Transformers 3rd Party: Vecma Studios - Head Warrior Wolfman VS-02

It seems that over the past few years the focus on 3rd party companies making Transformer related items has shifted from "masterpiece" scale over to "legends" scale. I for one am OK with this as generally the prices are more affordable and the figures are easier to pick up and fiddle with versus the more expensive and larger figures.

Vecma Studio appears to be yet another new company on the 3rd party Transformers scene, however I would not be surprised if it's an offshoot of another existing company. I don't know much about them, but Wolfman is the second purchase of theirs I've made and I'm quite impressed and happy with their work. Whether these are essentially KO's of Unique Toys' Palm Collection I'm still undecided, but the resemblance is uncanny.

One thing I like about these Vecma releases are the packaging. The box is made of a thick, glossy cardboard and features the classic Headmasters packaging from the Japanese Takara releases from the 80's. I know some people no longer keep packaging, but this presentation is just too nice to toss away. With the nice artwork on the front I'd love to find a way to display the box with my other vintage Japanese G1 boxes.

The contents are housed in a black plastic tray with a clear lid. The instructions are a simple folded, full color sheet. Wolfman comes with 3 accessories/weapons along with what appears to be a tiny power loader from the Alien movies. I still don't understand the inclusion of this so I'm basically ignoring it.

Once I got the figure out of the packaging I was impressed. I did notice that the right toe had a slit in the plastic that the other toe didn't. Then I realized the uneven symmetry of the legs. Once I flipped the figure over I understood the reason for the legs as I could see the "cockpit" on the backside of one leg and the rear wolf legs on the backside of the other leg. This was my first clue of the rather clever transformation this figure had.

Overall Vecma did a good job at capturing the likeness of the character. The yellow and dark turquoise used match the original Generation One toy. You'll see this first hand once we get to the comparison section of the review. 

The Headmaster gimmick is still in play!

This figure is well articulated, however you may not be able to tell that from my horrible posing ability. The area where the head plugs into is part of larger circle piece. This allows the head to be fully rotated which is something that I did not expect. The arms are on ball joints and allows for a full 360 degree rotation. The upper torso has a swivel joint to allow the top half to be rotated 360 degrees. The legs are attached to the hips via ball joints, as are the needs. The upper thighs have a swivel joint as well. The fists and feet do not have any type of joint to allow movement.

Wolfman comes with his dark turquoise gun and sword/tail as the original G1 toy. He also comes with an identical gun case in the same light gray plastic as the wolf head.

In wolf mode this figure reminded me of how the Titans Return/Legends figure of Weirdwolf. He's very slender in this form which is a drastic difference over the original G1 toy. The robot arms double as the wolf's front legs so you still have a pretty good range of motion. However the back hips peg into the body so they do not move. This does limit the poses you can pull off with the rear legs. The wolf head does rotate a full 360 degrees as part of the transformation.

Speaking of the transformation, I rather like what they did here. Earlier I mentioned how I found the symmetry of the robot legs to be off. This is because the right leg splits in half. Before you split the leg, you rotate the top half at the waist 180 degrees. Split the right leg to form the rear of the wolf. Very ingenious. The only down side to this is it does leave a few small gaps in the center of the wolf's body. Viewing the toy in beast mode from an angle doesn't expose these gaps, but from a side view they are noticeable.

You can lift up the metallic red painted cockpit to reveal an area behind the wolf's head where his Headmaster trainer, Albite can sit (or stand if you prefer).

All the joints were nice and tight straight out of the package. Thankfully they weren't so tight it felt like anything would snap during posing or transformation, but they were tight enough to hold certain poses.

Comparison time! I was able to reach into my glass case and grab out my vintage G1 Weirdwolf for the side by side shots. Wow, I haven't messed with this figure in years. While he was my favorite Decepticon Headmaster I have to say that if I'm being honest this figure really isn't that great. Once I got the two side by side you can see just how chucky the G1 version is. It is amazing however to see how far the engineering of transforming robot toys has come.

   

Here we can see the differences between the two Headmaster trainers, Albite and Monzo. For being such a small figure, I was surprised at how well he was resembled Monzo. Albite's arms are on the same peg so when you lift one arm, both arms raise. 

In head mode there are some liberties taken with the face, but I'm OK with this. A darker metallic red paint was used for the eye visor and looks great. The other noticeable difference is the absence of the flat pieces of plastic just in front of the tiny robot head/peg that effects the tech spec reader built into the body.

I do have to admit that I'm not a fan of Wolfman's chest piece featuring a hinge on the top. Of note the tech spec ratings are the same as Weirdwolf's.

 Here you can see the aforementioned gaps in the body.

This is Vecma Studio's second release thus far, with the first being Chivalrouser VS-01 aka Chromedome. While I found that figure to have less flaws than Wolfman, that does not mean that this isn't a good figure. Personally I think the robot mode is the stronger of the two forms. The flaws are so small however that they shouldn't deter you from picking up this figure if you have a budding legends class collection. It's well made and a lot of fun and will display well however you wish.

Transformers Prexio Mini Figures

Hasbro is not shy about sharing their Transformers license with other companies. Recently a small company from Hong Kong, Prexio Limited released some small PVC mini figures to discount stores. These were based on classic Generation One characters such as Optimus Prime and Megatron. My older brother happened to find all 6 at a Dollar Tree store.

The packaging for these mini figures are quite nice, something I didn't expect from an item manufactured exclusively for discount stores. Each figure comes in a small foil bag featuring the original 80's art from the toy packaging.

Each figure stands roughly 2 inches tall and are made of a hard plastic. The figures are in a fixed position so no articulated arms or legs. The paint apps are ok, but some of the colors used are questionable. Don't even get me started about how the hands are posed!

Outside of the hands, I really like this Optimus Prime mini figure. The mold itself is pretty nice, as are the paint apps. The paint on the face is a mixed bag, but I've seen worse.

I never have liked the Bumblebee character, but with his overexposure today I have come to loathe the character. At least this mini figure is based on his classic animation model and not his original toy.

Hands down Grimlock is the best of the Autobot figures. He's got some heft to him and looks like he jumped off the screen. I love his tiny arms.

Here is Optimus alongside one of Super 7's Keshi figures...which are in similar size to the original rubber Decoys from the 80's.

I have mixed feelings over Megatron. There is something about the face sculpt that I can't get past. Yes, it looks like Megatron...but it doesn't. I'm not sure about the black used on the lower portion of his torso or on his legs.

Starscream perhaps looks the worst of the bunch. The mold itself (minus the hands) isn't that bad, it's the color choices made that detract from the figure. The figure is cast in a metallic like silver plastic and in my opinion is too dark to mimic his original silver color in both animation and original toy. The head should have been painted black, just sans the red used for the eyes lacks any other paint apps.

Finally we have Soundwave, everybody's favorite transforming cassette recorder. The mold used for Soundwave gets the job done. It's not great, but it's better that Starscream. The paint apps are serviceable. I do like the large purple Decepticon insignia on his chest, nice touch.

Megatron with Super 7's Keshi figure of the Insecticon, Shrapnel.

For a buck a piece you get what you pay for. Well maybe a little more or a little less depending on the character, but none the less these make for a nice "desk bot" or just something to look at for a few seconds before discarding in a junk draw on placing into your favorite character collection. I'm glad my brother was able to pick up a set for me because I never saw them in my limited trips to the local Dollar Tree store.

Transformers 3rd Party: Mechanic Studio - MS-02 Engineer (Huffer)

I've stayed away from the 3rd party Transformers scene for awhile now, but every once in awhile I like to dip my toes back in the water so to speak. I've been really intrigued with some of the various legends scale toys that several different companies have been pumping out. While some are better than others, I've liked most of what I've gotten my hands on. I've been sitting on this toy for some time so let's get to it.

I don't know much about the Mechanic Studio company, but they've been producing a lot of the popular Generation One characters. Huffer is one of my favorite minibots so I'm inclined to pick up any new version of the character I run across. In this case, Huffer, known as Engineer, comes in the same packaging as MS-03 Heikew (aka Pipes). I assume this is a cost saving move since the mold is essentially the same? Either way, the box features some nice art on the front. I've heard they have "borrowed" artwork from others in the past and not given the rightful owner proper credit so I hope that isn't the case here. The back of the box shows both toys in their robot and alt modes.

Each side of the box showcases either Engineer or Heikew along with their included little armored dude. I'm still not sure what these are supposed to be or why they are included.

Once Engineer is freed from the plastic tray inside the box you get a fairly cartoon accurate rendition of the Huffer character. The colors are spot on to his animation model, as is the head/face sculpt. The plastic felt pretty good upon first inspection. Paint apps were nicely done as well. Just need a Autobot sticker for his chest to complete his look.

Obviously this is a step up from the original Generation One toy. While it's a fun little toy, it looked nothing like the character's animation model. This annoyed me as a kid so much. I'm glad to have a new, small version of Huffer that looked like his screen counterpart.

One of the included accessories packaged with Engineer is this welding torch...or at least I think that's what it is. Maybe it's an oil applicator...I don't know and frankly I don't care. It's a great looking piece and a nice added touch. I like his it fits around the fist and looks like it's almost integrated into the arm itself. In the first season of the Sunbow cartoon many of the Transformers were notorious for retracting their hand and replacing it with some type of gadget.

I was surprised to see how many different points of articulation this figure had. The head can rotate a full 360 degrees, arms are attached via ball joints and have a good range of motion. Elbows and knees feature hinge joints. I will add that the joints on my figure were incredibly tight upon removing it from the package, especially the arms.

I love the look of Engineer's alt mode. Just like the robot captured the likeness of the character's Sunbow animation look, so does the truck mode. The blue paint used for the windows has a slight metallic sheen and looks great in person. It blends well with the muted orange and with the silver accents. The only negative thing I have to say about this mode is the exposed purple plastic on the smokestacks/arms. From the rear view you can't see these small pieces, but from an angled view they are exposed. Not a deal breaker, but it's there. The wheels rolled nicely along a smooth flat surface. 

Transformation from robot to truck was only a few steps and pretty straight forward. This I found very refreshing because many modern Transformer toys are too difficult for me to figure out without looking at the instructions anymore. This transformation wasn't too far from the original G1 toy.

One thing I do appreciate from the designers is when the weapon or accessory included is worked into the vehicle mode itself. Here you can see Engineer's welding torch fits snugly in the rear center of the truck.

Comparison time! I had the G1 toy near by in my glass cases that house my entire G1 collection. The Titans Return version was within reach as well so I grabbed him for a few comparison shots. Here you can see that Engineer is the bigger figure, but not by too much.

When comparing robot modes Engineer is the clear winner in my book. What about you? Which version do you prefer?

Engineer scales well with the modern deluxe/warrior class in my opinion. The scale of most third party TFs is all over the place, but I think he looks good alongside Combiner Wars Sunstreaker here.

Here we have Engineer side by side with Hot Soldier's version of Ironhide. Scale is obviously off, but who cares?

Overall I was very pleased with Mechanic Studio's effort here. They took a character I loved as a kid and finally gave me and other fans a toy that looked like the character we watched on TV each and every afternoon after school. He was reasonably priced at $20 or so. I haven't purchased anymore of Mechanic Studio's releases, but not because I wasn't impressed. I've really scaled back on my TF purchases outside of Hasbro main releases, but I may look into more of their releases at some point.

Los de Convertibles: Camioneta

I'm always on the lookout for odd and weird transforming robot toys, especially from the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. While I have found a lot of interesting toys from all over the world, today's subject is kind of a first for me.

I say kind of a first for me because while I'm familiar with this mold, this one hails from Venezuela. Released by a company called Matrisa. I've not been able to find any information on this company, but from the packaging it appears these were licensed from Village Toys. They are the ones responsible for Convert-A-Bots in the US...which in turn "borrowed" many of the molds from Mark/Select, also known as Converters in the US.

When I saw this boxed sample online I couldn't resist purchasing it. I figured the toy would be crap, but it's so odd and it had the original box how could I not pick it up? I'm told by another reputable collector that the instruction booklet was originally affixed to the area to the right of the toy...which makes sense. I love how colorful the box is and the grid like pattern used reminds me of the original run of Transformers. Coincidence? 

On the back of the box we get to see each toy released in the line...which was just 3 toys. However I do believe based on eBay listings I've seen that these molds were released in various colors. How many different colors I have no idea, but I have seen a red "Mustang" toy online.

Out of the package we have the toy itself, "Camioneta", a blue monochrome instruction booklet and a unused sticker sheet. The booklet again shows the 3 different models and a brief transformation sequence. The stickers feel they are printed on cheap paper and I highly doubt they would actually stick to the toy if I were to try and apply them. I do like the animation style stickers for the alt mode's windows and I'm sure those orange/yellow stripes would help break up the black color used for the alt mode. The chest and waist sticker were already applied to the toy when I purchased it. When I took the photos I felt like those stickers would fall of if they were messed with too much.

If this toy looks familiar yet it's because it was released as the character "Van" by Select in their Convertors line. By the way, here is a great and informative website for Convertors and lots of other similar toys.

Camioneta seems to be the same mold as Van, however the quality of the plastic and metal used is far inferior. For starters the legs are off with one side just a tad longer than the other. This causes the figure to "lean" to this right. The head sculpt appears to be 1:1, however Camioneta's is cast in a sold red plastic with zero paint apps. The stickers used seem to be original to this release.

There is very little articulation in this figure. The arms rotate a full 360 degrees, but do offer a level of resistance. This may be to the transformation or to the quality (or lack there of) of the materials used. The legs bend as well, but that's more because of the transformation. Thankfully the toy does stand on his own fairly well with no addition support.

It may be hard to read in the above image, but the markings on the inner part of the legs are the same as the Convert-A-Bots version of this mold.

Camioneta's alt mode is that of a minivan. I can't quite place what real model it may be based on...perhaps a Toyota? As you can see it doesn't hold together all that well. I believe it's because of the lack of quality plastic and metal used. The tires aren't plastic, but more of a rubber...however they are hard and not soft. Perhaps this is due to it's age? At least I don't see these tires cracking and falling apart as I've seen with other toys from this time period.

From the rear you can see the issue with the legs. I still can't tell if it's the pin that connects the legs or if there is a problem with the mold itself. Since this is the only time I've seen this toy I can't say of the issue exists in other specimens. 

While the overall quality of this toy leaves a lot to be desired, I find this quite fascinating and I'd love to find additional (boxed) specimens. I'm always on the lookout for these types of toys as I love learning about their history and then sharing what I find with others. If anyone reading this has any information I'd love it if you'd share it with me in the comments.