#110: Transformers Titans Return - Cosmos

There have been a couple modern versions of Cosmos released over the past few years, but they have generally been hard to find. Or at least, I've never seen any for sale without substantial secondary markups. But this release has been pretty easy to find. Oh, and for the record, I bought this on Black Friday, so I'm now less than a month behind on my blogging. This wasn't on sale or anything, but it just happened to be Black Friday when I bought it. Cosmos is one of the smaller scaled Transformers, so robot mode is fairly basic and has no accessories. But it looks cool.

The real appeal of Cosmos, for me, is the absolutely ridiculous alt-mode of a flying saucer. If other Autobots can turn into exotic sports cars, a UFO might as well be an acceptable alt-mode as well.

#100: Transformers Platinum Series - Optimus Prime and Megatron

The main reason I got back into Transformers as an adult was the Classics line, which was updated versions of the old school G1 toys from when I was a kid. For whatever reason, I never got the Optimus and Megatron toys which were released at the time, although I did get the repainted Optimus as Ultra Magnus. Ten years or so later, fortunately both toys were re-released for the 30th anniversary of the animated movie as part of the platinum series. Since those are usually overpriced, it was doubly fortunate that they were apparently not selling well, and I was able to get the set for a reasonable price from Amazon. Overall, Optimus is a good robot, aside from the chunks of his cab mode that just kind of hang off his forearms. At least in this version, they're clear blue plastic, so maybe they are like energy shields. Oh yeah, the clear plastic. To set this re-release apart from the original. there is a dramatic increase in clear plastic being used. It's really weird, honestly. Similar to Optimus, Megatron is overall pretty cool aside from randomly having wings. At least they look cooler than the bits on Optimus's arms.

Optimus mostly looks good in truck mode, although the blue clear plastic pieces here are really jarring. I dig that there's a huge Autobot logo on his roof. Megatron turns into basically a Nerf gun. Although slightly undersized for my adult hands, it's still really fun as a toy gun. The trigger even clicks when you pull it, which is a nice touch.

#62: Transformers Titans Return - Perceptor and Convex

I am in general a Transformers fan, and I have a keen appreciation for absurdity. So I'm always pleased by Transformers with somewhat ridiculous alt-modes. A microscope alt-mode fits under that category, so I wanted to get Perceptor. I never had one as a kid, and the previous version turned into a vehicle, so I skipped it. I thought this was going to be the last series of toys before the movie stuff hit, and that they would be impossible to find. But I lucked out and found Perceptor on the shelf. In robot mode he looks reminiscent of the original version, with the distinctive red and blue color scheme.

The alt microscope mode isn't exactly going to fool anyone that it's an actual microscope, but it gets the idea across. There's a neat feature where the dial on the scope can be used to adjust the focal length of the lenses in the scope. There are two actual lenses in the scope, but they don't function to magnify anything. Still, a neat feature. Perceptor's head, Convex, can sit in the rifle.

#118: Transformers Titans Return - Astrotrain & Darkmoon

Astrotrain is one of the Transformers toys I had as a kid, and I thought it was cool both because it was a triple changer as well as because one of its alt-modes was a space shuttle. I didn't get around to getting the Classics version from a while back, so I was glad that there's a new version. Getting this one was a bit convoluted, as at first it wasn't in stock in stores or online for a reasonable price. Then I found one on the Target website while there was a sale going on as well as a toys coupon, so I was able to order it for store pickup at a good price. Then I got an e-mail saying the order was delayed and would not arrive until early January. Then they started showing up in stores, but I had a much better price on the order so I didn't want to cancel it. Finally, it ended up arriving earlier than the original postponement warned. Astrotrain's robot mode is pretty cool. He's got a couple guns which can be combined into one as pictured. There's a definite resemblance to the original toy's robot mode.

Putting the "astro" in his name, one of the alt-modes is a space shuttle. This looks a lot more sci-fi and flattened than the original, but it's cool. There are a few options for how to attach the guns in this mode. There is a seat for Darkmoon in the back between the tail fins.

Less impressive is train mode. Rather than turning into an old fashioned train engine like the original, this version appears to be multiple cars long. It's basically some sort of sci-fi battle train with a big chunk of stuff in the middle. There are rolling wheels on the bottom that work for this mode.

#114: Transformers Titans Return - Mindwipe and Vorath

I don't know anything about Mindwipe, I don't think I've ever heard of him until I saw a picture of this toy online. But his alt-mode is a bat, so I had to get one. Robot mode is nice enough. It's purple and has bat wings, which is cool. He's got a gun and a shield with blades on the end.

Here's the robotic bat alt-mode. Interestingly, the wings fold up to form the lower legs of robot mode. It's kind of ridiculous looking, but in a fun way. The gun and shield can form into a little tank thing for Vorath to ride around in, or they can attach as a tail and Vorath can go in the chamber in Mindwipe's bat-chest. I think that's what it's for, anyway. It opens and Vorath fits. It's not mentioned in the instructions.

#96: Transformers Titans Return - Twin Cast & Autobot Blaster

I've never had a Blaster toy before, but when I was a kid my cousin had one and I thought it was cool. Soundwave is often thought of as being super 80s because his alt-form is a microcassette recorder, but Blaster's boom box seems even more 80s than that. There have been a few Blaster toys in recent years, but I held out for the return of the classic boom box. Robot mode is basically how he looked back then, so it's a nice update.

Here's Blaster in boom box mode. Overall it looks cool enough, any my only complaint is the gaps between the central section and the speakers. Basically, that's so the torso in robot mode has a waist and isn't as blocky as the original. I think the handle was originally much wider as well, but that's not really a big deal.

Blaster's Headmaster is Twin Cast. There's a little tank/MP3 player thing that he can sit in, and Blaster's gun plugs into it. The tank thing fits inside Blaster's chest like a cassette. There are a couple of other Transformers toys sold separately that can fit in his chest as well. Not surprisingly, there is also a Soundwave that mostly shares the same mold as Blaster.

#72: Transformers Titans Return - Fortress Maximus

Last year we got a supersized version of Metroplex, this year we get a new version of the biggest Transformers toy ever, Fortress Maximus. The main gimmick for this year is the Headmasters, and Fortress Maximus follows suit. So here he is in robot mode. Pretty tall! He is indeed taller than Metroplex, but not by too much. In fact, they share some tooling, mainly in the lower legs and forearms. There is a pretty big sheet of stickers to apply. I both like and don't like dealing with stickers. It's nice because it's nostalgic, reminding me of toys I had when I was a kid. But it's also kind of a pain because my fingers are adult sized now, so applying them isn't always easy.

This is Fortress Maximus's battlestation mode, which is basically just a robot doing yoga. It's not a very complex transformation. Emissary, the head of Cerebros (who is in turn Fortress Maximus's head) can be seen to the left. Cerebros is the vertical bit near the middle.

This is the city mode, which while still basically being a robot doing yoga is the alt mode that I think looks better. There is the ability to connect the leader class Blaster and Optimus Prime toys to make an expanded city, if you also end up buying them as well.

Here's Cerebros is robot mode. He basically just curls up to form the head of Fortress Maximus. There is some sort of light and sound function, and the batteries go in his back. But naturally, batteries are not included, so I haven't checked that out yet.

#71: Transformers Masterpiece - Bumblebee

Probably the biggest draw for Masterpiece Bumblebee is that is a Bumblebee that turns into a VW Beetle. For years, that wasn't the case, supposedly because of VW not wanting to be associated with war-like products (an Alternators Bumblebee would have been awesome). Apparently that hurdle has been cleared, and here we are. Presumably to help add value Spike Witwicky in his transforming exo-suit is included as well.

Bumblebee looks great in both car and robot mode, and since Masterpiece toys are supposed to all be in scale with each other now, he is pretty tiny. It's a cool toy, but not a great value. I would have been happy to pay 20 or 30 dollars less and skip the Spike toy. Bumblebee includes a blaster pistol, an optional spare tire mount, and an alternate face. The instructions show one of the alternate faces as the more robotic looking one of the original toy, but the American version includes two cartoon inspired faces with slightly varying expressions. The one that he was packaged with had some of the paint scratched off, so I'm displaying it with the smiling face. The rearview mirrors are included, attached to sprues in the packaging. They're not mentioned in the instructions, and I didn't figure out what they were until after I had taken these pictures.

#69: Transformers Combiner Wars - Sky Lynx

I've always liked Sky Lynx because it is one of the weirdest Transformers. And its alt mode was the Concorde originally. Now it's part of the Combiner Wars, so it also can become the torso for a combiner. But I'm not really interested in those, so I'm ignoring that. Now instead of the Concorde it is more of a space shuttle. So, still an obsolete if cool piece of flight tech. A space shuttle with a big block right beneath it. I'm not too worried about that, because this isn't the interesting mode to me.

Sky Lynx still has a robot mode that is some sort of bird dinosaur creature. Whatever it is, it's cool. Going from one mode to the other is pretty easy, it's mostly just tucking away the limbs, flipping out the wings, and adjusting the neck. Sky Lynx isn't particularly easy to find, so fortunately friend of the blog James was able to pick one up for me.

#42: Transformers Masterpiece - MP-29 Destron Laserwave

A while ago I was considering picking up the third party version of Shockwave because he is one of my favorite Decepticons, and no Masterpiece version of him had been announced. Then one was announced. I'm assuming that there will be a domestic Hasbro release at some point, but I decided to be impatient and just go for the Japanese release (I wonder how many Transformers geek points one earns from buying Japanese versions of the toys). Just like the original toy, Shockwave's alt-mode is a sci-fi ray gun. It's a pretty good size, just slightly small for my hands. If one wants to display him in this mode, there is a stand.

Shockwave's robot mode is very nice looking. They even did a good job of correcting the too skinny legs problem with the original toy. For accessories, he includes a few alternate hands, some of which are translucent due to the light up feature. As far as I can tell, his chest and the end of his left arm can light up. Batteries aren't included.  Also, there is a smaller version of himself in alt-mode. So that means you can have your Masterpiece Transformers dual wield Shockwave and Megatron. There are also Decepticon logo stickers which I haven't applied yet.

#89: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Thundercracker

Thundercracker is a re-tool of Jetfire, which I also have. Thanks to my generally being a fan of the Seekers, and a coupon for a very nice discount, I decided to pick up a Thundercracker as well. Thanks to new arms, chest, head, and wings backpack, Thundercracker looks different enough that I'm not too bothered by similarities. Robot mode looks pretty cool. Fortunately, all of the guns that make him look way too busy are removable.

Transformation is perhaps simpler than I'd like for a toy in this size class. But the jet mode does look pretty cool, as long as you're looking at it from the top. The underside is just a mess of robot parts, basically. Fortunately in this mode, the guns (except for the one that has a projectile) don't look too out of place hanging off the bottom of the wings.

#49: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Mirage

Mirage was on the pegs when I picked up Sunstreaker, so I decided to buy him as well. Like Sunstreaker, Mirage is a G1 figure that I've never had in toy form, so it's a nice addition to the ranks. Mirage is, as usual, a fancy F1 style race car. Mostly it's cool looking, but the spoiler in the back seems way too narrow. That turns into his feet, but they could have had some sort of folding panels to make the spoiler wider in car mode.

Getting him into bot mode is pretty easy, mostly just folding in his limbs and rotating a couple parts. This picture makes it looks like his arms and legs have funky proportions, but it's much better looking in person. He's armed with a similar foot/hand/gun to Sunstreaker's, and also has a sword.

#48: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Sunstreaker

I've never had a Sunstreaker toy in any form. Lately I've been seeing reviews of the Masterpiece version of him (and the various others that share the same mold), which got me interested in possibly picking up a more reasonably priced version of the character. Plus, when I was a kid, I thought that the Lamborghini was the epitome of badass sports car. So I decided to pick up the Combiner Wars version when I saw it in the store, although I'm not planning to do any of the combiners that aren't Devastator. So yeah, vehicle mode is a yellow Lamborghini, and if not specifically licensed to look like a real model, it's close enough looking to me.

Transformation is pretty easy, nothing too crazy involved. When I think of G1 car Transformers, I think of the car's front bumper forming the chest, but Sunstreaker doesn't follow that trend. It's a cool looking bot. He's armed with a sword and a big gun that can turn into either a hand or foot for combiner purposes. It can rest on top of the car mode roof, but that's a little too much for me.

#43: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Devastator

Devastator represents the best part of Transformers, taken a step further: robots that turn into vehicles, and then can combine into an even bigger robot. The first, and arguably the best, combiner is certainly being given the star treatment in the Combiner Wars theme that Transformers toys have going this year. As the centerpiece of the line, there is the new Devastator set I've been dreaming of since I was a kid, made up entirely of voyager class figures that make a toy that is dwarfed in size only by the recent Metroplex. I never had the original Devastator, so I'm really glad that they made this set. It's a very nice upgrade from the original, with much less awkward looking proportions, and a substantial boost in size. Devastator is even surprisingly well articulated. The only real issue I have is with the right foot, which doesn't have much forward support, as the scoop from Scrapper doesn't have a good way of locking in place, or at least not so far as I've noticed.

#33: Transformers Combiner Wars - Ultra Magnus

I've been waiting for a G1-styled Ultra Magnus for a while now. I was even considering the Masterpiece version, but then Hasbro came out with this new leader class version. I have the classics Ultra Magnus from a few years ago, but it's just a white Optimus Prime repaint, lacking the giant armor that really makes Ultra Magnus stand out. Fortunately, Hasbro has been going to the well of the current comics for release inspiration, even if this is a weirder version of Ultra Magnus than I'm used to. I don't read the comics, but going by the scant information on the packaging bio, it sounds like Ultra Magnus himself is dead, and this other Autobot is using his body like a mecha suit? Whatever is going on, it means I finally get a cool Ultra Magnus, so I'm okay with that. As a robot, Ultra Magnus is very cool looking and has decent articulation. He has a giant hammer that can also split into a couple cannons. Minimus Ambus is also included, and is one of the smallest Transformers figures.

See, Minimus Ambus fits inside the chest of Ultra Magnus. In vehicle mode, that's the cab of the truck. Minimus won't fit there in vehicle mode because Ultra Magnus's head goes there.

Ultra Magnus's vehicle mode is his original car carrier. He stays in one piece during the entire transformation process, aside from the piece that form the hammer for robot mode. So, good engineering job there. Minimus Ambus turns into a hover car. It doesn't have wheels, so I'm going with hover car. The back of Ultra Magnus's trailer can fold down into a ramp, and there is room for a few cars back there.

#28: Transformers Generations Combiner Wars - Decepticon Viper

There were two reasons I wanted to get Viper. One: it's a Transformer with a G.I. Joe altmode, the Cobra Rattler, which is one of my favorite G.I. Joe vehicles. Two: it's basically the only G.I. Joe toy available from Hasbro at mass retail this year. It's not exactly a Rattler, but it's got the right colors and if you squint, it's hard to tell them apart. There's also a cool Cobra/Decepticon mashed up logo.

This is one of the smaller Transformers toys, so going between robot and jet is pretty simple. Another cool touch is that Viper's head looks like the Rattler pilot helmet. Viper doesn't include any weapons, but has a third mode that serves as a weapon for other figures. There have been several G.I. Joe/Transformers mashup toys available as SDCC exclusives, but I believe this is the first one available at retail. I'm not sure if this is just a one-off type of thing, but it would be cool to see more G.I. Joe influenced Transformers toys, especially since the Joe line is currently cooling its heels.

#25: Transformers Generations - Megatron (Combiner Wars)

I never did get around to buying a release of Masterpiece Megatron, although it's always been something I've thought about. I never had the original Megatron toy, and it's always held a bit of mystique for me, so I'm usually interested in a Megatron that's G1 influenced. This new leader class Megatron definitely hits the right notes design-wise, in robot mode. The only things I don't really like about robot mode are the big backpack kibble, and that the arm with the cannon on it can't bend at the elbow because the cannon gets in the way.

Of course, this Megatron turns into a tank rather than a handgun, but I'm okay with that. It's a pretty cool looking silvery tank, and if I didn't know any better, I'd find it a perfectly fitting alt mode. The coolest thing about tank mode is that the treads are rubber and can actually roll.

#12: Transformers Robots In Disguise - Grimlock

So there's a new Transformers cartoon coming out, and I believe it's in the same continuity as Prime. But the important thing is that Grimlock is in it, so there's a new Grimlock for the second time this year. I guess the new trend in Transformers toys is for them to have simpler transformations, to the point that the instructions are printed on the card rather than including a sheet. Grimlock goes from robot to dino in ten steps. It's actually kind of a refreshing change of pace from some of the toys that have felt like they were needlessly complicated. And it's not so simple that it feels insulting. This feels similar to the classic Grimlock transformation, where the dino legs become the robot arms and the robot legs become the dino tail.

In dino mode, Grimlock looks like the love child of Godzilla and the Dragonzord from the original Power Rangers. It's got the more upright stance of the 80s original, and while that's not scientifically accurate, I can appreciate it being G1-y. Also, the dino has three fingers and a thumb, so obviously this isn't going for any kind of realistic T. Rex look. There is a lever in the back of the head that opens the jaw, which is held closed by a spring, so he can't be posed with his jaw open unless you wedge it open.

Robot mode is pretty cool looking. I really dig the black and green color scheme he's sporting. He doesn't include any accessories. I haven't seen the cartoon yet, so he may not use any weapons. My only complaint is that he's a little on the small side. It's weird having a deluxe size Grimlock, he seems like he should always be a voyager scale toy. Either way, it's still a cool Transformers toy.

#103: Transformers 4 Age of Extinction - Snarl

Finally, with Snarl, my movie Dinobots collection is complete! Snarl continues the trend of dodgy looking robot modes with odd proportions and kibble. But I really like all the crazy translucent yellow for some reason. Plus, green and purple always go well together.

Getting Snarl back and forth between bot and dino modes is easy enough, and he holds together well enough in either mode. Snarl is one of the better Dinobots that were released for the movie line.

#100: Transformers Generations - Windblade

A while back Hasbro asked for fan feedback, allowing voting to help create a new character. Windblade was the result, and they put out a toy version of her pretty quickly. So far she's only appeared in the comics (the comic included briefly involves her), even carrying her own series. Windblade's altmode is a VTOL jet. It's mostly black, with some red, and a yellow canopy. The turbines can rotate up and down to whichever angle you'd like. It's pretty cool looking, although if you look at it from the top down, there is a little gap in the middle. The transformation scheme is different from the typical seeker style, so that is a nice touch of difference.

Robot mode is pretty cool, with a lot more red showing. Windblade is armed with a sword that has a translucent blade that fades from purple to clear. There's a scabbard that can plug into her hip. In jet mode, it does stow along the bottom, helping to mostly plug the gap in the middle. According to the instructions, the golden fan in the back of Windblade's hair is removable, but I couldn't get it to come out and didn't want to break something by forcing it. Given how rare female Transformers are, it's cool to get a toy of one.