Toy Review - FOC Kickback

[GoktimusPrime]

Woah... with the original G1 Insecticons and Deluxe Insecticons to choose from, that's a big call.

All the G1 Insecticons had pretty solid insect modes. None of them had any problems with the insect legs not being able to reach the ground, or with the insect mode not even holding together properly. FoC Kickback's insect mode looks "incomplete." As Tetsuwan Convoy said, the hind legs don't even look like insect legs at all, and the other legs just dangle there as they do in robot mode. They can't lock in, let alone touch the ground and are utterly useless. And to make matters worse, the abdomen can't even close properly... so the toy cannot even stay transformed in insect mode. As soon as I release the abdomen, it just becomes undone!

None of the G1 Insecticons have any of those problems in their insect modes. Not even Ransack, who I consider to be the weakest of the G1 Insecticon toys... his locust mode pretty much holds together. Okay, the hip joints can be a bit wobbly, but the mode doesn't undo itself and starts falling apart back into robot mode! Some of the Beast Wars bugformers had issues with the legs not supporting the body properly (i.e. easily flopping down on their bellies) -- but at least their bug modes held together! If you look at the original Waspinator, sure he flops down, but once the legs and weapon all lock into his backside to form the abdomen, it's locked. That thing ain't gonna come apart unless someone comes along and intentionally starts undoing it.

Whoever designed this toy can go pucker their mandibles and plant big wet juicy one on Waspinator's big fat stripey...

[5FDP]

I'd have to disagree with you. The G1 Insecticons in insect mode were for the most part the bot modes laying flat on their abdomens with clearly visible arms, legs, and head of their respective bot modes. Not saying that's a bad thing and considering they're 30 year old toys, they're executed quite well, but it is what it is.

It seems to be the trend lately that Hasbro focus solely on the design of either the bot or alternate mode - not both, with one or the other suffering due to design limitations. There have been far too many Transformers lately with vague or poorly designed alternate modes just so they can make a kick-ass looking robot.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'd have to disagree with you. The G1 Insecticons in insect mode were for the most part the bot modes laying flat on their abdomens with clearly visible arms, legs, and head of their respective bot modes. Not saying that's a bad thing and considering they're 30 year old toys, they're executed quite well, but it is what it is.

Yeah but it works. G1 Kickback may essentially lie on his back, turn his head around to become a grasshopper, but still forms a solid looking grasshopper! The mode holds together and the legs can touch the ground. Also... FoC Kickback's robot hands are clearly visible in his Insecticon mode anyway - so he's just as bad as say Shrapnel or Bombshell with their exposed fists. And as you said, considering that those toys came out nearly 30 years ago, it's not so bad. FoC Kickback is a current toy... what's its excuse??

It seems to be the trend lately that Hasbro focus solely on the design of either the bot or alternate mode - not both, with one or the other suffering due to design limitations. There have been far too many Transformers lately with vague or poorly designed alternate modes just so they can make a kick-ass looking robot.

That seems to be the case here. I'd say that 70% of their effort was put in the robot mode and 25% into the gimmicky weapon. The alt mode really feels like an after thought. As much as the G1 Insecticons' alt modes may have their flaws, for their time they were reasonably well executed and you could see that effort went into them (especially the Deluxe Insecticons who have really nice looking alt modes).

I'll post some comparison shots with FoC Kickback in Insecticon mode and see what you guys reckon.

[GoktimusPrime]

Image gallery:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...cons/Kickback/

This person seems to have been able to manage to make the abdomen stay together. Maybe there's something I'm not doing right...

[ILikeSoundwave]

Image gallery:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...cons/Kickback/

This person seems to have been able to manage to make the abdomen stay together. Maybe there's something I'm not doing right...

Mine stays together perfectly. Try turning the hands around like in the picture so they face the bottom.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I managed to make mine stay together. I guess I must've done something wrong the first time round <shrugs> So I take back my previous comments about the toy not being able to hold together in alt mode, but my other comments still stand. I've posted some comparison pics with G1 Kickback here. The way that the robot legs become the hind legs really feel like a bad afterthought.

[GoktimusPrime]

I really can't be bothered to take comparison photos with all of my various "bugformers" (most of them are in robot mode, so I'd have to transform them for the comparison shot, then transform them back later). So I just nabbed various pics off the interwebs and stuck them together into a single image to compare with FoC Kickback's Insecticon mode (even that took me over an hour to collect, crop, resize etc etc. (on MSPaint cos that's the most advanced graphics program that I know how to use )).


I've mostly compared Kickback with other Insectformers. Non-insect Bugformers are in the top-left purple box (they're all arachnids except for Retrax). Having done this, I feel that all the toys pictured here have superior bug modes to Kickback's. However I did think of ONE bugformer who is crappier than Kickback who I hadn't thought of before -- Movieverse Deluxe Scorponok! FoC Kickback's no where near as bad as him (though Movie Scorponok's a pret-ty low standard ). But FoC Kickback would certainly be down the bottom as far as Bugformers go -- IMHO the second worst out we've had so far.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I really can't be bothered to take comparison photos with all of my various "bugformers" (most of them are in robot mode, so I'd have to transform them for the comparison shot, then transform them back later). So I just nabbed various pics off the interwebs and stuck them together into a single image to compare with FoC Kickback's Insecticon mode (even that took me over an hour to collect, crop, resize etc etc. (on MSPaint cos that's the most advanced graphics program that I know how to use )).


I've mostly compared Kickback with other Insectformers. Non-insect Bugformers are in the top-left purple box (they're all arachnids except for Retrax). Having done this, I feel that all the toys pictured here have superior bug modes to Kickback's. However I did think of ONE bugformer who is crappier than Kickback who I hadn't thought of before -- Movieverse Deluxe Scorponok! FoC Kickback's no where near as bad as him (though Movie Scorponok's a pret-ty low standard ). But FoC Kickback would certainly be down the bottom as far as Bugformers go -- IMHO the second worst out we've had so far.

Who is the bright green preying mantis in the bottom right hand corner? He looks pretty cool!

[GoktimusPrime]

Who is the bright green preying mantis in the bottom right hand corner? He looks pretty cool!

That praying mantis is Manterror. He is a very cool toy IMO. Unfortunately he was part of that wave of Beast Wars toys that Australia skipped. I managed to get mine through a trade with some dude in Glasgow Scotland.

[christalcase]

Hmmm... I actually really like Kickback, probably my favourite out of the FOC line. The insect mode is a bit weak... but I didn't think it was as terrible as everyone was making it out to be. The rear legs are stupid looking and weird but I thought everything else was well formed. The transformation felt like a mess with things going everywhere and being so convoluted. The robot mode is quite stunning and I loved the shade of purple used. The insect front legs feel awkward as they don't go anywhere in robot mode and just hangs from his back. I think the weapon is too large and heavy for Kickback, but overall, an amazing toy and definitely worth a purchase.