Toy Review - MP-33 Inferno
Series – Masterpiece
Size/class - N/A
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - N/A
Released here – No. Released in Japan on November 26, 2016
RRP - 15,120JPY
Approximate Size - 25cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode – Mitsubishi Fuso T951
Main Features/Gimmicks – Retractable ladder
Main Colours – Red
Main Accessories – Anime grill, Alert holding grill, fire fighting rifle, communication equipment (2), face for the square-shaped head, face for the round head (2), water discharge effect parts, round head, barrel, fire hose
http://i.imgur.com/ua09Lvul.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SdKPEbWl.jpg
Ok so i was going into this a little less enthused than most MP releases. Not a particularly big fan of the character, but in the end decided I should get at least one of this mould, and i like me some fire trucks so Inferno it was!
Mitsubishi Fuso T951 mode
Opening it up, the first thing that struck me was that it's bigger than i expected - he's a good half a car length bigger than the MP cars and about the same width. I guess it's in scale so i'm not sure why i was surprised! Anyway, next thing was wow, the vibrancy is top notch. His red is painted pretty much everywhere, only a few joints are red plastic. The red itself looks much like Ironhide and Lambor, but maybe cause of the white accents, just seems to look even brighter - it looks great. The ladder and hoses on the sides are unpainted, but the other white parts have a nice pearlescent covering. The chrome grill really finishes it off nicely!
Going around the alt mode, the detailing is really good on the front of the cab. I love how the top has horns, and how the emergency lights are transparent pieces instead of painted.. The sides are mostly arms but make for a decent look. The tube thingos - i guess they're for balance when the ladder is extended, cause they both slide out. The back is unfortunately bare - just a small moulded ridge on the sides, with no painted or transparent tail lights. Seems especially odd considering he's a rescue truck! It's disappointing, but I can live with it since i'm not gonna display him facing backwards too often!
The windows up front are nicely done - they're nice and smooth from the outside, but they've got a frosting effect on the back that kinda diffuses the view through them - a nice touch to have transparency and better obscure the stuff behind them. The ladder extends out past the front by about a centimetre and doesn't look too small. It ratchets up and down but can't rotate, which is a shame, but seems like it was probably a necessary concession for the transformation. At the front, a nozzle can poke out and you can attach his water effect parts. This looks really nice, going from milky white to transparent - it really gives the impression of a heavy froth in the stream!
He's got a good clearance on the ground, but with the plastic wheels and his weight, doesn't roll so good on a hard surface. The only part of the vehicle that isn't really cohesive is the top middle section of the tray - it's pretty much just a joint. It's mostly hidden from view so not really a big deal. Overall it does look quite realistic and i'm pretty pleased with it! The only real issue i have is on his ladder - as it slides out on a track, one section of it doesn't seem to have an indent to catch it on - it's held in place by friction. Putting the ladder vertical, it won't slide down by itself - but a knock will drop it down a little bit.
Transformation
I wasn't expecting a whole lot here either - since the surprise of the ladder was spoiled a bit in the lead up, and the rest seemed pretty obvious where things go. But it surprised me in how fluid it all feels - it's just really smooth, no hassle, no clearance issues, all the way through. Some parts of the instructions aren't super clear though so you'd still best pay attention! It resembles Ironhide's transformation in terms of where parts come from and end up - but how they get there is unique enough not to feel like it's a retread. The ladder, as everyone knows by now - has an amazing transformation! It's one of those so simple but so effective designs, and for a period i was just going back and forth admiring it! Other standouts steps include the way the shoulder joints lock in place securely while hiding them completely - and the side panels of the leg. They fold out such that you can't really see where the joint is or where it's moving, yet it all moves so smooth and fits into it's robot mode position like a glove!
Robot mode
Inferno stands about the same height as Ironhide, but looks bigger and feels slightly heavier, thanks to the bulk in his legs. He is cartoon accurate to a fault. Side by side with Ironhide - they definitely have a consistency. With the older car bots - they've got a few more moulded details here and there, but I still think Inferno fits with them very well.
There's no kibble obscuring his movement and he has solid ratchet joints in the shoulders, thighs and knees that give a really good range of motion. The rest are hinges and pivots - he gets past 90º with his elbows, and his feet have very good inward and back to front movement. They're like massive slabs - no diecast, but this guy is staying put when you pose him! A really nice touch is how the feet have a recess to take in his shins when tilting the feet forward - which makes for a nice clean look no matter how you pose. His head box can rotate and tilt forward, while the head itself is on a hinging ball joint. I really appreciate this design because his vision is never obscured by the box, and he can easily look down at shorter bots!
The head has the wings and flip down cannon like on the G1 toy, chromed and it looks really good - it doesn't detach, it's integrated into the transformation. Inferno comes with 2 helmets, each with 2 faces. They're not designed for the other head, so make sure you're attaching them to the right one! Both heads look good, in all honesty i'm not sure which one i prefer! The round shaped head is a little smaller overall, so it's a bit easier to get your fingers on it for posing. The pearlescent paint returns for his face! I hope this is a new standard going forward - instead of the glossy grey on Ironhide, this paint looks a touch metallic while still evoking the cartoon colouring - they struck a nice balance.
Talking of the cartoon, he's got the alternate grill. My chrome grill was stuck in there good, but you can get at it from behind if you're having trouble. The anime grill doesn't look all that hot until you put it on - then all of a sudden it seems like the chrome was out of place. I was really surprised by how much i liked it. Don't think it'll be going on when i'm in car mode however! He also has another, even less detailed grill, with a giant plastic tray for carrying Alert. Not something i care for to be honest, and why it's less detailed, i've no idea. Both of the alternate grills have thinner lines around their Autobot logos than on the chrome grill. I prefer the thicker outline, which also has the eyes filled in. They give you a sticker sheet that has one of each type if you care to swap. The stickers are MUCH thinner than Ratchet and Shockwave - a change i'm pleased to see. The crop is still pretty spacious though, i wish they'd cut them in a bit closer. He's also got 4 Fire Department badges similar to Alert, I might have to think about where i'll put those!
Jeez, there's so much to this guy! He has a nozzle that flips around with his right hand - chrome and pearl/anime options. It can transform with it on, which is nice. He has 2 communicators which look pretty crap to be honest - at first i thought they were display stand attachments :o They can attach on his arms or also store in his left arm. Then he has his hose, which is rubber with no posing wire on the inside. One end has a nozzle, the other end just ... ends. Need to find out if it plugs in somewhere! Finally, there's his fire fighting rifle. It looks good, for when you need a rifle in a fire fight (all the time)
QC for 99% of it is great. I did have trouble closing up his left arm - it wraps around similar to Lambor and was leaving a bit of a gap. I thought it could be a misaligned pin, but on closer inspection, seemed that paint on the inside detent was a hair too thick. Shaving it down a fraction, the arm closes flush pretty well. It could do with a better lock mechanism, but it works. Why'd they paint the insides of this one but leave Shockwave bare all over? It continues to be a mystery! I'm starting to think maybe the cost of his electronics played a part in that decision.
Overall, robot mode is a winner, and this toy is great! I'm really happy with it. I sold off my only other Inferno - Universe version - years ago after becoming displeased with the colour compared to the Henkei release... only to never buy a Henkei version! Now i've replaced it, and while it has some similarity, the difference and improvement is vast. I think it'll come down to aesthetics for most, but rest assured if you like what you see, everything else will not disappoint!
