Review #69: Generations Windblade
My Transformers collecting is largely based upon nostalgia. I played with Transformers as a kid, and have fond memories of doing so. So usually, the characters I like to buy are ones I remember from the toys I owned and/or the characters I remember from the cartoon back in the day. But once in a while, a toy of a new character comes out that interests me enough for me to want to add it to my collection even without the benefit of nostalgia. Windblade is one such character.
She is a character with a unique origin, in that she was built by the fans. As part of the celebrations for the 30ᵗʰ anniversary of the Transformers franchise, Hasbro let fans vote in a number of polls to decide a number of attributes, such as faction, alt mode, weapon choice, gender, and colors, and then used the results to design the first ever "Fan-Built Bot." The results of all of this voting gave us the figure we are looking at today. So I suppose the big question is, when a figure is created in such a way, is the result worth owning?
The answer... Well, yes and no... |
Looking first at the alt mode, we see that Windblade is an Autobot with an alt mode of a jet with VTOL fans in her wings. Her color in this mode is primarily black, but with some red as well. And if you don't look too closely, it is a nice looking jet! But closer inspection does reveal a few flaws...
First, her mid section in this mode is kind of gappy... I mean, looking at her from up above, there's a hole in the middle that goes all of the way through her! It is filled in slightly by pegging her weapon on underneath her, but it is still really obvious. But second, and even worse... Those two red sections on top of her jet mode? Those are what will be the fronts of her legs in robot mode, and in fact towards the rear of them you can plainly see her feet sticking straight up. They are really not subtle at all, and come very close to spoiling the lines of the figure in this mode. I usually try not to speculate too much about the design process, but I almost have to wonder if the feet were originally supposed to fold down, but the joint to do this had to be removed due to budget reasons. Finally, she can be a fiddly figure to transform, with some of her parts not having solid places to peg or tab into, instead relying on, "Well, this feels like this should probably go here," and folding each piece to the appropriate area and relying on the friction in swiveling or bending joints to just hold where you leave them. That is not to say that nothing tabs in. In fact, more does then you may think from the tone of what I am saying. But enough doesn't do so to make it noticeably annoying.
Still, once you do get everything folded where it needs to go, and if you can ignore that gap and those feet... These things aside, it is a good looking jet mode! And just to highlight a few features: The front landing gear can fold up. The VTOL fans can spin, and also can be positioned to varying angles. Finally, while I don't own any such stands myself, there is a hole on the underside of the nosecone that is apparently compatible with certain figure stands.
Still, once you do get everything folded where it needs to go, and if you can ignore that gap and those feet... These things aside, it is a good looking jet mode! And just to highlight a few features: The front landing gear can fold up. The VTOL fans can spin, and also can be positioned to varying angles. Finally, while I don't own any such stands myself, there is a hole on the underside of the nosecone that is apparently compatible with certain figure stands.
She is very poseable. Her head can look up or down and left or right, although the left / right movement can be hindered a bit by the red raised collar around her neck. Her shoulders can swivel forward or backwards almost 360 degrees or raise outwards slightly more than 90 degrees. They are only hindered by the wings on her back, but in all honestly, the wings should not get in the way of any natural poses. There is an upper arm swivel, the elbows bend 90 degrees, and the wrists have a swivel. The waist also swivels a good 360 degrees. The nosecone on her back can get in the way of the waist joint slightly, but if it does it can be pulled away slightly removing any hindrance. The hips have very expressive ball joints which can move forward, backwards, or outwards, and can also provide a bit of an upper leg swivel. The knees bend about 90 degrees backwards, and can also bend forwards a bit. The feet have no articulation. In fact... the feet can be a bit of a problem. I'll expand more on that a bit later.
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Her main weapon is a sword. It is a very striking one, with a curved blade. The blade is transclearent plastic, purple at the base and gradually transitioning to clear at the tip. The hilt has a little (non-functioning) turbine in it that really nicely ties in with the aesthetic of the figure. She has a sheath for her sword which she can hold in her hand or wear on either hip. If you don't like it on her hip, as an alternative you can also plug it into the nosecone on her back. (Personally, I prefer it on her hip.)
She has one other really cool accessory. You can wiggle and pull off the gold crest that is behind her head, and then she has a fan she can hold!
Depending on how you wish to interpret it (in other words, what kind of fan it is), either Windblade is ready for some court intrigue, or she has a tessen to act as a back-up weapon for her sword. (Which type of fan would be more dangerous is entirely up for debate.) |
That wraps up her accessories. Let us now go back to her articulation, to touch on one bit of articulation that I didn't cover earlier. Windblade's wings are very posable, allowing for a number of different looks for her! My preferred look is the one that has been featured in the photos presented thus far, but here are a few other different options:
For the most part, in robot mode Windblade is a very nice figure. Alas, it is time to address the metaphorical elephant in the room. Her lower legs and feet.
The lower legs don't peg together, relying purely on the friction in the joint to hold them closed. Her feet have very high heels. (Because, apparently, she's a girl and that means high heels!) And as a part of the transformation process, the heels fold forward. And when you position them for robot mode, there is nothing to lock those in place, either! The result are feet that do not hold together at all, and make her one of the most difficult Transformers I've ever come across to get to stand up without falling over, especially if you are trying to put her into anything resembling a dynamic pose.
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I suppose one way to avoid the whole foot problem is... remember that hole under her nosecone I talked about that is apparently compatible with certain toy stands? Well, if you do have such a stand (which, again, I don't) the hole is still easily accessible on her back. With a stand supporting her weight, the feet would be no problem and she can be a very dynamic figure to pose. But such a stand does not come included, and a figure should not require additional purchases to make it even functional.
To the right, the standard size comparison with a DVD case.
So, what is the end result of all of this? Windblade is a very nice figure to look at, and when you get her in a good pose and get her able to stand up without falling over, it is hard to deny that she has a very compelling shelf presence. So if that is the kind of figure you are looking for, and if you don't mind the frustration you will experience in the process of getting her to stand without falling over (or you have an applicable stand), then by all means, pick Windblade up. I certainly don't regret having done so! But if your main priority is a toy that will be fun to play with? Honestly, I hate to say so, but I'd say you should pass on her. Yes, she looks good! But that is, alas, about all she has going for her. Review added 10 March 2015 by Yotsuya. Comments are welcome! |