Here we have Windcharger in his vehicle mode, which is an unlicensed approximation of a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. It does the job of looking like how it should in the cartoon, from the proportions to the simpler details that have become more of a thing for the G1 characters of late. This means the Autobot insignia is now drawn in the white outline without having the eyes filled in. While that's mostly fine, and I appreciate that the rims and grille are painted silver, I question why the windows have to be translucent. Yeah, they're separate pieces, but you can see the pegs inside, and while it's not the biggest concern I have with the use of clear plastic on the toy (that will be brought up later), I wonder how much money could be saved by making them opaque and using the same baby blue used on the other Autobots from the Legacy United 5-pack, Bumblebee, Brawn, or Gears. On a side note, the gun should face backwards to simulate a tailpipe but it Isn't possible due to peg/tab placements. I also find it a bit annoying that when they tried recreating the misaligned back section on Windcharger because the cartoon recreated that design flaw, it makes it look like you haven't transformed him right when you have. Certified Geewun accuracy moment.
The one feature this figure has in vehicle mode is using his magnetic powers, though it looks more like he spooged out some lubricant to prank some poor suckers.
For a vehicle mode size comparison, here he is with his Reveal the Shield/United counterpart. There was a Power of the Primes figure released in-between them, but I don't have it. Obviously, one is more classic than the other, and I like that SS86 rolls better, but it blows my mind that a Deluxe that costs $27 in 2026 is around the same size as a Scout Class toy presumably around $10 or less. You can bring up the argument on inflation and tariffs all you want, but Glenn Webb (RIP king) once mentioned how the dark ages of Marvel Legends was a case of giving less but charging more. While it may not be entirely easy to compare two differently functional lines, they both are aimed at collectors, and while some companies try to make up for their own price increases as time goes by, Hasbro remains a worse offender thanks to their business practices under Chris Cucks and the common knowledge on how many fanboys simp for them no matter what they do.
Transformation is fairly involved for a Minibot, and by that I mean having most of the altmode folded away within the legs. To give this toy some credit in maintaining a clean silhouette, they at least had the grille, hood, front windshield, and roof concealed inside what are now the front legs, and they also made sure that the tires were on a hinge assembly to be kept out of sight while the front tires now face backwards a la Hot Rod. The resulting robot mode is undoubtedly cartoon accurate, and we can easily talk about how the smoother details make him less impressive than his prior WFC trilogy and early Legacy brethren, he at least fits in with what we have gotten of late. Besides, it's not like we have MP-44 Optimus next to the original Hasbro MP Starscream exclusive to Walmart. I wish the back section would have the kibble collapse better so he could appear less gappy from the sides, but hey, he has no backpack! I am still concerned on the use of clear plastic, this time because of the tight hinge used to shift the piece up or down. I don't want this to be as fragile as SS86 Jazz was.
Head sculpt is a face underneath a box, but is it me or does he look more like Shattered Glass Megatron than most heads representing Shattered Glass Megatron? Anyways, gun in hand, his articulation includes swivels at the neck, shoulders, biceps, waist, and thighs, hinges at the outward arm movement, elbows, knees, and ankles (which are much higher and therefore his shins), universal hip joints, and ball jointed wrists. The decision to have the ankle pivots much higher up than normal is due to the way his transformation works, but it makes me think of how Kingdom Paleotrex had that quirk, for better or worse.
His magnetic effect piece can tab in the chest, which makes him look more like he's deploying piss from a box strapped in his chest like some nasty flower in a shirt. On a positive note, he has a way to look up with a lever behind his head. Reminds me of how hoodies work. For anyone wondering, the wheels on the shoulders can face forward, and the ones in the legs can be kept on display, but the latter means the vehicle kibble doesn't fold away properly due to the tire hinges clashing with the mirrors.
For a robot mode size comparison, here he is next to Reveal the Shield Windcharger. Yes, I am happy to own a version of the character that was meant to fit in with my other CHUG figures, but once again, it's crazy seeing how some Deluxes we got today are closer to the size of the Scouts we used to get, only more than twice the price they used to go for. I remember when people were furious over Movie Jazz getting a much smaller figure than the already small Classic Camaro Bumblebee, but now it seems there isn't as much outrage over this, either because of people growing more accustomed to the trend of Hasbro shrinkflation or fanboys reeeeing far less because it's a G1 character and therefore it's okay.
And here we have him with the rest of the 1984 Minibots. It's crazy how almost yearly it took to complete this line-up, even if we ignore the Netflix Bumblebee and the original Earthrise Cliffjumper. At least I don't have to spend more money than I need on a stupidly expensive Deluxe Minibot anymore for these characters. Overall, the more I think about completing this set, the more I feel like I did it just to get it over with than because it's exciting now that I get the entire cast from Season 1 together. I'm sure I'll feel like I accomplished something when I bring these guys with Optimus, the Autobot Cars, Jetfire, and the Dinobots for a Season 1 group shot, but the long time it took to get them together being longer than what any 80s baby took with their allowances, birthdays, and Christmases almost makes the journey for new fans who weren't around since at least Siege feel daunting. Then there's the price increase over the years. In 2019, a Deluxe went for $20, which is not great but somewhat acceptable. Fast forward to the current year, and it's nearly an extra $10! That takes us back to our review subject: Windcharger might have been acceptable back in 2019 as he is, and I say that because he's about as comparable as Cliffjumper in terms of engineering. Granted, one is slightly shorter and has a whooping cannon instead of a punt gun, but I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Honestly, the later down we go with the Minibots, the more I start feeling they have more issues with value for money. I don't think Windcharger sucks 100%, BUT he sure as hell ain't worth the full price!
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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