Toy Review - POTP DLX Sludge

[griffin]

(Please post comments, photos or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just some brief details to start you off)

Dinobot Sludge
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Power of the Primes
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 2
Released here - not yet (Asia & America FEB 2017)
Approximate Retail Price - AU$25-35 (US$17)
Approximate Size - 14cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Dinosaur
Main Features/Gimmicks - Combiner limb
Main Colours - Grey, gold, black, red
Main Accessories - gun, combiner fist

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/transformers/2018/gpp22.jpg

[Silverbolt]

I had a rather large delivery of figures from BBTS and it was a easy fro me to decide which one to open first.
Sludge is the only original G1 dinobot i have so i may be a little biased in that i love this character so ill be making a few comparisons.
The dinosaur mode is almost exactly the same as it was in the 80s. A lumbering brute that looks like it should be in a swamp instead of the modern, dynamic reconstructions of Apatosaurus.
But all the dinobots in this line are clearly aiming for the nostalga heart strings.
I've been looking forward to this figure for a long time to see what 30+ year of engineering could do to improve it.

The answer is not much.

The dino mode has about the same articulation. G1 slug has foot movement in the hind legs and virtually no movement in the front legs. PoP slug has virtually no movement in the back legs and elbow moment in the front legs. Best i can make of it is that as least he can pose in a sort of reward pose, which is way more that the G1 sludge could do.
The mouth can open but instead of a head tilt like G1 we get a neck rotate which can give sludge a quizzical look like he is trying really hard to understand.

Some of the dino marking on the snout, back and hind legs seem to reference the original character.
I love that the head is gold with a seperate clear piece over the top. There a no sicker, it all seems to be painted, tamp graphed? (i think that's what you call it)
They've tried to emulate the chromed look by painted silver on the inside to clear plastic.
(ill be adding some liquid chrome to mine to fix this up)

Both Sludges transform in very similar ways, head and neck fold back, chest opens up and from wings on the robot back. The waist swivels 180 and the legs fold out. Although the way the Pop sludge fold his tail away is different. I thought it was really nice that when you turn the rear legs, a heal spur pops out to help balance the robot mode.

The robot mode has doodle of articulation compared to the original sludge. This is where i can see benefit of 30+ years of engineering. It a pity that like most, i think ill be keeping him in dino mode.

I leave the combiner mode for someone else.

Like i said, i'm biased towards this character, despite the dino articulation limitations. He's simple enough while still being interesting and look really, really good with the other Dinobots. If i had a pool room i put him there, but i don't, so instead he and the other Pop Dinobots will be going to live at work on my desk.

[Silverbolt]

Getting the hang of posting photos now, So i thought i'd add a few photos.

I' have added a bit of Liquid chrome to sludges back and tail tip before i took the Photos. His back comes as the same shade of grey on his neck.

http://i65.tinypic.com/29b2gxs.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/d8zsj.jpg


http://i64.tinypic.com/2mmsb4g.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/1j53lh.jpg

[Bidoofdude]

I love how Sludge looks but his dino head looks really stubby. I'm probably a bit too used to the cartoon look.

[SharkyMcShark]

I know that the POTP figure integrates all the contemporary mod cons and also serves as a combiner component, but gosh it looks trash next to the G1 piece.

[M-bot]

I got POTP Sludge today. Unearthed some happy memories - G1 Sludge was the first “big” Transformer I bought as a ~9 year old (‘84? ‘85?), bought at Endeavour Hills Toyworld (long since closed) after saving up my pocket money for weeks. I remember being so excited on the drive to finally pick him up. In my teenage years, I got rid of my G1s, and I regret that deeply. This toy doesn’t replace that one, but I think it will always have a special place in my collection. It makes me smile.

It’s not perfect - I imagine I’ll do some chroming on the wings for instance - but I’m pretty darn happy with him.

[GoktimusPrime]

I know that the POTP figure integrates all the contemporary mod cons and also serves as a combiner component, but gosh it looks trash next to the G1 piece.
Bear in mind that G1 Sludge doesn't combine. And as a "Scramble" gestalt style limb robot, it means that Sludge has to have four modes. We know that HasTak did consider making a dinosaur gestalt team and got as far as creating concept design sketches for it. The engineering would be similar to the G1 Terrorcons and the aesthetics may have been similar to Pretender Grimlock. Basically, they would not have looked like the Diaclone-based Dinobots that we all know and love.

https://image.ibb.co/eO8BgT/temp.jpg

I think the fact that the POTP Dinobots look so similar to the G1 Dinobots is already pretty damn impressive considering that they are burdened with the gimmick of being able to combine. And for the most part, I think that the gimmick is relatively not too intrusive. So would the POTP Dinobots be better if they didn't have to combine? Probably. But I don't think that they're terrible. I have no desire to combine my POTP Dinobots but the fairly minor compromises made to accommodate their combining gimmick isn't a deal breaker for me. I've seen Volcanicus IRL... my eyes glazed over from the lack of interest. :p

[Sutton]

Bear in mind that G1 Sludge doesn't combine. And as a "Scramble" gestalt style limb robot, it means that Sludge has to have four modes. We know that HasTak did consider making a dinosaur gestalt team and got as far as creating concept design sketches for it. The engineering would be similar to the G1 Terrorcons and the aesthetics may have been similar to Pretender Grimlock. Basically, they would not have looked like the Diaclone-based Dinobots that we all know and love.

https://image.ibb.co/eO8BgT/temp.jpg

I think the fact that the POTP Dinobots look so similar to the G1 Dinobots is already pretty damn impressive considering that they are burdened with the gimmick of being able to combine. And for the most part, I think that the gimmick is relatively not too intrusive. So would the POTP Dinobots be better if they didn't have to combine? Probably. But I don't think that they're terrible. I have no desire to combine my POTP Dinobots but the fairly minor compromises made to accommodate their combining gimmick isn't a deal breaker for me. I've seen Volcanicus IRL... my eyes glazed over from the lack of interest. :p

I think the POTP Dinobots are perfectly good updates of the characters, except for the scale - this team needed to be a 'Titan' release way more than the Predacons, IMHO.

And Volcanicus is pretty awesome with some 3P hands and two 'Slash' figures to beef up the torso ;-)

[shockNwave]

I think the POTP Dinobots are perfectly good updates of the characters, except for the scale - this team needed to be a 'Titan' release way more than the Predacons, IMHO.

And Volcanicus is pretty awesome with some 3P hands and two 'Slash' figures to beef up the torso ;-)

Agree that Volcanicus should get preference over Predaking for Titan treatment.


I like it that the gun can be placed under the dino's chin and looks better than the lone gun attached to his side when there should be a gun on either side.
I find the prime armor looks best when attached to the back of the dino's neck whether the spikes are facing forwards or backwards.
Despite being my least favourite dinobot he's quite solid.

[Firestorm]

Finally managed to get my hands on a Sludge.
And he ended up having 2 left shoulders. Darn.

Not super fond of this guy. The “wings” are too low, the head and chest look awkward. But I needed him for completions sake.
Now I just need to hunt down Snarl