FansProject CA-11: Down Force aka Drag Strip (Menasor) - in-hand review

So this hit Hong Kong's shores yesterday - FansProject's Causality CA-11: Down Force, aka Drag Strip. According to TF Source, this has been renumbered, it was supposed to be CA-12. Oh well, what's a few numbers?

After a very intense and busy day of work, I met another buyer at the train station and sold him my loose Generations Warpath. Then proceeded to the toy shops to pick up Down Force. The weather today was really intolerable. Heat and high levels of humidity.

Out of the 4 not-Stunticon robots, Down Force was probably the one that I was most looking forward to. First, there is a strong yellow colour scheme, but second, its vehicle was also one of the more unusual vehicle modes among the other not-Stunticons, which were just 'vanilla' type cars.

Holding it in my hand, my strong positive vibes for this figure increased - the yellow body colour and blue windows works really well together.

Takara boxed D-52: Drag Strip, USA carded Drag Strip with CA-11 Down Force.

Front of the box.

vintage G1 Transformers Masterforce D-301: Wilder aka Fangry MISB!

Today, I am showing an MISB specimen of D-301: Wilder.

I actually bought this at a local auction site yesterday evening.

Today evening, I met the seller at the train station near my work and completed the transaction - all within a span of 24 hours!

I'm very happy that transactions here in HK can take place, so fast, with no frills, no shipping costs and is such a pleasure!

I don't really have an awful lot to say about this MISB figure other than showing some photographs of how absolutely gorgeous it is. As can be seen by the little thumbnail on the left, this is the Japanese version of the USA figure Fangry, which is a small sized Headmaster compared with the likes of Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf for example.

In Japan, these small Headmasters were released as part of the 1988 Transformers Chojin Masterforce line as 'Headmaster Juniors'. D-301 is called 'Wilder' in Japan.

One of the rare few figures that has its box art entirely unobstructed.

Hasbro Transformers Generations Wave 2 Triple-Changer SANDSTORM review

Here's my review of Hasbro's Transformers Generations Series 2, figure #003 (Wave 2), Voyager Class SANDSTORM.

I don't usually do reviews, but this figure is just too awesome and so I decided to do a review.

Sandstorm is from Wave 2 of the 'relaunched' Generations Line and it is the only the figure in Wave 2. The assortment is something like 2 pieces of Sandstorm and 1 piece each of Springer and Blitzwing, where the latter 2 are from Wave 1.

I'm just going to say here that Generations Blitzwing is a huge disappointment and what I term a 'crappy' figure. Sandstorm on the other hand has far exceeded my expectations.

Here, I have pictured Generations Springer and Sandstorm with their G1 Japanese counterparts C-83: Sandstorm and C-84: Sprung. I think they look awesome together. After 27 years, finally, worthy homages to these 2 characters that are not forced or repurposed from existing molds.

Generations Springer and Sandstorm side by side, both still MISB.

A shot showing the 'box art'. I do like the box art, its larger and better than most previous releases in the Generations line and also has a hand painted quality to it.

The back of the box. Layout is pretty decent and shows each characters' 3 modes. There is also a profile write up and tech specs thrown in for good measure. Sandstorm registers as "10" for both Courage and Skill... really? I just did a quick check and guess what? The Tech Specs for Generations Sandstorm matches that of G1 Sandstorm!

G1 vintage Takara 46 - Hoist MIB, unused (Fight! Super Robot Life series)

In the 80s, Hoist went to Hollywood... and recently, Hoist has been 'spotlighted' in IDW's Transformers: Spotlight.

What better time is there than now to also give Hoist the limelight in my blog.

Presenting - vintage Takara boxed 46 - Hoist! This is an exceptionally stunning specimen. Rarely do I see vintage pieces that are as nice and pristine as this. And so, here it is...

A look at the top of the box.

This is the 'wrecker' variant of Hoist, the 'wrecker' words being from this same mold's Diaclone era release. Apparently, for the Fight! Super Robot Life series, Hoist was released as a regular version (same as the USA release) and a version with the 'wrecker' words at the side. Also apparently, the latter version is 'rarer'.

Takara, Fight! Super Robot Life, 21-Reflector MIB

This Reflector post is dedicated to devstar37, a friend, a gentleman and a good guy. Here's hoping it will all work out!

For awhile, I have been writing about SCF figures. They have been awesome, but then I've not gotten around to writing about the G1 pieces that I love and that I have been acquiring. This is one of them - Japanese boxed 21-Reflector, considered by many to be one of the rarest of the early year Japanese Transformers and a character I am very fond of.

Significant also because it was a regular release in Japan, unlike in the USA where it was a mailaway exclusive in a completely white mailer box. The Japanese 21-Reflector comes in a 'standard' G1-styled box, with stunning box art, as is common place in that golden era of boys' toys.

Transformers box art typically seeks to show the audience the mode that is alternate to the one that the toy is packaged in. Where typically, TFs are packaged in their non-vehicle mode, the box art usually shows the robot mode of the toy. Reflector is special in the sense that it is packaged in robot mode and therefore the box art is actually of its alternate mode - a camera.

kindof review - MakeToys Mobine Series - Paladin / Chaos, aka The Fallen

Quite excited since I picked this up last night. Was probably one of the first persons at the shop to pick it up because I was talking to a shop-owner friend in his shop when I saw the stock arrive.

Having already pre-ordered this, and incidentally having the receipt in my wallet, I popped over to the next shop to pick it up.

Here it is. Out of the box already! The MakeToys Mobine Series - Paladin / Chaos, a toy meant to be The Fallen, from Dreamwave's War Within: The Dark Ages comic series.

Having removed it from its box, I thought I'd share some thoughts on this here. The thoughts are going to be random, hence why I titled this a 'kindof review' - it's not really a review.

Here he is in robot mode. I gotta say, for a character that is evil, my, the toy is pretty majestic. You'd think that having a colour scheme that is 90% black might be a little 'boring', but no, Chaos is far from boring. There are lots of little orange details on appropriate parts of him, very likely intending to simulate the sort of fire that the Fallen has always portrayed with.

Oh, and he comes with a kindof huge sword too, which is a plus. A quick google image search shows me that the sword design is pretty faithful to the sword he had in the comics. Very nice, MakeToys. It also goes without saying that the poseability is top notch, as usual for MakeToys products.

today is 1 June

This is not a Transformers post. 

This is the first of June.

This is coffee.

This is first of June milk

This is toy story alien.

These are FedEx presents.