Toy Review: Transformers Generations Studio Series Elita-1 (One) (Deluxe)

Review:  #899

Name:  Elita-1

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Autobot

Line:  Generations - Studio Series

Year of Release:  2025

Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 30)

Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Based upon her Transformers One design, Elita-1 transforms into a pink Cybertronian motorcycle / vehicle.

There are actually two wheels at the back, making three in total, and the robot jetpack is attached to the back, so this looks like a chunky bike-like vehicle from the rear.

For a female Transformer, she is actually fairly decent in size in vehicle mode for a Deluxe.  Although most of that are just panels, given she doesn't actually have that much mass to her.

The robot gun can attach to the side, and you can kind of imagine it as some sort of massive exhaust... maybe.

Her wheels roll, and that's about it for play value.  She holds together okay in vehicle mode, there are tabs, but they can also be prone to popping out since tolerances aren't perfect, particularly the front fenders.

From the bottom, you can see the hollow parts, it's not too bad but it is definitely there.

A cool looking vehicle mode at first glance, and while she does look good, handling her isn't nearly as nice.

TRANSFORMATION:

Elita-1 is one of those figures that suffers from an awkward transformation scheme, where it is too fiddly and things pop off or poor quality control lead to floppy joints, just making everything worse.  Her transformation relies on a few panels that need to be moved and then pegged somewhere else, the problem is that those panels also like to pop off at the slightest touch.  Otherwise, the sides are the arms, while the legs are from the core of the vehicle mode.  The torso is revealed and you fold the rest of the bike up in panels on her back.

ROBOT MODE:

Similar to vehicle mode, at first glance, Elita-1 looks great in robot mode.  The pink does seem to have a slightly shimmery sheen to it.

She had some kibble, such as behind her forearms, and also her backpack, but isn't too bad overall, which is surprising.

The head sculpt is also very nice, and the silver paint pops.

She's very slim in robot mode, and you can see just how much of the vehicle mode was panels, masking her mass.

In theory, her articulation is good, with joints for her head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.

She comes with two accessories, one is a jetpack, while the other is a gun.

The jetpack can plug onto her back and bulks her up.  This same piece can also attach to Studio Series versions of Transformers One Optimus and Bumblebee.

She can hold the gun in either hand, although it's huge, and so looks kind of awkward given she's so slim.

So this is where the main flaws of Elita-1 lies in, and those are poor quality control or design.  Her chest panel in particular likes to pop off and doesn't stay properly attached.  The other panels do a similar thing, and makes the whole figure feel fragile and something you don't want to touch since it's annoying to put the pieces back where they were.

Her legs also don't feel great, they just feel fragile.  It's like there is something stopping her from being properly posed, it's not as if the whole figure is a floppy mess, but it gives off that vibe.

So Elita-1 looks good as a display piece, but not one to be played around with.

OVERALL:

Elita-1 feels like the rest of the Transformers One figures, and that they feel a bit rushed to market, despite being released a year after the movie.  The designs are flawed, and so we get flawed figures that are frustrating because we know that they could have been better.  Elita-1 isn't a disaster, she looks good in both modes, but is just something you don't want to play with.

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Toy Review: Transformers Timelines Bumblebee (Hearts of Steel) (Deluxe)

Review:  #898

Name:  Bumblebee

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Autobot

Line:  Timelines

Year of Release:  2025

Size Class:  Deluxe

Mold Status:  new

PACKAGING:

Similar to the Optimus Prime / Starscream two-pack, Bumblebee comes with Megatron, and they're in a very nice box with a great looking piece of artwork on the cover.

Take the cover sleeve off and the figures are packaged in a book like packaging, that can open up with windows, so you display them like that if you didn't want to take them out.

VEHICLE MODE:

Based on the Hearts of Steel design which had a steampunk theme, Bumblebee transforms into a yellow and black tank engine.

It looks very good even from the back, and the color scheme really helps invoke his namesake.

The only negative is that he is quite small, even for a contemporary Deluxe.  The figure is so compacted in vehicle mode that he is super short.

There is a bit of an scale issue when you compare the alternate modes with his packmate Megatron, but the Hearts of Steel figures, if you have all four, will look great together.

The wheels can roll on a flat surface, but the black bars don't, they're just for show.

There's an Autobot insignia at the front, and even the cow catcher is painted, this is perhaps the most surprising thing, given that Bumblebee didn't shy away from having a lot of paint applications.

Viewing from the bottom, you can see just how compact this figure is.  There is no unused space, and both robot weapons store underneath, which is neat.

A great train mode, even if the size is questionably small.

TRANSFORMATION:

Bumblebee has a more complex transformation compared to Bumblebee, and he is more fiddly than Optimus given his smaller size.  It can get frustrating at certain points as pieces may get in the way of each other, or you might need to grip a small small to put it out. . The front and bottom of the train become the legs, and this is the easy part.  The back is the chest piece, and the arms from underneath that.  The shoulder pads are from the front of the train.  Getting the torso and shoulder pads out can be fiddly.

ROBOT MODE:

For such a compact train mode, Bumblebee manages to expand significantly and the robot mode looks very good.

He doesn't have much kibble on his, the shoulder pads adds character to the design.

The head sculpt is good, although the head looks a bit small compared to his chest, which proportionally dominates the whole figure.

He is still quite small in robot mode though, shorter than your typical Deluxe.

He's much much smaller than Megatron, and the shortest out of the four Hearts of Steel figures.  Although the set as a whole looks fantastic together.

Articulation is good, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.

Bumblebee comes with two weapons, a hammer and a gun.

Both of them can be held in his hands, although the gun is small sized.

Something a bit surprising is that there are not dedicated places for you to store those weapons on robot mode if you don't want him to hold it.

Due to his smaller size, and where his knee joints are located, getting his legs to where you want when posing can be annoying too.

While there are some proportion issues, given his chest is so big, this is still a nice robot mode.

OVERALL:

There aren't really any real duds in the Hearts of Steel figures, and while Bumblebee may not be the best one, he is still a very solid figure.

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Little Kitty, Big City (PC)

Little Kitty, Big City is an adventure game where you play as a cat. The premise is that you’re an indoor cat living in an apartment. The apartment is on a high level from the ground. Unfortunately, you get a shock and accidentally fall to the ground. Now, you need to find a way back up by exploring the city and talking to others for help.

The moveset is limited. You can jump and are able to adjust the height to a certain degree. Although you cannot really jump that high. You can also use your paws to knock things around or over, and you can cause quite a bit of mischief this time. As a cat, you’re free to explore the various small areas, which are usually cordoned off by water or high fences. As in any city, there are a lot of people walking around and you can nuzzle up to them, or be a bit evil and knock them over, before stealing whatever they are holding.

The explorable area gets bigger as you play. The early areas are small, but there are a lot of nooks and crannies that reveal yet another small explorable area. You don’t have as much freedom as you would hope, as there are still many places where you’d think you should be able to go but can’t. The only new ability you’ll gain is climbing, and even that is very limited to the stamina you have.

The way the game is structured is that it doesn’t hold your hand nor give much of a tutorial. You’re let loose to try things out. You’re supposed to do various mini sidequests where you help others along the way. These are usually fetch quests, finding one of the many collectibles that are scattered around the city. The game can therefore feel a bit aimless as a result. The goal is to explore enough to find the items that give you the stamina required to climb back up home.

There are a few quality-of-life features, such as fast travel points even though the map isn’t too big. There is a pretty artstyle where it’s simplistic, bright and colorful. It suits the tone of the game well. The movement unfortunately remains restricted and limited at times. Given you’re a cat, you’d think you will be a bit quicker, elegant, and nimbler. The humor is subtle, where the animals give flack to the cat.

At its core, the main appeal of the game is playing as a cat. None of the game mechanics, nor the story, are innovative. In fact, the gameplay design can be described as generic and only saved by the appeal of the cat. It’s a short game, taking around two to three hours to complete the ultimate objective of reaching the apartment. All the side content is available by the time you finish the game, and you’re free to finish off the content at your own pace afterwards.

Overall, Little Kitty, Big City is a relaxing game, which is a bit too short to be able to fully get yourself into. The content can be uninspiring but playing as a cat is fun and novel at first. The climbing and jumping mechanics can be awkward, oftentimes you will accidentally jump off something you didn’t want to. It’s a good game to play in between longer serious games, although the pricing is a tad bit high for what you get.

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