ROTF Review Thread

[138 Scourge]

So...Dead End.

Car ModeI like the car mode. It looks sorta like a version of the Technobot "Lightspeed" done up in an Animated style. So it has that going for it. I would almost say it's based on the Pontiac Banshee, but it seems ridiculous that a concept car that's over twenty years old would be used as a toy design. Still, there's a resemblance. The car doesn't hold together super-well, but this may just be me mistransforming him.

Transformation: I like the transformation, sorta. It just totally fooled me when I pulled apart his arms to get him back into robot mode and thought "Where the hell is his head?" Well, a hand popped off, it seemed likely that the head would, too. Anyway, it's more complicated than your average basic-into-car kinda thing. It's kinda neat how the hood and front fenders turn into the feet, and the backpack/windshield thing sorta pulls the back half along with it. Not too bad.

Robot Mode!: The robot mode's okay, it's at least really odd-looking and disproportional, which kinda works for his bio. But what doesn't is the fact that the bio states he goes around on all fours most of the time. I'd pose him like that constantly, but you can't really make that work. If his head looked up, it'd work. EDIT/SPOILERS: Two posts down, Prowl's gonna prove that it does. Me=Derp. Other than that, the hands are done in a splayed out pose that's about this close to being the cool supervillain/Ronnie James Dio position, so that's okay. I'm kinda irritated by the fact that his head doesn't seem to extend as far out as it could. That'll be my excuse for thinking he'd beheaded himself.

So, as "cute lil' Animated car that turns into kinda horrifying lookin' robot" he works. Nice contrast. I dunno if he works as "Really Cool Toy Overall", but I have a feeling he'll grow on me some. Besides, he made me remember that Banshee thing, that's gotta be a good thing in itself. Man, they should have made a bunch of those cars and given me one because they're so, so pretty.

[Onslaught Six]

I would almost say it's based on the Pontiac Banshee, but it seems ridiculous that a concept car that's over twenty years old would be used as a toy design.

You think so? ClaRod turns into this: http://www.supercarnet.jp/File/File-Japan/File-Dome.htm

[138 Scourge]

Second time I've been called on something with that image. Or an image of that vehicle, anyway.

But yeah, with ClaRod it makes sense, since he's based on a twenty-year old design. Dead End looks kinda like the Banshee, but I'd be surprised if it was intentional.

[BWprowl]

Dude, Dead End's head totally looks up. Okay, it's actually just his upper jaw, but it might as well be his whole head. So he can totally pull off 'Down on all fours looking straight ahead' poses. I've had him doing it!

[138 Scourge]

Okay, I'm trying again, here, but I can't get any sorta motion out of his head...

So, what soon-to-be obvious-in-retrospect thing am I missing here?

[onslaught86]

Dead End's Okay, he was my third choice of Basic just because I needed a third item. The jaw motion is nifty, but he's made of this hideous brittle plastic that I fear breaking, and most of the joints are too tight. Except his arms, which are too loose. Bah.

Robot mode's improved if you push the lower jaw up further with a pry tool or pen or some such, then he looks straight ahead. I've managed to get sorta-okay poses with him on all fours, the main issue there is that the hands are blocked from touching the ground flat by the doors on his forearms.

He's definitely worth a look, the design's a neat one and the transformation's clever and involved, yet I feel a repaint or two may improve the figure. Shame that Nightbeat looks so average.

Wheelie (robot/toy truck): If Wheelie/Wheels was a Voyager scale toy, he would be a nice reference to the "Transformers" franchise's roots as a branch of Microman, or even a larger than usual "Real Gear" robot. As it is, the toy is too small to be convincingly different from other toys that are not supposed to represent toys come to life, and far too large to be scaled to those toys. Combine this with the characters *very* tedious clown role in the movie, and I just cannot bring myself to drop $12 on it.

Legends Wheelie may prove more to your tastes, Dom. I'm rather looking forward to Deluxe Wheelie, he's an interesting piece of work.

[BWprowl]

Okay, I'm trying again, here, but I can't get any sorta motion out of his head...

So, what soon-to-be obvious-in-retrospect thing am I missing here?

I'm not sure what's wrong with yours, but look:



He's looking right at you!

[onslaught86]

I am convinced Sideways has had two gimmicks gutted from his forearms. One, a spinning saw gimmick in his right arm, and the other, an extending claw gimmick in his left. He doesn't suffer exceptionally for the loss of either, though they would've been fun. Sideways is the most impressive figure from the line I've purchased thus far.

[138 Scourge]

I'm not sure what's wrong with yours, but look:



He's looking right at you!

Ah! He just needed a bit of the ol' excessive force. That did the trick. Now, this talk of him having upper and lower jaws...are you guys seeing what I'm taking to be his chest as a lower jaw? Giving him a huge face for a chest and making him sorta like Scowl?

Damn, lil' dude is growing on me. Thanks for the pic, m'man!

[138 Scourge]

Oh, yeah, missed this before and needed to respond...

I'd recommend later Voyagers over Demolishor. Long Haul looks nifty. Stratosphere might have charm, though it could be a major flop. Tank Megs could work, I like the sleeker experience than the Leader's design. Even Mixmaster looks better than Demolishor, and Mixmaster looks like it has some ISSUES.

Demolishor is the height of mediocrity. At the very least, wait until DvD reviews it. He's fairly impartial and objective, doesn't fetishize small niche things.

Stratosphere does look kinda nice, Tank Megs is a possibility, and Mixmaster will probably be ignored. But none of them are a couple of poundy arms mounted on a couple of wheels. And that's apparently something I like.

Now, clearly I've not done any research, but I just really dig that robot mode and want a decent-sized transforming toy of it, is all.