Transformers United: Artfire

Transformers United Million Publishing exclusive Artfire. It seems we waited for ever since this figure was announced. Part of a mail away program in Japan in conjunction with Million Publishing's Generations 2012 book. Previously Takara Tomy had released Artfire's Targetmaster partner, Stepper, so now the pair is complete. These two characters in the original Japanese Generation One line are the subject of many collector's white whales or holy grails. Now everyone can have updated versions of these two elusive and high sought after G1 Targetmaster characters.

Takara Tomy decided to package both Stepper and Artfire in glossy black and white boxes. The packaging is fairly simple and gets the job done..

I'm used to seeing toy packaging feature great looking artwork or a large window displaying the actual toy inside, so I was surprised and impressed to flip over Artfire's box and see this nice action scene featuring the figures of Artfire and Stepper.

I have no idea what the text says in the upper corner, but you can make out Artfire's tech spec rankings in the bottom right corner.

 

On each end of the box you have a picture of Artfire in each of his two forms.

Tucked away inside the box is the form fitting plastic tray holding hostage Artfire and his two Targetmaster Micron partners. Being a huge Micron/Mini-Con collector I was thrilled to hear that Artfire was coming with an extra Micron, especially when I saw it was the Firebolt figure.

For starters if you have or are familiar with Hasbro's Generations Inferno or Reveal the Shield Grapple, then you'll feel right at home here. While the G1 Artfire was a recolored G1 Inferno, this is more a recolored RTS/United Grapple. Artfire does retain his original red and white color scheme which looks fantastic on this mold. The only thing that can make this release better is if I had the head piece with the white wings to apply in robot mode. Maiden Japan made these head kits, but when I ordered mine for Generations Inferno I decided to wait on the kit for Artfire. Doh!

The paint apps are stellar looking. The translucent blue used for the windows, headlights and light bar really pop with the red and white. The held sculpt is unchanged from Inferno's release, but that's OK since it fits in with the whole G1 to modern upgrade.

Artfire retains the extendable crane arm that Grapple had. Now I know Artfire was a fire truck and this Artfire has a crane arm, but it works. This really doesn't bother me. I'm not sure why Takara Tomy didn't craft an actual ladder piece for this release. Perhaps since it's limited release was part of the equation. Had this been a mass release I bet you a ladder would've been present. I know once of the third party Transformer companies made an accessory kit that contained a ladder for Inferno. I assume if you had that piece you could place it on Artfire...but don't hold me to that.

One thing about the crane arm that benefits this release is the ability to attach both Targetmaster Microns to the hook. Now Artfire can be armed and ready for Destron/Decepticon attacks while driving around in vehicle form!

 

Artfire's two Targetmaster Microns are some of the better Micron molds in my opinion. The one on the left, Nightstick, has been used several times. Most will recognize him as Nightstick, partner of the Decepticon Cyclonus. It was also released in crazy translucent green color as Vector Oracle in Japan as a Micron campaign exclusive. The Micron on the right, Sparks, was first released in the Power Core Combiner line alongside Leadfoot. He was also recolored and released as a free giveaway at Toys 'R Us Japan stores when the Arms Micron series was just kicking off.

Both figures feature new color schemes exclusive to this release. However the are basically color swaps from their other releases.

Probably the best Targetmaster Micron mold, I'm really glad this release lacks the silver chrome plating that the Henkei! Henkei! version (left) featured.  No alterations were made to the mold itself.

While I prefer the other Micron's gun mode, this is one of the best looking robot modes of all the Microns released to date. I love the overall sculpt and the articulation. Left is the Toys 'R Us Japan exclusive Firebolt. Artfire's partner features a high gloss on the black pieces and I just don't care for it. I much prefer the flat black that Firebolt has.

If you own the Million Publishing version of Stepper then you simply must find away to add Artfire to your collection. While I think I actually prefer Stepper when it comes to these two (superior mold IMO), Artfire is a great piece despite the higher price tag. At the time of this post TFSource actually his Artfire on clearance! Unless I win the lottery this is the only way I'll ever own either of these two characters so I'm glad I have them both proudly on display.

Charticon exclusive custom figure fully revealed - Snipenose (G1 Needlenose)

Charticon already wowed me with their exclusive figure, Aftershock (Quake).  Now they knock my socks off with the (full) reveal of the custom class figure - none other than G1 Quake's buddy, Needlenose...or Snipenose in this case (don't wanna be sued by Hasbro!).

At the time of this posting there are a few spots left in the customization class if you are planning on attending Charticon.  I believe there are a few non-attendee kits complete w/ DVD instructions if you're going to be lame and sit out the awesome weekend that will be Charticon.

For more details, pricing and to sign up head on over to Charticon TODAY!

Transformers Bot Shots: Decepticon Brawl (Flip Shot)

When Hasbro unveiled the Bot Shots line I didn't know what to think about them. Small, super deformed like toys that transform when crashed together. OK, I can dig that. Figures can be used in both online battles and as part of a game to play with your friends. Mix in a paper, rock, scissors type game play. Hmm. Honestly I never thought these would get that far and here we are with Series 2 recently being released at retail.

Series 1 featured all the same style crash and transform mechanism, no matter the style of vehicle. The front of the vehicle would be depressed and release the spring. Out popped the arms from the sides and the feet would pop out from underneath, effectively launching the figure up to land on it's feet...most of the time.

Series 2 however mixes it up a bit and introduces Blitz Shot, Flip Shot and Spin Shot. Gone are the molds used in Series 1. Now you have better sculpted robots and a variation to the way they transform when crashed. Personally I was glad to see Hasbro change things up a bit because otherwise this gimmick could have gotten stale.

I haven't really played the game with anyone in person, but I am looking into creating a Bot Shots tournament for a Transformers convention coming to my hometown of Charlotte, NC (Charticon) later this summer. I don't know if kids really play with these much, but I like the concept better than Hasbro's last attempt at Transformers figure game, Attacktix.

The packaging hasn't changed much since Series 1, however the back of the blister card does a better job explaining how (in this case) the Flip Shot gimmick works. The bottom also points out that the game can be taken online at Transformers.com and there are other Bot Shots so you can "crash 'em all!".

The best thing about the different types of transformations now is that you get more unique, character specific molds. Deception Brawl here for example looks great. With his square shaped head and green color I'm going to say he is based on the G1 Combaticon character. At this point I'm only buying the G1 characters.

In robot mode Brawl has his fists up and in front of him as if he's ready to go toe to toe with Floyd Mayweather. He also has a great facial expression as if he's laughing in some mechanical tone. If you look at his legs carefully you can tell they have been sculpted as if his left leg is placed just a bit in front of his right leg. This sculpting couldn't have been done with the Series 1 Bot Shots due to the transformation. His stats are the following:

Fist - 865 | Gun - 425 | Sword - 320

Paint apps are kept to a minimal, but what do you expect from a $4 toy? I just wish Hasbro would've included some black paint or to the inside of the mouth...the exposed green plastic just looks weird.

Brawl's alternate mode is a tank, but obviously some liberties were taken here as he doesn't quite look like his G1 self. I have to say that this is one of the best looking Bot Shot alt modes released so far. Even though he has 4 free rolling wheels, the designer did a good job working in tank treads around the wheels. The toy needs the spring loaded plate on the front to trigger the transformation - hence the large "spiked" plate on the front. As for the rest of the tank there is quite a bit of detail sculpted included. You can tell Brawl was the love of some designer's labor.

Any time you have a spring loaded transformation gimmick there will be times when it just doesn't want to operate as designed. Lord knows a lot of my earlier figures wouldn't land on their feet when crashed together. This new Flip Shot gimmick however is all over the place. I crashed Brawl several times and he only landed on his feet once. Maybe it's just because the spring is still so tight since its new and perhaps with subsequent crashes this tension will improve. As you can tell from my cell phone video Brawl just didn't want to cooperate and land on his feet.

This is a great, fun little toy. I like how Hasbro has taken these to the next level. From what I've seen of Series 2 it appears some of the Beast Hunter characters will be making their introduction into the line. While I'm sure some people will be excited, I just hope they continue to release more G1 characters.

Transformers Cap Bots: Captimus Prime

First Takara teamed with Nike to create a new sub-line of Transformers called Sports Label. We got 3 different transforming Nike athletic shoes...something this fan never saw coming. The Sports Label line came and went and nothing of the like had been done since. Enter Takara Tomy's newest partnership with premier hat maker, New Era.

When I first saw images of these Cap Bots solicited online I thought nothing of them. Then I read somewhere they had push button transformations and I was intrigued. I loved the flip changers from Machine Wars, Beast Wars and RID lines so I knew there would be a chance these 2 guys could equally be cool. What sealed the deal was finding Captimus Prime here for around $15.

As you can see New Era's logo is prominently displayed on the front of the packaging. There is even a gold New Era sticker on the cap's bill! The packaging is really being a resealable clamshell. The instructions are folded up nicely and tucked up in a small compartment underneath the hat.

While the cap is rather small (fits in the palm of an adult's hand) it really is a rather striking piece. First off all the colors are spot on for Optimus Prime. It also holds together remarkably well, although after several transformations I noticed the Autobot symbol doesn't want to line up perfectly with each side.

The back of the cap isn't perfectly rounded however. There are two small columns that are part of the transformation. It would've been nice if the designers found a way to integrate these into the curves of the cap, but honestly they aren't that bad and can't be seen from the front view.

Now to transform him from cap to robot simply press the blue button in the top center of the cap and he pops open!

Like most spring loaded transforming Transformers there is a bit of manual parts moving required. The "ankles" need to be repositioned a bit to stand the figure up right. I will point out that you can make the legs a little shorter by rotating the white piece in his lower leg flat with the feet. Fold down the arms and position the side of the cap kibble however you like and you're done.

I was surprised to see that the figure sports quite a bit of articulation. I mean I wasn't expecting a transforming hat to be that poseable! He does feature a little bit of kibble, but that was expected. At least there is some molding to the inside of the hat kibble (more on that in a second), but what I wanted to point out are the two blue pieces of the cap's bill underneath the forearms. These pieces aren't articulated, but do look like knives or a bayonet of sorts.

The cap's bill doubles as the feet and once separated I can't help but think Captimus has duck feet. The plus side of the large feet is you should have no trouble posing this guy in dynamic poses or just having him stand up right on his own.

If this guy didn't already look cool enough they had to go and sculpt a cap on the robot's head! Genius!

A large portion of the cap that hangs on Captimus' back has some awesome looking sculpting on the underside. I'm not sure if these are supposed to be jet thrusters or some type of offensive weapon. These two pieces connect via a ball joint so they can be posed in whatever manner you desire. Fold them up and over the head for extra firepower, or rotate them down to act has a jet pack. You decide!

So the question remains if you need a transforming hat in your Transformers collection. If you like to obscure then you'll probably really like this guy (or his evil counterpart, Capticon). As you can see Captimus is just a tad smaller than a G1 Action Master. I personally can't say he is worth the $25+ a lot of online retailers were originally asking, but if you can find him for closer to what I paid then I say give 'em a try.

Oh yeah...these Cap Bots are scaled pretty perfectly for your new Encore or vintage Fort Max!

Transformers Masterpiece: Lambor MP-12

I know I'm probably one of the last bloggers on planet Earth to review Takara Tomy's awesome Transformers Masterpiece Lambor, but I say better late than never!  Actually I took and edited the photos some time ago, but this review (as well as many others) just got buried and pushed back further and further.  Blame the delay on life.  Enough about that.  Want to know what I think about this beautiful toy?  Seriously? Alright then, here we go!

Takara Tomy continues the Masterpiece tradition with the flat black cardboard packaging with slick, glossy images.  One thing that glaringly stands out on this release is the inclusion of the gold Lamborghini logo.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time in a very long time that Lamborghini has licensed their brand for Transformers.  On the back of the box is a lot of Japanese text.  Sadly I have no idea what any of this says nor have I found a translation.  Glossing over the words and focusing on the pictures there are some great shots of Lambor in both modes with Convoy / Optimus Prime.  Scale wise I believe Takara Tomy has hit a home run.

I was surprised to see the instructions were folded up.  I half expected the instructions to be laid out in a nice booklet a la BinalTech.  This is actually the back side of the sheet.  I shared this side since it showed off Lambor's accessories along w/ the cool thumb nail from the G1 animation using said weapons.

Behold!  Lambor in all his Lamborghini beauty!  99.7% of the Transformers in my collection are displayed in robot mode, but when I took Lambor out of his packaging for the first time I swear it was very tempting to just place him immediately on a shelve as is.

When early reports surfaced of the relative smaller size of Lambor a lot of people went into panic mode.  When the first pictures hit the internet a lot of complaining seemed to accompany those pictures.  I tried to remain neutral until I had a hands on look.  After inspecting the car over and over I'm satisfied.  Yes, the car is slightly smaller (barely) than a standard modern voyager sized Transformer, but I'm OK with that.  I don't always equate bigger with better.  Take Optimus himself.  MP-01 < MP-10 easily.

As sexy as the car looks, it's not without a few flaws.  From the image above you can probably tell the two spoiler pieces don't want to stay in line with one another.  It's not horrible, but worth pointing out.  A widespread problem with this release were the paint applications.  The majority of the body is cast in red plastic, but the roof section has been painted red and on some of the figures the paint apps were a bit sloppy.  I believe I got a little lucky with mine as the paint looks pretty good.  This also brings up the issue that the two shades of red are a little off.  The large tampographed Autobot symbol on the hood is a bit excessive in my opinion.  It's grown on me over time, but I do wish Takara Tomy would've made this an optional decal or just made it a bit smaller.  So much for "robots in disguise".

I know a lot of fans really wanted Lambor to have rubber wheels like the G1 toy, but we get solid plastic wheels instead.  While I do agree that rubber wheels would be nice and gives off a more authentic look, I'm sure plastic is cheaper in the end over rubber.  I also don't have to worry about the tires cracking and falling apart with age like some of my G1 Autobots.

Both of Lambor's rocket launcher and flare gun can be attached while in car mode via a small peg hold on the top of the roof.  The flare gun actually attaches to the rocket launcher itself.  I don't care for either look, but hey at least it's an option.

Transformation is rather simple and straight forward.  It's obviously more complicated than his G1 self, but not so involved that you'll feel like hurling your figure across the room in a fit of rage (look at you Big Convoy!).  The designers absolutely nailed the head sculpt and over all look of the figure.  I'm still amazed at the similarities of this figure and his animation model.  This was the first new figure that I've opened in quite some time that I simply had a hard time putting down.

Articulation is amazing.  If I wasn't so horrible with coming up with dynamic poses I'd show this off more, but I'll guess you'll just have to trust my word.  For a figure of this size he is amazingly light weight.  I'm not a huge fan of die-cast metal in my toys so this MP figure is right up my alley.

Lambor's rocket launcher can be installed on either shoulder to complete the look that you best prefer.  Sadly though the rocket launcher doesn't launch missiles like the G1 version.  In my haste of taking these pictures I completely forgot to photograph Lambor with his square shaped pile drivers attached.  From what I could tell they simply just fit over his hands.  Nice touch, but what I really hoped he would come packaged with was his rocket pack as seen in the More Than Meets the Eye episode.

Now what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't share a few comparison pictures with his G1 self...especially after referencing it so many times.

As you can tell there are a few differences in the overall look between the two (no exposed wheels on the shoulders on MP-12), but there is no misunderstanding that this is Lambor...sorry, Sideswipe!

Before I get ready to prep my next post there is one more thing to share.  Hasbro Asia started releasing character specific commemorative coins with the Encore release of Devastator if my mind serves me correct.  The vendor I acquired Lambor from included this with my release which was a pleasant surprise.

The coin comes in very clever packaging. The "tire" can be turned a full 360 degrees while the coin doubles as the wheel's hubcap.  I think you'd have to tear apart the packaging to remove the coin so I just opted to keep it as-is.

Interestingly both the packaging and the coin say Sideswipe and not Lambor.  This has fueled the suspicion of whether or not this figure would see a release in the United States.  Personally I'm not holding my breath (due to the Lamborghini licensing deal) and others must not be either as the price of this toy has significantly risen on the secondary market.  For once placing a pre-order made sense.  Lambor by far was worth the $44 (before shipping) I paid.  I originally hadn't planned to pick up MP-13 (Red Alert), but after playing with this toy I quickly placed my next pre-order.  Now that the bar has been set high, I can't wait to see how the Fairlady Z trio turn out.

Transformers 3rd Party: Headrobots - Crystal Cobra

One of the early Third Party companies on the Transformers scene was Headrobot. Their initial release, Cobra seemed to be pretty popular amongst fans. The premise was simple, create new G1 like transforming Headmaster heads.

The Cobra release would go on to be reproduced in several different varieties. In limited numbers Cobra was first released in a all gray prototype color. The mold was also used to create several exclusive versions such as the very nice Nightrider for Japan (complete in a G1 Black Zarak color scheme!) and as Toxin for the 2011 TFCon exclusive. There was even a G.I.Joe themed released dubbed as Snake! The only release that I wasn't familiar with was the Mega Toy Fan exclusive, D-1S Crystal Cobra.

I don't know the whole background on this release, but from the packaging I can deduce that this was an exclusive from summer of 2010. The figure contains the side guns that were also included with Nightrider and Snake. The figure comes packaged in a resealable clamshell with a G1 like insert.

The thing about translucent toys such as this is they are hard to photograph! I will preface this review by saying the toy looks much better in person. I always loved the look of the head, sadly the red plastic doesn't show off the molded details very well.

I already liked the alternate mode of the snake with tank treads, but the addition of the new side guns take it to the next level. The additional gun accessory is quite ingenious actually. The guns snap onto the back of the snake and also doubles as a handgun for a larger Transformer.

The closest Headmaster figure within my grasp was the Horrorcon Snapdragon. Now granted a red translucent head may not blend in very well with any G1 Headmaster figure, it really clashes with Snapdragon's purple!

This release of Cobra isn't for everyone. Unless you are a completionist or just love translucent red Transformers, this is a release you can easily skip. Photographing this toy however has made me really want to grab Nightrider (or Snake) off my wall to photograph so stay tuned. Perhaps there is more Headrobots love in your future.

Marvel Legends: Iron Man - Heroic Age Iron Man

Just in time for Iron Man 3 hitting theaters nationwide this weekend, I have for you the Heroic Age Iron Man from Hasbro's latest wave of Marvel Legends.

Usually the Marvel Legends line of figures showcases characters from across the Marvel universe, but with the latest effort the line will focus on Iron Man and his allies and villains.  This isn't the first time however that a character has been given the spotlight.  The Incredible Hulk had his own wave of Marvel Legends figures (including the awesome Build-A-Figure of Fin Fang Foom!).

For this series Hasbro decided to break up the releases and launch the line with 3 figures, Iron Patriot, Classic Iron Man and Heroic Age Iron Man.  The last 3 figures (identities unknown) will launch later this fall. The Build-A-Figure this time around is Iron Monger.  Now I never read a lot of Iron Man comics growing up (more of a Captain America fan) so when I hear the name Iron Monger I think of the movie design from the first Iron Man flick.  This BAF Iron Monger is modeled after his comic version and ought to be a very nice looking figure once fully assembled.

Full-body Nano-Tech integration.  Self-repairing technology.  Weapons formed with only a thought.  This is beyond advanced.  This...is the bleeding edge!

  

I really like the look of this Heroic Age armor.  Hasbro has done a great job with the rich metallic red paint.  The darker gold metallic blends in well and the light blue hues of the arc reactor and other ports on the armor stand out beautifully.

Articulation is your standard Marvel Legends quality.  Double jointed elbows & knees and swivel bicep & thighs give you that added ability to pull off some good poses.  My only gripe with the figure is the permanently molded fist.  The casting of the hand is excellent, but it does somewhat limit the types of action poses one can put him in.

  

Iron Monger will be comprised of 6 individual pieces.  The torso is packaged with Iron Patriot, the right leg with Classic Iron Man, left leg with Heroic Age Iron Man.  The right & left arms and the head will come in the fall with the last 3 characters.  Any guesses of who they may be?  My money is on the Mandarin.

It seems that all of the BAFs since Hasbro re-launched the line have been small.  Terrax, Arnim Zola and Hit Monkey have exactly blown my doors off, though the first two are gladly in my Marvel collection.  It appears by just looking at Iron Monger's left leg that this smaller BAF trend may be coming to an end!

The instructions this time around are much smaller than with previous waves.  The glossy paper has also been replaced by a flat white paper.  The instructions continue the chapter like info for the characters.  Called "Inside the Armor Vault", this is #3 of 6.

Notable Tech:  Nanoparticles that make up the armor can take the form of any weapon with only a thought from Stark.  

Iron Man enters the Heroic Age with armor that goes beyond Extremis, beyond anything the world has ever seen.  To the rest of us, the armor represents the bleeding edge of technological achievement.  To a genius like Tony Stark, it's just the next thing.

Read more in Invincible Iron Man #25

Skipping the last 2 waves of Marvel Legends figures I was happy to see something at retail that caught my attention again.  I'm very much looking forward to collecting the rest of this series along with catching Iron Man 3 (and Free Comic Book Day) this weekend.