Downshift review

My Energon Downshift review

“Oh wheeljack, where fore art thou wheel jack?� :tfsad

“I’m right here!� :clap

“You’re not wheel jack!� :grr

“But I’m as close as you’re going to get this side of G1 fanboy!� :eplus

Well that is most defiantly true. I have been anxiously awaiting this figure for some time. I was fortunate enough to pick him up last Saturday along with Towline and Sharkticon (both great figs by the way). First off let me say that Wheeljack was one of those G1 figures that seemed to forever elude me. I never won any auctions nor did “happen upon� him at any garage sales. I saw Downshift as my last chance. And the gamble paid off!

First the car mode�

The car mode is nice if rather plane. Smooth and contoured with the proper wheeljack color scheme to offset the white. The two “energon� weapons (a double barreled blaster and a rocket launcher) are attachable on either rear fender.

Transformation:

Um... its an energon toy not rocket science figure it out yourself

Robot Mode:

Unlike most energon Autobots, the Robot mode is where this toy shines. The “no torso� problem seems to be less of a problem with each new wave of figures and as far as Downshift the problem is almost completely eliminated. Like Alternator Tracks, Wheel jack as a faux roof for a chest. In actuality it is just the bottom of the car. The coloration is a bit odd with the addition of some beige to the arms, upper legs, and feet. But all in all it retains a G1 feel. The head itself is dead on to the G1 wheeljack with only the side wing pieces (the parts that lit up when wheel jack talked in the show) being a little small and red instead of silver.

As far as articulation, he retains about as much as the rest of the energon autobots but not as much as some of the Decepticons (notably sharkticon and mirage)

For nostalgia I would give this figure a 10 out of 10

For the fig itself, it is probably a good 6 out of 10 when compared to the rest of the line with the blandness of the car mode bringing the score down some.

Welcome back Wheel Jack :thumb