Here is Needlenose in his vehicle mode in the form of a jet that looks sleek from the top but has a blocky robot from the bottom. If I'm honest, I shouldn't be surprised that it'd be what he gets considering his jet mode and robot mode designs are really not that compatible. I do like the decals he has as well as the red cockpit, and the color scheme reminds me of the old Lego police sets, but beyond that, the jet mode isn't that great.
The two Targetmasters he comes with can stay under the jet, which further makes the jet mode look blockier than it already is.
The alternate storage method he has requires you detach the feet of the robot mode back to the jet, which means he has some method of defending himself from the back at the cost of making the back of the jet even blockier.
Transformation is practically that of the 2008 Universe Ultra Class Silverbolt figure from 15 years ago.I mean, the legs and torso transform similarly, the wings stick on the back, and the cockpit hinges back along with the wings. It's not that mindblowing of a transformation scheme, and I don't know if I think it was okay for a Universe figure for having such a sequence for a bigger toy or this guy for not being that inventive. The robot mode also feels like the standard non-Seeker Jetformer affair, with the thing giving him his identity being the color scheme he has. It's a pretty good one that feels reminiscent of the late 80s, but the details feel basic, though not lacking in any way. I do find that the solid purple arms come off as distracting, not because he lacks purple elsewhere apart from the feet and Decepticon insignias, but because they aren't broken up in deco. I guess it doesn't really matter given how he isn't someone who'd need that much devotion. And those slots on his chest are hollowed out because he may or may not have some compatibility with a certain Leader Class figure.
Head sculpt is interestingly painted in more than two colors, with the helmet not only being shaped like Optimus Prime but with a knight visor from Super Grovver, but the gray is painted in a darker shade from the rest of the plastic, which is interesting they went with that. His articulation consists of a ball-jointed neck, shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, double-jointed elbows, wrist swivels, a waist swivel, hips that move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle hinges as well as pivots. His two Targetmasters can be held in his guns as expected.
Flipping away the handles reveals that his partners consist of Sunbeam (purple) and Zigzag (black). They have a few paint apps here and there to break up the basic coloring on top of having some decent sculptwork, but I feel like the black paint applied onto Zigzag seems a bit unnecessary if he could be molded in black plastic unless his sprue kit didn't allow it. They amusingly have molded weapons on them but they're otherwise useless without any arm articulation. As Double Targetmasters, you can have them combine into a larger weapon as some Evo-Fusion gimmick, which is basically tricks these characters were already known to do.
For a robot mode size comparison, here he is next to Spinister. They're of a similar height, and both are known as Double Targetmasters, though Spinny may be considered a Quadrouple Targetmaster if I get Singe at some point. Honestly, it's amusing seeing how the Targetmaster concept works with Spinister having both the accessories that are reduced to being normal guns or having the Battlemasters, which may be more functional yet are bulky by comparison. Meanwhile, Needlenose has guns that look better in his hands yet feel feature less articulation. So overall, this new guy manages to be okay for what it is, but I don't think he'll be the must-get figure compared to Hot Shot, Leo Prime, or Tarn. He's fine for what he is, but I see him more as a gap-filler by comparison.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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