Review: #137
Name: Bitstream
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: BotCon 2013 - Souvenir Set
Year of Release: 2013
Size Class: Deluxe
Variations: too many to list, the notable ones: repaint of the original Classics Starscream (which was subsequently repainted into the rest of the Seekers and Coneheads), BotCon Thundercracker, G2 Ramjet, Universe Acid Storm and the Japanese counterparts of the same characters.
BIO CARD:
Here's a rough scan of the bio card (I didn't take it out of the baggy and have no intention to, hence some parts aren't too clear). The theme for BotCon 2013 was Machine Wars but the Rainmakers set that Bitstream was part of was based upon the Decepticon jets that appeared in a particular G1 episode.
JET MODE:
Like his fellow Rainmakers, Bitstream is a repaint of the Classics Starscream mold, with no modifications whatsoever.
That said, the paint deco is very nice, with some nice paint highlights such as the black on the tip of his wings, the matching blue paint on the side of his air intakes and the stripes.
Bitstream is a lighter blue than what would normally be associated with Thundercracker, which is good coz otherwise it'll be easy to mistake one for the other. The guns underneath each wing is a spring-loaded missile launcher. That's about the only play value here (apart from waving the plane around making flying noises).
He retains the original Starscream's flaws such as the gap underneath his fuselage and his landing gear only comprising of two molded lumps for the rear wheels and two flip out molded wheels for the front. It's not as noticeable here as on Sunstorm but you can still see the jarring black in the middle of the nose section due to his robot head being painted black.
Bitstream has a solid jet mode but then again, it's pretty hard to stuff up a jet. He displays well with the other Rainmakers.
TRANSFORMATION:
While stellar when it was originally released, it's nothing clever or innovative compared to other contemporary molds. It's a simple transformation but it works very well. Like the others in the set, Bitstream has some super tight joints (elbows, head) and some looser ones (hips, wings), I'm guessing mold degradation. Something scary though is while I was transforming Bitstream, because some joints are so tight, I actually saw a small piece of plastic chipping and coming off...
ROBOT MODE:
Bitstream shares the exact paint applications as the other Rainmakers, only differing in the plastic color used. Bitstream looks great in robot mode.
He's relatively kibble-free, the only major restriction is the nose handing behind his head which limits the range of the head swivel.
The head sculpt is great and the painted face and eyes make Bitstream look sooooo much better. Probably one of my favorite elements.
Interestingly, the painted the lower part of his null-rays with white paint instead of leaving it in the original plastic color (which I'm guessing wasn't white to begin with). The springs are strong and the missiles fire at a great distance.
A comparison with Starscream. One of the things that I wish they could have done was painted the torso since it looks somewhat bland with the solid aqua plastic. Sure, it's show-accurate, but maybe some metallic paint or silver would do wonders.
Another comparison, this time with the other Rainmakers in robot mode.
Articulation, while not bad, could be better and this is where the mold shows it's age. The range of motion for his limbs would be better and I really miss an elbow swivel.
His heelspurs also could be a lot better in helping Bitstream stay up in his poses.
He looks great with his fellow Rainmakers, and they really look like a team.
A good robot mode that displays really well. Play value might be limited but then again, as if you're going to play with these highly expensive figures...
OVERALL:
Bitstream, along with Sunstorm and Hotlink makes a nice display set on your shelves. However, are they really worth the $170 odd that the secondary market is commanding? For a set of three seven-year old molds, with some admittedly nice paint apps, I think the original going price of around $100 should be the max they're worth (but then again, this is subjective). Nevertheless, ignoring price, Bitstream looks great.
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Along with Sunstorm and Hotlink, you can find other Transformers reviews here.
