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MegaSCF
Starscream
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CoheteBoy sent over a great new review of
Starscream - take it away!
Takara Toys is the company producing
Transformers toys for the fans in Japan, and most notably, toys for The
Transformers: Generation One. While Hasbro is only just beginning to
satisfy the hunger for Generation One in the states, Takara has already
produced a slew of product overseas.
In addition to the reissues of original product and PVCs (Heroes of
Cybertron in the U.S.), Takara has produced a line of Mega figures of
popular characters. These are similar to the PVCs but are fully
articulated and larger in scale (approx. 5"). There's talk of
producing the line in the states so hopefully you won't need to wait long or
pay a hefty price for these beauties.
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Packaging - ***
Collectors who like to play with their toys and then return them to the box
can rejoice with the packaging here, as the figure and accessories are
easily removable. No twist ties to be found here!
What you get is a nicely detailed box that clearly shows the figure and the
accessories inside. The back of the box shows the three basic
combinations that you can create with this figure (more on this below) with
full color photographs. The bubble tray is removed from the box
without a need for tearing, and Starscream is thus ready to be removed.
Overall, it's a very nice way to display the toy.
Sculpting - ***1/2
The sculpting overall is top notch, recreating the version of Starscream
that all fans will remember from the cartoon series. Where improvement
could have been made is with smaller details. Since he is a robot,
there shouldn't be so many flat and plain surfaces, but that's a minor
quibble as it looks exactly like the cartoon.
Paint - ***1/2
While I award Starscream a pretty high score for good, clean paint
applications, I take a half star away for not going the extra step.
All the colors are the same throughout and the result looks two-dimensional
because of it. But how could I complain? It's Starscream and he
originated on a 2-D format!
Articulation - ***1/2
Starscream gets high marks in the department for its articulation, but it's
not a perfect score. The figure features ball joints for both the head
and shoulders (:::snicker:::), and features articulated biceps, elbows,
wrists, legs, and knees. The legs have limited forward and backward
movement but can be rotated to face any direction. Articulation would
be perfect if there was a way to allow a full range of movement in some
areas. The head is limited to left and right due to the way the figure
is sculpted. Same goes for most of the other major limbs such as the
shoulders and legs.
Accessories - ****
Wow, there's a lot of stuff here for a robot that pretty much has his
own weapons attached to his arms! The fists are detachable and can be
replaced by a different pair of hands; mix and match for your favorite
combination. There is also a third right hand that is permanently
holding Megatron in rifle form, just like in many episodes of the cartoon
and in the movie. Another version of Starscream that can be created is
with the extra head w/ crown, cape, and shoulder pads, recreating the scene
from the Movie where he takes charge of the Decepticons.
Value - **1/2
Had this
figure been released in the states and priced reasonably, you can probably
add another full star. But since Starscream was an import from Japan,
I paid just a tiny bit over $20 for a 5" figure. But keep in mind
that you're getting a nicely articulated and sculpted figure with a good
amount of accessories. Not to mention that there isn't another way of
getting a Starscream action figure that looks this good.
Overall - ***
Once this line of figure hits the U.S., then you can add another star to
Starscream since retail price will be much more reasonable. But fans
of Generation One will love this figure because a) of nostalgic reasons and
b) it's a great action figure. Starscream, however stands taller than
the MegaSCF Optimus Prime, but it's still the best non-transforming figure
of this character you will ever find. Do use caution when removing and
replacing hands though, for the rubber isn't the strongest material and can
break rather easily.
Where to Buy -
I
picked up this Starscream at www.bigbadtoystore.com for
$21.99. They also carry the rest of the Mega SCF assortment.
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Figure from the collection of
Coheteboy. |
