Toy Review - Generations WFC Bumblebee

[GoktimusPrime]

Shellformer much. The transformation itself isn't inherently difficult - but as STL said, it's getting the panels exactly right that's the tricky part.

I don't find the transformation to be as fun as Optimus Prime... bit too shellformerish for my taste. The alt mode doesn't look as good as I'd expected, but the robot mode does look nice. The legs don't bother me.

[reillyd]

Shellformer much. The transformation itself isn't inherently difficult - but as STL said, it's getting the panels exactly right that's the tricky part.

I wish I had your abilities then Goktimus. The instructions didn't show clearly one of the steps with the feet/wheels, and it was only from a youtube review including the step by step transformation I was able to get it fixed.

Bumblebee is such an awesome character, and the vehicle form so cool that I know many kids are going to buy it and be disappointed by the transformation steps. This is one of the few ones I'm going to buy two of, to save the effort of transformation.

Optimus is by far easier to transform, even though they have the same difficulty level reported on packaging.

[Golden Phoenix]

Most of the problems with Bumblebee are forgivable.
The Bulk on his arms and the scrawniness elsewhere is kind of accurate to the game, it is a little off, but not by much. It is just that it is off in that the limbs a scrawnier then they should be while the bulk is bulkier. It makes it more apparent. Had it just been one and not the other it would have been alright.

The Torso chubbiness probably comes down to engineering reasons. He is a little wider than he should be in robot mode but it is because he needs it for vehicle mode. The shell is probably the same.
Do this though, hold him with your hand in between the shell and the robot in robot mode. The torso looks much better without it. I suspect the bulk of the shell makes the torso appear bigger. If it had folded in half behind the body, again it would be in much better scale. Ah the limits of what you can do with plastic
The need for precision when transforming to vehicle mode is a pain, but again it is just the way it is. Animated Jazz had the same problem, but it wasn't a negative against the toy. It was just part of the engineering it needed.

I think what lets this toy down the most are the little things that are the way they are for no reason. The head could have come out a little more. Swords could have been bigger. The hands just look silly. Nobody liked the Animated Lockdown hands the first time they ain't going to like it a second, it looks silly. Ruins poses. The only pose I find that really works with the hands is this sort of "WTF is this?" pose, otherwise you gotta sort of hide them.

I know it is picky, but for all the forgiving and letting things slide, the hands just have no excuse. They could have been straighter. They just stick out like a saw thumb. It is minor, but it just ends up being the straw that breaks the camels back.

Most of the other complaints are caused by mostly necessary evils. He ends up like most movie toys. The vehicle is solid, but that is expected for what is pretty much a shell-former and it is a shame about the shell-forming. But if you take away the shell on his back and straighten the hands then he has a pretty good robot mode.

[STL]

Great points on the hands, GP. I probably didn't emphasise that enough. He -does- look like a retard with those hands

[Lint]

Universe Ironhide is a walk in the park compared to this guy. I still cant get the front and back halves of the tronmobile to clip together nicely. However my biggest gripe is how large he is compared to other deluxes. Classics BB scaled well. This guy just looks a tad too large. If WFC megatron is scaled anything like prime is, he and BB can never credibly sit in the same frame together.

The only pose I find that really works with the hands is this sort of "WTF is this?" pose, otherwise you gotta sort of hide them.

Wrong

[Golden Phoenix]

Wrong

Touché
But none look like he is going to kick your a.....never mind. Bumblebee wouldn't anyway

[Lint]

Touché
But none look like he is going to kick your a.....never mind. Bumblebee wouldn't anyway

Challenge accepted!

After much fiddling this is about as close to kickass I could get




I'll let you pass the verdict

[Golden Phoenix]

Challenge accepted!

After much fiddling this is about as close to kickass I could get




I'll let you pass the verdict

Decent. The hands still look silly. Back hand more than the front. It is kinda like he is going to cover his eyes or something

[PascTF]

I like it. A bit hard to put together in vehicle mode, but once it's done, it's nice and tight. I have no problem with the look in robot mode. I like how the backpack compresses and locks into position with the sliding hinge.

[i_amtrunks]

I didnt find the transformation too difficult, I found the instructions to be more confusing than helpful, so I ignored them and did it on my own. Can be a challenge to lock everything into place, and certainly a more difficult transformation than Prime, but still not alternator level.

Good looking toy, the yellows match fairly well, and the legs aren't that thin.

Pretty good toy, and certainly different enough from most Bumblebee toys of late!