#c.o.m.b.a.t.

[allspark]

Desperately racing against time in unknown parts of the Allspark Studio is Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime!  Will he serve as a role model for his fellow Autobots on your shelves, or will he spend his days looking for that Cyber key you lost back in 2005?  Tune in after the break to find out!

I did not know how much I would come to love the Armada/Energon/Cybetron trilogy figures until well long after the series was done.  During the time those figures were on shelves we got a mix of a little of everything.  AEC gave us Micromaster/Targetmaster styled Mini-Cons, G1 inspired/re-envisioned legacy characters, Beasts, and brand-new characters, some of whom would become legacy characters in their own right.  I really did not appreciate all that we were given during that period, and it was in that trilogy that we first received Cybertron Optimus Prime/Galaxy Convoy.  That mold was an amalgamation of Transformers concepts, taking Prime back to a fire truck alt. mode, adding in a “trailer” pieces that could detach from the main vehicle, and also included the AEC gimmick of the Cyber Key.  It was big, versatile, poseable, and impressive, and not a figure I would have pegged for a remake.  Then came WFC Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime.

  Vehicle Mode

Just like the vehicle mode for Ultra Magnus, Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime’s vehicle mode is a composition of puzzle parts made from his robot mode armor.  While both armor/trailer sets share a few parts, they come together in different ways, and the parts are not compatible with each other.   Though you can take the complete armor set from Prime and Magnus and swap them in robot mode, you cannot do the same in vehicle mode.  While this figure does a good job approximating the original Cybertron Optimus’ vehicle mode, there are additional differences apart from the size differential.  The blasters on the roof of the vehicle have swapped sides, though they do maintain their correct orientation in robot mode.  The tubes that formed the sides of the bumper in the 2005 figure have moved to the front of the number on this update.  The blasters which sat further inside the original Cybertron Prime can be connected to the sides in a close approximation of their previous ubication.  Additionally, there are minor color differences due to plastic and paint and overall mold layout.

  This mold uses the C.O.M.B.A.T. System attributes that allow weapons and effects from the Siege line to be used in various spots along the vehicle mode.  This may be one area where the new figure does outshine the original, as creative fans can show him super powered up with weapons, or under attack from enemy fire.  It’s a cool gimmick, since it tends to not interfere with articulation, something fans complained about during the days of the AEC trilogy.

  Overall, I really like this updated vehicle mode, even if it is smaller than the original.  I feel like I can get this one out and fidget with it and leave my original Cybetron Prime on the top shelf, safely guarding his fellow Autobots.  The modular components and the new C.O.M.B.A.T. System gimmickry make the vehicle mode on par with the original, in my opinion.  Different, but similarly great.

  Inner Robot Mode

The “unarmored” Optimus Prime is a cool cross between G1 and Cybetron Prime.  He shares numerous parts with Siege Ultra Magnus’ inner robot mode, and thus is able to fully swap armors with his mold brother in powered up mode.  Significant differences in molded parts are the cab and lower vehicle mode kibble, as well one side of the pelvis cover.  Due to the base mold, this Prime is a bit stockier than his original Siege body.  This nicely accommodates the widened chest on this mold, which is formed by the cab of the truck mode.

  This mode balances well for posing and looks great in action shots.  If not for the cost, I think I would like to have an extra of him and Magnus to display as the inner robots.  Maybe I will luck out and score an extra loose on eBay in a couple of years.

  Galaxy Upgrade Mode

Fully powered up, this mode is where the figure takes on a whole new personality.  The “trailer” end of the vehicle mode breaks down into upgrade armor parts to form a reasonable facsimile of Cybertron Optimus Prime/Galaxy Convoy.  Additional parts in the form of shoulder pads that resemble the tops of the cab and vehicle mode front wheels and grill that attach to the side of the arms complete the look.

  While this mode as stated is very similar to the original Leader Class figure, it’s not nearly as close as the relationship between Energon Leader Class Megatron and the smaller “downsized” Superlink version.  Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime.  Beyond the Siege style sculpt, the biggest differences lie in the legs, which are thicker and shorter due to the armor design of the base mold, the weapons, which are much more simplified, the forearms, which really don’t look like the original figure at all, and the head, which works better on this toy due to the lack of a faceplate feature and a ball joint that actually works (take note Hasbro design team…THIS is how you make a ball-jointed head for a Transformer).

  Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime has impressive poseability, as long as you don’t mind the need for him to hold the blasters from his backpack, which look a little strange just hanging to the side.  If you include them in his poses, he will look powerful and “cartoon accurate”.  If you want them out of the way and do not mind the hollow spaces under the barrels, you can rotate them behind the backpack.  This frees up his arms and honestly looks pretty cool, since now he effectively has a “jet fighter” looking mode.  I think I prefer this look for the Siege figure, since it allows me to take full advantage of his poseability and gives him a different look from the figure he is meant to homage.  Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime has articulation in all the necessary points, including some nice extras, such as rotating wrists, jointed ankles, and a rotating waist.  The added support of the stabilizers on the back of his feet to keep him from falling backward is seriously appreciated.

  Cycling back to the nice range of movement in the head’s ball joint is important at this moment.  This is a serious point of articulation that Hasbro’s current design team does not implement with consistency.  Frequently there are ball jointed heads, but they have little to no range that could not be achieved with a mushroom/t-joint, making the inclusion of a ball joint a mystery.  I realize I harp on this a lot, but I do so in the hopes that somehow someone on the current design team or the future design team reads this and realizes that head/neck articulation in the mainline or fan-oriented line is important.  Again, big thanks to the designer that got it right on Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime.

  Overall Thoughts

Compared with the original figure, Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime has some nice updates/upgrades, but the original figure gets the better of him in terms of size and active action features, netting him a 7/10.  In terms of balance, poseability, and compatibly with Siege figures, I would score him closer to a 9/10.  Therefore, I give Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime an amalgamated score of 8 Cyber Keys out of 10!

  Honestly, the smaller size, new proportions, and better poseability in the head give this mold some serious advantages over the original…but not enough for me to ever consider it a full-on replacement for Cybertron Prime, who has neat action features and a shelf presence that Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime cannot replace. I am fortunate to have enough space for both versions on my shelf, so Cybertron Prime will lord over my collection on the top shelf while Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime pulls active duty with his fellow Autobots on my current CW/TR/PotP/PW shelf.

  Should you not like smaller “Leader Class” figures, or if the hollow spaces I see many fans complaining about also bother you, I would skip this figure, especially if you own the original mold.  If you are a fan of remakes of older figures, don’t want to spend money buying the older mold or cannot find one, love the play value of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System (how could you not) or simply do not have the shelf space to display many of the larger leader class figures of the past, this figure is for you!

  Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime has been popping up all over the country, though as of this post I still hear reports of people being told he cannot be sold due to the street date.  Do not worry.  That street date will eventually pass, and he will eventually make it to online retailers.  Once that happens, I recommend him, and think you should buy him too!

      Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime Gallery and Review! Desperately racing against time in unknown parts of the Allspark Studio is Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime!  Will he serve as a role model for his fellow Autobots on your shelves, or will he spend his days looking for that Cyber key you lost back in 2005? 

[allspark]

Emitting lethal beams of energy in the Allspark Studios today is cold, brutal and scientific Siege Shockwave!  Will emotional thinking ruin his clarity of thought, or will he give in to the feels and adopt a Littlest Pet Shop puppy for a shelf companion?  Tune after the break to find out!

G1 Shockwave was one of my holiest of grails, alongside Jetfire.  I remember being on the playground in 2nd or 3rd grade when the rich kid in our school pulled out both to show off.  Shockwave mesmerized me due to the powerful look of the laser gun mode, and the fact that this toy resembled the character on the cartoon, unlike Megatron.  I had to have him…but don’t remember actually ever seeing him in a store.   I do remember a weekend trip to Pensacola, Florida that led us by a Radio Shack where I once saw the grey “Shackwave”, who was one of the first G1 figures I bought on eBay back in 2000.  I would not get the real Shockwave until Botcon 2005, and that one sits in his original packaging to this day.  He has been joined by a minty Shockwave I display, as well as numerous iterations, minus one of my current white whales, the Botcon 2012 customization class figure.  All of this to say, I am a bit illogically obsessed with the logical oriented character.

Siege Shockwave appeared to be a dream come true.  Initial pictures showed he had all the best design cues from the original figure, loads of articulation, and a neat set of armor to throw into the mix.  I was so excited that I began to worry if Shockwave would be able to live up to my expectations.  Let’s give the toy and look and see how it measure up!

Spaceship/Gun/Destroyer Mode

The spaceship mode for Shockwave is an upside-down gun.  It’s not going to do any G1 fans pining for a real blaster any good, however, because at the current size, this laser gun would only fit a toddler’s hand.  I imagine this could be one of the figures targeted by the KO industry for an upsize, as the most common complaints I see online are related to the size of the leader class figures.  But I digress…

Resemblance to a weapon aside, spaceship mode fits with quite a few of Shockwave’s legacy forms, such as the most recent Walgreen’s exclusive, Combiner Wars Shockwave, and the FOC Shockwave.  I love the idea of Shockwave becoming a battleship.  In my fanon, he designs full size battleships based on his current alt-mode, because logically he chooses the most powerful forms, and these ships are his personal battalion.  It’s silly, but I love to display his vehicle modes, and it gives me a reason.  😀

While I am not a huge fan of the overloaded surface details of the Siege line, it does look good on Shockwave’s vehicle modes, even if I would have preferred smoother panels.  Other neat details include incorporating the hose from robot mode into the spaceship, as well as a uni-eye at the front of what I imagine is the bridge from the tower.  Another cool piece is the “gun” barrel as the front of the ship.  They could have really gone out of their way to make this appear less like a blaster muzzle, but they didn’t, and I love it.  I can imagine Autobots seeing this battleship and turning their own around, not willing to risk a fight with a flying cannon.

You an take this mode into overkill mode and really make an impressive battleship by incorporating the armor.  Doing so beefs up the front end of the ship, adds more engines, and additional cannons just behind the bow and to the sides of the new engines.  If an Autobot ship were afraid of the regular spaceship mode, this cruiser is frightening enough to make an entire fleet turn tail and run.  This is the best Decepticon battleship yet created, and I must admit I am so enamored with it that I want to have an extra to leave in this mode at all times.  Fortunately, the cold logic of my empty wallet has silenced the impulse…for now.

Robot Mode

Where do I start?  Siege Shockwave is 96% the Shockwave of my dreams.  Why only 96%?  What happened to the other 4%?  Well, I am taking off 4 points due to a few minor issues I have with the toy.  Let’s cover those now and get back to the absurd lovefest.  I am deducting 1 percentage point of love for the following issues:

  The purple, while reminiscent of the G1 figure, has way too much blue and not enough red. Simply put, he’s not the right shade of purple.

His neck has some articulation, but I expected more. I think the worst part of this is that the hinge that holds his backpack is the biggest limiting factor in the movement.  He should be able to move his head around with greater range, and neck articulation continues to be an issue for the current design team.  I see improvements here and in the Siege line, but I want consistency across figures.

The details are overly busy. I get that they wanted more detail than the smooth panels of the G1 figure, however this is overload, and unnecessary.  I wish they had come to a middle ground before finishing this mold.

He is too small. I feel like this is mostly due to increased parts and joints for the mold, and I cannot completely fault them for that…but that makes him less for me by 1%.  I would say the same applies to Ultra Magnus.

All negatives aside, this is a glorious rendition of Shockwave in robot mode.  He has the right build and proportions.  He has an actual rubber(ish) hose.  He has some of the best damn light-piping ever seen in a Transformer.  Beyond his backpack, he has no hollow spaces, which while I was never bothered by them, they were the bane of some fans’ existence.  Shockwave also comes PACKED with articulation!  He has:

  ankle tilts

ratcheting knees

lateral thigh articulation

double rotary hips

rotating waist

double rotary shoulders

lateral bicep articulation

rotating elbows

rotating wrists

ball jointed neck with some limitation in backwards and forwards movement

This figure can get into basically any of the classic Shockwave poses.  My favorite is the pose from the cover to Marvel Comic’s “The Transformers” #5.

  Hover Mode/Armored Mode

Personally, I love the hovercraft mode most out of these configurations.  I can see Shockwave using this to loom over his enemies and his subordinates, as well as providing a tactical advantage in battle while remaining in robot mode.  It is an ingenious use of armor parts, and I hope we get more of this in the future.

The armored mode answers the question; do I need a Shockwave with more gun arm?  The answer is yes.  Yes, you do.  And now you get a Shockwave with 3-gun arms, two laser feet, and a bulked up backpack which must hold a larger power source.  If regular Shockwave was not firepower overkill, this mode definitively is.  While I must admit it is fun, mine won’t be staying in this mode.  I much prefer G1 Shockwave riding in on his hover platform, and that is how he will be displayed.

Recommendation

I give Siege Shockwave 9.6 multiples of 10 on the logic scale!  He hits all the right stops, looks like the ultimate update to G1 Shockwave, comes with more than enough articulation, and the C.O.M.B.A.T. system armor adds tons of playability and 3 additional modes to this nuclear powerhouse of a figure.  While I did not cover transformation in detail, I am pleased to find he is not super difficult yet contains a few neat steps that add fun to the process, like the formation of the “muzzle” and spaceship tower.  Kids will like him.  Older fans will LOVE him, and that is something Shockwave would dismiss as he has no time for expressions of emotion.

Don’t let that stop you!  Siege Shockwave is beginning to really hit stores in force now, so get out there and add to your Decepticon army!

    Siege Shockwave Gallery and Review! Emitting lethal beams of energy in the Allspark Studios today is cold, brutal and scientific Siege Shockwave!