It'd be great if each Constructicon was a triple changer on a par with Springer but that isn't what they set out to make. This is a Titan class toy that splits into six toys that are Voyager sized. I think the use of the 'Voyager' term is raising people's expectations.
They designed one big robot that can become six little robots that also turn into vehicles. To do this the one big robot is still more complex than the previous Titan class Metroplex while retailing for not much more. They've done a very good job with what their design budget allowed but there was going to have to be compromises.
I'd say "stick to the Palisades statue then" but that thing of beauty goes for crazy money and this Titan class figure isn't going to change that much![]()
Looks good, although I must admit to being somewhat confused by Mixmaster's cement mixer mode. I didn't know that front-end-loading cement mixers existed.
I suspect that Scrapper, Mixmaster and Long Haul are 'simple' because they have to support Devastator's weight - if they're too complex, then their joints could buckle under the combined weight. This is probably one of the reasons why RotF Supreme Devastator didn't have individually transforming vehicles. That's probably also why Scavenger and Hook have hollow-looking limbs, to save weight, but that could also just be the way they transform.
If the individual robots are too complex, we'd have a situation where if this thing topples over, it could fly apart or shatter into a lot more than six pieces.
therein lies the problem though, this is a big toy that like Metroplex is largely big for the sake of being big. Not because any of it's features warrant it. The component Constructicons have all been simplified to allow it to be really big, which is kind of cool, except at the same time the bigger the toy the more obvious the flaws look too.
In a way a smaller Devestator might have been nice, but if you go to the toy isle these days there are so many large scaled up toys, giant Star Wars figures with basic articulation, and stripped down giant vehicles, so that's the current trend.
It's kind of like when you compare Generation Metroplex to G1 Fort Max, or MP 01. Fort Max and MP 01 are full of gimmicks that justify their size, Gen Metroplex's size is his gimmick. As this toy is also Titan class I'm guessing this will be the same.
http://thumbs2.picclick.com/d/w1600/...RGE-CEMENT.jpg
guess that's how it looks like.
This won't be a TRU exclusive. That rumour about the US release hasn't been backed up anywhere else to my knowledge. They'll show this at the Australian Toyfair and I have no doubt that one or more of Big W, Target and Kmart will pick it up for their mid year toy sales.