Toy Review: Transformers Generations Selects Exhaust (Deluxe)

Review:  #626

Name:  Exhaust

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Decepticon

Line:  Generations Selects

Year of Release:  2020

Size Class:  Deluxe

Mold Status:  remold of Earthrise Wheeljack

VEHICLE MODE:

Being a repaint of Wheeljack, Exhaust transforms into a sports car that bears some resemblance of a Lancia Stratos.

This is a decent vehicle mode and has plenty of painted details, including grey hubcaps, all the racing markings, and a black rear.

Exhaust is a Deluxe figure and he is roughly the average size of a Deluxe.

The robot weapon pegs onto the roof and this is the only storage point in vehicle mode.

While the pattern of the red markings is even further from the Diaclone toy that inspired him, it still looks fantastic.

The white plastic used is brighter than Wheeljack, and coupled with the vivid red, it looks really good in person.

This is a solid vehicle mode.

TRANSFORMATION:

Getting Exhaust to robot mode isn't too hard.  Split the sides and back to form the arms.  Extend the front to form the legs, and then open the chest to flip up the head.  It's simple and there's really nothing clever or new, it's basically functional.

ROBOT MODE:

Exhaust's robot mode is as sharp as the vehicle mode.  A lot more black comes out in robot mode.

He basically doesn't have any kibble which is quite impressive.  However, a small part of the vehicle sits on the outside of his hands, and they're quite distracting given it's white on black.

The only new molding for Exhaust is the head sculpt and it is a great sculpt.

Size-wise, he is a bit short, above is a comparison against Siege Sideswipe which shows they are basically the same height.

In comparison to Wheeljack, the only disappointing part is how Exhaust's wings on the back aren't painted silver like Wheeljack's.

The line focuses on articulation and Exhaust has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.

This means that Exhaust is flexible enough to pull off many types of poses and still keep both feet flat on the table.

He comes with a single gun, it's actually white plastic with the black being painted on.

You can treat the weapon like with Wheeljack and use it as a shoulder mounted weapon.

Although it is better suited to be a hand gun for Exhaust.

The wide legs and wide forearms makes the proportions a tad bit whack but overall, this is a good robot mode.

OVERALL:

If you don't have Wheeljack, then Exhaust is a great substitute since the mold is solid.  The color scheme is fun so it compliments your collection even if you already have Wheeljack.

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Cloverfield (2008)

Cloverfield is a monster movie in the found footage format.  The camera is from the viewpoint of a character that is currently filming the events, and includes the effects of shaking the camera for running, and a blurry mess when he drops it.  This was unique at the time but can also be nauseating for people who are prone to motion sickness.  Nevertheless, it is a unique film that is worth watching as it is not your typical monster film.  It starts off normally enough, slowly introducing the characters and their relationships.  However, at around ten to fifteen mark, it focuses on sudden chaos.  The characters, along with the viewers, have no idea what is happening, just that there are explosions, earthquakes and other rumblings in New York.  The streets are in panic and the army shows up.  We only get momentary glimpses at the monster from time to time, which can feel like the film teases you too much.  On the other hand, it does enough to whet your appetite and keep you eager to see how it all pans out.  It had to create a reason (which hovers between rational and stupidity) for the characters to be in the thick of the disaster and this is the driving force of the film.  If you were ever interested in what the monster is, what its purpose was and everything about it, then Cloverfield doesn't answer any of those questions.  As the film nears its end, you wonder how they are going to wrap up the story since it didn't show signs of stopping.  Not to say the ending was disappointing but there was no way they could have given us a perfectly satisfactory ending.  Cloverfield is a solid film that makes its subject matter interesting.

Toy Review: Transformers BotBots Excessory (Series 3)

Review:  #625

Name:  Excessory

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  N/A

Line:  BotBots

Year of Release:  2019

Size Class:  BotBot (Series 3)

Mold Status:  repaint of Overpack

ALTERNATE MODE:

Excessory transforms into a grey backpack with a gold zipper and some black and brown highlights.

This is a really good mold since the detail on the back is equally good with the painted straps.

Above is a comparison against a Legion figure, Excessory is roughly around half the size.

This is a fantastic alternate mode and the transformation seams are quite subtle.

TRANSFORMATION:

Pull the top up to reveal the face.  Then the sides come out as the arms and finally you can pull the legs down.

ROBOT MODE:

The robot mode is equally good.  While the transformation is simple and the robot is effectively an elongated backpack, it looks very different.

One of the neat design aspects is how it uses the zipper and straps to make it seem like hair ornaments.

The face is mainly eyes, that are painted blue.  It looks good enough and that's how the BotBots line is.

Excessory is very short, above is a comparison against Legion Crosshairs.

Articulation is limited to only swinging the arms forward and back.

OVERALL:

Excessory has a great alternate mode and a solid robot mode.  While articulation is limited, it is cleverly designed.

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Planetarian (2016)

Planetarian is a five episode anime that is based on the PC visual novel of the same name. Since the game was only around two to four hours long (depending on your reading speed), it is not long enough for a whole season of episodes. However, the anime was released over ten years after the game. As it is an original net animation, the length of each episode is not the same. Each episode spans from 13 minutes long to 25 minutes long, depending on the part of the story that it wants to tell.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where biological warfare has caused various cities to be inhospitable. “Junkers”, humans who scavenge to survive, search these abandoned cities to find objects to sell for a high price. However, this way of work is dangerous as there are still functioning armed robots patrolling the cities that will not hesitate to shoot and kill anyone that appears. One of these Junkers finds his way into a city. The opening shows how he was trying to escape the robots chasing after him and he hides himself in a building that looked like a military installation. It turns out it was only a department store, and when he heads to the roof, he finds a planetarium there. Despite having only two characters, the star of the anime is the robot Hoshino Yumemi. Yumemi is a lifelike robot in charge of the reception of the planetarium, as well as the coordination and hosting of the presentations.

Despite all odds, Yumemi is still functioning, 30 years after the war forced the city’s inhabitants to flee. The Junker stays there for a few days, and this is the bulk of the anime. Yumemi is extremely talkative, and even though she is a robot with limitations, she manages to break those shackles at times. The Junker is initially annoyed, but surprisingly, Yumemi carries a lot of charm with her innocence, naivety and her strict adherence to her duty.

The constant chatter from Yumemi and the replies from the Junker are insightful to how the world used to work, and how it is currently working. Over the course of two episodes (roughly 30 mins), you feel that you have already developed a bond and affection for the characters. It’s such that when you see the disappointment of Yumemi, you feel disappointed too. You want to cheer her up, and when she expresses joy at doing the thing that she loved (or is programmed to do, really), it does give you a sense of happiness too. The fact that Yumemi is stuck in a different time is charming. Her faith in humanity never falters. This is accentuated thanks to the subtle but powerful music that plays in the background.

The visual novel has a lot of text dedicated to the inner thoughts of the Junker, but unfortunately we had to lose that in the anime adaptation. The writers have tried to incorporate that so it doesn’t impact the tone of the story much. Despite the short length of the series, it does a great job at making you care so much for Yumemi. Her speech in the last episode is rousing. As she finally speaks of her thoughts and feelings over all those years of dutifully waiting for customers to come, it is unbelievably powerful. The way about how doubts had started forming, and then how hope was restored with the Junker arriving to become the first customer in 30 years, and then speaking of the future, it was emotionally moving.

Overall, Planetarian is a fantastic anime that does the story of the visual novel justice. In some ways, it has further improved upon the story. Yumemi is a charming character that makes her likable to everyone, and she is clearly the strongest aspect of the story.

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Dragon Quest (Android)

Dragon Quest is the first game in the JRPG that started on the NES, and now ported to Android. The graphics of this version is updated since it is a port of an earlier mobile remake. There is a lot more detail although it can look too busy at times when compared to the more defined, simplistic, graphics of the original. As it is now designed to be played on phones, there is a virtual D-pad, which works well most of the time. It’s not good enough for fine-tune movement so you might overshoot at times. Tapping the screen will allow the hero to interact with objects or talk to people. The menu system is okay, there are some archaic decisions in terms of how the menu is organized but on the whole, it is quite easy to figure out.

The game throws you straight into it with barely an introduction. There are no tutorials or any preamble. You start off with the hero in a castle and you are immediately tasked with saving the princess who had been kidnapped by a dragon. There is a lot of text and dialogue from NPCs which helps build the context of the world. You’re let loose into the world and the game has random encounters. It features a basic turn based battle system. You will only ever encounter one monster at a time and there is only ever the one hero in your party. During battles, which pops up a screen with a more details sprite of the enemy, gives you the options to attack, flee, use items or use magic. It’s simple by today’s standards but that also means it doesn’t have any unnecessary gimmicks and is easy to pick up and get used to.

In addition to the better graphics, there are a few other changes to this port compared to the original NES game. Some enemies’ stats have changed. For example, the enemy before one of your first tasks has been buffed up to a boss which could throw players off since it is just sitting there on the map. The game rewards and encourages grinding. An extra level or two will make a huge difference. While it has a level cap of only 30, you are constantly finding new equipment and will never ever be able to afford all of it immediately unless you have grinded way too much.

Tied into the grinding aspect is that you are pretty much given free rein on the world immediately. You’re welcomed, and encouraged, to walk around to explore. Doubling down on this is that there is no clear guidance on where to go next. Oftentimes, you have to talk to all the NPCs in order to get even a vague idea of what to do to progress. Uniquely, all dialogue is spoken with older styled English. This gives it a certain flair and sets the tone and atmosphere, although it can be difficult to understand at times.

The game has small dungeons but they are stretched out because they have confusing twists and turns. They often use the gimmick of complete darkness and even using an item or spell will only broaden the viewable area by a small amount. Enemy designs soon fall back to color palette swaps.

One annoying aspect is that the hero only has limited item slots. You have to store any excess at towns, and storing them this way means you cannot access them until you retrieve them. While the original game only allowed you to save at the castle (and you can use items or magic to teleport yourself there, but you have to trek back as it only works one way), this Android version has a quick save option. This is great since it means you can stop at any time and don’t have to worry about trekking back and forth from one spot. If you die, it is not game over; you’ll just respawn at the castle and lose half your gold. So there’s still the element of risk and rewards.

Despite being a JRPG, the game is short by today’s standards. It only takes around 5-8 hours to complete if you know where to go, and a lot of that is due to grinding levels. Due to the simplicity of the battle system, there’s only so much they could do to spice up boss battles apart from increasing their attack power and HP. Although it is still satisfying when you destroy the final boss because you have grinded to a nice high level.

Overall, Dragon Quest is a simple game but that is only because it is one of the first JRPGs that helped establish a lot of the genre’s conventions. It’s still worthwhile to check out a classic game as there are plenty of quality-of-life improvements to ease the pain of games from those days. Playing through it, you come to appreciate what it has achieved in comparison to other games of its time.

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Toy Review: Transformers Cyberverse Arcee (Deluxe)

Review:  #624

Name:  Arcee

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Autobot

Line:  Cyberverse

Year of Release:  2020

Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 3)

Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Arcee, just like most other incarnations of the character, transforms into a pink sports car.  Although she is much bulkier than normal.

This isn't a bad vehicle mode, just a tad bit too blocky.  The blue antenna is made of soft plastic so it'll probably deform straight out of the packaging.

The Cyberverse Deluxes were always a bit smaller than Deluxes from other lines and Arcee is no exception, above is a comparison against TLK Bumblebee.

One of the reason for the smaller size is the inclusion of Maccadam pieces, Arcee comes with both shoulders and the weapon.

The flame effects can peg onto the back to act as afterburners.

This is a decent vehicle mode if you like the aesthetic.

TRANSFORMATION:

Unfortunately, Arcee is a shellformer, even more than usual.  The whole vehicle ends up becoming her backpack, with only a small part of the vehicle's sides ending up on the outside of her forearms.  It's quite disappointing to be honest.

ROBOT MODE:

Thanks to the shellforming nature, Arcee's robot mode looks good overall, if you can ignore the gigantic backpack.

The backpack is ridiculous, it is the whole vehicle, in two pieces with a hinge in between.  The hood of the vehicle folds down to reduce the bulk a tiny bit.

The headsculpt at least is pretty good, with the bright blue eyes being an excellent decision.

Arcee is around the normal height of a Deluxe these days, but skinnier due to her more feminine proportions.

Articulation is pretty good, she has joints for her head, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

She also has long heel spurs, which is required to counterbalance the backpack.

She comes with a gun (this stored on the underside of the vehicle) and two blue flame effects.

If you want, Arcee can actually hold the flame effects in her hands, which can simulate the dual swords that her previous figures had.

The gun can be held in either hand although it's proportionally too big for her.

Furthermore, if you didn't buy the whole line to form Maccadam, Arcee can actually use the weapon as her own.

And finally, the two flame effects can peg to the end of her gun.  However, the effects are made from soft plastic, so they will most likely be bent and doesn't look as great as intended.

There are a lot of hollow parts so Arcee feels light overall, although the robot mode is still pretty decent.

OVERALL:

Arcee is an average figure, although considering the overall quality of the Cyberverse line, she is one of the better ones.  She's mainly one to get only if you want a figure to represent her Cyberverse incarnation, if you are keen for the character, or if you want to complete Maccadam.

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