Retro Transformers Wheelie review

G1 Wheelie is far from my favorite character, especially when I don't see him in a positive light from his design, voice, and personality. Sure, rhyming is his quirk, but Sky-Byte's haiku's are way better and far less annoying. I don't find much else to say about him when his TFWiki article gets old with the constant rhyming, though they apparently removed a joke that brings up him not rhyming in Japanese media. He hung out with Daniel in Headmasters, bit Prime's ankle in Dreamwave, did stuff in IDW, perved on a stupid anime chick in Japanese continuity, and somehow made it to the Energon Universe before a single Dinobot could. His one vintage storybook about him, the same one where his wiki article's main pic came from, is badass and easily the best media revolving around him. He's been increasingly getting merch as either an accessory for Grimlock or a Core Class figure, both in Studio Series 86, and now we have a Deluxe figure (the first since his GDO retool of Reveal the Shield Jazz from over a decade ago). Let's see if this size bump makes him worth getting once more.

 

Here we have G1 Wheelie in his vehicle mode. It's a pretty goofy alt mode that resembles a baby carrot mixed with a shrub and a butt plug on wheels, but this was the 80s, and far more convincing Cybertronian altmodes hadn't existed yet. TFWiki says it may be inspired by the Fiat Abarth Record Car, but even that is a stretch. I guess the two tone orange is a good color combo, but the gray on the tires and cockpit make it look less appealing as a whole. And yes, the slingshot can be used as a secret cannon.

While I don't really care for an altmode like this, the design is at least accurate but I will question the approach towards the color break up on the cockpit section. Shouldn't there be orange painted in the bottom portion where the canopy is? The thing is orange plastic painted gray so maybe that can be rectified if you don't care about being THAT slavish to the old toy.

For a vehicle mode size comparison, here he is next to the SS86 counterpart. For anyone wondering, the colors don't match because one is meant to be closer to the old toy and the other is directly based on the old cartoon. Personally, I like the altmode shape on the Deluxe, even if it still looks like a butt plug, yet it is at least less like one than the Core Class version.

Transformation is a bit more involved than I expected, all to make him more cartoon accurate with this design given this will eventually be a Sunbow release in the near future just watch. The transformation is about as similar to the Titans Return and SS86 versions, so at least it's consistent between the most recent versions of the character. I also like that we have some panels to help keep this figure secure, though they could stay in place better. The robot mode is far from the dopey, stupid toy design, which makes sense given this screams "pretool" for the cartoon version; much like with Seaspray, this is almost a genius move for Hasbro because putting the toy-inspired version in the Retro line before getting the cartoon version is a smart move given how most people likely skipped Brawn and Gears (as well as possibly Bumblebee given we have too many G1 options back to back + no toy accurate face), so this should help get people into the mold, and if they like it enough, then the inevitable cartoon version will be made. While the bot mode feels like a more refined version of the SS86 Core Class, you at least have the back of the altmode placed in a more natural place for a Transformer rather than some weird upside down crap catcher.

Head sculpt is meant to be a far more refined version of his stupid face-in-a-mascot-costume me do, though we have a condensed version of the canopy that covers his oompa loompa face. Seriously, I will appreciate it when Hasbro does some proper color break up with the Sunbow head. With a slingshot in his hand, his articulation consists of a ball jointed neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, hinged elbows, wrist rotation, waist rotation, universal hips, thigh rotation, hinged knees, and slight ankle rockers.

For a robot mode size comparison, here he is with the Core Class version we got 2 years back. With how little I view in the character already, that size class works fine for me; in fact, the scale between Grimlock and his own figurine of the guy confirms that the Core works best for when he's in your Season 3 display. Maybe the Deluxe could work better as sort of an older Wheelie like when he and Daniel Witwicky sacrificed themselves to blow up a ton of Nightbird drones? Could be a good idea. So to wrap up this review, he's alright for what you get, and while I wish we got the cartoon version first, maybe doing this pretool is the point of extending the wait. However, Hasbro should also do two repaints like the digibashes we got here, with eHobby style Dion cing with his orange Hot Shot counterpart while Shadowstriker comes in a 2-pack with an unmasked ROTF Bumblebee in reference to the 2-pack they made years ago (which also predated their brief Cyberverse rivalry).

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

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers X Godzilla Kaiju Rangers Wave 1 review

For a whole year, I never bothered with any of the MMPR Reignition toys as someone who was already tired of buying stuff based on Season 1. More power to those who got them, but I already have versions of the team, the villains, and the Zords I wanted. Plus, the super generic voice clips of half of the toys not sounding like any of the actors was a double pass. Then came the leaks for the Godzilla crossover figures, and those got my interest immediately. It took a good while for them to come out, but I was happy to finally get my hands on the first wave. The Power Rangers comic books have been a good read in general, and the same goes for their crossovers with Goji himself; hell, I wish more people would give them a shot instead of just either only reading Absolute DC and Skybound Transformers or claim PR is a dead brand while whining Sentai will come back ASAP (which is likely a side effect from the toku community losing braincells from watching recent Toku slop). Plus, seeing the Kaiju monsters lend their powers to the MMPR team as they take on both Rita AND Astronema surprised me even more than the usual fights people put both IPs in. So let's take a look at the first wave of Kaiju Rangers and see how well they turned out!

Here we have the Green Godzilla Kaiju Ranger in-hand. If you're familiar with the history of mainline Power Rangers figures, then these should be a bit closer to the proportions of a 5 inch Action Hero like what we got from Super Megaforce through Super Ninja Steel rather than the ones we got from Beast Morphers and Dino Fury. I say that because they have a slight bit of muscle to them, somewhere between the builds of both figures we had before Playmates. Thankfully, the chainmail representing the scales of the Kaiju, as well as the spikes in the back, forearms, and boots, add to an overall armored look that I would like to see more of in Power Rangers. Not sure what the suits would be made of, but I bet that if we got these in live action, then I hope they are made of a slightly denser material than the usual spandex we get to better convey the "scaly" influence of Godzilla and co. And at least for the Green Ranger he has his signature dragon shield but redesigned to go with the Kaiju aesthetic.

As for the Blue Anguirus Kaiju Ranger, whose shade of blue is much lighter than on the normal MMPR Blue suit, but with this being a whole different aesthetic for the most part it gets a pass. One interesting thing about this suit is the two tone blue combo to distinguish the stomach, biceps, and thighs from the pectoral armor, belt, helmet, and knee pads. The thing that will stand out the lost for this figure is the spikey shoulder pads and backpack, which makes sense for both Anguirus as well as correlating this loosely with the Triceratops associated with the Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger. The coolest aspect is that almost none of the figure is reused from the other characters except for the hands and maybe the thighs, at least for green and blue.

And finally, we have the Red Rodan Kaiju Ranger. Unique to this design is not just the pair of wings on his back but the more segmented armor design that is not borrowed from his fellow Rangers. The swept up shoulder pads combined with the tapered paneling and spikey claws already make him a favorite, even if Godzilla is a bigger name than Rodan.

The helmets are sculpted pretty well all around, arguably better than the regular MMPR Playmates figures. I love that we get new designs from the ground up even if we have that small hint of the classic design philosophy with the beast faces on top with the mouths being the visors (no sculpted lips though).

Articulation is consistent with all 3 of them: ball jointed necks and hips, swivels for the shoulders, wrists, and ankles, elbow rotation/hinge combos, and double jointed knees. While I know they had to preserve the sculpts, it really sucks they can't move their arms out like on the average Power Rangers figure we got since the beginning. Also while double jointed knees are great to have, the elbow joints they used are both questionable and remind me of some early Hasbro Marvel Legends we got in the late 2000s. Also, wrist swivels are fine, but those ankle should be ball jointed at least. 

I do like that they each come with a color matching Blade Blaster in regular gun and dagger modes as well as their unique weapons. Red comes with a stubby Power Sword, Blue comes with a Power Lance that would have been fine being stubby if the trip was weak, and Green has the Sword of Darkness. Maybe it was repurposed as the Sword of Brightness because Godzilla is not a bad guy.

The display bases are neat, and I like that they have a resemblance to what the team's Power Coins could look like. The names in the bottoms are to tell who is who, which helps for anyone not super familiar with any Kaiju last Goji.

Here they are with the Lightning Collection Remastered MMPR team, at least half of them already represented with the Kaiju upgrades. While they are 5.5 inches in height and therefore not in close scale with the 6 inch Lightning figures, you can fudge it a bit somewhat with the display stands if you wanted to add a "new" team with that collection. Overall, the Kaiju Rangers have some minor issues, mostly with the articulation and weapon sizes, but having them uniquely sculpted from one another, coming with a handful of accessories, and even being priced at $15 a pop makes them easier to recommend Ryan when Hasbro did those 30th anniversary basic 6 inch versions of the MMPR team. Sadly, much like how those were sold at Walmarts, the Kaiju Rangers are sold only at Targets. While Red and Blue were easy to get, Green was much harder to find (wonder why). If you can find them with ease, pick them up instead of the rinse and repeat Reignition Season 1 stuff.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yolopark Transformers AMK Mini DOTM Optimus Prime & Megatron review

Yolopark and Blokees undoubtedly took the Transformers fandom by surprise with their model kits being surprisingly fun and even nicer looking than the average Hasbro product has been of late. Whether you prefer going for the Threezero-esque display of figures from the former or are addicted to the Blind Bag Bonanza of the latter, it's great seeing third party licensees doing the most out of the IP at a larger scale than with other companies collaborating with Hasbro. Hell, I'd argue we don't need to have a single non-transforming figure made in-house anymore when these easily beat the likes of Robot Enhanced Design or any other attempt Hasbro used to do back then! However, it seems there may be a bit more overlap than expected with the AMK Mini Series when it comes to the Dark of the Moon duo Optimus Prime and Megatron. While being a series filled with G1 characters for now, these two end up being very similar to the Classic Class line of figures from Blokees, which you should probably recognize as the ones with display bases, effect parts surrounding them, and light up eyes and chests. In this case, the overlap comes from the fact that we had two versions of the original Bayverse trilogy design for Optimus from Blokees, and now both companies put out a version of DOTM Megatron. Sure, we can argue that both companies would want to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the best Transformers movie of all time (suck it, 1986/Bumblebee/One simps), but how different are the Yolopark AMK Mini versions of the faction leader duo from Blokees's Champion Class? Let's find out together!

Here we have Optimus Prime fully assembled in-hand, and I need to mention this right away: at least for the ones I got, their packaging is not only much smaller than the Champion Class, but the parts don't come on sprue trees. In fact, they come halfway assembled in a baggie, meaning you mostly have to attach the limbs and head in place versus putting every single piece together. I'm guessing that Yolopark did this to avoid direct competition with Blokees' versions of this figure scale, but they also have their price at half what a Champion Class goes for. Thankfully, the paint apps are just as plentiful as on this figure as they are on the Blokees version, though the rims are unpainted like on some 2010s figures. General proportions are also spot on to the CG model, and the sculpted details are pretty sharp, but the head does look like be no eyes because they are somewhat deep on the recessed space. 

As for Megatron, this figure's most glaring issue should be obvious by now: he is severely underpainted! While there is some silver to break up that very pale beige, it's not enough to convey the Mad Max rust bucket aesthetics this design is known for. If the body was a much darker color, I would be fine with it. The silver does look nice in its own, and I like that the left hand is colored different from the right hand to go with the asymmetrical forearms, but it makes me wish more could be done with the deco. On the plus side, the sculpt work on this is immaculate, being able to capture the proportions of the design perfectly with the hunchback physique and monstrous height. Unlike Optimus, his parts will be a little harder to decipher without paying close attention to the instructions, though even the can be vague with how unclear they are without labeling the parts like on Blokees. I appreciate that he comes with a sheath for his rifle on the back, though we'll get into what else he could have come with later on.

Articulation is pretty similar for both figures. Both have ball jointed necks, shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles; elbows and knees are on hinges, and the biceps as well as waist are on swivels. Both have drop down hips, and Optimus's elbows are double jointed. You already saw Megatron with his shotgun on his back and now held in hand (with added support from his unique thumb joint), but Optimus comes with arm blades that can either be deployed from the forearms or handheld.

One cool aspect with Prime is that Prime has alternate hands: a right one for pointing and a left one for holding the shotgun like when he killed Sentinel Prime with it. There are two problems with the way accessories are handled: first, is it really hard to add some orange onto those blades Second, why can't we get a cloak for Megatron to cover his scarred head? Two signature aspects of each design not being included sucks, even if these figures do cost $10.

While I wait for Blokees DOTM Megatron to arrive, here we have the two versions of Optimus Prime for the time being. Just keep in mind that the Blokees one has the 2007/ROTF torso and forearms (in addition to a slightly oversized head that can be swapped with a smaller one), while the Yolopark version is obviously with the DOTM tweaks. Colors are slightly darker on the Yolopark version, and we get some additional color break up with the black in the windows and tires as well as the gold in the waist and around the armpit, but the blue on the elbows and biceps is relocated to tiny little flames near the abs. The fade deco on the Blokees version is a darker orange while the Yolopark version is closer to yellow. Also, every Blokees figure in this style at least has a light up feature for the eyes and chest, something Yolopark ditched also to avoid possible competition. So should you get the Yolopark AMK Minis? They cost cheaper, but you don't do as much assembling, nor do you get much for the accessories. I guess it's better to get something that is not G1-based than to have the same designs and characters again and again and again, but don't expect to have as much as you would for the Blokees. Still, buying 2 of these for the price of 1 Champion Class means the value for money with the AMK Minis isn't entirely lost. Idk if I would get more from this scale compared to the Pros, but I would certainly buy another set if they did a duo like Bayverse Starscream and Ironhide compared to any $10 thing that EarthOneWorld is churning out.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marvel Legends Spider-Man 2099 & Power Princess review

While there don't seem to be as many Marvel Legends on my radar so far, there are two characters that have been on my wishlist for a while: Spider-Man 2099 and Power Princess. The former may already be in my collection under the Spider-Verse collection (which has yet to be reviewed, 3 years late), the latter was technically only on my shelves as the character she is a bootleg of: Wonder Woman. I'm sure many of you know who Miguel O'Hara is (and the times Hasbro used the last name "O'Shea"), but as for PP: also known as Princess Zarda, she is a member of the Squadron Supreme from Earth-712, and if the Wonder Woman resemblance is anything to go by, then said superhero team is no doubt a pastiche of the Justice League. Zarda is also known to be a Utopian, a being with a generic modification in the reality she came from. I'll let some actual comic reading on your end, better understand her history before Screen Runt suddenly acts like they know about her for their shitty articles talking about how she's better than Wonder Woman or will be in the latest MCU turd, but we'll check out how these figures turned out.

Here we have Spider-Man 2099 in hand, reusing the body type first seen with Renew Your Vows Spider-Man. Right off the bat, I will give Hasbro credit for having the blue a darker shade that befits a stealthy and futuristic character design like Miguel's. While the retooling is minimal for only the forearms and a peg hole for his decently sculpted yet unpainted cape, the body is at least decent for this kind of figure. Still, I wish Hasbro could have molded the logo on the chest like they did with raising the suit details on Spider-Man Unlimited a year prior.

His head sculpt is the only surface area with raised details in relief, which is appreciative, but I still wish the rest of the parts in red were the same. With his articulation being the same, I will talk about the hands that he comes with: one pair has his fingers bent somewhat in a claw pose, but the other pair has the traditional wall-crawling pose. Surprised Hasbro didn't go with thwipping hands, given this is a Spider-Man after all.

For a comparison next to his buck-mate, this is the RYV version of ol webhead that I still have instead of the Maximum version. While the two figures are still fine, I will admit that the finish applied on the previous retro carded figure makes it feel more dynamic. That, or it's how the stock photos make it appear. As for the different proportions between what we previously had versus what we now have, the recent version obviously wins for the most part, but watching some of AnthonysCustoms videos made me realize how the waist swivel helps with kicking poses better than using a diaphragm joint (especially if a figure is posed delivering a side kick). I honestly hoped Hasbro would invest in double ball joints for their figures, or at least keep a waist swivel and a good diaphragm joint. Oh, and why did we NOT use the clawed hands that fit the character so much better when the ones he comes with look too relaxed in comparison?!

As for Power Princess, I have to give props to Hasbro for making a new sculpt that is GOOD. Not only is she built like a female comic book character, but she also has a good amount of muscle that befits a Wonder Woman bootleg such as herself. The shoulders are slightly bigger than normal, her thighs are thicc yet strong enough to crush a watermelon, and the height at least fits a character like her. Granted, some could argue that her chest size and her butt should be bigger to go with her toned body, but this might even be better than She-Hulk and Psylocke's bodies. I would deduct points for the gold being inconsistent between the areas painted properly gold and any molded plastic. On the plus side, the pinless joints blend in naturally with the rest of the limbs.

The head sculpt is almost close to the way Wonder Woman is typically drawn, with a head sculpt that might look more like the McFarlane version. The baby-blue eyes, combined with the serious death-glare expression, elevate this figure and suit a badass babe who would fight strong men and make women beneath her keep up with her pace. I still wish the tiara were painted gold rather than left in the gold marbley plastic since it would complement this already great head sculpt. As for her articulation, her head is on a double ball joint for the neck, the shoulders rotate, the arms move outwards, the biceps rotate, the elbows bend at two points, the wrists rotate as well as hinge side to side, we have just one diaphragm joint (would have been better to add a second ball joint for the lower torso), hips are on ball joints, thighs rotate, knees double joint, boots rotate, and the ankles hinge as well as pivot. With her fist and splayed open left hand swapped with weapon-holding hands, we can equip her with a sword and shield. Minimal deco for the latter compared to the former, but the sculpted details are nice. As for the BAF pieces she comes with, they are the legs of The Void, whose cranberry clear plastic goodness is blending in with the backdrop. I don't have plans to complete this BAF any further because I already have versions of Vision and Black Panther that I like more, I want to get the Walgreens version of Namor, and I have no interest in Namorita, Justice, or Crystar.

For a comparison with not a Marvel Legends but a DC Multiverse, here she is with McFarlane's Collector Edition Wonder Woman. As you might tell, the height difference is going to be obvious, as is the engineering for the articulation, BUT if there are people who collect 1/12 figures rather than 1/10 figures and are impatient with Wonder Woman getting a MAFEX release, then Power Princess is perfect for making some customs. Her design is already close enough to Wonder Woman, and you just have to add some red and blue into the costume to make her close. I'd go a step further and add a star to her tiara as well as some stars for the bikini bottom and further color breakup for the shield. This custom is already a great starting point for fans who want to have a Wonder Woman in their displays, since getting a Collector Edition Wonder Woman is impossible compared to Power Princess (you are more than free to blame Todd for taking too long with making her in the first place). Unlike Spider-Man 2099, who is fine yet feels been-there-done-that, Power Princess is a welcome purchase as someone who was interested in her character design and as a fan of both Marvel and DC. She was reissued a while back, so if you either like the character or want to make her into a Double W, then get her ASAP. Just do it faster than all the hacky nerd culture sites making articles on how an MCU Supreme Squadron is a better live-action Justice League than the actual live-action Justice League we got, because you know those articles WILL happen.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Spider-Man 2099)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Power Princess)