MP Sunstreaker is wonderful, and looks better in person imo, especially the head sculpts and backpack.

















The yellow paint and chrome look beautiful in hand. The fully integrated transformation from super tuning to stock configuration is something I didn't think was necessary but the engineering has won me over. In standard configuration he looks almost identical to Sideswipe, which is always interesting to me that two TFs with different transformation schedule turn into the same alt mode. Although due to better parts distribution Sunstreaker looks cleaner in car mode than his brother. I absolutely love the pop-up headlights. The hood and seagull doors are nice too. This is where you start to feel the difference a hugely increased parts count makes. Is some of these absolutely necessary to include? Maybe not. Am I glad they did it? That's a big yes personally.

I didn't quite enjoy the transformation first time around. The instructions are actually quite clear per TT's high standards (yeah I'm looking at you Hasblow), it's just that there're so many steps jammed on a small piece of paper sometimes it's hard to make out what goes where. For previous car bots this was fine but now TT really need to print the instructions on a bigger piece of paper. There're couple places where things do tab in securely that easily get missed partly because of the instructions being difficult to read.

I personally don't think it's over-engineered, as the end results look amazing, and the efficient use of space is marvelous. However I do think the flip-out tabs on the chest and the locking mechanism of of the double elbow joint break the flow of an otherwise excellent transformation experience a bit. It's like in the middle of the transformation you need to stop and thread a need for a sec. Again, the engineering on the back section of car mode is superb. With a clever locking system to engage/disengage the flip piece to convert between two car configurations, it almost feels like the assembly itself is a triple changer; and compacts into the backpack with a couple of nice touches.






Again, the head sculpts look much better in person imho and very expressive just like Megatron's. Proportions are lovely and the backpack compacts well.










Sunstreaker is so articulated that I'm willing to call him an action figure that transforms. And the majority of limitation he has lies in sculpt, not the lack of articulation point. His articulation is very similar to Megatron and I really hope we're seeing a pattern here. The front and side skirts are one piece that can rotate with the thigh joint, which is a clever touch. The pics above demonstrate some use of the butterfly joint, ab crunch, lateral wrist swivel and a thumb joint. Combined with what's already standard for the MP line, Sunstreaker has no problem pulling off some amazing poses with ease.





The pics above show the importance of the neck joint having a good up range, and having an extra joint to allow for extra downward range. They basically give an extra layer of scale in your display. What's so good about characters properly scaled together when Megatron can't look at Bumblebee or Sunstreaker in the eye in a battle display?


With Sideswipe. The difference here is more about the different direction MP has taken on over the years and the extra budget really. Sideswipe is still a great figure in its own right.


Overall, Sunstreaker is a great addition to the line after Megatron and worth the price imho.

Depending on how the next G1 MP looks, I'd like to think we're seeing the soft reboot of Masterpiece line with Megatron and Sunstreaker, which is marked by:

- slavish focus on cartoon accuracy.
- increase price/budget which allow for extra parts count to allow for more complicated engineering and extra accessories including multiple alt faces; and additional articulation points (where physically possible) in: ball joint neck (extra hinge for downward movement), shoulder butterfly joint, ab crunch, lateral wrist and thumb joint.

Only time will tell whether this will turn out to be MP 3.0, I for one am loving this new direction TT is taking on, and will surely vote positively with my wallet.