View Poll Results: Worth buying?

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Thread: Toy Review - War for Cybertron Trilogy Bumblebee (Netflix)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    7th Jan 2008
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    Perth
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    4,981

    Default Toy Review - War for Cybertron Trilogy Bumblebee (Netflix)

    Bumblebee
    Series - Generations
    Sub-line - War for Cybertron Trilogy (Netflix)
    Size/class - Deluxe
    New/remould/redeco - retool of Earthrise Cliffjumper
    Wave - 2
    Released here - late Oct 2020 (QLD) / early Nov (other states)
    Approximate Retail Price - $29, Kmart exclusive in Australia
    Approximate Size - 10cm
    Allegiance - Autobot
    Alt-mode - Volkswagen Beetle
    Main Colours - yellow
    Main Accessories - same bazooka that came with Earthrise deluxe Cliffjumper, and shield formed from part of the car exterior







    This toy is a retool of Earthrise deluxe Cliffjumper, with the same transformation and same excellent quality, but different car exterior and head sculpt. The toy is mainly yellow plastic but with an additional yellow paint coat on the car exterior which gives it a pretty premium feel.

    This toy has different engineering compared to Masterpiece Bumblebee (version 1), but given the excellent paintjob it does "feel like" a downscaled and simplified mini-Masterpiece. I would argue that this has vastly superior proportions and head sculpt compared to version 1 of Masterpiece Bumblebee.

    I feel this is the best modern toy interpretation of G1 Bumblebee, given its ratio of price to satisfaction. Easily my favourite Bumblebee toy at the moment. Highly recommended.
    Last edited by Kyle; 10th November 2020 at 04:56 AM.

  2. #2
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    7th Jan 2008
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    Perth
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    Smile

    Comparison shots with Masterpiece Bumblebee (version 1). The engineering and transformation are different, but I'd say the design of the WFC Netflix Bumblebee toy (and Earthrise Cliffjumper...) was inspired by the MP toy. I definitely prefer the proportions and head sculpt of Netflix Bumblebee.



    Last edited by Kyle; 9th November 2020 at 08:18 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    Sydney NSW
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    Default

    I had some difficulty getting the canopy to clip down. The trick is to basically deform the base of the windscreen or the two yellow tabs by pushing them inwards. Yeah, it's not great, but it does the job. Not a fan of having to apply excessive force onto a clear plastic part. But aside from that, a pretty neat toy. The attention to detail on the vehicle mode is nothing short of astounding - it even has painted door handles, windscreen wipers, tail lights and indicators! It also has only one wing mirror and the VW logo on the hubcaps.


















  4. #4
    Join Date
    4th May 2015
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    Sydney
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    793

    Default

    I have found that if you tab the front windscreen last after gettting the front of the car lined up it's not as bad with those tabs.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    8th Jun 2012
    Location
    Melbourne
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    5,306

    Default

    I began a review for this the other day, but shut down my computer and lost what I had.

    In short, as a kid I grew up with Transformers Cybertron toys. Though I watched its cartoon, my first love in Transformers and the one I kept coming back to was the G1 cartoon that aired on Boomerang all the time. For Christmas in 2005 I asked for Optimus and got the Cybertron Leader (not a bad G1 stand in) and my little brother asked for Bumblebee. Bee obviously was out of the franchise at that point, so he ended up getting deluxe Landmine. Regardless, Bumblebee remained amongst the characters I wanted most as a toy in years since, specifically the VW alt mode. Getting a Beetle Bumblebee in a retail line is a pipe dream of mine, and one I am so glad to see finally done. When I came to Transformers as a collector in the early 2010s, we had no VW Bee beyond the original toy and the Pretender, and I remember trawling tfwiki for a good one to look for.

    Those on Facebook and the Discord may have already seen me gushing about this toy. I loved Cliffjumper, and Bee satisfies and even surpasses him in pretty much every way. The robot mode is cute. Despite being smaller than other deluxes, the toy is solid and hefty, and definitely has polish you wouldn't see on something similarly sized in legends/core class. The silhouette screams the G1 cartoon character, and the Beetle mode looks great as a licensed alt mode. I had some hesitations about the headsculpt from pictures we have seen, but I am glad to report that it looks absolutely fine, if not plain great in hand. Joints and articulation are great, with no bad QC issues.

    I only hope that we get a Goldbug repaint with a new head in the near future. It's not confirmed, especially since they didn't seem to be willing to shell out the license fee for the Bugbite figure, but I can hope for a Selects figure or something. The shield/car back can rotate 180 degrees to create the hood shape of Goldbug, so no major changes needed.

    Overall I'm very satisfied, Bumblebee is one of the coolest figures in my 1984 Autobot display, and is sure to not be replaced any time soon.
    Seeking the Following:
    - CW Brawl
    - Earthrise Runabout
    - Earthrise Thrust

  6. #6
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    27th Dec 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bidoofdude View Post
    I only hope that we get a Goldbug repaint with a new head in the near future.
    That reminds me, I'm hoping for a red Generations Selects version. Since, as a kid, I had the red Bumblebee, not yellow.


    Eagerly waiting for Masterpiece Meister

  7. #7
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    I've made a video overview for this toy that also shows how to clip the canopy into place, in case anyone is having difficulty with it.
    https://youtu.be/pxjuJliLN9o

  8. #8
    Join Date
    31st Jul 2008
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    Launceston
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    It boggles my mind that this - like the Netflix Soundwave - is being released as a relatively hard to get exclusive. This is the definitive ‘chug’ toy of a very popular character and why they would bother to get the VW license just to not...use it? That’s weird.

    Happy I tracked one down. Like Cliffjumper, it’s got a real premium feel to it and puts the paint/plastic matching of other Bumblebees absolutely to shame.

    While the parts forming is a shame, at least it lets you replicate either of his more common g1 robot depictions.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    9th Apr 2008
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    What will be the repaint? ?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    Sydney
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Autocon View Post
    What will be the repaint? ?
    Could be a Red Bumblebee...


    Eagerly waiting for Masterpiece Meister

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