Dominic wrote:Part of the problem is common to pretty much every new mould TF toys for the last 2 years or so. Hasbro has been cheaping out on the design stage while boosting the prices. Not unlike most other deluxes, Starscream feels under-sized and/or much simplified. Design elements that would acceptable on a Scout class figure are signs of lazy craftsmanship on a deluxe. Starscream is not appreciably smaller than "Generations" Thundercracker. But, the Thundercracker figure (despite being based on moulding that is nearly 7 years old) manages to compare more favourably than the more modern Starscream.
Reasonable, TC isn't hollow while FOC SS is much more empty space.
Starscream's guns have an obvious "hollow" side when they are not combined. (The combination form is cumbersome, and does not lend itself to the character at all.) Starscream's robot head is visible in vehicle mode. Starscream's robot fists are blocky, even when compared to the older Thundercracker mould's hands. The vehicle mode over-all has the vague appearance of an exceptionally well painted McDonald's toy.
The weapon is from the game, it's not one of my favorites but it's in the game and not specific to 1 character and the toy's fairly accurately-sized, and I think it's one of the guns Starscream can grab in-level without having to visit the "store". Keep in mind, in the game all weapons replace the forearm, they aren't held. And as for the hollow side, yes they are hollow on one side but there is some sculpted detail inside as well.
The fists are fairly game-accurate in sculpt:
http://images.vg247.com/current//2012/0 ... 52x648.jpg
To make matters worse, Starscream is one of the better figures in the "Fall of Cybertron" line. Starscream outshines Jazz (a toy so bad that I skipped it despte Jazz being one of my all time favourite characters and me actively wanting to like that toy). There is no comparison between Starscream and the Combaticons.
Well, that's not unfair. If you played the game, I think you'd like Jazz the figure a little better, it's still a bad figure in a lot of ways but it has the personality that you get in the game.
But, given the prices of modern deluxes, they need to deliver *more* than this toy manages to be. Starscream is going for nearly as much at retail (just shy of $20 locally) as Windcharger went for on eBay a few years back. (And, Windcharger is a better toy over-all.) If Starscream were an import or some other kind of exclusive, the price would almost be justified for this figure.
Starscream went for $16.99 plus tax and shipping, and I absolutely agree that is too high a price for what you get. But prices have gone up across the board, look at Marvel Legends 6" figures, when I bought the very first store-sold Marvel Legends a decade ago, they were first $10 at Target just like Transformers were:
http://www.figures.com/databases/action ... rticle=176 and I think they went down to $7 soon after. Now those figures are $16 (not just ML but Mattel's DC line is up there as well). Transformers have more parts and more assembly and often more paint, and of course way more design requirements since they have to be 2 things. Something had to give.
As for comparison to Windcharger, that's not enitrely fair, I just got out Windy and he stands about 2/3rds the height of FOC SS, they scale nicely together; and Starscream has more sculpted detail than Windy. I think what you're picking up on is the lack of weight difference, Starscream is 3 and a half ounces while Windy is just 3 ounces.
Anyway, sorry to hear I steered you wrong. I think this figure has grown on me a bit since I first got him, there's a LOT of personality in it and a lot more pose potential than the legs would suggest, so I may have sent the wrong message from that. I do think it's one of the figures that suffers from Hasbro's growing pains though, prices growing I mean.
BWP wrote:Word on the street is that Hasbro has purposefully been keeping things simpler after complaining from parents/kids/others about how things were ‘too complex’ around ROTF/Universe 2.0. We might appreciate toys like that, but we are not the target audience here, kids are, and making sure they can actually transform the toys is a priority.
Bah, I don't believe that for a second, that sounds like a load of crap that fans made up without any understanding of the brand. This is a Generations figure, it's not meant for the younger age. Also, if that were true, the brand new Smokescreen figure wouldn't be so insanely complicated (or awesome). I'll try to remember to ask about that at SDCC but I suspect I'll get another "we try to deliver a quality product our younger fans can enjoy just as much as our older ones" type of non-specific answer.
Could you quantify this for me? How exactly does it have the appearance of such a toy?
Not trying to speak for Dom, but I kinda see what he means I think. The back half of the vehicle is out of scale to the front, and the back half has a head poorly hidden and a big blocky rear section that doesn't match well with the front.
