G.I. Joe Classified 14; Storm Shadow (Arctic Mission): That one placeholder every one has

There are certain characters in franchises that, when a new tv show, or movie series, or toyline becomes available to the consumer, their appearance is more a matter of how long of a wait it'll be before they show up, not if they'll show up. Storm Shadow is one of those characters for G.I. Joe, at least anything based on the 80's version. People knew Storm Shadow would come, but no one expected this to be his first release in the Classified line. Arctic Mission Storm Shadow, an Amazon exclusive based on (as far as I can tell) a mix of the 1993 Ninja Force release while borrowing elements of a semi-recent version of Storm Shadow from 2011-2012 (that YoJoe only identifies as v44). Many people identify Storm Shadow as a member of Cobra, so for his first release in the Classified line to be based on the toy where he was a member of G.I. Joe, it felt odd to many. Considering the hurdles the line had so far due to the pandemic last year, it wouldn't surprise me if we were supposed to have had a "regular" Storm Shadow by now, and this was meant to come out around the same time as it. However, we're still waiting on said regular release, so while we wait for a version of Storm Shadow that isn't tied to the movie, let's see how this Amazon Exclusive one goes. 

Do you recall the designs from Batman Begins for the ninjas in the League of Shadows? I know that comparison has probably been brought up multiple times when talking about this character, but it's almost inescapable. But that's not inherently a bad thing. While the more traditional Storm Shadow design is a statement for the character's personality, he's so confident in his skills as a warrior that he's willing to go into battle against enemies with powerful guns in nothing but a Gi. But an armoured look does still have its advantages, especially when the armour is light. It gives Storm Shadow a feel similar to that of specific versions of the Batman Suit, such as the ones used in the Nolan Trilogy. Aside from the extra warmth that this would bring (it is being sold as a suit for Arctic Missions after all), it's armour that looks to protect him from blades and other close-ranged attacks, armour Ninjas would generally wear if needed. Where it loses intimidation with the lack of protection, it gains a different kind of intimidation as now you'd need to figure out where the weaknesses are in the armour and hope he doesn't know them as well. It makes the design very comparable to Snake Eyes in that regard. I think it's a comparison that works well, highlighting how similar the two are, even if they don't see eye to eye.

One other advantage this design has is that the armour sculpting hasn't impacted the articulation too much. There's no ab crunch blocking vest here, the only thing on here that gets in the way of movement is the belt and skirting around the thighs, and even then, it's only a minor inconvenience to move the hips and thighs. One thing I wish it had, though, was ways to store his accessories, accessories that I'm hit and miss on, to begin with. Going down the list, Storm Shadow has a bow, an arrow, a quiver pack, grappling hook, removable hood (though the process of it is slightly tedious, so I don't consider it an accessory), a scythe, katana and sheath for said katana. I love the katana and sheath, mainly as they painted the blade, making the sword look that much more impressive. I'm not as big of a fan of the bow, arrow, and quiver because they are not very consistent. The bow (which looks excellent, thanks to the gold and black paint) is missing something resembling a bowstring out of the box, and the arrow is surprisingly tedious to have Storm Shadow hold. Perhaps if there was a bowstring, the arrow could hook onto the string and then have Storm Shadow hold the string? The arrow itself also can't go into the quiver, and because the arrow is unpainted white plastic, it stands out badly against the quiver's gold arrows. There's also nowhere to store the bow, scythe and grappling hook (which for the record does have a line attached to it) without having Storm Shadow hold them, so there's no way to store all the accessories on him, unlike Snake Eyes. It wouldn't have been impossible to do. The Red Ninjas (a review I hope to get to at some point) are an excellent example of this. It's a shame that the same care didn't go into storage for Storm Shadow, especially as all that would have been needed was a hook and hole on the belt and a bowstring for the bow to hook it over a shoulder. While I know the intention is for collectors to add their bowstring if they so choose, this review focuses on the figure straight out of the box, which is why I keep bringing the lack of it up as a negative.

While the accessories bring Storm Shadow down a bit for me, I still think the base figure looks great. Suppose the regular release of Storm Shadow is a repaint of this version, armour and all; I think it would look imposing. I think it fits the character, and it makes him look more intimidating as a result. I could see it working well alongside the armies of Red Ninjas people have in their collections, as those also have the armoured aesthetic. Above all else, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes look great together on a shelf, which is what you hope for in the release of two rivals. Even though this version of Storm Shadow is a Joe, getting this and Snake Eyes into a fight is fitting and looks good. When I write this, we're back in COVID lockdown (because we clearly haven't spent enough time in lockdown), so it'll be a while before I see the Snake Eyes movie. A minor change to the schedule. What was going to be a combined review of Studio Series Hot Rod and Kingdom Rodimus Prime is going to now be split in two, as a delay has caused Rodimus to not show up at my house until mid-August. Rodimus will come soon, but at least his younger self can get a review first.

G.I. Joe Classified 02; Snake Eyes: Insult to injury if you missed the Deluxe version

Snake Eyes. A character with a name that you'd think would make him a villain, released initially with no paint to not take away from any of the other figures in the initial wave. But that didn't stop him from becoming a fan favourite character thanks to a mysterious history and him being both a ninja and a commando. Now, why a Ninja would be in an elite American military unit is beyond me, but it's a case of "Rule of Cool". "They need a Ninja to fight Cobra's Ninja". So, to tie into the Snake Eye movie releasing soon, the two Ninjas are getting reviews, starting with the title character himself. 

As with most of the Classified figures I've reviewed so far, a few different versions of Snake Eyes are out on the market. A deluxe version came out first, with the main draws are a few extra paint applications, alternate guns weapons, alternate hands and extra ninja weapons for a display piece. There's also a recently released Commando Snake Eyes based on the original release of the figure that comes with his wolf Timber. I intend to get a review of Commando Snake Eyes out sometime soon, as I have one on the way, but for this review, I'll be looking at the general retail release. Same sculpt as the Deluxe version, just without the bonuses. However, this is a case though where, to me, the regular retail version looks significantly better than the Deluxe version thanks to the removal of specific paint applications, mainly the removal of the silver visor. Due to black being the primary colour on him, accenting colours stand out a lot harder, and while the silver and red look good on the belts and sheath, the visor being silver is not a good look. But, if you want a silver visor and can't find the Deluxe version, the recently leaked Deluxe Zartan might be able to help with that, as one of the alternate heads he's coming with is Snake Eyes with the silver visor. 

Unfortunately, though, one problem the deluxe version seems to have going for it is quality control. In terms of build, this is hands down the worst figure I own in the Classified line. If I didn't get Duke, Scarlet and Destro (who's in a similar boat, but not to the same extent) at the same time, I probably would have stopped then and there because of how bad the build is on him. Most of the joints feel weak, especially the ab crunch. There is a lot of give before the joint moves to the next point on the internal ratchet, and it takes minimal effort to move it along said ratchet, especially if you want his back arching backwards. The bandolier is also very loose on him. If you want it sitting flush on his body, you need to ignore the hole on it that's meant to sit over the port on his back for accessories like his backpack (so far the only pack I don't keep with my figures, instead sending it to an accessories draw), and the sword sheath. The weak joints take the wind out of this figure, and while I know they can do better, as I said, this was almost an interest killer for me. 

Getting to the accessories, none of them are inherently bad, but I can see people being disappointed in one of them. The backpack I mentioned previously is fine. The big issue I have with the pack, and why he doesn't wear it, is the issues I have with the bandolier; it makes the backpack not sit flush against his back. You also get a sword and sheath, with the sheath having an Arashikage symbol on it to match the symbols on Snake Eyes's torso and belt. This is what I prefer to be on Snake Eyes' back, as even with the bandoliers issues, it sits naturally on his back. He also comes with a knife, and the only fault I have with the sword and knife is that I wish they painted the blades silver. It's something I'm surprised even the Deluxe version doesn't do, as I think the silver blades would look amazing. Finally, you get a pistol with an optional silencer and an uzi for ranged weapons, both of which do have that "Nerf like" aesthetic to them. Unlike Firefly, I'm not that big of a fan of these two guns. While they look ok, and I stand by my view on the Nerf/ Sci-fi guns not inherently being a bad thing, it's hard to deny that the more realistic weapons the deluxe version came with instead of these two do look a lot better. The uzi especially as it seems lighter, like it would better fit Snake Eye's fighting style. At least these two you can plug together to make a dual gun? For those who want a pistol and uzi to both be in one hand and firing simultaneously? I don't think Snake Eyes will be joining the Cybertronian arms race any time soon, though; he would need more guns to plug together.

I want to love this figure. I love Snake Eyes' design, and only one thing is holding back this modern, faithful redesign for me in terms of enjoyment. But, that one thing is a massive problem and one I can't ignore. I can live with the bandolier being loose. In fact, I somewhat prefer it when comparing it to what it's supposed to look like. But the loose joints are a killer for me, making the toy feel cheap. It stings because, as "new fan" as this is going to sound, Snake Eyes was the figure that tempted me into trying the line in the first place; the other three were purchases to help get a better feeling for the line's potential.

For those wondering what the Deluxe version looked like.

However, I do want to close out on a different final note. After writing the bulk of this review, I looked around to see if the loose ab crunch was a common issue and learned of a silent remake of the toy. Everything is the same, just with some minor changes in plastic used, some improvements to the joints, and removing a red dot on the helmet that looks like it's the top or bottom of the Arashikage symbol. An impulse purchase to see for me got here in time to be included in this review, and I can safely say that it does fix most of my issues with the release. I'm still not a fan of the backpack; it still doesn't want to sit flush against the back, but the ab crunch is stronger, and the bandoleer sits a lot better on his body. This springboards Snake Eyes from one of my most hated in the line to one of my favourites now. If you were turned off from getting the figure because of my review of the first version, look for a copy of the toy that has the knife already sheathed, not packed separately. With that said, see you for the review of Storm Shadow.

G.I. Joe Classified (Cobra Island) 21; Firefly: Now with 100% less explosive robotic flireflies.

"Exclusive figure". A term that screams pain and misery for a lot of collectors due to the extra difficulties. For Transformers, especially during the War for Cybertron Trilogy, complete teams would be divided thanks to exclusivity. One of the worst offenders of this recently was the Earthrise release of Starscream, where if you wanted to complete the six main Decepticon Seekers, you would have to find five of the six in three different retailers (at least in the U.S.). For international fans, the product even coming to your country isn't a guarantee. Just because a product might be exclusive to Target U.S. doesn't mean it's exclusive to Target/ Target equivalent stores internationally. When you have a line like G.I Joe Classified, where retailers are barely stocking the mainline where you live, let alone getting store exclusives like the "Cobra Island" subline, then your best option is to look elsewhere and hope the price isn't too high. So how did I get a Firefly? Facebook. Facebook contacts and Buy/ Swap/ Sell groups might not be the official way to get the products, but when the demand isn't meeting the supply, you go elsewhere. Was Firefly worth the trouble, though?

To start with, Firefly is, for the most part, a repaint of another Cobra Island figure, Beachhead. As tempting as it would be to do a dual review of them, I don't own a Beachhead. He and the Cobra Island Cobra Trooper are the two big holes in my Classified collection so far. It would be great to review at some point, but that won't be anytime soon. The two significant differences between them are the accessories and the ab crunch blocking vest the two figures have. Like with Roadblock, I am not a fan of these vests in execution, but I'm willing to make an exception for Firefly due to the design and the intended purpose of the vest. It's an explosive resistant vest meant to protect the wearer from heat and blasts from explosives, so a thick vest that's harder to move around makes sense for the character. I love the sculpting on it, things like the pockets at the front, the crotch and butt flaps, the grenades on one shoulder, with a shoulder guard on the other; it's well done. My only real complaint with it comes from the figure's neck. Thanks to some Q.C. issues, the neck on my copy of Firefly is a bit stiff, and when you combine it with the vest's neck protection, getting the head into positions that require him to look down are just a bit harder than they would otherwise be. I've been able to do it on mine, but it's often required taking the head off the ball joint, positioning the neck, and then putting the head back on. 

While I like Firefly's accessories, in theory, the execution is hit and miss for me. He comes with a handgun which... ok, tangent for a moment. One point I see brought up now and then that has people split, most leaning towards viewing it as a negative, are the weapons looking like Nerf Guns. I honestly don't see that comparison as bad, as the sculpting on many Nerf guns is very impressive. Most of the Nerf guns I have seen and used are only held back (in terms of a visual design) by their colours to ensure they comply with safety standards and don't look like real firearms. If you give them a better paint job, one that doesn't scream, "I'm a toy for kids to shoot with!" most Nerf weapons can look like really intimidating weapons. One of the frequent reasons I hear about it being a bad thing is the desire for realistic armaments, which is a fair reason, at least for G.I Joe. But for Cobra? I don't see the appeal. Most of their technology has often aired on the sci-fi side of the spectrum anyway. What realistic vehicle is the H.I.S.S. tank supposed to be? The S.N.A.K.E.? Serpentor's Air Chariot? The Trouble Bubbles? To my knowledge, the A-10 Thunderbolt doesn't have VTOL capabilities, and the Blackbird didn't have a second vehicle that attached to the top of it. So, why is Cobra using weapons inspired by a toyline that blends realistic design cues with futuristic ones a bad thing?

Alongside the excellent looking gun, Firefly comes with a pair of goggles that he can wear, a backpack to store most of his gear, a cluster of Dynamite sticks for an explosive, a drone, and a tablet controller for the drone. The only two significant problems are the dynamite and the tablet. The tablet can barely stay in his hand, and it takes next to no effort to pop it out, while the dynamite doesn't fit at all. I cannot for the life of me get him to hold the dynamite. Supposedly, the drone can carry the dynamite, but the connection for it feels, to use a Lego building term, illegal. It feels like connecting the dynamite to the feet of the drone puts strain on the drone's legs and could break them. With all of his gear on him, along with his grey camouflage look, he stands out in a good way when standing alongside your other Cobra figures, as the grey stands out nicely among the mainly dark blue, back and red aesthetic. 

While Firefly is a nice figure, the question about "is he good?" comes back to the issues related to the distribution of the Classified line, especially Cobra Island branded figures. He's a solid figure overall, not the best, but not the worst. He's average for the Classified line, which is still very impressive considering other 6-inch figures in other toylines. But was he worth the inflated price I paid for him second hand because there was no hope in him getting an official release here in Australia? Not really, no. If he were spectacular, then I would say it's worth getting him, but because he's only an average figure in an exclusive line, it's hard to not look at the effort needed and go, "he's not worth it".

Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom Leader Class Megatron (Beast Mode) and T-Wrecks: Best not to confuse the two purple dinosaurs.

While both came from someone's imagination, one wants to be your friend, and the other will want to kill you on his temporal, semi-religious quest for power.
 
In the pantheon of reboots and alternate universes, if you were to ask a Transformers fan to name a version of Megatron that wasn't the original from the '80s, a common answer would probably be Beast Wars Megatron. Originally a small green Aligator that was the original Megatron in a new body, what many consider to be the true Beast Wars Megatron is the Ultra Class gimmick laden purple T-Rex, thanks to its use in the show. Now a stand-alone character removed from the original Megatron, he quickly became a fan favourite for his mix of serious villain endeavours and cartoony quirks. One moment he could be trying to change time; the next could him brushing his T-Rex head's teeth and having a bath with a rubber duck. His voice also became iconic, with David Kaye giving a stunning performance that gave him a Shakesperian tone and demeanour, as noted by the way he emphasises the word "yes". It comes as no surprise when Kingdom rolls around that the version of Megatron they go for is the original purple T-Rex look, but something a bit more of a surprise was his first repaint, T-Wrecks from Beast Machines's repaint subline Dinobots. Ironically, at least for me, the Jurassic Park themed repaint, Tyranocon Rex, was more predictable than T-Wrecks was. With both here ready to review, how has the 2020s treated the T-Rex with a god complex? I should point out that from this point on, while the official name is Megatron (Beast Mode), I'll be referring to him as Beast Wars Megatron, or BW Megatron/ Megs for short.

While I usually start with the alternate mode for Transformers, there is something that should be mentioned first, as the toys are packaged in robot mode. As a part of the transformation, you need to split the crotch of the robot to get the legs into position for beast mode. The first time doing this, though, is challenging and requires an alarming amount of force that feels like you're going to rip the toy in half. Thankfully, it gets easier with every subsequent transformation, but that one step does knock down the transformation in terms of enjoyment. 

 

Looking at the Beast Mode once you get it there, though I wouldn't call it clean or refined, it is undoubtedly impressive. There are many visible panel lines and distracting gaps, particularly around the neck, but it doesn't ever really feel like a problem when seeing the result. This thing looks mean, deadly like a Jurassic predator should. I love the fact that articulation isn't compromised for the sake of the transformation when it comes to things like the tail and the neck. The tail isn't as moveable as an actual tail, but there's enough to do a convincing tail swing, and the way the neck panels move for the sake of letting the head turn is genius. I didn't notice until I got T-Wrecks into his Dino mode how seamless the robot mode bits integrate into the dinosaur, as Wrecks has these grey hinges for parts of the leg that look bad when compared to Megatron, where the pieces were cast in purple. What was a real shock when it was revealed was the use of rubber (well, rubber-like plastic) skin. Mainline Transformers can't even get rubber tiers, yet here's a leader class T-Rex wholly covered in the stuff while still having lots of beautiful paint to boot. It feels unnecessary but appreciated nonetheless. Like many T-Rex toys that go for the more natural position, Megatron and T-Wrecks are very front heavy. Getting them to stand in beast mode is an issue, but that's not the toy's fault, more so the initial inspiration. Considering as the first two leader class toys of Kingdom was a repack of Earthrise Optimus and Kingdom Ultra Magnus, a retool of the 2019 toy (see that review for my thoughts on him), this feels excessive, like they went above and beyond to make this as good as possible, which I respect. This is the first new mainline BW Megatron toy since 2006, so why not go all in and make the toy worthy of the event?

The event continues when you get to robot mode, primarily because of Megatron himself and not T-Wrecks. While the sculpting is mostly the same between the toys, with the only noticeable difference being different heads (though some versions of BW Megs have the T-Wrecks head), T-Wrecks has far less paint on him and doesn't feel as alive as a result. It makes T-Wrecks feel like a worse deal as you pay more for him than you would most Leader Class toys; due to him being a Target US exclusive, that one toy chain here decided to import directly from Hasbro Asia. The tan on the underside of the T-Rex, the silver and gunmetal on the robot torso, the black paint on the legs, and the faction symbol on the head make BW Megatron look a lot better than T-Wrecks. I cannot even find a faction symbol on T-Wrecks. I don't know if that's a QC issue, or he genuinely doesn't have a Maximal logo. Articulation in the mould is standard for WFC robots, with the only compromises made coming in the form of the arms and hands. Still, the reason for it is more understandable when you consider the fact that one hand is a T-Rex head, and the tail claw dwarfs the other hand. You don't need wrist swivels on this guy. One big problem this toy has, though, is the back. Beast Wars Megatron will always have a messy back, but this feels a bit too messy, thanks mainly to the Dino modes thighs. It's the one part that I wish was better refined, but the issue is that there's nowhere else for them to go with the way the toy was designed. Dinosaur part management was better handled in the Masterpiece toy from what I've seen. While this is far more durable, it's not something like Studio Series Hot Rod or Kingdom Cyclonus, where they look and feel like affordable Masterpiece toys. 

While it might not be a budget Masterpiece, there's no denying that Kingdom BW Megatron is a gorgeous Leader Class toy. Like I said earlier, this feels like an event, something that some designer has wanted to do for a long time, with a few sacrifices as possible—an almost perfect representation of the character in the Generations scale. While it's nice to get him at all, T-Wrecks feels underdone when compared to his general release mould mate, which makes him feel worse than he is due to his exclusive nature. When even the mediocre Beast Wars characters in Kingdom are done with this much care, we could be in for a real treat if the beasts continue to appear on shelves. While the Generation 1 purists might not like it, this looks to be the case, thanks to rumours, leaks and the next live-action movie bringing the Maximals and Predacons to the big screen (something that I don't have a lot of hope for, but "hope for the best, plan for the worst"). Up next for review, the Cobra saboteur, Firefly.

Lego Creator "Expert" 10261; Roller Coaster: Would love to see official inverted pieces.

During 2018 and 2019-2020, while I was recovering from a broken foot and broken ankle, respectively, a specific type of video on YouTube caught my interest, Theme Park History videos. Videos detailing the history of (mainly) American and European theme parks, their significant rides, and the trials and tribulations of maintaining said rides. As weird of an interest as it sounds, it was fascinating for me, mainly because I've always been interested in learning how things work. But it did give me an interest in becoming a theme park ride operator? Not really, there isn't a lot of prime real estate for theme parks where I live, and the two that I have gone to would be seen as subpar to someone who's used to places like the Disney parks, Universal Studios and Alton Towers. However, one side effect of that was that it renewed interest for me in the Lego Creator Fairgrounds sets, an unnamed sub-theme of Creator Expert. Thanks to COVID, I explored that interest a little with three of the five sets released so far. The Haunted House, the Ferris Wheel, and today's subject matter, the Roller Coaster. 

 

Regarding the title of this review, "Expert" is a bit of a stretch with this set. There aren't any complicated structures in the build. However, some interesting pieces in sections, particularly with the stand roofs and the internal mechanism to get the coaster going, are intricate. Still, the overall structure of the coaster is very basic. As with the Daily Bugle a few weeks ago, the bulk of the set is repetitive, building columns and cross beams in a way that would be necessary on a real roller coaster, but comes off as excessive on something this small. Unlike the Bugle, though, it doesn't feel as repetitive as it actually is, thanks partly to the differences in the structure of the column pieces. The same, however, cannot be said for one of the last parts of the build, the chain for the lift hill. You're connecting 203 of those chain pieces to pull off the mechanism, which feels as tedious to do as it sounds. However, it is a necessary evil as there was no other way to pull the launch mechanism off. I don't expect Lego to make an electromagnetic launcher any time soon. That would lead to a lot of pain and misery for everyone (in some cases quite literally). 

 

The big selling point of this setback in 2018 was the new track pieces and the new cars to go with them. I love these pieces in concept as it allows for a more streamlined process in creating roller coasters among other motion-based Lego sets. The big problem I have with them, though, is that they feel limited when you consider the possibilities of coaster design. You have six main elements to play with here, a straight track (with a mix of snort and long rail pieces), a flat turn, a gentle incline and two variations of a sharp incline, one straight and one with a curve to level off at the top or bottom. It's a solid variety, but I don't see them being useful if you want to create coasters with more exciting layouts. Inversions with these would be tricky at best (I think designing a loop would require bending the plastic), and getting the cars onto more extreme angles would be impossible. With the way the cars themselves are designed, I also don't think an inverted coaster would be possible. It's a shame, as a Lego Roller Coaster has infinite potential to it, both for creating rides and indulging in real-life Roller Coaster Tycoon and making roller coaster themed death traps for riders. While the lack of elements isn't inherently this set's fault, it was the one to introduce the concept after all; it's a little disappointing that the catalogue hasn't been expanded to include pieces to pull off these kinds of ride elements. Maybe someday we'll be able to make coasters with inversions out of Lego without needing to break the rules.

 

As mentioned before, the Expert branding doesn't make a lot of sense here because for as big of a set as it is, in terms of part count and general footprint. The bark of the coaster is worse than its bite, but the result is impressive to see. Automating it works mostly well; it depends on any minor defects in the pieces due to the reliance on friction. It looks great alongside the other Creator Fairgrounds sets, though with the current selection of track, you're not going to be making a wide array of track designs any time soon. But, like with real theme parks, the best way to hide repetition is with varied theming. That is a task far easier to accomplish with the wide variety of parts at a builder's disposal.

Transformers Generations Selects Transmutate (along with Kingdom Deluxe Class Paleotrex and Netflix Skelivore): "Man, I am tellin' ya, the things coming out of these [repaints] is just getting weirder and weirder."

War for Cybertron; Siege: Vehicles tied to the Titans (and a set of z list repaints) that can be broken down into weapons for other figures in the toyline. Excellent idea, executed mostly well. War for Cybertron; Earthrise: Micromaster buildings that can be broken down and become armour for other figures in the toyline. Cool idea, not as good of execution as Siege, mainly due to the reuse of the same two moulds. War for Cybertron; Kingdom: Dinosaur fossils that become bone weapons for other figures. Well, you have my curiosity, at least, especially when you do repaints for characters like Transmutate. 

While Paleotrex and Skelivore are brand new characters made for the toyline, Transmutate is an... interesting specimen. She was a one-off character in the Beast Wars cartoon. Her stasis pod was damaged in the show's opening, and when she made her debut in and was killed off in the episode, she is the namesake of, she was portrayed as a confused child in the show due to being viewed as incomplete, unfinished due to the pod's damage. Transmutate was terrifying in the show, not just because of her high pitch scream as a defensive measure, but the way she looked and moved in the show combined with the cheap CGI budget the show was known for made her genuinely disturbing to look at. So while the episode itself is excellent, be aware that it comes with some nightmare fuel.

Come on Hasbro, give us a Rampage. You know you want too

 
Transmutate didn't have a transformation back in Beast Wars, but as a part of her being a repaint of Paleotrex, she gets to share his. Paleotrex, Skelivore (a pack-in figure with Megatron in the third Netflix Leader Class Spoiler Box that I will not be reviewing), and Transmutate all transform into Tyrannosaurus fossils. That information, though, comes from TFWiki, and something about that feels wrong to me. While I don't know what these are, I'm almost certain they aren't T-Rex fossils. It's unsettling to see these in a Beast Wars toyline, where all the other Maximals and Predacons are living versions of the animals they transform into. It would be terrifying to see dinosaur fossils running around, let alone turning into giant robots. However, with the sculpting being mostly accurate to actual dinosaur fossils, along with the engineering of the Weaponizers of Siege and Modulators of Earthrise carrying over, these are extremely clean transformations, probably the cleanest out of all the Beast Wars characters. Unfortunately, though, due to the nature of their beast modes, they're not very stable in beast mode. The big heads make them very top-heavy, and while they will stand, I don't know how long the joints will last due to the transformation requiring joints like the hips to be friction plugs and ports. I also wish there was more articulation in the beast modes, things like a neck swivel to let the head turn from left to right, along with some ankle tilts to help get the most out of all the joints in the legs. 

Like the Weaponizers and Modulators, you rip them apart and put them back together into something resembling robot modes to transform these three. Unlike Siege and Earthrise's attempts, though, there's no one way to get to robot mode. The components are more ambiguous, and with some of the later Fossilizers, pieces such as hands aren't defined, relying on any 5mm port or any plug that can take a 5mm port to act as the hands. These give the toys many more playability options, making them the most versatile figures in the toy line, even before getting to the bone weapons gimmick. Below is a picture of three combinations of the toys, each only using the parts you get from one copy of the toy. 

While the playability is excellent, it's hard not to notice how different they look compared to other Beast Wars characters. Due to the bone aesthetic, they feel like zombie robots, which can either be a good or bad thing depending on your personal preference. Regarding the accuracy of Transmutate, due to this being a repaint, it looks nothing like the character does no matter what you do. However, I think this gets the spirit of the character's design, which isn't a guarantee with repaints. I love how they retooled the head, replacing the bone mask Paleotrex and Skelivore have (which in itself is a reference to Optimus Primal's mace, an accessory the original toy had) with the ability to do the scream she's known for in the Beast Wars cartoon. It's a nice touch. I'm not going to go into the bone weapon gimmick as, like the Weaponizers, many combinations can be done with them. The bone weapons do look convincing when they're trying to be melee weapons (like a giant bone axe or bone sword), but less effective when they're trying to be ranged weapons. I think Skelivore pulls off the ranged weapons the best, as the design and colours given to him are meant to represent something like Dark Energon constructs for Megatron. My biggest issue, though, with Skelivore is that the use of transparent plastic makes him far more brittle when compared to Paleotrex and Transmutate. My copy has fragile connections for the Dinosaur feet and shins (which can be but doesn't have to be a wrist swivel in robot mode). 

These three are a lot of fun. It's hard not to be entertained by them, thanks to the parts forming gimmick. Because this mould was built from the ground up for an original character, nothing limits their design. They don't need to look like the titan companions of Siege's weaponized, and they don't need to look like the Micromaster bases of Earthrise so that most pieces can be designed for the gimmick first and the robot/ beast mode second. Though some parts like the crotch are still a bit tedious to find a use for when combining onto other characters, especially when the weapon ports are more limited on Beast Wars characters, there's still enough playability in them to not rely on the ability to become accessories for other characters. Paleotrex and Skelivore are also generic enough to work as great army builders for the Predacons so that you could have a whole army of dinosaur skeletons. Definitely worth the purchase if you can find them. Next week though, it's time to go from some small dinosaurs to big ones and review one toy that's been a long time coming. "Yessss."

Transformers War for Cybertron; Kingdom Leader Class Ultra Magnus: When expectations are still dissapointing.

When rumours began to circulate of a Kingdom Ultra Magnus, my expectations were low. Unlike what felt like most of the community at the time, I was expecting a retool of 2019's War for Cybertron: Siege version. But just because I wasn't expecting a brand new toy doesn't mean that I wasn't disappointed in what I saw. The press shots didn't look good, and the reviews were mediocre at best. I was expecting to skip this one and potentially pick up a repaint as Delta Magnus if Hasbro ever made one for Generations Selects. I was content with my Siege version, especially with the upgrade kit made by DNA Design which fixes his proportion issues. So... why did I get this one? Aside from it looking good alongside other 1986 movie characters, I was able to pick one up in a recent toy sale. A Leader Class toy for under $50 is a hard price to ignore when they usually go from anywhere between $80 and $100 here. So, once more Magnus, this time with feeling!

It should say at the very start of this review that I won't be rehashing flaws with the original release back in Siege. I've already reviewed the Siege version of this mould, and design issues like the short thighs, the robot mode junk inside the car carry bay, the inner robot's backpack were a problem then, and they're a problem now. I'll only bring up design flaws in detail that become more of an issue after all the retooling made to give it an earth car carrier look. Unfortunately, that's where we first start because one of those issues need to be brought up almost immediately. The arms sticking out the back of the truck cab looked terrible on the Siege version, but with how recessed into the trailer, you didn't notice them unless the truck cab was on its own. Because earth trucks require some distance for a potential turning circle (no, there isn't one here, it connects to the trailer the same way the Siege version does), the arms are now a more significant issue. They're almost completely exposed now, shattering the illusion of this being a "robot in disguise" completely. There's also no option to bring the cabin closer to the trailer, thanks to the retooling. Not only can you not get the trailer closer, but now there's a gap in the trailer's lower car bed (I don't know car carriers), creating even more issues with this vehicle's ability to be a functional car carrier. Is it all bad, though? Not exactly. The new truck cab (when ignoring the robot junk behind it) does look good, going for the traditional Ultra Magnus truck cab look of being a white Optimus. They've done some retooling to the front wheel section to cover it up some more, making the area look a bit more cohesive without sacrificing movement for the legs when it goes into the fully armoured mode. It would have been nice if more details on the truck cab were painted, such as painting the lights to help break up the solid white, but it still looks like a truck cab—shame though that the front of the truck is the only thing that looks convincing in this mode.

The core robot for Magnus is pretty much business as usual for the mould, with no changes done to the engineering. Paint applications are slightly different, the head crest for Kingdom Magnus is silver instead of cyan, and the metallic blue paint for the crotch plate is somewhat darker. The new truck cab makes him look both thinner and also fatter at the same time when compared to the Siege one. It's a lot flatter when compared to the Siege version, but the design of Siege's truck cab gave him a leaner, more robust looking torso, whereas Kingdom's looks like a box with arms and legs. You do lose some articulation thanks to the gap filler for the truck mode, as he can't move his thighs back any further than five degrees, compared to Siege being able to do a full split. Once in the fully armoured mode, it's a bit of a mixed bag for me now that I've got it in person. Pros: It's more G1 accurate (for those that demand that at all costs). I also like the brighter white used, and it makes the toy look a lot more vibrant and lively than it did before. The joints feel tighter (though that could be just my copy of the Siege version) and the connection points for the shoulder pads and leg plates feels better, stronger. The head sculpts better, and I love the more prominent eyes, along with the inclusion of light piping. 

Do they make this version objectively better, though? Not really, as when putting them side by side, it feels like the Kingdom version is missing something. There's more paint overall on the Siege version, partly thanks to the battle damage gimmick, but there was also more plastic included in the box as well, as the Siege version has two extra guns that are entirely missing from the Kingdom version. Were they great guns? No, but in terms of general volume, along with the playability they bring, it's hard to ignore their exclusion for no real replacement. One frustrating omission is the lack of Autobot logos, as both Car Carrier mode and Robot mode have places moulded in for them, but they're nowhere to be found, something that feels like a more significant issue than it probably is. I know there are high-quality stickers that can fix that, but I'm not reviewing Reprolabel sets, and Lego stickers already frustrate me when I don't apply them properly; I'm not going through that for my Transformers. Something that I'm surprised wasn't included, especially as it would have been a perfect addition to the toy to tie into the 35th anniversary of the 1986 movie; he doesn't have a Matrix Chamber. There's room for it inside the core robot, especially as they've been able to design tiny Matrix Chambers for both Earthrise Optimus Prime and Kingdom Rodimus Prime. It's a feature that I could have seen as a big selling point for the toy, something to help it stand out more when compared to the Siege version.

Kingdom Ultra Magnus isn't objectively better than Siege Ultra Magnus, but it's also not objectively worse either. The only selling point it has for long time collectors is that it's more Generation 1 accurate, but even that doesn't feel like something it does an excellent job at doing. I think it's a fine Ultra Magnus to get if you don't have the Siege version and want a version of the City Commander, but there's not much of a point in upgrading unless you hate the Siege aesthetic (in which case I question why you even bought Siege Magnus in the first place). The most disappointing thing about Kingdom Magnus, though, is that he feels 90% complete, like they could have done just a little bit more to make him genuinely warrant the "OMG THIS IS TOTALLY BETTER THEN THAT LAST ONE" reaction he's been getting from people. He's nothing more than a repaint, and though he was always going to be a repaint, there could have been more done to make him a fantastic and affordable G1 Ultra Magnus.