Review 10-016 - Crossovers Captain America

http://www.otca.com.au/tr10016a.jpg

Review 10-016 - Captain America
Series - Crossovers
Sub-line - Marvel Transformers
Size - Basic
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 3
Released here - May not be released here (out in US Jan 2009)
Approximate Retail Price - $30-40
Approximate Size - 17cm
Allegiance - 'Good'
Alt-mode - Armored 4x4
Main Features/Gimmicks - Pop-out shield
Main Colours - Dark blue, Red.
Main Accessories - Shield
My Difficulty rating (out of 5) - 2.5
Stability - Very good in both modes. Shoulders feel like a design flaw though, as they don't lock in anywhere, but is the only way to have articulation at the shoulders. As such, the arms just seem to hang out from the shoulders rather loosly.
Poseability/articulation - Aside from the shoulders, which actually give it full shoulder movement, this toy has all the joints it needs, including a waist joint.
Playability - Good in both modes, with practically no kibble getting in the way of either mode. And the transformation is easy enough to not spoil play.
My Thoughts - I wonder how much, if any, these Marvel Crossovers have any involvement from Takara, as they are done by the Marvel division at Hasbro, and they seem to have a different feel and design asthetic to any existing Transformers series. This one has a very blocky (almost clumsy) look, and appears to have a much more simplified appearance and engineering than regular Transformers. But that doesn't mean they aren't still creative in their own right. I was quite impressed with the way the legs are formed, after initially thinking that they just fold out from the vehicle mode. Instead, there are a number of panels and moving parts that help hide the wheels and create kneecaps and feet. Of the first three waves of Marvel Transformers, this one is probably my favourite so far.
My Overall Recommendation Rating (out of 10) - 8 (If you want one Marvel TFs figure to sample the line, this is one of the better ones)

http://www.otca.com.au/tr10016b.jpg