Generation 1 and the new toy regulations that meant that Megatron couldn't be a gun anymore. Unlike Optimus, Megatron hasn't had a consistent design until relatively recently, with media designs that change drastically compared to his Autobot counter, who has had a mostly consistent set of design cues. On its own merits, this is an excellent looking repaint. I love the black and white head (though I wish the eyes were brighter, and the evil scowl, the blue vents on the backpack, all the little painted details on the chest; objectively, this is a good repaint of the Siege mould. But is it a good version of Shattered Glass Megatron? If your perception of what SG Megatron is meant to look like is closer to the Energon toy, then no, it doesn't do it. Ironically, if they put the work into making Kingdom Galvatron look like SG Megatron, it would have been closer to the original due to how many cues Energon Megatron's toy took from G1 Galvatron. 

 

I remember a few weeks ago, myself and a group of Transformers fans were talking about why we collect the lines we collect, what our endpoints are in our collections. One thing I mentioned in that discussion is that I personally don't feel like I've started looking at an endpoint because the biggest draw of Generations (and all its subline rebrandings like War for Cybertron), the line I primarily collect, isn't doing the stuff I want yet. Don't get me wrong, it's doing a lot of exciting things, and I've enjoyed my time collecting the line from late Combiner Wars and onward. But if you were to ask me what I want, what I want to see if the line had no limits, and what my possible, if unlikely to happen, the endpoint is, it's modern versions of the Transformers I grew up with, the Unicron Trilogy. While many of those toys wouldn't benefit much from a modern toy, due to how stagnant engineering has gotten from the early 2000s to now, all that would happen is the toys getting smaller and the removal of gimmicks. But for someone like me who is starving for representation of those designs and representations done properly, I'll take it. When you compare Galaxy Optimus from Siege to the Transformers Cybertron toy, it feels like they did the design dirty by making it a retool of Ultra Magnus. Cybertron Hotshot from the Generations Selects line feels like they did the design dirty by making it a repaint of Siege Hound, and this... this feels like it's rubbing salt in the wound. I've got some parts coming in that may help bring this toy closer to the Energon Megatron that was the base mould for the original Shattered Glass Megatron because this is not a good retool. This is an excellent paint job for the Siege Megatron mould, but this is an awful modernization of the Energon toy. What saves me from hating this is the fact that I wasn't expecting much. When rumours were circulating about this line of repaints, I was honestly expecting even less than this; I was just expecting a repaint with no extra pieces. Given the limitations they had going into this, this is a fine toy, same as the other examples I mentioned earlier. They're fine toys when looking at the limitations they had to work with. It just hurts for someone like me who sees all the love American G1 gets in recent years. From modern reimaginings in Generations, stylized redesigns in lines like Cyberverse and faithful adult premium collectables in the Masterpiece line, not to mention the majority of media that comes out for the brand, a consistent thought in the back of my mind when I see all of it is "can we get some love too?". At best, it feels like, at least before Kingdom started, anything past Generation 1 was given scraps, passable repaints to hold onto trademarks. I know G1 will never go away, that G1 will always be on shelves. But, Generations is a plural after all, and 80's nostalgia isn't the only nostalgia to exist.

Transformers War for Cybertron Trilogy Optimus Prime Marathon: Nothing but Prime Time today.

For health and safety reasons, do not do a drinking game involving the number of times the word Prime is used in this review. 

 

 

So it occurs to me that I've only reviewed one War for Cybertron Optimus Prime, the Galaxy Upgrade one that was a remould of Siege Ultra Magnus designed to look like the Galaxy Force/ Cybertron Optimus Prime. I'm surprised no one noticed that, though these posts aren't exactly known for igniting internet attention. Because I haven't covered WFC Primes in detail, there may only be two moulds, but six toys covered, along with some upgrade kits acquired along the way. The subject material for today? Siege Optimus Prime, Netflix Nemesis Prime, Earthrise Optimus Prime, "Alternate Universe" Optimus Prime, Netflix Optimus Prime and Generations Selects Shattered Glass Optimus Prime. Funnily enough, this is not the biggest review I have planned. Bigger ones are coming. 

 

So, six trucks, but before tackling the trucks themselves, allow me to take a moment to go over everyone's accessories. Siege Optimus is probably one of the easiest of the lot, second only to Shattered Glass Prime (who I'll refer to as SG Prime for short). You get a nice looking, though very hollow Ion Blaster and a shield that can unfold into an axe. I like the axe, and it's a shame that it's only available here and on the cell-shaded 35th-anniversary toy (I skipped because I'm not fond of cell shading paint applications on toys). With the Earthrise mould, and all the primes that were sold as Leader Class toys in 2020 (Earthrise Prime (ER Prime from this point on), Alternate Reality Prime (Dead Prime) and Nemesis Prime), a trailer was included as an accessory. The trailer took me a while to appreciate, and was what got me into buying upgrade kits last year. Out of the box, I hated all three of these trailers, but with some help from kits found on TFSafari (though potentially not officially) and then later Nonnef Productions, the trailers now look really good. It's nice to have Optimus moulds with trailers, and the inclusion of Roller for those who couldn't get the Centurion Drone helped make the trailer an excellent modernization of the G1 trailer. By default, the trailers came with the repair unit/ laser turret that was blast effects compatible and could double as a jetpack for the Earthrise mould (the effect doesn't quite work on Nemesis). Still, while it's a neat play feature, it doesn't look good from an aesthetic perspective. Dead Prime's trailer also doubles as the table he died on in the 86 movie, a perfect accessory for Studio Series Perceptor coming next year! All the Earthrise versions also come with a Matrix compartment (I still wish Kingdom Magnus had one) with the same Matrix that came with Studio Series Hot Rod; this was the toy to have it first. My thoughts on the Matrix then also apply here, but my copy of SG Prime didn't have the paint applied properly. It's only painted on the front for some reason. How odd. The final accessory the Earthrise moulds share is a new compactable Ion Blaster that can fill out a gap in Truck mode, be stored on the back in robot mode, and be held. Though I think the Earthrise blaster is a bit too small, I do like that it's not hollow like the Siege one and looks a lot better overall when compared to the 2019 version. Netflix Optimus comes with two exclusive Battle Masters, Enerax and Sheeldron; Yellow Energon themed repaints of the Battle Masters Pterexadon and Soundbarrier, respectively. Enerax I'm fine with, though a minor issue with QC on mine makes the pin connecting the handle a bit too loose for my liking, Sheeldron on the other hand, is one that I'm not a fan of. For things intending to be shields, I prefer characters hold them in their hands, something that you can't do with Sheeldron because they engineered him. It's an easy fix with a 3D printer, sure, but a letdown nonetheless. For Nemesis Prime, you get a mix of Power of the Primes, Siege and Earthrise Prime accessories. You get the arm cannons, Dark Saber and Battle Master Giza, all of which I enjoyed from the Power of the Primes version, though my only complaint is that I wish the arm canons were smaller to better scale with the toy. You get the Ion Blaster from the Siege version, the trailer and repair unit/ laser turret/ jetpack from the Earthrise mould and encase that wasn't enough accessories; you get a Battle Master in the form of Fangtron from the Slitherfang mould (which with a minor modification can be held in the robot's hand), a blast effect for the shield and three Energon cubes. You physically cannot fit all the accessories into the trailer. You can barely get everything onto the truck mode, and that was before the Nonnef upgrade, including a black Roller. It's excessive but impressive that all of it was included at all. Many would have accepted a lot less. The only other "accessory" to mention is that SG Prime came in a two-pack with a Shattered Glass themed repaint of Ratchet, but that's a story for another day.

 

Before reviewing the trucks themselves, there is one question that should probably be answered first. Why so many? There are differences between the six of them, some more so than others. Siege Optimus and Netflix Nemesis are designed to look more like a futuristic cybertronian truck. It's the design used by both characters in the War For Cybertron series on Netflix. If I had to pick a mould I prefer, this one would probably just beat out the Earthrise one, though the keyword there is "just". I like futuristic vehicles, and the little design cues give the truck mode an aggressive feel without straying too far away from what many views as the traditional Optimus design. This look feels like an Optimus in his prime (pun not intended). This has a very early war feel to it, something the Netflix series doesn't portray when it comes to voice direction. It's not flawless; I'm not a fan of the Cyber Mud on Optimus, something they thankfully ditch for Nemesis, and the gap in the back of the truck looks bad when looking at it. It's also a gap that's easily ignored, thanks to it only being visible from the back, making it feel like far less of a problem. There's a lot of fun to be had with the mould. It feels more like a toy than the 2020 Prime mould does, and it's why I think it just nudges out the 2020 version.

 

 

The remaining four all use the Earthrise mould, which is meant to look more like a normal earth truck. Earthrise Optimus is the standard Optimus Prime colours, bright red, bright blue; if you've seen an Optimus Prime design, chances are you know what to expect (this version was also available in Kingdom, so if you are looking for this toy, you might still be able to find it on shelves). Netflix Optimus is similar in that regard, but with one key difference, the shade of blue. The darker shade of blue and the duller clear plastic (a more traditional toy glass colour compared to the blue on the regular release) is meant to resemble the original Optimus Prime toy, as the cartoon did change its colours slightly. It's a nice nod that I wish they went all the way with, but that's best saved for robot mode. Dead Prime's colours are designed to be precisely what they sound like they are; they're the colours of Optimus Prime's corpse in the 1986 animated movie, a design cue that's frequently reused to depict a dead Transformer. You don't get the full effect of this one until you get to robot mode, though, so once again, put a pin in this for later. Finally, there's SG Prime; a colour scheme meant to replicate the colours Optimus had in the Shattered Glass universe, Transformers version of the "Evil Mirror Universe" popularized by Star Trek. It's the reason why the colours are meant to be more sinister in tone; it's for an Optimus that's more sinister, sadistic, a tyrannical leader of the war-hungry, destructive Autobots. An excellent colour selection, to be sure, a Prime for all your needs, but as a toy in truck mode, it feels more boring to me. That's not to say it's not impressive, far from it. This is probably the best looking G1 Optimus Prime toy released on the mass market (the Masterpiece doesn't count). It feels like an evolution of the Siege version, leaning more into the "robots in disguise" mindset. It's not entirely original though, a fair chunk of parts are reused from the Siege mould (mainly parts of the lower legs, feet and head), and the wheels come from a Studio Series Optimus (I think the Bumblebee one, but I could be wrong). Engineering wise, something about it doesn't feel right to me when comparing it to the Siege version. The robot legs don't seem to sit in place properly, and the lack of a locking point for the cans on the side of the truck does get annoying when playing with the toy. Weapon storage for this one is a lot nicer when compared to the Siege version, but the Siege version does get a pass on the traditional weapon storage of "stick it on top" as the whole story, and aesthetic of Siege was "guns everywhere!". 

 

 

For all the issues I have with the Earthrise truck, it's hard to deny the improvements made for the robot mode. While visually I like the truck mode for the Siege version because the robot mode tries to stick as close to the G1 cartoon model as possible, the truck mode parts that have nowhere to go stick out a lot more. Some parts like the underarm machine guns are enjoyable in their own way, but the backpack is unsightly, at least on the Optimus version; it blends in very well on the Nemesis version, probably due to the colour differences. The only thing that comes close to that on the Earthrise mould is the front bumper and front wheels, but thanks to that assembly being on a clip, if it really bothers you that much, you can just take it off. I prefer leaving it on as the bar assembly on its looks out of place without the bumper. Regardless of the mould, though, both toys do an amazing job representing the character. I love the overall proportions of the Siege mould, both toys do have the same proportions, but the way they handled the Earthrise mould's hips makes him look lanky compared to the Siege version. The leg assembly for the Siege mould is also a lot more interesting when compared to the ER one, but on the flipside of that, the way the torso works on the Earthrise one and how neatly the truck cab compresses into the chest is really impressive. It's a minor miracle, though I wish the head cavity for the truck mode was a bit bigger; it's a very tight fit in there. In terms of individual elements between the six of them: 

 

• Siege Optimus: Like with the truck mode, the cyber mud does not look good. I still think that the only figures that did the Battle Damage look properly (officially at least) was the Netflix toys that had the battle-damaged paint jobs.
• Netflix Nemesis: The muted colours look imposing in robot mode, an impressive feat considering as this is just a repaint, unlike his Power of the Primes incarnation where he did get a new, more menacing head. As I said earlier, I wish some more work was done in the accessory department, mainly downscaling the arm cannons. A version that Takara put out on their own with a different paint scheme also came with a different sword, a repaint of the sword that came with Titans Return Alpha Trion, which I think looks a lot better than the sword we got, mainly due to the blade. While I'm not entirely sold on getting that version of Nemesis Prime, I want that sword and a Star Saber repaint of it.
• Earthrise Optimus: I'm not a fan of the plastic moulding distribution for this one. I know that sounds like a weird complaint, but hear me out on it. Because of how they split the plastic moulds, paint was needed to make parts the right colour, that that feels wasted and due to things like the grip texture on the gun, and the tight space for the head that I mentioned earlier, it has lead to paint chipping, which is why I know the back of Prime's head was cast in red while the front was cast in blue, while the hands were cast in grey. On the subject of the heads, though, the lack of silver around the eyes (something that the two Siege toys had) makes the blue eyes blend into the head. Many people have taken the Siege head and put it onto the Earthrise body for this very reason, especially as they are the same parts.
• Netflix Optimus: There are no moulding issues with this one, making the whole thing feel more sturdy when compared to the regular release. However, the eyes remain an issue, something that likely wouldn't have been a problem if they went all-in on the callback and gave him yellow eyes. I feel this was because when Earthrise was revealed, the prototype of the regular retail version they had on display had yellow eyes, and people got upset about that. It's a shame, too, because it would have helped with this one.
• Dead Prime: The mould distribution is also apparent here, but it doesn't feel like an issue due to the more muted colour scheme and (mostly) more durable paint (though once again, the hands are an issue, I think it has something to do with how the gun is designed. Robot mode is where this toy shines, with subtle but well-done battle damage and new moulding on the head to make it look like it does in the movie as he dies. A nice touch, as well as the fact that the only vibrant thing on this toy is the Matrix compartment, even if it's not accurate to the movie. 
• SG Prime: The only one of the Earthrise mould to not have the blending eye issue (though it once again makes sense for Dead Prime). The blood-red eyes recessed into that dark blue head does just enough to make this look imposing and take away the heroic qualities many consider baked into an Optimus head sculpt in the head sculpt. I also like the fact that the red is brighter than the red used for Nemesis' eyes. It's a nice bit of detail to help separate these two evil versions of Optimus. I'm not a fan of how they handled the inverted Autobot logo; due to it being on the shoulder with a lot of detail on it, it makes the shoulder look more cluttered while the other looks very barren now that it no longer has a faction symbol. 

To repeat myself (for those who skipped to the end), while I think the Siege mould is slightly better due to personal preferences for the truck mode, the Earthrise toy has the better overall robot mode; neither toy completely outshines the other. Both are excellent toys. I think the only reason I prefer the Siege one is for the same reasons as my preference for the Siege Datson squad; many people were willing to toss the Siege version aside for the sake of more G1 accuracy. "Not being completely G1 accurate" isn't a bad thing. Which one should you get if you can only get one? I don't know. As much of a cop-out answer as this is going to sound, get both and decide for yourself. They are just that close in terms of quality. You have options, at least if you don't want two G1 looking Optimus Primes. 

Transformers Kingdom Deluxe Class Ractonite: A more cohesive pile of bones

As the days tick on, the end of Kingdom looks to be on the horizon (based on leaks); the Predacon squad is coming along, even if some crucial members are still waiting for a new release. Tarantulas, Terrorsaur, Waspinator and Inferno are still significant holes many people are waiting to fill in the season 1 roster. However, in the meantime, we can still enjoy the Fossilizer gimmick with the second Dinosaur Fossil to join the war effort, Ractonite. Is he better than his wave one companion? Well, yes and no. 

Starting in fossil mode. In terms of general looks, I prefer this dinosaur mode over the Paleotrex mould from the last time I reviewed Fossilizers. The main reason for this is the extra mass in the chest; while it's an ironic complaint, it makes the dinosaur mode not feel as malnourished. While I know it's an odd complaint with a toy that's meant to look like dinosaur bones, but the skeletal aesthetic does handicap the designs overall, it's one of the reasons I'm currently (opinion may change when I get it in hand) not a fan of the wave 3 Fossilizer, Wingfinger. There are more gaps on this one than the Paleotrex mould, mainly in the legs, but the white plastic and the bone design don't make them very noticeable. The gaps blend in well and add to the aesthetic like these are a degrading pile of bones. What does suck, though, is the compromised articulation for the sake of the robot mode. I wish the front legs had ankle tilts, and the inability for the head to turn side to side is a real shame. While it's not an issue exclusive to Ractonite, most of the beasts have had stiff necks, it's hard not to be spoiled by Beast Wars Megatron, and most of the other dinosaur transformers have had enough articulation for it to not feel like a hindrance. The Styracosaurus body shape that this is based on makes it inherently stiffer when compared to someone like Paleotrex (even if Paleotrex's weight distribution is so bad, most of those dynamic poses will result in a face plant). I'm not sure how I feel about the grey paint, though. The white plastic wouldn't have worked on its own, but the grey colour doesn't compliment the plastic either, compared to something like Paleotrex, where the colours are more complimentary. It feels like Ractonite's been playing in the same Cyber Mud that the Siege Figures had on them. 

While the paint doesn't work well for the beast mode, it does work a lot better in the robot mode, a robot mode that in itself is ok? It feels tamer compared to Paleotrex, more reserved, ironic considering one of the arms is coming out of the Styracosaurus' mouth. While Paleotrex is insane looking in his way, Ractonite is more the traditional Beast Era insanity, homaging how Beast Wars designs handled their Beast Mode junk. With the exception of where the front legs go, I could see this being a regular Beast Wars toy if it wasn't going for the living skeleton aesthetic. That said, though, he is a Fossilizer, and part of the gimmick is the ability to break him down and turn him into weapons for other characters. Unfortunately, on my copy, the tolerances for some of the joints and connections aren't great. As a result, many combinations, like the giant bone war hammer, aren't fun to play around with as the connections don't hold together, and the joints struggle to take the weight. It's less of an issue in the robot and beast mode; it's why I'm only covering those (the bone war hammer looks fantastic, though). Articulation is adequate, the parts used for the shoulders are cumbersome and make it impossible for him to do things like a T-Pose, but the rest of the articulation in robot mode is fine. The arms look very gangly thanks to the proportions, something that a torso extension would have helped with, but it is frustrating that he has no hands at all. Even Paleotrex tried to pull off hands.

Ractonite is both a step up and a step down when compared to Paleotrex. I enjoy the extra mass thanks to the thicker bone structure, but as a Fossilizer, he's not as versatile as Paleotrex. He's not as configurable as Paleotrex; there aren't many parts that can be other body parts. I think for that reason alone, Paleotrex is probably better just as a toy, even if visually I prefer Ractonite. While I couldn't cover it today due to COVID Lockdowns, and it currently waiting for me about 20km away, there is a repaint of this figure called Tricranius, lava themed repaint with some minor retooling. It's an interesting looking paint job at least. If you can find him on sale, he's worth a purchase. The good balances out the bad, and if nothing else, he makes for a great army builder for the Predacons. To get back onto schedule, I'll be reviewing an Autobot next Sunday (unfortunately not Rodimus, more Amazon delays). However, a G.I Joe review will be coming sometime soon on a Wednesday. At the very least, I'll see you next time for a review a long time coming. The Good, the Bad, the original and the dead, it's time to review Earthrise Optimus Prime.

Transformers War For Cybertron Kingdom Deluxe Class Airazor: Behold, the gender ambiguous falcon

While I'm sure many will agree that the War for Cybertron series on Netflix ended with a whimper, some standout moments stood out for the better, while others stood out for the worse. One of those was Airazor, the Maximal scout that looked to borrow a bit from Tony Stark when it came to her robot mode flight. A fan favourite from the Beast Wars show, it was inevitable that she'd be in Kingdom, but after being away for so long, how does the first female Transformer on toy store shelves (with a toy that was actually designed to be female) hold up after being absent for 24 years? 

One comparison to immediately draw when looking at Airazor is the wave one femme fatal, Blackarachnia, as many of the problems that Blackarachnia has in her beast mode, Airazor also has. However, like Blackarachnia, that's not an issue. Unlike female Autobots like Arcee and Chromia, the problems aren't limited to female Maximals and Predacons; very few Maximals and Predacons have beast modes that aren't compromised. Making robots out of realistic (to a certain extent) animals isn't easy compared to vehicles. Because of that, some are going to look like a crumpled up robot hiding under an animal. Airazor does not fit in her falcon mode; many exposed robot parts can easily be seen regardless of the angle you look at her. But as with Blackarachnia, I struggle to care because the features of the beast mode that are a Falcon are beautiful. I love the wingspread and all the feather detailing along with her wings and back. The falcon head looks fantastic, and even with the (albeit clunky in execution) neck movement, it doesn't take much to get it into beautiful flying positions. With all the joints in the wings, it's possible to get a somewhat convincing grounded pose out of the bird mode; however, doing this will expose the robot chest and back of the head. It's unfortunate, but there aren't many alternatives, especially as the robot mode needed the priority.

Another comparison to make to Blackarachnia is that representation of her robot mode from the show has been sparse. While Blackarachnia has had toys since Beast Wars that have been closer to her onscreen model (which in itself was heavily modified from the original toy), Airazor hasn't had that privilege. Outside of convention exclusive repaints trying to give her a vehicle alternate mode, Airazor has not been seen on shelves since 2000, which in itself was a tweaked version of her Transmetal toy. There hasn't been a toy of her look in the show due to it being drastically changed from the original toy, due to the original toy initially being a male character. This toy had something to prove, and if the robot mode were done well, many people would readily accept the beast mode compromises. This toy does not do the robot mode well; it does the robot mode almost perfectly. With one sole exception on my specific copy of the toy, I cannot find any fault in the robot mode design. It's lean. It's nimble, it's kibble free as the only parts that could be considered beast mode junk, the talons and the wings, actually improve her look, making her look even more dynamic. The head sculpts beautiful, with the only blemish on this toy being a slight quality control error misplacing one of the paint applications on her eyes. It doesn't look good when facing forward but makes for a very natural head turn position and making her look even more dynamic. The robot mode alone has put her in as one of the best figures in the Kingdom toyline so far for many people, and like Blackarachnia, she puts the recent Fembot toys to shame. Some might call this cheating, as unlike other female transformers, there's nothing inherently feminine about her design, save for potentially the face. I wouldn't be surprised if this is partly because Airazor in Japan is still a male character, which makes him one of the first openly gay Transformers characters. It's like what happened in Sailor Moon, only without turning a gay relationship into an incest relationship.

When it comes to recent female Transformers, Beasts 2, Bots 0, they're just killing it when it comes to female characters as toys. The Falcon mode is not great, requiring minimal effort to break the illusion of being a falcon. But for every issue the Falcon mode has, the robot mode makes up for and then some. I'm glad this toy is getting a second release as a Beast Wars Skywarp, though I do hope we'll get a Generations Magnaboss at some point; I miss three bot combiners. On the subject of three bot combiners (technically), I'll be reviewing Fossilizer mould number 2: Ractonite (and, if lockdown permits me, Tricranicus)

Transformers Studio Series 86-04; Hot Rod: Pissing people off since 1986

 Hot Rod cannot catch a break, can he? Hot Rod's been a character bound to controversy since his inception, and though not all of his appearances have caused issues, the ones that do tend to get a lot of negative attention. To the community, he's seen as the poster boy for Hasbro's "out with the old, in with the new" mindset that caused a lot of beloved 1984-1985 characters to be killed off in the 1986 movie, with some (either jokingly or seriously) still claiming he was the one that killed Optimus Prime. Many a meme exists of his collaboration with Megatron to kill the beloved big rig. Jumping 35 years later, and Hot Rod's got a new controversy. Smaller characters, sold at higher price points padded out with accessories. Both he and his Matrix infused alter ego Rodimus Prime (Rodimus moreso than Hot Rod) have taken pages from Siege Astrotrain and Earthrise Cliffjumper and are filling out their price range with lots of accessories. Hot Rod's a Deluxe Class toy being sold as a Voyager, while Rodimus is a Voyager being sold as a Commander. The original plan was to review both of these figures together; QC issues and shipping delays have put Rodimus on the backburner for now. His time will come, but in the meantime, is Hot Rod worth the extra $15? 

Starting in car mode. While I think the car mode looks excellent, tolerance issues plague this toy, and the car mode suffers from it the most. For the sake of the transformation, the panel lines don't look clean and intentional, making some parts like the ends of the headlights stick out like they're being held on with gaffer tape. Some of the tabs themselves are also relatively easy to snap. I've snapped off a tab on one of the smokestacks on the copy I have, which makes the panel line gaps even more significant due to a missing locking point. For something taking so much strain, it's annoying that it wasn't given more support. If you manage to get everything into place properly or can look past the gaps, the car mode looks good. One issue that many might have, though, is that it's not movie accurate. A few minor shaping differences, and a different colour pallet, opting more for a toy accurate colour scheme. With a Fan First Friday coming soon, I wouldn't be surprised to hear if a movie-accurate colour scheme is on the way, similar to how Galvatron is getting a toy accurate colour scheme. While I think the paint scheme with this release is ok, I wish some things were handled better, like the flames on his hood, but overall, it's not bad. I love the look of the car mode; I think the sculpting differences between this and the movie work in the toy's favour, adding to the sense of speed it has. However that is entirely subjective, it might be more of a problem for you, or you may not have even noticed. 

Ahh, gotta love mistransformed product shots...

Hot Rod comes with a lot of accessories, with the overall package being a bit hit and miss for me. First, you get the guns from his original toy, which can peg into the car in either the engine or slots on the hood of the car (which also double as robot mode storage), but these have a habit of scraping off the silver paint. It's a shame because the guns are nicely sculpted. Another accessory you get is his buzzsaw from the underwater scene on the Quintesson planet, which can also tab into the guns for the sake of storage. Finally, for now, you get some effect parts for his arm blasters, which can tab into the smokestacks in car mode. I'll cover the last two accessories once we get to Robot mode, as they cannot store anywhere in car mode. The buzzsaw is a nice inclusion, though the sculpting is kept intentionally plain for the sake of making it look like it's constantly spinning. The effect parts for the arm blasters are an annoying compromise for me; they were done in blue as a part of gang moulding, which looks bad when you consider the Autobot energy blasts are a yellow/ orange colour. Hopefully, a movie-accurate repaint has the parts moulded in that colour instead of Matrix Blue (more on that later).

When you get into Robot mode, you get a good looking but also not very exciting Hot Rod. One big issue with 2021 toys of the 1986 movie cast is that thanks to them being divided between Studio Series and War for Cybertron, there's an awkward mix of standards for the aesthetics of characters. This becomes really noticeable when you get cases like Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime. Rodimus goes all-in on the WFC aesthetic, with lots of detailing in the plastic, whereas Hot Rod goes for more movie-accurate detailing, making him look very dull in comparison. That's not to say that this is a bad toy, far from it. The Deluxe size at the Voyager price range has meant that the transformation can be more complicated, and extra joints were included to add more playability to the figure. Unlike other Transformers, there aren't many visible hollow spaces on the figure; a common shortcut designers use to cut down on the budget. The three areas I can find, the back of the pelvis and the bottom of the feet, are minuscule and so far out of the way that it's not a problem. Unfortunately, tolerances are once again an issue because while the figure looks very limber, certain areas are uncomfortably stiff, a prime example of that being the shoulders. A mix of joint placement, sculpting oversight, and uncomfortably stiff joints has resulted in some figures breaking at the shoulders. I want to say something is similar to a fault the original Masterpiece Hot Rod/ Rodimus Prime had. It also makes some poses somewhat awkward to do, including the position that's one of the big selling points of the toy, the ability to do the "Light our Darkest Hour" scene from the movie. The final two accessories are to pull off this moment, a Matrix (the same one that comes with Earthrise Optimus Prime), and an effect part to go over it to make it look like it's opening (this effect part being why the laser effects were also blue). Hot Rod's hands even act like Earthrise Prime's do, in that they can open up to have the Matrix handle slide over the thumbs. The only problem with this is the small size of the Matrix combined with the joint positions in the shoulders; it is challenging to get Hot Rod in a place where holding it feels natural or closely resembles the movie. A large part of that also comes from how small the Matrix is, for the sake of storing in Earthrise Prime. Storage for the Matrix isn't an issue for Hot Rod because there's nowhere to keep it on him. While it is movie accurate, if it wasn't going to store on him anyway, it would have been nice to get a Matrix that was sized to allow figures to hold it properly, something almost every Matrix gives up for the sake of storage. While it is fantastic that Hot Rod has a fold-out visor, a flip-out welding torch and a flip-out plug for the buzzsaw, I would have prefered those got cut to get a better Matrix. I'm also disappointed that he didn't come with a fishing pole, 0/10.

While this is a very good, gimmick-free Hot Rod toy, some issues take the shine off. I want to love the car mode, but it feels like it's fighting to stay out of car mode. Robot mode looks good, but the sparse detailing makes it look rather basic compared to his older self in Kingdom. While I like most of the accessories, the big selling point of the Matrix opening loses its charm due to the issues with the shoulder joints and the size of the Matrix itself. For the sake of storage, the small size works, but not when the figure is holding it. I hope that the stiff joints and the connections needed to keep together in car mode are improved, either on the version currently in stores or a potential Generations Selects release. Though I have minor complaints with the accessories, the joints and locking points are the most significant issues I have with the toy. It'll be interesting to see if Rodimus improves on those issues; for now, he will be one of the following Autobot reviews once he comes in. In the meantime, the next review continues the Heralds of Unicron, with Kingdom Cyclonus.