Toy Review - TFPrime DLX Starscream

[griffin]

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details)

Toy Review - Starscream
Series - TFPrime
Sub-line - none
Size/class - Deluxe
Wave - 0 (First Edition)
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - Maybe not here at all (Released globally Nov/Dec 2011)
Approximate Retail Price - ($24-30?) US$12
Approximate Size - (14cm)
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Fighter Jet
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Dark grey, light grey, silver
Main Accessories - 2 arm-missiles

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/prime02.jpg

[jaydisc]

As (http://twitter.com/#!/iTFDB/status/139993915632791552) I (http://twitter.com/#!/iTFDB/status/139994135980552192) tweeted (http://twitter.com/#!/iTFDB/status/139994751922475008) a few weeks ago:

TF:Prime Starscream is another bucket of win. More killer engineering in an extremely diminutive package...

Like Henkei Glavatron, he could easily be a voyager without modification. Unlike Glavatron, he still works great at this size.

He's arguably the first Starscream who's physique and carriage perfectly reflect his personality. Brilliant.

[Doubledealer]

Yeah, I love the look of this toy too. There's just something about those creepy, elongated arms and borderline fembot legs that make this character stand out. Very original. The head sculpt looks nice and mischievous too, just the way it should be for Starscream! One I'll definitely be picking up at some point (might compare with the Takara toy first).

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Robot mode is great! A very clever look to his lankyness and general creepy feeling of his character. Looking at him, you can immediately guess at his character type, which in real life would not be so great, but this is a toy, so it works.

Shame about his head fin not being red like the cartoon, but it is easy enough to take out and colour with whatever takes you fancy. I used a red permanent marker on mine and it does the trick nicely.

Sadly though, the vehicle mode suffers a lot. From the top it looks fine, but from any other angle it is rather 'bits' looking. The front bottom of the jet is let down by the waist and the reaer has the legs all over the place. From the back, you can clearly see his feet as well. Not too sure what type of jet he is based on, but the wings look a little out of proportion to the body, specifically the tail area.

However this can be overlooked as the robot mode is where the love is at for this guy and since it just carries so much character, I find myself leaving him in robot mode all the time.

It is a rather fun toy to transform as well, which so far I have found for all the TFP figs that I have. Not too fiddly that you spend 30 odd minutes doing it, but enough to make it interesting and enjoyable.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, the jet mode does indeed suffer. :(

Transformation scheme is interesting - the waist/leg section reminds me of G2 Smokescreen. The robot looks nice - although those two knee protusions seem rather pointless and have a habit of flopping down during handling/play. They should have either found a way to make them lock into position properly, or just omitted them (I don't care if it makes the toy more screen-accurate... seems superfluous - I'll take toy engineering/play value over show-likeness any day). So far I haven't had too many issues making the toy stand, but admittedly I haven't tried putting it into any real dynamic poses yet... not sure how I'll go with the small feet on high-heels. With the inevitable repaints that Hasbro will do I reckon they should repaint (w/ a new head?) this one as TF Prime Slipstream.

Robot mode looks nice, jet mode has some nice elements but really could have been done a lot better. :(

And what's with the new bubble/blister shape? It makes it hard to package the carded figures front-to-front because it occupies such a large portion of the card area, and the odd shape makes it trickier to cut around when opening the toy. Also... where is this toy's Tech Specs Profile??? :confused:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/jaam_jaam.gif

[GL-Sideswipe]

Ordered this guy online today along with FE Bumblebee, can't wait to get both of them. :) Seen so many postive reviews for this guy, wish I could say the same for bee, still happy to get him though :P

[SharkyMcShark]

That this is an f-16 and that the jet mode is poorly executed are turn offs for me me here. Will wait for pics of the voyager version

[SharkyMcShark]

Cracked and bought this - couldn't go past the really emotive bot mode.

Bot mode doesn't disappoint - great sculpting and a great range of motion. Everything on mine was nice and tight. My only complaint is that the jetpack doesn't sit flush with the back.

Transformation is nice - the arms are really well integrated into the body. Shame that the legs aren't at all integrated - they just hang below the body of the jet, clipping in at the knee and ankle to tabs on the underside of the body.

Jet mode is a bit of a mess. The cockpit isn't really that well designed - it doesn't really flow with the body or stand out that much (the back of it just so of proceeds into the techno greeble looking stuff on the body of the jet). Wings, stabilizers and tail fins are all a bit stubby. The body of the plane from the top is the chest and looks a bit of a dogs dinner in jet mode. Finally, m biggest gripe, the legs. They just hang there. Surely we're past this now in 2012? On the plus side it is all very stable and holds together nicely.

Bot mode is great, jet mode is a write off really.

A quick note on the cockpit here. First, it looks like it was originally meant to be clear as the sample used in the instructions is clear, and second the Skywarp repaint has a kore traditional amber cockpit that really helps make it stand out better from the body of the plane.

[Doubledealer]

Great reviews chaps. :) Has this toy compelled you to want Skywarp or are you happy enough with just Screamer?

Judging by the silhouette of the voyager, it appears that they've gone for the more accurate jet mode while sacrificing an accurate bot mode. The complete opposite of the deluxe!

I can't wait to get this one though, definitely next on my 'to buy' list (would have been sooner if I didn't have a premonition of certain FE's sky-rocketing in price :p).

[SharkyMcShark]

Does anyone else have a Starscream with odd coloured eyes? I have a red left eye and a blue right eye on mine

(I'm assuming that the eyepiece that sits inside the head is partially unpainted)

[SharkyMcShark]

After a few days I just can't put this down. Usually I like to rate Transformers half and half on robot and alternate mode but this is like Universe Cyclonus ramped up to the Nth degree - iffy alt mode but my word what an AMAZING robot mode.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Sorry for the old thread bumping, but had to share this pic.
This mold is really, really awesome.:D

[SMHFConvoy]

got my hands on the vs pack today and I really like the deluxe but I've got some (a lot) of painting to do :/