tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2773614209385292922024-03-08T13:31:40.888-08:00Giant Robots!Information about giant robot/mecha series, action figure reviews, and other material which (hopefully) you'll find useful!VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-48042703143910572022011-09-27T03:09:00.000-07:002011-11-04T19:58:31.338-07:00Convertors Defender Wheels<span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Wheels 8 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187652331/"><img alt="Wheels 8" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6187652331_4f0b081037.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Completing the Dorvack mecha trio, I finally have the mini Henkei-type Mugen Calibur (or Wheels, if you prefer its Convertors namesake.) The version I have here is actually the Takatoku/Mark original Japanese version, as it has the chrome stickers & a Mark stamp on the bottom.</span><br /><br /><a title="Wheels 7 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188177972/"><img alt="Wheels 7" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6188177972_3a3faa03fd.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Wheels' bio reads:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br />"Rugged and swift, converts into a jeep that is able to cruise over rough terrain while seeking invaders that may have landed in areas undetected by central computer or other Defenders."<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Out of all the Dorvack mechs, the Mugen Calibur definitely has the most personality (In that he doesn't have a mono-eye like Chopper, or the physique of a gorilla a la Tanker.) Aesthetically, he's second only to First Track.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Wheels 6 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188182020/"><img alt="Wheels 6" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6188182020_4df08b1f9d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Unfortunately, he's somewhat lacking articulation. Only the shoulders articulated, which normally wouldn't normally be a problem, but the gun is clearly meant to be two-handed, so it looks a bit silly when held in a "firing" position (hence why I have it mounted on the back of the figure in the other photos. Also, I personally believe there's no reason why they couldn't have incorporated jointed hips and knees, which would have shot this figure straight out the the ball park.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Wheels 5 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188186834/"><img alt="Wheels 5" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6188186834_a74c607969.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The transformation is...interesting. You would think they would have used the kind of sliding/telescoping joint in the hips that most transforming robots used...but instead, the legs are joined together by a metal bar & they basically just dangle there when they aren't tabbed in anywhere. It's not bad, per say...just odd...</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Wheels 4 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188191694/"><img alt="Wheels 4" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6188191694_4d4cae174f.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">However, the tranformation is satisfying enough. Once you get everything tabbed in place, it holds together pretty well. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"></span><br /><a title="Wheels 3 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187675217/"><img alt="Wheels 3" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6187675217_02209ff494.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The vehicle mode is something of an oddity. It's clearly supposed to be some sort of military off-road vehicle, akin to something like a jeep. If the scale (around 1/72) is to be believed, however, it would be more similar in size to an armored truck. Apparently the actual animation model is equally awkwardly large, so I guess it's not that big a deal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a title="Wheels 2 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188201408/"><img alt="Wheels 2" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6188201408_f0bb921cfd.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">All scale issues aside, the vehicle mode is actually pretty nicely detailed. The chrome-sticker headlights and windshield are nice touches, as are the molded driver seat and steering wheel. There are also some grenades molded in gray plastic on the side of the vehicle, which ironically look better in vehicle mode than in robot mode.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><a title="Wheels 1 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188206094/"><img alt="Wheels 1" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6188206094_0bdce9fcd6.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I actually had a very difficult time coming up with things to say about this figure. It's the flagship mecha for Dorvack, and is definitely the most interesting to look at...but there's something kind of bland about the figure itself. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I'm torn between 3.5 and 4 out of 5. If you're a fan of Dorvack, this is probably the cheapest incarnation of the Calibur you can come by, but be warned: it's basically a transforming statue with moveable arms. If it's Dorvack you want, I reccomend Chopper over this guy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Tokusou Kihei Dorvack by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188211028/"><img alt="Tokusou Kihei Dorvack" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6188211028_64b85133d2.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-15191273202120398692011-09-27T01:47:00.000-07:002011-09-27T03:02:16.177-07:00Convertors Defender First Track<span style="font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 13 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188074628/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 13" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6188074628_62445cc9a0.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">First Track, like all the Defenders & nearly all of the Convertors figures, originated from the bankrupt toy company, Takatoku. At the time of their demise, Takatoku was contracted to produce toys for such well-known anime shows as SDF Macross and Orguss, as well as some slightly-less-successful shows as Galvion and Dorvack...and another show called Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a title="First Track 12 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187558821/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 12" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6187558821_df5f6d4244.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Sasuraiger was the third anime in the "J9" series, which included Braiger and Baxinger. The series was a sort of a nod to the book "Around The World in 80 Days," with a host of characters with very American names ("Blues Carl Bernstein" and "Beat Mackenzie," to name a few) and the lead-hero-mecha turning into 19th-century-locomotive capable of space flight, on a quest to navigate all 50 planets in the system within the course of a year.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a title="First Track 11 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187564177/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 11" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6187564177_7dd5fe5b6f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Interestingly, while the lead mecha is the TV-83X Sasuraiger, it was originally known as the "Batrain." This name can be seen emblazened on the tender of Takatoku's larger Sasuraiger toy. The smaller toy was picked up, like many of the other smaller Takatoku mecha toys, by Mark, and in turn, Select for the Convertors line. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a title="First Track 10 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187570147/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 10 " src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6187570147_0acb4d7f76.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">The figure pictured is, in fact, the American Convertors version. The box comes from a knock-off of the Japanese version (the knock-off is virtually identical to this, except its hands are blue and it's broken now because the quality is TERRIBLE.) </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 9 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188097180/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 9" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6188097180_8ed886d606.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">First Track's bio reads:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Fast and clever. Converts into a train designed to protect Earth's rail transport networks which are important to supply defense systems.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></em><br /><a title="First Track 8 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187582625/"><img height="375" alt="First Track 8" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6187582625_e2b41abe0d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Perhaps the most striking of the Defenders color-wise, First Track is actually made of 4 different colors of plastic. He's also the only Defender with chrome parts. Add to that the painted visor & chrome stickers and you end up with a very attractive robot. The colorscheme bears many resemblances to other Japanese mecha of the time, especially Super-Robots.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a title="First Track 2 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187746747/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 2" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6187746747_cd90191c24.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">The amount of articulation is also noteworthy, if still a bit lacking (such is the mark of 80's transforming toys.) The head & shoulders can rotate 360 degrees, the elbows can bend, the wrists rotate, and the knees bend a little. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 1 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187750307/"><img height="500" alt="First Track 1" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6187750307_b71b557f21.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">An unfortunate side-effect of the transfor--excuse me, <em>conversion,</em> the smokestack ends up in a somewhat awkward place. It's supposed to fold up against the back of the robot, but age has made my example a bit loose. The elbow joints also have a tendency to work loose, but this can be easily remedied with a small phillips screwdriver.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 7 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187588063/"><img height="375" alt="First Track 7" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6187588063_81529f59ec.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Another unfortunate aspect of the conversion is that First Track is a bit of a "parts-former"; the arms have to be removed, then pegged together underneath the boiler of the locomotive. Other than that, the transformation is a satisfying sequence of flips and twists.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 6 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187593395/"><img height="375" alt="First Track 6" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6187593395_eae62bd183.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">The vehicle mode might turn some away, but I think it's every bit as attractive as the robot mode. A bad-ass robot with a big gun turning into a 19th-century locomotive colored like something that should be encircling your Christmas tree is something I find endlessly amusing. There are interesting nods to the robot mode all over, like the chest sticker atop the cabin & the red hands forming the cow-catcher.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><a title="First Track 3 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187603633/"><img height="375" alt="First Track 3" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6187603633_0445786079.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">I've seen pictures of the original Takatoku mini-Sasuraiger that show some additional stickers on the sides of the train's cabin. I have yet to see a figure with these stickers for sale, though...which is a shame, as the vehicle mode is just a <em>touch </em>bland without them. Nevertheless, all the colorful quirkiness of the robot mode is retained in the train mode. Also retained from the robot mode is the looseness of the elbows, which can cause the undercarriage of the train to hang just a bit askew. However, as previously mentioned, this can be fixed by tightening the screws. You likely won't even have to worry about it unless you plan on swooshing the figure around in the air, in train mode.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><a title="First Track 4 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187598257/"><img height="375" alt="First Track 4" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6187598257_904813c9c1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">First Track is, to put it simply, awesome. The inescapably Japanese robot mode, with its wacky colors & giant chrome gun, coupled with the borderline ridiculous vehicle mode make the figure just as badass as it is fun and quirky. However, the parts-forming & the slightly daft alt mode might not appeal to some. Still, his superior design & slight scarcity (relative to other Convertors), as well as being one of the very few Sasuraiger toys, makes him definately worth tracking down. </span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><strong>4.8 out of 5 </strong>for the Batrain.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-2846487461955358922011-07-09T21:16:00.000-07:002011-10-31T10:32:40.934-07:00Transformers Dark of the Moon Voyager-Class Shockwave<div><span style="font-family:arial;">At long last, after two movies, Michael Bay has FINALLY decided to give us a Shockwave in the final installment of his Transformers trilogy. Having seen the movie, I have little to comment on in regards to the character himself, but does the toy compensate for that?</span></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265360393/" title="Shockwave 11 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6116/6265360393_0bcabbfd94.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 11" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Shockwave's bio reads:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>"Few have ever seen Shockwave and lived. This is the hand that ensures Decepticon plans remain secret from the Autobots. He eliminates evidence and witnesses with brutal, emotionless efficiency. The only hints he ever leaves of his presence are smoking craters and the collapsed tunnels through which he travels."</div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Those of us who are familiar with Shockwave know that this bears little resemblance to his original G1 anime or comic character, other than the "emotionless" bits.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265893602/" title="Shockwave 10 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6265893602_2690d65b8a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Shockwave 10" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">The figure, however, pays a nice Bay-Former homage to G1 Shockwave. He's purple, has a mono eye, and a gun arm (although, on the wrong side; it should be on the left hand) linked to a backpack by a rubber hose. Speaking of the hose, while it is a nice touch, it's just a tad too short & can limit poseability depending on where on the back you have it plugged in.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265355895/" title="Shockwave 12 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6093/6265355895_5299455509.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 12" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Articulation is superb; the knees are double-jointed, making very dramatic, action-packed leaping or dodging poses attainable. The shoulders are also on two separate joints, which makes posing the arms smooth and easy. The only drawbacks are the head and wrists; the head is on a pivot joint, and I firmly believe a ball-jointed neck would have knocked this toy right out of the ball park. The wrists do not pivot, but can be bent, so it's really only a minor complaint of mine. Those two small gripes aside, this figure has stellar poseability rarely seen in Bay-Former toys.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265371243/" title="Shockwave 8 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/6265371243_680db78672.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 8" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">For the first movie toys, we got the "Auto-Morph" which employed the use of springs and gears to automatically "transform" parts of your toy for you. For Revenge of the Fallen, we got "Mech-Alive," a mostly useless, but fun to look at feature; when moved certain parts of the figure, gears would rotate or pistons would expand and retract. The big gimmick for Dark of the Moon is the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><strong>"Mech Tech"</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"> feature. All of the larger (deluxe, voyager, etc.) figures come with weapons which, usually by pushing a tab or button, deploy different or even larger weapons. In most cases, this gimmick </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><strong>royally sucks. </strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">The weapons are grossly large and misproportioned, and as such, usually have no storage in vehicle mode (unless you want to make some stupid 'attack mode' by sticking the weapon on top.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265374929/" title="Shockwave 7 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6040/6265374929_0da1972e09.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 7" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265907860/" title="Shockwave 6 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6032/6265907860_dd06e9f523.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 6" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Shockwave's Mech Tech weapon, however, is nicely incorporated into the figure. While I would have preferred a firing missile, this is a decent substitute. When you push a small panel on the back of the gun, two smaller cannons flip out from beside it...and actually don't look all that bad. I prefer to have them deployed in vehicle mode, but it's all about your preference. The arm cannon is also removeable, so you can have Shockwave with two normal arms if you so choose. He also comes with a sword/gun/bayonette thing that can attach to his backpack, arm cannon, left arm, etc. I personally could have done without this accessory, but it doesn't hurt the aesthetic of the figure, so I just leave it on his left arm.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265897222/" title="Shockwave 9 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6265897222_5e79ca261d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Shockwave 9 " /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Shockwave's robot mode is superb. Pretty much anything you could ask for from a Bayverse Shockwave is well-delivered in this figure. He's fun to play with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><em>and </em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">nice to look at. (Just like your mom!)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265911288/" title="Shockwave 5 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6222/6265911288_75468e9413.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 5" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Transforming Shockwave is fairly straightforward. It's not too complex, but it's not dismally simple either. Everything locks tightly into place, and the end result is a solid alt mode.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265389303/" title="Shockwave 3 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6265389303_5d27f6057b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 3" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">There is much to be said about the alt mode. The packaging calls it a "Ground Assault Mode," but the general consensus is that it's some sort of Cybertronian tank. Many fans of Shockwave have been put off by his not transforming into a giant space gun, but it doesn't bother me too much. The tank mode is far more practical, if a bit more generic, and even works as a subtle nod to past Shockwave renditions (Animated Shockwave, Energon Shockblast.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265921736/" title="Shockwave 2 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6265921736_3fb45c69bd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 2" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">The paint apps are well-placed, and all the versatility of the weapon and hose attachment is retained. Now, one thing in particular I will point out: the little claw-wheel assembly thing on the front. When you look at pictures of this toy, it seems like this assembly is just stuck onto the front of the chunkier, more armored tank. However, when you're holding the toy and looking at it in person, it really looks and feels more integral to the tank.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265914886/" title="Shockwave 4 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6265914886_6f2fcb6684.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 4" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">All-in-all, Shockwave delivers. Fans of G1 Shockwave and Bayformer Junkies alike will delight in owning this gem of a figure. Even though the alt mode may be slightly "meh" to some, the perfectly-executed robot mode is surely enough to compensate for that. Do not hesitate to pick one up!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6265396819/" title="Shockwave 1 by demantiscs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/6265396819_c034ddaaca.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shockwave 1" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">A 5 out of 5-star rating is the only logical conclusion.</span><br /><br /><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-69030987598327626332011-05-30T19:14:00.000-07:002011-09-27T01:46:54.730-07:00Convertors Super Defender X<span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="X 8 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188034054/"><img height="500" alt="X 8" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6188034054_2e1ec45bbc.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Here we have another Super Defender, X. I'm currently kicking myself because I broke my D. A. Tona, then sold it for $10 (they go for nearly $100 on ebay. -_- )</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">X's bio reads:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><em>Still in the experimental stages. Is not only tougher but potentially faster than the rest of the Defenders. The Maladroids are truly concerned over the development of X.</em></span></span><br /><br /><a title="X 7 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188039556/"><img height="500" alt="X 7" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6188039556_3c3cd83203.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Like the other Super Defenders, X shares traces his lineage from the anime "Super High-Speed Galvion" and from the defunct toy company, Takatoku. At present, I cannot find the mecha in the show from which X originates, so if anyone has any information, please let me know.</span><br /><br /><a title="X 7 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6188039556/"><img height="500" alt="X 7" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6188039556_3c3cd83203.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">X's robot mode is around the same height as other Convertors, but he is much thicker & more squat. The unavoidable half-bent stance of the arms doesn't help things. The chrome spoiler mounted atop the body is actually rather nice, though. However, all this aside, the thing that really cripples the robot mode is the weak joints in the legs. As part of the transformation, the diecast calf part of the leg extends from the thigh. Being that this is a near-30-year-old toy, these joints have worn, making the figure VERY difficult to stand without the legs collapsing. Very annoying.</span><br /></span><br /><a title="X 5 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187529725/"><img height="375" alt="X 5" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6187529725_e3727039b8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Transforming the figure begins with folding the forearms up, lifting the canopy/cockpit of the vehicle up from the chest & folding the head into it (doing this exposes some nicely molded chrome engine bits), then flipping the spoiler up, collapsing the legs, and folding the feet down.</span> </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a title="X 3 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187539925/"><img height="375" alt="X 3" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6187539925_6b6ff7a263.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">The end result resembles what one might call the 80's equivalent to a "Cybertronian" alt mode, and in this case, that's NOT a good thing. It basically looks like a folded-up robot. Retaining all the chunkiness of the robot mode, it doesn't look particularly fast, either.</span></p><a title="X 2 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187545697/"><img height="375" alt="X 2" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6187545697_bcd6e74489.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Perhaps the worst thing about the vehicle mode, however, is the fact that it is completely without any rigidity. The legs and arms are constantly flopping out of place & the ugly vehicle is hardly worth the trouble of fixing them.</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a title="X 1 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187551081/"><img height="375" alt="X 1" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6187551081_f8652ee25f.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I suppose if chunky, futuristic racecars are your thing, then you may not mind this figure's flaws. However, if you <em>really </em>want to track one of these down, try to get one in mint condition. I payed about $5 for this example, and it's in relatively okay shape. However, the loose joints completely cripple the vehicle mode & the robot mode is a squat, ugly thing.</span> </span></p><a title="X 4 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/6187534603/"><img height="375" alt="X 4" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6187534603_fcf0517c16.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Were it not for the loose joints, I'd actually probably like this figure. In light of this, I'll give this figure a (generous) potential score of <strong>2.5-3 out of 5. </strong>For my example, however, I wouldn't give it a point over 1 out of 5, and it hardly deserves that.</span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-16630288391277121262011-03-07T00:23:00.000-08:002011-09-26T03:20:31.372-07:00An apology...Hello, all!<br /><br />It has been literally years since my last blog post & I wanted to apologize for that. I have acquired many, many new robot toys since the last post, but I lack a decent camera to take pictures for reviews! So, as soon as I get a better camera than the one on my phone (trust me, you DON'T want me to use that) then I'll start back up with the reviews. <br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208719_1628496526678_1664546414_1357184_1545347_n.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 720px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 540px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208719_1628496526678_1664546414_1357184_1545347_n.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>NEXT FIGURES TO BE REVIEWED:</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />Convertors:<br />Wheels<br />First Track<br />Zark<br />Nofka<br />Nofka (Recolor)<br />Sunyak<br />X<br />Tenticus<br />Creeper<br />Scorpio<br />Morphus<br />Crawler<br />Zoom<br />Focus<br />Rex<br />Hoot<br />Calypso<br />Colt<br />Walkman<br /><br /><br />Macross:<br />Takatoku 1/100 VF-1S Roy<br />Knock-off Takatoku 1/100 VF-1J Hikaru<br />Knock-off Takatoku Henkei VF-1A<br />Takatoku 1/55 VF-1J Hikaru<br /><br /><br />Others:<br />Robo-Bugs<br />Robo-Invaders<br />Knock-off Diaclone Browning<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks for viewing!VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-17032407728218945472009-06-14T14:54:00.000-07:002009-07-19T07:36:55.861-07:00Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Scout-Class Ransack<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">I apologize for the lull in reviews; I've been flat broke recently. However, I came by a small amount of cash & saw this guy on a website, and at an MSRP of $9, it was too good to pass up.</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">This is the closest thing to an official "steampunk" style Transformer we're ever going to come (aside from Hearts of Steel...but that's another matter entirely.) On to the review...</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /></span><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><a title="Plane by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3627388410/"><img alt="Plane" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3627388410_2a9a3c5324.jpg" width="500" height="322" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><br />Ransack's bio reads:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Back in the distant past of Cybertron, when flight was a new technology, Ransack was first of the flying aces. He was a ruthless combatant, blasting his opponents out of the sky, and then strafing the helpless troops stuck on the ground without cover. He may be past his prime and equipped with outdated weapons now, but there was a time when Ransack was the most feared name on Cybertron."<br /><br /><a title="Back by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3622688927/"><img alt="Back" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3622688927_b5a7056732.jpg" width="500" height="340" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">This figure's alt mode is a German <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_DV"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Albatross D.V</span></a>. I believe this was the aircraft used by "Red Baron" Manfred Von Richthofen just before he began piloting his famous Triplane.<br /><br /><a title="Front by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3623508510/"><img alt="Front" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/3623508510_ca4703ce78.jpg" width="500" height="217" /></a><br /><br />The vehicle has lots of little details. The propeller spins quite well, there's a cockpit seat, and there are some nice (non-sticky) paint apps all over the place. There are also some little weapons underneath the wings.<br /><br /><a title="Weapons by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3622692857/"><img alt="Weapons" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3622692857_bbdd46f727.jpg" width="500" height="245" /></a><br /><br />The robot arms (as you can clearly see) are the only kibble on the alt mode, and to be honest, from most perspectives, you can hardly see them. The weapons (machine guns & little bombs!) disguise them a bit, too. For the small size of the figure, I can excuse this little bit of kibble, especially since everything else is done so beautifully.<br /><br />Transforming Ransack is a bit fiddly, but not too bad. The arms pop off occasionally, but they're easily reattached.<br /><br /><a title="Ye olde Decepticon by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3626190723/"><img alt="Ye olde Decepticon" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3626190723_a9fb855e10.jpg" width="397" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Ransack is easily my favorite movie-former (considering I don't much care for the movie line, that's saying something.) There's just so much character, and clearly a lot of thought went into the design.<br /><br /><a title="Robot1 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3623514148/"><img alt="Robot1" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/3623514148_c27f3cd883.jpg" width="379" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Getting a robot out of a flimsy little biplane is a hard thing to pull off, but somehow Hasbro has pulled it off <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">very </span>nicely. Like I said, there's something very Steampunk-esque about this guy. It's very skeletal, but simple & not quite as weird & "thrown-together" as other movie designs. The weapons are well placed, and the "cape" is a nice touch.<br /><br /><a title="Posed1 by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3623515820/"><img alt="Posed1" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3623515820_fa80ce47ee.jpg" width="500" height="490" /></a><br /><br />Ransack, for his size, has very good articulation<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span></span>. The shoulder is on a single ball joint, and the arms pivot at the elbows. The legs are on ball joints & bend at the knees. However, the articulation on each foot is different (the right foot being more poseable than the left) and the head doesn't pivot. There are still many dynamic poses to be had with Ransack, though.<br /><br /><a title="With Mask by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3623516936/"><img alt="With Mask" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3623516936_0124dee5e0.jpg" width="500" height="280" /></a><br /><br />You'll notice that the engine block forms the top part of his head. This might bother some people, but I'm fine with it. The rest of the head sculpt is very nice, very skull-like. Also, for some reason, the face & engine are removable...<br /><br /><a title="Mehh! by demantiscs, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lestatw/3626192859/"><img alt="Mehh!" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3626192859_a3dc647bcd.jpg" width="500" height="282" /></a><br /><br />yeah...<br /><br /><br />All in all, Ransack is a great figure. He's well-sculped, well-painted, well-balanced, well-articulated, and just an all-round well-designed Transformer. He's also very cheap, so if you want him, don't hesitate to grab him.<br /><br />A 5/5 to ye olde Decepticon!<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_DV"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span></a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-73468903780694150202009-05-03T14:00:00.000-07:002009-05-07T04:13:27.520-07:00Transformers G1 Autobot Trailbreaker<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3475.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3475.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Trailbreaker seems to be one of the rarer of the G1 Autobot cars, but not quite up in the ranks as Sunstreaker & Wheeljack. This is partially because he has a small mountain of accessories with him that are easily misplaced, so finding a complete one can be tricky. If you don't want to spend a whole bunch of money, they just reissued Trailbreaker recently, and you can pick one up for around $30. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3470.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3470.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Trailbreaker's tech specs read:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >"An Autobot is as good as the fuel in his tank"<br /><br />Trailbreaker makes light of any situation, no matter how serious. Practical joker and cheerleader, but considers himself a liability to Autobots since he consumes the most fuel. Lacks self-esteem and often asks to be left behind. Projects nearly impenetrable invisible force-field. Can jam radio transmissions. Very slow. Often mopes about his handicaps, but his bravery and defensive prowess is unquestioned.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So there you have it: a masculine 4x4 SUV that turns into a cheerleader. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3471.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3471.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Speaking of 4x4 SUV, Trailbreaker's alternate more is a Toyota Hilux (don't worry if you don't know what that is; I believe it was an exclusively Japanese vehicle, like the Honda City and the Cherry Vanette.) The figure is based off the Diaclone Hilux, which came in black as well as yellow, and a rather nice blue variant. The hood of the truck is painted diecast metal, which is very nice, but of course it's succeptable to wear. The tires are rubber and roll quite nicely. All-in-all, it's a very nice replica of the Hilux. However, the hood has trouble forming with the rest of the truck, resulting in a very ugly joint line:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3472.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3472.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I don't know if this is because mine is loose, or if it came like this.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3462.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3462.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Transforming Trailbreaker is fun, if a bit messy. The entire vehicle sort of "folds out" and then back together, forming a rather strange, but passable robot. The fists have to be attached into the arms, and the missles & headpiece (I really have no idea what that thing is.) </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3463.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3463.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The articulation is limited to the arms, of course, but they're jointed at the shoulder and the elbow. The fists (or the missiles) can be shot out of the arms via a spring-launch mechanism. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3464.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3464.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, what can I say? He's Trailbreaker. I would absolutely LOVE to have the blue version, but Diaclone figures are crazy expensive. Maybe Encore will reissue him, too? Anyway, Trailbreaker's well worth the slightly higher price you'd pay for him, and I highly reccomend doing so.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I give him a 4.5/5</span></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-44911645687796574522009-04-16T20:04:00.000-07:002011-05-18T02:22:11.820-07:00Gobots Heat Seeker<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3351.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3351.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Guardian "Friendly Robot F-16." Yet another common Gobot!<br /><br />Heat Seeker is primarily plastic, although the core body is diecast metal (and so are the landing gear arms, I think.) The robot mode is very...uh...odd. It works, but it's just lacking something. It's interesting, to say the least, but the grey color with that red just doesn't work well for me (which is why I haven't gotten a Water Walk Gobot, yet.) But Seeker here's a lighter shade of grey, so it works a little better.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3352.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3352.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The good news is he stands up really well! I imagine there's some possibility for his legs to get loose, and as such, not stay extended. However, my example is pretty tight. At first glance, you would think that he transforms like most robots that change into jets (the usual nosecone-on-chest routine, similar to the Valkyries from Macross.) However, a quick attempt at the transformation reveals something very interesting:<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3353.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3353.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thhe entire fuselage of the plane opens to become the robot! So, after placing the arms, legs, and feet in their correct positions, flipping the nose of the plane up, we fold the body back together and we get...<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3355.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3355.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An F-16 Fighter Jet. Well, I suppose it's better than the usual F-15 Falcon (Leader 1 in Gobots, Starscream in Transformers, etc.) It's a decent replica of the plane, but it's just a little chubbier. That is, of course, because of the way it has to transform: IE the robot's size couldn't be accomodated in such a small, thin, fighter jet. That being said, it's pretty boring. Sure, it's got chrome missiles & retractable landing gear, not to mention a fair amount of molded detail, but the grey & red is just so dull. I would have enjoyed the usual red, white & blue colorscheme they usually choose for these planes. Also, the wings have a tendency to work loose so they don't sit straight, but sag from the body slightly.<br /><br />All in all, it's a decent figure, but it's lacking. He manages to stand up nicely, unlike many other Gobots, and he turns up pretty regularly on evilbay for pretty cheap. That being said, he's boring. The grey & red colorscheme just doesn't work, and the robot mode is so chunky. However, the transformation is enough to keep you entertained for a bit.<br /><br />Rating: 2.5/5</span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-91484585477115894482009-04-14T15:25:00.000-07:002009-04-14T16:19:46.624-07:00Convertors Knock-Off Defender Tanker<a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3358.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3358.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Tanker is well-known among Convertors fans. It turns up quite frequently on ebay in lots of Gobots and "vintage Transformers." <span style="font-family:arial;">He catches a lot of hate for not being a super-humanoid robot, but I rather like him.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3357.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3357.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tanker is based on the Bonaparte Tulcas from Special Armored Batallion Dorvack. I think that, as a variable mecha, the Tulcas is quite appropriate. His non-conventional design looks more like something people would actually build, not some stylized robot in a patriotic color scheme.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3359.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3359.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My example is a knock-off. The actual version is still grey, but not metallic like this one. The official one also has slots so the orange things on the feet go on its shoulders. Mine has those slots, but the arms aren't attached correctly, so they don't attach right.<br /><br />All things considered, the knock off isn't any worse than the actual version. He may have a cheaper feel, but it doesn't bother me any.<br /><br />NOTE: Notice the little gray missile attached to his arm? That's what Tanker is supposed to look like. Many people buy this figure missing that missile then wonder why he has a shovel for a right arm. It still looks wonky, but at least the missile gives it a sense of functionality.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3360.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3360.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Transforming Tanker is a quick and easy process. The legs straighten, the body unfolds, the arms click together, and everything compacts itself against the main body. The alternate mode is...um...well, it's a tank. But it's....cute. It's so small and chubby, and it looks like it's got little eyestalks, like a crab. A cute crab.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3361.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3361.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, there are no wheels on the tank treads, so he doesn't roll, and the turret doesn't rotate. Also, there's no place to store the missile, which may account why it's missing on so many other examples. The tank mode is one big, cheap compromise. It doesn't look like anything that actually exists.<br /><br /><br />In short, Tanker is for 'converts' only (hyuck-hyuck.) He's got just enough querks to keep you interested, but the cheapness of the figure cannot be overlooked. I, myself, like it, but I can understand why lots of people choose to avoid it. The good thing is, he's cheap, so if you do want one, he won't cost you an arm and a leg.<br /><br />Rating: 2/5<br /></span></span></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-67336743090754115892009-04-14T14:38:00.000-07:002011-05-18T02:16:21.953-07:00Convertors Super Defender D. A. Tona<a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3362.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3362.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">How are Super Defenders different from the normal Defenders, you might ask? They turn into souped-up, futuristic, non-realistic race cars! They are also unique in that they contain both diecast and plastic.</span></span><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">As with the other Convertors, the Super Defenders find their roots in a largely unsuccessful 1980's anime. The name of this anime was Cho Kosoku Galvion (Super High Speed Galvion, Road Fighter Galvion, or just Galvion to most people.) The premise of the anime revolved around a secret organization known as Circus, who recruits two convicts to pilot their transforming racecar mecha to fight another faction, Shadow, that is attempting to take over the world. The show was edgy, with a good soundtrack & mecha designs by Ohata Koichi (who also designed for Gunbuster, another anime of greater popularity.) However, apparently the show aired at a very impractical time slot & because of this, it mostly failed.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Takatoku was the company contracted to make toys for the show. However, Takatoku was making its final circle down the drain at about this time. No official Galvion toys were ever made, but a small number of molds were created; one for a dealer sample of a 1/48 scale transforming Circus-1 (the main mecha of the anime) and molds for the small, cheapie versions of 4 different mecha, including the Circus one. The former went to a small company called Toyco and practically vanished, while the latter went to Mark (who, as Convertors fans know, sold the toys to Select for the Convertors line.) </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Super Defenders are the only production Galvion-related toys ever released. However, their headsculpts were seemingly...well...resculpted from the original Galvion lineart, giving them a more humanoid appearance (disappointingly.) D. A. Tona is based on the Excalibur, an antagonist mecha from the series.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />D. A. Tona (no idea what the D. A. stands for) is about the size of the other Convertors figures. His bio reads:</span></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">"Known to friends as D. A. Perhaps the fastest of all the Super Defenders. Strikes terror in the hearts of the Maladroids."</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The robot mode looks good, but it's got a few problems with it. The legs are pretty stable, so it's got no problems standing. However, the "spoiler" works loose very easily</span></span>. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I had great difficulty getting him to look like this:</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3363.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3363.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />instead of this:<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3364.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3364.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />'Nuff said. Other than that, as far as the robot goes, he's pretty nice. Transformation's good, too, very reminiscent of the Valkyries from Macross.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3365.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3365.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The vehicle mode...I dunno...it seems rather thrown together, but at the same time, it's pretty sleek. I don't know what to make of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3366.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3366.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I like the way it looks, but some of the parts are pretty loose & it doesn't roll very well. This is probably because it's got six wheels & the leg pivot joint makes it difficult to keep the wheels in-line. The exposed diecast, while cool, doesn't do much for the aesthetic of the toy, either.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3367.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3367.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />D. A. Tona is a flawed figure. He's also a fairly rare figure. I wouldn't pay too much for him, but beware of loose/broken/less-than-perfect examples, as I'm sure the problems get much worse than this in looser ones. He looks good, and he is good in theory. However, appearances can be decieving, and unless you're SURE you're getting one in pretty good condition, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for it.<br /><br />Rating: 2/5<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-40854670032814453202009-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:002011-01-25T17:50:58.260-08:00Gobots Night Ranger<a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3345.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3345.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Friendly robot motorcycle Night Ranger (not to be confused with the 80's rock band)<br /><br />I'll go ahead and point out that Night Ranger is one of the most ubiquitous Gobots out there. You can pick him up for dirt cheap, and (to be quite honest) you get what you pay for.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3340.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3340.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The alternate mode is a blue Harley Davidson Electra-Glide motorcycle. (note that there are white and red variants of this figure out there.) It's fairly well-executed, with die cast engine details on the side and handlebars. The tires are plastic, by the way, and unfortunately not rubber as the pictures would lead to believe. In the place of a clear windscreen, there's a gold sticker with "Night Ranger' broadly printed on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3341.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3341.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I got lucky in that the front wheel & windscreen on my figure are fairly tight, as I've heard that these joints becoming loose is not uncommon. This results in the motorcycle mode not holding together very well. Mine, however, is pretty nice.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3339.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3339.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Night Ranger has a very interesting and fun transformation, with the seat becoming the arms and the back half of the motorcycle forming the legs. The robot mode looks pretty good, too. He wears his sunglasses at night 8-)<br /><br />However, there's quite a few problems with this toy. The leg joints work loose very easily, resulting in a figure that's very difficult to balance. This is a shame, as there is articulation in the knees & hips. It's all lost, though, as they have to be posed <span style="font-style: italic;">just so </span>in order for the figure to stand. The tabs that hold the lower legs (motorcycle halves) on are pretty brittle. One of mine is broken. The leg still stays on, mostly, but it's really floppy and falls off occasionally (sounds like a personal problem, eh??)<br /><br />I really like Night Ranger. He has a decent robot mode, and vehicle mode, and a very clever transformation, but he's made so cheaply that unless you get one in near-mint condition, he'll just make you sad.<br /><br />Rating: 3/5<br /><br /><br /></span></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-11031134868872129012009-03-22T17:25:00.000-07:002011-05-18T02:17:23.906-07:00Macross Henkei-Type SDF-1<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0063-1-1.jpg" target="_blank">'m<img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0063-1-1.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Well, here we have another SDF-1! This is a surprise to me, as most SDF-1 toys are pretty expensive. I got this little bugger for only $20, and it was well worth it! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">(for more information about the SDF-1, see my review of the Matchbox Robotech Miniature SDF-1)</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0060-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0060-1.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This version of the Macross is pretty small, roughly the same height as my Chopper figure. That makes sens</span><span style="font-family:Arial;">e, since this figure was also released in Select's "Convertors" toy line as a Maladroid.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=SDF-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/SDF-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Notice the name "Nofka" branded on the card. There is another Convertors figure called Nofka, based on an Orguss figure.<br /></span><br /></span><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0062-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0062-1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I've got to say, I've got mixed feelings about this toy. It's made entirely out of plastic, and as you can see, the "reflex cannon" booms are hollow and look REALLY crappy from the back.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0061-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0061-1.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">However, this is a minor setback as far as I'm concerned, and the figure makes up for it by having passable articulation, very similar to the large Matchbox SDF-1 figure that I have. BUT...unlike that figure, this one TRANSFORMS! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /></span><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0065.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0065.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This is the Macross in its "cruiser" mode. Normally, the tips of the main cannon booms would spin around, but Takatoku was too cheap to accomodate this feature on the toy. However, the fact that this version is "variable" makes it a thousand times better than the larger version. The colorscheme, however, does not. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Most of the silver you see on the figure was painted on by me, except for the top of the main torso & head (bridge) and the front of the legs. The detail on the Daedalus and Prometheus arms is in the form of foil stickers, which is nice, but doesn't blend well with the blue plastic of the arms themselves (which, incidentally, don't blend with the rest of the figure!)</span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0066-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0066-1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Another thing about this figure you may find unappealing: To transform it, you have to remove the reflex cannon parts.</span><br /><br /></span><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMAG0064-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMAG0064-1.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">This is a cheap alternative to the $100-$500 SDF-1 toys out there. They seem to be a bit rare, but when they show up, they don't go for much. I wouldn't reccomend paying more than $20 for it, and some of you who own these probably think it isn't even worth that much. However, I'm happy to have a transforming SDF-1 figure that I didn't have to pay a kidney for. (considering my left kidney is gimped anyway -_-)<br /></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Rating: 3/5</span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-82542285317947099492009-03-08T12:09:00.000-07:002009-04-14T16:22:43.546-07:00Matchbox Robotech Miniature SDF-1 Battle Fortress<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3247.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3247.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the 80's, when Robotech was going strong in the USA and, likewise, Macross in Japan, there was but one company catering to the USA market of Robotech toys: Matchbox. Look on the box of any Robotech toy from the era, and you're most likely to find a Matchbox seal on it. However, they didn't produce the figures themselves...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Takatoku was probably the first company to release toys for the SDF Macross series. They produced sturdy figures made of plastic and die-cast metal. When Harmony Gold aired Robotech on American television, Matchbox bought the rights to Takatoku's molds and sold many, slightly re-tooled figures under the Robotech toy line. One such toy was the SDF-1...</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3240.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3240.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Macross lore, The Super Dimention Fortress (SDF-1) Macross crash-landed on Earth in the year 1999 on Ataria Island. The world's government realized that the threat of possible alien invasion had to be met with organization, so they opted for a United Earth Government. This was met with a conflict "The Unification War," in which groups wishing to remain independent fought to do so. Meanwhile, reconstruction of the Macross was commenced, and a large city sprung up around it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">When the Macross was completed, a celebration was held. However, the celebration was short lived, as aliens known as the Zentradi warped into Earth's vicinity. The Macross, seemingly booby-trapped, automatically fired on and destroyed one of the Zentradi's ships, and an interstellar-war was commenced. Captain Bruno J. Global, attempting to escape the alien onslaught, ordered a "Space-Fold" operation in which the SDF-1 would warp to the orbit of the moon. However, its trajectory was miscalculated, and the Fortress was carried to the other end of the solar system to Pluto's orbit, carrying the much of the island and its surrounding ocean, and the naval vessels Daedalus and Prometheus. The survivors from the city were brought aboard the Macross, and the two ships were attached to it. Eventually, the citizens rebuilt their city inside the Fortress. The SDF-1 set out on the long and treacherous journey back to the planet Earth...</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3241.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3241.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Upon removing the styrofoam insert and pamphlets from the box, I was already impressed with this figure. They don't package toys like this anymore. Anyway, the guns and antennae are all removeable and get lost quite easily. I'm missing the radar tower. The Daedalus and Prometheus arms also come off.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3242.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3242.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3244.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3244.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This SDF-1 figure, sadly, is not transformable and remains in the "Fortress" mode. This is alright, though, as it's a pretty well-detailed toy. It's built mostly in plastic, but the torso and parts of the legs are made with die-cast metal. My only complaint is the lack of articulation in the arms; they should be jointed at the elbow. However, the legs are articulated at the hips, knees, and ankles. The "Main Gun" booms are also jointed so they can fold down as they do on the show.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3246.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3246.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In short, the Matchbox Miniature SDF-1 is a decent figure with some nice designs, but it's also VERY expensive (as with most Macross and Robotech merchandise.) I paid $60 for mine, which is a bargain, and I wouldn't suggest paying over that unless you are an avid fan of the SDF-1 Macross, as the astronomical prices they can go for are not justified by the figure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Rating: 3/5</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277361420938529292.post-45259055957558680272009-03-08T10:26:00.000-07:002011-01-25T19:43:40.396-08:00Convertors KO Chopper/Gazzette<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3221.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3221.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first figure up for review here is the knock-off version of the Convertors figure, Chopper. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">However, Chopper's got quite a bit of interesting history attached to him.<br /><br />It began with an anime program called "Special Armored Battalion Dorvack" which featured a team of elite fighters who each piloted a "variable" (transforming) robot. One such robot was the Ovelon Gazzette piloted by Louise Ovelon. Takatoku released a large, 1/55 scale, transforming Gazzette figure (which was later recolored and released as the Autobot Whirl,) and a smaller one. However, Special Armored Battalion Dorvack didn't do very well, and Takatoku went under.<br /><br />The molds for the Dorvack figures were bought by a company called Select and released under the Convertors toy line. The Ovelon Gazzette was sold as "Chopper," under the "Defenders" faction. His bubble-card read,<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">"Very clever and elusive. Converts into a helicopter. Flies low over the Earth, protected by stealth system making him invisible to radar or other sensory equipment."</span><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >In the Convertors fiction, alien robots known as Maladroids attempt to destroy/take over the world (?) but, sensing impending danger, the world's computers "converted" Earth's machines into transforming, fighting mecha dubbed "Defenders."<br /><br /><br />Now, on to the review...<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3229.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3229.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As the title suggests, this version of Chopper is a knock-off. The original version is a much richer, brighter blue, and was released on a card-backed plastic bubble.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3232.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3232.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This version, as you can see, is released in a nice little box with a plastic insert. However, mine came with the wrong box. The box reads that there are three "Convertors" available: Caliber, Gazzette, and Tulcas. Whereas Gazzette and Tulcas are correct to their original Dorvack forms, the Caliber is shown as being the Orguss figure. My Chopper came in a Caliber box.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3223.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3223.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3233.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3233.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When we remove Chopper from his plastic insert, we find that he is incomplete! He should have two claws, two large guns, and one small chain gun that goes under the nose of the helicopter. However, I'm in the process of retrieving these parts, and once I do, I'll post new pictures. He's a very small figure, only a little larger than your average Gobot. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The Ovelon Gazzette/Chopper's alternate mode appears to be inspired by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey_cobra">AH-1 Huey Cobra helicopter</a>, sharing a similar fuselage design, as well as nose and wing-mounted weapons, like the 3-barreled gattling gun (which I'm missing.)</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3234.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3234.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Transforming Chopper is a fairly straightforward process. The underside of the helicopter flips down and extends to become the legs, the engine pods becoming the arms, and the fuselage folding in half for the body.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3235.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3235.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The quick transformation reveals a tall, lanky robot. The claws can be fitted into the holes at the tips of the arms, or replaced with the large helicopter guns. I would prefer to have claws, personally, but seeing as how I'm missing one....*ahem* anyway, as you can see in the first picture, Chopper is articulated in the shoulders, hips, ankles, and head, enabling some poses that would give most G1 Transformers a run for their money. Speaking of which....<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3224.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3224.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is a comparison shot between Chopper and the G1 Transformer, Whirl. They are actually pretty similarly articulated, only whirl has ball-joint shoulders and no head articulation. The similarity is understandable, though, since they both have the same origin.<br /><br /><a href="http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/?action=view&current=IMG_3225.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m310/scissorbreaker/IMG_3225.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here you can see just how small Chopper is next to his long-lost cousin. I have a couple of Whirl's weapons somewhere, but I didn't feel like digging them up.<br /><br /><br /><br />In short, Chopper's an excellent little figure. The articulation he has, combined with a nicely done alternate mode make him a great addition to any transforming robot collection. However, you may be hard-pressed to find one complete or with tight joints. The claws have nowhere to go in helicopter mode, making them easily misplaced, and vice-versa with the small chain gun. Also, the propeller blades can come loose.<br /><br />Rating:<br />4/5<br /><br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br /></span><br /></span><br /></span></p>VenomianBanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980501213468842843noreply@blogger.com2