I like ROTF Springer. For a $7 Legends class figure I think he's alright. Also... he doesn't exist in the G1 universe, so I see no need for him to be a Triple Changer (although Movieverse Astrotrain is a Triple Changer; but still, it's an entirely different continuity family/universe).

Quote Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev View Post
You could relate him to a character you had just seen in a movie and tv show which added to the play value.

and you could relate it to a character you had just seen in a movie and tv show.
The toy did come out before he appeared in the movie/cartoon/comics, and I personally had already played with this toy (belonged to a schoolmate) before I saw him on screen (I did get my own shortly after); so I'd already formed my opinions of this toy before being exposed to the screen and comic character. When I first saw the toy, I was purely judging it as a toy (which I find is a benefit of exposing yourself to a toy before its media appearance; you can appreciate it without "canonical bias"); and having been exposed to the Decepticon Triple Changers the year before, I found Springer, and indeed all the 1986 Triple Changers, to be disappointing - but I still liked them, and I did end up getting them. I guess one thing that made the Decepticon Triple Changers more appealing was that they had more realistic looking Earth based alt modes (though Octane is the weakest of the lot IMO), whereas the Autobot Triple Changers have these fantasy based alt modes... 'cept Broadside's aircraft carrier mode. While character-wise Springer may be my favourite Autobot Triple Changer, toywise it's Broadside, despite his blockiness (and the scale thing honestly never bothered me as a kid -- I didn't even try to rationalise it to myself... I just suspended disbelief (ah, the joys of being too young to critically analyse these things ))

I was personally always more enthralled by Springer's comic appearance over his cartoon appearance, although his cartoon appearance was cool too. But it was in the comics that he was a member of the Wreckers and became leader of the Wreckers after Impactor's demise. Can't beat that. At the time I didn't know it, but I think Springer's was co-developed as a screen character and toy; unlike the 1985 Diaclone-derived Triple Changers who were purely developed as toys. And you all know how I feel about that issue!