Review: #69
Name: Ratchet
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Dark of the Moon
Year of Release: 2011
Size Class: Cyberverse Playset (Wave 3)
Variations: the Legion toy is a repaint of the DOTM Ratchet (which was also repainted into various exclusive packs)
Note: for this review I am going to focus on the Ratchet standalone toy first, before I move onto the playset itself.
VEHICLE MODE:
Ratchet transforms into the same vehicle as he had done in all three movies, however, this time, he is in white with blue highlights. It does make him look a bit odd as the two colours somehow managed to clash, or maybe it's due to the weird metallic bronze/gold paint.
Overall, I'd say it's a well formed vehicle mode, and certainly better than the previous Legends mold. The back has some gaps, which, while it doesn't look good, can be forgiven at this scale. All four wheels roll, but that's the only play value Ratchet has.
While the original green version had a spare tyre on the roof, Ratchet has this part replaced with something that is a 5mm hole. It looks odd there and I don't really know what it represents.
However, that allows the claw to plug onto the back (which is needed for one of the molds), it looks a bit ridiculous to be honest since the claw is so much out of proportion. A really solid vehicle mode.
TRANSFORMATION:
A really simple transformation that works well. It's very intuitive, and fun. Granted, due to the way the arms form, there are major hinges in vehicle mode but I really like the transformation. It makes Ratchet feel very solid.
ROBOT MODE:
As great as the vehicle might be (and it's decent), the robot mode is better. He has near perfect proportions and invoke the character very well (apart from the different colour scheme, obviously). However, in these colours, it doesn't feel like Ratchet, the white and bronze seems off.
He has the roof of the vehicle as a backpack and it impedes his legs a little bit. Ratchet has a very solid robot mode, not flimsy and even without heel spurs, he won't fall over backwards any time soon.
The only thing that feels restrictive is the articulation (which is pretty much 95% of complaints of these small sized figures). Weirdly, they have the elbow balljoints in such a way that he can only bend them with his hand facing the air. Shoulder movement is limited only to swivels and his legs are one solid piece.
For such a small figure, they have packed a huge amount of detail into the head sculpt. I've seen someone comment that it looks more like Optimus Primal than Ratchet and I can somewhat see that.
There's probably some reduction in size compared to figures from earlier lines, but he doesn't feel as small or as flimsy as Bumblebee.
Not mentioned on the packaging, this set also includes a smaller crawler, that can fold in half into Ratchet's (oversized) gun.
You can only plug the gun onto Ratchet's right hand, why they couldn't sculpt the other hand to hold something I do not know (which is annoying coz all DOTM Legion toys have this asymmetry). A robot mode that's great to look at, but not so much when it comes to posing.
LUNAR CRAWLER (CRAWLER MODE):
The lunar crawler is based on the one seen in the movie, when the Autobots went onto the moon. At first glimpse, it's pretty accurate, and looks good. The claw is jointed in three places, basically just three hinges, a and swivels at the base and the claw. This makes it fairly versatile.
There's some decent paint apps but nothing that strikes you as jarring. There's some grey plastic wheels on the treads (obviously they don't work like treads should) that allows it to roll, but like with many figures, the crawler tends to slide rather than roll.
Something that's quite disappointing is that the crawler is basically a shell. There is not underside to speak off, it's a huge gap, and this impacts greatly as it makes the whole thing feel hollow, fragile and cheap. I understand that at this price point, I shouldn't expect anything more, but it just surprised me when I took it out of the box.
The claw itself is spring loaded, you can retract the white thing on top to close the claw, releasing your hand will make it open again.
Although there's some nice sculpting, the treads is like an indistinct lump. There's quite a few elements that are not fixed into place, which is annoying when you hold it and pieces start to shift.
Still, it's a decent crawler, and it's a pretty big size. I'm glad they made the claw fairly articulated as it adds quite a bit to the play value.
TRANSFORMATION (TO REPAIR STATION):
It's a really simple transformation that basically involves you flipping all the panels up so the thing becomes flat. It's simple, and it somewhat works. Obviously, on a complexity level, it's disappointing, the transformation of some legends toys are more complex, and more fun, than this.
LUNAR CRAWLER (REPAIR STATION MODE):
We now focus upon the mode where most people would buy the figure for, a repair station. It fits into the medical role of Ratchet really well. However, this mode is basically just the crawler with all pieces flattening out. There's not much transforming here.
However, it's still a really really cool mode and looks decent. I like how the claw now acts as a repair claw, but due to the large pieces, it's somewhat awkward it pose it such that it seems like it's fixing the robot lying on it.
It's best to leave this on the table, as it's unstable when you're holding it in your hands. Like the crawler, nothing is fixed into place, it all relies on gravity, that isn't to say it's an unstable mess, it displays just fine.
Although it's long enough for some scout classed figures, it's not wide enough, so I recommend having legends instead. It's a pretty cool mode overall but I wouldn't say it's better than the crawler's (just because the crawler is so much more defined and seemed to have been the focus of the designer).
TRANSFORMATION (TO COMBAT VEHICLE):
From the lunar crawler, it's very easy, as easy as going to the repair station. It kind of cheats a bit by having the claw detach and reattach onto Ratchet's vehicle mode. I thought it was actually pretty ingenious at how the whole thing flips upside down, and with a few minor twists, you've got the wheels touching the ground again ready for rolling. I honestly believe this is the lunar crawler's best transformation, purely because it surprised me.
LUNAR CRAWLER (COMBAT VEHICLE MODE):
Probably the mode that is the most overlooked, yet, it's one of the better modes in this set. Why? It feels the most solid. Ratchet slots into the empty gap we had in the lunar crawler, and although there's way more space than he needs, it makes a huge difference in how it feels in your hands.
It looks really good too, surprisingly. For some reason, I just get a vibe from Death Race. The claw somehow feels very natural and it looks like Ratchet is ready for some battle. You can plug in the gun (and this weird detachable white thing) onto two peg holes on the side 'spoilers'.
One thing that's flaw is how Ratchet is held there. Only by friction from the two pieces of the grey cage on top. It does not clip securely, it would have been better if there were some grooves to fit onto the vehicle or something.
Ratchet also looks like he's ready for race, having a speedy appearance. Fairly streamlined, the claw is still adjustable and he has a cow catcher-ish attack piece at the front (or he could be just a snow plow type vehicle...).
In this mode, he's bigger than a deluxe, yet, the size is deceptive as he doesn't have the same density. A surprisingly good mode.
OVERALL:
One of the better Cyberverse playsets, Megatron is still the best. However, there's some clever thinking of the modes here, and it's quite cool if you think about it: the same claw in each of the three configuration perform different jobs, picking and investigating samples for the crawler, repairing robots in the repair station, or attacking other robots/vehicles in the combat vehicle. The lunar crawler looks good, but it basically just a big piece of hollow plastic. Considering the pricing (around that of a scout), it's worth it, if only for the amount of plastic. In terms of complexity and the satisfaction of a Transformer? It's lacking.
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