Review: #755
Name: Twitch
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Earthspark
Year of Release: 2023
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 1)
Mold Status: new
ALTERNATE MODE:
Twitch is one of those rare Transformers that's a new character, and also has a unique but cool alternate mode. She transforms into a drone.
As a Deluxe, she is actually quite small in terms of mass, above is a comparison against TLK Bumblebee.
She has these feet at the bottom that allows her to rest on the table. The robot weapon also pegs underneath the front, and looks like so much like a part of the drone there that is feels odd if you *don't* have it attached.
The VTOL wings are on a balljoint and so you have quite a lot of movement there. Furthermore, the blades are a separate piece and can spin.
The Earthspark line also features a build-a-figure gimmick, so comes with Mandroid's backpack and head.
A nice alternate mode that gives her a unique flavor but the biggest flaw here is that there are tolerance issues with the joints such that it is difficult, if not impossible for some samples, to fully peg everything together.
TRANSFORMATION:
Transformation isn't too difficult or innovate, as it goes pretty much how you would expect. The arms are from the bottom, while the legs from the side. The front of the drone folds down to form the chest, revealing the head (you could see the top of the head in drone mode). Then you just adjust the VTOL wings, and the blades on her back to your liking.
ROBOT MODE:
Robot mode is as unique as the alternate mode, and it makes good use of the drone pieces here.
The VTOL wings and the two large transparent yellow blades at her back gives her a unique silhouette.
The head sculpt is also not too bad, with a big dollop of silver paint, and huge eyes that makes an excellent lightpipe.
Articulation is decent with joints for her head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
She comes with a weapon, a blaster.
The blaster is held in her hand but is designed to cover it up, to mimic the "hand transforming into a gun" effect.
The blaster can also store on her back.
While the robot mode is generally good, there are a few things that hold her back. The first is that the kibble behind her elbows get in the way of the blade wings. The second is that there are joint tolerance issues for more than a few samples of the figure. Usually this is a loose knee joint that makes it difficult to keep her standing upright given that a lot of mass is at her back.
Otherwise this is a neat robot mode and you can angle the wings however you like.
OVERALL:
Twitch is a good figure, just hampered by quality control and the weird decision to keep the kibble behind her elbows like that. Otherwise, she has a unique design, and that's something really rare to see these days, which gives her a lot of appeal.
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