Friday, April 3, 2009

Easter is almost here...

So, we're just over a week away from Easter. Other than celebrating the obvious on that day, I'll also be glad because one of the things I've abstained from during Lent is....here it....wait for it....transformers.

I know! It's been tough. Not too tough, though. There honestly hasn't been a whole lot of stuff released lately...or at least stuff that hasn't made it anywhere I've been.

I'd still like to see the 5th wave of the Universe Legends toys (Wheelie, Hot Rod, Cosmos, and WARPATH), but no luck there. I did manage to find and pick up Target exclusive Animated Sunstorm last week. He comes with Activators Ratchet, who I luckily hadn't bought yet. However, he's staying under wraps until Easter day.

I'd also like to get Universe Hot Shot and Ratchet. Ratchet is fine as is. However, I'm really considering ordering the Japanese version of Hot Shot (called Hot Rod over there). He's about twice as much, but he comes with weapons. The reason this is a big deal is because even though the mold has fist holes and additional holes on the forearms, they don't match the pegs to any of the weapons (which are 5mm thick) that come from the Unicron Trilogy lines that this character hails from. So the American version can only defend himself with his minicon, Jolt, a small helicopter. And honestly, I could work with that - small helicopters make good close-range spinning-blade weapons. But not if you can only attach them to the larger character's back, which is the case with Hot Shot. The Japanese Hot Rod, on the other hand, has two chrome tailpipes that become hand/forearm-mounted flamethrowers in bot mode with pretty blue flame missiles. They also looks pretty similar to Animated Hot Shot's flamethrowers, and since we'll probably never get a toy of that version of the character, these weapons are likely the only physical reference to him available.

So yeah. I'm probably ordering Henkei (Japanese) Hot Rod instead of paying $13 for the American version.

Speaking of Animated Ratchet (above), that character is apparently getting a new deluxe toy, this time with a Cybertronian alt mode seen in many flashbacks on the show instead of his Earth-based Ambulance mode. What's especially cool about this is that it increases the likelihood of an Animated Ironhide toy being made - all that would be required is a head remold.

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