TransFormers Philippines

A Closer Look at the Autobot Ark!

2012-02-23T04:27:00.002+08:00

Presenting from the Transformers Dark of the Moon Toy Line, the Autobot's Ark with the Autobot Roller.

If you've watched the movie, then you've seen the DOTM Ark as the vehicle used by Sentinel Prime to break free of Cybertron. The Ark was damaged and drifted for ages before crashing into the moon. The discovery of the Ark by the original Apollo 11 team helped kick off the creation of Sector 7. The Decepticons eventually found the wreckage of the Ark and made off with hundreds of Space Bridge Pillars except for five Space Bridge Pillars and the Control Rod which were locked away with Sentinel Prime in the vault.

I've actually had the DOTM Ark for some time - all the way before Christmas where it's retail price dropped from over PhP 1,5000 (US$ 34) to PhP 700 (US$ 15) to PhP 500 (US$ 11.36) which it still retails for today in practically all Toy Kingdom and Toy's R' Us stores here in the Philippines. Kinda makes me feel sorry though for whoever bought him for PhP 700 because it was only at that price for a week before dropping to PhP 500.

I have wanted one ever since the previews for the DOTM Toy Line started appearing. But I always assumed - well, dreamed - that it would be bigger. So I was disappointed with the reality that it was meant for Legends Class Transformers and left it on the shelves. But when the price dropped to such a low, I had to grab it.

The DOTM Ark's blister card doesn't say much about the Ark itself - other than "Spaceship converts to Battle-Ready Space Station" with the traditional "Lights and Sounds, Firing Missiles" and that it "Works with Cyberverse figures" The blister card actually provides more information about the Autobot Roller "Autobot Roller is the pilot of the mighty Starhip that at one time was the flagship of the Autobot Fleet. Together they protect the vast expanse of outer space from the Decepticon threat."

What's to like about the DOTM Ark?

I just want to begin by saying that no way is the DOTM Ark a flagship! It's not designed to be a Command and Control (C&C) ship, nor is it designed to be something that would survive sustained combat. It also appears to have limited firepower and maneuverability.

Even when blown up to accommodate 350 Autobots (Which is suggested in the Ark's wiki) at best this is a Gunship or a Blockade Runner.

My argument towards this is the squat/short body of the DOTM Ark. There comes a point where in ship design you have to choose between fuel, speed, maneuverability and firepower. The compact body of the DOTM Ark suggests simply that it does not have the capacity for all four and compromises have to be made.

So what do we know about the ARK? We know it has the power to break planetary orbit with four huge engines, so fuel and speed are not compromised. We've seen it fly - note in a relative straight line so maneuverability is compromised and that explained why it needed the rear gunners to deal with threats that it could not out-pace or out-fly.

My assumption is that it drops energy consuming shields in favor of heavy armor so there really isn't much for weapons unless they were ballistic in nature - not gauss cannons but probably mini, light, medium and heavy autocannons.

But he does have energy weapons up front - which is evident when you press the little button on the rear port (left) side of the main cockpit that activates the DOTM Ark's lights and sounds on the clear plastic pieces on the front lower part of the cockpit. My guess is that the ARK does have some semblance of forward shields and that the four prongs in front of the ARK are shield projectors. Given the power requirements of the ship, it probably alternates the shields with its laser batteries.

So tactically it's a gunship or a blockade runner. It's designed to be pointed in a specific direction, launched and keep firing at whatever is in front of it to get through which is exactly what it did in Transformers DOTM.

I'm quite fond of the noise the DOTM Ark makes when you let someone sit in the cockpit. The actual "seat" is a slightly elevated trap door that sits on a trigger mechanism. With no additional weight, the mechanism is not triggered, but the slightest weight starts an engine start-up and humming noise that goes on for quite a while. In fact if you leave an Autobot inside and wait for the sound to stop, every now and then the engine noise would just start up because of the weight on the trigger mechanism - so it's not recommended that you leave an Autobot inside the cockpit as it will drain the batteries.

Pulling the DOTM Ark open by the two side panels transforms the ARK into a Space Station with a Transforming sound effect.

Simply pull down the two panels from each side after that; re-position the pop out cannons from the rear of the Ark; lift up the five pillars in the vault and the medical service table; fold-out the forward ramp; and pull down the command seat from the top and you're done. Here's your Space Station.

I have to say I like the detailing that went into the DOTM Ark's space station mode. It fits in perfectly with the overall theme of the Transformers movie series. Here're some photos of the various parts of the station using the Autobot Roller with the help of the Targetroids Optiam and Megashoton:

The Medical table where Prime dies and turns over the Matrix of Leadership. For some strange reason, that medical arm will not pivot up. Just side-to-side.

The Command Deck and the Rotating front-gun - the front gun lights up when you press that little gold button in front of it.

I'm not really a big fan of the holding cell which is spring spring loaded to keep it shut. You don't honestly believe that will hold Megatron do you?

Here's the vault that held the remaining five Space Bridge Pillars - these have to be folded down when you transform the DOTM Ark back to space-ship mode. I like to think of it as the communications station where Prime's holographic image is transmitted across the galaxy.

But I'm particularly fond of the front launch bay. Put an Autobot on the ramp and push the little switch on the left towards you. This activates a ramp up energy buildup and lights. When it reaches it's crescendo, push the switch the other way and the level mechanism is triggered launching the Autobot forward accompanied by a launching sound and lights.

The Autobot Roller is a very simple Legends Class Transformer - which has quite nice detailing and average articulation. My only real beef with him is that, when transformed, into moon buggy mode, his arm cannot move up. What you see is the maximum elevation that you can get out of his probe arm.

What's not to like about the DOTM ARK?

I have a few problems with the DOTM Ark other than the wistful hope that it would be big enough for larger Transformers. First up is the bottom of the craft. It looks like Hasbro either was cutting cost or that the Ark was launched incomplete from the dry-docks.

I mean you can see the locks where the plastic panels would have been riveted in, but no. No panels. It makes absolutely no sense to leave the toy incomplete and frankly it cheapened the product.

If you have spare plastic, fill it up.

Another sign that Hasbro was cutting costs in the creation of the Ark is the fact that the packaging clearly says "Firing Missiles" Only one missile launcher in the front bay works - the port side one - as you can see from the photo below, only one of the launchers has a trigger. You fire one, then transfer the rocket from the starboard side to fire again. It makes no sense to scrimp on a simple spring loaded firing mechanism.

All in all, it's still a great toy. And for PhP 500? If you're a serious collector, you'll one day, when you're old and gray and looking through your collection, regret it for not getting it. Then you'll trawl through E-bay where you'll find that it already cost five times that price. So get it today while supplies last.

For the full gallery and review, visit Dark Lord Dungeon.

Michael Bay IS coming back to direct Transformers 4

2012-02-14T13:39:00.003+08:00

Call it what you will, but the guy who brought the robots in disguise to the big screen (with lots of explosions and babes) is coming back for a fourth installment.

Via MTV News and Comic Book Movie, it has been learned in an MTV News interview with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura that director Michael Bay will indeed be returning to direct a fourth Transformers film. It won't be a straightforward sequel, but a "reboot" of sorts, and the producer goes to call it an "evolution" of the film series instead of starting the process all over again.

Collider has also noted the story, and here's the official press release of the film, as released and confirmed by Paramount. It also features details on Bay's other new movie "Pain and Gain", which stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Official Press release:

FIRST UP FOR THE PROLIFIC FILMMAKER IS “PAIN AND GAIN” STARRING MARK WAHLBERG AND DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY A NEW INSTALLMENT IN THE HUGELY POPULAR “TRANSFORMERS ” FRANCHISE, TO BE RELEASED ON JUNE 29TH, 2014

HOLLYWOOD, CA (February 13, 2012) – Paramount Pictures announced today that director Michael Bay has signed a two-picture deal with the studio, which will commence this spring with the filming of “Pain and Gain,” and will be followed by the next installment in the hit “Transformers” franchise.

Based on a true story, “Pain and Gain” follows a group of bodybuilders who engaged in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder in Florida. First told in an article from the Miami New Times, “Pain and Gain,” will be directed by Bay and will star Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Expected to begin production in early spring, the movie’s producers include Bay, Donald De Line and Ian Bryce.

Following “Pain and Gain,” Bay will bring audiences a new take on the “Transformers” franchise as he begins production on the fourth installment in the hit series of movies based on the best-selling Hasbro toyline. The third, and most recent installment of the franchise, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” is the fourth highest global grossing film of all time with 1.24 billion dollars of worldwide box office success. Directed by Bay, the movie will re-unite the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Paramount Pictures will release the film on June 29th, 2014.

“Michael has been working on PAIN AND GAIN for a number of years but has patiently waited for the perfect casting to trigger a start,” said Adam Goodman, President of Paramount’s Film Group. “Clearly his patience has paid off as we couldn’t be more excited about this combo. His passion for this project is just awesome.”

This news could be the Valentine's Day message fans of Michael Bay's Transformers' film series are looking for... Or something longtime fans of the franchise will have mixed reactions over. Either way, check out the entire MTV interview and speculate for yourselves how you'll feel now that Michael Bay has confirmed his return. For more info, visit the source posts at MTV News, CBM, and Collider!

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Michael Bay will return with Transformers 4 on June 29, 2014

*Originally posted by Timzster in The Crusader's Realm

NY Toy Fair 2012: Generations, The Fall of Cybertron!

2012-02-12T15:46:00.001+08:00

02.12.2012 – There’s a great deal of good stuff happening this year and some of you might have been aware about it. The New York 2012 Toy Fair has been churning up news about the upcoming toys and merchandise for the Transformers brand.

There are a lot of updates to get yourself connected about the upcoming videogame in The Fall of Cybertron and the press release images was in abundance that we pick the best ones more closely related to the Generation One Universe.

The first news we had so far is the continuity of the toyline Generations. This series won’t be renamed unlike Classics, Universe and Reveal The Shield.

There’s a lot of accolades building up to the release of the toys namely one bad ass Bruticus.

There where news circulating related to the military combiner that Game Informer released some magazine scans of this nearly a week ago.

This time around we get to see the full press coverage which includes the other characters that will be coming out in the first wave. There were images of all five combining components of Bruticus as well as images of TFoC Jazz and Shockwave. Bruticus is not the same scale as the previous Universe release based from the Energon series.

We’re pretty sure Hasbro learned something from third party toy manufacturers and they are bringing the Combaticons in Deluxe Class assortment.

Hopefully Onslaught is in Voyager Class scale as this would not be the best for him to be this big, but then again the deluxe size has some of us convinced. There are also new images of Optimus Prime in his new appearance based in the videogame.

Generations will continue to roll out modern versions of the Generation One characters. There was even greater news for 2013 where Hasbro plans to release 40 characters and this would prelude its 30th Anniversary year in 2014.

It seems Transformers is not done yet post-Dark of the Moon as TF Prime’s second season rolls there will be more merchandise about this series.

Of course that would be another story to tell and keep an eye on our updates as it develops!

Pledge Your Support to Transformers: Robots in Disguise by Andrew Griffith!

2012-02-09T13:14:00.005+08:00

02.09.2012 – If you haven’t been picking up the latest Transformers comics’ right maybe you should as there are two issues that’s been out the past month. There is one significant issue that’s been going around that just released its first issue and that is Transformers: Robots in Disguise!

After the Chaos Saga IDW Publishing released two comics and RiD is the one done by the visuals of Andrew Griffith which is getting some reviews. The second issue is not far behind and if you plan to pick up this comic be sure to jump in and get issue one!

In this series the team is led by Bumblebee after the War of Cybertron and the “Death of Optimus Prime” divides the Autobots to two teams. The other is led Rodimus in “More Than Meets The Eye” also out now from IDW.

Catch the pulse pounding heavy metal action and if you want to pledge your support to Robots in Disguise just download a banners and spread the word that Transformers in comics is here!

Transformers Prime First Edition: Optimus Prime (Voyager Class)

2012-01-31T01:22:00.000+08:00

Presenting Optimus Prime (Voyager Class) from the Transformers Prime Animated First Edition Series.This is the big brother of the SDCC 2011 Exclusive "Matrix Prime" that we reviewed back in October. Only this time this one doesn't come with kick-ass packaging (A Matrix of Leadership that can be hung around your neck and a nice magnetic case) that we have here on the right.

Transformers Prime Voyager Class Optimus Prime debuted on the retail store shelves around December and I got him for Christmas along with Transformers Prime Bulkead. But since Transformers Prime: Optimus Prime is quite common and Bulkhead was rarer - and has those lovely baby-blue eyes - I came out with him just now.

Transformers Prime Voyager Class Optimus Prime was purchased at the retail price of PhP 1,499.75 (Roughly US$ 34). Strangely he's available on Amazon for a whopping US$ 49.95 (Roughly PhP 2,200 plus shipping), which makes me wonder if he's rare in the U.S. If he is, give a shout out because it might be cheaper for you to get it all the way here from the Philippines where they fill toy-shelves throughout the Metro.

As with the Transformers Prime First Edition Bulkead, Optimus Prime's packaging does not say much about the leader of the Autobots.

Happily his wiki provides a very good background on this former desk-clerk: "In the waning years of the Golden Age of Cybertron, Orion Pax was a clerk in the Iacon Hall of Records. His interests lay with the tales of ancient Cybertron history, but the more he learned about the past, the more he grew concerned about the present. There was a disparity in freedom among the classes of his race, and the ruling class was corrupt and all-powerful. In seeking a solution to this inequity, he found inspiration in the words of a gladiator named Megatronus, and the two joined forces to end corruption and bring equality to the masses. Optimus and Megatron became close allies, almost like brothers. But soon Megatron's ideals would become corrupted, and the two would become bitter enemies."

So What's to Like about the Transformers Prime First Edition Optimus Prime?

Well to begin with, happily he no longer has the static-filled flat-screen television sets on his chest that plagued the Matrix Prime. The detail that this Voyager class version is definitely much better - righteously so, it is after all a Voyager class. I'm particularly fond of the detailing around his neck area and the way his smokestacks can be positioned so that they look like a pair of swords that can be drawn from his back - which would make for an interesting third party upgrade in the future.

First Edition Optimus Prime comes with two weapons: his ion cannon and a sword (Not the traditional battle-axe). Both of which result in wonderful poses thanks to the flexibility he shares with the Matrix Prime and most of the Transformers Prime series (Except Cliffjumper)

As with the Matrix Prime, First Edition Optimus Prime is a very 'solid' figure - which means he looks just as fine and solid from the back. Let's take the time to note how better balanced First Edition Optimus Prime's arm length proportions are versus the proportions of the Matrix Prime.

So What's NOT to Like about the Transformers Prime First Edition Optimus Prime?

Despite the wonderful flexibility and detailing, I think First Edition Optimus Prime sadly shares the same problem as the Matrix Prime: They both transform into rather drab looking vehicles with absolutely no personality whatsoever.

Notice how from a 45 degree angle there doesn't seem to be much of a size difference between the First Edition Optimus Prime and the Matrix Prime.

So do you want one or should you run off to the store to get one? If he's rare in the U.S. then go grab him. He's worth it. But if you're in the Philippines, my recommendation is - because of the sheer quantity available. wait for him to go on sale. But you definitely should get one. I sincerely hope Hasbro or some other third party group comes up with a trailer for him.

For the full review and gallery, visit Dark Lord Dungeon.

G1 Dinobots Wallpaper by Paul Vromen with Eman Zubia!

2012-01-19T03:15:00.009+08:00

01.19.2012 – Check out these awesome pencils from Paul Vromen with special colors and graphics from honorary member Eman Zubia.

This wallpaper for you to download all you have to do is click the image to enlarge and then right click your mouse to acquire this exclusive art for FREE.

This first image features Dinobot Commander Grimlock transforming from robot to the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Free wallpaper
pencils by Paul Vromen
colors/graphics by Eman B.Zubia

The next image also from Vromen features the aerial Dinobot in Swoop transforming from his beast to robot mode. Just like the first image if you want to download it just click the image to enlarge and right click from your mouse it acquire this colorful work of art.

Free wallpaper
pencils by Paul Vromen
colors/graphics by Eman B.Zubia

More to come soon....

Transformers Dark of the Moon: Sandstorm

2012-01-18T23:45:00.000+08:00

Presenting the Autobot Sandstorm and Private Dedcliff from the Transformers Dark of the Moon toyline. At first glance, DOTM Sandstorm doesn't appear to be much - a potboiler figure meant to drain your pockets and a lot of people probably ignored him.

Personally I was also leaning towards ignoring this Scout Class DOTM figure had I not known the history behind the name "Sandstorm." In Transformers lore, Sandstorm (in the Marvel Comics continuity of the Transformers) is a Wrecker - one particularly nasty Wrecker who actually beat the crap out of Optimus Prime himself. He was again listed as a Wrecker in the Dreamwave and IDW comic continuities so I had to get him to help boost my fledgling Wreckers collection alongside other Scout class Wreckers like the Autobot Whirl.

As with his cartoon/comic versions, DOTM Sandstorm is a triple-changer - in the cartoons and the comic books he could transform into a dune-buggy, robot and helicopter - something which makes him akin to the Autobot Springer I suppose. More or less he maintained this... "trademark" through the years, though in 2010, the Autobot Beachcomer - who could transform into a sand buggy was released and a re-painted version was released named Sandstorm which did not have a third form - The helicopter mode was gone. Unfortunately, DOTM Sandstorm does not transform into a helicopter either. Instead he transforms into a mobile weapons chair - yes I said chair.

DOTM Sandstorm's blister pack reads: "Sandstorm was designed to spend long periods of time in the most harsh and forbidding environments imaginable. Earth has nothing to throw at him that he can't laugh off with a smile. Sandstorm requires his partner Private Dedcliff be just as tough. Together they work to hunt Decepticons where no one else can, or would want to, go. Even in the most remote areas of the planet there's no place to hide from this team."

What's to like about DOTM Sandstorm?

His color! Not. DOTM Sandstorm comes in this pale green color, that I do not find aesthetically pleasing. Bring on the good-old Olive Drab is what I say!. Anyway, DOTM Sandstorm has articulation going for him. No, like most Transformers, DOTM Sandstorm cannot twist his waist, however his hips are ball-jointed so he can have the appearance of a twisted torso - even if it technically isn't!

His joints and center of balance are also good enough to allow DOTM Sandstorm to kneel and even stand on one leg if you need him to as can be seen below. There is even room enough up top for his human companion - Private Dedcliff to hitch a ride. While in robot mode, DOTM Sandstorm's primary weapon is an energy rifle - he has what later becomes gun-ports when he reaches his third mode under his wrists, but these are out of position to fire anything having been thrown askew by the emergence of his hands.

DOTM Sandstorm transforms into a dune-buggy - which could be armed should you clip on the energy rifle. Here you get to see just how solid and heavy his wheels feel. It almost screams run me over the sand to see how tough it is- save that his body is really low and you'd probably end up scraping it. Sgt. Dedcliff fits comfortably inside. Seating him inside is made easier by the fact that you don't need to bring down the roll-bar unless you absolutely have to.

DOTM Sandstorm's final mode is a gun platform (chair) which involves a mechtech transformation whereby these missile tube come slightly out of what was once his torso. I have to admit though that the gun-platform looks slightly awkward - missiles fly out from under where Private Deadcliff is seated and the secondary weapon - two-three barrel auto-guns are kinda low. No way is this a front line combatant as the pilot is exposed and the firepower is not that impressive - even with the clipped on energy rifle. So I thought that he's probably an anti-aircraft station, but if that were true, then it's too low and lacks the proper elevation. So, in a battle, I'm not quite sure where I would want him hanging around.

Note the two "joysticks" that Private Dedcliff wields while they're in this mode. Note also that there are two proposed modes for this transformation, you can either lower the back two wheels or keep them up. Personally I prefer them down - it gives DOTM Sandstorm the appearance that it can rotate in a circle like a proper gun-platform should.

What's NOT to like about DOTM Sandstorm?

Aside from not knowing really what kind of gun-platform he is - which was a bit of a disappointment, not much. I do have issues which Private Dedcliff. At first I thought that I just got a bad piece, but subsequent views on the internet have revealed that it really looks like he'd been shot in the face - maybe it's because he's sitting in a gun-platform with no cover whatsoever.

Further, I have issues with how un-sleek and bulky DOTM Sandstorm's sand-buggy mode looks like from the side.

It doesn't give the dune buggy mode the image of a rough and tumble dessert ride, no, it gives it the appearance of something cobbled out ill-fitting spare parts that could fall apart upon hitting a speed bump.

Still he's a fine addition to any Wrecker crew collection.

I got DOTM Sandstorm from Toys R'Us at a discount retail price of PhP 450 (Roughly US$10). He's available on Amazon for US$ 11.99 plus shipping.

For the full review and gallery, visit DarkLordDungeon.blogspot.com

Transformers Prime: Bulkhead

2012-01-07T20:20:00.000+08:00

Presenting Bulkhead from the Transformers Prime Animated Series. Think of the Transformers Prime Bulkhead as the smaller version of his Transformers Animated Series Legends class cousin - down to the wrecking ball.

Transformers Prime Bulkhead is the sterotypical gentle giant - down to the big-blue eyes (Hats off to Hasbro, something that small is actually pretty good detailing). While he seriously looks like a green gorilla on steroids, he also delivers on being the green gorilla that can drive you into the ground and both dish and take on a lot of punishment.

Bulkhead never saw himself as a genius and started out as a Wrecker but eventually followed Prime and was one of the last ones on the Earth-bound Ark - ironically the Wreckers, led by Ultra Magnus held off Trypticon long enough for the Ark to escape. The Wreckers stayed vowing to take apart Shockwave's new empire.

On Earth, Bulkhead befriends, and is most protective of, 15 year old Miko Nakadai who accepts his clumsy but well meaning ways.

It is this friendship that brings Bulkhead back from a coma after he accidentally gets into a situation akin to what happened to Spike Witwicky in the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen movie - except that because Bulkhead is... intellectually challenged... it overloads him, literally.

Bulkhead's blister card dose not tell us anything about him, but his wiki has the following to say about him: "Bulkhead looks huge and menacing, but he's only the former. Once you get to know him, he has a gentle soul. He's afraid of hurting things smaller and more fragile than him, but his new human friend, Miko Nakadai, has helped him grow past that. He has a low tolerance for jerks and bullies, and is quite happy to let people like that stew in the trouble they've made for themselves, but his better impulses—or at least, needling from those around him—always sway him into helping in the end."

What's to like about Transformers Prime: Bulkhead?

He's a big hulking Green Gorilla. He even feels like one. You can actually imagine what someone this big shaking the Earth while walking around with all those forward mounted plates clanking together like armor on a rotund medieval knight.

Simply put, to say that he's a solid figure is an understatement. Yet Hasbro was kind enough to add a dash of character via his baby blue eyes and innocent face that is directly in contrast with Bulkhead's body. You can tell that he may have the body of a bull in a china shop, but he has the heart of a teddy-bear.

Like Cliffjumper, Bulkhead come with a hidden weapon system. Simply fold back his hands and you have a monster with twin cannons facing you.

But Bulkhead's real weapon of choice - like his animated version - is a battlefist/mace that simply attaches to one of his hand "gunports". This is where he looks most menacing:

Transformers Prime Bulkhead transforms into a just as solid ATV - though he's incredibly hard to transform and I probably can't do it without a manual. You've got to love the detailing and it is as heavy and as solid as it looks.

Transformers Prime Bulkhead's Battlefist/Mace sits like a Naval mine (Kinda weird) on his back and you can actually pop open Bulkhead's hood.

What's NOT to like about Transformers Prime: Bulkhead?

Well I've always had soft spots for "Ferdinand the Gentle Bull" types, so I have to say that I really do like Transformers Prime Bulkhead. Of concern though are the following:

He really is difficult to transform - but this could be me.
His "crotch lock" keeps popping open - so yes, his fly is usually open.
Articulation is as moderate as that of Cliffjumper's i.e. he can twist at the waist and what you see above is as far as his knees will go which reduces his pose-ability.
His chest is so broad that it limits the pose-ability of his arms as they like to occasionally clash against his plates.

But other than that, I really do like him. This particular Transformers Prime Bulkhead was bought at retail value at Toy Kingdom here in the Philippines for PhP 1,499.75 (Roughly US$ 34) and is currently (as of this writing) not available on Amazon.

The full review and gallery can be found on Dark Lord Dungeon.

Transformers Dark of the Moon: DA-28 Striker Optimus Prime

2012-01-02T11:47:00.000+08:00

Presenting Takara's Transformers DA-28 Striker Optimus Prime. I've actually had the Transformers Dark of the Moon Striker Prime for close to a month now, but I didn't want to open him till Christmas, so finally here he is.

At first glance, DA-28 Striker Prime seems to just be a colored variant of the Transformers Dark of the Moon Leader Class Optimus Prime and Takara's DA-15 Jetwing Prime. I'm actually not quite sure what to make of it because he has distinctive parts from both variants.

We first broke news about the DA-28 Striker Prime in October. What I failed to realize back then was that in the movie, Optimus Prime was holding his shield with his right hand, not his left. Also, like DA-15 Jetwing Prime, Striker Prime's shield is not movie accurate. Watch the movie and you'll see that Prime's shield is closer to Sentinel Prime's shield than to the shield that DA-28 uses. Also in the movie, Optimus Prime wields his trademark wrist swords against Shockwave's Driller. DA-28 does not have the wrist swords.

This particular DA-28 Striker Prime was purchased through Victoyoyos on E-bay for PhP 7,000 plus shipping (Roughly US$ 159 plus shipping). His blister card reads: "Mechtech technology allows Optimus Prime to achieve the ultimate in both speed and power while in vehicle battle mode. This amazing prowess on the battlefield earns this edition the special title of "Striker." His primary armament, the Mega Striker is the combination of the Eliminator Gun and Assault Blaster and fires Electromagnetically Accellerated Bullets. Even his battle shield converts its shape, for use in both defense and offense during close combat."

By the way, note that DA-28 Striker Prime does not come with batteries. Be prepared to have a pair of AA batteries for him.

DA-28 Striker Prime's Truck mode:

DA-28's truck mode is exactly identical to the DOTM Leader Class Optimus Prime and the Jetwing Prime and the and the apparent difference between the three is cosmetic. Offhand you can already note the cosmetic differences.

Both the DOTM Leader class and Jetwing Primes have the light-gull gray finish versus the almost gun-metal gray which I really do like. Also, DA-28 Striker Prime's paint job is noticeably not as bright as that of the other two Primes. It has a dull finish that extends not just to the red-flame job, but to the blue.

They will however make the same engine noise and their cabs light up with a red glow, when you press the small button on their backs. Though personally their engines sound like they're in need of tune-ups.

Let's also take the time to note that DA-28 Striker Prime's fuel tanks, a with those of the DOTM Leader Class and unlike those of the Jetwing Prime's cannot be removed, nor can they be twisted and combined to form a super-weapon.

You've probably noticed by now that DA-28 Striker Prime can store his shield, Eliminator Gun and Assault Blaster behind him simply by attaching the shield at that hole and pin at the back where a trailer would normally go.

But of course you're here to see the shield in place up front where DA-28 Striker Prime can use the shield to barrel through any Decepticon dumb enough to stand in his way (If they survive the withering fire from his cannons).

Note how the side-panels of DA-28 Striker Prime's cab pop-up. The Eliminator Gun and Assault Blaster are mounted on the gas canisters (Not so smart, but then they don't really use gas do they?).

I love this particular form because it's as intimidating as the Jetwing Prime but has the added bonus of screaming "Get out of my way or else!"

DA-28 Striker Prime's Robot mode:

You know you're a toy-collector when it doesn't bother you that you have three of one particular toy because you know that they are NOT the same - and relish the fact that you know they're different and "ordinary people" can't get or appreciate that.

Already you can see the aforementioned differences between the DOTM Legends class - wrist blades - and the Jetwing Prime (Gas canisters become cannons).

DA-28 Striker Prime also shares the same "Crab-gills" chest area that Jetwing Prime has. Both the Jetwing Prime and DA-28 Striker Prime also have small mech-tech ports on their wrists.

The last major difference between the two is that activating the lower chest switch (Or pulling Prime's head back) on both the Da-15 Jetwing Prime and the DOTM Legends Class Prime makes them declare "I am Optimus Prime!" while doing the same thing for DA-28 Striker Prime generates a more militant cry of "We must stop the Decepticons!"

DA-28 Striker Prime comes with two mech-tech hand held weapons - an Eliminator Gun and Assault Blaster. Unlike most mech-tech weapons, DA-28 Striker Primes weapons have locks to keep their "transformed" versions in place.

Untransformed they look like snub-nose pistols in the hands of Optimus Prime. Personally I think they look much better when they're extended.

Neither of these weapons appeared in the movie just in case you're wondering.

Now give DA-28 Striker Prime his shield.

The shield is actually just a small buckler thanks to Prime's size. It's reminiscent of the Philippine moro-warrior "Kalasag" (Shield) down to the two prongs at the bottom of the shield which is used to hold an enemy's head in place before you chop it off.

On an un-related topic, the Kalasag is also used in the logo of the Philippine National Police. But they have theirs upside down and no one has noticed save for this one blog that hopes that it will one day be corrected. This error probably explains the high incidence of corruption in the Philippine National Police.

Note in the picture the two combined blasters. There is only one way that the two can be combined - via pegs. The order cannot be inter-changed and only one of the blasters can be transformed/extended.

And just so you know what it looks like in the movie:

There are two ways that you can attach DA-28 Striker Prime's shield once you rotate out a small handle. You either mount it into the mech-tech port above his hand, or have DA-28 Striker Prime hold the shield.

Now if you want the "authentic movie look" then take the shield and give it to DOTM Legend class Optimus Prime and extend his sword. As previously mentioned, DA-28 Striker Prime does not have blades.

But I think that DA-28 Striker Prime looks great with another weapon - the War for Cybertron Battle Axe.

This brings us to the question that's been on everyone's mind since DA-15 Jetwing Prime and DA-28 Striker Prime became publicly known figures: "Can DA-15 Jetwing Prime carry DA-28 Striker Prime's shield?"

And the answer is.... kinda?

DA-28 Striker Prime cannot carry the Jetwing of DA-15 Jetwing Prime because you cannot remove the gas canisters from DA-28. So instead you have to give the shield to DA-15 Jetwing Prime. However, if you own one, then you probably already know that you cannot fold back either of DA-15 Jetwing Prime's gattling cannons. The shoulders get in the way.

So how'd I do it? Pop the arm out and extend it. It's slightly dangerous because Prime's shoulder joints are these small itty-bits of plastic which reminds me of Robotech figures released in the 80s which were notorious for breaking at the shoulders. The rest is simply photographing from the right angle.

Note I also attached DA-28 Striker Prime's combined blasters in DA-15 Jetwing's wrist mechtech mounts.

But there's SOMETHING BETTER!!!!!!

While it may be awkward to combine DA-15 Jetwing with DA-28 Striker Prime because of physical limitations, there are no such limitations in his truck mode!

If you thought that DA-15 Jetwing's truck mode was scary and intimidating, now you have one that has that much firepower, brings on even more firepower, probably has the capability to fly, can mount more mechtech on the wings, and now has a front that can ram without fear.

And there's still room for a Bumblebee to ride shot-gun and fire-away at any Decepticon smart enough to get out of DA-28 Striker Prime's way.

So do I recommend that you get a DA-28 Striker Prime? Honestly I was a little disappointed at how small his shield is - it's barely functional unless he's in a physical conflict and DA-28 doesn't have weapons. You have to give him weapons. But I find the color scheme different and appealing. Get him if you have the extra cash to spare or are a die-hard collector. But don't kill for him.

For the full review and gallery, click HERE.

The Face of Evil in Botcon 2012's Gigatron Revealed!

2011-12-28T08:52:00.016+08:00

12.28.2011 – A few hours ago the official BotCon website just posted its latest update revealing its first of six exclusive convention figures in the “Overlord” Decepticon known as Gigatron.

The upcoming annual event has started its countdown which will happen sometime in April 2012.

TFCC has revealed the face of evil in a closer perspective of its upcoming convention exclusive.

Gigatron’s body is based from the Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon which was also redecoed as modern iteration of Banzaitron originally a character from the Action Masters.

Earlier today the BotCon website has revealed its first exclusive and this was done through the video featuring Starscream as its toy reviewer…

For more convention updates and exclusive products LIKE the Official Facebook Page of the Transformers Collectors Club!

Transformers Dark of the Moon: DA-15 Jetwing Optimus Prime

2011-12-13T20:10:00.001+08:00

Presenting, Takara's DA-15 Jetwing Optimus Prime from the Transformers Dark of the Moon Series.

Now unlike the Ultimate Optimus Prime (Which for some strange reason is sooo popular on this blog, despite the bashing that I gave it), DA-15 Jetwing Optimus Prime actually appeared in the 3rd Transformers movie - albeit it was a lame appearance and Prime ended up hanging upside down on suspension cables where he had to be rescued by the Wreckers - which makes the DA-15 Jetwing armor pretty lame I suppose (Wait for the DA-28 review) but you have to admit it still looks cool - waaay cooler than the Ultimate Optimus Prime in my opinion.

This particular DA-15 Jetwing Optimus Prime was purchased on a trip to Singapore for roughly PhP 6,600 (Roughly US 153) that was a thousand pesos cheaper (Roughly US$ 23 cheaper) than the price of the DA-15 Jetwing Optimus Prime here in Manila's blackmarket. Here in the Philippines, the Jetwing Optimus Prime sells for as much as PhP 7,800 on the blackmarket (US$ 181 plus shipping). Jetwing Optimus Prime is available on Amazon for a whopping US$207.99 (Roughly PHP 8,943 plus shipping). So I got a steal.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I'm shooting with a new camera - Hey you people at Sony - and I cant' figure out why the photos turn grainy yet. So forgive me.

I have to admit that upon reading the blister card on the package, I started to wonder if I had stumbled onto a very very nice Chinese knock-off, which sent me scurrying about the web looking for box sides just to read the text. Apparently, the grammar really is horrible. It read" Jet Wing Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime is master of strategist yet skilled warrior. His ultimate armor jet wing was made by N.E.S.T. after the last war. For the diverse battlefield he takes, the JetWing can be detached rapidly." Aaaand that was really weird, but I suppose not all of us want to buy him for the box so let's move on to the inside. As you can see, he was a pain to get through customs and back to the Dungeon in the Philippines.

Now let's start with DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime's truck mode:

DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime is a slightly re-tooled version of the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime - let's take a moment to note that the DA-15 classifies this Prime as a "Supreme Class", but I take that's because of the jet-pack.

So as you can see, there's nothing to distinguish DA-15 from the ROTF Leader Class Prime in truck mode. They even both have the same button at the back which makes the same noises.

In fact when you put the two side-by-side, I challenge you to tell the difference between the two. My personal answer is that there the only real difference is the fuel tanks of the DA-15 which is "cracked" because it's based upon the ROTF Buster Prime's fuel tanks which combines to become a cannon. The original ROTF Legends class Prime had no such weapon.

But of course you want to see what happens when you attach the Jet Wing. The Jetwing attaches neatly to the "docking collar" at Prime's back - it's where you would normally hitch a trailer to. Simply invert the JetWing, fold in the gatling guns, attach the leg braces, lift the shoulder pauldrons and there you have it: A kick-ass truck that looks like a pain to make turns with, but comes with enough hardware to make people get out of the way. You can even add mechtech weapon to the more than 20 visible mounting studs on the wings and on the two cannons.

If the wings become an issue, simply fold them back:

But what's so nice about DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime's truck mode is that because the shoulder pauldrons are raised at the back, you actually have a very nice gun-platform where another Autobot can sit and happily fire away at anything that Prime can't turn fast enough to face with his gatling cannons:

Moving on to DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime's Robot mode:

Again as with his truck mode, at first glance there is no difference between DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime and the ROTF Legends class Optimus Prime.

But there are changes. The most notable of which are the aforementioned fuel tanks that can be twisted and combined to form Optimus Prime's ion-cannon. While this feature appears in the ROTF Buster Prime, it does not appear in the original ROTF Optimus Prime.

But I've always had a theory that this transforming fuel tank was nothing more than a reaction to the Fansproject Gears of War Pack 2 where the very nice add-on that you see on my ROTF Optimus Prime was first released.

The other major difference is that DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime does not have the snap out wrist blades - or hooks - of the ROTF Optimus Prime.

Another major difference is the detailing when it comes to Optimus Prime's inner chest. DA-15's chest has a dark gray more organic feel (Reminds me of crab gills) compared to the plain light gray mechanical interior of the ROTF Prime. As with the ROTG Prime, simply pull down a small tab on the lower stomach of Prime, press down and his face will light up and Prime will say "I am Optimus Prime."

The last major difference between the two Primes is the fact that you cannot remove the Fuel canisters of the ROTF Optimus Prime. This unfortunately prevents you from combining the Jet Wing to the ROTF Prime. For shame.

Now that we have the back view, please also note the slots on DA-15 Optimus Prime's arms, these are absent on the ROTF Prime and also help to prevent it's merger with the JetWing.

The canisters of the DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime can be removed and stored within the actual JetWing as we can see here in the image below.

Finally on to DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime's Supreme Mode:

And he is AWESOME!!!!!! Worth every penny - even if this mode had a pathetic showing in the film. In fact the JetWing armor is completely gone within 15 seconds of its use after that whimp Shia Lebeouf screams "OPTIMUS!!!" (Why he keeps screaming that is beyond me) in the fight scene after Prime is finally freed from "hanging around"

In fact, Optimus Prime reverts to using his blades and spiked knuckles - which would have been a lovely add-on - to finish off Shockwave as can be seen here:

But to be fair, he did wipe out most of the heavy-hitter Decepticons and save the day in under 1 minute. It's just that he didn't use the Jet Wing through most of that minute.

Also, we should probably take the time to point out that the DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime is not movie accurate. Note the guns Prime uses in this clip and the fact that the wings in the movies have are not straight edged, they have a slant to them:

Still. I suppose they're close and cool enough. And you have to admit DA-15 looks really good! And just like the movie version, DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime's wings are fully adjustable - providing Optimus with greater control and maneuverability as well as bursts of speed or greater lift, et.al.

And again, remember that you can still mount mechtech to those wings. Further, each of the four jet-nozzles are articulated and can be positioned - not by much however.

Next up are those two gatling laser that did NOT appear in the movie - if you want to be a purist, you can probably rip the arms of an APU from the Matrix, recolor them a bit and attach those (Though another nice add-on would be to take the APU's chain-link ammo feed and attach it to the current Gatling cannons).

The Gatling cannon are first unlocked from the original booster rocket. They are attached to the booster rockets by the same clasps that lock the cannon to DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime's arms.

The Gatling cannons have "firing studs" that slide into Prime's hands and then are locked into place by the swivel lock above the "firing stud".

Happily, despite their considerable weight, the Gatling cannons can be moved around thanks to these locks, but their overall articulation is both supported and hampered by the flexible support arms that extend from the booster rockets.

And what you see here is roughly the extent of his arm articulation:

Let's take the time to note that DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime is top heavy, and the feet extensions that they gave him that snap on, also snap-off with downward pressure so there is some issue with Prime's legs buckling with the weight and either you keep them spread, or you keep them bent.

And those cannons ARE heavy. Expect to see JetWing Optimus Prime's arms popping out of their shoulder mounts every now and then. There may be a structural point of weakness here because Prime's arms are attached to his body by just a small piece of plastic.

Finally close this review of DA-15 Jet Wing Optimus Prime with a comparison:

DA-15 JetWing Optimus Prime is the shortest of the three movie Primes that combine: the Ultimate Optimus Prime and the Optimus Prime/Jetfire combo from Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.

But he is the coolest and the most agile of the three.

Nuff said, you know you want one and the cost of one just keeps climbing so far.

For the full review and Gallery, click HERE.

Transformers Prime: Cliffjumper

2011-12-06T12:12:00.001+08:00

Presenting the ill-fated Cliffjumper from the new Transformers Prime animated series who's most famous quote is "Do I ever need back-up" and who can "layeth the smack-down" on any Decepticon dumb enough to cross his path.

"Alas poor Yorick! I knew him." SPOILER ALERT. If you haven't seen the series yet, you might want to stop here and just look at the pretty pictures. Well come to think of it, if you read the Transformers Prime Arcee review where I didn't put a spoiler alert, then I suppose you already know that Cliffjumper died.

Unlike his Gen 1 "Whimpy little Autobot" character who is in there to teach people that little people can do great things, Transformers Prime Cliffjumper is a bad-ass! And best of all! Also unlike his Candy-ass G1 counterpart, Transformers Prime Cliffjumper is voiced by one of the ultimate bad-asses there is! The Great One! The People's Champion! The Brahma Bull! The Most E-lectrifying Man in Sports Entertainment! Dwayne "The Rock!" Johnson! Which is probably also why they had to kill him early on because the Rock is back and busy in the WWE having just Rock-bottomed the Miz, R-Truth and John Cena.

As with Transformers Prime Arcee, Cliffjumper's blister card doesn't say much about him, so you have to watch the cartoons or read his wiki. Transformers Prime Cliffjumper's wiki describes him as: "Cliffjumper (Cliff to his chums) isn't your run-of-the-mill Autobot freedom fighter. Armed with six-cylinder ion cannons, a quantum-sensitive multiphase targeting system that would make Megatron jealous, and of course, the old-school technique of pummeling Decepticons with his fists, Cliffjumper prefers to liven up the day with firefights while retrieving enemy intelligence. He more than lives up to his name: He'll fearlessly leap long before he bothers looking!"

What's to like about Transformers Prime CliffJumper?

It's a Jabroni-ass-kicking Autobot! You gotta love him! Ok fine he dies within the first five minutes of the cartoon which severely traumatizes Arcee - who, ironically, later recovers one of the Brahma Bull's horns - literally.

But if you're not into that and you just want to talk about something as boring as a toy that changes between a car and a robot, let's talk about how cool Transformers Prime Cliffjumper can be if he was not voiced by the Scorpion King (Sorry, can't help it. I'm a HUGE FAN!)

Let's start with what Transformers Prime CliffJumper transforms into. Just like Bumblebee who got upgraded from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Camaro in the movies, Cliffjumper got upgraded from a stunted dwarf Porsche 924 Turbo into a muscle car - a Plymouth Barracuda merged with the front body of a Dodge Challenger with the Rock's Brahma Bull horns mounted on the front of the hood. Cliffjumper has a rather complex method of transforming but despite that, all the parts actually lock well together and his car mode is solid and streamlined.

There are probably some issues with detailing - which seems to be a plague amongst these new Transformers Prime characters, and I would so love a richer, more metallic red paint coat, but it's still not bad. The only Autobot symbol that appears on Cliffjumper is seen here next to the driver's door.

Transformed, Cliffjumper is quite solid as a figure and the articulation is... average. He kinda reminds me - with that solid barrel chest - of a more agile version of Wheeljack. He's also really low and prone to scraping like Wheeljack.

But happily he's not "fat" like Wheeljack though I am slightly disappointed by how "short" he is. If you do have him, the barrel chest and the spiked shoulder pauldrons make Cliffjumper top heavy so much so that from afar, or when posed in certain ways, Transformers Prime Cliffjumper appears stunted:

Next up is the surprise weapons system that Transformers Prime Cliffjumper has. He actually does have fold-out tri-barrel ion cannons in both arms and the instructions to bring these out are not in the instruction panel. In fact if I was not doing my regular "Transform him back into a car without reading the instuctions" I might not have found out about it.

What's not to like about Transformers Prime Cliffjumper?

Well I think I actually already mentioned everything. The color is a bit drab, the articulation is average - in comparison with say the very lovely articulation of Transformers Prime Arcee (See the bent knees? That's how far they go.) - and Cliffjumper is a bit.... top heavy stocky, like some over emasculated body-builder. But I do believe that we can over-look all of that because he does get plus points for the hidden tri-cannons. Honestly I was going to strike him because he did not have any weapons. I thought that it was kinda lame that he really did fight with just his fists till I found the hidden tri-cannons.

Still it's a great figure - and, as I understand it, reasonably rare or fast moving because... well I do suppose dead characters are far more valuable, and it is the Tooth Fairy after all. Transformers Prime Cliffjumper was purchased from Toys R'Us Philippines at the retail price of P699.75 (Roughly US$ 16). It is unfortunately not available on Amazon as of this writing. So I guess it's really rare. Grab him while you can.

For the full gallery and review, click HERE

Transformers Prime: Arcee

2011-11-30T23:18:00.001+08:00

Presenting Arcee from the Transformers Prime animated series. Arcee is a Cybertronian Scout - when is she never a scout? One of Optimus Prime's best actually.

Except this particular Arcee is suffering from a severe case of Survivor's Guilt. Before the Autobots in the Transformers Prime universe abandoned Cybetron in what would be later called the Great Exodus, Arcee was paired with an Autobot named Tailgate.

During a mission, Arcee was captured and tortured for information by the Decepticon Airachnid. When Arcee refused to reveal any information, Airachnid brought our Tailgate - who was apparently also captured. Tailgate was tortured will Arcee admitted that she did not have any valuable information. Satisfied, Airachnid killed Tailgate. Arcee was rescued before Airachnid could do her in as well.

After the Exodus, Arcee was again paired with another Autobot, Cliffjumper. He not only looks like Tailgate, he gets killed too - well later he gets re-animated as a psychotic Zombie, cut in half by Megatron and scattered in a mine. Anyway, this drives Arcee - understandably over the deep-end and Arcee ends up hating having to be paired with anyone. Ironically, she's assigned by Optimus Prime to protect the human Jack Darby. You can imagine her joy at having to protect someone from the Decepticons.

Transformers Prime Arcee's blister card does not mention much about her. Doesn't mention anything at all. However, her wiki reads "A former scout on Cybertron before the Great Exodus, Arcee is the least physically-imposing of Optimus Prime's crew, but she's also Optimus's most reliable solider, his go-to-gal when he needs somone he can count on. Whatever she lacks in physical form she more than makes up for it in force of personality. She is tough as nails at all times, always ready with a snarky quip even in the face of deactivation, not afraid to bend the rules every now and then, and seemingly never, ever scared." Click here for the rest of the wiki.

What's to like about Transformers Prime Arcee?

She's got boobs! If you're into anthropomorphic robot warriors who are slightly mentally unhinged and sharp of tongue - probably both literally and figuratively - then Transformers Prime Arcee is for you!. Let's admit that previous incarnations of Arcee to appear in this blog: TRNS-01 Valkyrie, and Transformers DOTM Arcee, both have their feminine wiles, nothing come quite close to proud the feminine form of Transformers Prime Arcee.

Now that we've gotten that obvious particular proclivity out of the way, let's talk about what else makes Transformers Prime Arcee such a nice figure to collect.

Probably the nicest thing about Transformers Prime Arcee is the ability to do something that MOST Transformers cannot do - which also greatly enhances her flexibility: Transformers Prime Arcee can twist her torso which provides for some pretty agile poses:

And as you can see from Transformers Prime Arcee's flexibility is incredible!

You also have to love Transformers Prime Arcee's bike mode. While it may be argued that she lacks detail in her bike mode, certain portions are finely sculpted - particularly the handlebar area:

What's NOT to like about Transformers Prime Arcee?

I have three issues with Transformers Prime Arcee. The first of which is.... she's blue. Arcee has traditionally always been pink and white. What we have here is... Chromia I suppose. I'm not sure why the animators of the cartoon felt the need to change her color - probably so it's less girly (Though it flies against tradition). Let's note thought that there is a pink version of Transformers Prime Arcee. She comes in a two pack along with a "taxi" version of Bumblebee. They were released as an SDCC2011 exclusive. This Transformers Prime exclusive sells for around US$72 (Around PhP 3,000 plus shipping) on ebay.

Second is her shoulder pauldrons/wings. They tend to get in the way of everything that involves her arms and, without much cajoling, you will have some difficulty getting to raise Arcee's arms above her head - though it can be done.

Last is Transformer Prime Arcee's balance/feet. Her feet are pretty pointed and, while they can be moved a little bit up-and-down, there is not much in left/right support. As a result, if you review most of the images in this review, you'll note that Arcee is leaning against the wall. She'd probably look best on a shelf if you provide her a stand for pose-ability.

All in all, a solid, flexible Transformer that doesn't come by every day. A definite must have for a Transformers Prime collector. I purchased Arcee at retail price here in the Philippines - Toy's R'Us for PhP 699.75 (Around US$ 16). For some strange reason Transformers Prime Arcee is available on Amazon for nearly US$ 70 (PhP 3,000 plus shipping). I guess she's rare abroad or the market hasn't saturated yet. She's quite common here in the Philippines.

For the full gallery and review, click HERE.

Transformers Culture at the Manila Auto Salon 2011!

2011-11-24T23:19:00.000+08:00

11.24.2011 – Today is the opening of Manila Auto Salon 2011 at the SMX Convention Center at Hall 3. The entrance ranges from PhP 80.00 pesos (Adults), PhP 60.00 pesos (Senior Citizen), and PhP 40.00 pesos (Children). So what to expect at this year’s MAS?

The simple answers are two things: Hot Women and Custom Cars. For any TransFan who are looking for Transformers related culture you’ll be in luck to see a couple. The most interesting showroom area that caught our attention is the Autobot: Paint & Body Works which is FOR REAL?!

The word is an actual shop that used the name of the Autobot including the faction symbol. It only happens in the Philippines and so far Hasbro would notice this any time soon. Complete with a crew wearing the same logo of their company this is one attraction you’ll see near the exit door. They also have custom cars on this display but none of them had transformed.

But the two model ladies who are there for some photo opportunity is welcome to pose for your delight. Whoever had this company named after the “Heroic Autobots” must be a serious TransFan. We haven’t seen anyone that we can approach for inquiries about this company.

The second interesting sight we saw there is the custom 1979 Porsche 911 which appears to be taking up Generation One Jazz’s colors in vehicle mode. Sporting the Martini sponsor but as we previously remember in last year's car show its not “Number 4” as what the famed Autobot was known for.

The rest of the photos you’ll see in this set is Optimash Prime cuddling up to Chaki Morika who is modeling for Autobot: Paint & Body Work and the Happy Meal toys that was given as a present from one of our friends who happens to be there to look around.

The Manila Auto Salon runs from November 24-27, 2011 at the Hall 3 of SMX Convention Center in SM Mall of Asia. Catch these interesting sights for those motoring enthusiast and special thanks to Trade Show Inc., for the invitation in doing coverage for this.

Details of the event can be found in their Official Facebook Page and don’t forget to LIKE!

Targetroids Optiaim & Megashoton (Transformers)

2011-11-16T09:41:00.000+08:00

Presenting the Targetroids Optiaim and Megashoton, 3rd party mini-versions of the Transformers' Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Optiaim and Megashoton - TFC-EX-004 are from TFCtoys, the same people who brought you Battle Rollar TFC-EX 002 and the Gears of War Packs. They are also the people behind the new Constructicons.

In what was probably an attempt to avoid even more copyright issues than they already have violated, TFCtoys called them Targetroids - which are not to be confused with Targetmasters - Targetmasters are pair-bonded Transformers (one usually larger than the other) where one of the pair transforms into a weapon. This is not to be confused with Transformers who just transform into a weapon like Megatron does.

To further confuse Copyright lawyers, TFC- EX-004's Optiaim - whose appearance and likeness to Optimus Prime is purely coincidence - transforms into a cannon, not a truck, which can be hand held or mounted. Megashoton - whose appearance and likeness to a certain Megatron is also purely coincidental - transforms into an elongated sniper rifle, not a luger or pistol, that can also be hand-held or mounted.

These two Targetroids come together as a set and there is another set out in the market that involves Rodimus Prime (Called Hot Flame) and Starscream (Called Screamer).

The Targetroids as mentioned come in sets of two and they come neatly displayed in their transformed forms. The packaging does not say much about the products or about the manufacturers other than a lead to the company's really bad website. There's not much inside either save for the instructions, Optiaim's extra weapon and a mount that we'll talk about later.

What's to like about the Targetroids?

The design! Let's start with Optimus Prime er.... Optiaim! He's sharp! I daresay he's downright handsome! Optiaim's so sexy and he knows it! Granted that Optiaim has a big-blue TV screen on his chest that says "Shoot here" and deviates from Optimus Prime's traditional chest-plate, it's still a very sharp design.

We're not talking about cheap plastic when it comes to the Targetroids, there's a solid heft to these figures and I'd say that they are heavier than the Transformers Reveal the Shield: Legends class Optimus Prime and Megatron who they share a similar size to (The Targetroids are slightly taller).

Optiaim comes comes with Optimus Prime's traditional rifle. Optiaim is quite flexible though like most Transformers, this particular Targetroid cannot twist his torso.

Megashoton is just as sharp and is a fine tribute to the original Megatron design from which it is patterned. I'm personally not sure whether it is a good thing that TFCToys did not bother to try to upgrade the image of Megashoton so that it looks more.... modern... like what TFCToys did with Optiaim.

Megashoton's figure can do one thing that Optiaim can't do though which is look down. Note the rear of Megashoton which is not as solid as that of Optiaim because it houses the barrels and grip of Megashoton' cannon mode.

As with Optiaim, Megashoton's articulation is excellent and as with Optiaim, he cannot twist his torso.

What's not to like about the Targetroids?

While not all that bad and some people may actually end up liking the cannon mode, my personal opinion is that the biggest problem of the Targetroids IS their cannon modes. Here's what they look like:

Optiaim transforms into a bulky looking... my guess is... ion cannon - which is what Optimus Prime would use, or, at the very least, a Particle Projectile Cannon. At first glance it looks good, and it is good! It's solid, simple and makes sense.

But if you look at the other picture you'll notice the mis-alignment of the barrel because of a lack of a proper locking mechanism between the legs.

But Optiaim is not as bad as Megashoton. Megashoton is.... I don't know... a poorly constructed sniper rifle that's chock full of holes and rarely comes out as straight.

He looks like he was cobbled from spare parts and has a chance of exploding when fired - and I suppose, if he's based upon Megatron, then Megashoton is a fusion cannon - with a sniper scope.

Mounting the Targetroids is even harder. I'm not personally sure anymore who they were meant for. But looking back, given Battle Rollar TFC-EX 002 then perhaps they were meant for the Masterpiece Primes. But here they are being wielded by the Classics Optimus Prime.

Now if you can't live with the Targetroids being hand-held, you can also mount them with that little mount that comes with the pair.

Unfortunately, for the Classics Optimus Prime, Optiaim does not lock into place, it constantly swings around. Also, because of Prime's head, it's slightly cantered to the right, not to the center. As for the Cybertron Optimus Prime, well it just looks really weird where it is except at certain angles.

The Targetroids are available on TFSource.com - don't even bother visiting TFCtoys - the website is incomplete and hardly helpful. if you want this, TFSource.com is better (And they're reliable). The Targetroids on TFSource.com will set you back around US$ 35.95 (Roughly PhP 1,500 plus shipping). My pair was purchased in the Philippine Black Market in Greenhills for PhP 2,000. If you want TFC EX-004 because you think they'll make good accessories, then you're wasting your time. If you want the Targetroids because they make great looking toys, then you've got to get them, especially Optiaim.

For the full gallery and review click HERE

Arcee, Elita 1 and Chromia Combined - Tripartite Cybertronians

2011-11-06T03:04:00.000+08:00

Presenting Arcee and her sisters Elita 1 and Chromia, Transformers the Movie's Tripartite Cybertronians and one of their POSSIBLE combinations.

I'd like to take this moment to point out the following:

The Transformers movies changed the general cartoon history of Arcee and her sisters. In a nutshell, Elita 1 and Chromia are dead. But a Decepticon experiment to create Tripartite Cybertronians brought the two back to life as nothing more than extensions of Arcee. They were supposed to combine in the second movie but the producers passed on the idea and in fact hinted that all three died by the end of the second movie. However the individual figures' blister cards still list all three with distinct personalities.
Tripartite Cybertronians are three transformers who can operate as individuals but only share one personality - like the Decepticon Reflector.
Hasbro has never acknowledged the correct transformation sequence for the three sisters

Frankly it does look like a crappy car-wreck, but it does work.

Here's where it begins with the three ladies. The combination is the product of a nice gentleman named MISFITROBOT - who immediately admits that this is not the official version of the combination, but I have to say of the many combinations on YouTube, sans taking the three apart (Which is what I feel one of those who claimed to have the right solution but didn't show how they did it, did), this is the best version. MISFITROBOT also claims that Hasbro actually referred to his video during a panel discussion at Botcon.

The goal is to take Arcee, Elita 1 and Chromia, and...

... make the three look like this:

Photo courtesy of transformers wikia

If you have any of the three ladies - in any of their permutations - then you know that all three come with a male/female box like link on their back - neatly tucked in the lower back in the case of Chromia and Elita 1. The trick now is how do you get all three to combine?

The solution is not pretty and actually getting all three to fit at the same time despite having parts that like to pop off is a test in patience, stubbornness and general "GET THE F#@% IN THERE!!!!"

Seriously if you get them in there, you may as well consider never letting them out again and leaving her looking like this.

The final result is not pretty. Definitely not pretty, but I agree with MISFITROBOT that it does come quite close to the concept artwork that Hasbro released. So like him, I say, if you like it, great. If you don't. That's just fine as well.

If you want to try this for yourself, here's MISFITROBOT's video:

For the full gallery and review, click HERE

TRNS-01 Valkyrie - Transformers Arcee

2011-10-26T09:36:00.001+08:00

Presenting TRNS-01 Valkyrie also known as the illegally produced version of the Transformer Autobot Arcee.

It's always bothered me why Arcee was never made by Hasbro after all these years. They clearly own the design, and Impossible Toys - the makers of TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) have shown that the transformation is possible. So why have they neglected this key figure in Transformers lore?

My personal take on the matter is that, till today, there is debate as to why robots like the Transformers should have genders to begin with. And, if they do have genders, then do they reproduce sexually? Personally I don't care if they do or do not. What matters to me is the character and you cannot possibly be a Transformers fan without giving a nod to Arcee, arguably the most popular female Transformer of our time. So when the opportunity to acquire a TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) came by, I had to grab it.

TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) does not come with a blister card. In fact "Valkyrie" is not her name, it's her "Function" or job I suppose, so in Impossible Toy's world, she's either a medic or deliverer of the dead.

While the packaging makes no claim of a connection to the general Transformers lore, there is no denying the Transformers color scheme and even the image of the G1 Arcee which is an almost exact replica of how she appears in the comic books/animated series.

The packaging also grants her the same power evaluation that most Transformers receive. The box lists TRNS-01's strengths as Intelligence, Speed and Courage (All at level 8) but strikes her overall Endurance as a 5.

What' to like about TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie)?

It's ARCEE!!! Do you have a G1 Arcee? Most of those who read this blog will probably never see one of these up close. Take Sir Nicholas Chen, for example, who shot this incredible scene for Toy Photography (Click HERE to join the club and to see his work, MIND THE RULES). His comment description of this masterful shot reads "I need a better Arcee..."

Oh if he had only asked me in advance I would have been more than willing to lend him mine. Arcee is an icon that is a must have if you want to complete your G1 Transformer the movie collection.

And she fits in quite well I must say:

Despite her cheaper plastic - which we'll talk about later - TRNS-01 Valkyrie fits right in with the rest of her Transformers The Movie co-stars. It does make you indeed wonder how Transformers reproduce and which one of these guys ever got lucky with her.

My personal bet is Wreck-Gar:

Which brings us to another strong point of TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie), her flexibility. She can ride Wreck-Gar, and her legs will grip enough to keep her in place. However she cannot grasp the handlebars as a) they're too soft to slip into her hand-holds, and; b) Arcee's hand-holds are too small.

The extent/range of TRNS-01 Arcee's (Valkyrie) flexibility can be seen here:

Note, for some of these poses, you'll have to lean her against the wall as she tends to be quite top-heavy. Note the "muscles" of her thighs. Oh by the way, you can remove those pistols, but given the weaker plastic, I'd rather not.

TRNS-01 Arcee's (Valkyrie) car mode runs on four embedded tires and is almost completely movie accurate - save for the fact that in the cartoons, the front fender runs as one piece towards the rear of the futuristic convertible. It does not act as a cowl for the rear fender.

Kinda looks like something Speed Racer would drive. I wonder if that's why Hasbro has been unable to create this design.

What's not to like about TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie)?

Let's start with the aforementioned plastic. See this? Nuff said.

And this was just on Arcee's way out of her packaging. You can even see the white residue of glue vapors on the paint. To make things worse, that entire fender popped off next. Both had to be glued back into place.

TRNS-01Arcee (Valkyrie) has the consistency, weight and feel of the plastic of an assembled model kit, and her molding is no different as you can see at the side of her chest, neither the arms nor the chest itself locks into place. I don't want to push the matter because the plastic is not that sturdy. I'm also pretty sure that she's coating my hands with lead or some other toxic substance so for God's sake DON'T EAT HER!!!!

There's also a limit to her flexibility. Her legs do not have ball joints, nor do her feet bend inward. which makes posing her a tad difficult especially since she's top heavy so expect her to keel over several times. To her credit though, those arms are really pose-able. Love those.

My last problem with TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) is the severe lack of detail. She's white, black and pink, that's it. No stickers, no detailing, nothing. You can barely see her face in fact because it's all white and the light is direct. She's practically begging for a make-over. Arcee kinda reminds me of Galatea from the movie Bicentennial Man.

I can get over the feeling of TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) feeling like a model I personally assembled but only because she completes a classic collection - at least until Hasbro finally decides to design her. And she definitely looks better than her ROTF version.

I picked up TRNS-01 Arcee (Valkyrie) off ebay via Victoyoyos for a whopping PhP 3,000 (Around US$ 69 plus shipping - which was a bit more for me this time because I owed him money off a previous transaction) which is what you would expect to pay for it on TFSource (Currently out-of stock). I'd buy her again if I had to.

The Impossible Toys Website can be found HERE.

To view the full article and gallery, click HERE

Transformers Reveal the Shield: Mindset

2011-10-24T23:03:00.001+08:00

Presenting the Autobot Mindset from the Transformers Reveal the Shield series. I don't actually know much about the Autobot Mindset. I'm quite sure that he wasn't in the movie and I definitely haven't seen him in any of the cartoons.

In fact if you bother googling him, you'll most probably end up on TFwiki.net looking at the Decepticon Mindset - who was fathered by Onslaught (One of the Combaticons that form Bruticus) through budding (Think of it as a pimple that explodes from your chest and gains sentience) and goes on to be killed by "The Swarm" (Which was nothing more than a killer pimple gone mad) which will also lead you to the Autobot Mindset, but there's not much there.

Personally, I think the Decepticon Mindset - which also transforms into a Multiple Lauch Rocket System (MLRS) is a lot more intriguing as a character and at least has some link in Transformer lore. To make things worse, the AUTOBOT Mindset, is a re-deco of the Decepticon Hailstorm, who is a character based upon the mini-con Hailstorm who transforms into a missile launcher. Why Hasbro just didn't create Mindset as a Decepticon is a mystery.

Anyway, I bought the Autobot Mindset because I have a soft spot for MLRS launchers. I've always thought that multiple-rocket launchers were cool ever since the Russians started using the Katyushas - Stalin's Organ (No dirty minds please). The MLRS is a beautiful step up.

And he was on sale.

Autobot Mindset's blister card reads "Change does not sit easily with Mindset. He likes things the way they are, and it is the weight of tradition that drives his opposition to the Decepticons. They upset the balance of things, an offense for which he can never forgive them. The only alteration with which Mindset is comfortable at all is that wrought on the landscape by one of his missile barrages."

What's to like about the Autobot Mindset?

As I said I'm quite partial to Multiple Launch Rocket Sytems (MLRS) and Autobot Mindset delivers a compack MLRS that even allows for the launcher to rotate.

And the missiles do launch - sadly though, while they are spring loaded, you have to push them out from the back to launch. It would have been great if they had their own trigger mechanism.

I'm also particularly fond of just how brawny Autobot Mindset looks. He's solid and built like this menancing Football offensive center that looks ready to barrel and gorilla his way through the Decepticon lines. Autobot Mindset may look like he begins fighting long-range, but I have a feeling that once he runs out of ammunition, prepare for the juggernaut.

Happily Autobot Mindset's leg articulation supports this and Hasbro saw it fit not to give him any other weapons other than those devilish looking claws and serrated shoulder pauldrons made from his tracks.

Autobot Mindset's head is supposed to be flushed against his shoulders - no neck - which makes him even more squat and gorilla-like, but I prefer him with a little neck.

What's not to like about the Autobot Mindset?

Well if you're not into squat characters who look like they can double for Quasimodo, then Autobot Mindset is not for you. Also when you transform him, Autobot Mindset's parts don't lock together - particularly the engine housing next to the cab. It makes transforming him a tad bit tedious and difficult. But perhaps the biggest let-down for me is the inability of the tracks to turn. While they do look wonderful as shoulder pauldrons, it would also have been great if they moved.

Autobot Mindset was purchased on sale for the price of PhP 299.95 (Roughly US$ 6.97). He's available on Amazon for as low as US$ 7.69 plus shipping.

For the full review and Gallery, click HERE.

All Hail MP-11 Starscream!

2011-10-21T00:00:00.000+08:00

10.21.2011 – Who would love to hate Starscream? The entire Decepticon legion hates his guts. Even Megatron would like to give him some serious fusion cannon indigestion. When he got reformatted he even disintegrated him (See Transformers: The Movie, 1986).

So what’s to love about Starscream? He’s got more toys and merchandise than all the three coneheads combined and he was voiced by the same person who breathes life to Cobra Commander (Chris Latta remembered). With all said about being trivial on who Starscream is get ready for another stunner.

Null rays may be his primary weapon in the original animation and definitely Takara Tomy added another figure for you to take home in your shrine of Starscreams. For a price of 11500 YEN you get this new improved Masterpiece Edition.

Jump after the cut...

TakaraTomy knows how to really get into your deep pockets with this one. Starscream is a thing of beauty now scaled down to match with the recently released Convoy. This time around he’s more regal than you thought a minute of his grandeur coronation was such a bad comedy.

For a price worth every chuckle you get a crown, cape and shoulder pads. Not to forget that he has a “holographic” pilot just in case he has to sneak in to Earthly territorial base and steal some military hardware to build his own army (queue the creation of the Combaticons).

We sure think the year 2012 will be around the corner as this Decepticon won’t be available until March.

Plenty more time to save up unless there’s something you are aching to grab in between now until February. Definitely you’ll get a sweet deal or Swindle may put a high price on his bounty.

Transformers Dark of the Moon: Arcee

2011-10-19T12:15:00.001+08:00

Presenting the Autobot Arcee (Target Exclusive Cyber-Tattoo version) as she appears in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - though Arcee is credited as part of the Transformers Dark of the Moon line (A movie she did not appear in)

There's a lot of continuity issues when it comes to DOTM Arcee - or the movie line Arcee - thanks in part to the fact that she was written out of the 1st Transformers movie and IDW (Idea + Design Works) Comics ran a comic book like in between the movies which involved Arcee (Whom a lot of people assumed to have perished in Revenge of the Fallen), and the novelization of the movie.

Then of course there are her sisters Elita 1 and Chromia. If you buy the individual toys, you'll note the different personalities at the back of their blister cards - I know I have a Chromia here somewhere (Hmmmm. Must be in storage). But if you follow the novelization of the movie - and even IDW's comic books, then you'll note that Arcee's two sisters died and they were animated only by a crazy Decepticon (Flatline) who wanted to create a new breed of what we call a "tripartite Cybertronian" - or Transformers that can operate separately but more or less have the same personality or combine - much like that camera guy Reflector. As a result the movie versions of Elita 1 and Chromia are supposedly nothing more than extensions of DOTM Arcee.

I'm particularly fond of this Target-Exclusive release of Arcee not because of her Cybertronian Tattoos - which are barely visible anyway, so why bother - but because of her unique transformation. For the life of me I know I've seen this transformation before but I cannot remember where. I even find the over-the shoulder left-antenna and the back-pack that looks like it doubles as a missile launcher oddly familiar. But I really can't place where I've seen it,.

DOTM Arcee's blister card reads "Arcee isn't superstitious, but she's willing to give anything that might grant her an edge in battle a try. The ancient tradition of inscribing her home world's language on her armor gives her a boost in confidence, if not power, and makes her Decepticon enemies think twice before engaging her directly."

DOTM Arcee's blister card also reads her skill level at 9 which makes her a very good-hand-to-hand combatant - hence the blade, but low on endurance - a mere 5 (Well Motorcycles have smaller gas tanks).

What's to like about DOTM Arcee?

As mentioned, I love DOTM Arcee's transformation. It's very utilitarian, bordering on spartan. It screams :"I am a hunter-killer PERIOD!" You can actually imagine - or watch Transformers Rise of the Fallen - DOTM Arcee and her sisters streaking down a highway on their uni-cycle modes, leaping and slashing as they go, transforming back to bikes when they need that burst of speed to strike or flee. Indeed her unique transformation makes DOTM Arcee and her sisters a must have to collect.

You have to love just how poseable DOTM Arcee is. It's a shame that she needs a stand to stay upright. I'd love to see an upgrade for this that maybe gives her a bigger, longer, more wicked looking blade though rather than this blade that only partially retracts into it's housing (It's spring loaded).

DOTM Arcee transforms into a Ducati 848 with a sidecar (Stand), however in the IDW Prequel to Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Arcee transforms into a Buell Firebolt XB12R - and has two legs and an automorphing crossbow (I have this in storage somewhere, have to dig it up). Transforming DOTM Arcee can be quite a challenge (Intermediate level - yeah right), but once you get her transformed, her form is smooth and slick as can be seen.

What's not to like about DOTM Arcee?

Well there are a few problems with DOTM Arcee.

First off would be her tattoos. This is a Target-Exclusive that hypes her Cybertronian Tattoos. Honestly it looks like someone walked up to her and sprayed random graffiti on her and you can hardly see the tattoos when she's transformed. She just doesn't have enough exterior "Armor skin" for them to be seen.
DOTM Arcee's right hand is sandwiched between two armor plates and is borderline useless.
The artwork. Take a gander at this kisser on the front of the package. That is one weird Autobot. It makes me sympathize with those who are wondering why giant-space robots bother to have genders. Happily, they did not bother giving DOTM Arcee lipstick.

And lastly, most of her joints - ball joints - tend to like to pop out.

Still it's DOTM Arcee is a lovely Transformer to have and you have to have her and her sisters. It's a wild and deadly trio of killers that demands a niche in one's collection. This particular DOTM Arcee was purchased at the last Toy Kingdom sale at Megamall at the retail price of PhP 999.00 less ten percent (Roughly US$ 23) and is available on Amazon for US$ 19.10 plus shipping.

For the full article and gallery, click HERE.

Transformers Editions and Exclusives at NYCC 2011!

2011-10-13T08:45:00.000+08:00

10.13.2011 - The New York Comic Con is a few days away and check out what Hasbro have in store for those who would drop by this event.

The tickets have been sold out and people are lining up to catch one of the biggest conventions in North America.

Notable exclusives are up for grabs once the gates open this Thursday to this event which is “NYCC 2011” from the same organizers who has brought you the Singapore Toys Games and Comic Convention which wrapped up last August 2011.

For this event Hasbro’s Transformers exclusives will be one to keep an eye at the exhibit booth.

Jump after the cut...

First on the list of Transformers Special Editions is the NERF N-STRIKE BARRICADE RV-10 Special Edition TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approximate Retail Price: $24.99/ Available through HasbroToyShop.com and Booth #302 at New York Comic Con). If you missed the Optimus Prime version that came out in SDCC 2011 this might be your chance at redemption in grabbing this baby!

Introducing the NERF N-STRIKE BARRICADE RV-10 SPECIAL EDITION TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE blaster, a motorized, semi-auto NERF blaster with revolving dart barrel that holds up to 10 whistle darts. With artwork from TRANSFORMERS comics from IDW Publishing, the blaster features new and exclusive deco with TRANSFORMERS detailing, styled after the BUMBLEBEE character. The NERF N-STRIKE BARRICADE RV-10 SPECIAL EDITION TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE blaster is compatible with the NERF Tactical Rail System and accessories (each sold separately). Requires three “AA” batteries; not included.

The next item which will be an exclusive for NYCC 2011 is this cool Hasbro Game called Cuponk, which some would be unfamiliar with. None the less this is one game that would be interesting for those have not seen this in person. There will be a stylized Transformers Edition that will be released for this upcoming convention.

CUPONK SPECIAL TRANSFORMERS EDITION (Ages 9 & up; approximate Retail Price: $19.99; Available at Booth #302 at New York Comic Con and through HasbroToyShop.com following the convention)

Can you pull of a trick shot that’s MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE? CUPONK, Hasbro’s hot trick shot game that’s all about showing your style and pulling off cool shots in front of your friends, blasts into New York Comic Con with an exclusive set featuring Hasbro’s beloved TRANSFORMERS brand! Each set includes two stylized electronic cups and six balls, each featuring exclusive AUTOBOT or DECEPTICON artwork and iconic characters like OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON!

Last but not the least is of course for those who follow the Transformers Prime TV series this would be a treat! Bumblebee and Arcee gets a repaint version New York style accompanied with their human friends in one box set.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME BUMBLEBEE AND ARCEE SPECIAL EDITION FIGURES (Ages 5 & up; approximate Retail Price: $29.99; Available at Booth #302 at New York Comic Con and through HasbroToyShop.com following the convention)

The cab you hail to get to New York Comic Con could be “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!” In celebration of Hasbro’s first attendance at New York Comic Con, this special edition set from The Hub network's hit animated series, TRANSFORMERS PRIME features Big Apple editions of your favorite AUTOBOTS and friends! The TRANSFORMERS Deluxe class BUMBLEBEE features a New York City taxi cab deco, and the TRANSFORMERS Deluxe class ARCEE features an exclusive pink deco, while the figures of RAF ESQUIVEL and JACK DARBY sport exclusive New York t-shirts, all in special edition packaging featuring the iconic New York skyline—with an AUTOBOT twist!

Transformers Dark of the Moon: Darksteel

2011-10-07T01:37:00.001+08:00

Presenting Tansformers Dark of the Moon's Darksteel. DOTM Darksteel obviously did not appear in the movie. In fact what he is is a repainted DOTM Sideswipe - the DOTM version so this is the top-down Corvette Stingray version of Sideswipe - with the repainted head of a Deluxe sized Starscream - yes Starscream, just look at that lovely kisser.

Normally I'm not a fan of repaints, but being a DOTM Sideswipe fan, I just could not resist getting a "Black" - Nemesis Universe like - version of him (Even if DOTM Darksteel technically isn't a Nemesis character and supposedly exists in the same universe as DOTM Siwdeswipe.

DOTM Sideswipe's blister card reads: "Darksteel is a traditionalist. As a student of the most respected Decepticon warrior on Cybertron, he learned there is no substitute for a razor-sharp blade and clever mind. Blasters and cannons get the job done, but may fail in the heat of battle. The blade never falters."

Of course I'm pretty sure that people can argue that the chance of a blaster or a cannon failing in the middle of battle is infinitesimal - at best you can run out of ammunition; And that you have to get really close to use a blade, but to each his own. Personally I'm for a good long barreled sniper rifle supported by a close range shotgun and a machete.

What's to like about DOTM Darksteel?

Let's start off with that Corvette Stingray mode. It's cool. Admittedly the paint-job is not as good. The metallic gold did not blend in as nicely as it should have with the metallic military green like it did with DOTM Air Raid. You can hardly see the golden flame job. Still there aren't that many top-down Transformers in the market. DOTM Darksteel's comes with two mechtech blasters, one of which - at the push of the button becomes a Cybertronian blade - that doesn't lock into place. The other blaster you just flip over to use it's "claw." They fit on either side of DOTM Darksteel or you can combine the two to create a huge ramming can-opener that you can mount on his side or top.

Transform DOTM Darksteel and well... nothing special. Literally a redeco of the DOTM Sideswipe with Starscream's head. Happily I still kinda appreciate this particular DOTM Sideswipe mode.Thanks to his mold and color scheme, it's very.... for the lack of a better word, insectoid! DOTM Darksteel in robot mode can start off with his wings folded down his back as you can see here and his blades folded up. Even DOTM Darksteel's feet spurs which help balance him from keeling forward and the back-cantered legs add to the very insectoid feeling of this particular Decepticon.

Now all you have to do is piss him off and DOTM Darksteel's blades - which are simpler than the twin blades of the ROTF Sideswipe - come down and his wings start buzzing. Again, you can't help but think of an angry, deadly armored insect.

DOTM Darksteel's Mechtech blades/blasters are hand held by him like regular blasters.

And again the two Mechtech blades/blasters can be combined for DOTM Darksteel to wield with both hands like Darth Maul. Unfortunately his articulation tends to be quite limited so there isn't much he can do with it.

What's not to like about DOTM Darksteel?

Well what haven't we mentioned? The poor arm articulation, the bad paint job? And well basically I don't like redecos. I appreciate the effort that went into making him look cool and DOTM Darksteel would be a really, really cool toy if I didn't know he was a redeco. But as it is, he leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth and makes me think that I'm buying something that no one else wanted to buy so they repainted it and resold it.

The thing is though, he looks really good as a nemesis/arch-enemy to ROTF Sideswipe!

Note the difference in transformation between the two. DOTM Darksteel's blades/arms are up front and that forms his chest. ROTF Sideswipe's arms and chest come from his rear.

This particular DOTM Darksteel was purchased at Toys R Us at the retail price of PhP 699.75 ( Approx US$ 16. 28). It's NOT yet available on Amazon and I'm not sure if he's reached US shores.

For the full review and gallery, please click HERE

Transformers Dark of the Moon: Air Raid (Hasbro)

2011-10-01T00:36:00.001+08:00

Presenting the new Air Raid from Transformers Dark of the Moon (Deluxe Class). Let's make it a bit clear that this is the Hasbro release of Air Raid. Though I have not seen an actual piece, there is supposed to be a Takara released Deluxe Class Air Raid (the gray guy to your right) that's basically a re-paint of Thrust and also has a MechTech weapons system attachment..

Sadly, neither of the Takara version nor the Hasbro version - which is a new mold by the way, not a re-paint - look anything like the Air Raid that appeared as one of the bosses in the Transformers DOTM video-game - which was a prequel of the movie.

At any rate, here he is. DOTM Air Raid transforms from a... I really don't know what he transforms into. DOTM Air Raid transforms into a reconnaissance jet with a huge AWACS (Airborne Warning |And Control System) dish up top. Unfortunately DOTM Air Raid is kinda small. At best he's a small hybrid between a Northrop Grumman E-10 (Which is the only AWACs bearing airplane in military service today with twin jet engines) and a Gulfstream - I'll have to ask my friend who worked for the US Navy to confirm.

But I feel that, given the weird location of the intakes (on top of the plane) and the fact that an airplane with a Control System requires more space as it's supposed to coordinate other aircraft, that this probably just fell out of someone's imagination in Hasbro and is not based upon anything real.

It's also a bit ironic that an Autobot whose primary function is, therefore, recon - watching people from a distance - should have a robot mode that specializes in close combat. DOTM Air Raid has in fact been described as a Gladiator. And given the high roman-like crest atop his head and the fact that he is missing a hand - which has been replaced with a very wicked looking morningstar - it's easy to see the resemblence. DOTM Air Raid's "Buckler" completes the look nicely. Oh! Note the Decepticon-like golden crest on his chest. It's almost as if DOTM Air Raid is wearing what he kills.

DOTM Air Raid's blister card reads "Flying high above the fray, Air Raid provides a high-precision picture of the terrain, Decepticon troop movement and any other details of the battlefield that may hinder an Autobot assault. His battle shield converts to a powerful ion pulse blaster when his fellow Autobots are in need of some high-altitude reinforcement!"

What's to like about DOTM Air Raid?

I have to say I'm loving the Emerald and Gold that DOTM Air Rad sports. It's not a color combination that you see every day and I'm glad that someone at Hasbro stepped out of their comfort level to give us the combination.

Now there will be a lot who will argue that DOTM Air Raid looks like a spindly Tin-man. And I have to say that I initially agreed. He looks so scrawny - almost like a desiccated skeleton of a Roman Centurion risen from some long forgotten grave in the Tuetoberg Forest where 20,000 Roman Legionaries perished under the leadership of Varus. Keep that thought in mind and DOTM Air Raid starts to whet one's appetite.

DOTM Air Raid does look like a dead Roman Warrior and that just makes him even cooler in my opinion. He also reminds me very much of what a Battletech Hatchetman would have looked like in robot form.

And there's more! DOTM Air Raid is quite flexible. He cannot twist his torso as most transformers cannot do, but because of the ball joints on his hips you can actually pose DOTM Air Raid so that it appears that he is properly adding force to his blows from the hips.

I have to say that I'm not a fan of morning-stars, and I certainly would not opt to have my hand replaced by something so unwieldy. But it works for DOTM Air-Raid. DOTM Air Raid can even kneel as you can see to the right.

Now let's talk about that buckler that's formed out of his AWACS dish.

I love it!

It's mechtech so it obviously transforms. There are people who will ask why he bothers with a shield that converts into a ion pule blaster and I actually thought of a nice scenario as to why a buckler that transforms into a blaster would make sense: It's an energy absorber! Imagine that DOTM Air Raid's shield soaks up every physical blow and bit of energy thrown it's way. When it's full, DOTM Air Raid spins his grip on the buckler and fires!

The Ion Pulse Blaster even works for DOTM Air Raid in recon-plane mode.

What's not to like about DOTM Air Raid?

Well DOTM Air Raid is a recon plane. It just doesn't seem right that one of the most fearless and iconic members of the Aerialbots should end up as a recon-plane and not as a jet fighter. It's just so.... demeaning. Especially to those who love the Aerialbots.

Further, while the AWACS system is attached to the back of DOTM Air Raid, he's back heavy. So if he wasn't leaning against the wall, DOTM Air Raid tends to go nose up. If you want him to land, remove his AWACS disc. Also his rear landing gear have no locks to keep them in place. You can even extend them and flatten them to the side so that it doesn't support him at all.

There is an oddity though that I noticed with DOTM Air Raid. He actually has what appears to be weapon hardpoints on his wings and a strange hole above his cockpit. True these may just be for other mechtech weapons, but perhaps they're meant for greater things - like maybe a future Superion? ( One can dream)

This particular DOTM Air Raid was purchased at Toys R'Us for PhP 699.75 (Roughly US$ 16). He's available on E-bay for PhP 750. Unfortunately it is not available on Amazon. DOTM Air Raid is definitely though one of my favorite Autobots now.

For the full gallery and review, please click HERE.

Then and Now: Beachcomber!

2011-09-05T09:20:00.001+08:00

09.05.2011 - Beachcomber’s bio card states he’s a geologist with a hippie attitude. A pacifist of war tries to reconcile his love of peace and freedom for all creatures. It’s hard to accept this as it sickens him down to his very spark regarding the conflicts which there’s always a price for casualty and destruction.

He appeared in the second season of the original G1 cartoon with a cool surfer dude attitude. Skilled in combat but not very fast or strong Beachcomber knows how to fight. He is an explorer who tends to lose himself in the jungle just to calm and cleanse his soul.

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In 2008 Hasbro released a completely new figure in the legends class assortment carded in blister packaging. The figure is based from his character model. Takara included this figure in the three-pack under the Henkei! Henkei! Toyline.

This figure has great articulation. His knees can bend and has small toes to do the action poses.

It’s doesn’t have a waist joint but this figure definitely grows on you. There were a lot of iterations of Beachcomber but nothing comes close to this one. If you compare it with the vintage edition this current release is a must have.

The detail on his now humanoid face is based from the animation. This version is more cartoon-accurate in colors his blue paint finish is flat and less vibrant than the Hasbro release. Packaged in with Brawn and Cliffjumper this figure certainly replaces the old school with its modern version.

If you wondering if the gun attached to his back can be removed the answer is yes. Though he doesn’t have a peg to hold his gun and mostly this gets lost easily.

The alt mode is inspired from the Warthog a vehicle from the Halo videogame series. The pacifist Autobot is well armed with that particular gun and to think he doesn’t own one. Well detailed in his modern vehicle form its better he drives on an alien surface.

Side by side comparison with the vintage edition shows how the old one looks rather less off-road. To think back in the day everyone liked his constructed buggy form. The new one is quite interesting though it’s not in scale with the deluxe class figures Beachcomber looks muscular on four wheels.

Overall a 4.5/5 robot points is being rated for this figure under the Legends Class assortment. The figure gets a second repaint and was called “Sandstorm” in desert colors. Rarely will you ever see Beachcomber in store pegs as most you’ll see is his repaint version.

Beachcomber has other several versions from different toylines but Hasbro and Takara nailed this one that’s based from his character model and a tribute to the G1 fans who owned the original figure.

Transformers Cybertron: Optimus Prime (PART 2)

2011-09-04T00:45:00.000+08:00

Here we go with part two of our Cybertron Optimus Prime Special. As you can see he's been joined by friends and this part of the review will cover Cybertron Optimus Prime's ability to merge, link-up or power-up with the help of his fellow Autobots, specifically: (R-L) Wing Saber, Leo Breaker, Vector Prime and Leo Prime.

Technically there is one more Autobot who should be present here the Giant Planet Autobot Metroplex whose axe Cybertron Optimus Prime can use. Unfortunately, I don't own a Metroplex.... yet (soon my pet, soon).

Leo Breaker/Leo Prime:

First up is what happens when you take Leo Breaker and his 2009 re-tool, Leo Prime - who really isn't a character but was inspired by someone who realized that there was such a thing as a Lio Convoy and said that it would be a simple thing to re-tool Leo Breaker into Leo Prime.

Hasbro took the Lio Convoy/Leo Prime inspiration another step further in the same year by changing Leo Prime's colors from Red, Blue and Gray to Lio Convoy's primary white, red and gold.

We'll do Lio Convoy some other day after I've given him a much needed bath to restore his color.

We begin with the upgraded version of Cybetron Optimus Prime and the transformed Leo Breaker and Leo Prime.

Turn Prime around and transform him partially into truck mode by folding his arms up and opening mounting slots for both Kitty Cats.

The good thing about this is that this transformation actually allows you to accommodate Cybetron Optimus Prime's Wings - though most of the time you'll find that both Breakers "shoulders" will keep banging into the wings and it really looks weird for him to be using his cannons while you have him in this mode.

However I have something more devious in mind for this particular transformation so I discarded the wings entirely because why stop at one when you can have two clawed arms?

Normally you remove the Leo Breaker's and Leo Prime's tails/whips, but personally I think the merge looks even more devious if you leave them on.

GIVE ME A HUG!!!!

Vector Prime

We did a review all the way back in April on Vector Prime - one of the original 13 Transformers and master of Time and Space. His contribution to Cybertron Optimus Prime comes at the very end of the Transformers Cybertron cartoon: Vector Prime bequeaths his sword Rhisling to Optimus Prime. It is with this sword that Optimus Prime brings an end to the Cybertronian war by impaling Megatron with it.

The problem is that Cybertron Optimus Prime really cannot hold Rhisling. His hands don't close enough and the blade itself does not have a peg to attach to the hardmount within the hands of Cybertron Optimus Prime. The best you can do is close Prime's fist and drop the handle into the slot created, but it's loose and hard to pose so don't expect much.

Wing Saber

Last up is Wing Saber. Personally I've always thought that Wing Saber was crap as a robot. I love his Warthog mode, but he looks like a flat footed Autobot whose arms are tied to his torso by a huge board on his back so that the only thing he can raise is his forearms. Can you imagine what Wing Saber must look like when he runs?

Wing Saber is however, a really cool addition to Cybertron Optimus Prime. Ditch Cybertron Optimus prime's Wings, turn Wing Saber into plane mode, extend his fuselage and gattling cannons, place over Prime's upper torso and lock in place on his chest area and you can start calling him Sonic Convoy

This mode is also known as Sonic Wing Mode. You can also call this gestalt: "High-Speed Mobile Supreme Commander." In this mode, you can deploy Wing Saber's blades though frankly High-Speed Mobile Supreme Commander is far too bulky to be using what only amounts to short-swords and most likely he'd end up chopping off his wings.

Sonic Convoy's real fun happens when you fold Wing Saber's nosecone up and out, insert a Cyber-key and you get lights, sounds and the spring loaded nosecone splits open.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

At this point we're going to put together a Cybertron Optimus Prime armed with Vector Prime's Rhisling while in gestalt with Leo Prime (Who's color scheme in my opinion is better suited for this merge) and Wing Saber.

Here's the thing though. This mode was never designed and you're not supposed to be able to merge Leo Prime and Wing Saber on Cybertron Optimus Prime at the same time. Leo Prime demands that you fold Prime's arm to his back; Wing Saber requires that the back be clear so that the two could merge.

Solution? Remove Cybertron Optimus Prime's arm!

And it's quite simple: only three screws keep you from doing this as shown here:

What's so nice about this is that the molding is usually tight enough that you can discard the screws and still be able to keep the arm in place for display purposes. You can even transform Cybertron Optimus Prime. In my Cybertron Optimus Prime's case, the arm joint won't come off without applying some pressure.

But once it's off? Well nuff said! You have... as a friend of mine once put it looks like a "post-apocalyptic reincarnation of the lord god Shiva!"

So I guess at this point you get why Cybertron Optimus Prime is my favorite Optimus Prime. Unfortunately he and his friends did not come cheap and I don't even have, as mentioned at the start, Metroplex yet.

A brand new, boxed, Transformers Cybertron Leader Optimus Prime like the one I have will cost you as much as US$ 189.99 on Amazon.com (Roughly PhP 8,200 plus shipping). A viable option is the black-and-red re-issue of this, the Transformers Cybertron Leader Galaxy Force Optimus Prime, which, boxed, goes for US$ 169.99 on Amazon.com (Roughly PhP 7,300 plus shipping).

A brand new Leo Prime (Red & Blue) would go for around US$ 31.99 on Amazon (PhP 1,375 plus shipping); the white-and-red Leo Prime is much cheaper at US$ 19.94 on Amazon (PhP 850 plus shipping); a brand new Leo Breaker would cost you US$ 199.99 on Amazon (PhP 8,500 plus shipping).

A brand new Transformers Cybertron Ultra Wing Saber will set you back as much as US$ 139.99 (Roughly PhP 6,000 plus shipping) on Amazon. A brand new Vector Prime will set you back as much as US$ 189.96 on Amazon (Roughly PhP 8,168 plus shipping) on Amazon. But you'll be happy to know that there are cheaper re-paints on the market for both Wing Saber and Vector Prime.

So definitely the cost for everything you see here is significant. But don't think that I didn't trawl the market to find all this or that I bought all these in one afternoon. If there's one thing that Cybertron Optimus Prime has taught me is that if something is worth having, it's worth stalking.

For the full review and gallery, click HERE

Toy Review: Reveal The Shield Legends Class Trailcutter!

2011-09-01T08:30:00.020+08:00

09.01.2011 - Trailbreaker was one of the original Autobots aboard the Ark when it crashed planet Earth 4 million years ago. He was introduced in the pilot episode More Than Meets The Eye. This slow and cheery Autobot transforms into a Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck when it was released under the first wave of G1 toys in 1984.

The original Diaclone "4WD Hi-Lux" from Takara came in three colors prior to rebranding into Transformers. For most part of the first season Trailbreaker was one of the supporting characters, but by season 2 we see less screen time from him.

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Over the years Trailbreaker only had one reissue which was limited to 1000 pieces as a convention exclusive packaged with Hoist in Japan. There were several attempts in producing modernized or tribute versions of Trailbreaker. But since Hasbro’s inability to secure the trademark all these became different characters until 2011.

Trailbreaker is now also called or known as Trailcutter when Hasbro released the Reveal The Shield toyline in 2010. Trailcutter was under the Legends Class assortment along with TF favorites Prowl, Optimus Prime, Starscream, and Megatron which transforms into his original P-38 gun mode with an orange tip.

This is so far the closest we can get our hands on Trailbreaker—Err Trailcutter until Hasbro surprises us with a Deluxe Class version.

The usual standard blister card packaging shows Trailcutter in robot mode tied in paper wrap wires. Even though in packaging you can see the details on the figure just like the original but with the modern take.

Some would say this version was inspired from Dan Khanna’s are from the 3H Comic. This time as you can see from the packaging the figure has now a humanoid face unlike his original toy.

Out the packaging the figure looks better than we expected based from the product shots and the details makes this figure note worthy for those who collects G1 characters. Trailcutter isn’t as popular as the Autobot cars but surely long time fans would still get this figure.

The instructions are printed at the back of the card along with the power levels of the character. This also featured stock photography of the product prior to its release.

The head designs as mentioned are based from Dan Khanna’s art and instead of just a red stripe as his eyes he wears visors.

The downside of this figure since this a Legends Class assortment it lacks articulation. The arms rotate and no elbow joints.

There’s no knee joins pretty much your standard action figure. His force field is molded at the back of his head not a kibble that was attached above his shoulders. Transformation is not that difficult for a Legends Class size figure and as mentioned previously the instructions are printed at the back of the packaging.

Trailcutter converts into a camper truck similar to his G1 version, but with a front section similar to that of a Cadillac Escalade.

Detailed paint applications on the grills, headlights, and bumper are superb. The rub sign is located at the rear top at the right side of his camper shell.

Hopefully Hasbro would release a more detailed deluxe class version as we rarely see iterations of Trailbreaker and the latest version doesn’t even have his name right due to the trademark.

Overall Traillcutter gets rated 2 out of 5 robot points. Hasbro could have made some minor modifications for this figure to be articulated. We definitely wish Hasbro gives us a Deluxe Class figure but for now we have to contend with this scaled down version.

For a bargain of PhP 150.00 pesos you can pick up this figure currently on clearance in all department stores, Toy’s R Us and Toy Kingdom outlets in Manila.

Toy Review: HFTD Deluxe Class "Tuner" Skids!

2011-08-30T08:00:00.006+08:00

08.30.2011 - Every movie has comedic characters involved but in the world of the live action film such as Transformers there’s no need for odd couples. We’re talking about the twins Skids and Mudflap from Revenge of the Fallen.

Tuner Skids is the one with the gold and silver tooth which transforms into the hatchback Chevy Beat (known as Spark in Asia). Released in the “Revenge of the Fallen” toy line Skids was a deluxe class paired up with his twin brother Mudflap in the movie. The deluxe class figure now called Tuner Skids is redeco in black and a deeper shade of green.

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The fans were not thrilled with the characters being portrayed and they were removed from the Dark of the Moon. Though the toys where released in black with either orange or green stripes. It remains to be seen if we’ll see them in the uncut release for home video.

The standard blister packaging of the “Hunt for the Decepticons” toy line is colored in yellow with the skill level has a red bar that can be compared to the card backs released from “Reveal The Shield”. It has been the same blister packaging design since “Revenge of the Fallen” and the only variation is the color of the cards. The plastic wiring has been replaced with soft paper wrap wires to remove the toys from its plastic bubble.

As usual they include the power ratings and character descriptions at the back of the cars. Sometimes the stock photos are different from the actual product. It’s the same packaging used in the Japan released movie toys but easily can slide the bubble than using a sharp cutter to opening it.

Tuner Skids is one of the common deluxe class figures being sold in the Philippines for 50% percent off. Released in the expansion HFTD toy line possibly continued the stories in the comic books published by IDW Publishing. The vehicle mode comes in black and a deeper shade of green. His license plate says "1H8CONS," and on the back is a bumper sticker that reads "I helped make the Fallen falled!

You won’t have problems rolling Tuner Skids on all flat surfaces with the exception that some parts underneath might get caught into something. The details of the Chevy Beat… Or Spark for that matter down to its grills is just like the real thing. If you recall our previous posting of our confusion regarding the vehicle forms of Skids and Mudflaps. The confusion was the official name change of Chevy Beat to the Spark had a story behind it as well.

The robot mode looks unpleasant to transform having a challenging level 3 and the manual is not very helpful with the details in folding the back part. Tuner Skids stands short for an autobot who’s got a ghetto sense of humor.

Interesting trivia suggest that stock photography shows the figure has gold painted tooth and one silver one, the figure actually has both teeth painted silver. The actual product does vary from the photo in the packaging and it’s true. The other part which some would find it unpleasant is being back heavy which the figure easily loses its balance.

Articulation is limited but the one-punch gimik is something to look at as what Tuner Skids’ special move was all about. Reminds you of someone from Eternia with the same special move? Actually Fisto doesn’t punch unlike Tuner Skids can do.

Overall 3.5/5 robot points Tuner Skids was graded due to the lack of the usual Transformers standard robot form. Some would still pick up this figure not because of the robot mode, but because it’s a Chevy Spark, which we have here in the Philippines.

Tuner Skids a deluxe class size action figure originally sold at PhP 6.99.75 pesos and currently warming the shelves in Manila now priced at PhP 350.00 pesos.

Then and Now: Bumblebee to Goldbug!

2011-08-29T14:28:00.002+08:00

08.29.2011 - Bumblebee has been a companion to humans mostly close related to Spike Witwicky from the original G1 cartoon. Bumblebee is reliable and the hero everyone thinks. He’s come a long way and has gone through a lot of changes but still remain the Autobot we know and loved.

In the original cartoon he’s with friend with Spike Witwicky the recurring human character in the series along with his father Sparkplug. For anyone who grew up with the original cartoon Bumblebee is a yellow Volkswagen Beetle.

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For years everyone knew that iconic vehicle would be synonymous with the character. Well until Hasbro decided to produce a live action film.

Back in the original cartoon Bumblebee was present in the important scenes and history that defined the series. In the movie he was with Spike on Moonbase II before it was devoured my Unicron in the animated feature film.

When Transformers hit season three he was less of a recurring character until his major changes happened in a hate plague outbreak in 2006 where he had an upgrade. From Bumblebee to Goldbug he was still the same Autobot but more aggressive and determined.

Back then they had used the name “Goldbug” once when the Throttlebots toy line was released in 1987. The set of these figures would have their vehicle mode deformed, but with Goldbug the Volkswagen Beetle is proportioned. The one released for Reveal The Shield was a straight repaint of the Legends Class Bumblebee released in 2008. This mold was also used to produce Henkei’s Legends Class Cliffjumper released only in Japan.

As always the Legends Class figures comes in blister card packaging. Though there are no descriptions of the character only the instructions and the skill level is printed at the back of the card. The colors still varies from the stock photography and the actual product.

Packaged in robot mode clearly the rubsign shows his allegiance and wrap with paper wire. Details down the colored head resemble the classic Goldbug. Side by side comparison with the old and new figures’ color are not close as what we expected.

The image of Goldbug’s new and old form are way beyond the changes that happened through the evolution of Bumblebee and we can see it here that the “gold” colors are way off as the original stock photo of the new version is closer than the actual product itself.

The comparison didn’t stop with Cliffjumper as the details in robot mode are evident that Goldbug lacks the paint job to define his character. As always articulation is limited and they could have done something about retooling his head similar to the original Goldbug.

Goldbug is no longer a Volkswagen Beetle like Bumblebee as the car manufacturer stated that they don’t want their product associate with “war toys” as this version of Goldbug is a sporty hatchback.

Of course the side by side comparison of the original clearly defines also the scale of Goldbug’s classic vehicle mode is way bigger than the current one.
The comparisons with Cliffjumper in vehicle mode showed the details what Goldbug and the most notable is the lack of paint job in the front grill. You get a bargain out of this Legends Class figures as currently they are being sold now for half the price.

Overall the Legends Class “Gold” Bumblebee or shall we say Goldbug has no difference being repainted for the third time. The figure lacks the details in robot mode which also appears in vehicle mode. They could have at least retooled the head to differentiate both Bumblebee and Goldbug. This figure gets a rate of 3.5 out of five robot points.

It’s a nice addition for the Legends Class scale but could have been done better if they made its more Goldbug than Bumblebee.

Transformers Collectors Club Timelines: Dion & Cop-Tur!

2011-08-28T02:52:00.001+08:00

08.28.2011 - The 2010 Transformers Collectors Club Exclusive is none other than Dion with “Micromaster” partner Cop-Tur. For anyone who is not familiar with Dion he is the best friend of Orion Pax.

Your guess is that familiar name which synonymous with Optimus Prime’s former identity after he was damaged in the original Generation 1 cartoon from the 1980s.

Dion was announced in late 2009 as the exclusive free toy as part of applying or renewing the club membership on or before March 16, 2010.

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For those who availed the membership after the said date will have to purchase this for $20.00 US dollars, and the free toy instead will be for the 2011 release.

The figure is a retooled/repaint version of TF Universe Hot Shot that came with his “Mini-con” partner Jolt, which was also modified when it was released under the TF Henkei toyline by Takara Tomy.

This version of Dion comes also with two mufflers that double as his blasters that came with the Henkei version of Hot Shot. The alternate mode has some resemblance to modified Audi TT sports coupe similar to the original Hot Shot that came out in the Armada/Micron Legends toy line.

Though this version is an entirely new mold released in the TFU/Henkei toyline. There’s not much difference from Dion but had a better paint job.

The “Micromaster” partner Cop-Tur had no changes aside from being named after the Renegade bad guy from Challenge of the Gobots. In robot mode Coptur just like Jolt is back heavy and it was the ugliest Micromaster/Minicon figure ever made.

They could have made a similar mold of the original Jolt from the Armada/Micron Legends but way better but turns out to be the worst kind.

A side by side comparison of Dion and Hot Shot in vehicle mode clearly shows the difference not only in colors but also in mold as there was a “cut away” in the rear for the removable mufflers. Though Hot Shot has the “JAAM” plate Dion does not.

The details are obvious since you’re paying for premium membership Fun Publications and Hasbro had tried their best to put quality in this exclusive figure.

The Autobot symbol on both sides defines Dion’s colors in vehicle mode. You won’t notice the faction symbols which work quite well. In robot mode there are no differences since this is a repaint. The Elite guard badge can be seen in Dion’s left shoulder. The mufflers come off the back once transformed in robot mode and now turn into his handheld blasters.

This is a good figure when you look at it but not entirely perfect since it has flaws. For something exclusive they had put an amount of quality to making this worth for joining the Transformers Collector’s Club, but if you can’t afford the $90.00 US dollar membership the TFU Hot Shot is the better option to pick up. Currently the TF Universe toyline has been replaced by Generations and the only place you can get one right now is through specialty shops or eBay.

Overall for anyone starting up a collection this is not an advisable figure to acquire, but for the high end collector this one is money’s worth. Especially for those who completes not just the characters but the toy mold as well.

Dion is not Ultra Magnus in this universe as what everyone thought, but it’s nostalgia to know there’s one more character deserving of having his story being told for the new fans out there.

Transformers Cybertron: Optimus Prime (PART 1)

2011-08-25T13:48:00.003+08:00

Presenting Optimus Prime from the Transformers Cybetron animated series. The Cybertron Optimus Prime is actually my favorite Prime - even if I thought that the cartoon was a weird escalating see-saw battle of egos.

I'm partial to the Cybetron Optimus Prime because of his very concept - his looks, articulation and this particular Leader of the Autobot's ability to merge with his fellow Autobots to become a stronger amalgamation. Add a Cyberkey or two and he becomes even stronger. It also helps that he starts out looking like a typical foot-soldier then ends up looking like a futuristic Samurai Warlord.

Cybertron Optimus Prime's Blister car reads: "Optimus Prime is a leader in the best sense of the word, taking point on every mission and never sending his team into any situation he wouldn’t go into himself. Dedicated to the protection of all life and the preservation of freedom for all sentient beings, he serves as a role model for his fellow Autobots. It is through his keen intelligence, even hand, steady nerves and endless compassion that the AUTOBOTS continue to frustrate the evil plans of DECEPTICON again and again. Unlock the power! Super-sized OPTIMUS PRIME figure is battle-ready three different ways! Change from robot warrior to heavily armored super robot and then to a futuristic missile-launching long-hauler! Electronic lights and sounds juice up the action! Activate tons of special features with the AUTOBOT Leader Planet Key—reveal the heavy ION blaster or snap out hidden twin rocket launchers! Place this awesome figure at the front of your AUTOBOT ranks to fend off the evil DECEPTICONS. . . it’s going to be a fight to the finish to save CYBERTRON!"

Cybertron Optimus Prime Truck Mode:

Cybertron Optimus Prime, also known as Supreme Commander Optimus Prime, transforms into an unconventional Terran Turntable Ladder Firetruck - I say unconventional because this is the first time I've ever seen a Firetruck with not one, but two "arms" or telescoping ladders - though unfortunately Cybertron Optimus Prime's ladders do not telescope - but they are capable of rotating and elevating.

In truck mode, Prime's wheels spin freely, but are not articulated so don't expect him to turn when you want him to.

The twist that Cybertron Optimus Prime brings to the table is his ability to transform into... what can best be described as a red flying brick... but it does fly.

Eject the trailer, transform Cybertron Optimus Prime into his robot mode, add a few twists to the trailer and you have an artillery piece for Optimus Prime:

Cybertron Optimus Prime Robot Mode:

The robot mode of Cybertron Optimus Prime is not my favorite mode. Personally he looks short, stocky - I daresay "Fat" - and is very un-Prime like thanks to the fact that he has a mouth here and not the mouth-guard that we've come to know and love.

The good news is, Cybertron Optimus Prime's articulation is pretty decent for a Transformer. He suffers from the distinct inability to twist his torso which plagues most Transformers and most of his joints give out ratcheting noises when they're moved.

Cybetron Optimus Prime comes with a rifle - though the box doesn't bother to name the rifle as an ion cannon. Press a small stub at the back and the rifle launches a small blue-missile.

This is the only mode where Cybertron Optimus Prime can safely open his chest plates. With the add-on Autobots the chest plates usually bang into other parts or are blocked/locked in place. Opening the plates reveals the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

What I like about this particular Matrix of leadership is that opening his chest plates doesn't reveal it immediately - I mean what idiot puts a vulnerable spot right in front of him? - As you can see in the image, there's an interior "cover" that has to be drawn down before revealing the matrix.

The Matrix of Leadership can be removed and you can place it in Cybertron Optimus Prime's hands, but he cannot hold it - at least with both hands or in a way that looks "cool" other than what you see below.

Cybertron Optimus Prime SUPER Robot Mode:

Now the full starts! Raise Cybertron Optimus Prime's mouth guard, fold out the head-gear horns and attach the trailer and the stocky fat Prime becomes a mythical Samurai warrior who is very, very reminiscent of the Jet-Wing Prime shown in the third Transformers movie - high wings and underslung weapons.

Articulation at this point tends to be a bit spotty, because with all of this on his back, Cybertron Optimus Prime tends to be top-heavy. Happily his legs are bigger at this point, but the weak point is at the hips.

The funny part is that the instruction sheet for Cybertron Optimus Prime actually reverses the back-pack. Instead of having his weapons underslung like it appears in the cartoon, the instruction sheet asks you to put it over his head - the nice thing about that being that you can pull two more guns out at leg level.

Cybetron Optimus Prime only comes with one cyber-key- which is strange since he needs two to activate his weapons. Inserting them into the slot of his right-hand cannon brings out two more spring-loaded missiles - not that cool. Inserting them into the slot of his left hand cannon snaps it open and activates firing lights and sounds - much cooler!

This is the first of two... maybe three... parts of my review of this ridiculously modular Cybertron Optimus Prime that has over fifty pictures and I'm getting tired.

The full review and gallery of the Cybertron Optimus Prime can be found HERE.

But here's a preview of thing to come: