It’s Transformers Thursday again, and I’m still pressing on with my look at the Generations Legends Class figures. Today’s feature has a place near and dear to my heart because it’s Skrapnel. Who? Just consider him copyright-challenged Shrapnel. Yes, that’s Shrapnel as in the leader of the Insecticons. Man, do I love the G1 Insecticons and the fact that Hasbro brought them back in this size assortment is really one of the main reasons I decided to start collecting the Generations Legends in the first place. The only way this release could be any better is if Hasbro did something crazy like… oh, I dunno, maybe bundle a totally random tiny homage to Reflector in there too. Oh wait… THEY DID!!!

The figure comes on the now familiar and extremely cool G1-inspired cardback, complete with that retro grid pattern and some great character art. Damn, that’s some purdy presentation! The only way Hasbro could have possibly improved these cards is if they made the Decepticon grid deco purple like back in the old days. Skrapnel is packaged in his robot mode and so is his buddy Reflector. That’s a first, because all the other Targetmasters were carded in their alt modes. I’m guessing Hasbro didn’t think a camera would be that exciting. Fools! Learn to cater to your fanbase, Hasbro! Who cares if kids don’t like it… they don’t got no monies and they can only beg so much from their parents. I’m an adult with a great paying job. Give me a Deluxe Class Reflector and I’ll buy it!  Alright, enough of that… let’s start with Skrapnel’s bug mode…

Just like the original G1 character, this Skrapnel’s alt mode is a cyber-stag-beetle. I don’t usually start out by talking about the deco, but a huge part of the appeal of the original Insecticons has always been their awesome colors. The black, purple and yellow looks so striking and Hasbro recreated it here for this homage quite beautifully. Sure it’s missing the translucent yellow chest plate and the chromed out pincers, but it still looks amazing. These will always be my favorite Decepticon colors, which is probably why I also love Skywarp so much.

As far as robotic beetles go, this version of Skrapnel is a bit sleeker than the G1 original design, and that ain’t a bad thing. I also dig how high he stands on his legs. There’s quite a bit of clearance between his body and the ground and I think that gives this mode a lot of credibility. There isn’t really a head on this critter, but seeing as how he’s a cyber bug, I guess he doesn’t really need one. There’s really no articulation in the insect legs, but you can open and close his giant pincers, which is certainly cool. One of the pincers on mine is a little droopy, but not too bad.

Skrapnel’s transformation has some cool things going for it. The way the panels on his back shift to the sides to become his legs and the flip that the torso does are both pretty surprising for such a small figure. The result is a fantastic little representation of the Insecticon we all know and love. Sure, he’s got some insect leg kibble hanging off his arms and more on his back, but I actually think it works for the aesthetic rather than against it. Skrapnel is a bug bot and he’s proud of it. Unlike a lot of Transformers, Scrapnel’s deco is identical in robot mode to the alt mode, and in this case that’s not a bad thing at all. He’s gorgeous!

He’s also lots of fun to play with thanks to his copious amount of ball joints. You get ball joints in the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. His articulation is actually so good it kind of stands out that his head doesn’t turn. That’s been the case for me wtih most of these Legends Class figures.

And then there’s Reflector. I want to love Reflector, I really do. I appreciate Hasbro trying here. I mean, what other chance do we have of getting a camera Transformer from Hasbro? None! And yet, he’s really not that impressive. His camera mode just barely passes as a camera. I mean, it’s obvious if you know what it it’s supposed to be, but maybe not so much otherwise. As for his transformation… let’s face it none of these Targetmasters are terribly complex, but Reflector’s bot mode is literally just the camera standing up on his lens. But what the hell, it’s fine.

The gun mode is a bit better. You can plug it into Skrapnel’s alt mode for a pretty cool looking cyber-beetle-tank. It’s also not too oversized for Skrapnel to wield in his robot mode. Still, like most of these Targetmaster guns, I think they work best in the hands of a Deluxe or Voyager Class figure.

Last time, when I looked at Swerve, I went on about his scale and that he was clearly intended to interact with the regular Classics/Generations figures over his own Legends Class. Skrapnel actually falls awkwardly inbetween classes. If you stand him up next to Legends Megatron he’s taller because of his antenna, but otherwise stands shoulder to shoulder to him, which makes him a tad too big. Now, if you stand him with some Generations Deluxes, he’s pretty small, but I actually think this pairing works better. Hey, they’re Insecticons, why not have them be a little smaller? In the end, it’s a compromise either way, but I think I’ll be displaying Skrapnel with my regular Generations figures and not with the Legends. Oh yeah, so long as we’re on about scale, it’s worth pointing out this…

Legends Skrapnel is almost the exact same size as the original G1 Shrapnel. Cool!

It’s probably a given that my first choice would still have been to get a set of G1 inspired Insecticons as Deluxe Class figures. And sometimes I burn my arms on the stove as punishment for not picking up Fansprojects’ Not-Insecticons when I had the chance. So in a sense, Skrapnel here is a consolation prize. The fact that he’s a Legends Class figure is not ideal, but Hasbro still did a beautiful job on him and I love him all the same. What’s even better is that Hasbro recently showed off Legends Class Bombshell and confirmed that Kickback will be following not long after and it’s going to be mighty cool to have a complete set of updated Insecticons, even if they are little guys.

Wow, it’s Thursday again. The week just flew by and it’s time for more Transformers goodness. We’re in the fourth week of my infatuation with the Generations Legends line and so far everything about these little toys has been nothing but kittens and rainbows. Well, sadly that trend is going to end today with Megatron because I’m just not digging this guy as much as the others. Let’s take a look…

Here’s the packaging. Well, the deco is still awesome, but I can’t say the same for the character art. Oh, the artwork is just fine, but when you get down to it, I just don’t like this design for Megatron. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Megsy comes packaged in his robot mode with his Targetmaster, Chop Shop beside him in his bug mode. There isn’t much new to say here, so let’s start out with Megatron in his vehicle mode.

Megatron is a tank, and honestly if he isn’t going to be a gun, this is my preferred Megatron alt mode. If you can’t be a gun, be a tank! Interestingly enough, Hasbro actually used the Legends Class assortment a few years back to get us a new G1-style gun mode Megatron, but I was ignoring the Legends line at the time so I never picked him up. Anyway, I don’t have a lot of quibbles with this Megatron’s alt mode. Sure, you can see his hands on each side of the cannon, but even though they’re right there, I don’t think it looks too bad. It’s a rather f’ugly mode, but it still works well enough for what it is. Overall, there’s some nice detail in the sculpt, particularly in the tiny faux treads, and I appreciate the fact that the turret can rotate. I’m not a fan of the plastic they used for the two parts on the back of the turret, which becomes Megatron’s shoulders. It looks cheap. I think it’s the weakest of the Legends alt modes I’ve looked at so far, but for a toy this size, I’m willing to give it a pass.

Transforming Megatron is pretty simple and apart from maybe the way the lower legs pack in there’s nothing terribly clever here. The result is a fairly decent representation of a version of Megatron that I just don’t happen to enjoy all that much. Honestly, I think a big part of my problem with this design is the coloring. It’s that black chest and head with the yellow hazard striping effect. The Megatron I know wouldn’t walk around looking like that. That’s not to say that the quality of the paintwork here isn’t excellent. The yellow hits are crisp and the little touches of red around his midsection and elbows are welcome. I still maintain that there’s better and more complex paint on these little guys than a lot of the Deluxes I’ve seen in the past few years. Either way, with a more G1-style deco I could probably be more accepting of this figure.

Megs features decent articulation for this size class. You get ball joints in the shoulders, elbows, and hips, and hinges in the knees. Some of his transforming parts don’t lock in as well as I would like, but he’s still a fun figure to play with.  The tank cannon works OK as his arm blaster. It’s a little thin to drive the homage home, but at least it’s there. It’s also ball jointed, so you can shift it between the outside of his arm or have it like he’s holding it like a gun.

And then there’s Chop Shop! I was unusually excited to see this guy because the old Deluxe Insecticons don’t tend to get any love these days. I never owned any of the originals as a kid, but I was certainly curious about them, mainly because they didn’t look anything like the rest of the official Insecticons, who were official in my eyes because they were actually in the cartoon. I like Chop Shop’s beetle mode a lot and while his robot mode just consists of standing him up, I still think it’s pretty cool. Again, the sculpt and paint on these teeny little figures is impressive to me.

I guess it’s a misnomer to call Chop Shop a Targetmaster, since his weapon mode isn’t a gun, but rather a giant pincer claw. It’s also not really an independent mode at all. You’re just sticking his beetle mode on Megs’ arm and you can work the claw by opening and closing the back half of the beetle. Personally, I think it works better as a shield. Man, that would suck being the Transformer that turns into a shield for another Transformer! I was kind of hoping I could stick Chop Shop onto Megs’ back because positioning the pincers behind his head would give him a cool Armada Megatron look. Sadly, the socket on Megatron’s back is too big for the peg. It seems like either a wasted opportunity or a tease. You can also stick Chop Shop on top of Megsy’s tank mode, but it just looks like exactly what it is, a giant beetle riding on top of a tank.

So, Megatron is not one of my favorites in this line, but that doesn’t make him a terrible figure. Most of what’s here works just fine and my real issue with him is just my personal disinterest in the design. I’m certainly not sorry I added him to my collection. At $10 a pop, these little figures aren’t exactly a high risk gamble. Next Thursday, the Legends Class train will roll on with a look at a very highly anticipated figure… Swerve!

In case you hadn’t noticed, Transformers Thursday has a Legends Class thang going on right now. I consider it a soothing balm to counteract the irritating diaper rash of that Bayformer marathon that I did. I’m also using these guys as a cleansing enema to wash out all the memory of Age of Extinction that remains like the red meat rotting away in my colon. Hey, this intro has gone to a scary and disgusting place, let’s check out Starscream and Waspinator!

Packaging! Seen it already! Starscream comes carded in his robot mode and Waspinator in his little buggy mode. Love the character art. This is how to design packaging, Hasbro! Notice it doesn’t look like that minimalist crap you’ve got on the shelves now! Let’s start with Starscream’s alt mode

I’m not sure if Hasbro was going for a specific model of jet here. It kind of looks like a cross between his original F-15 Eagle and more recent F-22 Raptor modes. Either way, it works for me. The sculpt isn’t overly encumbered with detail, but it gets by particularly thanks to the snappy red and white deco and the Decepticon insignia printed on his wings. The hole in his back is kind of ugly, but it’s obviously there so that Waspinator can ride on his back either in bug or blaster mode. I dig the way Starscream’s null ray cannons mount under his wings and he actually has a folding landing gear under his nose. Nice!

Transforming Starscream is very quick and easy but it still manages to pull off some impressive things. For starters, the wings position nicely on his back so that the Decepticon emblems are facing out and it’s pretty cool how his arm cannons don’t have to be detached for the transformation. I also like how nothing on his robot mode is faked out.

Overall, I think the robot mode here is fantastic. Yes, the shoulder intakes are rather underdeveloped and he’s a tad chunky in the middle, but I’m really nitpicking on what is an otherwise great looking figure. The tiny head sculpts in this line have been surprisingly detailed and Starscream’s may be the best I’ve seen yet. How did they pack that much personality and detail into such a teeny tiny noggin? The articulation is a tad more limited than the other Legends I’ve looked at, but he’s still got plenty of playability. You get ball joints in the shoulders, elbows, and hips, and hinges in the knees. Not bad for such a little guy. He can also wield his arm cannons as guns.

Starscream’s Targetmaster buddy is Waspinator and he is hands down my favorite of these little guys so far. The bug mode is excellent and Hasbro crammed a ridiculous amount of detail into this tiny sculpt. I particularly love the cybernetic elements on the wings. I think his robot mode is a little better than what I’ve seen with Roller and Blazemaster, mainly because the wasp head actually folds down to form his chest and his arms are quite well defined. And again, look at that tiny head… that’s certainly a good likeness to the Beast Wars character packed into something smaller than the head of a nail.

Waspinator’s blaster mode is OK. It’s basically a wasp with his back morphed into a gun barrel. It’s probably on par with Blazemaster’s gun mode but it’s quite large for the Legends Class figures. Starscream can wield it OK, but I think it works better if you give it to a Deluxe or Voyager Class figure.

Hot damn, I’m still loving this Legends line! Everything about these guys feels like they’re made with extra love. Starscream is an excellent little figure and I’m certainly going to go all in when Hasbro finally gets the Thundercracker and Skywarp repaints onto the pegs. I’m so glad I came to these little figures so late in the game because right now they’re giving me a port in the storm while the shelves are full of AoE toys that I don’t want to get involved in. Next Thursday… Megatron!

It’s Transformers Thursday again and today I’m looking at my second Legends Class figure from the Generations line. Prime and Bumblebee were my first two forays into these little guys and it’s safe to say that I am now I’m hooked.

The packaging is similar to what we saw last Thursday. Again, I’ll say that I love the G1-style grid pattern and the great character artwork. This kind of deco grabs my attention when passing through the toy aisles every single time, even if I know I’m all caught up on the figures that are out. It just kindles that warm and fuzzy feeling down in my nethers. Bumblebee comes packaged in his robot mode and his Targetmaster buddy, Blazemaster comes in his tiny helicopter mode. Let’s start with Bumblebee in his alt mode.

Bee’s vehicle mode is a compact yellow sports car, which I think is supposed to be his IDW mode before he became the generic Camero knock-off. Or is that after? In case you can’t tell, I tend to read the Transformers comics that don’t prominently feature Bumblebee. Either way this is a perfectly fine “we don’t have the VW Beetle license or the Chevy Camero license for this toy so let’s just make him a generic car” alt mode. It’s still totally in character with how I think of Bumblebee and maybe even a little reminiscent of the Classics alt mode.

I’m usually not a fan of this yellow swirly plastic, but when used in small quantities like this, I don’t have a big problem with it. The black painted windows look good and there are even some red stripes on the hood and silver paint hits for the bumper and lights. It’s crazy, but this tiny car mode actually has more varied paint apps than Deluxe Bumblebee from the TF: Prime line. Why does it seem like Hasbro gives these little guys so much more love?

Bumblebee’s transformation is pretty fascinating for such a little figure and even manages to pull off a head reveal that works better than half that MechTech shit Hasbro used to use on the bigger figures. I’m particularly impressed by the way the sides of the car pack into his forearms and auto-morph his hands. The head sculpt is fantastic, right down to his iconic little horns, and the face is very neatly painted. I also dig the way his spoiler lands behind his head.

The end result is a remarkably well proportioned and great little homage to the War for Cybertron Bumblebee. Seriously, just look at this little guy! He’s definitely one of my favorite Bumblebee figures to come out in a long time. Even the articulation on this guy is great. You get ball joints in the shoulders, elbows, and hips and hinges in the knees. The only thing missing is head articulation, but his noggin is so tiny, I can easily forgive that.

Bumblebee’s Targetmaster unfortunately bears the name of one of the worst Deluxe Transformers I’ve ever had the displeasure of owning: Blazemaster. He’s a little blue helicopter and not a great one at that. In this case it feels as if Hasbro sacrificed the alt mode for a better gun mode, which makes him the opposite of Optimus Prime’s Roller. His robot mode is pretty piss-poor too, but maybe I’m expecting just a little too much from these tiny guys. Either way, I think it would have been so much cooler if they went for the Armada Hot Rod reference and painted this guy red and called him Jolt.

Blazemaster’s gun mode actually works pretty well with Bumblebee. It’s still pretty big, but it looks like he can actually wield it, unlike Prime with Roller. I dig the way you can detach the blades and put them on Bee’s other arm or even mount them on his back.

Legends Bumblebee is the kind of toy that I want to stuff in my pocket and take with me to play with on my downtime throughout the day. If I owned this as a kid, it would have been taken away from me at school. Hell, I’ll probably end up bringing it to work and it’ll get taken away from me at a Financials Meeting because I won’t stop playing with it. I never would have guessed that I’d be so impressed with these little Legends toys, but so far Optimus and Bumblebee have really scratched my itch. Next week, we’ll keep the Legends ball rolling and maybe check out a Decepticon!