Transformers Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection Cosmos review

Unidentified Flying Objects are hard to find, and so is Cosmos. Yes, one of two new molds in the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection, and it had to be a G1 character that was impossible to find. Man, I thought Scourge and Override would be hard to get since one was a more popular repaint of the Laser Prime mold and another is a Cybertron character with an arguably better new toy compared to her older version, but slagging COSMOS had to be the most scalped figure in the subline, with a Siegeswipe repaint known as Deep Cover being in second place somehow. This would be fine if we got a repaint of this mold as Path Finder in blue after we got it in regular Legacy as Cosmos, but what do I know. Anyways, is this shortpacked doorbell spaceshape worth hunting down and/or paying for way more in the aftermarket, or are you better off not believing in the existence in UFOs?

Here we have Cosmos in his UFO mode. It's undoubtedly the iconic flying saucer that he's taken form of in the many iterations of G1. Certainly a taller one with the top being longer than with the other versions. It's a fairly classic look for Cosmos otherwise, with the details that'd later represent his robot-mode chest being painted nicely, and we get the mini guns on the front with the thrusters on the back. His shade of green is dual-tone and they aren't the exact same shade of green that was found with the G1 toy. If anything, the most glaring issue has to be the slightly exposed yellow surrounding the tower, but that's fairly minor if I'm being honest. He could use the yellow stripes, though. And weapon storage like always is the typical weapon-slapped-on-roof-or-side schtick, but he looks funny with the checkered flag on it.

For a vehicle mode comparison, he's more or less around the same size as the other Minibots, being closer to Pipes than Goldbug and Cliffjumper. I don't mind it since the other Minibots can be in different sizes from one another. Makes them unique and not the same height as in G1. And yes, those two repaints are SS-86 Cliffjumper and Buzzworthy Goldbug.

Transformation is pretty fun for this guy; I originally anticipated it to be the same as with Origin Bumblebee (and we'll get to how that was initially going to go), but it's pretty unique for a character like Cosmos. The arm assembly swivels around so the shoulders can be placed in a better position than on the old toy's assembly, while the waist can hinge forwards to allow the legs to be parallel with the rest of the torso. And instead of pulling the head up, we instead have it on a panel that flips like on Siege Jetfire's chest, only for the head. And the resulting robot mode is done up very well, as it remains accurate to the design Cosmos is known for: stumpy, yet presenting a bit of power to him so as to not make him look like a slouch. The yellow is painted on his arms and doesn't match the plastic legs, but it's fine. He has a bit of an unsightly backpack, but at least it's better than the old toy's rampy butt. 

Head sculpt is shaped like Magneto's helmet if it was shaped like a flattop. You not only have the yellow face and mouthplate, but we also have a ridge that almost looks like what the old toy used, only now it's a deliberate detail. Articulation consists of a ball-jointed head, shoulders move front and back, in and out (which click when straightened down), swivels at the elbows, elbow bends, a waist swivel, hips that move front and back as well as in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots.

His weapon can either be a checkered flag (with an unpainted side that can be used for slowing cars down or surrendering) or a normal gun if you remove the flag piece. Amusing how this got no problem but people got mad over Blitzwing's new hands. It's cute either way, and I'm happy that we got a proper Cosmos mold. In fact, this wasn't what we were going to get initially! At first, Cosmos was going to be a retool of Origin Bumblebee given how some of the design choice vaguely match the character designs, but HasTak designers later found out they can actually make a newer mold with as few sprue trees as possible, which explains why the bulk of the figure made up for the hollow parts of the toy. That's a pretty cool design process, though I still hope Origin Bumblebee gets reused in another way, like a Glyph!

For a robot mode comparison, he's in-between the likes of Huffer and Warpath, two of the taller Minibots, and our BumbleJumper duo (not to be confused with Bumper). It's a pretty good way to change up the scale between all of the characters in the subgroup, and it makes me wonder what to expect from Brawn, Gears, Windcharger, Beachcomber, Powerglide, and Seaspray (Wheelie is a Core Class toy, and retools for Outback, Swerve, and Tailgate have yet to be made). I honestly think this guy is pretty cool as a toy (apart from some of the hollow parts that stem from the limited sprue trees), yet the limited distribution that Hasbro gave this guy is extremely frustrating. Why is it that Hasbro refuses to do anything competent with the more desirable figures when they're not only limited in stock but also remain as store exclusives? It'd be one thing if Cosmos was a regular retail figure, but having him a Walmart exclusive is extremely irritating, especially since not every store is likely going to have him available (my Walmart only has Blurrs, Overrides, and Burn Outs), so you better hunt him down everywhere or hope someone has him for a reasonable price.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

400th review: Transformers Legacy Elita-1 review

Elita-1 has been a pretty unlucky character for the Generations line in the past few years. She has a rather neat-on-paper yet poor-in-execution figure that's a retool of Starscream in the Power of the Primes line; a bulkier figure that'd be cool if it wasn't for how bloated it ended up, especially with the shitty jet mode. Then we got a Deluxe figure that was a reuse of Earthrise Arcee, likely the worst figure in the entirety of the War for Cybertron trilogy. But now, they say the third time's the charm and perhaps that also applies to the Legacy line for some characters. We got a new mold that may or may not be a pretool devoted to a specific character, which means we can now look at Legacy Elita-1!

Here we have Elita-1 in her vehicle mode, being a bit of a buggy-themed car that goes well for her if I'm honest. The design is Cybertronian as one expects, and it's also great at balancing the bulk of a normal buggy while also having the standard look of a car. The cockpit has a few etched details to give it an alien look, which is appreciated, and I like how the red, pink, and white are made in a fairly decent layout, though it does look a little busy in the hood. The white on the wheels is the best use of the color along with the headlights, and no, the head is not spotted on the top of the vehicle mode.

It's a pretty neat vehicle mode, though some parts do look like they clash a little bit in terms of how it flows; granted, it's not as bad as the likes of Siege Mirage, but it is a little unusual as far as the execution is concerned. And yes, the feat on the back stick out a little bit, and it kind of makes the rest of the car look a little blobby with how it messes up the flow; like the front itself is pretty solid, while the back feels like it originally belonged to a different car that prevents it from fitting in with the rest of the vehicle had it not had enough of a flow.

The weapon storage is typical for what we've got, especially with the 5mm posts that haven't been new. And continuing the trope of the Legacy line, her weapons are translucent as is the case for some of the figures. 

Comparing the vehicle modes, it's great that we get to have her in a more unique design that isn't just a nearly all-red Arcee. Yeah like the Netflix version.

Transformation is fairly involved, and I like how it's more than just straightening parts out, as the legs have a waist swivel that later goes to hinging the legs down while the edges of the spoilers fold away and the feet hinge into their proper spots. The resulted robot mode is another good mix of feminine proportions and proper vehicle bulk, and it's thanks to the use of vehicle kibble being integrated in the body. I wish we got fembots that did that in the past, especially since they can't integrate their vehicles properly into the robot mode. The rest of the body is recognizably Elita-1, and it doesn't feel entirely compromised while still utilizing the vehicle parts. The backpack is pretty big, but that's something we can touch up on in a moment.

Head sculpt is pretty good, and it's got a nice use of paint apps to break up the pink thanks to the white on the face and horns as well as the silver and yellow on the forehead as well as the blue eyes. Her articulation consists of a ball-jointed head, shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, elbow bends, wrist swivels, a waist swivel, hips that move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots.

The guns can be held in her hands as always, with one of them being designed specifically for her and another for Minerva, and two-thirds of the front of her car can be turned into shoulder pylons that are part of Minerva's design! In fact...

...this was later reused into Minerva! She isn't a Headmaster this time, which does suck for those that were hoping she'd be Titan Master compatible, but it is in reference to when she was no longer a transtector like in Masterforce, considering she was a pure Transformer from now on in Victory. Anyways, she has her signature medic deco, a new head, one weapon is in black paint while the other is clear white, and a proper light bar that may or may not be reused from one of the Prowls or Ratchets that have a lightbar. Where we can obtain this repaint in the US is unknown, so hurry tf up, Hasbro!

And for a robot mode comparison, she blows the Netflix version out of the water, as she has a much better-engineered figure, a more impressive transformation, and started off well as a great figure that will also be a sweet Minerva, it makes me feel like a clown for buying the shitty 2020 Deluxe from a shitty Netflix show! Whether you want Elita-1, Minerva, or both, this is a pretty good release for the Legacy line, and much better than what we got with the first-wave Arcee figure.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Masterpiece Movie Blackout review

Last year, we only got one MPM in the form of Optimus Prime's appearance in the Bumblebee movie. While it was confusingly hard to obtain (probably the Geewun style that people only like from the stupid movie), the figure had tons of problems, from the hampered budget to the lousy truck mode. If anything, one would hope that we can recover from the disaster of that figure itself. With a lack of any announcements, and the fact that we didn't get a second figure in 2021, we were wondering if Optimus killed the MPM line, but after so long, we finally got Blackout announced. He was certainly an expensive figure, but I am happy to have him get into the mix along with Megatron, Starscream, and Barricade. Now we can get into the review!

Here is Blackout in his vehicle mode, a massive MH-53 Pave Low helicopter that infiltrated a military base in Qatar before everyone witnessed the attack he caused. It's a pretty iconic element to the movie, especially with him being best known for landing on the base before he sets out his attack. The proportions, sculpted details, and shade of blue are great. And I like how dark the windows are on this guy, it helps add a more sinister look to the helicopter than it would normally have. And if you look closely, the stars on the back are not upside down like on the Studio Series figure!  And the propellor spints smoothly like Grindor, but it's a little neature here.

The most surprising thing about the toy is that the figure has rolling wheels and nearly none of the robot parts are exposed! That's something they didn't have to do but they are pretty neat if you ask me. It also helps this guy stand out further from the Studio Series Leader Class figure. There are even guns added underneath it that the original figure didn't have.

Scorponok has a storage spot within the back, almost like an entrance for where the troops would enter the helicopter in a way. Removing him from the back, he functions similarly to the Studio Series version yet has a few more paint apps, and ball joints at the part of the tail where the stinger lays as well as the ball joint.

Now before we transform him, if you really want to recreate the scene where Blackout's propellers fold away, you have to remove the propellor weapon. 

Transformation is similar to the Studio Series version of the toy, but it is much more involved so as to continue making it look less like a shellformer in the process. And compared to the budget of a Leader Class figure, this guy manages to better refine what he already has while also adds even further to the engineering with the higher budget. And the resulting robot modes is much better made than with the current MPM quality that has improved since 2019. Blackout's robot mode feels slightly leaner and doesn't deel as baggy as the Studio Series version. For example, Blackout's head doesn't feel as sunken into the rest of the body as much as his SS counterpart. The arms are slightly longer than before, but he still feels more like he transformed his parts properly, even integrating some parts of the vehicle mode without making it feel too much like a shellformer. In fact, some of the kibble in the back folds away better than before.

Head sculpt is more refined than the original version, having a little more definition than before. Not much else that is different from the Studio Series version. As for his articulation, his head is on a ball joint, shoulders move front and back on one set of hinges for the arms and in and out for another set, bicep swivels, double-jointed elbows, wrist swivels and hinges, finger articulation, a surprising waist swivel, hips that move front and back as well as in and out with proper ratchets, leg swivels, digitigrade knees, and ankle pivots. He feels.much better to pose than the Studio Series version thanks to the sleeker design he has and featuring less kibble/clutter.

One of the little features of the torso was having a minigun pop up from the chest, much like in the movie when he was about to shoot Epps. And we even have some effect pieces for it and the guns; while some of the effects were kind of cheesy on a more realistic figure in stock photos, maybe giving them a paint wash can make them look nicer.

The iconic weapon he is known for, the propellor blade, is the best it's ever been on an official Hasbro toy. On the old Voyager, it was the entire propellor that was overkill. On the Studio Series version, it was the more practical yet inaccurate rear propellor. It also plugs underneath the hand this time around, which seems to be accurate. As for Scorponok, he can stay on the back to keep the blades from spinning.

For a size comparison, here he is in-between Starscream and Megatron, two other Decepticons in the same movie who happen to possess aerial vehicle modes! He's shorter than them at the head, but the weight he has is fairly equal to both of them. I'm sure people would anticipate him to be bigger than both of them, but that's Grindor's job, and if you really insist, he can be used in the Studio Series line as Grindor since he'd practically tower over everyone else. But that being said, I'm happy we got this guy after feeling as if Hasbro would abandon this line ever since the MPM line-up gaves us an embarrassing version of Beewun Prime. Next year, we'll have HasTak recoup their budget with the repaints for said Prime in Nemesis colors and Starscream in his ROTF deco. I hope we can get Bonecrusher and Brawl to complete the Decepticons as we did the Autobots, because I'm not too confident if I can have enough room to get more characters from Revenge of the Fallen to Rise of the Beasts. Either way, Blackout is my favorite MPM of the line, almost being tied to MV1 Bumblebee, even if his transformation is no cakewalk compared to the scout.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series 69 Devastator + DNA Design DK-20 Upgrade Kit review

Devastator was already completed two years ago with the regular releases, and even moreso when Skipjack got his own individual release. But what if you were someone that wanted to get all of them in a single go? Hasbro made sure that was possible, especially since they took up some of the main movie characters' main slots as much as SS86 did...anyways, what if you already got Devastator and want to display him in two different ways? You can easily get a hold of an upgrade kit that changes his upper body. When you think about it, that might be a response to the lack of some of the features present in the concept image on the box, which everyone expected the toy to look like instead of the one we ended up with. So let's take a look at SS-69 Devastator WITH the DNA Design DK-20 upgrade kit.

Let's first go over the upgrade kit's content: you have the Vortex Grinder, the back fins, a backpiece of his head, two shoulder parts, the rubber hoses, the enemy scrotum, a neckpiece, a cannon meant for Mixmaster, and extra pieces meant for the hoses and the truck nose.

The neckpieces are meant to go with the hoses that will eventually go to the back of Scavenger. You'll be able to peg those parts onto each other if you use the bases that lack the peg since the latter is meant to connect to the toy. Do you notice those tiny holes on the neckpiece bases? You can screw in the hose pieces if necessary.

Now for the headpiece, which can connect to the neck of Devastator in a fashion similar to Overload's storage of it in robot mode. I have to warn you that there may be a chance the piece will not be easy to remove due to the density of the plastic compared to the official toy. Originally, there was a gap that was between the face and the neckpiece. With this new headpiece, can help round it out into a much more complete design that fills everything in, adds the facial cheeks, and even the little head fins! Thankfully, there is no color discrepancy or lack of synergy between the face and the new pieces, and the new parts complement the new paint apps.

Now we have the Vortex Grinder, which can peg onto the back of the figure without having you worry too much about any disassembly. It's able to fit in nicely even if it's a separate accessory. It can also spin on the inside, a very nice touch. And while it's not the last accessory he has, we have the enemy scrotum! You have to attach it onto the little slit where the tail would go normally, but while it looks a little DIY with the paddle and the chains in terms of appearance, it still works well. Also noticed one of the wrecking balls has a hook!

Next, we have the back fins with their method of attaching to the toys being rather difficult, which will be pretty hard to work with if you want to transform him into his vehicle mode. The tabs that go on the back are fine for the hoses. As for the neckpiece, it's able to attach on there fine enough. But the stomach piece is not so easy to get on there due to the tabs and the clip that goes on the pin near the canopy. It stays on there, but you have to adjust everything so it remains on there or else it'll come undone.

And now we have to attach Mixmaster onto the neckpiece...this is not easy due to the limited space from the hole, but you can flex it enough as you get it in there. And the little pegs allow you to slide the rectangular tabs into the mushroom pegs of the truck nose's wheels.

And voila! I also added the shoulder parts to complete the look; those prevent transforming so be sure to either watch over the pegs or leave it in Devastator mode. Anyways, while the legs get no visual differences, the upper body is where the upgrades truly shine. We no longer have scrawnier shoulders, the exposed back of Overload's face, and a vaguely incomplete face or back. Everything we have here, in addition to the new paint apps that Scrapper, Scrapmetal, Long Haul, Skipjack, and Mixmaster's Devastator face, results in a much more complete Devastator than the stock configuration. 

Let's compare the face sculpts, as the original version did not have the right proportions on its own since it looked a little more square than I'd like, plus the neck piece didn't flow well with the rest of the toy. Here? It's a much stronger appearance thanks to the facial cheeks and the ears/antennae/horns that not only complete the look but also connect the neckpiece and the face together. You can even articulate those parts!

The backs are also improved upon, as we not only have the back fins where they need to be, but we have the hoses AND Vortex Grinder on where the treads go. The original attempt was appreciative, though it did look incomplete. The truck nose also looks better on the back than on the back of Mixmaster. And originally, the toy had the stand on the back of the crotch, but now we have the enemy scrotum in its place. You can still store the stand within Skipjack if you want.

With the original Constructicons now in their individual robot modes, let's cover the bonus cannon accessory; while Devastator can use it on the right arm, Mixmaster can utilize it while he's in his robot mode by wedging this in-between the inner portions of the wheels. This allows you to turn him into his cannon mode, which is admittedly nothing too crazy.

In sum, this upgrade kit is impressive! While there are a few things I'd like to see improved upon or even added onto to further complete the look, Devastator feels much more impactful this time around than with his stock configuration. IF anything, it makes me happy to have bought two versions of Devastator so I could do the comparison better AND get a more complete collection of Studio Series figures. If I ever get around to doing the rest of the DNA Design sets, I'd probably do the Jetwing or Jetpower Prime kits, and possibly get back to fix Grimlock's accessories with his kit. The add-ons for Blackout, Sentinel, and Bee are cool, but I feel it'll be irritating to get doubles for the sake of Bumblebee's ROTF and DOTM forms. That Dino/Shatter upgrade set is neat but they don't entirely fix car Shatter while a new bumper would be nice for Dino. And who can forget about Shockwave's parts? There's a whole lot to catch up with...

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐