Toy Review - Earthrise Cliffjumper

[GoktimusPrime]

CLIFFJUMPER
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Earthrise
Hypo-line - War for Cybertron
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - March 2020
Approximate Retail Price - $29
Approximate Size - 1dm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - 1980s style sports coupe
Main Features/Gimmicks - Not a repaint/retool of Bumblebee
Main Colours - red
Main Accessories - 3 piece glass-gas bazooka which can divide into smaller guns and skis for car mode.

https://i.ibb.co/0GNrXJp/Earthrise-cliffjumper01.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/dgrbXhV/Earthrise-cliffjumper02.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Sy5Ftsy/Earthrise-cliffjumper03.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/0BkmGFz/Earthrise-cliffjumper03a.jpg

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https://i.ibb.co/G3yRdDx/Earthrise-cliffjumper07a.jpg

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https://i.ibb.co/7yr4dfk/Earthrise-cliffjumper07c.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/j4dJXqf/Earthrise-cliffjumper07d.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/s200Y6V/Earthrise-cliffjumper07e.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/rGZKx71/Earthrise-cliffjumper07f.jpg

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https://i.ibb.co/N9tZ3Y6/Earthrise-cliffjumper11.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/fHZJ8D1/Earthrise-cliffjumper12.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/n75fRnZ/Earthrise-cliffjumper13.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/0nj7ftF/Earthrise-cliffjumper13a.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/s1CRYxG/Earthrise-cliffjumper15.jpg

[dirge]

Definitely worth buying. It still amazes me it took 14 years of various classics lines for Hasbro to give us an actual Cliffjumper.

Sure he's small for a deluxe... but 1) he scales with the other Minibots done as Legends (maybe half a head taller) and 2) with a 6 piece weapon & almost all the red being painted rather than just straight red plastic, they HAVE used the deluxe budget here.

The rear window kibble piece is my only complaint... but then Optimus Prime's trailer is kibble that doesn't go anywhere in robot mode and we all just accept that ;)

[GoktimusPrime]

Definitely worth buying. It still amazes me it took 14 years of various classics lines for Hasbro to give us an actual Cliffjumper.

Main Features/Gimmicks - Not a repaint/retool of Bumblebee
:) To paraphrase Robin Hood Men In Tights: "Because, unlike some other Cliffjumpers, I'm not a repaint of Bumblebee." :D

Sure he's small for a deluxe... but 1) he scales with the other Minibots done as Legends (maybe half a head taller)
Plus how many other times do we get to say that a Transformer is exactly 1 decimetre tall? ;) I should take a photo next to some Microman figures. :p

Approximate Size - 1dm

[dirge]

Plus how many other times do we get to say that a Transformer is exactly 1 decimetre tall? ;)


I saw you did that... I just chose to ignore it.

[Autocon]

He looks good.

[Sutton]

The size doesn't bug me, Studio Series Jazz is fantastic at a reduced size.

But the 'shield' cop out really does. It's weak design work, the same as it is on Arcee. I could forgive it if transformed further to actually become a shield but in both cases it's an obvious piece of cars. Holding on to an old TV doesn't make it a shield, and standing on a sideways fridge doesn't make it a hoverboard. Not sure why these guys are getting passes on this point.

[GoktimusPrime]

But the 'shield' cop out really does. It's weak design work, the same as it is on Arcee. I could forgive it if transformed further to actually become a shield but in both cases it's an obvious piece of cars.
I see it as something similar to a high transparency riot shield (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Police_officer_in_riot_gear.jpg), which in real life can even be used in military-like formations (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Protest_0030.JPG).


Holding on to an old TV doesn't make it a shield,
LOL. :D That just made Cliffjumper's shield even better for me. Now he can distract opponents or entertain restless civilians with video clips! :D
https://i.ibb.co/CPXkwnz/temp.jpg

[Sinnertwin]

The size doesn't bug me, Studio Series Jazz is fantastic at a reduced size.

But the 'shield' cop out really does. It's weak design work, the same as it is on Arcee. I could forgive it if transformed further to actually become a shield but in both cases it's an obvious piece of cars. Holding on to an old TV doesn't make it a shield, and standing on a sideways fridge doesn't make it a hoverboard. Not sure why these guys are getting passes on this point.

People will justify having paid $10-$15 more for a $19 figure any which way they can.
If you look at it objectively, it fails in both design and price/size class.

[GoktimusPrime]

Cliffjumper is trying to achieve something that no other Cliffjumper toy★ has ever done before.
* a realistically proportioned vehicle mode, not the deformed squat car mode of the G1 toy
* a squat looking robot mode
* not be a repaint/retool of an existing Bumblebee mould
So you have the paradox of having an elongated sports car transform into a stout humanoid robot form. If this were a more expensive toy such as a Masterpiece, then sure, it could be done. But given that it has been allocated the maximum budget of a Deluxe Class figure, I think that they've done a pretty impressive job. Okay, the shield thing is a cheat, but to incorporate that back kibble would most probably have exceeded the budget.

Now having said all that, does the base figure really justify the Deluxe price point? On its own, no. But it's beyond the Legends price point too - this is way above any Legends Class toy. Now you could create a whole new price point that's between Legends and Deluxe, but Hasbro's decided not to do that, so they've used up the rest of the budget on the bazooka which is basically an accessory pack. When we combine the whole package, then yeah, we can see why it's a Deluxe figure. Would this toy be cheaper if it didn't come with the bazooka? Sure. But a lot of MPs would be heaps cheaper if they didn't come with their accessories too, just look at Hasbro's MP Rodimus Prime vs TakaraTOMY's MP-9 etc. And Earthrise Optimus Prime would easily be $50 if they didn't include the trailer (and I'm not convinced that the trailer is necessarily worth another $50).

Okay, so a Legends Class figure has a max RRP of $20 and a Deluxe has a max RRP of $35 (and I saw Deluxe Earthrise toys at Myer at this price today). So if we are to agree that Cliffjumper is better than a Legends but not as good as a Deluxe, then the appropriate price to pay would lie midway between $20 to $35, yes? Mathematically speaking, this would be $27.50. I paid $29 for mine at Kmart, so I'm perfectly happy with that. I also got Ironworks from Myer and got them to price match Kmart, so also paid $29 for him. So yeah, just get these toys from Kmart, or if you find them at a dearer price elsewhere, get them to price match. Problem solved, keep calm and play on. :)

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★obviously not including non-G1 based Cliffjumpers like Armada, Energon etc.

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P.S.: I think that Cliffjumper better justifies his price point than say Siege Shockwave or Astrotrain. Both Shockwave and Astrotrain's alt mode attachments are completely superfluous - you could put them aside and it makes no real difference to the core toy. Cliffjumper's shield is at least meaningful to the toy and is still functional in robot mode. It also serves a purpose in covering up what would be a huge gap in the alt mode; Astrotrain's shuttle mode has this ridiculous gap which the accessory utterly fails to conceal, and that's a Leader Class toy! :eek: There is no way to cover up Astrotrain's shuttle gap. At least Cliffjumper has a solution.

[Tha_Phantom]

Well said Gok. This may not quite be a $35 toy but it's certainly not a $19 toy either.

[Sinnertwin]

It's still a $19 toy masquerading as a Deluxe no matter how you try and justify it. But you like it, that's cool.

[GoktimusPrime]

It's still a $19 toy masquerading as a Deluxe no matter how you try and justify it.
L-R: (using today's max RRPs)
Deluxe Classics Cliffjumper = $35
Deluxe Earthrise Cliffjumper = $35
Legends Titans Return* Bumblebee = $20
https://i.ibb.co/s1CRYxG/Earthrise-cliffjumper15.jpg
So you're saying that ER Cliffjumper should be sold for less than Legends Class Bumblebee? :confused: If that's what you think then that's fine, but I respectfully disagree. Cliffjumper may not be worth maximum RRP at $35, but at a discounted price like $29 I think he's fine. I suppose if you want to buy one for $19 just wait a few months and grab a loose one off the used toys market.

----------------------------------
*Yes, I know it's the TakaraTOMY LG Bumble which was more expensive than TR Bumblebee as it came with the Titan Master yada yada, but you get the idea. :p

[Dimi194]

So yes he's small, but I this this figure is great-transformation is fun, car looks great and in robot mode he shines!!
Also the asscorry possibilities are a great touch! Because I bought Hoist and him at the same time I see they spread the 'volume' of materials across the wave so I'm less angry about the price.
My only gripe is that the 5mm post on the backpack/kibble piece is super hard to flip out after you've flipped it in for Vehicle mode... needed to wedge something in there to flip it back out again :S

[Maruten]

I love him. Obviously, yes, he's very small for something that's allegedly a Deluxe. But you can see when he's next to that Legends Bumblebee that he's got a bit more going on than that tiny guy.

The "shield" accessory would annoy me if it didn't attach to the robot mode so... un-intrusively.

[SharkyMcShark]

I don't mind the size at all, but I can't get past the partsforming so this is a miss for me unfortunately.

[Skyfire]

I can't make up my mind about Cliff. His car mode looks too much like my G1 Windcharger and I prefer the G1 cartoon stunted look. And the price is a little high. But his robot mode looks great. And the bazooka, fab!

[GoktimusPrime]

I can't make up my mind about Cliff. His car mode looks too much like my G1 Windcharger and I prefer the G1 cartoon stunted look. And the price is a little high. But his robot mode looks great. And the bazooka, fab!
*shameless plug* For anyone looking for a CHUG Cliffjumper with a compact car mode and no partsforming, I am currently selling my Classics/Gen Cliffjumper (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php/19381-Goki-s-Transformers-sales-thread?p=435133#post435133). :)

[yoshi594]

pro tip: Don't push the peg all the way back on the parts forming bit (the trunk of the car); mine gets stuck and i had a very difficult time getting it out using all sorts of things to wedge it out.

[Trent]

$29 for that size figure is ridiculous. I fail to see the value on any level.

[Paulbot]

The backpack seems to be a big deal so I’m surprised there’s no photos in the original post of what he looks like from behind with it attached and with it missing.

[SharkyMcShark]

This is such a cute little figure I couldn't keep walking past it.

I thought I could get past the partsforming, but really it's just a poor effort. There's no real attempt to make the back part of the car resemble anything other than the back part of a car. You can pretend it's a shield (which just looks like the rear part of a car pegged onto an arm), or you can kludge together a sort of mega gun mode by just clipping the rest of the accessories CJ comes with to it.

It's not great. It should have been worked into the arm transformation.

Which is a shame because the figure is otherwise fun, and the robot mode is gorgeous and characterful.

Unfortunately the fourth deluxe Classics/Gen Cliffjumper released is the weakeast, nothwithstanding that it's the first to use an original mold. GDO CJ> Classics CJ> Generations WFC CJ>Generations ER CJ

[Skyfire]

The robot mode looks great but from the side, his feet remind me of Mafia concrete shoes! (See Hasbro, if you kept him stunted he'd be perfect!) :)

[Butcher31]

I don't have this one yet but probably will some day. His transformation looks like a simplified MP21 (apart from the "shield" part). The feet and arms/side-torso look remarkably familiar.

Is that accurate, or are they quite different?

[Tha_Phantom]

I don't have this one yet but probably will some day. His transformation looks like a simplified MP21 (apart from the "shield" part). The feet and arms/side-torso look remarkably familiar.

Is that accurate, or are they quite different?

I got to mess with it today. The feet are similar, in that the wheels fold away and the doors wrap around the back, but otherwise it's a very different transformation to MP-21. The overall aesthetic is similar though, scale aside.

[Tha_Phantom]

I decided to do a comparison of ER Cliffjumper with various legends and deluxe figures I had from recent years. Cliffjumper is definitely more on par with a deluxe than a legends based on his parts count and transformation steps.

CW Wreckgar
23 parts
7 steps

CW Pipes
30 parts
7 steps

TR Bumblebee
25 parts
6 steps

POTP Beachcomber
23 parts
7 steps

POTP Slash
25 parts
7 steps

POTP Jazz
44 parts
8 steps

Siege Rafraktor
35 parts
10 steps

Siege Spinister
41 parts
11 steps

Siege Impactor
43 parts
11 steps

Earthrise Hoist
37 parts
14 steps

Earthrise Cliffjumper
46 parts
12 steps

[dirge]

CW Wreckgar
23 parts
7 steps

CW Pipes
30 parts
7 steps


Hehe. This doesn't make Wreck-Gar look good...

[GoktimusPrime]

Hehe. This doesn't make Wreck-Gar look good...
CW Wreck-Gar is just a redeco of that little Legends Class CW Groove toy (becomes the chest-plate for the gestalt robot)

[dirge]

CW Wreck-Gar is just a redeco of that little Legends Class CW Groove toy (becomes the chest-plate for the gestalt robot)

Oh my bad. I was thinking it was the Deluxe Groove repaint.

[Butcher31]

I got to mess with it today. The feet are similar, in that the wheels fold away and the doors wrap around the back, but otherwise it's a very different transformation to MP-21. The overall aesthetic is similar though, scale aside.

Yeah, you're right. I got it yesterday. The feet wrap around, the arms swing up, but the rest is different. The way the legs swing above the head is interesting. It does look painful though. Like so many Transformers, my back hurts just thinking about the bends they have to do to convert.

Cool figure. It feels like the money saved from the materials/size went into the details and finish. I love the MP10-esque matt red plastic.

[Maruten]

ERCJ having more parts than any of those other Deluxes is pretty interesting. I guess he packs a lot into that diminutive size.

[GoktimusPrime]

Like so many Transformers, my back hurts just thinking about the bends they have to do to convert.
Makes one appreciative of the contortionists that they used in mocap suits for the live action movies. :p ;) :p

[SMHFConvoy]

Just got him today and peeps, try plugging the boot in the other way around, I think there may or might've been plans for Throttlebots.

[Lint]

Just picked this guy up.

While at first appearance he looks like an upsized Legends class figure this guy is definitely packing deluxe class engineering and articulation. Swivel wrists... we haven't seen this since the days of Reveal the Shield! ( I am probably wrong but you get my point)

Further to this his matte paint job is just plain SEXY and I love the sculpting on the front end that makes it look like a classic 80's mazda/ferrari/porsche

I dig the accessories as well and how they play into the figure. Apart from the typical, hey I've got guns mounted on the hood. We also get a skidoo mode which is actually pretty out of the box and awesome. The gun parts also appear to have a lot more combination potential than what we've seen in the past and are on par with, if not exceeding the accessories coming from previous lines like Commander Jetfire, Leader Shockwave and even weaponizes like Sixgun. My only worry is that the ski pieces may be easily lost.

The infamous boot cover is indeed disappointing but necessary in my opinion. I don't think there was a practical way to keep that beautiful front end transformation AND keep Cliffjumper's bot mode free from excessive kibble without this partsforming. Now that I look at it, I wonder if a 3P manufacturer is working on alternative boot pieces, perhaps one that makes him look like a sports Ute?



Just got him today and peeps, try plugging the boot in the other way around, I think there may or might've been plans for Throttlebots.

Waaaaaaaaaat

[TaZZerath]

My CJ arrived in the post today and I love him to bits already. Poseable with great stability, a variety of weapon setups and configurations, really solid alt mode with weapon integration (for bonus points) and a really sexy red paint job and headsculpt. Worth the money in my opinion!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Got mine today (TTmall exclusive here in Japan...) and damn its a great toys. Definitely more to him than the smaller class size, I see why he's in the deluxe range. So much going on its wonderful! I thin k most people have covered my thoughts on him already.

[Bidoofdude]

Just got him today and peeps, try plugging the boot in the other way around, I think there may or might've been plans for Throttlebots.

Wow, it's quite effective. I am eagerly awaiting a Bumblebee reshell/retool, especially if it's a VW. This makes me excited for the prospect of a Goldbug too (which I also want badly), with the back flipped the other way around.

[Skyfire]

Here's an interesting undocumented feature; he has a neck hinge joint that allows him to look down, a bit more more head tilt sideways and full head rotation (normally the side of his head strikes the black rim behind his head limiting rotation to 45 degrees).

While the roof of the car is bent down, place your thumb below the black hinge on the front below the head, put your index finger behind the head and lever forward. It's quite a tight joint as there is a tab keeping it together.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51755163909_6d6c86c510_k.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/188963544@N02/k4481b)

You can bend the head more forward if you allow the roof to open more.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51755163944_4acaeddfb0_k.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/188963544@N02/9930CP)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51754765668_79a488a770_k.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/188963544@N02/5bCJzs)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51754522721_c1dca1164a_k.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/188963544@N02/tNrN1w)