Transformers Collaborative: G.I. Joe Mash-Up, Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank and Baroness: A toy almost 40 years in the making.

Don't call it a comeback...
 
With every toy release, certain things will always be prioritized over others. Some are hard limits, such as budget and complexity requirements; others are goals to strive for over others. Transformers Legacy aims to bring beloved characters from all across the 38-year history of the Transformers brand together into a unified theme. On the other hand, Transformers Studio Series tries to balance accurate robot modes with the accuracy of licensed vehicles from the six (as of the time of writing) live-action Transformers movies. G.I. Joe Classified's primary goal is to modernize the 3.75-inch 80's G.I. Joe toys while sprinkling in more modernized characters and versions of the Real American Hero icons. With every priority, something is sacrificed. Some characters in Legacy either feel too faithful to the originals or not faithful enough, thanks to the attempts at a unified theme. The need for accurate vehicle modes in Studio Series has led to large chunks of (primarily) car mode panels hanging off the robots' backs due to the complexity of the movie designs. Some designs in the Classified line feel too rooted in the 80's aesthetic, making things feel more like a hodgepodge of goals when you start looking at the line as a whole. The point of all of this? Well, it would be an understatement to say that this toy has to do a lot. 

G.I. Joe and Transformers are no strangers to each other. Many eras of comics intertwine the two brands together; references to G.I. Joe have been found in Transformers multiple times, from Marissa Fairborn in the Generation 1 cartoon being written as the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye, Old Snake being an alias of Cobra Commander, and even in Transformers Prime where the military planes Agent Fowler uses in the attack on the Decepticon's base on earth being called Skystrikers. When it came to toys, though, while there were a few over the years, including Energon Snowcat, Combiner Wars Viper, numerous G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles repainted as Transformers characters, and a subscription service figure of Serpent O.R to name a small handful of them, none of it hit the need that a lot of fans of both brands were after. Iconic Transformers characters transforming into G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles that could interact with the 3.75-inch RAH figures. Right before this toy was revealed, I posted an opinion piece on the possibility of getting transforming Joe and Cobra vehicles in the modern Transformers scale, something that would have sacrificed the 3.75-inch compatability for cost and size, as it seemed like getting it all was going to be an impossible feet, something that this toy (depending on who you ask) confirms or debunks that belief. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, transforming into the iconic Cobra H.I.S.S Tank and including... a Retro O-Ring Baroness with it... okay, maybe not the perfect combo, but it does leave the door open for Cobra Commander coming with a possible Starscream. Is it everything fans have wanted? Well, if you got the hint from the very first paragraph, not quite. 

I'll start small and work my way up, which means we're starting with the O-Ring Baroness. "What is it?" "What does O-Ring mean?" effectively, it's a re-release of the 1984 Baroness figure. The only potential difference is that the O-Ring (a name given to a rubber ring inside most of, if not every 3.75-inch G.I. Joe toy from the '80s that held the torso together while giving the figures a waist swivel and ab crunch) is made of a different, apparently more robust rubber. Seeing this next to the H.I.S.S Tank driver that came with the Retro H.I.S.S III, I can see the differences between the two engineering styles. Baroness is noticeably smaller and a bit more restricted in certain areas of articulation, though the only thing I wish she had was a wrist swivel to help make the laser gun she comes with look more natural in her hands. She also helps to highlight the moulding changes they make in the H.I.S.S III to accommodate the taller driver, with things like the foot pegs on the back being a different, smaller size.

 
The sculpting work on her is nice, though there are certain elements where I can see what they were going for, but it doesn't quite work. The sculpting on her boots makes it look like she's wearing baggy pants hidden under black armour, while her glasses look more like large painted circles rather than eyewear. The way the rest of Baroness's face is sculpted as well reminds me of Daria from Bevis and Butt-head. She looks bored rather than threatening. The giant laser rifle looks okay, just awkward in her hand thanks to the way the hands were moulded, and you can't get her to look like she's shooting at someone. The backpack is a nice inclusion, though all it does is act like a decorative screw hole cover, with the only noteworthy thing about it being the sculpted Cobra logo on it. I don't think she's inherently wrong, but I will admit my experience with her figures in the Classified line ahead of time is causing me to be more critical of her. Sometimes it is difficult to objectively judge an older product when you've had more experience with later versions (why do you think I'll never review an original G1 Transformer?). Suppose you're a Joe fan, especially a vintage/ retro collector. In that case, you'll appreciate getting this more than any Transformer fan picking the set up as to them, she comes off more as an accessory, especially with all the ways that the 3.75-inch figures can interact with Megatron. 

 
While usually, I would go from vehicle mode to robot mode when discussing Transformers, I want to save the vehicle mode for last as the vehicle mode is one of the biggest priorities for this figure, even more than the robot mode. You will be disappointed if you're a Transformers fan who wants a Megatron. While this Megatron has an impressive size and mass to him, it doesn't feel like a cohesive blend of Decepticon and Cobra due to the reliance on the Generation 1 look. The black HISS Tank pieces hang off of the mainly grey Megatron, resulting in a very cumbersome-looking robot mode, almost on a level like many Beast Wars figures, especially Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo toys. The plastic choice and lack of weight for what is effectively a Commander Class figure also give the toy a little knock-off feel too it, though I think some who have reviewed this toy already have exaggerated this element of the toy. The toy is, unfortunately, very hollow, with almost none of the H.I.S.S Tank mass trying to hide this fact. Though it might be Commander Class in price, it doesn't feel like Commander Class in hand, likely due to the fact that this wasn't given a Commander Class budget in development due to the need to include The Baroness. This toy feels like a Leader Class toy blown up to Commander Class size, so I recommend getting it at a price closer to that Leader Class price if you can. I got the toy for just under $100, which helps make the figure feel better than it would have at $120.

 
In terms of functionality, there are some interesting elements of play that can be found here. The H.I.S.S Tank's turret is still fully functional, meaning that you can have Baroness or any other 3.75-inch figure man the Diablo Cannons while riding on Megatron's back. Said cannons, along with Megatron's Fusion Cannon, are compatible with the blast effects pieces that came with some of the War for Cybertron Trilogy figures, and due to the cannons being Transformer standard 5mm connections to the toy, you could arm any figure with the cannons, and replace them with many different combinations of Transformers weapons. As inconsequential as that might be for many, I love that because it adds a level of novel stupidity to the toy I genuinely love. Want to give the H.I.S.S Tank a pair of Optimus' Ion Blaster? You can do that. Starscream's Null Rays? Sure. Are you like me and have way too many copies of the War for Cybertron Megatron toy and want to arm the H.I.S.S Tank with multiple Fusion Cannons? Completely doable. The choice is yours and yours alone. Another thing about this toy that is funnier than it has any right to be is the fact that the plugs typically meant for standing figures behind the H.I.S.S Tank still exist on this toy, meaning that when that otherwise meaningless piece of plastic is used as "Megatron's Shield" in robot mode, you can have troopers dangling for dear life while Megatron uses them as meat shields. Sure, none of this is intentional, but it makes the figure more entertaining and helps to cover up its shortcomings in robot mode. 

Many of the shortcomings in Robot mode can be traced back to the need to be as close to a 1:1 recreation of the 1983 H.I.S.S Tank, and in the vehicle mode is where this toy shines, though I think they could have deviated a little more. One of the things I love about this toy compared to the H.I.S.S III release is that almost all the stickers from the original toy are now painted details. The 788 number at the front, the light bar, the Cobra faction logos, and the only sticker missing when compared to the H.I.S.S III is the turret control panel. However, I feel it's a missed opportunity not to have some brand crossover with the decorations. Things like a mashup of the Cobra and Decepticon logos like what they did with the Combiner Wars Viper toy, potentially a "kill count" detail on the side that could show how many Autobots and G.I. Joes have been killed, little things like those to help blend the two brands in this mode. An impressive feat for this toy is that, except for some gap lines on the body and a few Megatron pieces poking out, you can hardly tell that this toy transforms. It would almost effortlessly blend in with a collection of vintage H.I.S.S Tanks without anyone noticing (depending on if you're storing the Fusion Cannon on him, of course, that is a bit of a dead giveaway). The functionality of the original toy is also carried over into this toy, with the cockpit able to house a figure as a driver, the turret able to be manned by a figure, and two more able to ride on the back. A tow hook is also included to allow the tank to tow any of the portable artillery found in the Real American Hero toyline back in the 80s. However, I don't know how compatible it is as I don't own any tow vehicles. Unlike the original H.I.S.S Tank, the Vulcan Turrets can move independently, allowing them to look more dynamic for display and play, further emphasized by the aforementioned blast effects posts. The H.I.S.S Tank mode is undoubtedly the star of the show, but is it worth the complete package?

 
Is this a good H.I.S.S Tank toy? Yes... but there are some compromises for the sake of Megatron. Is this a good Megatron toy? No. You're likely better off getting either a dedicated H.I.S.S Tank or a dedicated Megatron toy. Does this blend the two franchises together in an ideal way? No. Does it scratch the itch? Yes. Yes it does. This is the toy that many have been wanting for decades. While it may not be great, there may be better Transformers characters to turn into a H.I.S.S Tank; there may be better Cobra characters to include as the pack-in, and there may be better ways to incorporate more of what makes the two brands unique. But considering the brief this toy has. Turn the iconic leader of the Decepticons into the iconic Cobra tank that interacts with the '80s 3.75-inch figures in all the ways the original H.I.S.S Tank did, and do it at a leader class budget. It did those to the best of its ability, and it's a great toy as a result. Maverick felt like a collector's piece. Gigawatt felt like a collector's piece. X-Spance, The Jurassic Pack 2 pack, and Dracula all felt like collector's pieces, novelties for those who like the two brands (and none of which I own, so don't ask for reviews). This feels like a toy. This feels like the toy 80's kids have wanted since they were kids. This is as fun as a toy crossing over two wildly popular '80s toy lines should be, so I recommend getting it if you can, especially if you love one of the brands and have been curious about the other.

G.I. Joe Retro Collection Cobra H.I.S.S III (with Rip It): The camera really does add mass.

Apologies for the month's hiatus. A combination of events including a return to work, lack of new toys that I feel could hold up a review on their own (I don't hear many requests for a review of the Lego Microfighters Razor Crest), an upcoming review on the other site for Pokemon Legends Arceus and work behind the scenes on recording more parts of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky for the RAWs channel. I do have something, though, that can be considered almost a prequel for a future review. Announced at the Hasbro Pulse live stream for the anniversary of G.I. Joe, fans of both G.I. Joe and Transformers will eventually be treated to a crossover toy, with Megatron transforming into a Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank. According to the stream, this will be the same size as a vintage H.I.S.S. Tank, as the toy will come with a Retro Baroness figure. So naturally, this got me curious about potentially reviewing a H.I.S.S. Tank, to do something many Transformers fans rarely get to do: compare the toy to the vehicle it's based on. One roughly $90 purchase from Amazon U.S. later, and the H.I.S.S. III is in my collection, as it was cheaper for me to get this than to find a complete vintage H.I.S.S. It even comes in Soundwave blue to act as a nice holdover until I potentially... hopefully... unlikely get that SDCC toy. Anyway, here's a review of the H.I.S.S. III.

I'll start this review by looking at Rip It, who, according to his bio sentences, can't even be described with words like mean and fearless. I might be more impressed if I saw the original card, but thanks to multi-language requirements, all I get is two sentences about how he wants to destroy things before being destroyed. I'm certainly more impressed with this guy than I am with my experiences with the Star Wars Vintage Collection, thanks to all the articulation in him. This figure is, to me, surprisingly agile. The only joint I wish he had (thanks to the Classified line spoiling me) is an inward ankle tilt. While it might be because of the extra vest over the torso, something I am looking to get a better feel of going forward, I don't see the point in bringing back the rubber O-Ring that was used in the 80s to add what would best be described as a waist swivel halfway up the stomach. While I acknowledge that these are effectively re-releases, and changing them would be akin to changing joints on Transformers G1 reissues, it somewhat fails as a selling point for me, as I've seen many other ways to do this style of movement that came out after the '80s. While Rip It and the H.I.S.S. III are 2000's toys; they are re-releases of the original H.I.S.S. Tank from the '80s, with most of Rip It's parts coming from the moulds used for the original H.I.S.S. Tank driver (except for the waist, which came from the 1992 Talking Battle Commander version of Cobra Commander). A potential Quality Control fault of my copy is his inability to stand straight. The legs want to snap back to have him lean forward a little, but this isn't the end of the world as he looks great when sitting down in the tank's cockpit. All it does is make the stand he comes with that bit more redundant for me. Still, he makes for a nice accompanying piece for the tank but wouldn't be anything special on his own.

 

Beauty in simplicity best describes the original H.I.S.S. Tank. While other versions have caught my interest thanks to how they deviate while keeping to the feel of the original (such as the 2005 version and the 2012 versions), there's still a nice charm to the original design. As with most of the parts for Rip It, this is, as far as I can tell, a repaint of the original H.I.S.S. Tank, with the only differences being the plastic colour the main body was moulded in, new paint on the tank treads, and new sticker details. There may also be differences in plastics used between releases, but if all you want is a H.I.S.S. Tank, and don't care about it not being black, then this is a valid version to get, based on looks alone. It is amusing to look at this toy after seeing how insane some of the later Cobra vehicles became in the 80s and 90s, along with how later incarnations deviate from the original look. This tank looks and feels underpowered and reserved in comparison, like looking at a picture of a Star-Wars AT-AT, without the context of the size, and comparing it to vehicles like the AT-TE and the AT-M6. Not the toy's fault of course; time is just cruel. In terms of functions, you have a set of fake wheels to allow the tank to move, though it is a shame that the wheels are locked as pairs rather than four stand-alone wheels as it makes turning harder to do. You also have a rotating turret with the linked guns to angle up and down. A tow hook is on the back of the tank, which gives it compatibility with the tow vehicles from around the time of the original H.I.S.S. Tank, but something I'm not sure can be easily used now as I don't know if said vehicles have been re-released. A figure can be seated in the cockpit quite comfortably with the windscreen able to close over them; however, hairstyle and accessories may become an issue, with three more figures able to hitch a ride thanks to the turret having room for a gunner. Two plugs on the back of the tank give space for two more figures to stand on and hitch a ride. It's certainly not the most action-packed toy, but considering it was likely intended as a moderately priced toy, not the big toy for the year but not one of the smallest either, it does the job very well. I was surprised by how small it was and the box it came in. From what I had seen, I was expecting something a little bigger, with a box much larger. It's making me question if I actually would have the room for one of those Haslab Skystrikers, but even if I did, I didn't order one, so it won't be an issue. 

The H.I.S.S. III is in an interesting position for me when it comes to summing up my views on it and figuring out if it's worth it. Hasbro reissues of Transformers aren't generally worth the cost; I believe they're overpriced for what they are (at least they are here in Australia). The main reason for this is that they've often shared shelf space with the modern versions of the characters that are cheaper, can do more, and are just overall better toys. Rip It would fall into this category as well, as while there is no Classified version of him yet, it's hard to say, "yes, go get a new version of this 80's figure that costs more then the larger figure with more paint applications, more detailed sculpting and more articulation". But there is no modern H.I.S.S. Tank on the shelves right now (at least here in Australia, where there isn't any version of the H.I.S.S. Tank on shelves). Sure, Megatron H.I.S.S. is coming out in a few months, and while that objectively does more than the H.I.S.S. III, it's cheating to do that by being a Transformer. By modern standards, I wouldn't say the H.I.S.S. III is a good toy, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy with it. The H.I.S.S. Tank is an iconic vehicle from the Real American Hero toyline, and just having a version of the tank is a delight for someone who likes the vehicles. Bringing cost back into consideration, I believe this is a cheaper way to get a copy of the toy compared to purchasing a vintage one; however, I'm not in the know when it comes to vintage G.I. Joe toy buying outside of Facebook live streams and eBay (which at time of writing didn't have a vintage copy listed anywhere). In that regard, I do think it's worth it, but in saying that, I wish there were a Classified equivalent line for bringing new versions of the vehicles to collectors' hands (albeit not in a 6-inch scale, some of those vehicles would be massive at that size). If you are a fan of the tank itself, this is a great way to get it.

Hasbro Pulse G.I. Joe (A Real American Hero) 40th Anniversarry Stream: Alas, no love for Mr. Colton yet.

 I swear, at some point, I'll review those minibot trucks and start covering the Golden Disc collection. Anyway, more news this week, and a new two-hour-long stream covering some of the plans for the G.I. Joe (A Real American Hero, the G.I. Joe brand itself has been around even longer) 40th anniversary. There was a lot here, so let's go through almost all of it... I can't bring myself to get through that opening rap...

 

While this won't be in the order shown, this will be in the order of excitement for me personally. We saw more of many of the reveals in January, with the only significant exception that I can recall being the Retro Duke and Cobra Commander two-pack. Diorama shots of Stalker, the Cobra Viper three-pack, Xamot and Tomax were shown, including the reveal of the Vipers coming with blast effect accessories which should be compatible with almost all the guns in the Classified line. The Vipers were also used as an example of Classified's future with plastic-free packaging, with nice looking artwork of a Viper Squad. Stalker and the Crimson Twins also look great, but there isn't much to talk about outside of the reveals of their accessories. Same with the box reveal for the O Ring Cobra Officer and Cobra Trooper, along with the six-inch card backs for Baroness, Destro, Gung-Ho and Lady Jaye.

 

Super 7's ReAction figures were also shown off, within packaging looks at Snake Eyes, Flint, Roadblock, Cobra Commander, Baroness and Firefly, all of which look great thanks to their cartoon styling. I'm curious to see how these figures and the previous two waves (if they're out yet) look alongside the vintage vehicles, as I think the figures are around the same size, just sculpted to look like they do in the cartoon. In other elements of the more expansive franchise, there was an interview with Tom Walts from IDW discussing the new comic series: Saturday Morning Adventure, and a 40th-anniversary special comic that's (for lack of a better way to put it) remaking the iconic story from the original RAH comic run at Marvel: Silent Interlude, with new art by a wide variety of artists, each doing a page each. I'm pretty curious about the Saturday Morning Adventure series. I don't have a copy yet as my local comic shop isn't exactly local, but as with the talk about recent Transformers comics, it's hard to be interested in them when the license is almost over. On the note of comics, what seems like a passion project by some of the photographers is taking iconic G.I. Joe comic covers and replicating them with the Classified figures. You can find those on social media. In other entertainment news, a new Tabletop game is coming called G.I. Joe: Mission Critical, which sounds interesting, but I'll need to wait and see it being played first before I form an opinion on it, and you can now play as Snake Eyes (and Timber) and Storm Shadow in Brawlhalla. The only thing I have to say about this is that, once again, the Transformers team, take some notes. Showing actual gameplay helps to get people excited about playing these games (something many companies, even in the industry, could do to learn). Is it something I'll play? Probably not; if I want to play a Super Smash Brothers style game, I'll play Super Smash Brothers. Still, the presentation was far more interesting than all the other free to play crossovers they've shown off for Transformers.

 

On to the bigger reveals. There wasn't a lot of love for the Retro line this time, though Classified got a lot of attention thanks to eight new digital renders, including one I doubt anyone saw coming; it does give hope for certain exciting things in the future. Zarana for your Dreadnoks, Dusty for your standard Joe team, Python Patrol Viper to provide the Python Patrol with another Army Builder, Tiger Force Recondo and Bazooka joining Outback in the "we hope this gets a normal release in the future" camp, Dr Mindbender for Cobra, with potential hints to Serpentor coming soon based on what they were saying (though I may be reading too much into it) and... Kamakura... a 2003, post RAH toyline character. This was a character made while Devil's Due Publishing had the publishing rights to G.I. Joe comics. However, the basis seems to come from a minor character in the Marvel comics (or maybe he was retroactively retconned in? I'm not sure about this one, though I'll have more info when/ if I review him). It's interesting to see a far more recent character be included in the line, and with them saying in the stream that they would like to do more pre and post RAH characters in this Classified style, it does give hope for more characters other generations of G.I. Joe fans to be included into the line. There's still hope for you yet, Mr Colton! As for the other characters, all of these look good; I can't wait to see the diorama pictures and get them for myself.

 

And now, the big one... damm you Hasbro, you're making it harder and harder to not collect the vintage vehicles (I don't have the space nor money!). While I standby the ideas presented here: https://mediaholicstoybox.blogspot.com/2022/02/opinion-piece-transformers-x-gi-joe.html when it comes to a crossover line of toys, the rumours about Project Trooper being a Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover were true. A desire since the 80s, and long overdue due to that desire, Decepticon Leader Megatron is being released in the G.I. Joe Retro line, transforming into an in scale H.I.S.S Tank, bundled with a Retro release of Baroness. I still maintain that the Cobra Mamba is a better fit, especially as we know Megatron can work as a dual rotor helicopter thanks to Transformers Animated. Still, it's hard to deny that this long-awaited dream for 80's kids is coming true. Does it look great? No, the priorities seem to be "Accurate and functional H.I.S.S Tank first, G1 accurate Megatron second, making that all actually work in a clean way coming third." Megatron doesn't look like he transforms into a H.I.S.S but instead wears a H.I.S.S tank on his back. A part of me would have liked to have seen the tank in silver, akin to the box set Hasbro put out in 2016 where they did a 2005 H.I.S.S Tank in Soundwave colours, but that is a nitpick and would detract from the fantasy fulfilment that this is going for. I've got it on pre-order; I'll aim to do a review of it as soon as I can, though this feels like I'm testing fate. I hope this goes well because I think many people would love to see even more Joe and Cobra Vehicles becoming Cybertronian Robots (plus, I doubt many would oppose getting Marissa Fairborn and Old Snake in the Classified line). 

 

2022 is looking to be a step up from 2021; there seems to be enough confidence in the brand to give it more of a push. I hope this momentum continues (and hopefully improves here in Australia before I start army building P.D Destros to get them off shelves). I'm interested to see what the standout reveals were too many people, though. So what are you hoping for next?

 

 

Opinion Piece: Transformers x G.I. Joe, could it work? (Part 1?)

I want to take you down a thought process. With how often I review the G.I. Joe and Transformers toylines and how intertwined the two brands are, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have been considering how a potential crossover could work. It has been something many have asked for over the years, and many of the Joe Vehicles lend themselves quite nicely to Transformers. Written before the upcoming stream announcing more of the plans for G.I. Joe's 40th anniversary, I wanted to give a pitch for how a potential crossover line could work.

 

To establish some ground rules, I will be keeping things to a standard based on the current mainlines for both brands. Generations for Transformers (Legacy, War for Cybertron, Prime Wars, etc.), and Classified for G.I. Joe. Unfortunately for those on the Joe's side, this will focus more on the Transformers standards because of the most significant issue, size. War for Cybertron: Earthrise Optimus Prime is around the same height as Classified Series Duke. Any way you want to cut it, the Joes will need to be shrunk down for this to potentially work. Perhaps at the smaller Titan Master size (Around 2 or 3cm), they can still interact with the vehicles and be large enough for things like basic paint applications. With the crossover theme in mind, this could be a good chance to modernize the Titan Masters scale, making Joes and the weapons on the other figures to be more modern armaments, or even futuristic like some of the Classified line’s weapons thanks to the Cybertronian elements.

 

The main reason for such a crossover would be to have the Joe and Cobra Vehicles have a new presence on store shelves outside of reissues. For this article, I'll be giving a wave synopsis based on how the first wave of a new Transformers line is currently distributed. From smallest to largest, these will be 3 Core Class figures, 4 Deluxe Class figures, 2 Voyager Class figures, and two Leader Class figures. 

Borrowing an element from the War for Cybertron Siege and Earthrise lines, the Core class would be based more on the Battlemasters, smaller robots that turn into weapons for the larger figures. What would make them different here is that they'd be based on the Joe and Cobra tow weapons, with each figure having a vehicle mode that can be towed by larger figures that double as a stationary weapon for the Joe and Cobra characters. It would also have a basic robot mode and can be converted into a handheld weapon for the larger robots. A few contenders for Wave 1 could be the G.I Joe H.A.L., the Cobra A.S.P., and potentially a more rigid gun that may not be able to be towed but still has the other elements of play like the Joe's FLAK. These would come with a generic trooper for the Joes and Cobra to encourage army building.

 

We'd be getting into the territory of actual characters at retail for the Deluxe class. For the Bots and Joes, a great first two would be the VAMP as Hound, with Clutch as the driver, and the M.O.B.A.T. as Warpath with Steeler. Two solid picks for the Cons and Cobra, the Cobra F.A.N.G. with a Cobra Trooper, and the Cobra Rattler as Viper with Wild Weasel. These would be in the traditional colours for the Transformers themselves, which wouldn't be that big of an issue for Hound and especially Viper. Many of these vehicles were reused multiple times over the Joe toyline, so repainting them into other Transformers, regardless of faction, wouldn't be unheard of. Viper can easily become a Powerglide later, and Hound has a lot of potential as a Stinger, though the Decepticon in question is someone I'm having trouble naming. 

 

Voyager is where things are starting to get interesting. As the figures get larger, you could include more characters with them as many of them become multi-seater vehicles of larger sizes. With the Deluxes favoring the Joes on the ground, and Cobra in the air, I'm going to flip it for the larger size. The Skystriker as Jetfire is an easy pick, with inclusions for the Skystriker as Ace and potentially Scarlett as a nod to the G.I. Joe animated series. Soundwave's often been picked as the Con for the Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank and that isn’t something I'm not inclined to disagree with. Destro or Major Bludd with a H.I.S.S. Driver would be the characters I include with the tank, and due to Soundwave being the tank, you could do the A.S.P. that I mentioned earlier as Frenzy or Rumble.

 

Finally, for the Leaders, though they rarely get Leader Class toys now, the best candidates would be Optimus Prime and Megatron. I think a good candidate for Optimus would be the Joe's A.P.C., as it would be a less drastic change for the leader of the Autobots and the vehicle style would also work for a common Optimus repaint, Ultra Magnus. I could even see Optimus transforming into a portion of the A.P.C., with the main troop carrier being the equivalent of Prime's traditional trailer. Alongside Duke, I could see the A.P.C. coming with a pair of generic troopers, or it could be an excuse to include some of the more stand-alone Joes. As for Megatron, I have to go with the Cobra Mamba, while Cobra Commander would get a couple of Gyro Vipers for co-pilots.

 

Repaint ideas have been dotted throughout this, as repaints are a staple of both brands. The vehicles above could all be made into more generic troop builders for both sides, and come with  Green Shirts or Cobra Troopers respectively. Having a Soundblaster in traditional H.I.S.S. black could be a pulse exclusive army builder that comes with two H.I.S.S. drivers instead of one. You could do a red one that comes with the Crimson guards while the twins Tomax and Xamot come in another vehicle in a later retail wave. It also means that you can satisfy both sets of fans as neither would feel like things have been badly compromised for the sake of the other. When you throw in other Transformers characters the vehicles can come with (the Skystriker as Starscream and the Seekers as noted earlier), you'd have lots of chances to build up the armies equally.

 

I'll leave it there for now, but I'd be happy to expand this further if there's interest. Feel free to let me know if you'd like to see more of these potential wave ideas and pairings or bring up any that you've come up with. Thank you to Craig Moore though for helping out with refining this piece though, helping to streamline it given that it was rushed out when compared to other opinion pieces.

Lego Ideas 21331; Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone: "Cubing around at the speed of none"

There are certain franchises where the moment a new game comes out, the announcement catches my attention. Sometimes it's for the high quality tied to the IP; other times, it's a mixed bag that I can't help but see where the coin landed. Sonic the Hedgehog is one of those franchises. One moment, you could be playing a finely tuned, beautifully designed game; the next, you could be playing a glitchy, broken mess where you wonder how it got through certification. Even re-releases aren't immune to the coin toss, with games like Sonic Genesis for the Game Boy Advance being a horrible port of the original Genesis/ Mega Drive game, and last year's "remaster" of Sonic Colours (see the Mediaholics RAWs channel if you want to see a small selection of the issues I came across while playing the Switch Port). There are many reasons why the Sonic community is an Internet Punching bag, but for better or worse, Sonic still lives on. Though it didn't make his 30th birthday, Lego did put out a set themed to the iconic Hedgehog and with Lego Super Mario still refusing to give the vocal minority of the community Minifig scaled sets, and we can use this to see if it's something we actually want. Welcome to the Green Hill Zone!

Right off the bat, there is a bit of controversy to this set. Due to this being a Lego Ideas set, it started life as a project pitch that Lego fans could vote on to get it to a review process. Those who have been keeping up with the reviews process for Ideas sets would know that while this was a Sonic set themed to Green Hill Zone, it wasn't themed to the original Sonic the Hedgehog game but rather one of the more recent retreads to the zone in Sonic Mania. The inclusion of two Hard-Boiled Heavies and the Death Egg Robot were the most significant elements to this theme that were dropped to make it based on the original zone. Personally, I think this change is for the better, as it makes things more consistent. Because of how frequently used Green Hill Zone as a level theme is, keeping it a bit more generic handles many level tropes for Sonic. This can easily represent Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Generations, Sonic Mania or Sonic Forces, Splash Hill from Sonic 4 Episode 1. Some may confuse it for Emerald Hill from Sonic 2, Neo Green Hill Zone from one of the Sonic Advance games, get a second copy, add another layout, and you can make this into the Green Hill Stage from Super Smash Brothers, or make a tube and call it Windy Hill Zone from Sonic Lost World. Though it does suck to lose things like the Flickies and the Death Egg Robot, I think this change is overall for the better. Does that make the set good, though?

There are some frustrating elements to it, the way the ground was done is quite tedious, and some of the uses of stickers is infuriating (particularly for the loop, as two parts need three stickers each). Even with those issues, it's hard to deny how good the set looks. When looking at Green Hill from a 2D perspective, it's a beautiful set, representing a nice miss mash of elements iconic to the stage and series. As tedious as it was to put all those 1x1 plates on, the ground looks beautiful, perfectly representing the checkerboard dirt of Green Hill. I love how they handled elements like the tree the floating rings (though it would have been nice if those were gold instead of yellow). The simple but effective mechanisms for the spring and checkpoint are nicely done, and the Motobug and Crabmeat look amazing when next to Sonic. The set encourages customization, with things like the stage built in interchangeable modules and optional alternate stickered plates for the item boxes and Motobug's head. I'm not surprised that the original fan designer has put out a set of instructions for alternate stage elements like a spike trap, a Buzzbomber, and other aspects of terrain to help expand it further if you purchase a second copy. It has a feel to it like the Architecture Great Wall of China in that regard. The main issue I have with the end result of the look is that I wish it were a little wider. Not including the decorative tiles on the side, the ground is four studs wide, which looks fine straight on for most positions where you can put Sonic, though it makes certain elements look cramped when you see the stage from other angles. There's not much space to get past the tree, especially the checkpoint. Perhaps six studs wide could have looked better? Unfortunately, the curse of taking something intended to be flat and bringing it into a three-dimensional world. The only other minor complaint I have is that something representing Sonic curled up in a ball would have been a nice touch, as there's another way to display your Sonic.

 

Alongside the badniks, you get a Dr Robotnik/ Eggman in his Egg Mobile and a little display stand for Sonic and the seven Chaos Emeralds. While the original game only had six, the emerald piece is likely very cheap to produce, and Sonic 1 was the only game to have six Emeralds; every other game since had seven (or seven collectable items of less than or equal to power). The stand is a nice little touch, and the action stand for Sonic gives him a dynamic pose while on the stand with the emeralds. Another missed opportunity might be the lack of a Super Sonic minifig, but it doesn't feel like a huge loss when in hand. Robotnik is a bit of a mixed bag. I love how they handled the Egg Mobile; it's a beautiful recreation of the sprite. The Eggman himself, though, not so much. Robotnik's sprite was always going to be difficult to replicate, he is, after all, a ball with limbs and a head, but the overall look feels wrong when standing on his own. The legs look good, but everything from the hips up doesn't do it for me. The fan designer has gone on record saying it was for stability reasons, something that I could see when putting it together, as it is a very stable, durable build. I just feel like there could have been other ways to handle elements like the head. I'm glad this wasn't a Bigfig like it was in Lego Dimensions, though the Bigfig scaled Eggmobile does look good in that game.

Looking at this set and comparing it to Lego Mario, I'm glad that Mario went in the direction it did, as it does lead to a wider variety of things in a consistent style. However, if Lego Mario were a line built in this style, I would likely lose my mind with all the repetition in assembly, thanks to how sprite-based games are made, especially in Mario. Does that make this a lousy set, though? No, quite the opposite. On its own, Lego Green Hill Zone is excellent, a nice collector's piece for fans of the consistently inconsistent speedster. I just don't think this has the potential to be a future line in this state (even if that would mean missing out on Lego Tails, Knuckles and Amy).

Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fan First Friday (5/2/22): "Well... that didn't take long, did it?"

 At the end of the Best of Classified list a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I appreciated the change in direction for the Fan First Friday's, Hasbro's Nintendo Direct like "Look at all our new stuff!" streams themed to certain brands. Instead of showing in-hand images, everything there was an early render to help build up the hype before the leaks got too bad. Sure, we knew the names for many of the reveals, but we hadn't seen badly presented leaked images or reviews of stolen factory samples, so seeing them for the first time was enough to build up excitement. I hoped that other brands would be following suit with that. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case with Transformers, at least for now. Considering as I intentionally delayed the start of the Golden Disk reviews for this, I may as well follow through with that. Here are my thoughts on what was officially revealed at yesterday's Fan First Friday.

Starting with the franchise news, a lot of it fell flat. While a significant issue I have with the presentation as a whole was the mixed attempt at the excitement, you could tell passion was there but that no one had strong public speaking skills. What didn't help was the content being shown. More was demonstrated on the Transformers VR Game, Beyond Reality, and right off the bat, I'm concerned about it because of how little they're showing off the game at these events. We saw about 20 seconds of mid-level cutscenes with minimal action. There is very little to go off when trying to judge if it looks good or not, especially for a game that will require more dedicated hardware that most of the fanbase likely won't have. More needs to be done to sell it, so to be so protective of information makes me think this game isn't ready for its March release and is probably being sent out to die. They announced another Mobile crossover with Top War, and all we got from that was a release month of March and a promo shot teasing the story, but not even including the new characters that are supposedly coming to the game. New IDW comics were announced in the form of King Grimlock #5, Wars End #1 and the trade paperback release of the Shattered Glass comics from last year. Still, with the announcement that IDW's run on the brand is ending soon, the stigma of "these are being rushed out before the contract ends" is hard to shake, and nothing in the presentation helped fix that. Finally, there's a crossover with an app called Calm, an app to help with sleep, where Peter Cullen, in his Optimus voice, will (to put it simply) read you a Transformers themed bedtime story. That one was at least somewhat interesting as a crossover concept, and the use of Transformers Prime music (or at least in that style) was an excellent choice. It is somewhat funny to me that Transformers beat Pokemon Sleep to the punch. Still, I doubt this will entice people to get the Calm app.

One thing I will give credit to them for with this Fan First Friday, they included a bit of everything. One of the frustrating parts of past streams was focusing on single lines at a time. Kingdom, Studio Series, Studio Series 86, all of them would get their own dedicated streams, drawing out reveals for all of them. I'm not even sure if Buzzworthy Bumblebee was ever mentioned in a stream last year. Now they just need to work on the excitement and getting reveals out before leaks (something that plagues almost all of the reveals). Starting with the regular Studio Series, we saw more of the Bumblebee movie Arcee that was first revealed in a mini stream last year and the first reveal of the inevitable repaint of Bumblebee movie Ratchet into Bumblebee movie Ironhide. Both of these look good; I'm interested in continuing my Bumblebee movie collection once more of the new wave comes out here in Australia (though I still need to get Thrust...). It's hard to be excited for these two though, as they had already shown off Arcee, and a new Ironhide/ Ratchet toy getting repainted into the other is about as inevitable as a Starscream becoming Thundercracker and Skywarp. The toy was a matter of when not if. Studio Series 86 did have one brand new reveal in the form of Leader Class Sludge, which looks fantastic (though I wish he came with the Googly eyes from the movie. It doesn't look like he does). It's great to get more of the Dinobots at that size, and the prototype they showed looked great alongside Grimlock and Slug/Slag. We also got the official reveal of Junkyard (a heavy retool of Wreck-Gar) and Spike in the Exo-Suit. Both look good, but the wind was taken out of the reveals thanks to leaks (Spike, I think, may have already been seen on store shelves, though I'm not sure on that one).

Legacy got some love in the form of the Legacy Beast Collection, three Walmart Exclusive beasts that may or may not be hard to find here in Australia. Thankfully all three are niche repaints, so most collectors won't have to worry about missing out on them. The three in question are Sandstorm from the Kingdom Scorponok toy, Nightprowler from Cheetor, and Buzzsaw from Waspinator. All three look pretty good; I'd like to pick them up if I can, even if my views on the moulds aren't the best overall. The three make excellent Beast boosters for your Maximal and Predacon collections (even if Nightprowler is an Autobot, the joys of being based on an early Beast Wars concept). Two more vintage Beast Wars toys were also shown off for their reissues, in the form of Scorponok and Tigatron, the former I'm certainly going to try to get, as I haven't been actively hunting the vintage Beast Wars stuff. On the subject of leaks, one toy leaked by a UK website before the stream, but not shown off in the stream, was Vintage Cybershark, which interests me more than Tigatron does as Cybershark never made it into the cartoon.

R.E.D Line got some love in the stream; a line that I'm surprised is still going because I don't think anyone is that interested in it? It's a line I hear very few people talk about, especially when compared to other non-transforming Transformers lines like what Super 7 is doing. Prime Knockout looks good. I'm tempted to get him and Prime Arcee, assuming anywhere is still selling the latter. Ultra Magnus is pretty forgettable for me. It's a white repaint of the R.E.D Optimus they did. Expected, but not exciting. The final three reveals were for the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line (a line mostly made of repaints/ re-releases). B-127 from the Bumblebee movie is getting a release without the battle mask head (I believe it's the same head as the one on the Jeep Bumblebee toy), and both Studio Series 86 Kup, and Earthrise Cliffjumper are getting cartoon-inspired paint jobs. Kup looks the best of the two, and while I appreciate the new deco for the arms and legs for Cluffjumper, I'm not sold on the chest. Like with the team in the stream, I'm torn on clear windows for Transformers. While it can look good on specific figures, it comes with many compromises due to how they engineer the toys, see cases like Tracks where the entire top of the car is clear plastic.

Uneventful is probably the best way to describe this stream. It didn't feel exciting due to most of it boiling down too "Hey, you know that stuff you've already seen leaked? Well here's it officially revealed!" I think how the G.I Joe team handled their last stream is the best way to reveal the "Hey, this toy is coming" news. Using Digital Renders can help get the word out before the leaks (hopefully) do, helping build up excitement. In addition, you can show off promo photos on social media once test samples are in and ready for photography. Do I think they lose to leaks intentionally? No, that would be stupid, but it's something they need to get on top of. I would prefer to first learn about a toy through a digital render of the prototype, rather than a YouTuber who pays for stolen toys for the sake of being the first to review something or a factory worker taking photos to post on social media. I'll see you next week either for the review of Puffer and Road Ranger, or it'll be delayed again to talk about Sonic the Hedgehog. One of the two.

Action Force Sgt. Slaughter: At least I can't get demonetized for this.

 Let's start the year's reviews with something slightly different, shall we? It's rare to see complementary toy lines in today's day and age, isn't it? Sure, you'd get cases like the Transformers Studio Series 86 line and Generations Selects to help bolster the Generation 1 figures on shelves (because we need more of those...). Still, those feel like an extension, compared to a complement. Compare that to the '80s, and 90's Lego sets, particularly the Space themed sets where, even in separate lines, the sets still complemented each other, helped make Space feel a lot grander in scope. I bring this up because since learning of Valaverse's Action Force line, it's felt intended (at least partially) to complement the G.I. Joe Classified line. Valaverse heavily promoted the line to the dedicated G.I. Joe fans. The company owner is a former Hasbro designer that helped work on (among other brands) G.I. Joe and was likely aware of the Classified line long before the general public did. Combine that with the history of Action Force as a brand name is directly tied to the Joes, as Action Force was the name many G.I Joe: A Real American Hero toys and moulds were brought into the United Kingdom, even the inclusion of today's review subject, Robert Rudolph Remus, was one of the first real-life people to be included in the Real American Hero toyline under his wrestling persona, Sgt. Slaughter. While the Valaverse Action Force is its universe, with its own story its own characters, it feels like the intention was always to balance the legacies of the brands (a history and heritage I do recommend looking up, as it is a fascinating story). That's why today we're reviewing that main bridge, the big hook to try and convert fans of Classified. Welcome to the Slaughter House.

One thing to bring up early on, this is not based on any version of Slaughter from the Real American Hero toyline. As far as I'm aware, this is an original design based on his wrestling persona. Based on the bio on the Valaverse website, this is a Slaughter that is somewhat past his prime. But, he still has a "toughened veteran" feel and is viewed as a threat to the Action Force's enemies: the Swarm (among other threats? I haven't read the comics they've been putting out on the story, I don't know if Bone Collector is an enemy, a mercenary, or something else). You get the feel of a veteran pulled out of retirement with this figure, but there's still enough of a sense of youth to the figure that allows him to still work as a Drill Sergeant. While he may not be the one breaking recruits in, there's still a sense of "recruits are probably still terrified of this man". There's still a sense of authority to him. Among one other in particular, the figure reminds me of a teacher at my old high school who was in charge of the school's Cadet Program. When in uniform, he also had that sense of authority to him.

 

While this does complement the Classified series, there are distinct differences compared to how Classified handles certain elements, Specific elements of the engineering are different. For example, Sculpt was kept a high priority for Slaughter, whereas many Classified figures prioritize articulation. Not to say that Slaughter is rigid, just that there were some compromises he makes that the Classified line doesn't, and vice versa. The way the stomach, for example: while it is as articulated as the Classified series, it's more natural to the way the human body works, thanks to the upper body and the hips having joints built into the stomach to handle an ab crunch and hip spin, compared to Classified's far more visible ratchet hinge. On the flip side of that, Slaughter's neck is more limited than necks like Duke's, and the extra joints incorporated in Duke's neck, and hips allow him to maintain the articulation without having visible gaps in the sculpt. However, this is only an issue in Slaughter's neck, as the dark green pants and jacket help hide the gap. 

One thing that does unobjectively put the Classified line to shame is the accessories. One thing I should mention is that there is a known issue with the first wave of Action Force toys, where the joints and ports are too stiff out of the box. Included is a letter from Valaverse regarding ways to help fix this, as it's mostly down to the internal seal of the joints. This issue is something that will be addressed for Wave 2 and onwards. I don't bring this up to bring down the figure, even though it affects my toy copy (mainly the hands). This wave of toys was kickstarted, the company itself is still young, and the transparency about the issue is appreciated. With that said, what do you get with the sarge? You get a wide variety of alternate hands, with both hands having a trigger hand, a neutral gripping hand, a fist, and a relaxed/ "Come on, try me!" hand. The right hand also gets a pointing hand, so you could do things like having a pointing contest with Cobra Commander. Unlike the Classified line, these hands use a very stiff plastic, meaning that the unique gripping hands are the only way you'll be able to get him to hold his two weapons: a revolver and a knife, both of which have dedicated holsters and sheaths on his thighs. Out of the two weapons, I prefer the knife thanks to sculpted details like the eagle head on the handle, but both weapons put many of the Classified lines weapons to shame thanks to them being beautifully painted. It's nice to have a silver revolver and silver blade. Slaughter also comes with a removable hat and sunglasses, the hat itself is a snug fit that won't easily come off unless you knock it, but the same can't be said for the sunglasses. It's the one major flaw I have with this toy, as I would have prefered to have a different head sculpt with the glasses moulded on. If you have Profit Director Destro, you'll be very familiar with how frustrating the glasses can be, and this pair has the same issue. I'll probably be getting some glue eventually and gluing them onto the head due to him never removing them in the cartoon (at least from memory. Again, not a wrestling fan). The final accessory is another that I wish the Classified line would come with, a display stand. It's nothing spectacular, as there are no painted details on it, but all the moulding detail helps give it a distinct look without becoming distracting. Considering as the designer, Bobby Vala, has gone on record saying the reason Classified doesn't come with things like stands and alternate hands is the perceived value of toylines like Marvel Legends and Star Wars: The Black Series, I'm not surprised to see all of these accessories here, and they all help bring life to the figure. 

No, I'm not a photographer. Why do you think I mainly use promo images?

While I can't say that this has convinced me to go all-in on Action Force, as many of the designs are a bit hit and miss for me (though if I could, I would probably get that Wasp Raider, nice to see Waspinator getting some love) it's hard to deny how good of a figure this is. You can tell that this was done with a lot of care put into it. This toy feels like an uncompromised love letter to the 80's military action figures. This figure does achieve what I believe the goals of this line are: a balance of old and new ideas, modernizing the concept of the military action figure while respecting the legacy of Action Force, its predecessor Action Man, and his American brother in arms, G.I. Joe. If you can only get one figure from the line, this is the one I recommend getting, though I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. Just be aware that this is a smaller company. These likely won't be as readily available as something like a Classified figure (though if you live in Australia, that's not saying much because Classified isn't readily available anyway). See you next week for the start of the Golden Disc Collection.