Alternity Cliffjumper Review

Posted in Alternity, cliffjumper, review, Toy Reviews, Transformers on July 3rd, 2010 by VitaminZinc

So, here we have Alternity Cliffjumper. There’s the choice between Cliffjumper and Bumblebee for this figure mold. I thought about it for… about a second before I picked Cliffjumper. I think Bumblebee is kind of overdone, so I’m not a big fan of him. It all came down to personal preference. Plus, I think Cliffjumper was a better character in G1, so I got him.

I also think this mold works better on Cliffjumper than on Bumblebee. The red just really stands out and makes this figure. It’s a deeper shade of red than Prime/Convoy.

Just like all the previous Alternity figures, this is a complex piece of engineering and looks great in both car and robot mode. This was actually my first Alternity figure, and I was very pleased with it. From pictures of it, many people hated it due to the chest since it’s kind of overbearing. It all really kind of works out when you look at it in person, though. It doesn’t look off at all. At least, not to me. He comes with 2 gun which hook to the legs.

My only complaint with this figure is that transforming it requires some definite “omg, I’m going to break it” force. Of course, these pieces are die cast and probably won’t break. But it just seems like it will.

I’m keeping this review short because really there’s no need to repeat myself time after time. It’s an Alternity figure. It’s complex, it’s well-made, I’m happy.

Pros:

  • Complex transformation
  • Does the character justice.
  • Die cast pieces

Cons:

  • Price, as always ($50)
  • Feels like you’re going to break it sometimes with certain transformation moves.

Alternity Megatron (Silver) Review

Posted in Alternity, megatron, review, Toy Reviews, Transformers on July 2nd, 2010 by VitaminZinc

So, next on my list on things to finally get the reviews out for is Alternity Megatron. Of course, like everything in this line, it’s all cars. Seeing good ol’ Megs as a car is weird (about as weird as seeing Prime as a car) but it works. Just like all the other figures in this line, it’s a car. Everything’s a car! Arrrgh! Nah, but seriously, it works well enough. I had to get the silver version because it wouldn’t make sense to have a different colored Megatron. For as dumb as it sounds, I have to have them in similar colors to their respective G1 colors. A black Megatron wouldn’t work for me. Just like a Silver Prime doesn’t work (But a white one’s ok! Ultra Magnus! Not racist or anything…)

The box is the standard Alternity packaging. It’s clear plastic with the information printed on the box. The cool thing about this is that you can open it and transform it, then put it back in the box and pretend like it was never opened (aside from the broken tape at the tab). It’s much better than the Alternator boxing since it’s easier to put it back in. It kind of worked with Alternators until they made that horrible domed bubble packaging. So yeah, Alternity boxing is much better.

As far as the figure is concerned, it’s a decent representation of the character. I’m not entirely convinced of certain aspects of it, but I can overlook it, I guess. This figure in particular HAD to be silver for me to get it. It only looks JUST enough like Megatron to pass as him. And then, as you can see, he comes with swords. Seems a bit odd for him to have swords, but again–I guess I can look over that. They go underneath him as exhaust pipes.

Just as all the other Alternity figures, he’s highly poseable. His transformation is a bit tricky, and can lead to some very confusing moments until you really understand what you’re supposed to do. The bad thing about Alternity figures is that they have to be transformed a certain way. There is no deviation on this–or if there is, it’s very little. I do like how complex the transformations are, though. I kind of enjoy the idea of just going at it and trying to figure it out on my own, but then again, it’s never quite that easy with something as complex as these.

So, can I recommend this figure? Well, I mean, if you’re really into Megatron, or if you just have to catch ’em all (that’s my problem), then sure. Pick it up. Of course, if you have to have it because it’s part of the collection, then you didn’t need to read this at all–you’ve already bought it…

Pros:

  • Complex transformation
  • Die Cast pieces.

Cons:

  • Pricey for how big it is. ($50)
  • It’s a car and it’s Megatron…? Didn’t really work for me.

Alternity Prime / Convoy (Vibrant Red) Review

Posted in alternators, Alternity, convoy, prime, Toy Reviews, Transformers, vibrant red on June 28th, 2010 by VitaminZinc
IMG_0219Alternity Prime (or “Convoy” as he’s called in Japan) is Optimus Prime as a car. Shocking. The Alternity line was created as an extension of the Alternators line of toys, although these weren’t released stateside. The only way to get them is to import through your “plastic crack” dealer of choice. However, I didn’t get into this line until far too late in the game. The red Alternity Prime was a rarity and cost an arm and a leg to get. I was able to snag one at $90 and thought that was a great deal. Of course, this was a few months back. Now, they’re re-releasing this figure since the demand is so high. So, grats to those of you who are getting him for the semi-reasonable price of $60. I say “semi-reasonable” because these toys are about the same size as a normal Deluxe figure. They’re just as detailed and complex as the Alternators and have some die cast parts, but they’re kind of small.

I was fairly certain I had reviewed this a while back, since I’ve had it for well over half a year now. But, apparently I didn’t. I just took pictures and completely forgot to mention anything about it. So, here I am, writing up a short little blurb on a toy I haven’t touched in months. This should be fun, interesting, and probably disheartening!

The detail on this particular piece is really great. When I first heard that Prime was a car I wasn’t convinced it would work. Even looking through picture galleries I thought it looked off. But, honestly, this works. I was a bit leery of it being die cast, and pieces scrapping together and paint chipping off, but thankfully they designed it so the metal pieces don’t really touch like that, so you’re safe for the most part. It’s still very possible to chip off paint, but you don’t have to treat it like it’s made of glass like many of the Alternators.

The transformation is a bit awkward if you’re following the instructions since some of the diagrams don’t make sense until you figure it out. It would probably help if I could read Japanese moonspeak, but I can’t, so when all else fails, there’s always youtube videos. There are also times when you really feel like you’re going to break pieces. Since some pieces are die cast, they can take much more stress and are VERY SECURELY locked in place. It’s not so much of an issue with this particular figure, but Cliffjumper/Bumblebee is especially prone to feeling like you’re on the verge of breaking something.

Over all, for a Transformer as poseable and highly detailed as this, it’s easy to see why it’s $60. Unless you fully understand that this toy is DELUXE size and will seem quite small in comparison to most, I might pass on it. One of the biggest complaints of this line is that the toys are much smaller than people expect them to be–especially for spending as much as you are.

Pros:
* Prime / Convoy (it’s Prime… come on. That’s a pro)
* Complex transformation
* Detailed figure

Cons:
* Cost ($60 — or closer to $100 if you got it aftermarket before they decided to re-release it)
* Very small for a $60 toy, if you’re not expecting it.