Review: #117
Name: Brawl
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Generations - Fall of Cybertron
Year of Release: 2012
Size Class: Deluxe
Variations: SDCC and JP version in game accurate colors, retail version in Generations line, retooled into Twintwist.
TANK MODE:
Brawl transforms into a green hover tank with some purple camouflage and a huge G2 Decepticon insignia at the front. Brawl lacks actual treads since he is a hover tank.
He also lacks any wheels so he can only rest on the table and not roll on any surface. This was actually a bit disappointing since it kills some play value.
There's a noticeable gap at the front, and if you look closely, you can even see his head folded down. The tank pegs together fairly well and doesn't come apart easily.
This is a tiny tank, it'll easily fit into the palm of your hand. It was disappointing but Brawl seems to be the smallest out of the Combaticons.
Brawl provides some extra play value in the form of a rotating turret, it can rotate a full 360 degrees. While not a bad tank overall, the small size is the biggest detractor here.
TRANSFORMATION:
Like most of the other Combaticons, Brawl has a simple transformation. The front two treads become his arms and the back half fold out to become his legs. His head flips up and that's basically it. Going back is only harder because you need to line up the pegs and slot it in. Boring, bland and uninspired, it does the job but won't surprise you.
ROBOT MODE:
Not much color is added in robot mode, he's still a block of green with some highlights. The feet are annoying in that they fold upwards for transformation, meaning Brawl can keel forwards if you're not careful.
Sadly, Brawl carries the whole turret on his back as a huge chunk of unsightly kibble. This feels lazy but it's somewhat unavoidable. Interestingly, his cannons can rotate depending on the mode but it seems such an insignificant little feature.
Another little pet peeve is that his fists fold out, it's normally not a problem but the hollow pieces are not out of sight. You can see the hollow forearms.
The head sculpt is really nice though, and the head has a good range of motion.
While still small, it's not as obvious in robot mode.
Brawl has a small pistol that was stored in between the two guns in tank mode.
Obviously, he can hold the gun in either fist.
Articulation for the most part is standard, but his shoulders are naturally limited. While there are transformation joints that has the same effect as the shoulders lifting up, the actual shoulder joints themselves can be annoying to manipulate as it refuses to do what you want it to. You have to be careful of balancing issues due to the small footprint and the feet folding up.
While not the best action figure, this is a good looking robot.
OVERALL:
This is a simple Transformer, and it has to be due to what it is required of it (a quad changer: vehicle, robot, arm and a leg). Considering the limitations the designers had, this is still an impressive feat. It's a neat standalone figure and displays well in both modes. Posing can be limited and there might be a few aesthetic flaws (gaps and hollow areas), but still a solid figure.
-----------------------
Other Transformers reviews can be found here.
