Tuesday 30 June 2009

Toybox REVIEW: Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Chromia

Or "the Blue Arcee bike" if you'd prefer. Yes, this character is only Chromia in toy form, as in the movie it was opted for the Arcee bikes to be a single entity (but since this isn't explicitly stated in the movie, I like to think otherwise). Her alt mode is obviously a blue motorcycle, with some pretty cool looking cybertronian (?) symbol decor. The bike even has a kick stand for those who prefer to display the figure in bike mode.

Onto the transformation. Well, given that I knew what her robot mode looked like I didn't expect there to be that much involvement in her transformation, but to be honest I was suprised as alot seems to move around and I found myself quite confused when it came to her torso.

The bot mode, unfortuntely, isn't alot home to shout home about. I really WANTED to like it, because after seeing her onscreen I thought they were really interesting and original designs, but I can't help but feel somewhat underwhelmed. Obviously, because she has no legs she is incapable of standing on her own, but not to worry...Hasbro have provided a "snap on cannon" that also doubles as a weapons stand! There's an alternate method to use the stand so that it cannot be seen from the front, but due to her humongous gun arm, this makes posing pretty much impossible so I'm not a fan of it.

In conclusion? Well out of the 5 proper ROTF toys I have so far she's certainly not the best. In fact, its a toss up between her and Soundwave for the worst. If you're not a completist or not looking to get the 3 Arcee bike bots for the apparent combined mode (which did not appear in the movie) then you can happily skip this one, you wont be missing alot.


Comparison with TF1 deluxe Arcee figure

And with pimp daddy Ironhide.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Toybox REVIEW: Revoltech Gurren & Lagann

My second toy review! Gurren, the mighty gunmen of Lord Kamina and its tiny partner Lagann, belonging to Kamina's blood brother Simon.


Numbering at 066 in the Revoltech Yamaguichi line, Gurren & Lagann are the latest in the long line of both Revoltech Gurren Lagann figures, preceded by Gurren Lagann (and its fully drillized version), Enki/du/dudu, Lazengann, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Fraulein Yoko, and the line itself. As with most Revoltech figures, it comes with a heap of accessories - 4 alternate pairs of hands for Gurren, a 'shades' faceplate and 'shades' blade weapon and even alternate faces, drill hands and drill bottom for the tiny Lagann figure.

Articulation is absolutely top notch, as it the standard for Revoltech figures. The alternate hands seem easier to place in then they were on previous figures, and I hope this continues into future releases. Both figures are perfectly scaled aside the Revoltech Gurren Lagann figure, with Gurren's short limbs and Lagann being roughly the size of GL's head. My only warning would be that Lagann is TINY, so be very careful not to lose him.

The set even came with a mini assemble borg figure, which other than being a lovely shade of transparent purple isnt that interesting (mine came missing a hand!). I suppose it's great for collectors though.

With Arc Gurren Lagann and Choujinga (or Super Galaxy) Gurren Lagann facing a July release, I can't wait to own every incarnation of the titual mecha from this fantastic anime series. The Revoltech line continues to astound me. 5/5 without hestitation. A MUST HAVE for both fans of the series and mecha collectors.


Don't believe me? Check out the pictures for yourself...





Tuesday 2 June 2009

Games REVIEW: Pokemon Platinum


Here's the first of my game reviews. And what better place to start than Pokemon Platinum version on the Nintendo DS! Before I begin I should make it clear that this cannot be a FULL review of the game, as I obviously have no yet completeted it (for the record, I've just received my 8th gym badge and about to start my trek down Victory Road), so I will cover everything I've done so far, and provide a brief review of the parts of the game I have no yet seen in a week or so.

Now that that's out of the way, let's begin. Pokemon Platinum is the third in the franchise's Sinnoh region saga. Every generation had them - Red and Blue had Yellow, Gold and Silver had Crystal, and Ruby and Sapphire had Emerald. So, what has Platinum given us that "improves" or "enhances" the already outstanding gameplay that Diamond and Pearl gave us? Well, here's a list of the most notable changes;

  • A brand new focus! Diamond had Dialga - ruler of time, Pearl has Palkia - ruler of space. Platinum, while including both these Pokemon, thrusts Giratina - the dimesion Pokemon into the spotlight.
  • Obviously to go along with this we have a brand new game plot. There is a far deeper focus on Team Galactic and it's leader Cyrus' plans, involving new characters such as Looker, a detective investigating Team Galactic and Charon, a scientist hired by Team Galactic. As in Diamond and Pearl this story comes to a gripping battle atop Mt. Coronet, but unlike before it doesn't end there. You are then forced into Giratina's distortion world, which includes floating/disappearing platforms, sideways paths and upside down waterfalls! Only here will you have the final showdown with Cyrus and the mysterious Giratina!
  • A brand new regional Pokedex that encompasses every new 4th generation Poke mon aswell as the ones included in the original Sinnoh Dex! Obviously because of this, there are new Pokemon in the wild along with items that wouldn't otherwise be found until much later in the game.
  • New sprites for all Pokemon in the regional Pokedex! Including newly animated backsprites.
  • New character sprites! Each sporting new clothes.
  • Brand new Pokemon formes! Say hello to Girantina's origin forme and Shaymin's sky forme, each offering different stats and abilities to the originals. And ever wondered what Rotom would be like as a lawnmower? Or the refridgerator? Well wonder no more! (provided you obtain the secret key from a Nintendo wifi event)
  • New wifi minigames (which admittedly I have not yet checked out, as I have no wifi at this current point in time)
  • And much more! Check here for a full list of changes.

Anyway now onto the important part, my thoughts on the game. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of all Pokemon games, and I had very high hopes for this one, despite there being obvious truth in the game being an obvious rehash of titles we bought 2 years ago. But, much like Emerald did with the third generation of Pokemon games, I feel these changes have brought enough for the game to be able to stand on its own. The distortion world, while seemingly short, is a very interest dungeon with its many dimensions and puzzles (with clues given by the lake trio Uxie, Azelf and Mespirit!). These are things I like in a game, fleshing out the story as much as possible. Why have Dialga or Palkia when you can have both plus more? The gyms have all been rearranged and some redesigned too, along with an Elite 4 with different Pokemon to the games 2 predecessors, so owners of the original won't be getting quite the same challenge. I look forward to giving my opinions on the Battle Frontier portion of the game, but for now I need to get back to my Elite 4 training!

So....rating? Well if you haven't got a version of this generation of Pokemon its full marks without a doubt. But then again, if you already own Diamond or Pearl (or both) it is at the end of the day much of the same. But hey, that isn't a bad thing, and I think the new additions more than make it worthy of  a 4.

Monday 1 June 2009

Custom Figure: Classics Metalhawk

3 out of 4 Autobot Pretenders done! For the Masterforce pretender leader I used an Energon Windrazor (took me AGES to track one done on ebay for a reasonable price!) and proceeded to add gold, red, blue and white paint. I'm glad I decided to go for a gold body in the end, rather than the yellow colour that was used in the cartoon. Anyway here's 2 pics of the original figure, followed by images of my custom...