Toy Review - GEN-15 Legends Bombshell

(Please post comments, photos or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just some brief details to start you off)
Impressions of the group or a combiner as a whole can be posted in the pre-existing group review topic here.

BOMBSHELL
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Combiner Wars
Size/class - Legends
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - scheduled for March 2015 (out in Asia & America December 2014)
Approximate Retail Price - AU$?? (probably about $20) US$10
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Beetle
Main Features/Gimmicks - none (Gen1 homage)
Main Colours - Purple, black, yellow, red, light grey.
Main Accessories - none

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tran...5/gen15a01.jpg
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Bombshell

When did Hasbro get the rights to the name back? Or was the name 'Hardshell' a flight of fancy that never won the fans over? Or maybe too warlike or something? Anyway, I digress....

G1 Bombshell was my 3rd ever TF so I've always loved this little psychopath and this is a great figure that does him justice. The colours are really vibrant, the face on him is absolutely perfect and he is that well proportioned you'd swear he was a non-transforming toy. The bug mode looks good too, though his little connector jet engines coming out the back look a little odd and I had trouble with getting his front insect legs to sit flush on the ground. The Transformation is so like G1 Bombshell (except for the hip swivel) that you would swear they just decided to go the same route.

After playing with him I checked the instructions to see what 3rd mode he had - weapon or armor - to combine with the gestalts and was surprised to find none. I thought all these litle figures were going to do that :confused: He has sort of cannons on the ends of his arms which serve no real purpose so I'll assume that they are for a gun mode that they did not deign to tell us about :rolleyes:

The Hasbro people mentioned at BotCon last year that they "got the name back", so Hardshell was just a temporary alternative until they could reacquire the name in the last year.
It must have expired during the many years between Gen1 Bombshell was registered in 1984/85 (which covered ActionMaster Bombshell in 1991), and the first homage toy in 2008 (Robot Heroes figurine).

Now we just need Shrapnel back, who has been called Sharpshot and Skrapnel since Gen1, but it's too late for the Legends toy. Maybe when Kickback is released (as hinted by Hasbro at BotCon), a future three pack could have the original three names back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev

After playing with him I checked the instructions to see what 3rd mode he had - weapon or armor - to combine with the gestalts and was surprised to find none. I thought all these litle figures were going to do that :confused: He has sort of cannons on the ends of his arms which serve no real purpose so I'll assume that they are for a gun mode that they did not deign to tell us about :rolleyes:

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That's what I was expecting, and surprised to not have, as well. That's why I took a group shot of the four in packaging on both sides, to show how only Powerglide was promoted as being part of a combiner team... which was not what I was lead to believe about the Legends class, especially after the recent Singapore display.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/c388.jpg

A sticker on the front, and the extra detailing on the back for Powerglide, that the other three toys didn't have. I thought they'd at least try to spin them into the Combiner concept in some way, by at least linking them to a Combiner team in their bios. :confused:

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/c389.jpg

Most of those displays at the Singapore show were just fanmodes and messing around. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't G1 Bombshell have posts out his alt-mode rear?

As I mentioned in the CW thread, I really like this version of Bombshell. The colours are deeper and richer than Skrapnel, so it's kinda out of place (I hope Takara releases a Shrapnel that matches)

Bombshell and Powerglide are the only ones that interest me. They look awesome and very Geewon :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prjkt

Most of those displays at the Singapore show were just fanmodes and messing around. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't G1 Bombshell have posts out his alt-mode rear?

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Na, G1 Bombers didnt have anything sticking out the back. Also with the hands, I don't know if he doesn't have a weapons mode why there are cannons (or jet engines?:confused:) on the ends of his arms. G1 Bombshell didn't have those, he just had little lasers on the outsides of his wrists like they have given to the new Generations Firefly. Would seem seem weird for them to be there as they serve no other purpose in either mode

Love Powerglide and Bombshell, but really hate Windcharger!!


http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/...ps549b6e05.jpg

Here's the next review in the Combiner Wars line with Bombshell.


Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Bombshell - YouTube


Great looking figure in either mode! :)

Got this toy today for $19.99 at Uncle Pete's. It's a nice toy, but can't say it's worth paying twenty bucks for, so I voted "Only if..." <---under RRP.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...ps8735fe36.jpg
The "Hasbro Grey" is a bit disappointing, but the rest of the colours on this toy are really nice, especially the purple and yellow. The transformation is pretty neat, and I like how the insect legs fold behind the robot legs to occupy the gap; similar to what was done w/ Voyager Predaking in TFPBH. The posts on the knees and gun barrel tips on the hands indicate to me that this toy may have a yet-to-be-disclosed/discovered weapon mode. I wish the head had articulation and could turn as is shown on the card art -- instead, Bombshell has the Tim Burton's Batman no-neck syndrome. :p