chuckdawg1999

Another Figure of the Year candidate. That's three alone from Legacy United Wave 02.

While it's impressive how Wheeljack's vehicle mode compresses into robot mode, the resulting figure is too small for my tastes to be called a Voyager Class.

The trend of smaller Beast Machine Cheetors being good figures continues as this is the best of the lot thus far!

Shockwave is a figure that's way better than it needs to be. Tank mode is solid and robot mode is a lot of fun.

Sideswipe is a little fiddly in certain steps of the transformation but it's the best deluxe of the Gamer Edition subline.

A solid figure that feels incomplete without its wave mate Twitch. I'd wait and buy Bumblebee and Twitch together.

Sandstorm is one of the late G1 triple changers that had an interesting story ark in Season 3 of the cartoon. The figure balances the toon and toy aesthetics right down to the toy accurate head. The transformation between the three forms is the smoothest I've experienced from the recent triple updates but the chest in robot mode has an issue locking into place on my copy. You could gamble waiting for a release with the animation-accurate head but no guarantee it will see the light of day. Sandstorm is a good figure in a wave with some great releases.

Sunstreaker is another fantastic figure that is released during a period when Hasbro is releasing many great figures. Transformation is smooth, intuitive, and easy. While Concept Art figures might not be your style, this is just a great transforming toy.

Yet another figure of the year candidate, simply amazing.

Shard is one of the more anticipated figures of wave 2 and I quite like it. Transformation is fun and I enjoy the modular weapon play, but the real joy is how the colors blend and work with the textured molding. Besides Gears, I think this is the best deluxe of the wave.

We have our first early contender for the figure of the year 2024, that's all.

You might be wondering why a review of MOTUC Rokkon is here, Rokkon was released at a time that other toy companies including Mattel were trying to get a slice of that sweet transforming pie, so I find it interesting to look at how other design teams tackled the concept of conversion. Rokkon hits my nostalgia hard as it was one of the last Masters of the Universe figures I ever got. While I remember rock mode being more solid, the added articulation is a nice touch and something I think collectors enjoy more. While I would've preferred this figure to be released with Stonedar, I can understand the solo shot and eagerly anticipate Rokkon's partner's release.

By this point, most collectors should have at least one G1 Soundwave in their collection. While many could see this 40th-anniversary release as another reissue, the animation-accurate colors and detailing should give it a special place alongside all the other Soundwave reissues, if not becoming THE reissue to have.

The Missing Link line attempts to answer the question, "What would Generation One toys look and feel like with modern articulation?" With Convoy/Optimus Prime, the answer is fantastic. C-01 and C-02 feel like the original toy, with diecast metal, and rubber tires, it's nearly impossible to see any differences from the original toy. It's the transformation and robot mode that reveals all the new work, articulated hands and wrists, hips and feet. while I find the waist articulation limited and the ab crunch rather useless, it's impressive that they were included. The 40th anniversary of the Transformers brand is off to an excellent start.