Toy Review - Small Authentics wave 1

[griffin]

(Please post comments, photos or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just some brief details to start you off)

This review topic covers the four wave 1 Small Authentics toys, as they aren't significant enough to warrant four separate review topics.

Bumblebee - Megatron - Optimus Prime - Starscream.

Bumblebee
Series - "Authentics"
Sub-line - n/a
Size/class - "small"
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - April 2018
Approximate Retail Price - AU$10
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - car
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Yellow, black
Main Accessories - none



Megatron
Series - "Authentics"
Sub-line - n/a
Size/class - "small"
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - April 2018
Approximate Retail Price - AU$10
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - tank
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Grey, black
Main Accessories - none



Optimus Prime
Series - "Authentics"
Sub-line - n/a
Size/class - "small"
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - April 2018
Approximate Retail Price - AU$10
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Red, blue, grey
Main Accessories - none



Skrapnel
Series - "Authentics"
Sub-line - n/a
Size/class - "small"
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - April 2018
Approximate Retail Price - AU$10
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - fighter jete
Main Features/Gimmicks - none
Main Colours - Grey, red
Main Accessories - none

[FatalityPitt]

I voted one-or-some. I've only gotten the Starscream.

Looking at it, it's definitely one for the kids. The jet nosecone and wings are made of soft-rubbery plastic for safety reasons. Although I'm not sure if the average 10 year-old would be familiar with this design of Starscream, because I think they'd be more familiar with the movie version or the TFP/RiD 2015 design (although the RiD2015 design was updated to look more G1-ish).

It's actually not a bad G1 Starscream. Better than I expected. Somehow it vaguely reminds me of the Pretender Starscream (inner robot) from 1988.

Nice things about it:
- Jet cockpit kibble on the chest is not fake - bonus points!
- Weapons (Null rays) are surprisingly cartoon accurate
- Robot mode has lots of articulation for what it is (knees, thighs, arms, shoulders - all ball joints + swivel neck)
- It's cheap!

Not-so-nice- aspects:
- The jet mode ('nuff said)
- Lack of paint; which I can fix myself with some Tamiya paint.

Recommened the Starscream? If you like the character and you have $10 spare change - yeah.

As for the others, the Optimus Prime and Bumblebee look cheap and nasty, and the Megatron looks OK. TBH, there's better versions of these characters released previously that were about the same price point (or cheaper) - Like the RtS Legends figures from 2010, and the G1 Legion figures from 2014 (IMO, it might have been better to reissue some of those figures rather than come up with this new line - but I understand they probably did it because Hasbro wants a more modern/standardised G1 figures that are kid-friendlier).

[griffin]

Echoing my thoughts in the sightings area - finally found the Authentics domestically here (for $10 each), but since I just received a set from HK this week from JustOwen, I was happy to not be paying $10 for these. (they ended up being about AU$8 each once sent over)

They are much bigger than Legions or other $10-ish toys here, but their simple appearance and engineering makes these feel like the Cyber Series toys - cheap for their size, but VERY simple in design.

I don't know who to recommend these to, as they are a bit fiddely for a young kid (as a cheap toy), and older kids or fans will find that they have really bad engineering (especially when we've seen some really nice engineering/transformations on Legion sized toys of the same price).