griffin
31st May 2010, 04:34 PM
Toy Review - Huffer w/ Caliburst
Series - Power Core Combiners
Sub-line - 2-pack
Size - Commander w/ Minicon
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May 2010
Approximate Retail Price - $15-20
Approximate Size - 10cm (Huffer), 5cm (Caliburst)
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Truck (Huffer), weapon/armour (Caliburst)
Main Features/Gimmicks - Combiner core (Huffer), weapon/armou (Caliburst)
Main Colours - Orange/black (Huffer), blue/grey (Caliburst)
Main Accessories - none (Caliburst is the accessory)
My Difficulty rating (out of 5) - 1.5
Stability - Holds together and stands well (Huffer), more stable than the other 2 Minicons (Caliburst)
Poseability/articulation - Good articulation for both figures in their robot modes.
Playability - On its own, play is good, as both modes work well and is easy to convert (the easiest of the three 2-packs). But with other PCCs, specifically the 5-packs, this toy has extra play value. Although, without drones, the Powerup mode is essentially unusable, wasting a third of this toy if it is the only PCC you buy.
Other Comments -
Huffer would have had a really great truck mode if it weren't for the 2 blue pegs sticking up erect at the back. If they were black, they would have just looked like part of the truck, but side-on, the truck mode is just totally ruined by them. Even attaching the Minicon in gun mode on the back doesn't help distract the eye. The packaging photos are very deceptive. The packaging shows a dark blue peg at the back, half hidden by part of the truck mode, because the photo is from the front. As such, it doesn't look too bad because of the blue minicon next to it. But looking at the toy with 2 bright blue pegs on a yellow truck... not good.
Compare that to the robot head, which is folded down and becomes part of the front bumper - but you don't realise it in the photos until you play with the toy, because the colour hides it. The pegs should have been done in colours to blend in with each toy.
The chest-armour gimmick of the minicons (each minicon has one mode that is dedicated to armour) is pretty lame, as it sticks out like a tumorous growth. A nice play gimmick for the kiddies, but not something I'd be doing to display them, as the Commander's own chest-sculpting is better looking than the minicons (which the minicons end up hiding when attached).
In Powerup (Combined) mode, both Drone sets in the first-wave go well with Huffer (to me), because Huffer is both dark and bright, matching the dark Combaticons and colourful Aerialbots.
Pics of the combinations can be seen here (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=7735).
My Rating (out of 10) - 7.5
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/pcc05.jpg
Series - Power Core Combiners
Sub-line - 2-pack
Size - Commander w/ Minicon
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May 2010
Approximate Retail Price - $15-20
Approximate Size - 10cm (Huffer), 5cm (Caliburst)
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Truck (Huffer), weapon/armour (Caliburst)
Main Features/Gimmicks - Combiner core (Huffer), weapon/armou (Caliburst)
Main Colours - Orange/black (Huffer), blue/grey (Caliburst)
Main Accessories - none (Caliburst is the accessory)
My Difficulty rating (out of 5) - 1.5
Stability - Holds together and stands well (Huffer), more stable than the other 2 Minicons (Caliburst)
Poseability/articulation - Good articulation for both figures in their robot modes.
Playability - On its own, play is good, as both modes work well and is easy to convert (the easiest of the three 2-packs). But with other PCCs, specifically the 5-packs, this toy has extra play value. Although, without drones, the Powerup mode is essentially unusable, wasting a third of this toy if it is the only PCC you buy.
Other Comments -
Huffer would have had a really great truck mode if it weren't for the 2 blue pegs sticking up erect at the back. If they were black, they would have just looked like part of the truck, but side-on, the truck mode is just totally ruined by them. Even attaching the Minicon in gun mode on the back doesn't help distract the eye. The packaging photos are very deceptive. The packaging shows a dark blue peg at the back, half hidden by part of the truck mode, because the photo is from the front. As such, it doesn't look too bad because of the blue minicon next to it. But looking at the toy with 2 bright blue pegs on a yellow truck... not good.
Compare that to the robot head, which is folded down and becomes part of the front bumper - but you don't realise it in the photos until you play with the toy, because the colour hides it. The pegs should have been done in colours to blend in with each toy.
The chest-armour gimmick of the minicons (each minicon has one mode that is dedicated to armour) is pretty lame, as it sticks out like a tumorous growth. A nice play gimmick for the kiddies, but not something I'd be doing to display them, as the Commander's own chest-sculpting is better looking than the minicons (which the minicons end up hiding when attached).
In Powerup (Combined) mode, both Drone sets in the first-wave go well with Huffer (to me), because Huffer is both dark and bright, matching the dark Combaticons and colourful Aerialbots.
Pics of the combinations can be seen here (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=7735).
My Rating (out of 10) - 7.5
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/pcc05.jpg