Toy Review - FOC Kickback

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details to start you off)

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Fall of Cybertron
Size/class - deluxe
Wave -
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - not here yet
Approximate Retail Price - 25-30 Au$
Approximate Size -
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Cybertonian Grasshopper
Main Features/Gimmicks - Looks like game characters
Main Colours - Gray, purple.
Main Accessories - Wing 'blades,' Gear Shredder weapon from game, gear shredder disc.


Hmm, I seem to be haveing a bit of a bad run with new Transformers lately. All 3 that I have picked so far have been awesome in one part and horrid in another. Lazerback, FOC Grimlock and now Kickback.

On the plus side, kickback's robot mode is magnificent. Articulation in almost all the right places (no waist joint) and great use of a variety of joints make him incredibly dynamic! I LOVE this robot mode. I can't get over how brilliant it is. I would ahve liked the option to make his back claws fold away a bit better if you want for robot mode. you either have to have them over his shoulders, standing straight up, or going down the entire length of his back. If the area around the ball joint was a bit different, it would have allowed for a lot more movement.

His weapons are a bit naff though. the disc launcher is HUGE. It looks very close to the game's though, which is a plus, but it is far too large for a delxue to hold. On a Voyager it looks better, but the only FOC voyagers we have are Soundwave and Grimlock. Only one fo them uses guns... I see why it is so big, the disc needs to be a certain size fro in-edibility, but sheesh, it looks ridiculous when wielded by Kickback.

His 'swords' (using the term loosely) are rubbish. They don't look like swords, and are probably too short. leave them on as wings, or get by by having hold the bade like he is going to stab people.

Still, he is very good and I have had a lot of fun with him. Poses are just brilliant! Even with naff swords. transformation is clever. Shame you won't want to though...

Grasshopper mode. What can I say? Well, the last three recent toys I have played with have all had one good mode and one really bad mode. (grimlock has 2 actually). Kickback's grasshopper mode is rubbish. Really really bad. The rear legs don't really look like legs, they don't hook in anywhere satisfactorily and just hang off the side of the body. Most frustratrating. the front legs, aside from being wrong to grasshoppers (although it IS a space Grasshopper I guess...) just flop about and there is no way to secure them down. I do like that the chest pieces over the ball joints suggesting he has a cover for the wings when not being used. Like a real insect.

He does fit in well with a wide variety of lines.

• TF Prime? Colours look like the other one. - Check
• FOC he is from the game, so - Check
• Classics Very nice update and looks similar - Check

So I would vote, 'Only if' You really liked the robot mode because the insect mode is forgettable in almost every way. But the robot mode is incredibly brilliant.

Oh and his claws have places for weapons!

[i_amtrunks]

After having mine for a month, I voted the same as tets; Only if.

Only if you like Transformers who only have one good mode (robot) and have a stupidly oversized weapon (ala dotm) that looks ridiculous when given to the character it came with. Funny how Kickback is a decent sized figure, but also gets a massive weapon, while other figures released around the same time are far smaller and come with no giant weapon...

He has an interesting and intimidating looking robot mode, and this is where he will stay for me. I'd not be fussed if I never got him, but I bought this wave in a case allotment. so again, only get this figure if you love the robot mode, can store the weapon elsewhere and loved the FoC game.

[kup]

This is the only FOC toy that looks decent to me. I haven't had a chance to see it in person but it certainly looks good from the pics I've seen.

[UltraMarginal]

I voted Only If... like has been said above, it's a very solid robot mode, and for most that's probably fine, given that most people display their transformers in robot mode.

The Gauntlets becoming the back of the bug is a nice touch, and the way the head/chest rotates around the structure to shift into the alt mode position is novel. overall, the transformation is interesting and not too complex.

I agree with the design choice not to fix the legs in beast mode, otherwise it would be very awkward and almost totally un-poseable. I don't quite get how the back legs and feet are supposed to be oriented, nothing really feels right.
the beast mode does look a lot like the game model though so I'm happy with that.

again, only if you're a fan of the game, we'll be getting Prime specific insecticons in the future I imagine, and they may be slightly more realised.

If these were on a throwout shelf for $10, I've be grabbing a few for my display. I hope we get more of them, with hopefully better beast modes.

[GoktimusPrime]

Just opened Kickback and had a fiddle...

Dis-ap-point-ing.

As Tetsuwan Convoy said, the insecticon mode is just bollocks upon bollocks. This would have to be the single worst insect-mode for a Transformer ever. As Tets said, the legs are just rubbish... the fore legs just dangle without locking in, and the hind legs are absolutely joke. But the most aggravating part for me is that the two purple abdomen halves won't stay locked together on my toy. It only has one tab and hole to clip in, but it doesn't adequately keep the arms together (which forms the abdomen). Epic fail.

The head looks alright, I like how the jaw is formed. And the thorax is also well designed, and the elytra are a nice touch. Having the wing membranes detach to become melee weapons is also neat too. Sadly none of these features are enough to redeem this toy of its failings.

The toy also comes with a big disc-launching cross-bow style gun, which the membranes can stick onto the outside. This is a nice enough weapon, but I would have rather Hasbro skip this weapon entirely and just spend more resources on developing a better figure. The membrane-weapons are enough, really.

The robot mode itself is nice. Well articulated and I like how the wings become claw-arms instead of just kibble. I also like how the elytra form a decorative collar design; along with the shoulder design, it kinda gives Kickback a sort of Shogun-esque look. Probably my only gripe about the robot mode is a lack of waist articulation. The purple on this toy is also a bit too bright for my liking, but it's not bad by any means. The use of gold highlights on this toy is also well done, and I also like how the sides of the knees are accentuated in pink.

Overall I feel that this is a toy whose design/engineering was compromised for its gimmicky weapon. I think that it could've been better if they never bothered with that weapon, and just tweaked a few things here and there to deal with the imperfections of the figure's design. I would only recommend getting this toy if you really want the figure and you can find it at below RRP, which Kmart has atm.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Like everyone else here - love the robot, hate the grasshopper! In robot mode however he is my 2nd fav FOC toy (I love Starscream more as he seems to have a good transformation and actually have TWO good modes!) and is decently poseable. The only thing I would have liked to see would be a lot less purple, and maybe some black so the bits of purple stood out more.


However, it's probably the best Kickback toy we've had that's not from a 3rd party producer (see below pic for comparison of various Kickbacks).

http://s1294.beta.photobucket.com/us...79bc3.jpg.html

[GoktimusPrime]

Posted some action pics of Kickback (and Ultra Magnus) here

[5FDP]

This would have to be the single worst insect-mode for a Transformer ever.

Woah... with the original G1 Insecticons and Deluxe Insecticons to choose from, that's a big call.

[GoktimusPrime]

Woah... with the original G1 Insecticons and Deluxe Insecticons to choose from, that's a big call.

All the G1 Insecticons had pretty solid insect modes. None of them had any problems with the insect legs not being able to reach the ground, or with the insect mode not even holding together properly. FoC Kickback's insect mode looks "incomplete." As Tetsuwan Convoy said, the hind legs don't even look like insect legs at all, and the other legs just dangle there as they do in robot mode. They can't lock in, let alone touch the ground and are utterly useless. And to make matters worse, the abdomen can't even close properly... so the toy cannot even stay transformed in insect mode. As soon as I release the abdomen, it just becomes undone!

None of the G1 Insecticons have any of those problems in their insect modes. Not even Ransack, who I consider to be the weakest of the G1 Insecticon toys... his locust mode pretty much holds together. Okay, the hip joints can be a bit wobbly, but the mode doesn't undo itself and starts falling apart back into robot mode! Some of the Beast Wars bugformers had issues with the legs not supporting the body properly (i.e. easily flopping down on their bellies) -- but at least their bug modes held together! If you look at the original Waspinator, sure he flops down, but once the legs and weapon all lock into his backside to form the abdomen, it's locked. That thing ain't gonna come apart unless someone comes along and intentionally starts undoing it.

Whoever designed this toy can go pucker their mandibles and plant big wet juicy one on Waspinator's big fat stripey...