Let's first take a look at G1 Frenzy. This guy is a rectangle with holes in it, which is an uninteresting mode. I'm only kidding, this is his cassette mode, which is depicted with plenty of stickers on the front of it in order to convey the mode he possesses. The blue on this guy is toy-based, with some fiction rolling with this deco while it is more light blue/lavender for the cartoon, where the character is called Rumble instead of Frenzy. On the back, there are a few chrome accents that have been roughed up from previous use, but it doesn't look too out of place with the front section of the altmode. Certainly better than a lot of recent takes on this type of Mini-Con Deployer, such as the Siege version and even the Masterpiece version to an extent. That does come down to the old G1 toys prioritizing vehicle modes more often than robot modes.
He, like every other G1 cassette, can fit inside Soundwave's compartment, and the blue is a different shade from his master (which I appreciate).
With Laserbeak and Ravage, we get a nice variety of colors between cassette members, and I reckon the same could be said if Rumble, Buzzsaw, and Ratbat were added (and by extension, the other cassettes past RB).
His transformation is pretty basic, as the arms and legs fold down while they rotate in place. The head springs up and the weapons go on the back. The resulting robot mode has low-hanging arms and is very flat from the aide, but it isn't a bad job for a first attempt at turning a rectangle into a humanoid form. It should be mentioned that half of his details are stickers, and he isn't light blue & lavender ss the cartoon Rumble is.
His articulation only consists of arm swivels, double-elbows, and maybe knees that are higher than normal. Next to his partners and his big boss, Frenzy makes for a cool addition to any G1 display if you want to have a humanoid partner in a collection.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next, we have the Auto Morphin White Ranger. This is Hasbro's interpretation of Bandai's old toy design rather than a straight reissue like what 2018 had. This guy was in the second wave along with Yellow, Green, and Ranger Slayer. The Auto Morphins were known for their blockier proportions, but the Hasbro versions feel a little more rounded for better or worse (especially at thd hips). Fans probably wondered why the old molds weren't used, it could be due to Hasbro not having access to Bandai molds the same way they did Kenner Star Wars and ToyBiz Marvel (because they bought out both companies and licenses) or because they wanted to do their own spin on the concept while keeping things faithfully retro like the screws on his head and butt. He, like the old toys, inaccurately came with a Blade Blaster in the holster. You could put Saba in there but it's too snug.
His helmet looks incomplete due to the missing paint apps but the sculpt is otherwise good. Just paint in those lines! Anyways the articulation is only present for the shoulders as well as for the elbow swivels & bends; the hips now move outwards in addition to front and back (different from the old hips), and the lower legs can swivel in as well as bend at the knees. The lack of neck articulation is annoying since the 2018 reissues have done that for the civilian heads. And none of the weapons use peg holes.
The chest armor is removable for the gimmick to work properly, though it is a single, flexible piece rather than having it be solid and split apart. The actor likeness to Tommy Oliver in Season 2 is stronger than on the old one, and you can see the molding for the white diamonds! No gold like on the Super Megaforce & Super Legends 5/6 through 8-inch scale versions. He may not be as desirable as the Lightning Collection version, but he makes for a neat novelty regardless. And hey, he has the proper belt buckle instead of the Press-Stop-For-Emergency button Power Morpher.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next, we got Pac-Man's model kit made for beginners. This Entry Grade piece is made for those who are interested in getting into the hobby without the fear of tackling any assembly or detailing elements found in Gundam or Mini-Pla. Almost everything that is yellow, red, orange, or black requires no stickering or paint beyond the eyebrows.
Once he is assembled, he is on-model as expected, capturing the slightly tweaked look he sported since his Smash debut. I love the colors on this guy, being perfect for how his character model looked in the 2000s. There's not much else to say beyond him having ball jointed shoulders and wrists. He's meant to be in his signature thumbs up/wink combo.
For a comparison with his other recent figurines, here he is with the Capchara and Figuarts versions along with the tiny figurine that came with the Chogokin mecha of Pac-Man. He does the thumbs-up pose the best and is one I recommend if you want more Pac-Man in your life. The Figuart is one I recommend more.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And going from a simpler arcade series to a batshit insane anime, we have a debut review for Neon Genesis Evangelion. This is Rei Ayanami in her plugsuit, which is what she and other Eva pilots wear in order to better synergize with their Eva-Units. This figure measures around the same height as a G.I.Joe figure from the past, or the late-2000s era Marvel Universe & Star Wars figures that were in the 3 3/4 inch scale. A surprising level of detail is present in this figure, from the sculpting to the paint apps added throughout the pearlescent white plastic. The proportions of Rei (and by extension, Asuka), look more adult when wearing the skin-tight plug suits, though the wider than normal hips, skinnier midriff, and weird butt detailing likely come from scale limitations when designing the figures, something that might be true for most Microman designs.
Her head sculpt is small yet equally surprising in terms of how it nails the emotionless face of Rei in the anime. The eyes are what sell it, representing this unusual mystery behind the kind of character that seems quiet and reserved from the outside yet has a darker backstory from the inside as is seen with numerous flashbacks in the anime (and I guess End of Evangelion but I didn't see that movie). Also if you think this is going to turn into a dumb MatPat fan theory then shove your modern anime merch up your ass. Anyways, the articulation is impressive for a smaller-scale figure yet it can also be a detriment due to the tolerances it'd get overtime. The head, the shoulders, diaphragm, and hips are on ball joints, the outward-range parts of the shoulders, double-elbows, double-knees, wrists, and ankles are on hinges, the hands and feet can rotate at the pegs they connect to, and there is a rocker joint for the midriff. She can hold her rifle decently and has plenty of alternate hands (one is missing), though I kind of wish she had that spear weapon. This figure is neat for the history of Microman and Evangelion merch, but not one I'd recommend you go out and get. Maybe we'll see her again with Asuka?
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And finally, going from characters that debuted in the past (mixed with either vintage toys or modern recreations), this is Battle Changer Mirage from Rise of the Beasts! Yes, he isn't a classic character (by that I mean a classic rendition of Mirage), but he pop up in the 90s where the movie takes place so he gets a pass. I meant to get this guy reviewed before the mainline Deluxe, but you can see here how much worse he looks than the other toy given how flat the gray plastic looks in addition to the lack of paint apps. At least the wheels are solid gray.
The lack of details is especially prominent on the sides, and the shoulders attach doesn't match the rest of the car. I do not, however, fault this car for not being a licensed Porsche 911 Carrera.
Transforming him is simple though a bit inaccurate given how he actually transforms in the movie. The front being the legs and the back as the upper body really isn't how he works, but we can forgive him. The bot mode is much chunkier than the CG model, though. It reminds me of how the 2014 AOE toys for kids looked, being much chunkier than their Generations counterparts. And he still looks so dull with the gray combined with gunmetal gray, contrasting the silver and blue that popped on Mirage. At least paint his body silver! And yes, he has some junk from the back of the trunk.
His head sculpt is sort of accurate compared to the Deluxe figure's unusual mouthplated face, but would it have hurt them to make it blue? And the gunmetal gray doesn't really help that much on the detailing for the face. His articulation gives him ball joints for the shoulders and hips along with hinge knees. His left arm can flip around to reveal an arm cannon that is compatible with blast effects, which is neat. I find it odd how this guy was the first piece of merch for Mirage back when the movie was coming out, and he was not as seen as a prominent release until after it came out, especially since he was one of the main faces of the movie in addition to the Porsche licensing that went into the Autobot. I don't hate this figure, but after getting the Deluxe and later the Studio Series figure, he will be mostly used for the illusion trick Mirage did on the Golden Gate bridge to trick the cops or when he was going "ONE! TWO!! THREE!!!" when he was about to fight Scourge.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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