Power Core Combiners: Heavytread & Groundspike!

09.30.2014 – Heavytread is an unfamiliar Transformers character and part of the Power Core Combiners toy line. He’s a Power Core Combiner Commander (now that’s a mouthful) which can combine with drone sets from other characters released. The Power Core Combiners where not entirely known that it never moved toy shelves. If you’re into interchanging drones and Mini-Con weapons just for fun this line of Transformers might be something to take up your time to set and display.

MRX-00L: Stealth Robo Hyper Mode!

04.01.2013 – Hasbro has acquired the GoBots name as wells its rights to appearance and characters. The toy line was previously owned by Tonka which produces large scale die cast toys preferably construction themed vehicles. The GoBots toys where based from Bandai’s Machine Robo series which featured the iconic characters with the likes of Leader-1, Cykill, with the rest of the Heroic Guardians and Evil Renegades living in one team battling alien monsters similar to the theme prior to the Diaclone becoming Transformers that everyone knew which made history.

Power Core Combiners: Bombshock & the Combaticons!

Presenting Bombshock and the Combaticons from the Transformers Powercore Combiners toy series. We first showed Bombshock and his Combaticon drones when we showcased Grimstone and his Dinobots, but we only used him as a reference comparison between the two Power Core Combiners.

But since we'd already shot, him, why not showcase him?

Unlike Grimstone, Bombshock does exist in regular Transformers lore. Originally he was an old, bitter, backstabbing Decepticon Micromaster - literally tiny fuel-efficient Transformers. Although later on in the "Return of Convoy" Manga he was a childlike, joyous Autobot. He again reverted to being a bitter, old Decepticon with "Fight till I die" (And he did at the hands of Optimus Prime) in the novels.

Powercore Combiners do not exist in the regular lore of the Transformers so like Grimstone, Bombshock is a figment of someone's imagination at Hasbro. However, unlike Grimstone who I saw as a juvenile Autobot out to prove himself, Bombshock is still pretty much the same little Micromaster - which fits because some Micromasters are Combiners (Only Bombshock combines with Drones - who won't backstab him - and not other Micromasters) - especially after you read his blister card.

Though when combined, he looks like a wannabee Bruticus - or his younger brother.

Toy Review: Steamhammer and the Constructicons!

Steamhammer with Constructicons You'd think that my review of Grimstone an the Dinobots would mean that I'd decided to drop the Power Core Combiners from my pull list of Transformer toys, but I'm you'd be wrong. Though I really was disappointed by that first wave 4 set, the second one was enough to keep me on the hook. Steamhammer and the Constructicons is the second of 2 5-packs in this fourth wave of figures. Unlike the last wave of figures which was entirely made up of re-purposed figures from the first 2 waves, this series is completely new. Both the 5 and 2-packs are molds that we haven't seen before with new drones and new mini-cons. Sadly, you have to enjoy it while it lasts because wave 5 has only 1 new figure, Undertow with Waterlog. Yet Steamhammer has a whole lot of awesome to tide you over until that new set comes around. He comes packaged in his robot form (or the Commander) with the 4 drones surrounding him. It's a blessedly easy to open pack, with only one paper tie for each toy (or accessory depending on your perception). Once you get through them, it's easy scheezy. Just pop them out of the plastic bubble.

Jump after the cut for further details...

Toy Review: Grimstone & the Dinobots!

Grimstone and the Dinobots "Grimstone and the Dinobots". It sounds like one of those cartoons from the 80's they liked to show on Saturday mornings. Either that or a rock band. It's neither, however. Grimstone and the Dinobots is a boxset of Transformers available at toystores now. It's part the new Transformer subline called the "Power Core combiners". If you're old enough to remember the gestalt (a group of 5 or 6 Transformers who could join together to form one big bot), then you already know what you're in for. Or you'd think you'd know. They've gone and changed some things around. For one, it's no longer 5 robots with different personalities. It's just the one robot, in this case Grimstone. The robot, called the Power Core Commander, can control "drones" which are basically power up items, not individuals. These drones don't transform into a robot; they go straight from vehicle (or in this case dinosaur) to their respective limb once they've connected to the Commander.

Jump after the cut for further details...