Toy-Review - TF4 Stomp & Chomp Grimlock
Thanks to Hasbro Australia for sending me this sample to review and promote to the fansites... I've taken about 20 photos, and two videos of
its electronic gimmick.
First up, let's be honest - this is not the sort of toy most of us on this fansite, or the other fansites, are likely to be buying. But it doesn't mean
we can't still give it a bit of a promotion, in case some of the parents who are members or lurkers here might consider getting it for their youngens.
And Secondly, this won't be a subjective, butt-kissing review to please Hasbro... I will make mention of the good and bad as objectively as
possible. (but I do appreciate them sending this to me, so will do as much as I can to promote it objectively, to earn it)
This item is not to be released to Stores here until September (even though it did leak to at least one Toyworld last month). The retail price is
yet to be revealed, but since it is US$80 in America, it is likely to be about AU$100-150 here.
So let's start with the official images.
And the actual boxed toy...
.
As you can see, it comes with an Optimus Prime figure, which doesn't transform... or even move any of its limbs.
It is a slightly soft, rubbery plastic, but don't put too much force on the limbs, as they will probably break.
The back of the box...
Removing it from the packaging without destroying the packaging was a bit of work, but the younger demographic who are likely to get this, will just
rip the box apart to get to the toy.
You can see that in order to fit the toy in a smaller box (to fit more per shipping container), it comes with one leg and tail removed.
Some assembly required...
...giving you this.
The sword slots into the tail for storage.
A closer look at the Optimus Prime figure...
.
The main gimmick with Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is the way it interacts with One-Step basics and Power Battlers, which each have a metal pin in one foot.
(even the recent red/black Japanese EZ Optimus Anniversary figure has a pin added into its leg for this toy)
The Decepticons have the pin in their left foot, while the Autobots have the pin in their right foot. For some reason, the Optimus figure that comes
with Stomp & Chomp Grimlock has a pin in both feet. It allows you to activate both "Autobot" and "Decepticon" gimmicks, but gives a mixed
message on what his allegiance is when playing with this Grimlock toy.
As noted by the instruction sheet above, Autobot toys will activate the right-hand weapon and make Grimlock's eyes go green... while Decepticon
toys will activate the left-hand weapon and make Grimlock's eyes go red.
Now, as noted above with the Optimus figure that comes with this toy having a pin in both feet, he ends up activating both weapons, but
Grimlock's eyes look like they are green AND red, but red is the dominant colour, so it makes it look like Grimlock is reacting to a Decepticon on his back.
The one flaw of this toy is that it is the release of the weapons that activates the lights and roars, NOT putting a toy on the back of Grimlock.
As such, once the weapons are released, you can't make Grimlock roar or light up the eyes with any toy. (when surely, you should be able to swap
toys on his back to make sure the advertised gimmick of sensing Autobots and Decepticons, be an ongoing gimmick... not a once only gimmick that
you need to reset EVERY time)
So that's the main gimmick... the interactive gimmick that encourages you to buy other toys to have a bit of fun with seeing if Grimlock can sense
who is on his back. (unfortunately, there aren't a lot of Decepticon toys with this movie, so you will be very limited by choice if you want to set off
the "Decepticon" gimmick of this Grimlock toy)
The secondary gimmick is also electronic.... it makes roaring noises when you make Grimlock lunge forward (like he is biting), and makes a
transforming noise when you pull him back into robot mode. Then in robot mode, he has three sounds that are activated by pressing on the
dino-teeth behind the head - two are phrases to do with his name and what he does (Grimlock! - Destroy!), and the third is just a roar.
Transforming it back to dinosaur mode gives a different pitched transformation sound.
While in dinosaur mode, pressing the top dino-teeth again gives a sound that I think is meant to be a chomping sound.
In both modes, it will do a random roar about 3 times after you've stopped playing with it, before it finally turns itself off... which gives you a bit of
fright at first when you walk off and it roars at you. It makes me think that maybe they should have had a motion sensor as well, so that when
you enter a room it will roar at you... or your friends, to scare them.
Going through all the features and sound effects (at least, I think I found them all, as the instructions and box were useless in telling me what they
were and how to do them), it was about half an hour of playing.
I have done two videos of the two main gimmicks...
The main video, featuring the interaction gimmick.
The second video, of the secondary gimmick (transformation and sound effects in both modes).
For those who don't want to watch the videos, these are some comparison photos and photos of the gimmicks.
Robot mode, with sword in hand. It notes in the instructions, to have the arms by the sides and sword removed before you transform it back to dino mode.
Underneath you can see why the arms need to be straight before transforming it... otherwise it all won't lock back into place.
Dino mode with the Flip&Change Grimlock and the One-Step basic Grimlock.
In robot mode, with the two Construct-Bots Grimlocks, the Flip&Change and One-Step basic Grimlocks, and the Leader & Voyager Grimlocks.
The Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is definitely the biggest of them all.
With the 16 inch and 12 inch Titans, and Dino-Sparker.
Almost as big as Metroplex and Rescue Bots Epic Optimus. The Leader Class Grimlock looks so tiny next to it.
The primary gimmick. First you need to open the two back-panels (something that isn't on the instructions, so it took me a while to figure
out where to sit the toys on its back).
Each side has a flat surface for each foot, and you can feel some sort of magnetic pull on the toys with metal pins in their feet. That magnetic pull
makes a lever move at the back, which releases a weapon. If both magnets on both sides are activated, both weapons are released...
However, if you have an Autobot toy with just one metal foot pin, it will only release the "Autobot" weapon.
And similarly, the Decepticon toys with a metal foot pin, only activates the "Decepticon" weapon.
The roar and lit up eyes when you tilt Grimlock forward (using the handle's release trigger).
That release trigger under the handle is also required to be held when pulling Grimlock back up into "standing" dino mode, AND, when pulling all
the way back to transform it into robot mode.
The tail can be swivelled into two positions, depending on the mode.
The glowing eyes are hypnotically evil...
Awwww... it's a little baby Grimlock and its daddy.
So that's about it for now... until I get the two youtube videos uploaded and add the links here.
I think it is a fun toy, and will end up under the Christmas Tree of a lot of kids this year, which is probably why it has been held back as long as
possible... to still have the movie in peoples minds, and be on shelves in time for the DVD release and Christmas.
I'm a bit surprised at how expensive this figure is in America, so it will be a shame that it will be more expensive than I'd be recommending here. If
this was released here for the price of a Leader Class toy, I would say that it would be worth getting if you have youngens who play with Transformers toys.
I would love to say that this toy is worth getting for us older collectors (and I risk getting any other toy samples to promote), but I know the
collecting interests of us older collectors to know that this would need to be under $50 before too many of us (who prefer "puzzle" over "play") would bite.
So hopefully there are people here who will now buy this for their kids, knowing what the different gimmicks are... and for those who do buy it,
they can now see how to activate all the gimmicks.
(kids will just explore their toys, so instructions are kinda wasted on these sorts of toys anyway)
After reading that review, are you likely to buy this toy?
- Yes, even if it is $150
- Yes, but I would only pay about $100
- Yes, but I would only pay about $80
- Yes, but only if it was discounted to $50
- No, I'm not even interested in it
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I wouldn't mind getting this guy, but probably not higher than $100. As you said, at Leader Class pricing I'd bite. One of the better Grimlocks in this toyline.
