Trom's Transformer Goodness

Trombonus

A bit older, a lot wiser.
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Posts
15,398
Figured it was about time the resident Transformer nut started his own thread. :D I'm gonna be posting videos, pics and reviews of certain Transformer toys and characters. :D

And out first tidbit of joy: Pimp Optimus Prime's Whip
 
Think I'll do my first character/toy review tomorrow when I can borrow my dad's digital camera. Who knows, I may even do two. :D
 
I was looking for Wordpress themes yesterday for my weblog. I came across a Transformer one and thought of you :D
 
Wordpress... it's a blog thing...

I haven't seen the movie yet... but I do adore that McDonald's commercial...

"Uh... you have to have a vehicle to go through the drive thru."

"Okay."

"Uh, you have to have a person, too..."

"Come on!"

LOLOL

:cathappy:
 
SelenaKittyn said:
Wordpress... it's a blog thing...

I haven't seen the movie yet... but I do adore that McDonald's commercial...

"Uh... you have to have a vehicle to go through the drive thru."

"Okay."

"Uh, you have to have a person, too..."

"Come on!"

LOLOL

:cathappy:
Is it wrong that I want to sign up just so I can get the TF theme?

ETA: Optimus Prime goes to Burger King
 
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SelenaKittyn said:
It was Burger King? See... the ad didn't work very well to make me remember which fast food... lol

Thanks for the link!
You're welcome. :D
 
Sideswipe
http://www.unicron.us/tf1984/cartoonpix/sideswipe1h.jpg
Sideswipe Transformers

Alliegence: Autobot

Alternate Mode: Lamborghini Countach

Primary Function: Warrior

Motto: “I don’t break rules; I bend them—a lot.”

Bio:

Sideswipe is a likeable jock with a reckless flair for combat and a tendency to disobey inconvenient orders. Although he’s the brother of Sunstreaker (and one of the few beings Sunstreaker will tolerate), Sideswipe lacks his twin’s cold-heartedness. He doesn’t hide that he enjoys facing down an opponent and battling it out to the bitter end, and he has no qualms about fighting dirty to come away the winner.

Sideswipe was once a much more brash and dishonorable kind of mechanoid, one who did anything he could to enjoy life to the fullest; he used his charm to get whatever he wanted with a wink and a smile and then cheated to get whatever was left. His involvement in the Autobot army has changed him considerably. Although he still puts his all into everything he does, he no longer does things solely for himself. Now his actions are tempered by a genuine and deep concern for everyone’s freedom.

Weapons/Abilities:

Sideswipe has above-average, intelligence, and endurance. He is an excellent warrior, although not as skilled as Sunstreaker. His arms can act as powerful piledrivers, delivering up to 8,000 lbs. of force per impact. He also possesses a rocket pack that allows him to fly for up to 25 breems (about 3 hours and 11 minutes) before needing to be refueled. His shoulder-mounted launcher fires magnesium flares that are visible for up to 18 miles. Sideswipe is armed with a photon rifle that fires searing hot bursts of light energy. In vehicle mode, he has above-average speed.

Weaknesses:

His penchant for carelessly jumping into dangerous situations often leaves Sideswipe in need of repairs.
 
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Sideswipe toy review

Sideswipe Toy Review

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/SideswipeRobot.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/SideswipeFront.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/SideswipeAngle.jpg

The following review is based on the recent Hasbro Re-release of the original Generation One Sideswipe toy.

Ok, so not only is Sideswipe one of my favorite characters, he's also one of my favorite Transformer toys as well. As long as I can remember I've always loved the Lamborghini Countach, so having a Transformer that turned into one was just awesome!

Sideswipe comes with a Photon Rifle and a shoulder mounted Rocket Launcher with three rockets, as well as an instruction booklet and sticker sheet.. In the original release the rocket launcher could shoot the rocket by pressing a button on the top. In the re-release that spring has been removed from the launcher, so the button no longer launches the rockets. The standard rubsign is on the under side of the hood near the front.

To transform Sideswipe first pull his rear section back and separate the legs. On the underside, you should see two silver tabs sticking out right at the back. Pull those out to reveal his feet. From there pull his hood down and open up the top part of the car. Pull his arms out to the side and pull the hood all the way down to form his chest. Push his head through the small opening and around, close the top section of the car and viola, you've got Sideswipe ready to go. Equip him with his Rocket Launcher and Rifle if you like and he's ready to battle the Decepticons.

Not the most complicated robot, Sideswipe is still pretty cool looking. He's pretty primitive by today's standards, only having articulation (The ability to move) in his arms at the shoulder and elbow. Other than that he's pretty stationary. The removal of the rocket launcher ability is also a downside. Still, he looks fantastic and stays true to both the original toy and his character.

Definitely Recommended.
 
Wheeljack was always my faqvorite! Oh, how about that video game that you've been playing with? You said you found the transformers patch for it? :D
 
deathlynx said:
Wheeljack was always my faqvorite! Oh, how about that video game that you've been playing with? You said you found the transformers patch for it? :D
Yep, I plan on recording a few fights using some of the characters once I figure out how. First up will be Sideswipe and Sunstreaker vs. Thundercracker and Skywarp.

Also look forward to a few Seeker reviews coming up.
 
Sweet! You need to remember to get me the link to the TF patches for that game though ;)
 
Thundercracker
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/Thundercracker.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/ThundercrackerAlt.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/Thundercrackser.jpg

Alliegence: Decepticon

Alternate Mode: F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet

Primary Function: Warrior

Motto: “The Deadliest Weapon is Terror”

Bio:

Thundercracker was an aimless Transformer whose primary conceit was his contempt for those that couldn’t fly. Megatron’s skillfully crafted propaganda and personal attention helped convince Thundercracker that his feelings of superiority were justified, and the rhetoric about the grand purpose of the Decepticon cause provided Thundercracker with a much needed sense of direction. It has since become apparent that Thundercracker is not entirely convinced of the Decepticon cause, especially when it puts innocent lives in danger, but his need for meaning in his life allows him to be persuaded to stay.

Weapon/Abilities:

Thundercracker possesses above-average strength and intelligence. In jet mode and robot mode, he can create controlled sonic booms that can be heard for 200 miles. This ability is much more powerful in jet mode. He is armed in this mode with two drone cruise missiles that can fly for 500 miles and explode with a force of 3,000 lbs. of TNT. In robot mode, he is armed with two shoulder-mounted cannons that fire several hundred rounds per breem (8.3 minutes) of heat-resistant ceramic bullets; the bullets contain a highly flammable material that explodes on contact.

Weaknesses:

Thundercracker’s mounting doubts about the rightness of his actions and cause can impede his effectiveness; usually his fear of Megatron keeps him focused.
 
Thundercracker Toy Review
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/ThundercrackerRobot.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/Thundercrackeroverhead.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/ThundercrackerAngle.jpg

When I was a kid There were certain Transformers that I always wanted, but never had an opportunity to get. Megatron, Soundwave and his cassettes, a few of the Dinobots, and most of the seeker jets. Thundercracker is one of those seeker jet toys I always wanted, and finally had a chance to get when Hasbro re-released him.

The term "Seeker" is a name given to a set of Transformers that used the same basic F-15 jet mode. The toy range originally had three seekers, all with the same mold, but different colorations. Later they would add three more jets with the same basic form, but with remolded wings. Thundercracker is one of the original three jets. In the TV jets the seekers formed part of the core of the Decepticons, and came in a wide range of colors. In the first few episode there were dozens of them, usually with some kind of purplish hue, but only Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker were featured prominently. The other seekers were basically cannon fodder.

Thundercracker represented an interesting character to me. Here is on of the bad guys who feels guilty about his actions, especially when innocent creatures are hurt. Most of the Decepticons are cruel and evil to the core, but here is a "bad guy" who has a good side. In fact, while he can't really be considered a major character in the TV series or the comics, many fans have chosen to write fanfics about Thundercracker leaving the Decepticons. I myself even started such a story, but I never finished it. I don't even think I have it anymore.

Anyways, the toy is just really cool. I loved the look of the fighter jet, and the robot mode's not too bad either considering when it was made. He comes with a landing gear, two fists, two launchers, two missiles, two laser attachments, And tail fins. In the original version, the missiles and laser attachments were much smaller, but do to safety laws, they had to be extended for the re-release. However, the re-release does still retain the ability to launch these weapons. I don't mind the laser attachments being extended. In fact I kinda like them better that way. However, the missiles look terrible when you insert them, so I never use them.

To transform it to robot mode, you first have to take a few pieces off. Remove the landing gear, rear tail fins (the horizontal ones that line up with the jet), and the weapons off of the wings. You could even take the wings off, but it's not especially necessary. From there, swing the front part down from behind the cockpit. Push the middle section up from the bottom of the jet to reveal what will become the arms and swing them around and out. swing the nose part don and inbehind the cockpit sectin, then swing it around until the tab at the front of the cockpit meets with the robot waist. Swing the rest of the nos around and pull it back to reveal the robot head. Reattach the wings (if you took them off) so that the large part is up by the shoulder. You will need to angle these, which you can do at the point where the wing attaches to the body. Then reattach the weapons to the arm, and the tail fins to the feet, and attach the fists to the end of the arms and Thudercracker is ready to go. In robot mode, Thundercracker only has articulation in his shoulders. That's just the way 80's toys were. However, it's still a really fun toy

Highly Recommended.
 
Incidentally, for the bios are you going with TV series (any) or the comics?
 
Bonus Review!

Heroes of Cybertron Seekers Review
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/ThundercrackerHero.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/StarscreamHoC.jpghttp://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/SkywarpHoC.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o138/trombonus/SeekersHoC.jpg
From left to right we have Thundercracker, Starscream and Skywarp.

Japan is well known for making little statues featuring popular characters. It's not surprising then that Transformer characters got the same treatment. They were so successful that Hasbro decided to release some of them over here under the "Heroes of Cybertron" line. This a review of three of these characters: Skywarp, Thundercracker and Starscream.

First, to be clear, the Heroes of Cybertron are just little plastic statues. They do not transform. However, they're still pretty neat. The statues generally stay true to the animated series, and these guys are no exception. The colors used for them are really vivid and very faithful to the show. You can move their arms, hands, heads, lasers, and legs at the knee. Most of their parts can come off, and you can even mix and match the different parts with some of the other Heroes. They aren't all compatible with each other, but it is kinda neat to mix and match them.

I love these little guys, so I'm kinda disappointed in the way Hasbro handled them. Se they only made them available in certain stores like Walgreens. You couldn't find them at Target or Wal-Mart, and so they weren't as popular as they could have been. Perhaps if they had rethought their strategy they would have been more successful. Even so, they're great little toys, and I highly recommend them.
 
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deathlynx said:
Incidentally, for the bios are you going with TV series (any) or the comics?
Ah thank you! I keep meaning to add that in but keep forgetting. The bios so far have all come from the Dreamwave Comics production "Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye." I only have volume 2, so if I review a character not in that book I will look for a bio from the internet, which means it'll probably be from the original tech specs (remember those? :p). Still, the bios remain true for all continuities as far as I know.
 
Trombonus said:
the original tech specs (remember those? :p).
Of course...actually I had a Tech spec for Waverunner in german when I was a kid...

Still, the bios remain true for all continuities as far as I know.
*cough*Grimlock*Cough*
 
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