Vlog Updates and thoughts on Hasbro and Combiner Wars

Funpub Transformers Timelines Needlenose with Sunbeam and Zputty

The TFSS 4.0 has already started, much earlier than previous subs for the line. This is mainly due to Funpub trying to rush out one more sub before year’s end which I’m not sure was a good idea, but we will see how it works out. Anyway Let’s get a closer look at our first figure, Needlenose, along with his Targetmaster minions.

 

Now Needlenose himself is a repaint of Combiner Wars Firefly. It’s a Club toy, what do you expect? Much like most of the Club toys we’ve gotten, his paintjob is done exceptionally well. Plenty of paint apps grace the wings and tail fins with various types of striping and Con sigils on the tail fins in a unique twist. The nose of the jet is completely painted blue, and I mean they actually painted it blue, not molded. The cockpit is done up in red which looks very nice. All in all the jet mode looks great and does a wonderful job of homaging the G1 toy.

 

Needlenose also has a very sharp looking robot mode, with lots of paint plastered on his body. From what I can tell, every bit of color on this toy’s body, save for a couple joint parts, is painted on, but for all the paint on him, Needlenose’s chest is very bare. Most of the paint went to his solid purple arms, and his very well painted shins. Oh yea, the cod piece got a splash of blue as well. The head feels like it’s were the real magic happens though. Truth be told, it is the exact same head as Firefly, but somehow, that yellow face and the lack of silver on the top make Needlenose look so wildly different from the bot he was repainted from. I almost have to do a double take to be sure it is the same sculpt. Of course, if you think I’m crazy for this, you might be right, who knows.

 

Being a combiner limb who is destined to be a part of Thunder Mayhem, Needlenose can become an arm or leg, and he does well in either mode. This shouldn’t be a surprise given how this mold fared well with each of the past iterations, especially as an arm. I do find Needlenose’s colors go great with Galvatronus, which has me wanting two of him and two of Spinister to make a powerful looking Galvatron combiner.

 

Along with the normal gun and hand/foot gun, Needlenose comes with his two Targetmasters, Sunbeam and Zputty (Zigzag). These are repaints of Scoop’s Targetmasters, Tracer and Caliburst (Holepunch), so if you have Scoop, you know what to expect from these guys. They are easy to transform into weapon mode and can also combine. Cool thing is, they are also able to combine with Needlenose’s other weapons to make a pair of super guns. The hand/foot gun can be tough to get into the port on either Targetmaster’s handle, but the look is worth it.

 

Needlenose is a great start to the new sub. And I can’t wait for the next figure to arrive, which should be soon. Funpub said they will try to get these out as quickly as they can, so if you do have a subscription, keep your eyes on your mailbox because you never know who’s coming next.

Hasbro Transformers Combiner Wars Smokescreen

As the Combiner Wars line winds down to a close we find ourselves ending off with another 84 wave. This time however, there is an oddity among them. An 85 character has for some reason joined the final group and the time has come to look at Smokescreen.

 

Smokescreen is a strait repaint of Prowl, which sadly is most obvious when you see the molded in light bar on the roof of the vehicle mode. Having the light bar sculpted in never bothered me for Streetwise or Prowl, but Smokescreen now has me wishing it was a separate piece that plugged into the 5mm port that’s just an inch behind it. The paint job is the G1 red white and blue with the number 38 tampoed onto the hood and sides of the car. It’s nice but very simple, with none of the head or tail lights picked out and unfortunate chunks of the red and right missing due to the unpaintable plastic pieces.  On the positive side, the hubcaps are painted a nice silver to give this car some much needed style.

 

In Robot mode, Smokescreen looks like a blue Prowl. Seriously, from the front he looks about 95% unpainted, with only the head and chest plate showing any new paint apps whatsoever. It’s sad to think that most of the paint went to vehicle mode and doesn’t have much to show for it. Still this is the Dead End mold and as such has some great articulation. He has a ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulders, bicep swivels, 90 degree elbows, waist swivel, ball jointed hips, thigh swivels and 90 degree knees, so at least you can get your blue man in a few good poses. Accessories are the same as Prowls, a gunmetal shotgun and a black hand/foot gun. Not a bad weapon set for Smokescreen.

 

Again, being the Dead End mold works well for this toy since he can easily fill either the arm or leg configurations in combined mode. I find he can work especially well as a part of Ultra Prime, given how his reds and blues work just right to make a nice Optimus arm or leg.  I do however prefer this mold as an arm, it’s nice and bulky in the right parts and it articulates so well.

 

If you missed out on Universe Smokescreen, CW Smokescreen will be a welcome addition to you Classics shelf. If you do have the Universe version though, this does not quite measure up. Still I can’t help but top hope that a Bluestreak repaint is on the way to round out this trio as the Datsuns are just like the Seekers, you need a full set when a new version is released.

Hasbro Transformers Combiner Wars Skylynx Video version

Mattel MOTUC Filmation Trap Jaw

Club Grayskull is back again and this month it has brought us the walking Swiss army knife himself, Trap Jaw. This actually surprised me a bit as I was expecting Matty to release Beastman as the first villain of the subline. It’s a nice treat since I’m fonder of ol’ Trappy than I am of Beast man. It also has been quite a while since Trap Jaw has been seen in the line, only having one figure beforehand, so this is a fine opportunity for new fans to get a hold of this classic character.

 

Much like He-Man before him, Trap Jaw has a very simple sculpt. Plenty of flat surfaces all over his armor and robotic arm, which works for the more cartoonish aesthetic of the toy. Colors are also quite simple with a bright blue body, and a mix of red, green and black for the armor and mecha arm. It is an accurate look to the old cartoon, yet fans only familiar with the toys or more modern media may be a little perplexed with the red arm and shin guards. Most of, if not all of Trap Jaws previous toys had a black robot arm and legs, while the 80’s cartoon added the red to make him more colorful. I personally like this variation as it helps him pop a little more.

 

The head sculpt is also well done. He still has that awesome green face and those beady eyes, but now has thicker eyebrows. The jaw is once again hinged so it can open and close, but the inside of the mouth is painted black, again to better represent the cartoon. Sorry if you were expecting a gory mess like on the normal Classics toy, but this is for the better.

 

For articulation, Trap Jaw basically has the same points as He-man, except for the robot arm, ball jointed head, universal left shoulder, left bicep swivel, left elbow, left wrist with a hinge on the left hand, ab crunch, waist swivel, universal hips, thigh swivel, knee bends, hinged ankles and ankle pivots. The robot arm on the right just has a universal shoulder and a swivel where the weapons plug in. It’s not bad and you can get some nice action poses with it.

 

Trap Jaw has three accessories, which all relate to the weapon swap gimmick that has been a staple for the character. He has a blaster, a bow, and a flyswatter, and as crazy as this mix seems, these are all items he used in the show. Each weapon can plug or unplug from the robotic arm quite easily, giving you even more posing options. If you happen to have the previous Trap Jaw, Roboto, or Hurricane Hordak, you can use any of their weapons with this Trap Jaw as well, or vice versa. It’s a nice feature, that adds a wide variety of possibilities.

 

The only real downside I can find to Trap Jaw is the fact that none of his armor can be removed, not even his belt. It’s not a big deal, but I normally enjoy the ability to mix and match the accessories the figures have so this is a bit of a bummer.

All in all, Trap Jaw is a very cool figure and a worthy addition to any He-Man fan’s collection. I’m really fond of the filmation look and can’t wait until the next figure is released. Sadly, this one is sold out at Mattycollector, so if you didn’t subscribe, you may need to search ebay or amazon for him.