Transformers United Windcharger vs Wipe-Out review

Repaints in the same set are nothing new, but sometimes there'd be sets where you get the same toy with no retooling whatsoever. With the Seekers, it makes sense given how they usually have the essence of being armybuilders. A set like this, however, comes off more like a Player 1 vs Player 2 multipack you'd probably expect from a bootleg. Yes, instead of coming with Tailgate, we have a straight repaint in the form if Wipe-Out, who was a comic-exclusive Decepticon and minion of Trypticon. It's rare when Takara acknowledges lore that was not shared with them given how small Marvel must have been in Japan compared to the US, so let's give this set a throwback review.

Here we have Windcharger and Wipe-Out in his vehicle mode. The design looks to be a hybrid between a late-2000s Mustang and Camaro, which was part of a trend Hasbro did in using modern vehicles for influence in CHUG lines rather than being faithful to G1 like with the WFC and Legacy lines. The altmodes are decently detailed for what they could provide at their size class, though my Wipe-Out, formerly belonging to a friend, has Reprolabel stickers that my Windcharger does not have. This even results in details that better match the G1 toy's chest stickers. For a pair of Takara toys part of the United line, which was notorious for having metallic paint jobs along with their version of Animated, they have the flat plastic associated with the Hasbro versions; not even the rims are painted!

Here we have Windcharger next to the most recent version of Bumblebee from the Studio Series line. Amusing how a Deluxe from a decade ago has a size similar to a Deluxe made today, though some could see this as a way to fudge the line differences and put Windy along with the recent Minibots, right?

Transformation is the usual trope of a hood-chest, arms hinging down, and lower legs flipping down. They do manage to add a few tricks, like the hands on wrist hinges due to a gimmick we'll cover. The robot modes feel a little less like the G1 design and more like an Alternators-esque take on the Autobot. Ironic because he did have an Alternators toy despite having an alt mode and head sculpt more in common with Overdrive. Said head is similarly sculpted to the way it looked on Decepticharge. In addition, the aesthetics have more in-common with the movies, albeit filtered in the way CHUG lines looked back then (think of Laser Prime from the same line this mold originates as an example). Common for Scout class figures in this scale would be small hands, flat backpacks from the roof, and hollow areas.

With their magnetic guns flipped out (complete with C-clips common in 2010), articulation consists of ball joints for the necks, shoulders, elbows, and hips with hinged knees.

In case you're wondering what the Hasbro version looks like, he has a rubsign. That's it.

And here he is next to Bumblebee again. The height difference is embarrassing for a specific Deluxe like Bee, but I have a feeling Hasbro would probably make a new Windcharger taller and better-proportioned than this guy. As it stands, this 2-pack isn't bad for today's standards, but I feel it is seen moreso nowadays as a footnote for an otherwise insignificant Minibot who was less prominent than other characters and equal only to Gears. Side note, Takara's take on Wipe-Out really does feel like a Player 2 Windcharger with a Decepticon insignia, because he'd make more sense if he had a retooled head to match the look of Tailgate's head. So overall, this is a set that is best getting at a cheap price and only if you want this mold as a stand-in until we get a new version. It's more likely to happen than a Masterpiece version.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Generation 2 Dreadwing and Smokescreen review

"Run it's Dreadwing!"

"And Dreadwing's twice as deadly!"

New DreadWING is punishING/ His Gatling gun is illIN'!/ This Decepticon bomber's a Transformer-rama/, A three-in-one villain that's chillIN'!

Combat tank and sonic jet Transform into double-trouble robots/ Their missiles go boom/ Spelling certain doom/ As they take apart the awesome Autobots!

"Autobots! HALP!" 

"No one can save you... from triple-changing Dreadwing!"

Transformers: Generation 2. Dreadwing is all you see here, other figures sold separately.

Here we have Dreadwing and Smokescreen in their vehicle modes. Dreadwing is the one on the right who resembles a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit while Smokescreen instead looks either like a modified F-22 Raptor or a made-up vehicle. I say that because the shape is vaguely there yet the wings pale in comparison to Dreadwing's. I guess the missile launchers can make it more imposing, and yes, the two missiles on the launchers, the pair of three missiles on each of Dreadwing's wings serving as BOMBS, and the extra six in his illin' gatling gun means FOURTEEN MISSILES!!!!!! Speaking of, the illin' gatling gun normally stays underslung in Dreadwing, but I store it in the back to somewhat fill in the gap while Smokescreen is elsewhere. Dreadwing's vehicle mode is the main attraction, being large, dense, and satisfying to play with. The size of the wingspan, combined with the boomerang-like shape, makes it intimidating as all hell, even with the two-tone blue color scheme. The red cockpit on him and even the one on Smokescreen adds a sense of aggression that makes sense for a pair of deadly Decepticon fliers not seen in the average Seeker.

For a vehicle mode size comparison, here is Smokescreen next to a modern Voyager in the form of Ferak, a retool of Kingdom Cyclonus. While the modern mold manages to put Smokescreen in a small Deluxe size and Dreadwing in a Voyager-ish scale, you can imagine how Dreadwing would defy Hasbro's ways of trying to fudge a figure into a size class with either justifying engineering and accessory count or by using the size of a toy and nothing else with the Generations line. It'll make me wonder how they would make a new Dreadwing and Smokescreen set in the Generations line if we get one.

Having the illin' gatling gun underslung and facing forward means you can insert Smokescreen in the back, completing the stealth bomber look even further. Smokescreen really comes off like a recon drone that'd go scouting around at times, something reminiscent of Soundwave and Laserbeak in TFP. The gun now being underslung means you can deploy landing gear to make it stable for a vehicle mode display. Having a knob on the back to rotate the illin' gatling gun chamber and pressing the buttons on the wings means destruction for the Autobots far greater than anything in G1...though I should stress that nothing really locks them in place. See, the bombs on the wings are held in there by friction rather than being latched into a spring-loaded mechanism that'd correlate with the small buttons; meanwhile, the missiles in the gun, while firing at great distances, don't really lock in anywhere and can easily fall out during play, which is why they're held together with a rubber band.

After removing Smokescreen, this begins Dreadwing's transformation into his tank mode, with the wings folded up, the illin' gatling gun on the back, and tank treads deployed with the push of a button. It does come off as a bit impractical, both in shape and how you can only access this mode by removing Smokescreen rather than having the option to access the mode without him, but if slightly changing up G1 Springer's car mode into a helicopter justifies making him a triple changer, then the same should go for Dreadwing here. At least here, it comes off more like "I can make myself into a Triple Changer, too!" as the Decepticon bomber surprises his Autobot foes.

Transforming Dreadwing into his robot mode requires folding the treads back in place while having the cannon stay on his right side, straightening the legs, bringing the chest and arms down (whole moving the head in place midway through), and pulling out the arm guards till they lock in place. The resulting robot mode is stocky and portly, but it weirdly befits a bruiser like Dreadwing in addition to contrasting his sleek alternate mode. He looks like he's proud of being able to push down any Autobots as well as a few Decepticons he doesn't like just because he is so prideful of himself. He's basically like Soundwave if he was less of a Megatron loyalist and more like a bully to the Seekers. The arm guards add to the shape, though I will admit the way they're engineered does make them precarious, especially given how they slightly rattle within the forearms. Not to mention how some people broke theirs off or outright don't have them at all. Being a stocky character, he does have a few issues standing upright on some surfaces, but I'm sure it's manageable. No matter what, this robot mode screams impenetrable, especially since he'll let his illin' gatling gun take down the awesome Autobots.

Pardon the dust, but his head sculpt does look different from the usual Transformers flare, being a lot rounder in shape and having more in-common with 90s action figures where characters would have gas masks or breathing apparatuses that were hardcore in design. I mean, he has a bit of a mohawk! And yes, he has light-piping. His articulation consists of a neck swivel, shoulders on ratchet joints moving front and back with hinges moving in and out, bicep rotation, hinges at the elbows, ball-jointed hips, and knees that bend 90 degrees. Not bad for an early 90s toy, especially given the advancements present in toy engineering with some companies vs others (for example, compare the 8-inch Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to the usual 5 POA Kenner lines). 

As for Smokescreen, his transformation is a little more common with the standard Seeker affair, though the arms come from the back of the jet, and the legs only need to be strengthened out. The way the fuselage rotates before collapsing into place with the multi-hinged back section is pretty cool, though the connection could be a little more solid. The robot mode does look good, even if his forearms are disassembled. Being leaner than Dreadwing does make him feel more like the recon drone of the set, which is fitting for him if you're not a fan of the fan theory Japan has where this guy is the same as G1 Smokescreen (still better than people thinking ROTB Scourge was once Optimus). As part of a set labeled a "three-in-one villain that's chillin'", Smokescreen manages to feel less like a bonus and more like a figure that can stand on his own, especially with how involved his transformation is combined wit the robot design that doesn't feel held back by a smaller budget. Good work, 90s Hasbro!

His head sculpt is more traditional when it comes to Transformers standards at the time, being more in common with the European G1 Decepticons yet still being a better toy than all of them. His articulation consists of the same points that we saw with Dreadwing, only the arms are on swivel joints. His guns are blocky yet the missiles go boom as they spell certain doom

As far as reuses are concerned, this is the ATB Megatron & Starscream set, which looks too much like prototype yet the missiles were to glow in the dark. This was available in very limited quantities so don't expect to find it easily.

Now for releases that may be easier to get than the Megatron and Starscream set. BB and Starscream (no relation to the G1 guy) have silvery gray plastic, with the latter having a black head this time around. The deco changes make them vaguely like Skywarp in some respects if you think of the original set as Thundercracker-esque. Every subsequent reuse has retooled missiles to make them stay better, meaning they won't be backwards AND forwards compatible even with the color changes.

Up next, we have the Hasbro Dreadwind and Smokejumper set exclusive to Target. They feel even more like prototypes with the greens and grays and greeny grays, though the altmodes look fine enough. Their combined form gets to be called Dreadwing, though it makes you wonder if Smokejumper was going to be called Darkwing.

Robotmasters gave us Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper, who oddly look heroic with the brighter colors and yellow accents. They each came with clear plastic guns not unlike what you'd find in Energon or Legacy, and they were each sold separately. These two were some of the G2-era molds we got in the line along with a few Beast and Machine Wars guys as well as new figures for the Autobot leaders, BW Megs, and Starscream.

For a size comparison, here they are next to Ferak once more. While Dreadwing is of average Voyager height, and Smokescreen in the current Deluxe height, I have to wonder what methods Hasbro would take towards remaking this set with modern engineering. Would it involve selling the duo at Commander Class price point, or would one be a Leader and the other a Deluxe to hide the fact that they'd make people feel less ripped off? Not to mention that Hasbro would want to make repaints to save money as expected.

Overall, DreadWING is punishING. One of the best sets of figures you could get in Generation 2 along with Laser Prime and the Cyberjets, there no argument that this is one Transformerama. Because, and I cannot stress this enough, FOURTEEN MISSILES!!!! (proceeds to shoot missiles a la Thew Adams in his review)

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Legacy United Target-Exclusive Multipack review

The Target-exclusive 4-packs we got in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee lines always felt like a treat; for one, they provide fans with unique repaints that are homages to other toys or are entirely unique. On top of that, it's interesting to have an Autobot be outnumbered by 3 Decepticons (or Predacons, and even the odd G2 Cybertronian). The Legacy United 4-pack version may not have the subline designation this time around as with Origins Wheeljack, but this is probably the best 4-pack Target has ever had. Let's take a look and see how these four Transformers win amongst all others.

Here we have the four toys in their alternate modes. We got a Cybertronic tank, a strange crab-like monster, an orange arachnid, and a red muscle car. They all look pretty good if you ask me, but it's better to see how they each turned out when compared to their prior reuses, with Squeezeplay being more of a highlight after the reviews are taken care of.

Cliffjumper is a retool of Chase from the Rescue Bots series, and both it and Prime are part of the Aligned continuity. Changes include the addition of horns on the hood, the removal of the siren, and paint apps for the Autobot insignias, rims, and exhaust pipes. I do like how some of the vents and headlights are picked out in areas where they were absent from the original use of the mold, and the black-tinted windows further complete the personality overhaul of the mold. Going from a fairly toyetic cop car into a semi-realistic custom muscle car is always a treat to see, even with the proportions not exactly matching the TFP look.

The robot modes also prove how retooling Chase into Cliffjumper makes sense. I didn't think they'd have comparable design traits individually, what with the different aesthetics and animation styles, but seeing these two sharing the same mold proves me wrong when they share a unified aesthetic. I always wanted to see CHUG-styled versions of the Rescue Bots to go well with my Prime collection, which gives Chase a surprisingly strong redesign given how non-G1 franchises other than Armada tend to be redesigned to fit with the line. Cliffjumper, meanwhile, still feels closer to his TFP design than even the Skyquake/Dreadwing mold. He captures the same physique, and design traits, and doesn't have the simplistic aesthetics found in G1 designs. 

Here he is next to his First Edition counterpart. While I prefer that toy more for being accurate to the cartoon, the Legacy version still feels like a better choice as a TFP Cliffjumper than the PRID version. With comparable proportions, a possible way to make an arm cannon with the smokey grey weapons, and the head sculpt not being a reuse of the Gamer Edition CJ, this guy manages to win a lot more points than I expected.

And finally, here we have Arcee next to her boyfriend to further show how NOT to do a Legacy version of a TFP character; Arcee feels more like a disgruntled Geewunner liking the design of Arcee but hating how it was called Arcee solely because of her being blue and a motorbike, with fan art making her a new character unrelated to the G1 version. Meanwhile, Cliffjumper feels more like an alternate design of the TFP character during production, possibly one that'd have forearm hook weapons like how I would display my copy. 

Tarantulas is a redeco of himself, this time now in orange. While the average person would question the character being orange, this is in homage to the prototype meant for the character seen briefly in the commercial for the first wave of Beast Wars toys. I believe a collector trading card had him vaguely colored orange, but he was originally meant to be translucent as well. This repaint, leaving him as opaque, might make the orange fairly dull in beast mode but at least prevents fragility issues seen in the WFC Trilogy and Legacy lines. The gray legs do make him more of a prototype than expected.

The reason why Tarantulas changed from orange to purple was for more color variety in the line, since Dinobot was tan and Cheetor was yellow; Scorponok and Tigatron were also going to be orange, but one became black and the other became white. The robot mode mostly replaces any black plastics with gray and the purples with oranges. Still, the lower legs are interestingly distinct given how they are gray yet were originally green like on parts of the original Tarantulas. What is new for this Tarantulas is a head sculpt themed after the old toy mutant head gimmick where the line would allow kids to display the toys with either robotic or mutated faces. The original version of the character depicts him with the mutant mask that became a signature character trait for the cartoon, yet this version instead gives him the mouthplated robot head that would be a vague influence for Blackarachnia's head in the cartoon.

Speaking of, he goes quite well with Blackarachnia from 2021's Worlds Collide line. The two molds are distinct from each other instead of being repainted like in the old days, but the almost matching colors and altered head sculpts make them look like twin siblings. They'd likely attempt to overthrow Megatron and take over the Predacons, that is unless they start backstabbing each other. Tarantulas may be the weirdest repaint out of the set and possibly the weakest, but that doesn't make him a bad inclusion regardless. Maybe if the orange was more metallic, it'd look a little better. Oh, and you could pretend he is a drone of the original Tarantulas named Tyrantulas according to a Hasbro rep.

Tarn, naturally, is a redeco of himself. Instead of being from the G1 universe's vast IDW continuity, he instead represents the Perfect Decepticons Megatron X created, and the deco differences are certainly telling with how much darker and richer the palette is on the Cyberverse guy compared to the more washed-out G1 version. Not that one is better than the other, but I don't really know which one I like more than the other. They both represent different versions of Tarn, yet I like the decos on the two uses equally as much. They're functionally the same, though, down to still leaving the robot fists exposed and not having wheels for the tank treads.

The robot modes have me feeling conflicted about which color scheme I like more even further. Design-wise, the Cyberverse version doesn't quite match the bulkier proportions of the character model from the show, but damn the colors look great. I love the darker thighs and forearms to help make the toy feel more complete, deco-wise, rather than leaving them be a flat light gray. The cannon stands out more with the richer colors applied, notably the black barrels with a few golden paint apps as well as a purple block holding them both. The head having red Joker-like lipstick marking may be off to some, but it is accurate to the show. That being said, the show depicted Tarn with a scar on his face as well as having his left arm missing, so you can instead have this be a Perfect Decepticon for your troop-building needs. Have fun with the extra Cliffjumpers and Squeezeplays, though!

The sword did not belong to Tarn, initially, as it instead comes from Bludgeon, a retool we got before this Tarn but after the original, I didn't get him at first, but a discount changed my mind at Target, and what a steal for nearly $20! The sword isn't painted like on Bludgeon but it could be like a lightsaber Megatron used in the 86 movie, though Tarn and Mace Windu are way cooler than G1 Megatron.

Now for the new-ish mold of the set, and why I wanted to review everything in the first place. Squeezeplay is a weird crustaceous monster that has the typical colors from many post-1987 G1 toys, some of which look more ridiculous than a G2 toy. The hot pink, blue, and beige all contrast the standard color scheme of Cliffjumper and the elegance of Tarn. Hell, Tarantulas feels more normal than Squeezeplay is. His design also screams "late 80s toy" with how absurd the design proportions look, on top of how weird the Decepticon Headmasters got after 1987, though the robot thighs being shoulders of sorts for the beast mode makes them wonky as hell when you remember that the forearms will become the robot legs. The back of the beast mode has the typical tail-weapon storage that isn't anything new. We'll go back to the gun in a moment.

For a beast mode comparison, here he is posing his arms next to Fangry, who also represented the wonky late G1 design logic by being a somewhat organic-looking beast mode if you notice the head and wings. They also share hot pink as a common trait, but Fangry's beast mode is a little more believable. By a smidge.

Before we get to the robot mode, here we have the Titan Master included with the set. Thankfully, with the inclusion of plastic windows intact, we won't have idiots stealing this like they have done with a bunch of LeBron James toys in 2021. The color breakup is always great, especially compared to the old Titans Return offerings from 2016/7 Hasbro, especially with the painted visor. That being said, it is annoying how the thighs are not pinned in, meaning that the legs detach easily. BTW, his name is Lokos, is not the same as the Titan Master version of Squeezeplay, and it looks like Cancer, the Headmaster Junior from Super God Masterforce.

Transformation is similar to that of Titans Return Mindwipe, though his lower legs won't have the wings explode given how no cheap plastic is being used. Still, the hinge holding the beast mode head doesn't have a pin inserted through it, so be sure to keep that in mind. The robot mode looks about what I'd expect from a highly refined version of the old toy, even if the back kibble feels like it's no different from the old days in a way. The upper body looks mostly typical of the blocky G1 designs we've seen, but the lower legs having the claw feet and more rounded aesthetics comparable to the beast head are details I do like. One complaint I do have is much like the primary color lights in front of Hasbro's Beast Wheeler Zord 5 years ago, the paint apps on the chest look very faded and transparent.

His head sculpt is not the same as the Titans Return version as expected, instead matching the old toy and Masterforce appearances. I don't mind either way since I never had an attachment to either character and just want the figure as it is. The articulation gives us ball joints for the neck and shoulders, swivels for the biceps and thighs, hinges for the double-jointed elbows, knees, and ankles, and universal hips. His weapons can be held in either his hands or forearms, but that gun needs to be talked about.

The back pieces can hinge if you so want, but that pistol is a surprise addition in the form of Browning! He was a Takara-exclusive character that never had any Hasbro release, so don't expect a Core Class version of him right away. That being said, Browning is the third instance of a gunformer being used as an accessory instead of being a transformable figure, with Megatron's Walther P38 mode and Shockwave's ray gun mode being done in a Generations Selects accessory pack included with the Centurion Drone. Of note, Browning is silver like the old toy and not, well, brown like in the cartoon.

For a robot mode comparison, here he is next to Fangry, and I personally think that Squeezeplay manages to be better engineered than his fellow Headmaster due to the inclusion of ankle joints as well as coming with accessories while Fangry never did. Squeezeplay also doesn't feel super cheap, thanks to his knees not being floppy out of the box like they are with Fangry. Now to wait for another 3 years for Horri-Bull.

Overall, this is a strong multipack and the best we've got from among the four offerings we had since 2021. While I liked having the evil Predacon retools in Worlds Collide and Goldbug in Creatures Collide, and while the troop builder set was a cool idea on top of adding Decepticons, Hasbro did a tremendous job that it'd be a great way to go out if this will be the last of the 4-packs. On top of that, it's a much better value having a Voyager and three Deluxes around the $80 price tag moreso than buying them individually at $110, especially in this current economy. If you can find this set at, I recommend it highly.

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