Transformers Review: Bumblebee (Alternity)

Intro:

            Now, this is probably a review that I should’ve done way earlier – Bumblebee.

            Kids/ fans nowadays know Bumblebee to be a guardian robot, who can’t speak and an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, not to mention being able to transform into a super cool sports car.

            However, traditional fans like yours truly and many others will remember Bumblebee as Autobots’ favorite kid brother, who’s physically may be inferior to others, but few can doubt his heart – and he happens to transform into a Volkswagen beetle.  

            Ever since the G1-related series ended, the character was left in complete limbo until Michael Bay chose to reinterpret the character in his movie trilogy. Since then, Bumblebee has received a new breath of life and has been featured in every single cartoon series and video games since then. Bumblebee’s newfound fame has probably put his popularity on par with arguably, Optimus Prime. Bumblebee is now probably the character which has the most action figures released in the franchise right now – to a point that I would almost puke.

            Anyways, Bumblebee was initially planned to be released in the original Alternators line, being able to transform into the Volkswagen New Battle. However, the plan never progressed beyond concept designs due to the car manufacturer’s refusal to be associated with war-themed media, which is ashamed really, as I would have love to have that version of Bumblebee in my collection, anytime.

            When the Alternity line arose, there were again plans to release the character into the line. Since all of the characters released in the line were to have only Japanese-based cars, so plans for the character’s was never an issue, hence, there’s no better way to kick off 2013 than to review this fan favorite character – Bumblebee.

Alternate Mode:

            Alternity Bumblebee is obviously based on the character’s original G1 depiction, as can be seen from its alternate mode. Instead of any sports car, Bumblebee now transforms into a yellow-colored Suzuki Swift. 

            Despite being such a small figure, Bumblebee does have a certain welcoming heft to it, something of which is much lacking nowadays. 

            If there’s any doubt that this car is a Suzuki, then the Suzuki emblems on both the front and the back of the car definitely confirms it.

 

            The hood opens up to reveal a Suzuki engine underneath. All four doors open to reveal a semi-detailed interior inside. I said semi-detailed because although the interior is quite detailed, with the steering wheel and seats within, there are certain transformation parts that can clearly be seen inside. 

            The trunk also opens up, although I doubt you’ll have room to anything in there. 

            Overall, I kind of dig the alternate mode, and I think Suzuki Swift is a wonderful choice for Bumblebee.

Robot Mode:

            Alternity Bumblebee is my first ever G1-based Bumblebee. At the time when I gotten myself this figure back in 2009, I have neither the Classic version of the character, nor the original G1 figure.

        Since then though, I did manage to grab hold of the United Bumblebee, which is actually a Classics Bumblebee repaint. 

            I generally like how this figure looks, although he could be just a little fat with tiny pair of legs. The head sculpt is perfect – it just doesn’t get better than a robot head with horns. 

            Due to the bulk of the torso, articulations may feel a bit limited. Articulation-wise: the head is on a ball joint; the shoulders hinge and swing outward; the arms bend and rotate at the elbows; the fists rotate and tilts at the wrists; the hips are on really tight ratcheting joints; the legs rotate slightly below the hips; the knees bend as if they are double-jointed; and finally, the ankles swivel.

            The robot mode wields a pair of hand guns, stored underneath the engine piece, while in vehicle mode.   

            I really dig this robot mode. Yes, it isn’t perfect, but it’s good nonetheless.  

Overall:

            Bumblebee may not look as good as Optimus or Megatron from the same line, and he’s definitely not as slick as Starscream, but to be honest with you, I would rank him slightly higher than Starscream.

            Starscream feels a little bit too fragile for my liking, but Bumblebee, he’s almost as tough as a brick. He’s definitely worth the picking.

           

            Recommended.

            Final verdict: 8/10.

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.

Transformers Review – Alternity Megatron (Black Version)

Intro:

            Welcome back, and today we will take a look at Alternity Megatron or also stated as Mega Therion in the Japanese fiction. I have absolutely no idea about the name Therion, never heard of it before, and as far as memory served, never before have Megatron been called Mega Therion in any sorts of fiction except probably in the Alternity fictions.

            If you’d remember my review of Alternity Convoy earlier, you know that I really like that figure, and I personally thought that it was a very good effort from the boys at Takara-Tomy. So this time around, Takara-Tomy really needs to maintain the quality or up the ante for this line.

Alternate Mode:

 

 

            Megatron (forget about Master Therion) comes pack in his vehicle mode – the Nissan 370Z, a.k.a. Nissan Fairlady Z. Now, similarly to this line’s Convoy, where he was released in 3 different variants – Vibrant Red,  Ultimate Silver and Super Black – Megatron too is released in 3 different variants – Blade Silver, Le Mans Blue and Diamond Black. Choices of color are fully dependent on preference. I prefer the Diamond Black variant as I think that it reflects the Decepticon essence well. Some may prefer the Blade Silver as the original G1 Megatron was in fact, silver. But personally, the Le Mans Blue is a bit out of place. Megatron – blue? That just doesn’t slide with me. 

 

            Anyways, like I said, Megatron transforms into a very slick-looking Nissan Fairlady Z. Just like the Binaltechs/ Alternators lines before this, these vehicle modes looks extremely detailed. Although there is no steering-action on the front wheels and are scaled 1:32 instead of 1:24, this line still maintain other qualities such as an open-able engine compartment, which reveals a detailed engine block (that doesn’t turn into any sort of weapons). The doors still open, which reveal more detailed interior such as seats, steering-wheel, dashboard & gears. The tyres are still made from good quality rubbers, although I do wish the rims were colored in shiny chromes instead of plain silvery-grey. 

 

 

            I also like the front and rear lights designs, which I don’t know how to say this, but it kinda have that angry looks that bode well with the character. 

 

            As this is a trademarked car, the figure also carries the Nissan logo both in front and at the back. There is also a Fairlady Z etched at the back of the trunk, which is really a nice touch. 

            I also like the fact that the bottom of the car looks clean and doesn’t reveal too much kibble. The idea of storing the blades underneath the car is also a very neat idea.

 

            One complaint that I have with this mode is that the front tyres are a bit too loose and tends to get very, very wobbly, which kinda makes rolling on flat surfaces seemed to be a chore. The tyres are too loose that the weight of the car tends to push the tyres towards the plastic above, thus create frictions that prevent the wheels from rolling freely. 

 

            Apart from that, Megatron’s vehicle mode is just suhweet…           

Robot Mode:

             Now, despite the coolness of the car mode, this is why we’re here --- the robot mode. At first glance of this robot mode, it kinda reminds me of the Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Bludgeon that I reviewed a few weeks back. It has that samurai feel to it, and I could literally imagine Takara-Tomy doing a redeco of this particular figure, put on a skull as a head and calling him Bludgeon instead.

 

 

            Well, that’s an idea.

 

            Anyways, the robot mode looks cool. The head sculpt itself is a dead giveaway that this really is Megatron and not some Master Therion guy. I like the idea of Megatron wielding swords or katana instead of any blasting weapons. In fact, despite that his G1 counterpart had that humongous Fusion Cannon; Megatron doesn’t come with any sort of blasting weapons at all!!! 

            Articulation-wise: his head is on a ball joint, but its movement is somewhat limited due to its shape and design. The shoulders consist of a combination of swiveling hinge and rotatable joints that gives the shoulders full range of motions. The elbows rotate and bend, and the wrists also rotate. Megatron has no waist joint, but do have ratcheting hip joints. The knees bend and rotate, and finally, the ankles are on ball joints and swiveling hinge. 

 

            Overall, I do like the articulations of the figure. I also like the pair of blades sticking out of the forearms, which otherwise would stay hidden on the back of both the passenger and the driver’s seats. The shoulder pads look cool, but sometimes they do get in the way of some exciting poses. The transformations of the legs, similar to that of Alternity Convoy are somewhat unorthodox. Instead of one whole piece, the legs are actually formed by folding or combining several car parts. 

 

            There is also a Decepticon logo right on this groin guard, just to let you know of his allegiance. 

 

            The back of the robot, I think, could have used a little bit of a cleaner finish – excess car mode panels are just everywhere. But then again, I’d rather those panels go to the back than the front.

Overall:

            Megatron, in my opinion, is every bit as good as Convoy/ Optimus Prime of this line. He is well proportioned and pretty much well articulated. Since this figure does come in 3 different variants, it’s really up to your preference on which versions that you really like. Personally, I would recommend either the silver or the black version. Of course, if you do have a lot of cash to spend, you can always grab every variant available out there. Anyways, he is definitely a really good addition to your Megatron or Transformers collection, and definitely worth it.

            Highly recommended.

            Final verdict: 9/10.

Transformers Review – Alternity Convoy (Rewind)

Intro:

Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, welcome back to another edition of TF Review. Today, I’m going to review one of the latest offerings by Takara-Tomy – Alternity Convoy. Alternity possibly refers to their latest Transformers series, which will include a Megatron figure too. This series is sort of a branch-off of another popular line – the Binaltechs / Alternators, which had presumably ended last year.

The release of this line really caught me off-guard as there were absolutely no rumors prior to the release of its first mould. Although the main difference between the Alternity & Binaltechs are the die-casting and the scale (1:32 as opposed to 1:24), both the design quality and the transformation complexity has fortunately remained. There has been no indication whether there will ever be a Hasbro answer to Takara-Tomy’s Alternity, we’ll have to wait and see on that.

It is very unfortunate that the Alternators/ Binaltechs series have ceased, it has and will always be one of the best series to have ever been born out of the Transformers franchise, apart from the highly rated Masterpiece line. They were both a throw-back to original concept of robots in disguise (robots transforming into real cars) as opposed to unrealistic futuristic designs; and a technological leap in terms of realism and complexity. One can only hope that the new Alternity series could continue where the Binaltechs/ Alternators series left off, or if possibly, improve on the existing concept. So if you’re the powers that be in Takara-Tomy, I’m pretty sure that you want this line to have a very strong 1^st showing, and to do just that, it’s only logical to design its first mould based on the most iconic character available, and there is none bigger that Optimus Prime/ Convoy. So how would the Alternity line fare in its debut, and can Convoy prove to be the worthy ambassador to Alternity? Lets find out.

Box:

Before I start off with the real review, I think it’s best that I give my two-cents worth of the box itself. I don’t normally like to talk about boxes and packaging much, but I personally think that the Alternity packaging is kinda awesome. For those collectors who like to keep their figures minted and unopened, the packaging is even suitable for display purposes. Very nice, and a commendable effort.

Alternate Mode:

Convoy (that’s Optimus Prime for those of you living outside Japan) comes in the form of a Nissan GT-R and is released in 3 different color variations: metallic silver, vibrant red and black. I ain’t a car buff, but according to my info, the silver version is actually a nod to the real thing, as the real GT-R is only available in that color (although I could’ve sworn I’ve seen a real red Nissan GT-R somewhere before). The red version is a nod to the traditional looks of the legendary Optimus Prime, and finally the limited-edition black version, which is a nod to Nemesis Prime. As mentioned earlier, this model is much smaller that you normally you’d get in the Binaltechs/ Alternators series, but the overall quality is just as good. The car itself is slick, and both the internal and external designs of the car are very detailed, on par with its predecessor. However, it does differ with the original concept in the sense that the front wheels no longer swivel in tandem, in fact, they no longer swivel at all, which in my opinion deducts the realism on the overall car model. Still, that’s only a very minor issue. The wheels roll perfectly on all four, and just as with its predecessor, they are made from high-quality rubbers. The only thing they lacked is the “Cybertronian Radial” label that you’d normally get with its other predecessors.

Robot Mode:

For an Optimus Prime figure, he's relatively tiny. His size is that of your normal deluxe figure. I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise since the vehicle mode is already so tiny. You get the feeling that the Alternators Optimus Prime would easily trample poor little Convoy. Though small in physical stature, he is far from being inferior to its Alternators counterpart, in fact, it could be said that he is a major improvement from his predecessor. He may not have the bulk, but he makes it up with sheer sleek design and details. The transformation of the feet may be a bit unconventional, but there are no such issues about the overall balance of the figure. The articulations are every bit as good as the Alternators counterpart.

Unlike Alternators/ Binaltechs however, he doesn't come with any weaponry. The engine blocks do not turn to any sort of weapons. However, he does have a unique hidden weapon, so to speak, mounted on his arms, which is also the car seat. I think it's quite a nice touch.

Overall:

I had 2 choices when I went to purchase the little: it was either the sleek silver version, which was supposed to stay true to its real car concept; or the vibrant red version, which is of course stayed true to the legendary Optimus Prime. Well, I guess it's no surprise that I opted for the latter. Convoy may be small, but he is everything Alternator should have been. I guess it could be a worthy successor to the Alternators/ Binaltechs line. It has also been announced that Megatron will be released sometime, by the end of 2009, and he is supposed to be a Nissan Fairlady. Photo release on the net seems to be very promising, but he looks a bit too indistinguishable with Convoy. Anyways, I'll be waiting for that.

Final verdict, I give Convoy 9/ 10.

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