Toy Review - GEN FOC Starscream

[Jim_jim]

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Fall of Cybertron
Size/class - deluxe
Wave - 3
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - February 2013 (globally Dec 2012)
Approximate Retail Price - 25-30 Au$
Approximate Size - 14cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Cybertronian jet
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Red, grey, blue
Main Accessories - two-piece gun






If you like Starscreem, you will get this toy. Otherwise, it would be an option. At least, for me it is. The transformation is too easy, just like Legend class, the hands are too big. The only good thing about it is the weapon. Man, I cannot imagine a Starscreem looks like that. It looks really nice on the top, but it is a thick and bulky figure.

Think twice before you are getting it.

[SharkyMcShark]

While as a rule I generally hate easy transformations I'm willing to make an exception for the Cyberjet style transformation.

I've got two of these on order with TFsource - where did you get yours?

[Jim_jim]

Got it from HK. It' already been released there.

[SharkyMcShark]

So mine finally arrived today. No pics as my camera is in the shop at the moment

Comes packaged in robot mode, and I'm pleased to say that for the first time in a very long time everything is joints wise is tight right out of the box. There is a pleasing amount of sculpted detail on the figure - the mini intakes on the underside of the wings and detail on the torso behind the cockpit are particularly pleasing. While not a bad thing at all, it's not really what I'd call 'Starscream red' - that red is a lot brighter and slightly more orangey than this (having compared it to an MP3, MP11 and an Energon Energon Starscream I have laying around). Again, not a bad thing at all. I've not played much of FOC and played through WFC once two and a half years ago so I can't really speak to game accuracy.

Poseability is fantastic especially compared to the original Classics Seeker mold - the shoulders don't get impeded by the wings, it has wrist, shoulder and thigh swivels, and it has actual useful ankle joints that allow for a range of fantastic posing. Maybe I've been watching a bit much Battlestar Galactica, but the way that the intakes 'strap' over the shoulders give it the appearance of a pilot in a flight suit. Overall, a fantastic robot mode.

Transformation is basically the Cyberjet scheme - cockpit flips 180 degrees up (although theres some nice folding/unfolding of panels involved instead of it just being a standard pin joint), legs go under the fuselage and arms fold up and go between the legs. Bit simplistic, but it works here.

The vehicle mode is also largely excellent. The legs are really chunky so the rear end gets a bit large, but then this isn't really meant to be a representation of an Earthen atmospheric fighter so it gets away with it really. Same goes for landing gear - there is none, but it's not a big deal (and I infinitely prefer none to molded in place landing gear like on the Classics Seeker mold). While the robot mode is more or less as tall as previous figures (well compared to the Energon Energon Starscream I had laying about) the it folds up into a noticeable smaller vehicle.

The weapons are decent. I'm not really a fan of massive chunky weapons but it sort of works here. I have heard from other places that the holes are too small for the 5mm handles and have shown stress marks on other samples. They were very tight on mine, but no stress marks as yet for me, so handle with care.

I wish I could say that this is the best deluxe in a long while, but honestly since the disappointment that was Revenge of the Fallen's toyline I've more or less given up on that size class. I can however say that this is the first deluxe in a long time that has convinced me that it was worth buying.

As a toy this trumps the already existing Classics Seeker mold in every way. Bring on the slew of repaints, because I'll be grabbing most of them.

[Bumbleb33]

I opened mine last week, simple fulfilling transformation, plenty of pose-ability for action stances, light piping is awesome, paint detail is good, head sculpt is excellent. Only bad point is the gun is a little weak. He is now my resident deluxe Starscream filling a gap in my collection for a G1 likeness Starscream. Get him if you can.

[Bumbleb33]

As a toy this trumps the already existing Classics Seeker mold in every way. Bring on the slew of repaints, because I'll be grabbing most of them.

I agree. I'd love to see it in green as Acid Storm.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

..light piping is awesome... head sculpt is excellent.

These points, plus plus!

Looks like three of the guns can be joined together to form the standard machine gun. Name escapes me right now, but this one.

[Defcon]

This mold trumps the classics mold? I hope so as I want to retire that mold, as its been overdone to the point of insanity. I would love a boxset of seekers in a new original mold. I hope they do coneheads as well, but I wonder how they will do this?

[GoktimusPrime]

I can see why people like this toy. This is the most impressive Tetrajet Starscream toy thus far. Unlike previous incarnations, it has a far more streamlined jet mode that actually looks like it could actually fly in atmosphere. The sculpting is nice and the colours mostly work well. I really like the weapon on this toy. For some reason, Hasbro has insisted on making all the weapons in this wave gimmick-laden, but Starscream's weapon has the best gimmick of them all... a gimmick that compliments the weapon and toy, rather than detract from it (Ultra Magnus' sword isn't detractive, but it's not as complimentary as Starscream's either). It has a twin gatling gun where both barrels spin -- the gun can then be split into two guns. These guns can be held either in his fists, or mounted on his forearms to give him that G1 look.

The transformation is fairly intuitive, and forms a robot mode that has nice G1 homages. My only gripe about the robot mode is how the shoulders don't have anywhere to firmly lock into place - they just hang there. But having said that, their "hang position" isn't too loose either, i.e. the shoulders mostly stay in place on their own. But having some form of lock would have been a lot nicer. The light piping on the eyes works really well, and I like how they made the eyes yellow instead of red (like they are in the game). The yellow offsets against the reds of the body better, and also makes the eyes more G1-accurate considering that the original G1 Starscream toy had yellow eyes (via the sticker).

Is it better than the Classics mould? I don't know if I'd go quite that far. Both moulds have their merits. But this is by far the best toy of the 2nd FoC Wave figures, and I REALLY hope that Hasbro repaints this mould as Skywarp and Thundercracker SOON (I don't want to wait another five years to see them all in retail!) At a glance I think it might be possible to retool the head as a conehead - there's a reasonable amount of space above the head when it folds through the hole behind it. The cone tips may need to fold somehow in jet mode, kiiinda like how movieverse Dirge's conehead does (not necessarily in the same fashion)

[BigTransformerTrev]

I really love this figure! By far my fav of all the Fall of Cybertron toys and probably equal favorite with my WFC Optimus from the game-based toys.

If I had any criticisms of this toy it would be that the legs are a little chunky and the guns are a bit big, but this is really just quibbling. Overall I think he is a fantastic figure and very indicitive of how he appears in the game.

As a toy this trumps the already existing Classics Seeker mold in every way. Bring on the slew of repaints, because I'll be grabbing most of them.

I'm pretty sure Takara has already released pictures of a repaint as Skywarp, I hope Hasbro follows suit and does SW and Thundercracker. As for the classics seeker mold, I'd still like to see them do a Sunstorm and a retool for a Slipstream, then they can retire that mold

I can see why people like this toy. This is the most impressive Tetrajet Starscream toy thus far. )

It's great that the cybertronian jets we only saw for a few seconds in a few episodes of the original cartoon have so many toys now. I was a bit dissapointed with the Titanium take on them, though I did like the giant Starscream mold from Cybertron, thought that was very streamlined and a great figure!