Misc Review: Fying Captain Planet

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

Intro:
             When I was a kid growing up, there were a lot of good quality cartoon shows on TV that were really good. Those were the days where cartoons were really beneficial to kids growing up. They taught us the meaning of teamwork, as well as a brief community message slot, mostly at the end of the show, telling kids various kinds of stuff, such as not to simply talk or follow strangers; not to litter everywhere etc.
              Those were the shows that meant used to really meant something.
              Captain Planet was one such show. As the show was environmentally-themed, the show taught kids on the dangers of pollutions, as well as how to protect and preserve Mother Nature.

The Action Figure: 

              This Captain Planet figure in review today used to belong a cousin of mine. It is the 1991 release Flying Captain Planet, when the show was still produced by Turner Program Services and DiC Entertainment, by Tiger Electronics Inc.

               It was back in mid-90's, after my cousin had his fair share of fun with Captain Planet and decided to relegate him to the trash cans that I finally got hold of him. By the time of course, the box was gone, as well as the ring.
              It was loose, but I was content enough to be able to play with it, since I couldn't afford it in the first place, and I've kept him ever since.

              Back then, there weren't so much demand for great articulations. The only requirement was to have a figure that was clearly identifiable with the actual character of the show. In that sense, this Captain Planet achieves that. Anyways, apart from the hips and head articulations, that was it.
              There is a dial at the back of the chest, where once pushed, both arms will flung forward into a flying position.

               There is also another contraption, slightly below the aforementioned dial, which is the key feature of this figure. It is literally a piece of plastic, tied to a set of strings, which in turn is tied to some sort of a spring-loaded mechanism within the body. You could literally put your fingers through the strings and take Captain Planet out for a fly or two.

               Yes, I have to admit, it wasn't one of the most stellar gimmicks, even for early 90's standards, but the sentimental value is there.
               This is definitely a great piece from the early 90's, and I am glad that I have it in my collection.

Transformers Review: Starscream (Alternity)

Intro:

            After the release of Optimus and Megatron (and their various repaints), Takara-Tomy knew that they had to come out with a new character and a new mould, hence Starscream seemed to be the most obvious choice.

            So far, the Alternity line has reused this mould several times for the other two Seekers: Skywarp and Thundercracker, as well as the Toy Hobby Market exclusive Banzai-Tron.

            So after having bought all 3 Alternity moulds so far, i.e. Optimus, Megatron and Bumblebee, it was inevitable that I had to get this one.

Some of the early photos that I saw online seemed to indicate it to be quite a promising figure, and so I went for it.

Alternate Mode:

            I ain’t that good with car identifications, but I do know a good-looking car when I see one, and this Mitsuoka Orochi is definitely one heck of a car!

            Mitsuoka is a Japanese car manufacturer that produces cars solely for their local market, and the Orochi is one of their more prominent cars. Originally designed as a concept car, the actual car itself looks extremely slick and made for speed. 

            As far as comparing Starscream’s alternate mode to the photo of the actual Mitsuoka Orochi, they look darn accurate, even to the black slit on the headlights that make them look like the eyes of a serpent. 

Eyes of a Serpent

The thing noticeably different between the actual car and Starscream’s alternate mode is how the doors opened. Here, the doors actually swing outward to open, whereas in the actual car, the doors open upward. 

Anyways, the doors open up to reveal the two seats and the dashboard inside.

            There is also the word “Mitsuoka” at the back of the hood. 

            Kibbles are visible, with the hands and guns being so darn obvious down there. And if you look closely, there is also a semblance of wings at the back wheels. I wonder what they’re for.

            Well, Starscream has a somewhat 3^rd mode, which is a Flying Car mode, so to speak. The wings can be swung outward, and voila, you got yourself a Flying Car! 

            Yeah, it’s weak, but I guess since Starscream is an Air Commander, he obviously needs to be able to fly. Silly, but I get the justification. This mode kind of reminded me of the Autobot warrior Tracks, and maybe, just maybe, we get to see a Tracks remake of this figure. 

            Anyways, the third mode aside (let’s forget that it even exist), I am really digging this vehicle mode. I think it’s pretty awesome, slick and speedy-looking, befitting for Starscream, if he ever needed to have a car mode.

Excellent choice of car mode.

Robot Mode:

            Robot-wise, it’s a different story.

            Apart from the paintjob that vaguely hints at the figure being Starscream, there is little of anything else to suggest it either!

            Heck, even the head sculpt, of all things; do not indicate him being Starscream. What Takara-Tomy should’ve done was to at least design the head to at least resemble G1 Starscream. To be honest with you, this head is rather more suitable for characters like Waspinator or any of the Insecticons. The light-piping is really good though.

            What a pity.

            The robot mode is okay, nothing stellar, but not too bad either. Just like his vehicle mode, Starscream looks slick and slender.

            Articulation-wise, Starscream has tons of it: the head is on a ball joint, as with his shoulders, wrists and ankles; the arms rotate at two points: one below the shoulders, and the other just above the elbow joints; there is no waist joint; the hips are on very tight universal joints; the legs rotate slightly below hips; and finally the knees bend. 

            So yeah, I kinda dig the articulations, and I think he has fair amount of them.

            Then are some of those things that I don’t quite dig. First of them being the doors, joined to the body via really loose ball joints; they detach way too easily for my liking, especially during transformation. Then there is the locking mechanism to lock the shoulder vents to the shoulders. It’s really not a locking mechanism, as the supposedly locking pieces only sit on top of the pegs on the shoulders. The wings, while looking pretty good from the front, kind of do not work for me at least when viewed from the back. It’s like having the entire roof obviously hanging on to the back of the robot. 

            So in the end, the robot mode is kind of a mixed baggage for me. There are plenty of things to nitpick about this figure, while there are some positives to point out as well.

Overall:

            So do I think that this guy is good? Well, it depends. I really love the car mode, and I think it’s the best looking car mode so far in the Alternity line. The overall white color works well with this figure, although it does kinda worry me that the white will get yellowish over time, although I won’t really be losing sleep over it. \

            The robot mode is kind of a mixed baggage. You might dig it, or you might not. Overall, it does look good – from certain angles. The head kinda works when you put into perspective that this car is meant to be serpent/ snake themed – the head kinda look serpent-ish, but really doesn’t work as Starscream’s head. I mean, he got for eyes for goodness sake, what else am I to say about it?

            Anyways, if you can get past that, and enjoy the look of the robot based on the photos taken, then please do, go make the purchase.

            Oh, by the way, please ignore the existence of the 3^rd mode.

            Final verdict: 7.5/10.

Why Maybank should give me tickets to Legoland?

            To put it simply, two reasons: First, I would love to do a coverage of LEGOLAND for both of my blogs, just like what I did for the Malacca Toy Museum and the 2011 Malaysia International Toy Fair.

Secondly, me and LEGO, we go back a long way. My collection of LEGOs (shown below), are at least 20 years old and I bet none of the kids nowadays can keep any of their toys that long.

None of my friends did.

            Let’s face it, we are in the iPad/ iPhone generation. Just the other day in AEON Bandaraya Melaka, I just saw a 2-year old kid, sitting in a pram pushed by his mom, playing games on an iPad!

Come on, a 2-year old kid?!

            Back in my days, we played with toys, I mean real toys. We didn’t get a lot of toy varieties or options due to financial constraints, but we used something else – our very own imaginations, and LEGO provided me with the most of fun. 

Let's see who's the King of the Road...

I told you not to go head on, but did you listen? No...

            I remembered as a kid (and probably now still), I like to imagine my sets of LEGOs to be some sort of an undercover special ops team, similar to the old M.A.S.K. in the mid-80s, remember that? The Operatives all had their day jobs, but when the need arises, they can be summoned to perform their missions. And the cool thing is that each of their vehicles had awesome codenames (which 80’s cartoon didn’t?)!

            Back then my parents couldn’t afford M.A.S.K.s or Transformers, so we got ourselves some LEGOs. It wasn’t easy getting any of them, that’s for sure, I had to earn them, either for my birthday (which unfortunately only comes once a year), or by scoring Top 3 in class.

            So to all my friends, now you know why I always strive to get Top 3. And kids, score Top 3 and then pester your parents to get you some LEGOs.

Mark Metron and his Magna

            Anyways, I played my LEGOs as if they were M.A.S.K. agents or Transformers. My team of LEGOs was known as the M-Tron Team, lead by a brother and sister team of Mark and Marion Metron, vehicles codename Magna and Landis.

Randall and his Bullhorn

            They were joined by Randall (Bullhorn); Scott & Chuck (Sweep); Steve & Jack, along with their pet chimp Cheetah (Bigfoot); the sibling’s best friend, Mike Blackford (Blacktron); Wing (Starblazer) and John (More-Bombs). These guys were trained operatives that specialized on things that normal forces cannot do. 

From left: Scott, Chuck, Randall, Mike Blackford, Mark Metron, Wing, John, Steve, Jack and Cheetah

            So yeah, I had lots of fun with LEGOs, and I’d love to relive those forgotten years by getting that pair of Season tickets to LEGOLAND.

            Till then… M-Tron team… MOVE OUT!!!

The M-Tron Team

Transformers Review: Fortress Maximus (Kabaya)

Intro:

            Fortress Maximus – this should be a character, a Transformers figure that should top the wish list of any collector, past and present. For the younger generation of Transformers, the name may or may not ring a bell, but for long time fans like yours truly, that statement can only make sense.

            Fortress Maximus, for so long until now, has held the title of the biggest ever Transformers figure/ toy ever built/ designed. Now, to put that into perspective: for most collectors, the biggest action figure that they might have is Unicron, and rightly so, standing at 15-inches tall, the Chaos Bringer easily dwarves anyone that you might have in your collection.

            Fortress Maximus, however, is a different ball game altogether. Standing at 2-feet tall, Fort Max is the biggest of ‘em all and the Chaos Bringer is only the distant second. Today, Fort Max still remain elusive amongst collectors and for those who have him, he would probably be their most prized possession. Back in 1987, Fort Max would cost at a retail price of about RM 400 to 500, which made him as the most expensive toys ever made. Today, that price range would probably get you a Masterpiece Grimlock, and the Dinobot Leader’s size is nowhere near to Fort Max. The secondhand value, on the other hand is even more stellar. A loose Fort Max (without a fist and a gun) can still fetch a value of about RM 4000 (US$1200)! Just imagine how much a minted one would cost!

            Anyways, for fans like me, Fortress Maximus is the robot, but to be able to get him is almost impossible. As such, people like us might have to seek other options.

            In came the Kabaya Candy.

            When I first started buying Kabaya Products back in 2011, I was amazed on how well designed and realistic these little robots were. Building them can only add to the fun. Super Ginrai, Star Saber and Deathsaurus have been some of my favorite individual figures so far. To add more fun to the line, Kabaya introduced some more gimmicks.

            The first of these were the ability of two separate figures to combine into one, i.e. Star Saber can combine with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber, and Super Ginrai can combine with Godbomber to form God Ginrai.

            Then we have figures like Hot Rod and Deathsaurus, where you need to buy the entire Wave in order to form their respective powered up versions, i.e. Hot Rod into Rodimus Prime, and Deathsaurus with his additional Breastmasters.

            Subsequently, we also had the first combiner set in the Kabaya line, i.e. Gaia Guardian, formed by combining 6 separate sets into one, and subsequently God Guardian (the size of a Deluxe), when combined with Hotspot. The Gaia Guardian set was previously the only non-part-former Transformers in the series, as they literally transform.

            And when you think that things couldn’t get any better, Kabaya came up with Fortress Maximus.

            Fortress Maximus is divided into 3 separate boxes, each almost twice as big as your normal Kabaya box. Considering that it is Fort Max we’re talking about here, it’s really not a surprise.

            When this figure was first announced, I knew that I just had to get him. I wanted Fort Max so bad, that I actually gotten myself a knockoff version of him in one of my trips to Terengganu back in 2006. It was a poor figure really, even for knockoff! But then again, what do you expect from a RM14 figure? 

            I wasted no time to place an order for him and when this guy finally arrived, I was so darn excited that I just couldn’t wait to get back home and began with the construction.

            For this review, this entry will be divided into 4 sub-divisions: one for each box, and the final one for the big guy himself.

            Anyways, Fortress Maximus’s construction is finally completed and he’s all ready for public viewing consumption. Without further ado, here is Fortress Maximus.

Box 1

            Individually, there is nothing stellar about him. Box 1 actually consists of the Fort Max’s torso and main body, which looks like a tower with a ramp leading up to it.

            Box 1 also comes with a small Windcharger figure, even smaller than a Legends-class figure!

            The gimmick of this set is that you can put Windcharger, in his car mode, into cavity on top of the ramp, and then with a single push at the dial behind the tower, the little guy would roll out of the building. 

Windcharger

            Well, that’s basically all there is to it.

Box 2

            Box 2 is actually the left leg of Fortress Maximus, identified by the two sets of cannons that he carries. 

            Alone, I guess Box 2 is supposed to be some sort of a tower, with some kind of rotor on top. Why do I say that it’s a rotor?

            Well basically there is a small gear on the side of the tower, turning which would result in the ramp-piece to spin in tandem like a rotor.

            The tower has also a door on its side, which also doubles up as a ramp leading up to a cavity. In the combined base mode later on, this would become some sort of a detention cell. 

Cerebros

            Box 2 also comes with another small robot, the most significant small robots among all 3 boxes – Cerebros. In the show, Cerebros supposed to transform into this super computer, but here, he looks rather like some cockpit of sort. 

            In the combined mode later on, Cerebros would play a huge part by becoming Fort Max’s head.

Box 3

            Just like Box 2, Box 3 transforms into a tower, which would later become Fort Max’s right leg. As compared to Box 2, Box 3 is slightly more boring.

            On its side, there is also a compartment that can be used in the combined mode later on. The tower also comes with the Master Sword – Fort Max’s sword used in the Headmasters series. 

Spring to propel Powerglide

 

            The gimmick carried by this mode is on its ramp. At the top of the ramp, there is a spring-loaded trigger that could propel a small aircraft at lightning speed.

Powerglide

            Talking about small aircraft, this set also comes along with a small robot called Powerglide. He’s very tiny, but still a welcoming addition to the set.  

Fortress Maximus

City Mode:

 

            Although nicknamed as compact “City” mode, I would actually call him as just a base, as he was normally portrayed as in the Japanese series. Size-wise in fiction, Metroplex should be bigger as Metroplex is supposed to be a City-proper. 

 

 

            Anyways, I really love the resulting base mode. It has a certain satisfying size to it. When compared to Kabaya Ultra Magnus, the latter is like a giant!

From left: Kabaya Ultra Magnus, Kabaya Fort Max, Universe Cosmos

            In this mode, Cerebros is inserted into a cavity near the left leg, which acts as a command center as a whole.

Battle Station/ Starship Mode:

            Whichever this mode is called, it is still quite massive. In the Japanese Headmaster series, Fort Max was frequently featured to have this mode as the default mode.

            Anyway, Fort Max is heavily armed, especially with 5 guns in hands. 

Robot Mode:

            This is why I bought this set for in the first place. The resulting Fort Max is actually quite easy to transform. Most importantly, he is not a part-former. 

            Articulation-wise, he’s almost similar to his real life counterpart. The shoulders rotate; the elbows bend; the wrists turn; the hips swing forward and out to the side.

 

 

            The transformation is exactly similar to his gigantic cousin.

From left: Animated Blitzwing, Generations Soundwave, Kabaya Fort Max, Kabaya Ultra Magnus, Universe Cosmos

The most significant about this figure is literally the size. When observed clearly, Fort Max is clearly bigger than your ordinary Kabaya figures. This one is about a Voyager-class figure as compared to a normal Deluxe. 

Overall:

What can I say? I love Fortress Maximus, big or small. And although this is not really a proper substitute, at least you’ll get a Fortress Maximus, and for many, this is probably as close as you’re gonna get in owning a Fort Max of your own. 

So far, I dare say, Fort Max is literally the best Kabaya had to offer, and I am really looking forward to many more from them. 

Go get Fort Max, simply said.

Highly recommended.

            Final verdict: 10/10.