Toy Review: Transformers Cyberverse Prowl & Cosmic Patrol (Spark Armor Battle Class)

Review:  #533
Name:  Prowl & Cosmic Patrol
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Autobot
Line:  Cyberverse - Power of the Spark
Year of Release:  2019
Size Class:  Spark Armor Battle Class (Wave 1)
Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Prowl, in typical fashion, transforms into a police vehicle that's black and white, although the only black is the bull bar, wheels and side fenders.

There are some compromises in this mode.  The back has two gaps for the robot knees for transformation, but the biggest shame is the unpainted rear window, it just looks so bad with the three other sides painted.

Prowl is approximately the size of a Legends class figure (note that while he appears bigger, there are a lot of gaps underneath the vehicle).

While there are some things left to be desired, Prowl isn't too bad in vehicle mode.

TRANSFORMATION:

Transformation is really simple.  The figure does not try anything new and it more suited to a Legion figure.  The back of the vehicle unfolds to form the legs, the arms out to the sides from underneath the vehicle, and flip the hood down to reveal the head.

ROBOT MODE:

The robot mode is typical Prowl fashion too.  There is more black in this morning which helps in breaking up the bland white.

The only piece of kibble is part of the hood that sticks straight out of his back.

The headsculpt is simple but conveys who the character is.  There is a dash of silver and red paint to spice things up.

In robot mode, Prowl is a bit bigger than Legends figures but you'd notice that he is fairly hollow in robot mode too.

Articulation is decent but he lacks head movement, which is really annoying on a figure this size (the only size where no head movement is acceptable is Legion size).  He lacks elbow and knee swivels.

The knees joints double up as transformation joints and thus it can be awkward in certain positions.

This is a solid robot mode but keep in mind that this is not the main attraction.

COSMIC PATROL:

Prowl's vehicle partner is Cosmic Patrol, a jet that is seemingly based on Triggerhappy.

The jet looks good but there is no play value.  There are no wheels, no additional gimmicks, it's completely static.

It is just a tad bit smaller than a Legends figure.

The lack of additional colors to the blue makes the figure a bit bland.

An okay vehicle but then again, this is basically a mode to store the parts when not in use.

TRANSFORMATION (SPARK ARMOR):

As part of the Spark Armor line, the gimmick is that Cosmic Patrol can split into parts and combine with Prowl.  Cosmic Patrol splits into four parts, the bulk of it forms the torso piece (and this requires a few steps of unfolding pieces), two arm pieces, and a weapon.  They're all pretty easy to attach onto Prowl since he has 5mm peg holes.

ROBOT MODE (SPARK ARMOR):

With the armor attached, Prowl gains a massive amount of bulk in robot mode, even though all the pieces attach to his upper body.

Naturally, he gains quite a significant bit of kibble, with a massive piece hanging awkwardly off his back.

The armor also gives Prowl a helmet with a visor that he looks through.  The artwork is nicer given that it integrates Prowl's head better but short of given the figure a new head to replace the core robot's, this is a compromise that'll work.

While he gains quite a bit of bulk, he does not gain any height.

The figure is sold at Deluxe pricepoint.  Above is a comparison against Refraktor.

Prowl gains a bunch of weaponry with the armor.  Not only does he get his signature shoulder cannons back, he gets two guns on his forearms, and another handheld gun.

Poseability remains the same.  You have to loosen up the forearm pieces so that it doesn't get caught on his shoulders.

A great looking robot mode, the armor really adds a lot of bulk and character to the figure.

OVERALL:

Prowl is a nice figure that's worth the pricepoint.  The core figure is a bit basic, but Cosmic Patrol makes up for it with the armor gimmick.

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Book Review: The Red Sea Sharks

Review:  #892
Title:  The Red Sea Sharks
Series:  The Adventures of Tintin – 19th book
Author:  Herge
Comments:  The Red Sea Sharks sees the return of more than just a few characters who had appeared in previous volumes.  Unfortunately, the plot feels like it meanders for quite a way and never really focuses on an objective.  The Emir is in trouble and sends his troublesome son to Marlinspike who causes chaos.  In return, Tintin and Captain Haddock travel to see if they can help solve the problem but before they can even get there properly, they are forced from detour to detour.  Most of the volume then takes place on the sea and while it was interesting and fun, it’s hard to see what it is trying to lead to.  That being said, the humor still remains spot on and the characters being charming.
Rating:  6/10

The Great Gatsby (2013)

The Great Gatsby is a romantic drama set in 1920s New York.  Upon starting the film, it's hard to tell what the plot is going to be and it has an intriguing first half where we're introduced to Carraway as he settles in New York.  His neighbor is the mysterious millionaire Gatsby who holds lavish parties but yet no one truly knows who he is.  Gatsby seems to take interest in Carraway and we're led to believe that there is something amazing about Gatsby.  Unfortunately, this mystique ends by the halfway point when it is revealed Gatsby's goal and while it does make thing slot into place, at the same time, all drive to know what happens next kind of melts away.  The second half feels muddled, seemingly without direction on where it wants to go.  There isn't really any form of urgency towards the climax of the film and it sorts of fizzle out upon the ending.

Song of Memories (PS4)

Song of Memories is a visual novel for the PlayStation 4.  A port to the Nintendo Switch was attempted but ultimately aborted due to difficulties, which is interesting since as a visual novel, the game doesn't exactly tax the system's hardware.  The portraits used for the characters are actual models, therefore they have more idle animation such as swaying.  It seems weird at first but you get used to it.  As a visual novel, the gameplay is limited and the story is the focus.  Unfortunately, there are typos and spacing issues in even the earliest sections.  While this is sloppy for an official translation, it doesn't detract from the meaning and enjoyment of the game.  All the dialogue is voiced in Japanese and as expected in a visual novel, branching points are a major focus as each of the heroines have their own routes.

However, there is a surprise in the game and that is the main character engages in battle.  Thus, Song of Memories has its own battle system which boils down to a rhythm minigame.  The main character has HP and will result in a game over if it reaches zero.  Experience points are gained from battles and there is a weakness system.  However, this gameplay element is undermined by the fact that you can skip these battles with no repercussions if you want to just enjoy the story.  You still gain the experience and it is much quicker to skip than waste time fumbling around in the clunky battle mechanics.  The battles are pretty boring anything and the rhythm gameplay do not have tight controls.

The story starts with a fairly typical opening half.  The main character is attending high school and it takes place in October.  His childhood friend Kanon used to be hospitalized due to her illness but has gotten better and is able to attend the academy again.  Thus begins the main character's school life of getting to know Kanon again, as well as interacting with other female characters who each has ta fairly standard personality.  This situation is complete with his best friend Makoto who is a pervert and crosses the line to creepiness at times.

Nonetheless, as hinted by the cover art, the typical school life changes in the second half of the story, which is also the point that the routes split off depending on your choices.  The situation that the characters find themselves in are completely different which has more of an apocalyptic styled disaster.  It gets interesting in how it depicts the stress of living in such a danger zone.  The characters have to deal with the anxiousness of running out of food to the danger of having to scavenge for it.

The story forces some hard decisions for the main character.  This is especially so since things happen to his friends and only his has the power to stop them, but not in a good way.  Thrown into the mix for good measure is the Dream 4 U unit which takes the form of a device that houses five AIs.  They are severely underdeveloped as characters yet they become the ones that are key to reversing the situation the characters find themselves in.

While the common route obviously shares a lot of the same story, the dedicated routes also tend to share a significant first portion.  It likes to repeat the same plot points since the background to how things ended up this way are the same no matter which route you end up in.  While you can skip text, either ones you've read before or all text, if you set it to the ones you've already read, it doesn't recognize the same text used in separate routes as read, even though it is the exact same text.

There are six main route sin total, one for each of the heroines, plus one for the main character's best friend and a bunch of smaller branches.  Each route deals with the same situation but with some different events involving the heroine of choice.  It makes for a slightly different story each time but each ends in a similar way.  The routes aren't that long, only lasting around 4-6 hours for the first route depending on how fast you read.  Once you do the different routes, they tend to shorten to one to three hours long.  This also means that while the premise is interesting and it manages to wrap up any questions it raised, at the same time, it cannot go into that much depth with the characters and scenario.

There are quick save and quick load options as well as a game flowchart to show how the dialogue branches.  All these quality of life inclusions make Song of Memories easy to navigate and get the most out of the game without wasting the player's time.  The background music is good enough at times that you'll occasionally notice it and stop to listen.

In addition to the main story there is actually a decent amount of additional content.  You have the usual gallery feature where you can peruse all the CG scenes, play music and check out the character models, which includes all their expressions and costumes.  The biggest chunk of content is in the form of additional story content involving events that happen after the true endings, and side stories which are filled with humor, albeit a bit cliched.

Overall, Song of Memories isn't a stellar visual novel, nor will it stick in your mind after you've completed the game.  However, the premise is interesting and it tries to lure you in with a cliched first half as a typical high school student, and then throws in an apocalyptic second half that doesn't quite gel.  The amount of similar plot threads can make it tedious to go through all six of the heroines' routes but Song of Memories is a solid visual novel that's worth playing.

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The Tick - Season 2 (2019)

The second season of The Tick is comprised of ten episodes of roughly thirty minutes each.  Upon playing the first episode, you can instantly feel the higher production values as compared to the first season.  The effects are better, the acting is smoother and although the costumes are deliberately cheesy, they look more detailed and less like props.

The story continues straight after the last season with Arthur and Tick gaining plenty of fame from defeating The Terror.  The pair is dealing with the aftermath since it is not all fun and games.  The Terror and the VLM are frequently references in the earlier episodes.  Arthur and Tick has to keep it up as superheroes, working out the kinks and norms that are expected of them.  Aegis, the organization that regulates the superheroes, now comes into the play and the pair wants to get official certification.  Arthur is still reserved and reliant on Tick for most of the superhero things.  It is more evident than ever that he needs to gain confidence.  However, you do feel a strong bond between the pair.

Incorporated into the scenario is the series exploring the restrictions that heroes have to endure by a regulatory body.  It makes fun of the absurd amount of red tape required to do anything of not only a superhero organization, but just any governmental department.  This season really expands our view of the world.  Various other superheroes make an appearance and their powers are much wackier and out there compared to the first season.  No longer do we think Superian is the odd one out and the other superheroes only having mild additional powers.

Speaking of Superian, he is not facing an identity and popularity crisis.  After it is revealed that The Terror was still alive and he screwed up declaring that he had defeated him, it is now biting him back even though it was an honest mistake.  You can see how demoralizing it is when you lose your popularity and the public starts to turn on you, especially when it is unfairly so.  He is doing what he can to help his image but only makes it worse.  You can feel that his sanity is starting to lift.  Although he asks Arthur for advice, we can see that he is going to become an issue later on.

The other pair that the series focuses on, Overkill and Dot, have now paired up.  They carve out their own tangent of the story which is arguably more interesting than Arthur and Tick's.  Their paths do cross from time to time but it's more interesting because it is less sunshine and righteous.  The season explores part of Overkill's backstory and his connection with Aegis, while Dot is a lot more badass, able to hold her own in fights.  There is a huge improvement in the humor and dialogue compared to the first season.  This is particularly since we already know the characters fairly well and we're able to find out more about them.  Tick is the obvious one with tons of great material thanks to his overly literal sense of attitude.

What you do feel is that the season feels different since it is not focused on The Terror anymore.  Instead, it lacks an obvious villain for most of it.  It's hard to gain the true villain's motive when they are hidden in shadows all the time.  While the other villains are also more than meets the eye, what could appear as pure evil might just be a show.  The flipside also happens where the most mundane of characters could be hiding something.

While the season suffers as we don't see the villain until the final episode, it was a fantastic episode.  This season had a strong ending where everything just comes together.  You go into the last episode wondering how they are going to have enough time to sort out the mess of the situation but they managed to succeed spectacularly and also find the time to tease a lot of future plot threads.  It ends on a happy feeling as the characters learn what is important to them.  Overall, the second season of The Tick improves on an already robust formula.  The humor is a lot more natural, most of the characters continue to be more likable, and it has a neat plot that ties itself up together nicely at the end.

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Toy Review: Transformers Cyberverse Sky-Byte & Driller Drive (Spark Armor Battle Class)

Review:  #532
Name:  Sky-Byte & Driller Drive
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Decepticon
Line:  Cyberverse - Power of the Spark
Year of Release:  2019
Size Class:  Spark Armor Battle Class (Wave 1)
Mold Status:  new

ALTERNATE MODE:

Sky-Byte, as you'd expect, transforms into a robotic shark that pays homage to his RiD incarnation.

The shark mode is solid although there are panel gaps in the back where you're trying to peg the robot feet against the tail to hold it in place since it doesn't quite fit perfectly.

Above is a size comparison against POTP Beachcomber, while Sky-Byte is in the new "Battle Class", he is approximately the size of a Legends figure.

While the bright aqua can be too garish, this is a neat little figure.

TRANSFORMATION:

While simple due to the smaller size, it is fairly elegant and very effective.  The back folds down to form the legs, while the sides fold out for the arms.  As you fold the torso down, the mouth of the shark disappears leaving onto the top half to form the chest and reveal the head.  Quick and easy but fun.

ROBOT MODE:

Again, Sky-Byte's robot mode has familiar features like the clawed hand, the dorsal fin as the crest on his head and of course, the shark head inspired chest.

There's a bit of panel-forming here with part of the sides of the shark unfolding into a backpack that does not peg into place.  Rather, it relies on friction although it still works fairly well.

The headsculpt is hard to make out due to the yellow plastic used but he has some silver paint, red eyes and a splash of blue and silver.  Unfortunately, the head is fixed, it's really annoying how the Cyberverse line reduced the complexity so much that they can't even allow the robots to turn their heads.

He's a little bit taller than your typical Legends, granted, he is quite slim.

Articulation is pretty good, apart from the fixed head.  He has balljointed shoulders, elbows and hips, and hinged knees.

The claw on his left arm is on a swivel joint and can be rotated (but there's too much friction for it to spin freely).

A fantastic robot mode that while small, is a nice update to the character.

DRILLER DRIVE:

However, as part of the Spark Armor line, Sky-Byte comes with a vehicle.

The vehicle is Driller Drive, which is a small yellow driller.

It's smaller than a Legends figure.  Note that with the inclusion of this figure, it bumps up the price of the set to a Deluxe price point.

There's limited play value.  The wheels are molded as is the drill, so you can't even roll the figure.

Considering that this is a glorified power armor, the alternate mode is not that unconvincing.

TRANSFORMATION (SPARK ARMOR):

Driller Drive splits up into four parts.  The drill and sides unpeg, and then you unfold what's remaining to form the helmet and chest plate.  The pieces with the wheels attach onto Sky-Byte's arms and the drill slots over his right hand.  The chest piece pegs very firmly and can be a struggle to take off when transforming him back.

ROBOT MODE (SPARK ARMOR):

This mode is the highlight, the powered up robot mode and despite only having four pieces added on, it gives Sky-Byte a much bulkier, more powerful, look.

The amount of kibble skyrockets.  The chest piece add-on has another piece hanging off the back, and of course, while the two pieces on the outside of his arms look fairly decent, they are still kibble.

Sky-Byte doesn't get a new head, rather, it's more of a helmet.  The packaging artwork is much cooler than the figure since the artwork actually integrates it better.

Since all the additional pieces are on the upper body, Sky-Byte doesn't gain any height.

Here's a comparison with Siege Refraktor to see how Sky-Byte fares against a Deluxe figure.

Despite the added gear, Sky-Byte doesn't lose any of his articulation.

His heel spurs are also long enough that they can handle the additional weight just fine.

It's surprising at how great and powerful Sky-Byte looks from just a few additional pieces.  They integrated really well into the figure.

OVERALL:

Spark Armor Sky-Byte is a fun toy.  It's may not contain Masterpiece levels of engineering or have the best paint scheme, but he contains oodles of play value.  The accessory that can form either a vehicle or armor that pegs onto the robot is a fun gimmick and you don't feel as if there were any compromises.  Sky-Byte is probably the best figure in the (disappointing til now) line so far and is recommended, especially on sale.

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