Toy Review: Transformers Robots in Disguise (RiD) Hightower

Review:  #217
Name:  Hightower
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Autobot
Line:  Robots in Disguise
Year of Release:  2001
Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 3)
Variations:  repainted in yellow as part of Universe line and as part of the Constructicons with the same name Hightower

TRUCK MODE:

Hightower transforms into a red crane truck, he's very blocky in this mode and is almost a perfect square.

This is a good mode overall with a lot of sculpted details and more than his fair share of paint applications.  Then again, you can easily see his black feet at the back of the vehicle.

The cabin opens up and this is where you would normally store the small gun Hightower comes with, unfortunately my Hightower is missing his gun and I did not realize it until now, five months later, which is annoying to say the least.

The crane is adjustable on the Y axis (i.e. lifts up and down).  The cab is fixed though even though it can detach, when you peg it in, a piece of plastic stops it from rotating.

Hightower feels very heavy for its size, there are no empty gaps anywhere in this truck mode.

If you wish, you can also flip out the crane gun.

A good truck mode if a bit blocky and square.

TRANSFORMATION:

Hightower shares an extremely similar transformation with Heavy Load, the difference here being that you detach the cab... which also houses his head.  Hightower is a partsformer, one of the last ones actually.  It's a shame that they couldn't integrate the head into the core body and this is the only reason which makes Hightower second to Heavy Load in terms of awesomeness.  Otherwise, the transformation is simple with arms flipping out and legs extending.

ROBOT MODE:

Hightower's robot mode is equally blocky, the thing that catches your eye would be the huge shoulders housing the wheels, and the relatively weedy arms.

Hightower wears the cab on his back as kibble, it doesn't integrate into the robot that well.

The head sculpt is nice, bearing a black visor.  He can only turn his head from side to side though.

Hightower has a lot of bulk but doesn't sacrifice height either.

Poseability is decent.  You would have expected his shoulders to be extremely limited thanks to the way it transformation but it is attached on a balljoint in such a way that you can swing it forward and can also fold back.  It's not as good as the shoulders of other Transformers but it's not too horrible.

I've also transformed the feet a little bit differently.  I utilized the second joint to make Hightower a little bit taller, otherwise he would have had super long feet which looks weird.

`

Hightower's crane is on a separate piece which can detach, you can then flip out the gun for him to hold.

The gun is a bit long, proportionally, for Hightower though.

Another option that you can have is leave the crane on his back and unfold his gun into an overhead weapon.  It doesn't look that great though.

Obviously, if I had the small hand gun then Hightower could have hold it in his other hand for some dual wielding poses.

A good robot mode which has a nice color scheme.

OVERALL:

Hightower is a nice figure that stands his own against other Transformers even if you don't factor in his combining ability with the other members of the Build Team.  The only flaw of him is the fact that he is a partsformer and he has a really small handgun which is easily lost or misplaced.

-------------------------------------

For other Transformers reviews, have a look at this page.

Jungle 2 Jungle

Sharing a common theme with the other comedies around the time of its release, Jungle 2 Jungle is about a boy from the jungle who is brought over to New York.  To add the family element, Tim Allen plays Michael who will eventually develop a fatherly bond with the boy, even though he did not know he had a son for thirteen years.  The beginning was a little bit slow but once Michael set foot in the Amazon, it got interesting.  There are some great bouts of humour throughout the movie, mainly stemming from the cliché happenings of someone who is not familiar with the etiquette of urban life.  It doesn’t make it less funny though, most of the hilarious parts are ones involving some sort of accident and it’s played to great effect.  Enough happens to keep you attentive to what’s happening on the screen right now and the story ends up becoming a feel good one.  It is a good movie that isn’t too complicated but hits all the right spots.

Tales of Xillia - Day One Edition

All initial retail copies of Tales of Xillia were Day One Editions with a few extra bonuses to entice players to purchase one.  Later copies only contained the game.

Above is the initial advert for the Day One Edition and compared to Tales of Graces f's Day One Edition, it is missing a number of things.  For Tales of Xillia, you get:
- Limited Edition packaging
- Game software
- Music selection CD
- 52-page artbook

And above is what you actually get.  The package is small since there's only the artbook and game case in the cardboard box.  A bit of shame that the European release is missing the DLC costumes.

Limited Edition Packaging:

The Day One Edition comes in a "Limited Edition" packaging, which is basically a cardboard box designed to contain the game case and artbook.  It has the exact same box art as the game which is a shame.

Similarly with the back, it shows some game screenshots, have a blurb and a diagram of what the package contains.

The Game:

In short, Tales of Xillia is a solid JRPG that's fun, with the best parts being the combat and the exploration of the huge maps.

The story is a bit bland at times and hard to keep focused on.  For a more detailed review, refer to this page.

Soundtrack:

The music selection CD contains twelve tracks:
- Tales of Xillia
- Spirit - Lit Seat of Kings
- Clenched Fist
- Root of Evil
- Milla's Theme - The Mission
- Rich in Nature
- Sanctum of the Spirits
- Filled With Tenderness
- Believe in Oneself
- Splendid Sword Dance
- Beyond A Colorless World
- Jude's Theme - Determination

It's nice that they included both battle themes and the main theme.  The CD runs at 42 minutes long so it is a decent length.  With that said, there were still a few tracks that wouldn't have been my first choice.

Artbook:

It is labelled a Character Book and contains artwork of the six protagonists.  If you were hoping for sketches and never before seen artwork then you will be disappointed.  It contains the character portraits you see in the game, and each character has a bio written for them.  It's only 52 pages long though but still quite nice.  I've included a sample of six pages for your viewing pleasure:

Overall:

Tales of Xillia is a worthwhile game and this Day One Edition is a really good bonus since you pay the same retail price but get some extra things.  None of the bonuses really make this an absolute must have though but if you were already going to get the game, then no harm in getting the Day One Edition.

------------------------------------------

Game reviews can be found here.

Book Review: Naruto Vol. 4: The Next Level

Review:  #467
Title:  Naruto Vol. 4:  The Next Level
Series:  Naruto - 4th volume
Author:  Masashi Kishimoto
Read Before:  no
Comments:  Not super captivating or addictive just yet but still contains a decent story.  It finishes up the arc with the bridge builder and gives a satisfactory ending with Zabuza.  I did find Haku’s selfless outlook to Zabuza a bit too much to stomach, especially when it felt too contrived and cheesy.  Otherwise, the backstory was nice and enjoyable.  The second half of the volume is a bit more boring in the fact that’s setting up the next big event, but ends just before we get there:  The Chunin Exams.  A heap of new characters are introduced which makes things more interesting.

Rating:  6/10

Toy Review: Transformers Robots in Disguise (RiD) Wedge

Review:  #216
Name:  Wedge
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Autobot
Line:  Robots in Disguise
Year of Release:  2001
Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 3)
Variations:  Japanese version has some slight paint differences; repainted into yellow as part of the Universe line; also repainted into Constructicon Bonecrusher

BULLDOZER MODE:

Wedge transforms into an orange bulldozer.  This is an excellent mode, the shovel naturally being the most distinctive feature.

The back isn't as nice, it feels slightly unfinished, probably because of all the exposed jointing/hinges and slight hollowness of the underside.

While Wedge may be a Deluxe, he is more akin to a Basic or Scout classed figure.  He is one of the smallest Deluxe toys ever.  For play value, he has four plastic wheels underneath to allow rolling but that is it.

A good looking alternate mode, just lacking a bit in the size department.

TRANSFORMATION:

Simple but very effective.  The two pistons, along with a panel behind the shovel detaches to form his weapon which is pretty cool.  The treads form the arms and the legs unfold from the front, it's easy and things click into place in vehicle mode, making him very solid.

ROBOT MODE:

While the bulldozer mode was strong, the robot mode is on par if not better.  Wedge looks fantastic, making for one very nice looking bot.

The only kibble he has is the shovel halves on each shoulder, which now becomes his most iconic element.  That, and the tread wrapping around his hands.

The head sculpt is great and I like how the two pieces on either side of his head looks like a mini scoop.  The head is only on a swivel though so he can't look up or down.

He is still fairly small and tiny in this mode, which was how he was also portrayed in the cartoon.

Articulation is good and he has all the joints you'd come to expect.  He has slight proportion issues with the chest being a bit too big and him looking top heavy due to this.

One thing that the designer could have improved upon are the feet.  Wedge would have benefited from heelspurs because the length of his footprint is small and Wedge can keel backwards if you're not careful.

As mentioned earlier, the bulldozer's pistons form a dual barrel gun and to be honest, this gun looks pretty terrible.

The barrels are too far apart and the base of the gun is too thin and wide for it to look like a gun.  It would have been better if the thing could fold in half to bulk it up or something.

Wedge actually had ratcheting knees which was a nice surprise.  He can still pull off a great amount of decent poses.

A good robot mode that looks fantastic and very heroic, perfect traits for an Autobot.

OVERALL:

Wedge is a really nice toy.  He has two good modes, with the robot mode winning by just a small margin.  Wedge looks like the perfect Autobot with a heroic stature and color scheme.  There are some minor flaws such as the lack of heelspurs and a not-so-perfect weapon, not to mention his small size.  However, Wedge is still recommended even if you're not planning to make Landfill.

-------------------------------------

For other Transformers reviews, have a look at this page.

Spaceballs

Spaceballs is a movie which mainly parodies Star Wars but also other films such as Aliens and Star Trek.  It is supposed to be a comedy but like with many parodies, its hit and miss.  The beginning felt boring and lame and it is only when it gets near the climax is where you can bear watching it.  The gags can be lame, exaggerated and not very funny in one scene, but in the other, they can be clever and amusing.  It never takes itself seriously, often breaking the fourth wall and acknowledging that they are making a movie, which seems an easy way out for some of the events.  The story is predictable and takes heavy inspiration from Star Wars, so you know that the main characters will fall in love.  After the explosion in the ending, it kept going on for another fifteen minutes which felt unnecessary.  Overall, it’s a mediocre film.