{"id":7161,"date":"2014-03-21T05:36:05","date_gmt":"2014-03-21T05:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=7161"},"modified":"2014-06-28T07:23:50","modified_gmt":"2014-06-28T07:23:50","slug":"transformers-generations-titan-metroplex-with-scamper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=7161","title":{"rendered":"Transformers Generations Titan Metroplex with Scamper"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mega Review: Includes Takara, Hasbro, and Hasbro Event Exclusive variants<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras<\/strong>: (2\/5) HasbroThe exterior box looks really good in my opinion with nice art and a visual flair that pops. \u00a0The box is made of reasonably thick cardboard but all of the boxes appear to have more in them than Hasbro intended as they all look like they’re trying to burst out at the tape. \u00a0Do not doubt this toy is huge. \u00a0The box is 61CM tall, 37CM wide, and 15.5CM deep. \u00a0It may not be the biggest box you own even if it might be the biggest toy. \u00a0I suppose you could call the packaging ‘efficient’ if it wasn’t so damn cheap. \u00a0Inside you’ll find the toy harnessed into cardboard via a thousand or so recycled paper twist ties mated to black plastic traps. \u00a0You’ll also notice a stray arm. \u00a0Don’t flip the box over as the one missile the toy includes is just rolling around in there and it’s dark gray so it could be lost. \u00a0Instructions and stickers are sleeved into slots on a cover piece of brown cardboard. \u00a0As you might expect, once the arm is attached it must be removed if you wish to return the toy to the box. \u00a0Contents:
\n1) Transformable Scamper figure in alt mode
\n2) 1 x Missile
\n3) 1 x Red Missile Launcher (mounts to right shoulder or held in hand)
\n4) 2 x black guns (mount to exterior of arms)
\n5) Transformation instructions
\n6) Sticker placement instructions (separate paper)
\n7) Stickers
\nIt’s too bad we don’t get Slammer, or Sixgun. \u00a0Seeing as Scamper has been so nicely improved it would have been great to see what could have been done with those guys.<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras<\/strong>: (4\/5)
\nHasbro Event ExclusiveThe artwork on the event exclusive is a notch above the standard release although it is a little questionable that some of the smaller Autobots appear to be running directly into a hole. \u00a0Just like the standard release, the quality of the cardboard is decent but again there seems to be a little too much packed in as the exterior seals are always bursting at the seams. \u00a0This toy takes the ‘wow that’s a big box’ of the standard release toy to the next level coming in at a staggering 67CM tall, 56CM wide, and 19CM deep. \u00a0The outermost portion of the box is a sleeve complete with a handle so this behemoth can be carried like a suitcase. \u00a0You can slide out an inner tray that then reveals the toy in a nicely detailed box with large clear window for forever mint displaying. \u00a0Watch out for that suitcase handle if you ever try to put the toy back in that sleeve. \u00a0I would have scored this toy higher here but to get to the point where you can remove the sleeve you have to break a lot of seals and since some of those seals are already bursting there’s a good chance your forever mint box is going to have some damage to it. \u00a0Once you have the sleeve out you still need to get through a dozen or so twist ties to actually free Metroplex from his plastic tomb. \u00a0There’s some nice velcro at the top of the box that holds the left and right side together (as well as some tape seals). \u00a0Once the velcro is released the sides can fall away but the effect is diminished due to the use of additional unbound plastic inserts that will also fall away. \u00a0Inside the box you’ll get the following:
\n1) Transformable Scamper figure in bot mode
\n2) 2 x Missile
\n3) 2 x Missile Launcher
\n4) 2 x black guns
\n5) Transformation instructions
\n6) Sticker placement instructions
\n7) Stickers (foil)
\n8) 12 x Mini figures (red & purple SDCC, silver & gold ACG) Hoist robot, Hoist vehicle, Trailbreaker robot, Trailbreaker vehicle, Orion Pax robot, Orion Pax vehicle, Megatron robot, Megatron vehicle, Bumblebee robot, Bumblebee vehicle, Thundercracker robot, and Thundercracker vehicle<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras<\/strong>: (3\/5) TakaraTomyThe TakaraTomy box is slightly larger than the Hasbro regular release coming in at 60CM tall, 40CM wide, and 23CM deep. \u00a0The artwork is similar to the standard Hasbro release but the extraneous Autobots have been removed. \u00a0The larger box afforded TT the ability to package the toy complete… there’s no need to install an arm. \u00a0From a packaging perspective that’s where the improvements over the Hasbro regular release end. \u00a0The TT toy is also tied down by a seemingly endless number of twist ties and unlike the Hasbro ties these ones aren’t paper, they’re plastic coated wire. \u00a0Your scissors are useless against them. \u00a0TT also goes the extra mile and tapes down the black traps for the twist ties. \u00a0This means to remove the twist ties you’ll need to first remove tape (or snip away with snips or wire cutters). \u00a0Accessories are included on an extra piece of cardboard that is taped into position. \u00a0The instructions and stickers are included in a plastic bag that is taped to the side of the cardboard tray. \u00a0No one is ever going to mistake the insides of this box for a premium toy. \u00a0The contents are nice though, you get the following:
\n1) Transformable Scamper figure in alt mode (weapon is detached)
\n2) 2 x Missile
\n3) 2 x Missile Launcher
\n4) 2 x black guns
\n5) Transformation and sticker placement instructions (all on one sheet)
\n6) Stickers (foil)<\/p>\n

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Charm & Collectabilty<\/strong>: (4\/5)
\nThe event exclusives may prove to be more desirable unless there are plans for them to be perennially available at more conventions. \u00a0The first event exclusive version was available at Comic-Con 2013 (July) in San Diego, CA for $149.99. \u00a0The box tells you to ‘collect them all’ and indicates this is 01 of 30. \u00a0The second event exclusive version was available in Hong Kong at the ACG-con later in July 2013 for an MSRP of 1,399HKD. \u00a0This box indicates the toy is 05 of 30. \u00a0Check out the transformers wiki and search for ‘thrilling 30’ to see a list of all of the toys in this special series. \u00a0The Hasbro regular release hit shelves in the end of July with an MSRP of $124.99. \u00a0TakaraTomy released their TG-23 Metroplex on September 28, 2013 with an MSRP of 19,000 Yen. \u00a0The Hasbro regular release was available as cheap as $79.99 from Costco at one point. \u00a0The Takara release is currently in the window where vendors are discounting it. \u00a0I would expect all of these toys to eventually become hard to come by and demand at least a small premium. \u00a0It is the biggest Autobot ever afterall… \u00a0How big is he? \u00a0In bot mode he’s 56 CM tall (to top of head, 62 to top of black shoulder guns if installed), 43.5 CM wide (with black shoulder guns installed), and 17 CM deep. \u00a0In Carrier mode he’s 82CM long, 47CM wide, and 29CM tall. \u00a0In city mode he’s 55 CM wide, 26 (to top of head, does not include towers) CM tall, and 72 CM deep.<\/p>\n

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Sculpt, Detail, & Paint<\/strong>: (6.5\/10) Hasbro, (7\/10)Takara
\nBeing this huge it’s easy to be let down by the sculpt and detail work on this toy. \u00a0The paint apps on the Hasbro releases are incredibly sparse, relying heavily on the included sticker sheets. \u00a0It feels a little misleading since the box shows a weathered Metroplex and you get a very shiny toy. \u00a0Takara did a much better job in bot mode but their revisions won’t appeal to many in the other modes where the large white expanses look dull. \u00a0Check out the comparison pictures above and below to get a feel for the various paint differences between the two brands. \u00a0The bigger let down in terms of sculpt come from all the cavities that cover the toy. \u00a0I guess when you’re making a toy this large every bit of plastic you can avoid using helps but it really does make the toy look cheap. \u00a0Then again, no one ever claimed this was a masterpiece toy so I suppose we should be forgiving of such shortcuts. \u00a0Carrier and city modes don’t look particularly impressive with only minor efforts taken to conceal bot mode. \u00a0Scamper looks really good, as long as you don’t look at what’s beneath the wheels. \u00a0His bot mode is a little funky but still very nice. \u00a0The Takara version gives us the Autobot logo on the chest.<\/p>\n

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Design<\/strong>: (7\/10)
\nThe transformations are incredibly simplistic, check out the attached video for a quick transformation run through. \u00a0The gimmicks are modest. \u00a0Tilting the head forward drops down some targeting glasses in front of Metroplex’s eyes making him appear more G1 cartoon accurate. \u00a0The big red guns shoot. \u00a0The repair grapple opens and closes. \u00a0The chest cavity opens and can easily accommodate Scamper. \u00a0The head turret rotates and has a flip out targeting device. \u00a0Transformation does require pulling off the guns and then reapplying them in different areas. \u00a0That’s fairly standard for most toys but the guns are so massive here they feel like they should be more integral. \u00a0Fortunately there are plenty of cavities across the toy to mount those guns to which adds to the play factor. \u00a0Unfortunately, the hands don’t go anywhere during transformation which often looks pretty silly. \u00a0The toy features lights and sounds. \u00a0I’m not really thrilled with the implementation of the gimmick. \u00a0There are two types of sounds. \u00a0Metroplex either says something or he makes transformation sounds. \u00a0It seems like it’d be nice to choose which sound he’ll make but the toy just alternates between transformation sound and quote. \u00a0The lights also feel like they should be able to operate separately but instead the eyes and chest just blink as the sounds are being made. \u00a0 This renders the lever behind the head that lets you move Metroplex’s eyes essentially useless since you can only see those eyes for the brief moment they’re blinking. \u00a0It would also have been nice if things locked together in the alt modes as walking around with the toy in city mode is like carrying a sleeping octopus. \u00a0Scamper has graduated from being a flip and pull transformation to feeling like a legitimate transformer and he adds a fair amount of play value.<\/p>\n

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Durability & Build<\/strong>: (8\/10)The build quality could certainly be better. \u00a0There are parts that don’t fill crisp but given the mass of this toy and the price point that should be expected. \u00a0The toy also has a hard time getting over its own heft. \u00a0The hips and knees will flop during transformation and the toy will prove huge and gangly. \u00a0I suppose this could lead to breaks during transformation but since everything is so basic that’s probably pretty unlikely.
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