Gasaraki's Transformers Classics - 3rd Party Stand-ins

[Gasaraki]

As a treat for my birthday, I opened the FP Crossfire 02 set I've had sitting around for a few weeks now, along with United Bruticus which these recolored figures were designed to match, and boy do I LOVE the combined figure!

Universe Bruticus was a lackluster figure at best... at the very best. It was probably considered more a pile of s*** by not a small number of fans. The United version improved it a teeny bit, but only so far as coloring... Takara followed G1 colors more closely, and also got rid of the horrible translucency of the arm and feet extensions. But colors really only go so far right?? The individual bots were not terrible... poor Onslaught once again cops lots of problems, with the demands that a torso bot has to cope with. Oh, and not to mention that Swindle is meant to be a JEEP and Blast-off a SHUTTLE - thanks for shafting us Hasbro!

Where it really suffers, I think, is the combined form... the poseability is hampered by the lousy feet, and proportions are simply terrible. And these two factors I reckon are where the FansProject set really comes in and fixes... such obvious factors, but it took a 3rd party company to take the initiative for us fans.

Where Colossus really shines is in the proportions, and as a related factor, the silhouette. The key was in adding those shoulder extensions that allow the arms to sit further out from the torso, and then the feet which, we have to admit, at least look like feet! A very cool selection of weapons (a big rifle, double shotguns, a dagger, and shoulder cannons) finish off the Bruticus look and feel, and of course, they gave us HANDS!

Definitely not least of all, we now have a JEEP and a SHUTTLE. Phew!!

I really really like the set very much... It makes a below average product into something very desirable, and that's before I've even looked at the individual bot and vehicle modes. Explorer/Munitioner sets became rather expensive in the secondary market not so long after production was stopped, but with the new color version now available, along with United Bruticus, I very highly recommend picking them up if you do not already have the original. Some people might think it's worth picking up even if you do!

OK, I've been going on about how good it is - it's very good FP plastics in use here, like the early releases such as City Commander, and different to later offerings like the Insecticons (is it just me or does anyone else think the plastic is different there? Not worse, just different). But what are the weaknesses? Well, ones I have noted are:

• The backpack doesn't click on easily; one tab will hold it, but to get both tabs in to stay is a little tricky.
• Vortex doesn't allow easy articulation; he will knock the shotgun off if you have it on the backpack.
• A couple of joints on my Swindle are a little loose, he has a tendency to bend out just below where the knee should be on Colossus.
• The joint on Munitioner to Onslaught is not the firmest; posing is fine, but I will avoid leaving Colossus in bent leg poses that may strain this joint.

And that's it so far... I will look into the individual figures and weapon placements (yet another great additional feature of the set) later, and may find more problems...

Ratings:
Character importance 7/10 - Bruticus doesn't have a massive role in either G1 cartoon or comics, but he does come in during some big battles.
Toy 9/10 - A really awesome upgrade, and quickly one of my favorite pieces. Some minor problems as noted, but they really are minor.