madman1366

Picked up the new botshot launchers and not much to say about botshots, either you get them or you don't. They're cool, I love the little buggers...NEXT. MP Starscream- NIIIIIIICE! I always loved this seeker just for his colors and the MP version doesn't disappoint here. I haven't done a bunch of comparisons, but the use of the MP-11 mold seems to have made the figure a bit less scary. Watch out the side tail wings though, they love to pop off and I can see a lot of them ending up broken. Biggest negative is the chest half still sliding up when you move the arms around, that sucks! Biggest positive is that it seems easier to handle and transform. I'm also not happy that his jet doesn't plug into the base like it should so I can't connect him to it in alt mode. Oh well, not a deal breaker. Jet Vehicon- I love these bots! It will be a crying shame if Hasbro doesn't deliver these here. I doubt if I'll be able to get more than one of these imported, so unless Hasbro does put them out, my one will have to settle for commanding the ground troops. If you got a little cash to splurge, this is a good choice. SDCC zombie Cliffjumper- I finally get my hands on the famed FE Cliffjumper mold and, well, it wasn't exactly the massively superior figure I was expecting it to be. He's nice, I love the zombie effect, but I just don't think the mold is really THAT much better than the RID version. Some areas I actually quite prefer the RID version a whole lot more and I think in overall I prefer the RID version. But I'm still glad I have one of this one. Voyager Dreadwing- BEAST! I love this voyager figure. Mostly good articulation, only thing he really doesn't have is waist articulation. Details are great in both modes but there are some drawbacks. The shoulders are attached to the body not the arms like with Megs, but are able to move around to work with the arms a little better. Tail fins, nosecone, and another small set of wings in front of the main wings are all rubber, I HATE rubber! There is also quite a bit of bulk on the underside, none that bad except for the giant split waist piece in the front. A little bit of an eye sore, but the rest is really awesome. Everything locks down really nice too, lots of plug in points to secure and his transformation can be a bit nutty at first but nothing too difficult. Very Macross-like in some ways, yet different too. Definitely a must get figure! And finally...FINALLY!!! I got Madblender and Neckbreaker. And then I had to send them both back. ....But now they're back! Had one with a bad part, and one with a problem in the mold but now I got 2 good figures and the rest of the Hercules team. It seemed like it took forever to complete these, but well worth the wait! I just put in my order for the Rage of Hercules set, so that should arrive in a few days to really make this guy pop! Madblender had a mold issue where I couldn't get the cab wheels to go flush with the others, and the whole cab was sitting a couple of centimeters higher than it should. They had to replace it totally and it's fine now. Honestly, he's becoming one of my favorite of the group. Everything is solid and he's got the weapons coming out of the yin-yang! The kibble on the shoulders, not a problem and his transformation is a breeze...when you have a good mold that is. Alt mode is perfect and it's transformation to leg mode is done in 2 seconds flat. Neckbreaker had an arm issue that needed to be fixed and was returned. One thing that sticks out is incredibly floppy (ball jointed) hips in bot mode. Now it doesn't prevent him from standing or posing, but it could be seen as a pain to some. His bot mode really is fantastic otherwise. Great articulation and can pull some great poses. Alt mode is good, not my favorite of the bunch. Transformation to arm mode is a little more involved than the legs but still pretty easy and straight forward. HERCULES- Putting them all together is remarkably simple and he's very stable. Once assembled you can't help but stand him up on the desk or table and stare in amazement. He's nothing less than a stunning monster once you take it all in. Now some of the bulk does hinder some movement and takes away from the ability to pull off certain poses, but still, this is a freakish beast! The Rage set should help some of the posing issues too. Put in perspective though, it's hard to imagine this could have been pulled off any better! This is one of those "holy grails" that any collector can be proud of, and I'm proud as hell to have him in my collection!

Just 3 to add for now, but a very nice trio! Generations FoC Jazz: I get it, smaller figure, blah..blah...cheaper plastic...blah. HORESECRAP! OK he's not a giant, but I think his stature fits and I think he's quite a nice figure. Not the best by any means, he's got some good points and bad but bottom line is he'll look great on the shelf. He's got a decent, not too easy or hard, transformation. A good amount of overall articulation though some ankles and a waist would have helped immensely. Good head sculpt and stocky frame. Pose him with his legs in a bit of a spread pose and it helps make them not look so spindly. Another minor thing to mention is some looseness already in the ball joints in the shoulders. I do also worry about the longevity of the ankle an elbow ratchets as they may grind down over time, we'll see. FoC Optimus: While I wasn't greatly anticipating this figure, it's Prime, what are you gonna do? Again, I'm liking him better in person than the pics online showed. His articulation is very, very good! Waist and ankles, check. He's a lot of fun to pose. Transformation is a zillion times easier than the WFC version. Once you get him transformed once, you should be good after that. Alt mode also looks more compact and like a pretty mean little machine. I wish the gun mounted a bit better, but it's satisfactory. I really can't wait to get my hands on the Ultra Magnus version of this. FoC Shockwave: The main event! Got the other two online from TRU that came yesterday (with BOGO) and found the Shockwave in store today. Nice. Anyway, he's everything I've heard he is. Small, yes, but very much like in Vehicon where his alt mode parts don't really show up much in the bot mode. Not that there are a whole lot of identifiable alt mode parts anyway. Again though, a waist and ankles could have helped greatly but the rest of the figure is just so solid that those points really don't matter much. This IS Shockwave! The cannon clips seamlessly onto either arm, buy two do a double arm cannon if you wish. I don't really like that the big end of the cannon slides off from the rest of it pretty easily, but I guess you can keep it off if you want Shocky to have a 3 long barrel Gatling. The light piping eye works like a charm. Transformation is nothing difficult but again, satisfying. His alt mode, basically a flying cannon is rather mean and impressive looking. If this can be affixed onto the arm of Bruticus then that will be AMAZING! But yeah, Shockwave is the definitive MUST HAVE figure of these 3. All are nice, but if you can only get one then it's a no-brainer.

Just picked up a few new things... Prime deluxe Airachnid- And things were going so nicely, then came Airachnid. OUCH! This figure is just plain bad. One most definitely for the WTF were they thinking files. The worst part of the whole thing, is that the figure could have been so much better simply by designing a few parts a little differently. It doesn't really have to add much in terms of cost either. The main part of the helicopter body hangs on the back and pretty much gets in the way of everything. Hard to move the arms around, the legs can't move too much because plastic bits rub everywhere. Major, major disappointment with this figure. Dead End- I just said what the hell and got it. The colors are loud and rather gaudy but for some reason I don't hate it. The new head is really funky too. I don't know what to say here really. The mold is a great mold, and if you like a figure that comes off oddly creepy then I guess you should like this. Star Hammer w/Wheeljack- First Wheeljack. He's a pretty nice little legion figure. Straight arms, so nothing great there, but neat transformation and he does have bendable knees. The Star Hammer, well, it's a block with wings and guns with a little compartment for WJ to pilot it. The wings slide out and down to the sides for the battle mode. This isn't as fun to have as the Ark was with the DOTM Cyberverse. Energon Driller w/Knock Out. Knock out could have been better. Straight arms, no knees, and nothing all that special. The driller is a little better, well, because for one it looks like a drill. Somehow this makes more sense than the Star Hammer though it pretty much does the same thing. I only recommend the Cyberverse sets if people really love collecting the smaller figures and sets, otherwise, save the money and wait for better prices. They both have big ugly wires that connect the light gimmick which is really, really, really crappy! The wire is a major pain, always gets in the way and there is no real good way to deal with it. Wow, kinda painful to post this after such a good run. I hope it's an anomaly and not the start of a bad trend.

Been mostly slow on the new figure hauls of late but finally some new things to talk about. Prime Voyager Starscream: I managed to get the FE version and like that very much, so for me that would have been enough plus that version is in better scale with Megs. This version is also very nice as well though his funky waist does bother me a little. He would have been better had they included two sets of missiles for each wing, but there are only the singles for both sides. I think the missiles from the deluxe can be used, but I haven't tried yet. Recommended if you didn't get the FE or want both, but you can skip it if you want the better of the two then I'd go with the FE. Voyager Bulkhead: This one I've been eagerly waiting on in spite of the negativity. Just getting a Bulkhead for the group was good enough for me. I do like him better than I thought I would though. I'd still like to get the FE version, but if I don't ever get it then I can live with this. Again, he fits nicely in scale with the rest of team Prime and they all in all make a pretty impressive looking group in terms of scale. They're as close as it's probably gonna ever get to being near perfect...at least as far as how they appear in the show anyway. Deluxe Hot Shot: Holy crap what a difference a new paint job and head can make. This is like a whole new figure...it really is. Probably helps that he overall feels a bit better than BB does. Joints seem to be a little tighter and not as much looseness. But there's no question, he definitely stands out a lot more majestically on the shelf. It's a shame the fallout from the BB overload will probably carry over and plague Hot Shot rather unfairly. He's worth the pickup! Deluxe Knock Out: Alt mode seems REALLY small, but not too shabby. The colors don't bother me as much. Transformation is a bit of a pain, but he's not terribly bad. The waist pieces that fold around kinda suck because every time you move anything you accidentally hit them and have to move them back. Could have been better, but the rest of the line is setting a pretty high standard so that's no biggie to me. Deluxe Vehicon: Took me awhile to track one of these suckers down, but I finally did! He's worth the wait. Sleek and beautiful alt mode, neat transformation and one helluva fine bot mode. Some have made some iffy issues about the elbows, but actually they give his arms an incredible range of motion. If he had a rotating waist, he'd be absolutely perfect. I think if stores stocked full cases of 8 of these then they'd be gone by days end. I can't get enough Prime right now. Of all the figures I just mentioned, Knock Out is probably the weakest of them, but that's not saying a whole lot considering how good this line has been overall. I also hope people don't take the BB thing too harshly to where they don't give Hot Shot a chance, he really is worth having. He's the most pleasant surprise of the lot, I just can't seem to put him down now.

Personally I don't think he's horrible. The fact that FE BB is such a popular design makes for double tough comparisons. Now the RID BB makes up for some things that the FE version doesn't have such as double blasters that can mount on the hood, and IMO a better chest without so many separate pieces moving around. But the fact that the head is an unstable platform and it's tough to really get a good natural stand up pose without him always wanting to end up looking down pretty bad. I think that will ultimately be the point where most people judge most harshly. Arms, legs and everything are just fine. Simply too much meddling with the design of the torso and head. I was dreading working this week. I was broke until today and was afraid the store I work at would get in deluxe Arcee and Ratchet. I was just saying that with so many BB's already piled up on the pegs that I doubt if my store would get any, so I wasn't sweating it. Wednesday night the unthinkable. Arcee and Ratchet in my hands and NO money to buy them. So I left them on the pegs and prayed that my check would drop early enough Thursday night into my account that I could go in and check if they were still there. Check dropped at 10:20 and I was at my store by 10:45 and sure enough the pair lasted all day! Ratchet was laying on the shelf, so some mom probably disappointed their kid. Thanks mom! On to the goods... Ratchet...BRILLIANT! AWESOME! AMAZING! Seriously one of the very best deluxe figures I've had the pleasure of getting. And I have nearly every deluxe made over the last 15 years. Know that the transformation is NOT easy. Just figuring out how to start to break down the alt mode is pretty difficult. But once you get everything going it gets easier. It's mostly just the initial steps that can be harrowing. When he's done though...HOLY CRAP he his everything I've already said and more. I can't see many people at all being disappointed with this figure. I'll probably go and say he'll go down as the best Ratchet figure made unless something better comes along in the Prime series. One bummer however are the swords. Crappy soft rubber. This scourge must end!!! Hopefully some enterprising 3rd party maker will come to our rescue on this and any other bits that Hasbro defaces in this manner. Arcee...Are you really that upset you didn't get FE Arcee? Don't be. This one will do quite nicely. Even if you don't like her better than the FE version, she will do just as good of a job standing in. FE arcee is nice, but too many moving parts in the upper body and the way the handlebars sit behind her knock her down a few pegs in comparison. RID does have back kibble but it stays further down and isn't as unsightly as it is on the FE version and while some knock the wings, I really like them. Arcee is the opposite of Ratchet when it comes to the transformation. Hers is relatively simple and yet interesting. Right out of the box it shouldn't take you more than 30 seconds. you can even give her a movie like unicycle bot mode if you like that idea. I think of her wings as being useful not for flying, but for being able to jump and glide over distances and down from heights safely. So you can give them a decent reason for being there. My recommendation: BUY ON SIGHT!

Been awhile. Got all of the Prime wave 1 deluxe, voyaer, legion, and Bot Shots. I gotta say, even the goofy BB, these are pure love! I know the FE line has left some of the rid versions to a lot of ridicule and criticism, but if you're someone who can get over that, or better yet managed to get both then you can still enjoy the newer versions as well. Think of the FE versions as the showpiece, and the rid versions as the ones better to fiddle around with. I won't go into each of them, I'll just shoot the highlights... Wheeljack....MUST GET! Yeah for those who have issues with lightness might have some problems, but they're still pretty decent quality so far. No real big issues I've found with any of them. Voyager Optimus....No he's not the FE version, but still damn nice. The transformation is quite a bit different and more fun. Sure the weird light up gun gizmo is odd, but I think most people have enough spare firearms around that would suit this figure just fine. Voyager Megatron....Overall very nice. Some folks will wish for more color, my only gripe is the shoulder pads which are rather restricting. I like his alt mode a lot more than the pics showed which gives me a lot of hope that others down the line will as well. Soundwave....He's just creepy, I love him! Voyager please!!! Legion Cliffjumper.....BEST. LEGION. EVER! This guy is like a mini-commander. Articulated knees, elbows, shoulders, hips, ankles and has a rather complex transformation for such a little guy. Wish they were all this good! Legion Vehicon....Next best legion figure. Like soundwave, he's got a creepy look to him which is very cool. Not as complex or articulated as Cliffjumper, but still very nice. Bot Shots are really nice if you like small SD figs. Only issue I've had is getting starscream to completely fold up into alt mode, the latches don't want to hold. Nice little novelty items for those who like them. Got 2 more of the Hercules figures since my last post, but I've stalled out on funds to get the last 2 at this point. They're coming but with holiday hours gone from work it's just going to take a little more time to scratch up the funds. I'll wait until I get the rest to comment, but it's looking awesomely good!

All righty...eventful few days. Finally got a blu-ray system with surround and I'm extremely blown away! Sound system is cheap, but good enough for my small need. Then onto the Transformers... HEAVYLABOR- I frickin love this thing! To me this figure is one of the main reasons I chose TFC over Maketoys and it doesn't disappoint. 4 more! TRU WFC 3 pack- I highly recommend this set even if you normally don't go for repaints. Makes these great figures even more amazing. Cannon Force Ironhide- Depends how much you've yearned for a red version I guess. Doesn't add anything IMO. Junkheap- NIIIICE! Funny, I never realized that one figure in bot could actually clip onto the seat of the other in bike mode. I just had 2 Wreck-Gar's posed without clipping him on and that was good enough. Sky Shadow- Fantastic repaint and remold. One of the best of the best. SSSSOOOO mean and menacing looking he oozes evil. This and Junkheap are another 2 must have repaints. RTS Windcharger- It's about frickin time man!!!! But soooo worth the wait! There may be some scout class figures as good, but none better! Target exclusive voyagers Ratchet and Starscream- I just got these guys to fill out the collection. Not much else to say. Marvel Crossover Ghost Rider- I only bothered because I get everything Ghost Rider. Goofy motorcycle mode, semi-goofy bot mode and yet something oddly neat at the same time. On to the main event... PRIME Arcee- Loved the NYCC version and I love this one even better! Superb color choice for this figure and character! PRIME Bumblebee- Again, NYCC version was cool, but I'm loving the normal version. Loose arms though can be a pain, but doesn't ruin it. PRIME Starscream- A small masterpiece with one flaw...RUBBER! :puke This menace must stop! Please Hasbro, stop defacing beautifully crafted figures with ultra crappy and floppy rubber! The forehead spike is bent funny, his knee spikes are iffy and I fear for the missiles. Otherwise, a helluva fun figure!

Get the BB mobile base and use that to carry Guzzle and Flak. Those 3 were meant to be together. Add a couple of the guns that came with the exclusive legion figures (they plug into the holes on roof of base vehicle) and you have an awesome small mobile ass kickin' team bringing the hurt.

Nothing from the Animated line will ever be better quality than other lines. Animated can only hope that another line ends up quality wise as bad as it was. Especially Arcee, thumbs cracked off super easy and finding good paint was a nightmare. This Prime Arcee is pretty solid. Kibble can get a tad bit bothersome, but we've dealt with a lot worse. Well worth it!

NYCC Prime BB and Arcee set- NICE! Just to note, some of the more fickle folks might not really like how the chest parts on either of these are and Arcee has a little bit of kibble issue that restricts shoulder movements a little bit. Not horribly, just worth mentioning. Also when you are posing them you kind of have to keep making sure the shoulder/chest parts are lined up well, they can easily move around and end up out of place. Otherwise, they are fantastic figures. They look every bit as good in person. Some think the pink on Arcee is too much, but I kinda like it and it fits in a g1 homage sort of way.

Finally some new stuff to post about. Been awhile! DOTM Air Raid- Alt mode is BEAUTIFUL! Wish we got a voyager version like this, but this will do. The radar dish connectors are scary though. VERY tight and scary to snap on and off. Robot mode is oddly fun. For some reason it reminds me of a Michigan State mascot, but oh well. His tail arm isn't as terrible as I thought and kinda makes for a nasty 3 bladed ax. NICE! He's a fun figure and worthy of the pickup. I would love to have a Decepticon repaint! Dark Steel- Nice repaint. I already love the mold so as long as the repaint is nice, it's all good! Might have to see how it looks swapping his head out on a Thundercracker body. A little repainting to match would be better than both he and Starscream having the same head. Armor Topspin- I wasn't going to get him yet, but when I saw him...I HAD TO! Very, very nice repaint! His bot mode looks twice as badass as the original. If you only get one repaint, I recommend this one! Skids and Mudflap- Finally picked up these 2 up. Just like I thought, they don't add much or take anything away from a collection but it bothered me seeing them all the time knowing they're the only ones I didn't have. But they're not horrible. I spun Skids legs around so the dumbo feet stick out the back and it looks much better on the shelf that way. HA Drag Strip- he's good as a basic TF but the human alliance gimmick is pretty much a waste. Nothing outstanding. HA Reverb- Fantasic robot mode! Alt mode is ??? If it had the fan mechanisms on both sides it would be good, but only one side looks WTF goofy! The gunner station mode is equally odd, but probably better than it's alt mode. I have to play around with the transformations more, but it does seem like some good alternate alt modes are possible so that may save it overall. Worth picking up if you like the oddities. HA Crosshairs and Half-Track are both really nice repaints. If you like the originals, I'd say get them. If not, then it's no bother. I wasn't going to pick these up but again, I really liked how they looked and just couldn't resist. Especially Half-Track, he's got a pre-Beast Wars Depthcharge look to him that I really dig. Coming soon: NYCC Prime BB and Arcee set! On it's way, hopefully here by tomorrow.

If I knew someone who could get me one of those for a far more reasonable price than the online retailers I might be interested. But for the average online prices? Hell no! I can only imagine how pissed off people would get for paying that price only to eventually see Hasbro release it. Granted, doesn't seem like a likely thing to happen, but you never know!

Busy day yesterday! First, HA Leadfoot- He's not awful but not great either. I like him better than Sideswipe at least which is the worst of the line to me. I guess the fact that you can feel free to position certain parts the way you like him is kinda cool because if nothing else, it keeps you busy trying different things until he looks the way you want him. Worth the pickup if your collecting all HA's, but passable if you don't really care. Cyberfire Bumblebee- I'm SICK of BB repaints! But damn, this ones really REALLY good. I'd say it's a must have as far as repaints go. Specialist Ratchet- Again, very nice repaint. Original figure is one of my favs in the line so I'd say this is another worthy pickup. Cyberverse Guzzle- I'm sure some will hate the stationary turret in alt mode, but he's still a badass little bot! Score another thumbs up for the Cyberverse line.

Mixed news on my Exgraver. While everything else IS solid...the base of the shovel arm isn't. Mine is cracking as are most peoples from what I hear. Too much tension in the mechanism is ultimately the culprit. The ratcheting parts in there are simply too tight. Good news for those who may not yet know, TFC will be packing a replacement shovel arm along with the next release. So no worries about having to do anything except wait for the next release. No problems there. For those not buying anymore, though why one would only buy is beyond me, then there will be a way to send away for the replacement. Nice to know that TFC stepped right up and took action on this one!