QUICK INFO:
Name: Snare
Line: Transformers - Generation One (Hasbro, European exclusive)
Year: 1992Price: unknown
Function: Surveillance
Subgroup: Predators
Motto: "Fear? What's that? It's all fun to me."
Bio: The crazy loner. Knows no fear. It makes no difference to him if nothing remains of him, as long as he has had fun. Uncommonly dangerous in his role as a sentry and guard. As an airplane, is deadly and streamlined, with extra sight thanks to his Megavisor-system. As a robot, attacks with a rocket launcher.
Strength: 7 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 9 Endurance: 9
Rank: 6 Courage: 9 Firepower: 8 Skill: 7
I've got a quick little review of the European exclusive Deception Predator jet, Snare. Is it worth the $.80 I paid? Let's see!
Snare is a member of the subgroup of Decepticons called the Predators. Hasbro on released this toy in parts of Europe and Takara later in Japan as Flarejet as part of a two pack. The jet is based on the real world design of a Grumman X-29 jet fighter. Snare is a typical G1 style mold, yet the color scheme screams G2. Snare comes packaged with several neon green missiles as well as a gold missile launcher that doubles as a hand gun. The mold features G1 articulation...which is basically next to none! In jet mode he does have retractable landing gear underneath the nose and two sets in the rear. Most of the jet is molded in a pinkish-red plastic with a little teal paint applied to the top sides of the wing tips. The rear jet and shoulders of the robot are painted a copper color. The rest of the colors come from stickers, blue featuring the standard Decepticon emblem on each wing and a blue sticker on the nose of the jet. The canopy is molded in a translucent yellow plastic. The jet itself is rather small. I'd compare it to the size of a modern Revenge of the Fallen scout class toy. There isn't a lot of detail molded into the jet outside the usual metal panels. There are some small intake jets molded into the top of the robot's arms which I thought was a nice touch considering the arms exposed in jet mode take away from the jet's overall look. There are small pegs on the underside of the wing's tips that allow the green missiles to be attached.
Also on the underside is a little gimmick exclusive to the Predator toys...a view finder or as his tech specs call it a Megavisor. This particular one features the Autobot Boss. You could attach Snare or any other small Predator jet to Skyquake or Stalker to activate the Megavisor and pretend you were targeting the Autobot enemies. Simple gimmick, but innovative at the same time.
Transformation is very simplistic.
1) Flip up the landing gear
2) Flip out the robot's feet
3) Pull down the legs
4) Flip down the jet's cockpit
5) Fold up the head
There isn't a whole lot to say about Snare's robot mode. The only articulation in robot mode is at the shoulders allowing the arms to move up and down. There is some nice light piping in the back of the robot's head allowing light to shine through and illuminate the translucent yellow eyes. There are a few more stickers visible in robot mode. One blue sticker on each leg around the landing gear and two smaller green stickers on the waist.
Word of caution though if you plan to track down this toy. The missile launcher suffers from GPS - Gold Plastic Syndrome. I own two of this toy and neither came with the gun. The same color gold plastic on my Skyquake (as well as Pyro/Spark) has already chipped/cracked/broke so it's just as well I guess that I don't own Snare's gun! (quick eBay search)
I don't remember what I paid for the first Snare that I bought, but when I ran across this toy some time ago on eBay I couldn't resist placing a small bid. The seller had no idea what it was other than a Transformer and the listing must have gone unnoticed for the most part thanks in part to the bland title and description. If you are a fan of G1/G2 and don't mind a very simple toy then I recommend this toy. It's not worth the high price tag that it comes with on eBay in my opinion, but finding one loose and complete still may set you back a pretty penny.
Transformation is very simplistic.
1) Flip up the landing gear
2) Flip out the robot's feet
3) Pull down the legs
4) Flip down the jet's cockpit
5) Fold up the head
There isn't a whole lot to say about Snare's robot mode. The only articulation in robot mode is at the shoulders allowing the arms to move up and down. There is some nice light piping in the back of the robot's head allowing light to shine through and illuminate the translucent yellow eyes. There are a few more stickers visible in robot mode. One blue sticker on each leg around the landing gear and two smaller green stickers on the waist.
Word of caution though if you plan to track down this toy. The missile launcher suffers from GPS - Gold Plastic Syndrome. I own two of this toy and neither came with the gun. The same color gold plastic on my Skyquake (as well as Pyro/Spark) has already chipped/cracked/broke so it's just as well I guess that I don't own Snare's gun! (quick eBay search)
I don't remember what I paid for the first Snare that I bought, but when I ran across this toy some time ago on eBay I couldn't resist placing a small bid. The seller had no idea what it was other than a Transformer and the listing must have gone unnoticed for the most part thanks in part to the bland title and description. If you are a fan of G1/G2 and don't mind a very simple toy then I recommend this toy. It's not worth the high price tag that it comes with on eBay in my opinion, but finding one loose and complete still may set you back a pretty penny.
** Thanks to TFW2005.com's Resources section for the pictures **
(I was too lazy to take my own pictures...very crazy week for me)
(I was too lazy to take my own pictures...very crazy week for me)
Snare is G1 only. He was never released in G2.
ReplyDeleteWell it's tricky. Most of these European exclusives were released at the very tail end of G1 and Hasbro used both late G1 and G2 style logos for the packaging. True the Predators were never branded G2, the logo and day glow colors of the toy are in line with the actual G2 toys that followed. I usually dub them "G1.5" myself.
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