Encore Comments / Reviews
We don't seem to have one of these yet. Seems appropriate.
So, last week I got my Encore Cassettes v2, which is Ratbat, Slugfest, Ramhorn and Steeljaw.
Now, I had these when I was 9 or 10 years old, and have also recently acquired a G1 slugfest, but based on that, it seems the new plastics are a bit different. They seem more matte, and have less gloss than the originals, or my memory of them. That's not to say the originals were glossy, per se, but just comparatively so. There are also subtle color differences, although I'm not sure what adjective to use to describe them.
With Steeljaw, I don't remember such a vast difference in the matching of color between thighs and feet and the rest of the body. Was the G1 one like that too?
Today, I also got Bruticus. Encore Bruticus, as many of you have probably heard, uses the more recent RID version of the mold and its weapons, which includes a mechanism on Onslaught's flat bed to shoot another down his ramp and also more slots and pegs so that when in combined mode, you can merge the remaining weapons and Onslaught's chest piece to form two larger guns, leaving no kibble when combined. I had Bruticus, again when I was 9, so these are new to me, and are most welcomed.
The plastic, again, seems to have a more matte and softer feel than my memory would serve, or compared to other vintage G1 combiners I have. The absence of metal is disappointing, but I think its extra weight would mess with combined mode, as I recall it doing when I had the metal versions as a kid.
The mold issues also discussed are present, most noticeable when looking at the merging of the front facia of the alt mode, specifically with Onslaught, Blast Off and Vortex. However, I'm not sure if I would have noticed them as much had they not been discussed. Although that being said, the tip of my Blast Off nosecone is quite a bit off. I have to sort of rotate the wrists a bit sideways to get the rest of the cockpit to line up. I'll try to take pics tomorrow.
Additionally, many pegs are either quite tight or a bit loose in their respective holes and some joints are very tight and some not so tight. Unfortunately, Onslaught's shoulders aren't the tightest. They are tight enough to hold in place while pointed backwards in combined mode, but must be held while turning the arms to avoid the shoulders turning with them, and thus popping off the chest plate.
I think Gutsman said his plate fell off by looking at it. I feared that when I opened mine, and while it's not tight, it's tight enough and clip at the bottom holds it in place well.
There are also some colors of a different hue than the original. I do welcome the new colors, but it makes little to no difference to me.
So, compared to G1, we have some nice new weapon and ramp features, some updated color, but we've lost a bit of quality, sheen and tightness. However, it would be very difficult to acquire a vintage piece that still does have all of those benefits.
He always looked pretty menacing when combined, but the added guns really adds to his bad ass look. I'm really glad I got him.
