We had Snarl show up in both the SS86 line-up as a Leader Class guy before we'd get his Core Class counterpart, which is quite amusing since both showed up on the same year while the original 3 Dinobots showed up long before the reveals of Core Class Volcanicus, and we have yet to get SS86 Swoop (Scarr obviously not being in G1). As for Bumblebee, it was quite amusing that we got the original use of the mold be the pink Laserbeak rather than the yellow scout himself. Regardless, we have these two to cover, so let's get down in on it!
Let's first cover Snarl. He has very stubby legs, his head is too close to the floor, and he has more or less the same amount of details present on the SS86 Leader. I can forgive the paler gold plastic on this toy because the head, forelegs, spinal plates, and tail match each other better than the Leader. And if you can barely tell, his sword is stored underneath his stomach.
And next to his fellow Dinobots, who are each somewhat derpy in terms of their proportions or detailings, but I can at least forgive them due to their smaller scale as well as them also working in their combination as Volcanicus. Many will ride on the hype towards the numerous Legends-scale Dinobots throughout the years, I can forgive them due to the fact that they were NOT meant to be the definitive versions of the G1 Dinobots in recent times. That job belongs to the SS86 team.
Transformation is pretty basic but it is faithful on the same degree Swoop is, resulting in a better-made robot mode than most of the other figures we previously covered. The only partsforming that doesn't involve a weapon is his stego back, which relocates onto his robot back. Snarl's robot mode is just as good as Swoop's, no doubt due to his proportions and design traits not being betrayed by either the smaller scale or his new gimmick. While there are weird tabs on the arms, holes for the chest and crotch, as well as gaps for the tail halves, he still remains great-looking nonetheless.
His articulation consists of a neck swivel, ball joints at the shoulders and hips, a waist swivel, and elbow & knee hinges. He can hold his sword no problem, though it does look a bit undersized. Regardless, he looks pretty comparable to his Studio Series counterpart in this more moreso than in dino mode. I do wish he had an Autobot insignia on the chest, though.
And here he is along with his fellow Dinobots once again, this time in robot mode. Once again, a flawed but valuable set of Dinobots worth looking into if you ask me, especially if we're finally going to complete the mode that you bought all six of them for!
And now, transforming him into his leg mode is similar to Grimlock, only this time, you have to take the backpack off once again and relocate it in front of the arms in the bunched-up leg mode. I appreciate that you don't get a weirdly asymmetrical design for the leg mode compared to Grimlock. But that being said, Volcanicus is now complete. I'll be honest and say that it's weird going to this design after the last take on Volcanicus was a larger toy comprised of five Dinobots. Grimlock is no longer the torso? Slag and Sludge no longer torsos? While Snarl is still a leg by default, he is now the right leg rather than the left leg. Swoop remains the same but replacing Slash is Scarr, this time being the left arm. This combination is different from the POTP design, but using influence from Dinoking/Monstructor is something I approve of. This design could easily be retooled into either gestalt, and I wouldn't mind if that was the only version of either that we would get. It's not like Menasor or Superion where both of them feel like the average necessities of a G1 collection. And the same goes for Dinoking/Monstructor/Volcanicus. Admittedly, the proportions on him are a bit wonky, but I don't mind for a scale like this compared to how unusually lanky the POTP version was. Plus, if Grimlock being the leg is weird, think of Scrapper.
Head sculpt is somewhat soft in details due to the size as well as the glossy black paint, but it is carried over in terms of design from the original. The articulation consists of 5mm port swivels for the neck, shoulders, and above-the-knee swivels, hinges for the outward arm movement and knee bends, a normal waist swivel, and ball joints for the double-jointed elbows as well as the hips. You could give him Snarl's sword, but it looks ridiculously small and more like a dagger.
Next to him is Legacy Evolution Dreadwing. He is average-Voyager size, which is expected when made up of a bunch of Core Class figures. I kind of hope that we do get a retool as Dinoking or Monstructor, but preferably, as a Generations Select set rather than put throughout the entirety of a series of Core waves.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next it's none other than DOTM Bumblebee. In vehicle mode, he's the same as Laserbeak, only yellow as he should be and with gunmetal gray wheels rather than black.
The robot modes are the same, only the gray plastics are slightly lighter and the heads are different. Rather than an exposed face, Bee gets a masked head complete with a tiny Autobot insignia. It's funny how DOTM Bee has a mask but the Studio Series Deluxe doesn't. This mold grew on me a bit more, though I do wish the chest was a little more stable when attacked to the backpack.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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