Transformers WFC Trilogy Covert Agent Ravage review

Beast Wars knew how to do G1 fanservice right, compared to some modern attempts at doing the schtick. See, instead of going for the minimum effort of making forgettable crossovers and making people think that the licensed novelties matter more than the official War for Cybertron stuff, Mainframe previously had Starscream had a guest appearance that made sense and didn't feel like he'd take the spotlight of everyone else. The same went for the G1 characters shown in Season 2 and 3, who were pretty much in stasis lock, but Ravage's guest appearance in The Agenda and the original Megatron's cameo from the Golden Disk combined with the Maximals living in the Ark after the Axalon was damaged made for a focus on the G1 stuff without overthrowing the characters that were already in the show. See, Hasbro, you can let your then-new stuff get all the attention without suddenly making G1 the main focus out of nowhere like you did with Studio Series 86! Ravage himself was given a new body and went from Decepticon to Predacon, and his more independent form granted him a robot mode even though he still turned into a cassette. Anyways, onto the review!

Here is the micro-cassette Ravage in his tape mode, which is labeled as Decepticons Forever Ravage in reference to the phrase he said in the show and the fact that he still turns into a cassette as mentioned before. It's a pretty decent take on it, what with the details including the tape reel, a Decepticon logo, a vague Japan word (it looks better on the other side), and holes like a normal cassette would have. It's pretty panel-heavy, but it does the job well enough.

If you wanted to see something not many people know about with the G1 Cassettes if they have them but not the WFC Micromaster partners for Soundwave (or vice versa), here is G1 Ravage next to the WFC Trilogy Netflix version of the character, seen here painted to look as cassette-like as possible. The attempt is appreciative, and I'm sure it looks better than the other one, but I won't lie when I say that the G1 version looks much more convincing if you ask me.

Transformation is pretty simple, for the guy, as you have the beast head to flip out, animal legs to straighten, tail to flip out, and the rockets to attach near the rump. The jaguar mode is very flat, especially when viewed from the front, but I think it was neat that Takara engineers managed to make an animal out of a shape (especially since this was a Micro Change guy before he was repurposed as Ravage by Hasbro). The design is pretty decent, and the cannons do give him an extra bit of width at the very least. Of note, the die-cast parts on him are not chrome like on the G1 toy but are instead in the bare-metal look of the Masterpiece Movie figures. That looked more appropriate for those figures because it better suits the real-world look, yet this clashes with the G1 guys since they look worn out (and the figure's guns are chromed, too). While he is articulated in the legs and a bit at the head and tail, it's not easy to pose him without him falling over.

For a jaguar mode comparison, here he is with the previously shown Netflix WFC Ravage. The size is different between the two, but my god does the WFC version look thicc. It's a little more fitting for someone like Steeljaw, but I never really liked how the WFC version of Ravage looked. The G1 toy does a better job of being more like a jaguar, but the Universe version is the best mainline approach.

And here we have the Covert Agent side of things, with the Deluxe-ish Ravage in his beast mode. He never transformed in the show, but this is a reference to the fact that he transformed in the Takara version of the Beast Wars toyline (which had a Ravage figure of its own). This beast mode is certainly a mix between organic and robotic compared to the other characters in the line, and it mainly boils down to the fact that it reuses parts while also striving for the robot mode accuracy. The jaguar mode we end up with is done up rather well, with a good amount of anatomy kept intact while striving to be a transforming toy, and the proportions are made to fit a jaguar more given how its stature differs from the cheetah or some of the sleeker feline predators. The legs of the robot and beast mode are the same that came with Shadow Panther (which we'll get to), though I will mention that you may have had a copy with swapped parts. It should be easy to switch the jaguar legs around, no problem, given how it's all on ball joints.

The beast mode definitely starts to show how much it favors the robot mode from the sides because the weapon storage is a vague echo of the G1 toy's rocket launchers. Of course, they're pointed backwards, but it's still amusing nonetheless. I won't deny that the thighs being unchanged for the robot is amusing since everyone else hides their robot parts better than him despite him being the more premium toy. That said, Ravage's articulation is a little better than the other guys: his legs have most of the same range as the original Cheetor figure, but the waist swivel is freer for him, his tail can move up and down, and the head can turn left and right on top of an articulated jaw. Some of the added points give him more posing options that the original Cheetor tooling lacked because of how that figure transformed its beast mode torso, which is different from Ravage's as some of the beast mode parts Cheetor had were used for the robot mode design. Since it's the same as on the robot mode, I should mention that it's going to deviate itself from the show as it prioritizes being used for the beast mode as much as it has to be screen-accurate, so it may not look 1:1, but more importantly, it also has the added fur sculpt work that the CG model didn't have given how it was smooth and shiny from the CGI quality at the time.

For a beast mode comparison, here he is next to Shadow Panther, who may look like Ravage to some less experienced fans. So basically, Shadow Panther began life as a Takara-exclusive repaint in their BW line before Hasbro brought him to their defunct collector's site to tie-in with a release of a Walmart Tripredacus Agent repaint of Transmetal 2 Cheetor, the black repaint of Cheetor went from being called Shadow Panther to Tripredacus Agent with a new bio making him less of an evil clone to hide among the Maximals to being a new take on Ravage. Amusingly, Hasbro never imported the actual Ravage. Anyways, both of these two have different proportions, with Ravage being taller, bulkier, and having added articulation. The head sculpt is especially where it stands out, with the different design and head movement that doesn't have it stuck facing down.

Transformation is very different from Cheetor when going from the waist up, as the torso doesn't change due to it being a more humanoid chest design like in the show, so it has to open up in order for the arms to hinge out and unfold while the organic part of the body that has the jaguar head has to hide inside the torso and the front legs go on the back all the way (differently from the Cheetor tooling where they hang on the shoulder parts. The tail stays in place, and the beast head becomes the robot head. The resulting robot mode ends up being very faithful to the show model apart from some transforming toy liberties and reused parts, but it kind of struck me that he looks a little weird for his proportions. The torso is at a superhero-like V shape, yet the skinny arms and thick legs make him look a tad obese. It may just be from how the figure is designed, but it is a thing you can't unsee, especially when they don't go all the way down because of the tabs used to secure them. The new parts are plentiful for the robot mode, even the thighs are new for this guy. The kibble does hang to the back, but at least it does so in a decent manner and don't get undone like with the Cheetor figure.

Head sculpt is the same as before, so I'll mention that he has just about the same articulation that Cheetor had for the robot mode, though his arms have double-jointed elbows. His jaw not only has added paint for the teeth and tongue to further make him look more complete, but he also benefits from having more display options for photos to take. Ravage comes with two guns that don't seem blast effect compatibility but are decently painted like they are in the show. The designs are a bit generic, though. Comparing him to the original Metals Ravage, and you can see how night and day they are when it comes to accuracy. The original figure, being a retool of Transmetal Cheetor, tries to be closer to the cartoon design yet ends up being more robotic and not as slender as the new guy. The head is especially distinct, looking nothing like how it did in the show. That being said, both figures are good in their own right, with one being the more show-accurate approach and the other being a more fun toy to handle (on top of the Transmetal figures still being good from what I have seen in reviews).

I should mention that the backdrop this figure comes with is reminiscent of the Studio Series backdrops as well as the Pit of Judgement set from the WFC line. This guy takes it a step further by making a more interesting design. Honestly, with how often we've seen the same locations for the Studio Series line (apart from 86 ones though I don't own the boxes for those because they don't fit the same approach), so I was happy to see how this one spices things up as a diorama. It's angled differently for the inset part of it, there is no base that has the logos or other nonsense, it's sturdier than the other options, and there is a bit of interactivity for the cassette deck meant for the G1 toy. It's even displayed in mid-air thanks to the plastic tray! I'd say this outdoes ANY of the Studio Series backdrops. And here he is with Shadow Panther for a comparison, which shows you that the two really aren't anything alike. Their lower legs are pretty similar, but that's the only main thing reused between figures. Shadow Panther is basically a mostly black Cheetor with a new mutant head in homage to the old toy. Ravage, on the other hand, is a wholly new design that was loosely inspired by Transmetal Ravage. The shades of black between the two are the same, but the silver on Ravage isn't as shiny as it is on Shadow Panther, and Shadow Panther has black pins instead of silver like with Ravage. Oh, and you can store the guns on the hips, though they do bulk up the already bulky legs a little more.

And here he is with the Season 1 Predacon cast, which is appreciative since adding Dinobot with the Maximals, we'd get 7 characters for the main team and a lot of underrepresentation for the Preds (if you exclude the non-show toys). He's also of a decent height that doesn't feel too undersized when put next to Megatron. Terrorsaur is far away in 2022 while Tarantulas and Inferno have yet to be made. So now what with Covert Agent Ravage? Well, he's currently priced at $52.99, which is rather overpriced when some initial listings had a lower price. Apart from the packaging and backdrop, you're mainly getting a Deluxe figure with a bit of budget, which makes him feel similar to Studio Series 86 Hot Rod, who was a Deluxe figure with Voyager engineering and an increased accessory count. On top of that, he comes with a reissue of G1 Ravage that has die-cast parts kept intact. The set itself is nicely done, and is more accessible than any figure from the Collector's Club from years ago, but I must confess that the price is not worth it for those that have to buy plenty of things in 2021, especially with Kingdom being a massive line as well as having Studio Series, Generations Selects, and any remnants of Siege and Earthrise. That or if you took advantage of any gift cards for select shops and used the normal money for Hasbro Pulse or BBTS. I doubt this guy will have a discount on Hasbro Pulse, so the set is up to you if you want to get it right away.

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

Transformers Kingdom Waspinator review

Do you know what was weirdly missing in the Kingdom series? Waspinator! He was not only nonexistent in the show itself, but his toy was made very late in the toy line. Honestly, the former itself is fine with me because I hate that show and am happy Waspinator was not treated in such a light. The latter, however, is weird, mostly from the fact that he would have been an easily marketable figure to sell in the line, but I guess that wasn't the case until he was leaked. Anyways, Waspinator, along with Shadow Panther and Tigatron, was revealed along with some Wave 3 repacks, but so far, I can only cover one of the two new molds (Shadow Panther will get the spotlight, don't worry). So let's cover the green bug himself!

Here is Waspinator in his beast mode, a green wasp. The design of it is obviously going to be hard to translate given how you have to merge a very small and skinny insect into a robot that is of general proportions. The robot legs are visible underneath, but at least they're not at the sides nor are the robot legs on the back pretending to be the beast mode legs. I will say that Waspinator is a little less wasp in terms of appearance and looks a little more bee-like, with his proportions not being as angular or droopy as they were on the Thrilling 30 version (the original had him look straight). Also, his wings are purple, as are his eyes, which are kind of reminiscent of Animated Waspinator, but I think they make sense for him given how they tend to look like that in the cartoon.

His insect articulation consists of ball-joints at the wings, swivels for all sets of legs, a hinge for the wasp head, swivels for the antennae, and mandibles that can open and close. This can be further effective with a flight stand (one that is more Transformer-friendly would be nice). For a size comparison, well, the Predacons weren't about consistent scale since the bug, arachnid, and scorpion are all bigger than they should be in real life, but this is Beast Wars so who cares. I don't.

Transformation is very involved, and I believe somewhat unique from how the other ones work in terms of how the arms transform as well as the legs. The limbs of his robot mode interestingly switch the amount of bug legs they'd have compared to previous versions, but I think that because of how they're posed and their inability of being removed, they do get in the way of the wings for the arms and require to be leveled with the feet on the latter. Thankfully, it's manageable, but not 100% perfect. The robot mode itself is another show-accurate interpretation of the design, which is also applicable for the previous Deluxe figures anyhow. Kingdon Waspinator just does his own spin on things, many with the colors. I like the green and yellow, especially with the bits of black and purple here and there to break up the palette. I'll be the first to say that the design of the character is honestly kind of hard to screw up, but what I don't like is how the torso doesn't hold together as well (the bug head doesn't tab in anywhere, and the tab for the upper torso to connect to the waist is not strong enough); it there was a way to fix them, that'd be neat, but not 100% something you should have to do to a newly opened toy. He has some hollowed-out parts on the back, but they can be covered well enough by the wings and wasp abdomen.

Head sculpt is very cartoon-accurate, and the amount of paint applied onto the figure combined with the nicely sculpted details and the light piping make this part feel like the best part of the figure as a whole. I love that he has the stripes on the antennae and that the mouth is painted, it further completes the look of a unique head like this. His articulation is pretty good along with the other WFC Trilogy guys. Ball-jointed head, shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, elbow bends, wrist swivels, a waist swivel (that is limited because it catches on both mandibles), hips that move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots. His gun is just a bit of the wasp ass that feels like it's missing an extra tip that gives it a more distinct look than it currently has. It reminds me of Classics Mirage, where it's less like a proper weapon and more like a chunk of the altmode taken off and vaguely passing as a weapon.

As far as repaints are concerned, this is Legacy Buzzsaw, a repaint that now turns into a yellow jacket in addition to having a new head sculpt based on the robot head that the original toy had (which was a feature older Beast Wars toys had; Waspinator used the mutant head in the show with new liberties taken to make it more characterful). While it's hard to determine exactly, I do hope he doesn't feel as cheap as Waspinator does.

Later on, we'd get a Skywasp repaint that is similar to the Timelines Parasite repaint of Thrilling 30 Waspinator, and Horrorcon Waspinator, which came with the alternate robot head in addition to the Waspinator head. As part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee Creatures Collide 4-pack, he comes with a toy-accurate Scorponok, a Ransack reused from Legacy Kickback, and Goldbug.

And for a Takara repaint, this is Waspeeter in the Beast Wars Again subline featuring a more cartoon-accurate repaint. The color break up on him and the better use of clear plastic helps him feel closer tl the CG model, but no word yet if the figure has better tolerances.

For a robot mode comparison, I have the original version of Waspinator with the closest deco to the show and the Thrilling 30 versions for an idea of how they stack up. I think that they each make for great iterations of Waspinator, with the original holding up better than most figures in the line he came from. The articulation is great, the design is already spot-on, and the beast mode doesn't look too bad. The Thrilling 30 version is even closer to the show model, with a more devoted cartoon head and details that make it feel much closer to the show. I will say that the beast mode legs of that figure are better handled than on the Kingdom version because of how they're pointing up instead of betting in the way. Honestly, Waspinator's figures have each had some flaw that pushed them back from making one better than the other. Maybe the Thrilling 30 version is the best one, but that wouldn't make me want to replace the Kingdom version.

And for a size comparison in robot mode, he and Scorponok are definitely shorter than Blackarachnia and especially Megatron. Looking forward to getting Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, and Inferno, but I want to be honest and say that Waspinator himself is better than I expected. He's not 100% perfect, and while Blackarachnia makes for a better Deluxe figure because of her engineering, Waspinator comes in second place because his beast mode works better than Scorponok's and has a pretty solid robot mode all around. Some fixes here and there would make him even better. Just make him less likely to untab from the waist and maybe tighten the tolerances of the wings a bit. Oh and make the waist swivel a little less compromised.

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

Transformers Cyberverse Cheetor review

Before Kingdom brought back a good majority of the Beast Wars characters in the same Maximal and Predacon factions, Transformers shows made after the Beast Era would usually bring in one or two characters based on mostly the Season 1 crew. Rhinox made a small cameo in Armada, Blackarachnia and Waspinator were new takes on their Beastie counterparts after being originally non-organic, Optimus Primal showed up in Power of the Primes to tie in with the Optimal Optimus Fan Vote toy, and Cyberverse brought in Cheetor himself. His role was pretty much a better handled version of Primal's role in POTP, as Cheetor practically guarded the Allspark after it was long separated from Cybertron, and he adopted a feline alternate mode that helps in towing the gap between familiarity and new iteration. He may not be the Maximal rookie, but the new role is quite nice to have for a character like him, and I loved seeing him be an additional teammate alongside Bumblebee and Hot Rod. In honor of his sacrifice in the beginning of Season 3, let's see how his long-awaited Deluxe figure turned out!

 

Here is Cheetor in his beast mode. It is a very mechanical design that has an organic silhouette to it. The animation style of the show helps make the design feel more consistent than had it not received the full-on organic beast mode nor a fully mechanical beast mode that's more on-par with Ravage or Laserbeak. The color scheme mostly consists of cheddar yellow with black spots and some light brown parts here and there, most prominently on the forelegs and jaw. They may not be 100% accurate to the coloring of the show, but they at least do add a good amount of color breakup that looks somewhat natural (well, as natural as a beast mode can be in this design). The rest of the beast mode looks fine even if the back has the normal robot mode legs hunched up. The articulation consists of an opening jaw, forelegs that move front and back as well as in and out somewhat, bends at the elbows, hindlegs that mostly move back, straighten at the knees, and pivot at the ankles. The tail has some articulation, which is kind of rare because it usually has to partsform except here, where it doesn't. I'm covering the articulation because it's a little more restricted with the attachments on. You can slide the claws over the front paws, attach the swords around the inner part of the shoulders, and a mask that slides over the face. It's a little reminiscent of the Beast Machines design, what with the inclusion of green in some areas.

For a size comparison in the alternate mode side of things, here he is in-between his vehicular friends. Bumblebee and Hot Rod. I have to say that he might fit in with the size if we're to consider that he'd have to be in a good size for his robot mode, so I'd say it works.

Transformation is very much in a vein similar to the Kingdom figure of the Beast Era guy, which consists of the cheetah head going onto the chest, the arms folding out from the stomach, the beast legs being on the back, and the hind legs becoming the robot legs simply by straightening them out. It's nothing too new, though the cheetah head does have a tendency to detach at times if you're not transforming him right. The resulting robot mode is much more accurate to the character model than the other toy was, but the deco itself isn't 100% accurate. It's not awful, but I should mention that in the show, the back of his hands, the biceps, the upper parts of his shoulders, and one trim of the back of his cheetah legs should have blue. Even without the deco, it's not 100% terrible and still looks good either way. The design of the figure looks proportionately accurate otherwise, and he doesn't have any of the oddities that the smaller figure had. The back does have hollow legs, but it's otherwise fair for a figure with this budget. By the way, is it me or does Walmart have this figure at a lower price than the norm? Most have the same price as a WFC Deluxe, but this figure is like $14 give or take.

Head sculpt is very accurate to the design, which is pretty reminiscent of the Universe Deluxe face in terms of it being more feline than youthful. The green eyes are decently applied, but the blue face should be a darker shade like in the show. His articulation is pretty good overall, with ball joints at the head, shoulders, wrists, and hips, swivels for the biceps, waist, and thighs, and hinges for the elbows, knees, and ankles.

You can display him with his swords with no problem since those were a regular form of weaponry that he had, but that can be taken even further with the armor, giving him shoulder pads and the tiger head as a shield of sorts. As a result, the figure is mostly armored from the top, but I think that apart from the head, the shoulders add a bit of extra color that doesn't clash too badly, and the design of them is reminiscent of the claw shoulder pads of Thundertron. Very nice attention to detail.

For a robot mode size comparison, he's taller than both Bumblebee and Hot Rod. I haven't messed with the latter two for a while, but I must say that Bumblebee's still a pretty solid figure and I grew to like him even more. Hot Rod's still got some issues for the deco and design, though. But yeah, this trio definitely makes me want to revisit Cyberverse in spite of the ads being in the way, but Cheetor himself makes for a pretty neat entry in the line. After the mixed bag of Wave 3 Cyberverse Deluxes in the form of Prowl, Starscream, and Soundwave, it's nice that Cheetor has not only been made even after his death but that he's also a well thought out figure that doesn't feel compromised even with the intended budget. I'd say get him if you can because he's a release with spotty distribution (no pun intended).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Collaborative Back to the Future Gigawatt review

We may or may not need roads at times, but we can generally say that I lied about not delving into the Collaborative line. If anything, I just wanted to get one of the better options, and after seeing how Maverick and Ectotron turned out, I'd at least want to give BTTF a shot since I was interested in owning a version of the car. Not saying that the Ecto-1 was bad, but the DeLorean is an honestly cooler car if you ask me. If anything, it makes for a nicer car to take advantage of for Transformers, but that being said, it should make for a good figure, right? Let's see how Gigawatt turned out.

Here is Gigawatt in his vehicle mode. It's a very faithful replication of the iconic vehicle from the movie, with the gray paint, the subtle trim on the front, the black wiring around the sides, and the dark blue windows. The back is likely the best part of the overall package, especially considering how painted it is all throughout. The seamlines of the figure are subtle enough so as to make this feel less like a Transformer and more like a model vehicle. The silver rims are especially appreciative, and they're pinned on instead of being snap-on. Honestly, compared to the X-Jet and Maverick, with the former being too toyetic and the latter being too ugly for the plastic colors, Gigawatt and Ectotron are rather premium as far as details are concerned. I even like that the figure looks to have a matte gray paint job to make it a more realistic look, as a full-on silver that Revenge of the Fallen Sideswipe would have won't fit this car specifically. While you can lift the seats as you would in the real vehicle as well as the movie, there is no interior for him (which isn't a concern for a figure this size). Additionally, you can peg on the lightning rod on the back to replicate the time Marty McFly had to return to 1985 with the ability to channel the power of a bolt into the car's flux capacitor.

There are two details worth mentioning because we don't get small tampographs like this (apart from Earthrise Wheeljack's sponsor decals): the license plate is of Californian origin with an additional text that says "OUTATIME" while the latter is the Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor that was not only used to convert house waste into energy but was also what helped in modifying the vehicle for flight capability.

The flight mode is accessed by hinging the pieces that hold the tires down (but the front ones have two pieces that you may want to go halfway because the assembly has the black pieces holding the tires and they are best left in the same positions that are on the back for consistency. No flight stand is included, but you can always borrow one from a Figuart or one that has a similar peg size.

For a size comparison, here he is in-between Masterpiece Movie Bumblebee and Barricade. If you recall, Ectotron's size was that of a Voyager, meaning he'd scale with your Autobot Cars from G1 and the Bayverse cars if you're interested in having Hollywood Rides that turn into cool robots. Gigawatt, being a heavy retool of Siege Sideswipe, is undersized, so he's definitely going to fit in better with your Studio Series and WFC figures instead. It's a shame too, because the details are almost as good as a Masterpiece figure if you ask me.

Transformation is almost similar to Siege Sideswipe, being that he uses the same skeleton, but he has a few new tricks of his own: mainly the side panels having pieces behind the shoulders, the gull doors being part of the backpack, and the chest piece flipping around to reveal the flux capacitor as well as the front wheels holding away entirely. The latter helps clean up the chest nicely, but the former is not executed well; it flips into place thanks to two small clear tabs that are not only too short in length but also too brittle thanks to the use of clear plastic; one of them snapped right off because the method of transforming the chest is not entirely clear nor is the step designed to be done in a smoother manner; there's no proper tab or tolerance that makes it easier to do than without, especially considering that the step in question can't even function properly. That being said, the robot mode we end up with is...interestingly executed. It's certainly got that look of Sideswipe without the character-specific details that make him feel like a refined character. Obviously, the DeLorean was never given a robot mode because it was never a Transformer to begin with, but Gigawatt does feel more like generic robot that turns into the car in question rather than a proper Transformer that becomes the vehicle; it's a weird analogy, but it's more in the vein of those Citroen C4 robots but with better proportions. The chest is definitely on the same bulk that the Spy Changers had, which makes him look even blocker than Siege Sideswipe if you ask me. I do commend that the flux capacitor is painted nicely as well as including the three different dates that apply to the first 2 movies at least (1985 for the next destination, 2015 for the current time, and 1955 for the time he just visited). Weirdly, the shins have none of the same paint applied onto the chest, and while I don't need them to paint the flux capacitors on the knees, at least make them feel a little less underdone. At least the chest, blocky as it is, has a good amount of color breakup to help it work. The back of the legs do have the same paint used for the vehicle mode's back, funny enough.

Head sculpt is kind of like if this was G1 Sideswipe with the silver/gray of Movie Sideswipe with goggles. It's not a particularly interesting head design, but it does the job okay considering there was no pre-established character for the DeLorean. The articulation is the same that is found with Siege Sideswipe, including a ball-jointed neck, shoulders that move front and back as well as in and out, bicep swivels, elbow bends, a waist swivel, hips that move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots.

The weapons he comes with are not the same ones that any version of the Sideswipe mold came with, but he instead has a new gun that looks kind of like Siege Optimus Prime's Ion Blaster, and it's also blast effect compatible just like how this guy has 5mm ports on him like Sideswipe before him! You can combine the Mr. Fusion piece with the rifle, but it doesn't let the handle go all the way down. I also found out after taking the images that the piece itself can fit onto the forearms and look like a wrist (which is better than it not being able to stay on the gun over time). Oh, and the shoulders can use the lightning rod as some form of whip that doesn't look good on it, if's more like a fishing line than anything.

I want to like this guy because he does have a neat idea for being a Collaborative product, and he is nowhere near as frustrating as Ectotron or ugly like Maverick (X-Spanse and Dracula are different because they're not based on real vehicles), yet there are some aspects of this guy that definitely show he is more of a novelty than a fully realized figure. The vehicle mode definitely has its priorities set, which kind of makes the robot mode feel underdone compared to the balance that Siege Sideswipe made between focusing on vehicle mode qualities and robot mode qualities. Not to say that Gigawatt is bad as a Transformer, but he just feels like a mixed bag. If you do want this guy, be sure to get him at a good price; I paid $32 because that is the price he normally receives for the increased part count and paint, but he's not an improvement from Siege Sideswipe if we're being honest (and don't pay more than the normal price, for Pete's sake).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐