kup
6th November 2012, 11:51 PM
Here are my views of Mastermind Creations Knight Morpher KM-05 Screecher :)
Some Background:
As you may already know, the Mastermind Creations' Knight Morpher series is based on IDW's 'Hearts of Steel' designs by Guido Guidi that depicted a 'What if' alternate universe in that The Transformers awaken at the dawn of the Industrial age of the late 1800s instead of 1984. Among several retro redesigned 'Steampunk' G1 Characters, was Starscream as shown below whose design is the main inspiration for KM-05 Screecher.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lxwulFvX1rawwabo1_r1_1280.jpg
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screech1.JPG
As you can see, the design is very close although the toy does take some aesthetic liberties from the original Guido design, more so than KM Cyclops. However the departures from the comic design are minor with most of the sculpt following Guido's art including the proposed engineering and implied gimmicks which we will discuss in more in detail later.
Guido's steampunk plane design is a bit on the odd side but I believe it was intended to be a bit of an amalgamation between the Wright Brother's plane, DaVinci's flying machine and the early 'bat' winged plane by french inventor Clement Ader:
http://abparis.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/img_1238.jpg
However how aerodynamic Guidi's design actually is can be debated (I say not very ;) ).
KM Screecher comes packaged in Robot mode so we'll start there.
Robot Mode:
In-Package KM-Screecher comes with the wings disconected from the back of the robot mode, most likely done to reduce the package size as Screecher has a considerable wing span. Snapping in the wings was at first a little fiddly but once I worked out the method, it was easy and rather enjoyable given the somewhat unorthodox way of locking them in. The wings first click on a peg and socket as the initial placement but then there is also a second locking mechanism which has to be properly aligned. Once this is accomplished, you turn the gears in place to lock the wings in securely.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher11.JPG
Very unusual and it could be argued that this method of attaching the wings is unnecessary but it does provide a kind of 'Pre-Industrial Age' atmosphere to the toy, specially at this early stage since this is likely the first thing you will do. You are not just plugging the wings in but turning gears that clamp the wing in place. Yes, this could easily have been accomplished in a more orthodox way by just plugging in the wings but having to turn gears to lock them in is rather cool and goes with the 'steampunk' theme of the toy.
Out of the package my first impression was a little off, I thought Screecher would be taller, but he is actually more of in between deluxe and voyager. He scales well with Knight Morpher Commander but otherwise I felt a little disappointed at his height and also a bit on the 'lite' size as there wasn't much weight to him out of package. However this initial feeling of 'falling short' quickly went away as I finished assembling the wings and begun to play with the figure, noticing the engineering, appreciating the quality feel of the plastic and all the sculpt detail that went into it. Adding the wings increased the overall weight considerably and Screecher begun to feel more sturdy.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher2.JPG
Once I got Screecher all together and posed him for the first time, the personality of the toy really comes out due to no small measure by his really nice face sculpt. The face is a somewhat a stylized version of Starscream's classic smirk and this immediately defines the personality and character of the toy. The head sculpt is a bit on the anime side and can be described as simplistic but it is nonetheless very expressive which strangely enough compliments the highly detailed body very well. The foldable 'batwing' ears also serve to inject a bit more personality to an already very expressive face.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher8.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher4.JPG
The eyes like previous Mastermind Creation releases also offer a light pipe but due to the size of the head and hood kibble it is unfortunately not as effective as previous releases.
In regards to the body, Starscream is composed of a light weight but still high quality looking plastic which feels durable enough for easy movement and play. When it comes to base plastic colors, The grey dominates the limbs and wings but it isn't a cheap looking grey like Hasbro's but a Mat color and slightly metallic. The red is a nice shiny metallic red while the blue also has a
metalic shine even if more subtle than the red with the forearms looking better than the feet. Finally we have the joints which are composed of a dark gun metal color offering a nice contrast between the brighter colors.
What really stands out is the painted detailing. The chest has some nice metallic gold paint apps highlighting the molded details such as the outline of the chest and wing rotors, the rivets on the collar intakes and the shoulder side vents look particularly nice. The stripes on the wings are somewhat simplistic by design but a nice solid red that screams quality. The nice touch ups with the metallic blue on the thrusters and and wing 'knobs' also look particularly nice. There is a lot of painted detail here with several small rivets and vents painted gold, blue or grey. The quality of the paint job is flawless with no errors or spill overs emphasizing that Screecher is a high end collector piece and not just a cheap walmart toy.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher3.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher10.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher7.JPG
As mentioned, the overall mold is somewhat busy with details such as rivets, vents, gears and other sculpted components that follow the 'steampunk' industrial age feel of the toy. Screecher may have been a little shorter than I expected but this does not take away that a lot of attention to detail went into his sculpt specially around the legs and chest. There is even sculpted and painted detail hidden behind areas that would otherwise be visually obstructed by other parts adding to the fun that you will most likely discover something new every time you play with the toy :)
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher17.JPG
The latest thing I noticed was what looks like an electric filament coil on Screecher's lower back painted in a nice wire thin gold.
Unfortunately there are some flaws to the sculpt and a couple can be a little jarring if very minor overall. For some reason the molding scars (from injection or when it was cut from the parts tree) are rather large. The designers have done their best to keep them out of sight but even so, the scar on the back of the 'step wing' that are above the robot mode heels has a mold scar so large that when I first saw it, I thought a part had snapped but luckily this was not the case. This is the most noticeable mold scar while the others are hidden behind or inside panels making them virtually invisible.
Although this is almost like nit picking, when I noticed the heel mold scar for the first time, it made me think that something had snapped off.
Now the articulation - Screecher has a very high and sophisticated level of articulation for a Transforming toy with double jointed knees and elbows, posable toes and ball jointed neck. For maximum stability, the shoulders and thighs have very satisfying ratcheting joints that help to maintain many poses and although Screecher has some prominent back kibble with the wings, they do not hinder his articulation at all unless you intend to pose the arms pointing backwards. The large back wings also do not hinder the balance of the toy at all and actually adds weight for more sturdy dynamic poses and neither do the waist blades as they are on a waist line rotor and hinges that allows them to be easily moved out of the way.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher9.JPG
The articulation also enables a 'Mech Alive' gimmick in the legs. When you move the knee joints, you will see a large barrel and drum on the outer sides of the lower leg spin and turn! This is an awesome feature which further adds to the enjoyment of playing with this toy as well as it's 'satisfaction' value.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher16.JPG
Some of the peripheral articulation and 'weapon' gimmicks available to Screecher's robot mode is the ability to spin the arm mini-gun barrels (although they are very stiffly), rotate the wrists and of course the spinning blade rotors. The arm canons are detachable and can be joined into a single double barrel gun although this really doesn't work that well and ends up looking rather silly with Screecher having difficulty holding it so I prefer to leave them as individual guns. The waist blades can be detached and placed in Screecher's hands like swords although this is probably the part of the toy you have to be the most careful with as they are rather thin and fragile. The blades are also at first very hard to detach from the hinges so be very careful and make sure you follow the instructions but they become easier to detach a second time. Once the blades are in Screechers hands they do look rather cool although I prefer the handles to have been lower so that they look more like traditional swords. These blades can also attach into one big Klingon Bat'leth like two handed blade. The last (and for me rather lame) gimmick is that you can detach Screecher's back wings and turn them into this giant shuriken type thing which to me looks ridiculous and super lame so I don't think I will be displaying him with that function.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher12.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher13.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher15.JPG
Overall, very nicely done when it comes to the gimmicks and weapons although a couple do fall short or fail entirely but that could be just my opinion.
Although Screecher's robot mode is fantastic, there are some things worth mentioning but none truly deter much from this exemplary design, there are important factors to consider. Screecher has an awful lot of dangerous pointy bits which make this toy Not Suitable at all for kids under 15yo to hold, not even under adult supervision. The pointy bits are highlighted in a warning sheet that comes with the instructions but the problem is not so much that you may end up with a poked eye and more that the points are rather thin and could potentially break. This is particularly so on the wing and dorsal fin tips but even the rotors feel thin and fragile enough to accidentally break if you accidentally apply pressure.
To illustrate how potentially dangerous these points are, I will put forth this scenario: Imagine the common event in which the toy drops from the shelf and you instinctively swoop in to catch it as it falls, with Screecher you will end up with these potential outcomes: A) Your hands will be bleeding B) The wing tips will be broken c) Both A & B. Certainly not something you would let your little nephew play with unless he wants to permanently play pirate (or Nick Fury).
Overall, I am loving this robot mode, it is awesome in every sense of the word and with great articulation and paint value, even if you have to be very careful with it due to the pointy bits. The paint apps in this mode are fantastic and despite it's 'light weight' the robot mode feels very solid and doesn't feel cheap at all.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher14.JPG
Transformation
Screecher's transformation is fairly straightforward and relatively easy to do but it can be a little intimidating or odd at first so I will mention some features and things to watch out for while transforming him. The instructions are excellent in illustrating the transformation step by step so those who plan to buy the toy, should have little trouble.
Note that during the whole transformation, one has to be conscious of the rotor blades as well as the wings and fin tips. It is very easy to accidentally apply pressure to one of these points while locking in the parts which could result in bending or snapping the part or at worse, a nasty cut (I would actually prefer the cut than breaking the toy :p ).
Screecher features an 'automorph' gimmick in the wing transformation. When you rotate the wings up so that they are leveled with the ground, the head lowers into the torso simultaneously and the shoulder intakes automatically fall back to lay flat on top of the torso. As this is happening, the large shoulder gears start to turn which is is a nice added feature which adds to the retro mechanical theme of the design. The only part to be careful with the automorph is that you have to be aware of the rotor blades which could accidentally be bent or snapped off if not careful but one has to be really rough for this to happen.
Although the body of the airplane may seem like just the robot mode torso with the limbs folded in, it is a little more elaborate than that, the shoulders lower a bit and the whole waist turns around 360 degrees. Before you move to transforming the legs, it is advised that you finish the upper body first as transforming the arms in order to position and secure the mid-section wings can be a bit tricky. The fists can be folded into the arms by opening a panel door in a similar manner as several Hasbro toys such as MP Grimlock or Megatron with the exception that you are not meant to close the panel door just yet. After folding and positioning the arms, the blade wings once leveled can now slide into the forarms through seams in the sculpt and locked in place by closing the panel that hides the folded in fists. This leaves the mid-section wings leveled to the ground and secured.
Transforming the legs is fairly straight forward. The whole waist is turned 360 degrees and the legs folded in. The trickiest part is that once the legs are folded and the lower wings in place, there are pegs on the back that plug into the folded in arms to secure the lower section of the plane mode. This is tricky because the pegs are 'T' shaped and can turn so you need to align it with the socket before pushing it in or there is potential for deforming or breaking the peg.
Overall, it is a fairly straight forward transformation and as mentioned, the instructions do a good job of helping you follow the sequence and even points out the fragile parts.
Once you transform the toy once, you are unlikely to need the instructions again and the engineering is straight forward enough to transform the toy nice and quickly once you are familiar with it...just be very careful of the pointy bits! :)
Plane Mode
Before release, when Mastermind Creations was previewing the plane mode for screecher, I was actually rather underwhelmed by it. I accepted that they were following Guido Guidi's design very closely but even so, I wasn't that keen on it and actually wasn't expecting much from this mode....However all that changed once I saw it in real life for the first time!
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher18.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher19.JPG
Although the shape of this toy is not very aerodynamic, the impressive wing span is enough to sell the illusion of flight capability. The wings are molded to resemble bat wings similar to the early plane designs of Leonardo DaVinci and the early French design in the photo at top which does fit in nicely with the early pre-Wright brothers plane designs which often looked just as awkward when it comes to a lack of a streamlined aerodynamic shape. From the top view, the shape is actually more stremlined and actually kind of looks like a batarang :D
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher23.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher42.JPG
Thanks to the wider frame, the pointy bits are not as bad here as they are more spread out so the plane is easier to handle for play which is great. The main colors are distributed just as well as in the robot mode making this toy distinctively identifiable as Starscream despite the strange plane shape.
The plane mode is solid with no loose or floppy parts although as to be expected, it is fairly static aside from the rotor blades. However despite this, the plane mode still offers a good amount of play value due to retracting landing gears that are actually train wheels and compatible with the rails that come with v2 of Knight Morpher Commander and Annihilator.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher24.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher25.JPG
With or without the rails the wheels do roll fairly smoothly although it needs to be guided along without the tracks. A related function is that the plane mode can be pulled by either KM Commander or Annihilator as it can be plugged into the train hinge as a carriage.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher31.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher32.JPG
In addition, several Knight Morpher Seekers can be linked together like a bizzare winged train as shown in the included comic pulled by Annihilator.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher33.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher34.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher48.JPG
I very much enjoyed this mode, much more than expected which was a pleasant surprise, specially as it was actually a bit of a detractor for me getting this toy. However once I had it in hand, it didn't take much for me to warm up to it and I now like it just as much as the robot mode. It certainly pulls the Steampunk vehicle look even though it is unlike anything I have ever seen before but after I begun to compare it to early experimental aircraft from the 19th centtury and before, the strangeness and awkwardness of the design started to make sense within the Steampunk theme. The added play value with the train wheels and interconnectivity only added to my new appreciation for this odd plane design.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher43.JPG
Overall
This is by far the most refined, playable and balanced toy from Mastermind Creations released so far. Although Cyclops was only released a couple of months ago, this toy still feels like a considerable step forward when it comes to design, playability and quality. Unfortunately, Knight Morpher Commander now looks very dated next to Screecher due to his blocky and somewhat stiff design but both still look good together as they share the same Steampunk theme.
The plastic is certainly not as thick as a Hasbro toy as there aren't many large solid pieces but still feels durable and stable aside from the pointy bits and rotors. If you have the money and are into these Steampunk designs, definetely worth the asking price. The same goes if you simply appreciate a well designed, high quality toy with good play value.
Not cheap but if you like the design and theme, you won't be disappointed :)
More pics:
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher1.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher5.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher28.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher41.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher39.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher38.JPG
Comparison Time! - Yeah I stole it (http://pixel-dan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ComparisonTimeTShirtTitle.jpg) :p
With Classics Prime:
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher45.JPG
With Classics Starscream
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher46.JPG
With G1 Starscream
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher47.JPG
Thanks for reading :D
Some Background:
As you may already know, the Mastermind Creations' Knight Morpher series is based on IDW's 'Hearts of Steel' designs by Guido Guidi that depicted a 'What if' alternate universe in that The Transformers awaken at the dawn of the Industrial age of the late 1800s instead of 1984. Among several retro redesigned 'Steampunk' G1 Characters, was Starscream as shown below whose design is the main inspiration for KM-05 Screecher.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lxwulFvX1rawwabo1_r1_1280.jpg
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screech1.JPG
As you can see, the design is very close although the toy does take some aesthetic liberties from the original Guido design, more so than KM Cyclops. However the departures from the comic design are minor with most of the sculpt following Guido's art including the proposed engineering and implied gimmicks which we will discuss in more in detail later.
Guido's steampunk plane design is a bit on the odd side but I believe it was intended to be a bit of an amalgamation between the Wright Brother's plane, DaVinci's flying machine and the early 'bat' winged plane by french inventor Clement Ader:
http://abparis.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/img_1238.jpg
However how aerodynamic Guidi's design actually is can be debated (I say not very ;) ).
KM Screecher comes packaged in Robot mode so we'll start there.
Robot Mode:
In-Package KM-Screecher comes with the wings disconected from the back of the robot mode, most likely done to reduce the package size as Screecher has a considerable wing span. Snapping in the wings was at first a little fiddly but once I worked out the method, it was easy and rather enjoyable given the somewhat unorthodox way of locking them in. The wings first click on a peg and socket as the initial placement but then there is also a second locking mechanism which has to be properly aligned. Once this is accomplished, you turn the gears in place to lock the wings in securely.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher11.JPG
Very unusual and it could be argued that this method of attaching the wings is unnecessary but it does provide a kind of 'Pre-Industrial Age' atmosphere to the toy, specially at this early stage since this is likely the first thing you will do. You are not just plugging the wings in but turning gears that clamp the wing in place. Yes, this could easily have been accomplished in a more orthodox way by just plugging in the wings but having to turn gears to lock them in is rather cool and goes with the 'steampunk' theme of the toy.
Out of the package my first impression was a little off, I thought Screecher would be taller, but he is actually more of in between deluxe and voyager. He scales well with Knight Morpher Commander but otherwise I felt a little disappointed at his height and also a bit on the 'lite' size as there wasn't much weight to him out of package. However this initial feeling of 'falling short' quickly went away as I finished assembling the wings and begun to play with the figure, noticing the engineering, appreciating the quality feel of the plastic and all the sculpt detail that went into it. Adding the wings increased the overall weight considerably and Screecher begun to feel more sturdy.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher2.JPG
Once I got Screecher all together and posed him for the first time, the personality of the toy really comes out due to no small measure by his really nice face sculpt. The face is a somewhat a stylized version of Starscream's classic smirk and this immediately defines the personality and character of the toy. The head sculpt is a bit on the anime side and can be described as simplistic but it is nonetheless very expressive which strangely enough compliments the highly detailed body very well. The foldable 'batwing' ears also serve to inject a bit more personality to an already very expressive face.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher8.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher4.JPG
The eyes like previous Mastermind Creation releases also offer a light pipe but due to the size of the head and hood kibble it is unfortunately not as effective as previous releases.
In regards to the body, Starscream is composed of a light weight but still high quality looking plastic which feels durable enough for easy movement and play. When it comes to base plastic colors, The grey dominates the limbs and wings but it isn't a cheap looking grey like Hasbro's but a Mat color and slightly metallic. The red is a nice shiny metallic red while the blue also has a
metalic shine even if more subtle than the red with the forearms looking better than the feet. Finally we have the joints which are composed of a dark gun metal color offering a nice contrast between the brighter colors.
What really stands out is the painted detailing. The chest has some nice metallic gold paint apps highlighting the molded details such as the outline of the chest and wing rotors, the rivets on the collar intakes and the shoulder side vents look particularly nice. The stripes on the wings are somewhat simplistic by design but a nice solid red that screams quality. The nice touch ups with the metallic blue on the thrusters and and wing 'knobs' also look particularly nice. There is a lot of painted detail here with several small rivets and vents painted gold, blue or grey. The quality of the paint job is flawless with no errors or spill overs emphasizing that Screecher is a high end collector piece and not just a cheap walmart toy.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher3.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher10.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher7.JPG
As mentioned, the overall mold is somewhat busy with details such as rivets, vents, gears and other sculpted components that follow the 'steampunk' industrial age feel of the toy. Screecher may have been a little shorter than I expected but this does not take away that a lot of attention to detail went into his sculpt specially around the legs and chest. There is even sculpted and painted detail hidden behind areas that would otherwise be visually obstructed by other parts adding to the fun that you will most likely discover something new every time you play with the toy :)
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher17.JPG
The latest thing I noticed was what looks like an electric filament coil on Screecher's lower back painted in a nice wire thin gold.
Unfortunately there are some flaws to the sculpt and a couple can be a little jarring if very minor overall. For some reason the molding scars (from injection or when it was cut from the parts tree) are rather large. The designers have done their best to keep them out of sight but even so, the scar on the back of the 'step wing' that are above the robot mode heels has a mold scar so large that when I first saw it, I thought a part had snapped but luckily this was not the case. This is the most noticeable mold scar while the others are hidden behind or inside panels making them virtually invisible.
Although this is almost like nit picking, when I noticed the heel mold scar for the first time, it made me think that something had snapped off.
Now the articulation - Screecher has a very high and sophisticated level of articulation for a Transforming toy with double jointed knees and elbows, posable toes and ball jointed neck. For maximum stability, the shoulders and thighs have very satisfying ratcheting joints that help to maintain many poses and although Screecher has some prominent back kibble with the wings, they do not hinder his articulation at all unless you intend to pose the arms pointing backwards. The large back wings also do not hinder the balance of the toy at all and actually adds weight for more sturdy dynamic poses and neither do the waist blades as they are on a waist line rotor and hinges that allows them to be easily moved out of the way.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher9.JPG
The articulation also enables a 'Mech Alive' gimmick in the legs. When you move the knee joints, you will see a large barrel and drum on the outer sides of the lower leg spin and turn! This is an awesome feature which further adds to the enjoyment of playing with this toy as well as it's 'satisfaction' value.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher16.JPG
Some of the peripheral articulation and 'weapon' gimmicks available to Screecher's robot mode is the ability to spin the arm mini-gun barrels (although they are very stiffly), rotate the wrists and of course the spinning blade rotors. The arm canons are detachable and can be joined into a single double barrel gun although this really doesn't work that well and ends up looking rather silly with Screecher having difficulty holding it so I prefer to leave them as individual guns. The waist blades can be detached and placed in Screecher's hands like swords although this is probably the part of the toy you have to be the most careful with as they are rather thin and fragile. The blades are also at first very hard to detach from the hinges so be very careful and make sure you follow the instructions but they become easier to detach a second time. Once the blades are in Screechers hands they do look rather cool although I prefer the handles to have been lower so that they look more like traditional swords. These blades can also attach into one big Klingon Bat'leth like two handed blade. The last (and for me rather lame) gimmick is that you can detach Screecher's back wings and turn them into this giant shuriken type thing which to me looks ridiculous and super lame so I don't think I will be displaying him with that function.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher12.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher13.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher15.JPG
Overall, very nicely done when it comes to the gimmicks and weapons although a couple do fall short or fail entirely but that could be just my opinion.
Although Screecher's robot mode is fantastic, there are some things worth mentioning but none truly deter much from this exemplary design, there are important factors to consider. Screecher has an awful lot of dangerous pointy bits which make this toy Not Suitable at all for kids under 15yo to hold, not even under adult supervision. The pointy bits are highlighted in a warning sheet that comes with the instructions but the problem is not so much that you may end up with a poked eye and more that the points are rather thin and could potentially break. This is particularly so on the wing and dorsal fin tips but even the rotors feel thin and fragile enough to accidentally break if you accidentally apply pressure.
To illustrate how potentially dangerous these points are, I will put forth this scenario: Imagine the common event in which the toy drops from the shelf and you instinctively swoop in to catch it as it falls, with Screecher you will end up with these potential outcomes: A) Your hands will be bleeding B) The wing tips will be broken c) Both A & B. Certainly not something you would let your little nephew play with unless he wants to permanently play pirate (or Nick Fury).
Overall, I am loving this robot mode, it is awesome in every sense of the word and with great articulation and paint value, even if you have to be very careful with it due to the pointy bits. The paint apps in this mode are fantastic and despite it's 'light weight' the robot mode feels very solid and doesn't feel cheap at all.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher14.JPG
Transformation
Screecher's transformation is fairly straightforward and relatively easy to do but it can be a little intimidating or odd at first so I will mention some features and things to watch out for while transforming him. The instructions are excellent in illustrating the transformation step by step so those who plan to buy the toy, should have little trouble.
Note that during the whole transformation, one has to be conscious of the rotor blades as well as the wings and fin tips. It is very easy to accidentally apply pressure to one of these points while locking in the parts which could result in bending or snapping the part or at worse, a nasty cut (I would actually prefer the cut than breaking the toy :p ).
Screecher features an 'automorph' gimmick in the wing transformation. When you rotate the wings up so that they are leveled with the ground, the head lowers into the torso simultaneously and the shoulder intakes automatically fall back to lay flat on top of the torso. As this is happening, the large shoulder gears start to turn which is is a nice added feature which adds to the retro mechanical theme of the design. The only part to be careful with the automorph is that you have to be aware of the rotor blades which could accidentally be bent or snapped off if not careful but one has to be really rough for this to happen.
Although the body of the airplane may seem like just the robot mode torso with the limbs folded in, it is a little more elaborate than that, the shoulders lower a bit and the whole waist turns around 360 degrees. Before you move to transforming the legs, it is advised that you finish the upper body first as transforming the arms in order to position and secure the mid-section wings can be a bit tricky. The fists can be folded into the arms by opening a panel door in a similar manner as several Hasbro toys such as MP Grimlock or Megatron with the exception that you are not meant to close the panel door just yet. After folding and positioning the arms, the blade wings once leveled can now slide into the forarms through seams in the sculpt and locked in place by closing the panel that hides the folded in fists. This leaves the mid-section wings leveled to the ground and secured.
Transforming the legs is fairly straight forward. The whole waist is turned 360 degrees and the legs folded in. The trickiest part is that once the legs are folded and the lower wings in place, there are pegs on the back that plug into the folded in arms to secure the lower section of the plane mode. This is tricky because the pegs are 'T' shaped and can turn so you need to align it with the socket before pushing it in or there is potential for deforming or breaking the peg.
Overall, it is a fairly straight forward transformation and as mentioned, the instructions do a good job of helping you follow the sequence and even points out the fragile parts.
Once you transform the toy once, you are unlikely to need the instructions again and the engineering is straight forward enough to transform the toy nice and quickly once you are familiar with it...just be very careful of the pointy bits! :)
Plane Mode
Before release, when Mastermind Creations was previewing the plane mode for screecher, I was actually rather underwhelmed by it. I accepted that they were following Guido Guidi's design very closely but even so, I wasn't that keen on it and actually wasn't expecting much from this mode....However all that changed once I saw it in real life for the first time!
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher18.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher19.JPG
Although the shape of this toy is not very aerodynamic, the impressive wing span is enough to sell the illusion of flight capability. The wings are molded to resemble bat wings similar to the early plane designs of Leonardo DaVinci and the early French design in the photo at top which does fit in nicely with the early pre-Wright brothers plane designs which often looked just as awkward when it comes to a lack of a streamlined aerodynamic shape. From the top view, the shape is actually more stremlined and actually kind of looks like a batarang :D
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher23.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher42.JPG
Thanks to the wider frame, the pointy bits are not as bad here as they are more spread out so the plane is easier to handle for play which is great. The main colors are distributed just as well as in the robot mode making this toy distinctively identifiable as Starscream despite the strange plane shape.
The plane mode is solid with no loose or floppy parts although as to be expected, it is fairly static aside from the rotor blades. However despite this, the plane mode still offers a good amount of play value due to retracting landing gears that are actually train wheels and compatible with the rails that come with v2 of Knight Morpher Commander and Annihilator.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher24.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher25.JPG
With or without the rails the wheels do roll fairly smoothly although it needs to be guided along without the tracks. A related function is that the plane mode can be pulled by either KM Commander or Annihilator as it can be plugged into the train hinge as a carriage.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher31.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher32.JPG
In addition, several Knight Morpher Seekers can be linked together like a bizzare winged train as shown in the included comic pulled by Annihilator.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher33.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher34.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher48.JPG
I very much enjoyed this mode, much more than expected which was a pleasant surprise, specially as it was actually a bit of a detractor for me getting this toy. However once I had it in hand, it didn't take much for me to warm up to it and I now like it just as much as the robot mode. It certainly pulls the Steampunk vehicle look even though it is unlike anything I have ever seen before but after I begun to compare it to early experimental aircraft from the 19th centtury and before, the strangeness and awkwardness of the design started to make sense within the Steampunk theme. The added play value with the train wheels and interconnectivity only added to my new appreciation for this odd plane design.
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher43.JPG
Overall
This is by far the most refined, playable and balanced toy from Mastermind Creations released so far. Although Cyclops was only released a couple of months ago, this toy still feels like a considerable step forward when it comes to design, playability and quality. Unfortunately, Knight Morpher Commander now looks very dated next to Screecher due to his blocky and somewhat stiff design but both still look good together as they share the same Steampunk theme.
The plastic is certainly not as thick as a Hasbro toy as there aren't many large solid pieces but still feels durable and stable aside from the pointy bits and rotors. If you have the money and are into these Steampunk designs, definetely worth the asking price. The same goes if you simply appreciate a well designed, high quality toy with good play value.
Not cheap but if you like the design and theme, you won't be disappointed :)
More pics:
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher1.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher5.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher28.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher41.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher39.JPG
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher38.JPG
Comparison Time! - Yeah I stole it (http://pixel-dan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ComparisonTimeTShirtTitle.jpg) :p
With Classics Prime:
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher45.JPG
With Classics Starscream
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher46.JPG
With G1 Starscream
http://kupscigar.com/collection2012/Screech/screecher47.JPG
Thanks for reading :D