Review – Transformers – Masterpiece Sunstreaker (MP-39)
Posted inMasterpiece

Review – Transformers – Masterpiece Sunstreaker (MP-39)

I don't really collect Masterpiece Transformers, not on any sort of large scale.  I have a few, the original MP-01 and MP-05 Optimus and Megatron.  Though both of those are in the old larger scale of Transformers.  I use MP-08 Grimlock as my "Classics Grimlock", because it's a nice looking toy and his bulk makes him nice and imposing next to mainline sized toys.  Sunstreaker is more of a personal indulgence.  When he was announced, he looked really nice, and when a reissue of his brother Sideswipe was announced to go with him, I definitely wanted the pair. So, I…
Transformers – Studio Series – Jazz
Posted in2018 - Studio Series

Transformers – Studio Series – Jazz

Studio Series is a line that I wish I were more excited about.  I just really don't have a need or interest in updated versions of most of the Movie Transformers.  I had heard a lot of good things about Jazz, and the only other version of Jazz was the one from the first movie, which wasn't a bad toy but not super great.  After finding him on sale, I decided to go ahead and pick him up, though I was a little worried about his size. The size of this figure is definitely the most noticeable thing.  Jazz is…
Review – Transformers – Titans Return Overlord
Posted in2016 - Titans Return

Review – Transformers – Titans Return Overlord

Overlord may be slightly less familiar to a lot of people because he wasn't a part of any major show continuity in the US. He was the big dog Decepticon in the Japanese series Super God Masterforce, and showed up a bit in some of the other Japanese only G1 shows. His other major role was as the protagonist in the popular IDW comic arc, The Last Stand of the Wreckers. In the original continuity he was a double Power Master. He had two Power Master figures who could slot into his chest behind the panels on his chest. In…
Transformers – Studio Series – Black Out
Posted in2018 - Studio Series

Transformers – Studio Series – Black Out

As sort of a last hurrah for the Michal Bay Transformers series, which is effectively done, Hasbro has been doing a sort of "greatest hits" line themed around the movies called Studio Series.  It's not a bunch of re-releases though, it's new molds of most of the figures, with an emphasis on Robot Mode Scale.  It's also a way for Hasbro to give us better versions of a lot of characters who aren't named Bumblebee or Optimus Prime.  Often in the case of movie toys, for the sake of spoilers, toy companies end up working from pre production art and…
Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Topspin and Twintwist
Posted in2016 - Titans Return

Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Topspin and Twintwist

Where Combiner Wars did it's duty by giving us remakes of all of the original Combiner Transformers, it also used that opportunity to repaint all of those molds into different versions of the original G1 Autobots.  Titans Return has been moving into a lot more interesting territory.  There's a lot more updates of Targetmasters, Movie bots and in this case, Jumpstarters.  Topspin and Twintwist were a pair of very similar G1 bots that had one specific gimmick.  Pull them back, and a motor would speed the vehicle along and eventually it would pop up and land on it's robot feet. …
Review – Transformers – RiD – Scorponok
Posted in2015 - Robots in Disguise

Review – Transformers – RiD – Scorponok

Possibly the last of these fun little animal Decepticons we're going to see is Scorponok.  There's also a Toys R Us purple colored repaint of this figure called Paralon, who actually really resembles Beast Wars Scoponok, but this review primarily covers the normal brown colored mass released version.  Scorponok's animal motif is, a scorpion. In fact, he simply IS a scorpion in his alt mode.  While the other Decepticons all turn into vehicles with animal like themes in robot and beast mode, Scorponok just turns into robot and a scorpion.  Straight out Beast Wars style.  He has a really unique…
Review – Transformers – Combiner Wars – Computron (Technobot Giftset)
Posted in2015 - Combiner Wars

Review – Transformers – Combiner Wars – Computron (Technobot Giftset)

Combiner Wars was definitely an interesting take on the line.  The need for every figure to be a robot and a vehicle and an arm or a leg really made for some pretty similar designs across the board.  All of the most well known combiners, Superion, Menasor, Bruticus, Defensor, ended up with a release in the main line.  Devastator got a massive Titan Class boxed set release as well.  One vehicle combiner missing from the mainline was Computron.  Instead of individual releases, Computron came available at the tail end of the line as a boxed set only, though he consists…