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05-30-2013, 02:24 PM | #1 |
WINGNUT & SCREWLOOSE!
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dallas
Posts: 2,172
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Okay, I already have a small bit of history with these two toys, and characters.
When they were first announced and shown off, we were still hot into FoC, which as I've made well known do not impress me in any shape or form. These, especially springer were advertised as FoC (Which we now know are not. Blitz is obviously G1, while Springer is supposedly IDW) On top of that... Springer just looked... weird. Add to that that Springer is a nobody to me. Never cared for his character or design, and I think he's only popular because he's the only Autobot triplechanger to get any meaningful fiction. I already had the target exclusive "War Within" Springer that was a repaint of Cyb Evac, love that mold, and that was fine with me. And the "Classics" Botcon Springer that was a repaint of Cyb Defense Hotshot didn't look remotely like him, and was just stupid. So... another weird looking Springer was a pass for me. We got closer and better pictures surfaced... and he didn't look quite so weird. However... since Generations 1.0, Reveal the Shield, and DotM ended, hasbro's record for toys has been exactly shit, with only two or three toys that were actually worth their price. Only one that's come close to impressing me was Thundertron (I think?), and I only have the Lioconvoy repaint of that. The rest have usually made me regret buying them, the much beloved Shockwave included. So, while I liked the looks of Blitzwing, and Springer was borderline growing on me, I figured these were still going to be flimsy, poorly engineered, full of copouts, and made of cheap plastic. So even though I was looking forward to Blitzwing, I didn't have high hopes. They weren't going to compare to the top of Hasbro's game. I was right... and I was wrong, on all accounts. I will begin with robot modes, as that's how they are packaged. Springer First impressions upon freeing him from his package were low. Springer has a lot to over come. A great character or a great design can overcome a mediocre mold. Springer didn't have any of these going for him, as I always found him extremely boring in both character and his G1 design. But I played with him for a day. Robot Mode- Grew on me. A lot. It doesn't com e across well in hasbro official photos, but he is 100% Nick Roche inspired, if not flat out Nick's design. He has Nick's trademark proportions (Which is why it looked so odd at first, before I could see the Nick influences), and his headsculpt is definitely Nick's style. His sword, made from his chopper blades is actually impressive, which is rare for TF swords. And he has a neat gun. Pressure firing missiles that are in a very spring missile-like gun. I normally do not like firing missiles, but I prefer the pressure styled, so this makes me happy. Kibble is used creatively and placed with artistic purpose, and the color breakdown is very artistic. After sitting on this for a day, it's very obvious now that an artistic mind, who's used to designing transformers is behind this toy. That's very rare now-a-days. The only yellow seen on him is exclusively on his chest and behind his shoulders. The rest of his upper body is contrasted with dark, flat, warm gray. Green is added in his hips, thighs, lower arms, and head. A very flat and unremarkable green, of a shade I can't quite identify. I would normally say it's ugly, but here the subtlety works really well. Very pale cool gray is added to his scheme in his upper shins/knees... the only place this color exists on the toy.And finished off with dark warm gray on his lower shins/feet. I would be proud of this colorscheme if it were mine. Transformation to either mode is pleasantly complex, without being difficult. Unlike most of Hasbro's recent offerings which can be transformed in a few steps, Springer feels closer to the previous Generations in terms of complexity. But this is where the toy also show's it's flaws. The tab system is horrible. Pieces do not line up well, and tabs and matching slots are extremely shallow, and barely fold, if they hold at all.The only tab that holds well is the shoulder clips in robot mode. Also the head and chest during transformation are dangerously close to occupying negative space. Everything has to line up absolutely flawlessly in order to get it through. Helicopter Mode- Like the original springer, it does not represent any real helicopter, though it bares a strong resemblance to most traditional attack choppers. It has a very heavy hardcore Sci-fi feel to it, and would not look out of place in a James Cameron movie, such as ALIENS or Avatar. The colorscheme is kinda all over the place in this mode and is a bit messy here, but still really strong and stays fairly balanced. Yellow becomes more prominent on the front and sides, but still does not overwhelm. As I said earlier, this is where the tab system fails completely. Fortunately there's only one tab in this mode that won't hold at all, and it's not really a "load baring" tab. Rotor blades are cleverly designed. Missile launcher is tricky to connect in this mode, and instructions do not explain how to do it at all. Kind of a dumb design choice how it clips in. Car mode- To be honest, my favorite mode, but the most structurally flawed. The over all design is still extremely sci-fi, and still feels like it's fresh off the set of a Cameron movie. Again, it'd be right at home in ALIENS or Avatar. I love a great fantasy vehicle that feels like it could work and be driven/flown in real life, and this one really hits home in a way the original Springer never did. The colorscheme is the most solid and well balanced in this mode over all others. Yellow is found exclusively on the grill and hood, while green is on the roof, and rims. dark gray makes up the rest. It sounds like a very ugly colorscheme but it works so well. Which is surprising because the yellow hood was one of the biggest turnoffs in early images. There is also absolutely no sign of there ever being a helicopter mode in this (or robot) form. Unfortunately, this is the mode that the engineering fails the hardest. No tab at all connects and holds together in this mode, except the two that lock the shoulder joints in place to the pectoral pieces. Fortunately, the robot mode joints are pretty much solid enough to keep it almost completely stable. The only parts that really suffer from floppiness and instability are the tailfins. Also, the way the sword/props stow under the car is dodgy at best, but still manages to be stable (at least on mine) Fun thing to do- Connect the helicopter prop to the top of the car. It's hella funny. Final Thoughts- I came into Springer with extremely low expectations. And while he failed to impress me at first, over the course of constantly fiddling with him, my initial opinion has changed dramatically, and grown a lot. The mold is extremely enjoyable, despite it's sizable flaws (Engineering/tab issues, being Springer). Something to note though... besides the head, it really does not scream "Springer." As an example, Generations Kup does not really look a whole lot like G1 Kup. Different alt mode, lots of different robot mode design elements, but it still screams "Kup" to me. Springer, for better or worse does not. Put a different head and colors, and never mention the helicopter mode (You wouldn't realize it exists without being told it does), and there's nothing about it at all that's remotely Springer-ish. Take that as you will. I've never been a Springer fan, so likeness is a non-issue for me, really. But, I've come to love this toy. It's not as good as Generations 1.0, or RtS... plastic quality is modern Prime/FoC era, and his engineering is flawed (But at least attempted! Complex pieces are way too rare now!), but it reminds me strongly of some of Hasbro's best. Highly Recommended. Blitzwing's review to come in a bit (Tomorrow maybe). Took me a few hours to write this one.
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05-30-2013, 03:29 PM | #2 |
WINGNUT & SCREWLOOSE!
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dallas
Posts: 2,172
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Also... I would *kill* to have Springer with a new head, repainted into pre-beast Dinobot.
I never would have thought about him as Dinobot before I actually had the toy. (Was actually thinking Sandstorm for Beast Megs, due to the VTOL mode) But, Dinobot head... change the yellow and dark gray to tan, and the green to blue. And he'd basically be really close to the almost impossible breakdowns for the animation model. Plus, he has the huge sword, aside from the missile launcher, he doesn't look extremely militeristic (Which to me is important given the political dynamics. These predacons would have been seen as, and trying to blend in with civilians. Can't see them drving around with giant missiles on their backs, or tank alt modes) And the more I thought about it, the more a helicopter alt mode makes sense for Dinobot, given his spinny tail, and his spinny sword. Plus, Rattrap always calling him Chopperface. And even if it still doesn't make sense... ignore the helicopter mode and just use the car.
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05-30-2013, 09:07 PM | #3 |
WINGNUT & SCREWLOOSE!
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dallas
Posts: 2,172
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Part Two:
Blitzwing As I said earlier, Blitzy was the one of the two I was looking forward to the most. He had some things Springer didn't have. Like I said, a good character, or a fun looking design could overcome a mediocre mold. And while G1 Blitzwing may have been a nobody character, much like Springer... he at least had an awesome design, and pulled off all three modes exceptionally well. And when Animated came about, that version of Blitz got one of the most awesome characters in the franchise. So even if Blitz turned out to be mediocre, he had two out of three over Springer. First impressions once having him were that he felt and looked a little awkward. But he still had all the hallmarks of G1 Blitzwing. Robot Mode- He is a complete "Classics" update of G1 Blitz. Kibble is placed where it should go. It's been years since I had my G1 toy, so I can only guess off memory, but he's pretty accurate. Though I think he's probably akin to Universe Prowl accurate to G1 Prowl, as opposed to G1 Jazz and RtS Jazz (Which I consider a pretty exact update) Now, onto what everyone is most interested in: Head. He has a very similar tripleface feature to Animated Blitz. Yellow G1 helmet, and G1 face is preset in package. With your fingernail, you can "scroll" the chin up to reveal the Animated "Crazyface." Pretty exact version. Scroll one more time to reveal a "G1-ish" version of the "cold" face. And back to G1 face. Personally... as much as I loved Animated Blitz, the feature doesn't really work for me being retconned onto a G1 version of the character. I would have thought I'd love it... but... I dunno. When I heard about it it didn't appeal to me, and seeing the other faces in hand, it really doesn't. Great for everyone who loves it, and it's really well hidden, so it's not distracting. It can be ignored for those who don't like it. The other Animated call out, comes in his legs, which are the tank treads. In G1 his legs were made with the jet engines, similar to Starscream, while the tank treads were hidden by folding yo into his arms. His weapons are pretty exact updates of G1's, which is neat. But compared to Springer, his sword is really underwhelming. Great design, great sculpting, though. His pistol is also a bit undersized, but interestingly designed. I like TF guns that are not missile launchers. He also has one missile launcher in his cannon. Push the cannon barrel in and it launches the spring missile. Interesting also.And designed in a way you can't accidentally shoot yourself in the forehead as I've done so very many times. His colors are pretty accurate to G1... purple chest, purple nosecone, yellow head, khaki all over. Lot of purple on the legs. Only where Springer feels like a work of art, even though accurate... Blitz just feels... messy. Not really sure why Now... flaws. And this is where the figure falls apart. Just like Springer, he has a very poorly engineered tab system. Only what is the fatal flaw is in the shoulder assembly. The tabs do not hold at all. At all. Anytime you touch his arms, it all comes flying apart. The last time I encountered critical tabs designed so poorly was in the torso bot for Energon Superion Maximus (Storm Jet was his name? Can't remember). It's that level of bad. Also... the amount of paint on him is mind boggling. And this is a terrible thing, despite what you'd think. Most "critical" areas are painted, instead of molded in that color.The pieces on his legs that are tan, inside and out are completely painted tan. The gray pieces that are part of his knees are painted gray. His bicep pieces are painted gray, his helmet is only painted yellow His nosecone is made of cheap rubber, and painted purple.. Most of the paint used on him is for essential colors, instead of an intelligent mold layout. And worse yet, it's extremely cheap paint. I've barely touched him and paint is chipped off all over the place. Transformation: Surprisingly complex for modern Hasbro. There are no cheats here. Every part has a purpose. However, the tab system absolutely kills it. There is almost no stability at all. Everything has to line up perfectly, but almost nothing does. And nothing really wants to stay in place. [i]Jet Mode-[i] Has a fairly Macross feel to it, honestly. Don't really have much to say, as it feels like a hot mess. Full of gaps and unallignable bits, and tabs that won't connect. Both G1 and Animated had much better jets. This is his weakest mode by far. Tank Mode- This mode is a lot stronger. The colorsceme feels sloppy, but works mostly. The turret is fairly cleverly designed from his arms, and the treads are somewhat clever. It's a passable tank. Not really much else to say. It's not overly impressive. Final Thoughts: This was a huge letdown. The vehicle modes themselves are not so bad they cannot be overlooked or enjoyed, the engineering and bad paint/poor mold breakdown absolutely kills this toy. With the worst part being the shoulder assembly. I find the shoulders to be so bad that if Hasbro or Takara do not reengineer and remold them for the repaints, I think the mold should never be used again. If I were grading it, it'd end up at a C-, to D. And mostly only for acknowledging the ambitious concepts behind it, and an attempt to do a level of toy they used to do really well. But cheap plastic, cheap paint, poor decisions, and terrible engineering. 3Ps do better than this. Unlike some bad toys recently though, I don't regret buying it. Mildly recommended, and only if you're a Blitzwing fan, or if you feel your classics display will never be complete without him.
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05-31-2013, 10:05 AM | #4 |
Dark Lord of the 'Ark
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 8,224
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I absolutely love Generations Springer and cannot recommend him enough. I actually prefer Nick Roche's design over Floro Dery's (and the toy certainly captures the former much better than the G1 toy captured the latter).
The only flaw I saw when I got the toy was his shoulder joint was mis-assembled and it prevented one of his arms from tabbing into the slot on his chest properly (it would constantly work itself loose). But once I exchanged it for a correctly-assembled version, I've had absolutely no problems with any of the modes or tab/slot combos. Everything fits together quite solidly, aside from the rear flap on the cockpit assembly in copter & car modes. But since it's not a critical part of the infrastructure for either of those two modes, it can be ignored. As for Blitzwing, I'd have to agree with about 90% of your review. I hate the shoulder design. Part of it is the very flexible plastic they used for the base of the arm/shoulder assembly (the part that allows the tank turret to rotate). If the plastic had been more rigid, the tab system might have worked. Otherwise, I think they would have been better off using a standard peg-and-hole system. In his YouTube review, Peaugh mentioned a method to get the shoulders to lock in properly, but I have yet to be successful when I try it. Having said that, I've had no problems with getting everything to lock into place on his tank and jet modes, save for his spring-loaded head. (There's some irony: Springer has no springs in his toy, but Blitzwing has two and both are arguably unnecessary). As for the alt modes, I found there's a trick with trick with the swivel joint that attaches the treads to the legs. It is also on a slider joint and the slider has to be in the correct position in each mode (they are different for plane and tank). Also, the tabs on each leg (the ones that hook into the main body) is T-shaped, so you have to slip it under and into the C-shaped notch, rather than forcing it straight in. Once you get those two things sorted out, all the remaining tabs and slots should line up properly and give you two very solid alt modes.
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Last edited by trebleshot; 05-31-2013 at 10:07 AM.. |
05-31-2013, 01:50 PM | #5 |
WINGNUT & SCREWLOOSE!
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dallas
Posts: 2,172
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Yeah, I discovered that the treads slide out. Like I said, rather ingenious the way they designed the treads to legs conversion.
His tank is fairly stable. But no peg really holds in jet mode on mine, making that mode just one hot mess. But I agree for springer. I do prefer this to the Floro Dery. But of course, I prefer everything to Floro Dery. And I still want a Dinobot repaint. I will NEVER come off that until it happens.
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06-04-2013, 10:51 AM | #6 |
Dark Lord of the 'Ark
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 8,224
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Quote:
I know it still won't make up for the horrible shoulder design, but I hope that helps a little. Quote:
And I still want a Dinobot repaint. I will NEVER come off that until it happens.
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Tags |
blitzwing, crazy jetty, generations, hasbro, springer, transformers, triplechanger, voyager |
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