I'm not sure if I'm done or not. The goal is to get decent, posable "Classics" versions of G1 figures, or of characters that had terrible G1 representations. For instance, I'm thrilled to have Classics (Generations) Kup, Blurr, and Hot Rod. Thrilled, even. Oh, and of Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge. See, me and the Scramble City/animated movie figures and beyond don't really get along. Many are somehow even LESS articulated than the original/pre-animated movie figures.
So ANYWAY, I am enjoying the Classics lines, but not so much the video game tie in figures. I love the Shockwave figure and I liked the Generations videogame Soundwave, but I didn't care for War For Cybertron Optimus Prime. Fall Of Cybertron Jazz was in the last wave and I thought it sucked, and thus I'd be done with the line, even with the first Generations/classics Combiner figure. (oh, there was a Constructicon combiner, but it was based off some Armada related figures I guess.)
Well, FOC Sideswipe is part of the most recent wave. And as you all know, he's my guy. My pal. So, even though he's based on FOC Jazz, which I thought was flimsy and cheap compared to some other Generations figures, I had to give him a spin. Also part of his wave: Ultra Magnus, based on a new mold of FOC Prime, FOC Starscream, and FOC Air Raid and Kickback. There are also "voyager" (larger) sized figures: Soundwave, Blaster and Grimlock.
I found some of these figures at Toys R Us and before I headed to the register, I noticed the price. Holy cow, deluxes are $17.49 before tax? So I went on BBTS and Starscream, Soundwave, Sideswipe, & Ultra Magnus were all cheaper with shipping than buying them at TRU. So, that's what I did.
Okay, so, here's the what's what. SOUNDWAVE is a larger version of the WFC figure (duh). It comes with a data disc, Lazerbeak. I bought Ratbat/Frenzy. The gimmick is that they automatically transform. It's kind of adorable even though the figures are kinda cheap. You can fit three figures in, and then there's a lever you push and they pop out and transform. Well, they would, if you could actually get them out. It's not easy, and you end up applying a lot of pressure, and THEN they pop out and hit you or someone nearby really hard. Ooops. His figure is pretty much the same as the Deluxe, just 50% larger. Um, Frenzy is red. BLASPHEMY, Hasbro!Starscream is a pretty cool figure. He comes with these Gatling guns. The only thing I don't like about him is the triangular tailfin, which I just pop off (you can put the guns in that space if you want).
Ultra Magnus was surprisingly well done, even though as a deluxe it's pretty tiny. It's a retool (?) of the FOC Prime figure (Ultra Magnus isn't a playable figure in the game). It comes with a gun and a giant anime style sword. Why the giant sword? It's as tall as he is. Well, though small, he kinda looks like his cartoon version, moreso than the Classics Target exclusive, so I can just sell that. Hooray.
Okay, finally: Sideswipe. Well, like I said, retool of FOC Jazz, which I did not like. Not much is really different. The negatives are his crappy legs and the wide body that hides his head. It also comes with a giant gun that is about as large as his body. WHY? Soundwave is holding the gun in the picture here. Anyway, the positive is that his head looks like the G1 cartoon head. SO, what if replace Classics Sideswipe's head with FOC Sideswipe's head? Well, I noticed that some of these figures and the TF prime figures are different from previous lines. In previous lines, the head fits on a balljoint that served as the body's neck. New figures? The ball joint protrudes from the head and fits into a socket between the shoulders. WHAT? So, I'd have to cut off the joint and drill into the head. I will do this, and keep the original Classics Sideswipe head safe somewhere for posterity. As for what I'll do with the FOC Sideswipe body, I will customize it...as my college's mascot or something. I don't know just yet.
Okay, that's it for now. A pretty good haul, and I'll be replacing a few figures to recover the cost of what I just purchased.
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