Transformers Micron Densetsu: Stepper MC-10

Today's post topic happens to be one of my favorite Transformers from the Micron Densetsu / Armada series...but I'm not sure why. Today we take a look at Stepper (MC-10) or better known as Side Swipe in the West. 

When I decided to dip my collecting toes back into the Uniron Trilogy waters, I thought I'd go after the versions of certain characters that I didn't own. While I imported a decent amount of Superlink / Energon items and dang near the whole Galaxy Force / Cybertron lines, I didn't pick up much of Takara's Micron Densetsu figures. Of course I'd be lying if one of the reasons to go for the Japanese import is for the inclusion of the bio trading card. Stepper, along with a few others from this series will be the subject of the next update to my side project, the Transformers Bio Card Database.

I've always been a fan of Takara's packaging and the layout for Micron Densetsu is a perfect example of why. The box for Stepper is very reminiscent of the style box used for the original Autobot carbots from Generation One, complete with a large logo right in the middle of the box flap. The bright red used for the majority of the packaging I'm sure helped the boxes stick out in a crowded sea of toys. Not only is there some great box art on the front of the packaging, but a large bubble to see a good portion of the toy.

On the backside of the packaging you've got a transformation sequence of sorts of the actual toy, again a throwback to the G1 days. Smaller windowed images show off some of the features of the toy as well as the included Micron figure, Cher/Char. The bottom half of the bottom of the box showcases more of the Cybertrons and Destrons in the series in a versus type layout.

On each side of the box you have either an image or a full body image of Stepper.

I'm not sure if Stepper is modeled after a real world car or not, but he's vehicle is my favorite mode. According to the TF Wiki, the car may have taken influence from a Nissan Skyline R32 or a Nissan Silvia S13. The car is cast in a beautiful shade of blue with translucent amber windows. The front grill and bumper were painted flat gray with the headlights painted silver. The Armada version's headlights were painted yellow. On the back of the car you have the large tail lights painted red with some silver paint on the top of the spoiler. The wheels are plastic and the 6 spoke wheels are painted silver and look fantastic.

Looking at the vehicle from the front you can see Stepper's head "peaking" through from the inside of the car. While this may bother some people, I'm fine with it. There are three Cybertron/Autobot insignias on the front of the car, two smaller ones above the front wheels and a larger symbol on the hood. On the back of the car you'll find a small yellow button on the left side. When pressed this activates a spring loaded section in the middle where his Micron buddy can hide (see below) via a 5mm port. When the symbol on the hood is depressed, the front portion of the car extends out. The purpose of this "mode" is one that I've yet to discover.

The one gripe I have with this mold is that some of the panels/pieces don't always want to stay clipped together very well. This seems to be a issue with the mold itself as my original Armada Side Swipe had some of the same problems. Other than that, I think this is a beautiful vehicle mode and probably one of the reasons that I'm still seeking out this toy's repaints.

Oh boy. Here we go. The transformation from vehicle to robot is fairly simple and intuitive, but as you can see the robot mode is "kibble-tastic". Stepper suffers from huge forearms, which are the front halves of the car. This limits the amount of articulation in the arms at just the shoulders and elbows via ball joints. The legs also look awkward and are virtually a brick. His waist is rather wide with the legs just hanging off the sides. Stepper can perform a pretty good split, but that is about the range of movement his legs are allowed. If the legs didn't already look weird, there are the two pieces of the car's roof section that literally hang off the side. In between his legs you also have the portion of the back window section where the Micron figure is stored.

 

One cool aspect of the robot mode is the ability for his weapon to be stored via two 5 mm ports on leg kibble bits. Stepper comes with a small pistol with a removable bayonet. It's a rather nice weapon, too bad Stepper can't really aim his weapon however!

Char (or Armada Nightbeat) is an odd Micron figure. Like with Stepper, the vehicle mode is rather nice. I'm not a motorcycle aficionado, but I do find the alt mode to be rather nice looking. Whether or not it's modeled after a real world model, I have no idea.

 Does this even count as a robot mode? While I love the majority of the Micron / Mini-Con figures that have been produced over the years, I can't say this one is my favorite. While the alt mode is pretty great, this robot mode is pretty horrible. I like how the exhaust pipes become the legs, but the whole upper body and the lack of real arms or hands just doesn't do it for me. This one will be displayed in my case in vehicle mode (same with Stepper).

This isn't the best toy in the Micron Densetsu / Armada series, however for some strange reason I still like it. The vehicle modes for both Stepper and Char are pretty great, but the robot modes do require some special love. The kibble and lack of articulation are enough to turn off most fans, but strangely enough here I am giving this toy is own dedicated post. I'm even still searching out the two repaints featured in the Universe series as well as the Armada version to round out all the versions of this mold. This one isn't for everyone, but it's just quirky enough that I like it.

Transformers: Adventure - Psychobat TMC-06

Hasbro and Takara Tomy decided to do a little something with Mini-Cons in their Robot in Disguise (2015) / Adventure series. Instead of just being smaller robots that could aid other Transformers they transformed into various projectile like objects. Think cassettes with Blaster and Soundwave from the original G1 era, the Mini-Con toys interacted with larger Deployer toys such as Fracture. These new Mini-Cons came in various shapes, such as discs, round spheres or torpedos. Psychobat falls in the latter category.

Mini-Cons in the Adventure series came packaged in small window like boxes. Takara Tomy always did package their TFs in cooler packaging than what we received in the West courtesy of Hasbro...at least in my opinion. This packaging allows you to see the actual toy along with the Energon armor bits in the rear.

On the rear of the packaging you get some simple transformation instructions, along with a view of the Energon armor bits and how you can attach them to the figure itself. I believe there is a bio/tech spec of sorts in the blue box, but since I can't read the language this is just an educated guess.

Windra is based on the Robots in Disguise toy Ratbat. Outside of the obvious color change, a clear 5mm port was added. This port allows Psychobat to be attached to other toys or even to be wielded by another Transformer.

In traditional Takara fashion there are more paint applications to the toy than the US version. Psychobat's colors resemble Ratbat's G1 self more so than the toy named Ratbat. Personally I like the light purple more than the maroon that was used on the US release.

Psychobat's alternate mode is a torpedo shape. These type Mini-Cons I feel are the idea versions for the deployer version of Fracture. Not only do these Mini-Cons look great when inserted into the spring loaded launcher, they also seem to launch better.

Like other Mini-Cons, the torpedo shape has an auto-transformation basically. Pull out on each side and you're done. Overall this design does a good job at concealing the robot bits.

The Energon armor bits come attached to a faction shaped symbol. The parts are attached via small plastic sprues. For the older Transformer collectors this harkens back to the days of the original TF toys where accessories had to be removed from little plastic "trees".

In addition to the new deco Psychobat received overseas, so did the color of his Energon weapons.

Some of the Micron/Mini-Con Energon armor bits look good when attached to the toy, but in my opinion this isn't one of those. The armor looks constricting on the toy and doesn't do much in the way of offense like some of the others. I don't care for the armor pieces for any of these Mini-Cons, but if you disagree with me that's alright too.

When the Transformer Adventure Mini-Cons were originally released in Japan they were affordable to import. On the secondary market (at the time of this post) the prices seem to be all over the board, even from Japanese sellers. I used to be a super collector of Mini-Con/Micron toys and that mentality re-surfaced when I learned that the Japanese version of the RID toys would feature different decos. These are fun little toys and I love the new characters and I enjoy them, but your mileage may vary.

Transformers: Adventure - Windra TMC-05

Hasbro and Takara Tomy decided to do a little something with Mini-Cons in their Robot in Disguise (2015) / Adventure series. Instead of just being smaller robots that could aid other Transformers they transformed into various projectile like objects. Think cassettes with Blaster and Soundwave from the original G1 era, the Mini-Con toys interacted with larger Deployer toys such as Fracture. These new Mini-Cons came in various shapes, such as discs, round spheres or torpedos. Windra falls in the latter category.

Mini-Cons in the Adventure series came packaged in small window like boxes. Takara Tomy always did package their TFs in cooler packaging than what we received in the West courtesy of Hasbro...at least in my opinion. This packaging allows you to see the actual toy along with the Energon armor bits in the rear.

On the rear of the packaging you get some simple transformation instructions, along with a view of the Energon armor bits and how you can attach them to the figure itself. I believe there is a bio/tech spec of sorts in the blue box, but since I can't read the language this is just an educated guess.

Windra is based on the Robots in Disguise toy Dragonus. Outside of the obvious color change, a clear 5mm port was added to the tip of the tail. This allows Windra to be attached to other toys or even be wielded by another Transformer.

In traditional Takara fashion there are more paint applications to the toy than the US version. Whether or not the pink, blue and metallic purple of Windra appeal to you more than the neon green and bronze of Dragonus is up to you. Personally, I love the new colors and was excited to add Windra to my Mini-Con collection.

Windra's alternate mode is a torpedo shape. These type Mini-Cons I feel are the idea versions for the deployer version of Fracture. Not only do these Mini-Cons look great when inserted into the spring loaded launcher, they also seem to launch better.

Like other Mini-Cons, the torpedo shape has an auto-transformation basically. Pull out on each side and you're done. Overall this design does a good job at concealing the robot bits. Flip it over however and you can see the feet and the tail. Look underneath the tail and you can see the dragon head.

The Energon armor bits come attached to a faction shaped symbol. The parts are attached via small plastic sprues. For the older Transformer collectors this harkens back to the days of the original TF toys where accessories had to be removed from little plastic "trees".

As I was getting ready to create this post I realized that when I took these photos (which was awhile ago) I realized that I didn't have any photos with the armor bits attached. I almost scrapped this post entirely since it's "incomplete", but instead I'll just borror a pic from the TF Wiki instead!

I like the little helmet piece and gun that attaches to the back. The wings get axe like pieces while the feet get longer talon attachments. I really like the look of the figure with these Energon attachments and in part reminds me of certain toys from the Transformers Energon line.

When the Transformer Adventure Mini-Cons were originally released in Japan they were affordable to import. On the secondary market (at the time of this post) they can be purchased from Japanese sellers for less than $15 shipped. More than I paid, but not too bad. I used to be a super collector of Mini-Con/Micron toys and that mentality re-surfaced when I learned that the Japanese version of the RID toys would feature different decos. These are fun little toys and I love the new characters and I enjoy them, but your mileage may vary.

Mini-Con Sabotage Team

In 2006, Fub Publications took the Transformers Armada mold of Jetfire and repurposed him as Astrotrain for their Transformers Collector's Club. Bundled w/ Astrotrain was a repainted Transformers Cybertron Giant Planet Mini-Con team, dubbed the Sabotage Team.

(from right to left) Astro-Hook, Astro-Line, Astro-Sinker

If those names sound familiar it's because it's a homage to Hook, Line and Sinker - heralds to Unicron in the original (US) Marvel Comics run.

The toys themselves were some of my favorite toys at the time they were released. Each of these molds would see various releases and at one point I owned them all. The submarine (Astro-Sinker) was always one of my favorite Mini-Con molds. The molds for this release feature only a deco change as there were no changes made to the molds.

Astro-Hook is some sort of double crane truck? He reminds me of one of the old original G1 Micromaster Combiners in vehicle mode, especially with the two crane arms. The mold does feature a pretty cool transformation w/ the rear wheels forming the upper torso of the robot. Unfortunately the arms really aren't articulated beyond 360 degree movement at the shoulders.

Astro-Line is one of those designs that looked better on paper than in plastic in my mind. While the alt mode is pretty cool plane, the missiles are a little overkill...in either mode. The nose of the jet covers up much of the robot mode and his legs/feet are thin and small. If you remove the missiles from his hands the robot mode does look a little better, but it's the weak link in this trio if you ask me. The new purple and yellow paint scheme doesn't do much for me either. If you want this mold in your collection, stick with the original release.

In my book the clear winner in this group is Astro-Sinker. This is one of those Mini-Cons that looks good in both modes...something that didn't happen all that often. The submarine is very detailed and translates to a nice robot mode. Yeah the arms are a little long, but I can live it with. I love how the wide the legs and feet are. It not only gives him stability in robot mode, but makes him look more beefy and intimidating. Mix in the new darker color scheme and this is one of the better Mini-Cons released anywhere, period.

I originally kept these trio of Mini-Cons when I was downsizing my collection, opting to sell Astrotrain (and Astrocatcher). Before I gave up my quest to own every Mini-Con/Micron toy, these guys were some of my favorites. The molds were pretty good and the new paint decos were interesting. I have no idea what these guys go for on the secondary market these days, but I know you can find the original Cybertron Giant Planet set for decent prices around the internet. Recommended, but this set is for completionists only.

Transformers Robots in Disguise (2015): Overload & Backtrack

One of Hasbro's biggest issues it seems with the newest iteration of Transformers' Robots in Disguise line of action figures has been distribution. I picked up Overload & Backtrack, part of the second wave of Deployers back in January 2016 from HasbroToyShop. Just in the last 2 weeks have I actually started to see him show up on retail shelves locally in my area. 

At the time I ordered Overload, I had no idea who he was as he hadn't made his appearance in the animated television show yet, but I liked the way he looked and then there is the whole Mini-Con thing...again. Some of you may know I used to be a big Mini-Con collector and at one point had a very large and lucrative collection of Mini-Cons and Microns. I sold off 95% of that collection, however these new RID Mini-Cons have their own unique charm that has been growing on me.

The first Decepticon Deployer released was Fracture. A lot of fans weren't too crazy about the toy for a couple of reasons, however it seemed like the consensus vote was the ugly Mini-Con launching gimmick that hung off the robot mode. Overload has been designed around a new form of Mini-Cons so his vehicle and robot modes are more slimline and pleasing to the eye.

   

While I like the animal themed Decepticons in RID, it's refreshing to see another "normal" Decepticon join their ranks. The inclusion of a new style Mini-Con is also refreshing, however there is something about Backtrack that reminds me of something else...* Bakugan anyone? *

My first impression of Overload himself upon taking him out of the box was how light he felt. He seemed to have a solid overall design, but just didn't weigh much. Most of the vehicle parts are well hidden in robot mode with is a nice touch. Judging from the large wheels on his shoulders, you would think he transforms into some sort of off road vehicle. Kudos to the design team for not making him look so "tank-ish". The orange weapon you see him wielding is actually the launching mechanism when his Mini-Con is plugged into this tank mode. Again, clever way of integrating this play pattern feature into the toy.

(not sure what happened to the photo on the left...when I was editing the photo this is how it came out and I lost my original photo when I had to re-format my camera's memory card)

Once I began to play with the figure for a bit I noticed why he felt so light...several parts of him have been hollowed out such as this arms. I know it's just a cost savings move by Hasbro/Takara Tomy and it's nothing really new, however I don't like the effect it has on the figure. It makes them too light and feel cheap in some cases. 

Backtrack pairs up with Overload nicely. I'm surprised however that his color wasn't matched to Overload's. Playing around with these figures I quickly started to get a bit of a G1 Soundwave vibe. In robot mode the Mini-Con can be transformed back into this sphere form and placed in the clip on the back of Overload's back.

I have to admit that I had fun with Backtrack. I never owned any of the now defunct Bakugan toys, but I can see why he would remind people of that franchise. For me I was reminded of the spherical Transformers released in Japan under the Beast Wars II series. Backtrack features a very simple transformation and when all rolled up he holds the form quite well.

Like the individually packaged RID Mini-Cons, Backtrack comes with a translucent orange Deception symbol shaped "tree" holding on the various detachable weapons and armor bits. You get a piece that fits on the head, two shoulder mounted guns, what appears to be a jet pack of sorts backpack and two pieces that look like feet.

If I'm being completely honest - I really don't like these Energon bits. Maybe it's the translucent plastic that is used. I don't know, but these pieces really don't do much for me. Speaking of the parts, you can leave them attached when you transform the Mini-Con back into spherical form.

As I mentioned earlier, the designers did a good job at hiding the fact that Overload's alternate form was that of a tank. He transforms rather easily from robot to tank and I love how the tank treads are hidden in the back of the legs. Sadly though the tank treads are solid plastic and not rubber. At first glance of this form I was immediately reminded of Armada Megatron and his H style tank form. The little clip in the front also mimmicks the horns of Megatron as well. This clip in the center is what holds and launches the Mini-Con spheres like Backtrack.

Loaded up, Overload may look a little odd however I like the overall look better Deployer Fracture. There is a small black button on top of the orange gun that when pressed, launches the Mini-Con forward.

Overload is a fun toy to play with. My youngest daughter has taken a real interest in the television show and the toys already enjoys launching Backtrack and watching him roll across the floor. Speaking of Backtrack, he has already been repainted and included in a 4 pack of Mini-Cons, current at retail. He seems more like a real Transformer and less of a gimmick toy. I couldn't say that about the Deployer versions of both Drift and Fracture. If you enjoy the show and you like the new style Mini-Cons, I encourage you to pick up this set.

I would like to apologize for the less than stellar photography in this post. Sometimes my current set up works great and then there are times my pictures come out with a quality lower that what I'd like to use. However with my current backlog I just didn't have the time to start over and re-take all the photos. Hopefully my next post with feature better photos.