Review #78: Old & New - Sunstreaker
(with a bonus look at Universe Sideswipe & Generations Red Alert)
-- Ultra Prime Review Series #1 --
Hello, everybody! Sorry I disappeared again for a few months. Things got a bit busy in the holiday season, I suppose. But as should be clear, eventually I will always be back. (Hopefully that is seen as a positive, ha ha.)
Anyway, this review is marked as "Ultra Prime Review Series #1." What does this mean? Well, with Hasbro back to doing decent combiners, of course I would want in on that. In fact, I did already review their (or rather, Takara's) newly updated Aerialbots! But what, you might wonder, about their Decepticon rivals, the Stunticons?
Well... I kind of already had them covered...
Anyway, this review is marked as "Ultra Prime Review Series #1." What does this mean? Well, with Hasbro back to doing decent combiners, of course I would want in on that. In fact, I did already review their (or rather, Takara's) newly updated Aerialbots! But what, you might wonder, about their Decepticon rivals, the Stunticons?
Well... I kind of already had them covered...
I already had a pretty great third party version of the Stunticons that I was happy with. In fact, based on photos I had seen, I felt that the Stunticons from Fansproject looked a lot better then their new Hasbro counterparts.
That all being said, it would be nice if I could experience the new official Stunticon molds somehow... But, if I didn't want the new Hasbro Stunticons, how would I do that? Fortunately, a little phenomena called "repaints" comes to the rescue! |
The entire Stunticon team also had Autobot characters made from the same molds. And today, we will be looking at the first one of these molds. However, we will also be looking at another toy, as well. For you see, the four limb characters are all new versions of characters who have already had Classics style updates! And it just so happens, all four of them are ones I had not gotten around to reviewing yet! And so, as I review the various limb-bots in this series, I will also be looking at their older Classics style toys, as well!
Hence the "Old & New" in the review title! And today, we will be looking at the Old & New versions of Sunstreaker.
Hence the "Old & New" in the review title! And today, we will be looking at the Old & New versions of Sunstreaker.
To the left above is 2008's Universe Sunstreaker. To the right, the new Combiiner Wars version. The Universe version was a brand new mold for the character, and the Combiner Wars version is made from the mold designed for Stunticon Breakdown.
The Universe version, in vehicle mode, is a pretty good Sunstreaker! Of course, it was designed to be one, so that isn't a huge surprise. The Combiner Wars version? Well, it too is a pretty good Sunstreaker! In fact, the way that Breakdown's hand/foot gun thingy can use some subtle pegs to attach to the vehicle mode's roof, and it is molded to look like Sunstreaker's G1 toy's roof-mounted engine block, leads me to believe that this re-use may have been planned from the start.
Both Sunstreakers are about the same size in vehicle mode, although the Combiner Wars version's larger engine block does make it feel a bit bigger. The Universe toy's robot mode weapon hides away nicely on the vehicle's underside, poking out of the back slightly in a way that looks like an exhaust. The Combiner Wars figure, on the other hand, just has the weapon able to tab onto either side of the vehicle. It works to hold the gun, but it a bit obvious. Of course, if you don't mind having extra parts on the side, storing it there is optional.
Both Sunstreakers are about the same size in vehicle mode, although the Combiner Wars version's larger engine block does make it feel a bit bigger. The Universe toy's robot mode weapon hides away nicely on the vehicle's underside, poking out of the back slightly in a way that looks like an exhaust. The Combiner Wars figure, on the other hand, just has the weapon able to tab onto either side of the vehicle. It works to hold the gun, but it a bit obvious. Of course, if you don't mind having extra parts on the side, storing it there is optional.
If you want to use the hand/foot gun thingy as, well, a gun thingy, you can take advantage of a peg hole on the vehicle's roof as an alternate attachment method. Of course, this makes him look a lot less like Sunstreaker!
Universe Sunstreaker has a few Reprolabels on him. There is a dedicated set for that toy, but I didn't feel it added anything to the toy. On the other hand, some stickers that came with another set, which were made to augment any toy using this mold, did add a few nice touches! As for the Combiner Wars toy, my copy is completely stock. There are Reprolabels for him, but I don't have them yet. However, we may look at them at a later date. |
And now let us look at them in robot mode!
Despite looking about the same size in vehicle mode, the Universe version stands a good head taller then his newer counterpart. The Universe version also, visually, looks a lot more like the character, but that doesn't mean that the Combiner Wars toy looks bad! Despite being a straight-up repaint (with a new head) of an existing toy, the new version still makes a pretty good Sunstreaker. I'd even say that the Combiner Wars version is superior in one respect, with the much more prominent engine block mounted behind his head. |
Combiner Wars Sunstreaker does have a bit of a backpack, which probably accounts for the difference of height in the figures. Still, it doesn't tend to stick out too obnoxiously when looking at the figure from most angles.
You have a few options with the weapons for the Combiner Wars figure. His gun, which looks like something he borrowed from a Final Fantasy VIII cosplayer, can also be held as a sword. And, of course, if you don't mind loosing the engine block on his back, he can hold his hand/foot gun thingy as a gun. Of course, without the engine block on his back, he looks a little less like Sunstreaker.
Both figures have pretty good articulation, although the Universe version wins a bit in this department. The Universe version has a ball jointed neck, ball joints in the shoulders, an upper arm swivel, double jointed elbows, and swivels in his wrists. He has a swivel in his waist, ball jointed hips, an upper leg swivel, bending knees, and finally, ball joints in his ankles. Meanwhile, the Combiner Wars version has a ball jointed neck, ball joints in the shoulders, and double jointed elbows. One of the elbow joints is a ball joint, allowing you to simulate an upper arm swivel. He has a swivel in his waist, ball jointed hips, an upper leg swivel, and bending knees. He also has some weird transformation joints in his crotch that can be used for some posing, and the transformation joints for his feet also can be used a little bit. |
For fun, here's a look at the Combiner Wars figure along with my example of the Fansproject version of Stunticon Breakdown. In robot mode, I'll also include (thanks to the wonder that is Google image search) the Combiner Wars version of Breakdown, so you can see how far a new color scheme (and, of course, a new head) go to make it look like a completely different character.
The Fansproject figure is much smaller in vehicle mode, but doesn't seem that much smaller in robot mode. I'd say the difference in heights isn't too much unlike the difference between the Universe and Combiner Wars Sunstreakers.
So, what's my verdict? For a good, stand-alone Sunstreaker figure, the 2008 Universe figure is the better choice. However, if you are a newer collector who might have a harder time tracking down an eight year old figure, the new Combiner Wars figure is not a bad option, either. Sure, his chest might not be the most Sunstreaker-y, but he has enough visual cues (including a superior engine block to the 2008 figure) that really help sell him as Sunstreaker.
But wait! There's more! We're done focusing on Sunstreaker, but his 2008 figure also has a few mold mates we can take a quick look at.
In the fiction of Transformers, Sunstreaker has a brother named Sideswipe who transforms into a similar vehicle. Then, because they like getting as much use out of molds as possible, there was an unrelated character named Red Alert who used the same mold as Sideswipe. Both Sideswipe and Red Alert also got Classics style figures using the same mold as Sunstreaker.
So, what's my verdict? For a good, stand-alone Sunstreaker figure, the 2008 Universe figure is the better choice. However, if you are a newer collector who might have a harder time tracking down an eight year old figure, the new Combiner Wars figure is not a bad option, either. Sure, his chest might not be the most Sunstreaker-y, but he has enough visual cues (including a superior engine block to the 2008 figure) that really help sell him as Sunstreaker.
But wait! There's more! We're done focusing on Sunstreaker, but his 2008 figure also has a few mold mates we can take a quick look at.
In the fiction of Transformers, Sunstreaker has a brother named Sideswipe who transforms into a similar vehicle. Then, because they like getting as much use out of molds as possible, there was an unrelated character named Red Alert who used the same mold as Sideswipe. Both Sideswipe and Red Alert also got Classics style figures using the same mold as Sunstreaker.
Sideswipe also came out in the 2008 Universe toy line. In vehicle mode, aside from color, he was identical to his brother. However, since the roof mounted engine block is such a distinctive element of Sunstreaker's look, I never used the one that came with Sideswipe. Likewise, I left the engine block off of Red Alert. Red Alert, as an emergency vehicle (All fire chiefs drive Lamborghinis in the line of duty, yes?), sports a light bar on his roof. Thus, all three of these figures have a slightly different look in vehicle mode.
Red Alert's look has been augmented with some Reprolabels. Sideswipe, meanwhile, also has Reprolabels, but in addition to that he has some stickers on him borrowed from (a reissue of) his G1 toy! (I had some extra G1 Sideswipe stickers thanks to the Sideswipe I used a custom sticker set on.)
In G1, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker used different molds. The updated toy manages to give them two nicely different looks (both quite evocative of their G1 equivalents) by altering the transformation scheme by rotating the upper body 180°. The only actual difference in molding is a different head, but the result is still two very different looking figures.
Conversely, since Sideswipe and Red Alert shared the same mold in G1, it is fitting that (other than color) they are identical, here. |
Sideswipe and Red Alert are both spouting shoulder mounted missiles thanks to third party manufacturers. Sideswipe's is one of the extra accessories that came with the trailer Fansproject made for Classics Voyager Optimus Prime. Red Alert's, meanwhile, comes courtesy of TFC Toys, as part of the accessory set the most prominent piece of was the ladder for the Universe Inferno toy.
The change in transformation from Sunstreaker does nothing to alter the articulation of the figures.
The mold was also used for a few other toys, although these were convention or club exclusives that will likely never end up in my collection. One of them cleverly used the two different transformation schemes to update a G1 figure with two different robot modes, Punch / Counterpunch. And interestingly (since the Combiner Wars Breakdown was used to make Sunstreaker) the 2008 mold has twice been used to make a non-combining Breakdown! (In both his original and G2 colors.) The photos of these other uses of the mold come from the TFWiki.
Well, that about wraps things up for Sunstreaker (Universe and Combiner Wars), Sideswipe, and Red Alert. They are all good toys that can have a nice place in any Classics style collection! All that's left is the size comparison photo, and so here is everybody posed along with a standard sized DVD case:
Review added 8 January 2016 by Yotsuya. Comments are welcomed!