Review: #171
Name: Starscream
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Generations
Year of Release: 2014
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 8)
Variations: retooled into Jhiaxus
COMIC:
Part of the waves of Deluxes that comes
with an issue of comic, Armada Starscream comes with Dark Cybertron #1. The character art on the cover is amazing. The same can be said with the comic. However, while it is the first issue of a new
arc (??) it can be confusing to follow the story, especially when it follows up
from previous comic issues. Starscream
doesn’t make much of an appearance here, it’s really a far cry from the
Spotlight issues in which they really focus upon the character and bring them
to focus. The comic is a nice bonus but
it won’t make you run out to get the next issue.
JET MODE:
Starscream transforms into a red and black jet with notable air intakes. This is an update to the Armada reincarnation of the character (my favourite both in terms of design and character personality).
While the front looks good, the back is fairly undefined as it is comprised of folded up robot legs. The air intakes ends in thrusters of sorts.
Unfortunately, this is one of those toys where the back of the robot head is used as part of the "disguise". If it was red it wouldn't be so bad, as it is, the transparent orange block amongst a sea of red and black makes it stick out like a sore thumb.
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Starscream features three-point landing gear which flips down. The wheels are molded so he can roll on the table.
In terms of undercarriage kibble, it is not to bad. Starscream still looks pretty aerodynamic.
As noted, Starscream is a Deluxe. A bit smaller than you'd expect but still bearable. Being a jet is better in that the wingspan creates the illusion of being bigger than he is.
Starscream has a gimmick in this mode. Each of the air intakes doubles as a cannon. It's not as good as the original toy where it featured flipped forward cannons, however, the gimmick is still really fun. It is a two-step pressure launch system. You push the transparent back part forward and it push the yellow section out, ready to fire. Push forward a bit more and the missile is launched, very powerful in fact.
You can somewhat imitate the original by having the red missiles stick out forward, it's not perfect but better than nothing.
The black paint used is a has a nice rich and glossy texture. The secondary air intakes on either side of the cockpit are also nice.
Even though Starscream doesn't come with a Mini-Con (boo! No Swindle!), there are two Mini-Con ports on top to which you can attach one.
The sculpting is good. The cockpit is transparent orange, and you can see molded detailing inside such as a seat. I really like the design of the plane. Sure, they haven't found a way to hide the robot forearms, but it's still great as a display piece.
In this mode, there are no hollow parts. Everything packs together nicely.
Overall, a good plane mode that's also a nice update to the original toy (which also had kibble and a decent undercarriage).
TRANSFORMATION:
Starscream is not going to win any prizes for ingenuity or complexity. However, it is fun and intuitive. It takes inspiration from the original toy and improves on it. This is a figure I am comfortable with giving to the target market. The tolerances are good and there are no flimsy or tricky parts.
ROBOT MODE:
Starscream's robot mode presents a nice update to his Armada toy. Although I find the toys to be less blocky than the original so he looks a tiny bit off.
The default configuration is to leave his shoulder cannons rested against his back. This was something the original lacked since it had the huge cannons sticking out the back. The solution here still isn't perfect because I would have preferred if you could have the air intakes on either side of his head but the transparent orange bits folded down.
Of course, you can leave the cannons up, which is how I prefer it since it's more show accurate.
Although this means that the orange parts stick out quick a bit out the back.
The head sculpt is good. To be fair, I would rather Starscream to have a smirking face rather than this angry grimace which doesn't fit the character as well. He has a fantastic lightpipe.
Size-wise, he's a little bit shorter but also wider thanks to his wings. Unfortunately due to the transformation, his legs are hollow, which makes it feel like the designer cheap out (for some reason).
The pressure-launch missiles still work in this mode. It's easier to access too. The missiles are long, so the rear orange section does well to hide that fact.
Two additional Mini-Con ports become accessible on the outside of his forearms. While these are for decorations only (they don't activate any gimmicks), it's a nice throwback.
The next gimmick is another throwback to the original figure. The original toy's left wing can detach and form a (vaguely looking) sword. In his updated version, a folded up sword is attached behind each wing.
Just due to the small size of the wings, the swords themselves aren't that big (nowhere near the size of the original). The two pieces like to pop off when unfolding the sword.
Starscream can hold the swords on either hand. They're tight so either the sword handles are too thick or his fist holes are too small. It's scary because you need to twist hard to get then back out and being transparent plastic, they're more at risk of just completely snapping off.
So... Starscream no longer has his iconic one winged look when wielding his sword. I was one of those people that loved the asymmetrical look. Well, never fear, the designers had the great idea to attach the wings on balljoints (even though there was no necessity) and you can fold the wing away!
Poseability is good. The wings can occasionally get in the way of the shoulders but the wings themselves are on balljoints and can be adjusted. He is stable in a wide variety of poses.
A sword bot benefits from wrist swivels but Starscream has now (byproduct of the transformation). Slightly disappointing in this aspect.
A minor flaw would be that the cockpit doesn't clip on firmly to the waist. It's more of a nag than a real flaw though.
A great robot mode that I found myself liking more and more. The rich red and glossy black does wonders to the figure.
OVERALL:
A fantastic figure that really does update the original toy and does justice to the character. He looks great in both modes and now he can pull off some awesome poses. The updated gimmicks are also nice. Highly recommended.
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Check out other Transformers reviews here.
The default configuration is to leave his shoulder cannons rested against his back. This was something the original lacked since it had the huge cannons sticking out the back. The solution here still isn't perfect because I would have preferred if you could have the air intakes on either side of his head but the transparent orange bits folded down.
Of course, you can leave the cannons up, which is how I prefer it since it's more show accurate.
Although this means that the orange parts stick out quick a bit out the back.
The head sculpt is good. To be fair, I would rather Starscream to have a smirking face rather than this angry grimace which doesn't fit the character as well. He has a fantastic lightpipe.
Size-wise, he's a little bit shorter but also wider thanks to his wings. Unfortunately due to the transformation, his legs are hollow, which makes it feel like the designer cheap out (for some reason).
The pressure-launch missiles still work in this mode. It's easier to access too. The missiles are long, so the rear orange section does well to hide that fact.
Two additional Mini-Con ports become accessible on the outside of his forearms. While these are for decorations only (they don't activate any gimmicks), it's a nice throwback.
The next gimmick is another throwback to the original figure. The original toy's left wing can detach and form a (vaguely looking) sword. In his updated version, a folded up sword is attached behind each wing.
Just due to the small size of the wings, the swords themselves aren't that big (nowhere near the size of the original). The two pieces like to pop off when unfolding the sword.
Starscream can hold the swords on either hand. They're tight so either the sword handles are too thick or his fist holes are too small. It's scary because you need to twist hard to get then back out and being transparent plastic, they're more at risk of just completely snapping off.
So... Starscream no longer has his iconic one winged look when wielding his sword. I was one of those people that loved the asymmetrical look. Well, never fear, the designers had the great idea to attach the wings on balljoints (even though there was no necessity) and you can fold the wing away!
Poseability is good. The wings can occasionally get in the way of the shoulders but the wings themselves are on balljoints and can be adjusted. He is stable in a wide variety of poses.
A sword bot benefits from wrist swivels but Starscream has now (byproduct of the transformation). Slightly disappointing in this aspect.
A minor flaw would be that the cockpit doesn't clip on firmly to the waist. It's more of a nag than a real flaw though.
A great robot mode that I found myself liking more and more. The rich red and glossy black does wonders to the figure.
OVERALL:
A fantastic figure that really does update the original toy and does justice to the character. He looks great in both modes and now he can pull off some awesome poses. The updated gimmicks are also nice. Highly recommended.
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Check out other Transformers reviews here.