Showing posts with label g1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label g1. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 February 2016

Q Transformers QTF05 Ultra Magnus Review (or mini review)

q transformers qtf05 ultra magnus review


Across the oceans, in far away lands there are people able to walk into shops and buy cool little curio toys for little more than the cost of a Greggs pasty, a packet of Monster Munch and bottle of Cherry Coke.

Imagine that right?

Q Transformers is such a line and appeared in late 2014 having since spanned both the live action movies and Generation One eras of Transformers with toys you can buy for less than a fiver in Japan. Inspired by the original Choro-Q line (Penny Racers to those of us in the West), they are small, super deformed transforming figures designed purely for extreme awesomeness. At least that's how I imagine the pitch went at Takara towers.

Anyway now Q-Transformers QTF05 Ultra Magnus is in my hand how do I feel about it?

Click below to read on

Wednesday, 30 December 2015

FansToys FT-13 Mercenary Test Shot Review

fanstoys ft-13 Mercenary aka Transformers shrapnel
Fanstoys FT-13 Mercenary
As another great year for toy fans draws to a close  and bids us a boozy farewell in a warm lightsabre glow, it provides a worthwhile opportunity to look back at some of the cracking toys we've seen and also forwards at some of the delights 2016 will have in store for us.

One of my favourite toys of 2015 was Fanstoys Grenadier so it's quite fitting that the toy we are looking at today is a test shot of the next release in Fans Toys unofficial Masterpiece Insecticons - FT-13 Mercenary. This didn't come from Santa Claus, but rather the equally generous, festive folks over at tfs express.
Which is handy because Santa would have been disappointed that I'd already eaten all of the cookies....

Disclaimer: This is a test shot so may have issues or quirks that are not representative of the final product. But if you don't care about that - read on.


Saturday, 19 December 2015

Transformers Masterpiece MP-11T Thundercracker review

takara transformers masterpiece mp-11t thundercracker

If you collect Transformer then chances are you have crossed paths with at least one  of the hundreds of uses of the Masterpiece seeker mold at one point or another in your life. Whether it be the original MP-03 version or the updated, more cartoon accurate MP-11 remold this mold has been around the block several times, popped into the newsagents, grabbed a Racing Post and done another lap for good luck.

Never does it become boring though as each of the original three Seekers was so distinct in personality that you don't feel like you are just buying a cheap repaint - even though that is exactly what you are doing.

MP-11T completes the group finally, and gives us Thundercracker, who has recently evolved from just being one of Megatrons go to henchmen into a character who isn't really a villain and loves Earth soap operas....awesome.

Hit the button below to see the full Masterpiece Thundercracker review


Friday, 19 June 2015

Combiner Wars Legends Reviews - Powerglide, Bombshell, Blackjack, Viper and Groove

combiner wars legends viper powerglide bombshell

One of the best things to come out of Combiner Wars, has been the rebirth of the Legends class figures. More akin to the old scout class in terms of size and complexity, though sadly not pricing, we have gotten updated versions of old favourites in some new and interesting ways.

I am going to take a look at my 5 favourite so far, in one rolled up all inclusive super post.

Hit the jump to read the review

*Soundtrack - Dusty Rhodes WWF theme - Common Man Boogie


Sunday, 31 May 2015

Perfect Effect Perfect Combiner PC-01 & PC-02 Review (Combiner Wars Upgrades)

Perfect Effect Perfect Combiner PC-01 & PC-02

With Combiner Wars fever pitch running wild, it was inevitable that a 3rd party company would take on the task of improving the two things that Hasbro did not get completely right.
The hands, and particularly the feet.

Perfect Effect have beaten everybody else to the punch, and created a set that is transforms into weapons, so you don't have to just move them off to the side, or break your brain wondering where these bits go in a fictional world.

At £25 a pop (that number rockets up when converted into dollars), the price is not cheap, especially if you plan on buying multiple sets for each combiner.

Do they do a good job? Hit the button below to read on.


Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Combiner Wars Quickslinger and Brake-Neck Review

transformers combiner wars slingshot and wildrider

Even more Combiner Wars stuff, and this time it is the missing members of the Aerialbots of the Stunticons - Quickslinger and Brake-Neck!

Wait, that isn't their names, we are talking about Slingshot and Wildrider....right? Throughout this review, I will switch between their names-hopefully that will not confuse you too much.

Originally excluded from the Combiner teams line up, both were replaced with new characters who homaged them in some way. In Slingshots case, Alpha Bravo had a very Slingshot looking head, and in Wildriders case - Off Roads alt mode was in Wilderiders colour scheme.

Hasbro have finally relented to the demands of thousands of fanboys with repaints we all saw coming in some form, albeit most expected them to be from 3rd parties.
Relief.

These reviews will focus more on the differences to original versions of these molds. You can read Fireflys review here and Dead Ends here

Hit the button below to read the reviews of Quickslinger and Brake-neck.

Saturday, 25 April 2015

Transformers Combiner Wars Hot Spot Review

combiner wars hot spot review

Rolling in to deal with the flames caused by the craziness of the Transformers Combiner Wars we have Voyager Protectobot Hot Spot.
As the combiner torso for Defensor, Hot Spot is one of the original Generation 1 gestalts, and a toy I believe most children of the 80's probably had.

Hasbro have finally relented, and for the first time since the 1980's issued a true, combining, update to the Lenor loving leader of the Protectobots - as a Voayger as part of Combiner Wars wave 3.

Hit the button below to see the full Combiner Wars Hot Spot review


Sunday, 11 January 2015

Transformers MP-22 Masterpiece Ultra Magnus Review

masterpiece ultra magnus mp-22 review
takara transformers mp-22 ultra magnus

YES! YES! YES!

Quoting Daniel Bryan probably sums up how I felt when this figure was officially announced last year. Takara had been doing a cracking job with the various Masterpiece Autobot cars, Soundwave and Optimus Prime - but I didn't really ever expect them to do an Ultra Magnus.

Or rather I did, but I was expecting it to be a white Optimus Prime.

So now we are in 2015, 10 years after the fictional date Ultra Magnus showed up in Transformers Movie, and we have a legit Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, with trailer and all.

This after we got a figure of Spike in his Exo-Suit with Bumblebee. Someone at Takara must love that 86 movie.

So is it good? Worth the wait? Hit the button below to see the full Masterpiece Ultra Magnus review

Friday, 2 January 2015

Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Silverbolt Review

Combiner Wars Silverbolt

As soon as Combiner Wars was announced I was completely sold. New versions of the original Generation One combiners, with a retail cost for the set equivalent to roughly what one third party figure would cost?
How could anyone say no.

I can't remember a line since I got back into collecting that I have been more excited for. The figures all look great, and just like their G1 counterparts, especially in the case of Silverbolt who looks like the G1 cartoon animation bought to life.

I have already reviewed Combiner Wars Dragstrip , and now it is time for Silverbolt, who is probably the most anticipated figure in the entire line so far.

Hit the button below to read the review and see more photos.


Thursday, 16 October 2014

Transformers MP-20 Masterpiece Wheeljack Review

transformers wheeljack

I will start this by saying that I cannot believe that this figure actually exists. Wheeljack was always one of my favourite Auotbots, and his car mode was one of the ones I liked the most - and I am not a big car person.

But Wheeljack just looked cool.

Takara may have soft rebooted their Masterpiece line, and knocked out the Lamborghini duo of Sideswipe and Red Alert, and then the Datsun trio featuring Prowl, Bluestreak and Smokescreen - but a licensed Lancia Stratos? Without an easy repaint? Nah, it would never happen.

Only, it did.

So to read the review, and find out just how glorious Wheeljack is - hit the button below


Sunday, 28 September 2014

Transformers Generations Skids Review

skids and swerve lost light

For the last two years, Hasbro has doing some excellent work with its Generations line. Moving a side step away from simply homaging or updating G1 characters, they have been using IDW's work as a template, and giving us spins on the characters more in tune with the comic series.

Springer was the first, if memory serves, and laid down a marker that would be tough to compete with. Since then we have had a growing list of additions to the line which each seem to do a decent job in their own way - yes, even the Bumblebee figure.

There was a growing desire for a new Skids figure, as he made his debut in the fantastic More Than Meets The Eye comic series. Skids have been a character who prior to this had done extremely little in Transformers Generation One fiction, only making brief cameos in the cartoon, and not appearing much in the Marvel comics series.

Even his original toy caused much confusion over his alt mode, with many thinking (including the cartoon shows animators) Skids was a mini van, when he was in fact a tiny sub compact (as the Americans call it) car.

IDW worked their magic, just as they did with Swerve, and took a forgettable character and transformed them into an A list star of the comics, much to the delight of its readers.

Hasbro took this as an opportunity to knock out a toy of Skids which came out at the very end of last year or start of this year but was only available briefly in small quantities. But now he seems to have gotten a re-release in a later wave so I managed to get Amazon to send me one over (by giving them more money than I would usually spend on a Deluxe).

So is he any good? Hit the button below to read on and find out.
I have also decided to try out a new layout, all feedback appreciated!


Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Transformers Masterpiece Smokescreen MP-19 Review


Takaras MP-19 Smokescreen

The 3rd of the Masterpiece Datsun figures to be released, Smokescreen is a fan favourite due to his character in the show, and also his original toy.

Takara have recently released Prowl (my review can be found here ), Bluestreak (still need to finish off that review) and then followed those with Smokescreen. Probably the most anticipated of the trio, due to being a beloved figure and also the most unique of the 3, he finally arrived in December.

I got mine delivered on Christmas Eve, so he was a Christmas miracle - and a welcome distraction from the mass eating of festive chocolate.

So does he live up to the hype?

Hit the button below, to see the complete review and photo's, after the jump

Friday, 13 December 2013

Transformers MP-11 Masterpiece Starscream Reissue Review


I will get an apology in now - this is going to be a very long review. I was going to save it until after Christmas, when I will have small light tent which should really improve the quality of the photo's I take.
The Nexus 4's camera is fantastic in glorious sunlight, but anything less and it struggles. However, being as I injured my knee playing football and am pretty bored, I decided to pass the time by reviewing this guy.

MP-11 was released at some point back in 2012, and at the time I seem to remember it being a divisive figure. It was a remold of the Masterpiece Seeker toy but with a raft of improvements that made it more cartoon accurate, and made for a better figure.

However, these changes removed the much maligned hip kibble and also made it slightly less accurate to a real world F-15 Eagle jet fighter.

Obviously, that mold has its fans but I am not one of them. First off, the hip kibble looked horrible, and it was a nightmare to Transform at times. I only had the Hasbro Skywarp release, but it felt like such a low quality figure, being fragile and cheap feeling. 

So when MP 11 came out, I was far more impressed whilst other people were underwhelmed being as they owned a version of the mold several times over - people don't like to pay to replace expensive things.

Initially I skipped it as I my previous interaction with the Masterpiece Seeker mold was not great - but its price soon sky rocketed on the secondary market and everyone who skipped it soon came to regret it.

A year and half went by, and out of the blue Takara announced a limited reissue which sent people crazy, and scrambling to get a pre-order in, which proved handy when rumours circulated that Takara had cut its production by up to 50%!

So now I have the figure, does it really improve up the previous mold?

Hit "READ FULL REVIEW" below, to see the full review, after the jump

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Transformers Masterpiece Soundwave Review

"Cries and screams are music to my ears"

Woah.

That was my first expression on getting this figure - woah.

Hasbro have really outdone themselves with this set. You get Soundwave, all 5 cassette-bots, tape cases for all of them, Rumble and Frenzy's pile drivers, a sensor device, an alternate chest piece that can be used to display readouts, a gun mode Megatron and an Energon cube that can be attached to his chest. Incidentally, the Energon cube was an Amazon exclusive in Japan.

Its a lot of stuff, all at £120ish. When you consider that the Takara Soundwave cost £150 or so at most online retailers - it becomes clear just how much of a bargain it is.

What makes it even sweeter,  is that in the UK the box is the same as the American version. Which means that we, the originators of the English language - actually get full English text on the box and in the instructions.
No multi language nonsense. Well done Hasbro UK, please keep it up, pleeaaaaaaaase. We speak English, in fact its our language, so we don't need French, German, Spanish, Italian and whatever other languages you can squeeze in there.

The box itself is the first of a new style of packaging for the Masterpiece line in the west. Gone is the clear plastic craziness, and in its place is a sleek, classy box. The Decepticon logo and Soundwaves name are embossed on there, and the cover slips off. They have even started renumbering the Masterpieces, as Soundwave is "MP-02", though in reality (and Japanese numbering) he is actually MP-13. Which is kinda fitting, as Soundwave was always one of the creepiest Transformers.

The box feels expensive, which is crucial really with such an expensive set. But enough about the box - we want to talk about it's contents.

Which is all of this lot


Well not all of it, not yet at least, as I am going to review Soundwave first, then the tapes in a separate post.

There is just way too much to talk about, so hit the button below to continue on with the review, and to see lots of photos


Sunday, 11 August 2013

Transformers Generations Blitzwing Review




 "Tell me what's on your mind, or I'll splatter it on the wall and see for myself!"


The triple changers are definitely a fan favourite group. When the Classics line first launched, Astrotrain was one of the first figures out the door. Octane (Tankor) followed in the Universe line, and then it went quiet.

Until this year when Hasbro brought them back with a bang. Springer and Blitzwing were released together as Voyagers, in the newest version of the Generations line - and instantly became hits. Well, mostly Springer
- but Blitzwing's not bad either.

Hit the button below to read the review, and see lots of pictures

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Transformers Generations Trailcutter/Trailbreaker Review

transformers generations trailcutter and kreo 

I have been eagerly anticipating this figure for years. Ever since the Classics line first appeared on shelves, I had been hoping the day would come when Trailbreaker would get his time in the sun.

Now its finally happened, quite neatly fitting as part of the 30th Anniversary Generations line.

Hit the button to read the review