FansProject Crossfire 02 Combat Unit (with Energon Bruticus Maximus)

Hi guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while. I got back from my vacation a week ago and have been very busy ever since. Anyway today we are going to be looking at a compilation of figures and sets that will total out to...........

Energon Bruticus Maximus with Fansproject Crossfire 02 upgrades. Yep I'm using the Fansproject add on kits with the Energon version of Bruticus instead of the ROTF version. Why you ask? Well, I like the Energon color scheme a little bit better. I think they are closer to their G1 counterparts then the ROTF set, and I got this crew cheaper to lol.  Anyway, lets take a look at the individual Combaticons before we get into the awesomeness that is Bruticus.

Ok, I'm gonna start with the FansProject figures. Explorer here is meant to be the Classics Blast Off, but due to the fact that this is a 3rd party toy, not an official Hasbro product, they can name him Blast Off. I will be calling him Blast Off and the Munitioner will be called Swindle for the rest of this review just cause it makes things easier to understand.

Now Blast Off is a very well made figure, boasting a complex, yet fluid feeling transformation. He transforms into an unmanned scout plane that is capable of space flight. It looks like the G1 figure's vehicle mode minus the windshield. Robot mode is a beautiful homage to the old cartoon. His weapon is a hatchet that folds out into a sword. Unusual but with all the extra weapons these guys come with it isn't bad. One thing to note is that Blast Off is very light weight so don't let that catch you off guard.

Compared to his G1 figure, Blast Off is longer and more slender in vehicle mode. In robot mode he is taller and obviously better articulated. I'm working with the RID Ruination set subbing for the G1 toys I dont have so the color differences will be obvious in these pics. Also i should mention that the Decepticon logos on Blast Off and Swindle are extras I happen to have available and are not included with either Crossfire set.

Swindle is a bit more different from his G1 self than Blast Off. He is more of a beige color than the yellow that he normally sports. His vehicle mode is a military armored Hummer which homages his character in Transformers Animated. Robot mode is highly articulated and looks like an updated version of the G1 figure. The canon on his vehicle mode becomes a pistol in robot mode. I would have liked it better if the pistol was a bit longer and mounted on his arm like the G1 cartoon. Purple eyes would have been better as well, but this guy does work nicely.

G1 Swindle (or RID Rollbar in this case) looks like a midget compared to Munitioner. about all he's got going for him is having the bigger gun. Vehicle mode shows Swindle's transition from an army jeep to military Hummer which actually helps further differentiate him from Autobot jeep, Hound.



On to the more Officail figures and how the FP set improves them starting with Brawl. Brawl (aka Energon Kickback) is a twin barrel tank that transforms into a robot with wings, or a cape made out of his treads. All and all he is a solid figure. His Color is very nice, resembles the G1 even if it's a bit on the bright side. The guns on his arms can pop off rather easily though. Articulation is pretty good and even without the FP add-ons, he looks armed to the teeth. The Crossfire sets included a large assortment of weapons that any of the Combaticons can use, and I'll let the pics speak for themselves as far as how I armed my guys.

Once again, the G1 is a bit smaller than the newer version. The Energon mold is a little more alien in design for vehicle mode, but you can tell it's a tank. Robot modes look nothing like each other.

Vortex is a nice lil helicopter that really benefits from the FP upgrades. His grey and purple color scheme work well for him though I can see people preferring the pale blue of the ROTF version. The missile launchers from FP look really good on him in either robot or vehicle mode, and I dig using the guns as the chopper's feet. Robot mode is well articulated and although you can move the blades together, I prefer to keep them out. They just look good to me out.

The new Vortex has a far more menacing chopper mode than his G1 counterpart. Robot mode has a lot closer resemblance to his G1 self than Brawl, the head sculpt in particular. While it is a little rounder, it does feel like Vortex.

Last but not least we have Onslaught. FP truly went all out loading this guy up, which makes since considering Energon Barricade didn't come with a single weapon. The upgrades change his vehicle mode from a mobile missile launcher to cargo truck armed with a G1esk twin barrel canon. A couple quick shifts and he becomes a mobile launch pad for Blast Off. Now in robot mode, Onslaught is expected to carry the Bruticus feet on the backs of his shoulders, but I'm now fond of that so I don't bother. Sadly he cant put the twin barrel canon on his back, but he can hold it under slung on his arm. It is worth noting that the ball joint for Bruticus's head is on a peg that goes in and out of head panel very easily, and also there is a missing slot that keeps the backpack from closing all the way.

                                     

Our newly Upgraded Onslaught has a nice size advantage on his old G1 self in vehicle and base mode, but looses it in robot mode. Mega Octane here is about a head taller than Barricade. The blue on Barricade are a lot closer to g1 than the black on ROTF Onslaught. If you have the ROTF set, you may want to get Energon Barricade just to have that G1 feel. Now lets have a couple shots of the guys together before we get to the big man himself.

Now that we got Bruticus together I think it shows why I like the Energon set for this better than the ROTF version. The silver on Barricade's cab works very well and matches the silver wing on G1 Bruticus's chest nicely. Part of me still wants to paint it brown, black and purple to match the cartoon better though. The rest of the set looks nice and while the Energon limbs do stand out a little with how bright they are, they don't look one bit out of place. Articulation is astounding, a drastic improvement over What Energon Bruticus Maximus could do before. Blast Off's legs seem a little loose and it becomes apparent is it gets weighed down by the large gun.  Bruticus is armed with two shotguns made from the smaller guns the combat unit had, a sniper rifle and a combat knife which was Blast Off's sword. His back canons can rotate forward to become shoulder canons much like the ones Predaking had in the G1 series.

Bruticus Maximus towers over his G1 self with ease, and is also taller than G1 Devestator with the Crazy Devy upgrades. He is even taller than Predaking. Bruticus looks good next to Classics Ultra Magnus and I only wish I had ROTF Superion and his Crossfire Upgrades. In the end, Bruticus Maximus is a very hard and expensive figure to come by, but if you can, get him ASAP. This guy is well worth the money. Take care all.

Transformers Collector's Club Exclusive Punch/Counterpunch review

Hey guys, I'm here with another review and this time I'm doing.......

Punch/Counterpunch. Now this guy is a nice 2 in 1 figure. He is a triple changer but instead of having two vehicle modes, he has two robot modes. One Autobot and one Decepticon. The figure is a true beauty and is most worthy of the special packaging given by TFCC.

Punch/Counterpuch is a repaint of Universe Sideswipe/Sunstreaker. The mold was practically made for Punch given his ability to transform from heroic Autobot to evil Decepticon and back. This transformation is as simple as turning him around and moving some limbs to the appropriate locations. The head is specially molded to shift between 2 faces by moving his visor in a specific direction. For added flare, I like to put the engine parts on his back much like one would on Sunstreaker. This adds a little more to the figures look and hides the opposing factions symbol from view.

While on faction symbols, I like how Hasbro used the rub-symbols for this figure. It makes him feel even more undercover somehow. There are only 2 gripes about this figure. First, his head is very small compared to his body. I realize they had to do this to fit it inside when in vehicle mode, but its a little annoying. the second is that while in Punch mode, his feet can't balance unless in a duck like position. Other than these small gripes, Punch/Counterpunch will look great on any Classics display, no matter which side you put him on.

Take care guys and I'll see you later.

Transformers TRU Exclusive Masterpiece Grimlock

Hi guys, back with another review and this time we are looking at...........

Masterpiece Grimlock! This is the Toys R Us exclusive version made by Hasbro and released in the US just this month. As I write this, I've only had the figure a few hours but I can definitely say that Grimlock is every bit as impressive as Masterpiece Optimus Prime. The amount of gimmicks he has is amazing, both in robot and dino mode. and each form is articulated enough for great poses. In the box with Grimlock are his Energy Sword, Twin Barrel Blaster, and the Dinobot Crown of Leadership that was part of Takara's MP-08X "King Grimlock". Now lets get a good look at each mode shall we.

Grimlock's T-Rex mode is done faithfully to his original G1 figure, fitting in as a robotic version of what people thought a t-rex looked like in the 80's. He is also highly accurate to what he looked like in the G1 cartoons and comics, complete with a dial on the inside of his head that lets you choose his eye color. He has chromed teeth, claws, and a tail as well as a gold chromed belly. His toes and the parts his legs connect to are made of die-cast metal. The robot modes crotch is also die-cast. In dino mode, Grimlock has articulated arms, claws, legs, tail and head. His mouth opens and closes and he has a gimmick where when you move his tail from side to side, his head will turn left and right. The only thing i don't like is that he cant look down at his foes. The molding is done excellently, hinges used for transformation are well disguised, like the ones that are attached to his robot mode wings look like rocket thrusters in dino mode.

Grimlock's transformation to and from robot mode is a bit trickier than the G1 version but the end result is most stunning. Grimlock is every bit a dead ringer for his cartoon self as MP Optimus. His right hand doesn't have finger articulation but it does have a led light that will show through either his gun or sword, making them glow red. The left hand doesn't have the light, but is fully articulated. He also has full arm, leg, head, and waist movement. A switch on the back of his head will allow you to change the color of his visor from cartoon blue to comic red and back, and the Dinobot Crown of Leadership looks most regal on him with his red visor showing. The level of detail in robot mode is just as amazing as dino mode. He seems near perfect.

Size wise, Grimlock could be compared to a Leader class figure. He seems rather short compared to MP Optimus, but when you put him with the Classics/Universe/Generations series figures, he fits right in. In the G1 series, Grimlock was a big guy, just as tall if not taller than Optimus himself. Even Megatron had to look up at Grimlock at times. This fact makes MP Grimlock feel in perfect scale next to the Classics line and makes him a worthy candidate for any Neo G1 display.

Hope you guys enjoyed this little review and I'll see you next time. Take care.