Transformers Legacy Jhiaxus review

Jhiaxus is nothing like Optimus Prime or Megatron; he despised the Great War between Autobots and Decepticons and moved forward with the Cybertronian faction. His cold yet harsh behavior led to his increased hatred towards the likes of Optimus, to the point damaging his face and eventually contributing to the horrors that are The Swarm. He's popped up in numerous other forms of fiction, with varying degrees of capturing his essence in the likes of FunPub and IDW comics. But none of his toys captured his likeness whatsoever. While they were able to be added into the fiction eventually, they were always orange repaints of a vaguely fitting jetformer, first with Beast Machines Jetstorm and then with Thrilling 30 Armada Starscream...until now. Let's take a look at Legacy Jhiaxus!

Here is Jhiaxus in his jet mode. It's a fairly accurate design to how it looked in the Generation 2 comics, and the upper portion looks pretty good, what with the surprisingly solid deco and fairly unique proportions. For some reason, the use of golden yellow, white, red, and green reminds me of those popsicles that were from a Tornado game that Vinesauce played at one point. On the top of the jet is the gun that he'd normally use in his robot mode, with the sensor on top to replicate the detail in the jet mode while also helping the piece fold away. The wings being underneath most of the bulk is pretty neat if you ask me, which is an uncommon detail of the vehicle mode. With the futuristic and somwaht bat-like look to him, Jhiaxus is pretty original for a jet mode. 

The undercarriage is not that great thanks to the arms being stuck underneath, which attempt to fit in nicely with the rest of the jet mode yet don't integrate themselves that nicely. Maybe if this was a current leader, it'd be able to fit in easier, but I'm guessing that's so the winglets underneath the big wings can stay in place. Other forms of weapon storage include the smaller gun underneath the nosecone.

Transformation is pretty similar to what a normal jetformer has. Chest cockpit, arms from underneath, back becomes the legs, but the way certain details are made, from the hinges used on the wings to the asymmetrical sensor on the shoulder, and the tailfin becoming the inner part of the legs, results in quite the difference between himself and the traditional Seeker. Seriously, the robot mode greatly resembles a Seeker roided out and ready to do more damage than expected. The bulk captures the befitting powerhouse proportions that a Cybertronian leader would possess, and the sculpted details are also well-implemented, with subtle details here and there like on the back with the vents. Also, the white plastic feels like a mix between normal white plastic and the type of plastic used on Siege Apeface. It's got a sort of sheen to it that determines its slightly different density that I don't think has been explained before.

Head sculpt is very much like an aggressive Starscream head design, with the center portion between the helmet ears looking much gruffer than what we've seen before, and the chin-strap adds another layer of power that the air commander and his repaints lack. His articulation is a little unique for the norm, with a ball-jointed head, shoulders that move front and back on swivels and in and out on hinges that are implemented within the torso than being within the shoulders themselves like with SS86 Hot Rod. Bicep swivels, elbow bends, wrist swivels, finger articulation, waist swivel, front and back hip movement as well as in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots that annoyingly move outward, which can make it a little annoying to have him stand straight if they're loose.

His guns can be placed in his hands, though they don't go in as smoothly as I'd hope unless you angle them right. It just boils down to the way the hands are molded. But it is interesting how he has finger articulation and isn't a smaller Voyager like Hot Rod, nor is he a Leader Class figure. Maybe it's the simpler engineering that grants him this, but hey, he can recreate the pose of him slapping Prime long before Will Smith told Chris Rock to keep his wife's name out of his mouth.

For a robot mode size comparison, here he is with Optimus Prime and Megatron, the former being the Netflix version that I used as a G2 stand-in and the latter being the actual G2 repaint. And yeah, it makes me excited to make a G2 display of sorts since those figures will more than likely have new molds and retools to boot, don't you think? So overall, Jhiaxus is the best version of the character we're getting in terms of size and accuracy, though I will say he does feel al ittle average in the Legacy line. Regardless, he's a pretty cool addition to the line-up for a main antagonist that isn't just a Megatron type of guy, and I look forward to other comic characters like Bludgeon and Tarn.

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

Transformers Studio Series 86 Arcee review

Arcee refuses to go away in terms of merchandise for the Deluxe line-ups. In 2020, she was in Earthrise as well as Studio Series and Cyberverse, with the third entry being better than the other two. Now she's back and has one new mold that we'll get to and one retool that brings back the Thrilling 30 figure as we'll see for comparison sake. Now, I did like that T30 version, but I don't feel too comfortable with the Takara release due to it being a Japanese exclusive as well as its hands not being able to hold the weapons properly for some reason. So let's see how the SS86 version turned out.

Here is Arcee in her vehicle mode. It looks no different than what we've seen before in the other G1 offerings since it is practically a pink and white car from the year 2005. Their version of it, anyways. It's got the colors where they need to be, the interior, the curvature, and the windshield. There are gaps near each side of the vehicle, but the rest of it looks fairly decent.

As far as weapon storage is concerned, the only gun she comes with can store in the same spot it more or less had in the original toy, though now her hands can't grip onto it due to the altered transformation. It also doesn't stay on there too well, but at least the front wheels are pinned even if the back wheels aren't.

For a vehicle mode comparison, here we have Studio Series 86 Arcee in-between her Earthrise (left) and Thrilling 30 (right) counterparts, the latter being the Takara Legends version. I'm not sure which shade of pink is supposed to be accurate, though while I did kind of like the inclusion of robot parts on the T30 version for the vehicle mode, the other two are more accurate, with the SS86 one being the most accurate due to the proportions of the vehicle mode not looking like a soap bar as shown with the Earthrise version. And it also has that gray spot on the sides.

The dashboards are different from one another. The SS86 version is admittedly the worst of them all, but no one is able to scale with these anyhow.

The undercarriage between the three is also different with the T30 and SS86 having the same front region due to the torso being reused for the most part. Though the stomach is relocated elsewhere so as to streamline the robot mode. The legs are also repositioned this time around, as they now touch each other instead of being nearly parallel with the car. The arms are now from the center to now being within the front pylons. Earthrise just sucks.

Transformation is more or less similar to the Thrilling 30 version, with the main differences being kibble management now having the vehicle back section fit in much better with the rest of the backpack. The legs and most of the body are also retooled so that Arcee can have a streamlined body that is closer to the proportions of the character design. We'll get to a comparison in a bit. And her hands are 5mm compatible this time around, moreso than the original versions. And while her feet may look a little distracting at the ankles, those are modified for articulation reasons.

Head sculpt is the same as before, though without light-piping but at least the paint apps don't suck as I feared they would on recent releases. Her articulation consists of a ball-jointed head, shoulders on ball joints, bicep swivels, elbow bends, a waist swivel new to this release, hips that move front and back as well as in and out, swivels above the knees, knee bends, ankle hinges as well as pivots. Her sole gun can be placed on the hand and presumably on the shoulder pylons or hips.

For a robot mode comparison, here she is in-between the Earthrise and Thrilling 30 versions. Her proportions are much better than before, with the chest and thighs feeling much closer to the cartoon model while the backpack ends up being a little more streamlined. Her feet are also better this time around, thanks to not just the articulation but also the improved design they have. IDK what was going on with almost everything about the Earthrise release, but man does that thing suck compared to SS86. I mean, there is room for improvement for Arcee, but I think the retooling done on the T30 version is very appreciative.

Overall, this is probably the best we're going to get with G1 Arcee in the Generations line. I hope Hasbro leaves it there because this retool should be enough for fans that want a better done version of Thrilling 30 Arcee after the Earthrise version sucked. I'm sure you can remove some kibble on the back like PrimeVsPrime mentioned but I wouldn't recommend it. Shame she lost most of the weapons.

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

Transformers Legacy Core Class Shockwave & G2 Megatron review

It looks like almost every wave with Core Class Decepticons has a rule that there are always two. No more. No less. And it applies here. One is a new mold for a character I didn't think would pop up this late and the other is an inevitable repaint given what Gen Selects had. But we can still love these figures, right? So today, we shall review Legacy Core Class Shockwave and G2 Megatron!

Here is Shockwave in his vehicle mode. It's a shrunken down representation of the Siege toy, which I'm surprised is carried over for this toy since it hasn't been brought over to other lines. It's a logical alt mode choice since his Combiner Wars toy was like that, too. He does have a gaudy satellite that was not presented on his prior toys but I guess could be a vague homage to Energon Shockblast. Much like the Combiner Wars version, he can be held with a 5mm handle to sort of simulate the gun mode, though it looks awkward on Deluxe-Voyagers.

For a vehicle mode comparison, here he is with the Siege Leader Class figure. While the vehicle modes are meant to represent the same design, some details are not 1:1. Mainly the lack of a hose, the chest is on the bottom now, and the front is now redesigned for the robot mode's legs since unlike the Siege toy, this guy doesn't have armor nor a traditional transformation.

Transformation is pretty much a recreation of the Combiner Wars version, with the front being the legs instead of the back, the arms are now from the back instead of the front, and the figure also possesses the backpack to hide the rest of the Siege vehicle mode cannons. The robot mode is a bulkier take on the G1 toy much like his Combiner Wars design, which contrasts the traditional proportions of the Siege toy. The sculpted details are heavier than what we got with the Siege version, which makes me happy for someone that wanted to see these figures look impressive since the Siege line began. And the paint apps are not-notch and appropriate for Shocko, with silver all around the thighs and horns as well as a darker gray and yellow for the face and eye, respectively. 

Head sculpt is standard for the character since it looks right for him and doesn't try to overthrow the simplicity of G1 Shockwave like his Siege counterpart. His articulation is also standard for the line, with a neck swivel and ball joints for the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. He also has an extra pair of joints for the knees for transformation. His satellite doesn't look cool on him, but he makes for a mini-partner for Siege Shockwave

For a robot mode size comparison, he also looks great with the other Decepticons, though now I realize he's starting to make Soundwave stand out more for how simpler his sculpted details look by comparison.

And now for a quick look at G2 Megatron. He's quite the same as the G1 version in terms of color, but the green and purple pop even more when put next to the Kingdom version considering how bright the colors are.

The robot mode does have all of the same points of articulation, accessories, etc. But I do wonder why he gets to keep his gun while Skywarp had to ditch his null-rays.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Legacy Wreck N Rule Diaclone Twin Twist review

As with the War for Cybertron trilogy, Hasbro made a subline for the Legacy line in the form of Wreck N' Rule, which obviously revolves around the Wreckers. While the Voyagers receive repaints based on specific iterations (Bulkhead having an AOE Hound deco and Springer is based on the Marvel Comics & toy), the Deluxe sets consist of a WFC Deluxe being redecoed or coming with a new head sculpt (Marvel Impactor and G2 Leadfoot) as well as Fossilizers taking forms not shown before (Spinosaurus and Mastodon). One release goes a few years before Siege. It gives us a pretty neat addition to the line-up while also serving as a hopeful opportunity at completing the duo in some fashion after missing out on them in the Titans Return line. For today's review, it'll be all about Diaclone Twin Twist!

Here is Twin Twist in his vehicle mode. It's a pretty made-up design that both represents the dual-drill tank he possessed in G1 as well as updating it to be a little more Cybertronian in design. The original was just a robot doing an extreme ab crunch anyhow. While the color scheme is pretty simple with the prominent blue taking up most of the altmode compared to the center's red, the use of yellow on the vents as well as the silver on the drills break up the blue of the vehicle mode. Even the gunmetal gray on the treads is nice to have. Much like the sculpted details on the WFC trilogy, the surface area has nice levels of panel-lining to make this look more robust than other toys in the line-up.

The guns can peg onto the backs of the vehicle if you want to give it some artillery. While the red might be distracting on the pegs and tabs, at least they help make the connections and 5mm posts easier to work with instead of damaging any paint that would otherwise be scrapped off had they been on there. The 5mm ports are hexagonal instead of normal, though.

The Titan Master can hitch a ride inside the cockpit OR on the sandwiched guns that is normally done with plenty of figures in the Titans Return line.

The Titan Master itself is not named this time around, but it was originally named Flameout. For the original version, he was either all white with a blue visor or with a blue torso. Here, he has a blue head with a silver face as well as blue arms, a grey torso and thighs, and red lower legs. Oh and you can make a sort of ED-209 mode with the vehicle.

Transformation is pretty neat in some areas. While the legs and arms don't feel too mindblowing, the torso transformation is great with the way it has you detach the waist, then swivel the structure that has the shoulders and back of the torso, and then attaching the lower body back. The resulting robot mode is pretty well made for a figure that needed a massive step-up from the G1 toy. The body feels proportioned right, the design is improved upon, and the shoulders have some identity with the treads attached to them. In addition, the colors are already nice, but the kneepads and shoulders remind me of Mcdonald's fries. Even the back kibble with the sort-of open cockpit housing the drills. The Diaclone colors are a great way to make these figures worth getting either to have the molds again or for the first time since the Titans Return releases are expensive in the aftermarket.

The head sculpt is standard for the Autobots, and is it me, or does it look like a mix between Orion Pax and Kup? As for his articulation, it's about the same for the WFC trilogy: ball-jointed head, shoulders on ball joints, bicep swivels, elbow bends, waist swivels, ball-jointed hips which are tighter than normal, thigh swivels, and knee bends. And of course, he looks great with those guns.

As far as the previous uses are concerned, this is the Hasbro version, which has the G1 colors in the form of bathroom white and blue (IDK why that's what I think of), and a nearly unpainted Titan Master. And I just realized that the kneepads are supposed to flip out...Anyways anyone find it weird how the treads are unpainted in the robot mode?

And here we have the Takara Legends version. It has some slightly altered paint apps and darker colors, but apart from the addition of Spoilsport, which, as of this writing, remains without a Sureshot toy to accompany him (meanwhile, Crosshairs and Pointblank exist).

And here we have him next to two current figures. I chose Studio Series Bumblebee because of the major height difference as well as to show that Bee's in the recent addition to the line based on his appearance in Dark of the Moon. As for Mirage, the figure will be reused as G2 Leadfoot in the Wreck N Rule subline, and he also remains taller than him in addition to being heftier than either toy. Yeah, the taller height in that line wasn't from Hasbro making some of their taller Deluxes feel cheaper (Studio Series Ratchet, Siege Ironhide). At the very least it works since I'd expect him to be taller than the normal Autobot Car. So if you can't get the Jumpstarter duo in the Titans Return line and want at least one figure from the Wreck N Rule line, get this guy.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐