View Poll Results: Worth buying?

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Thread: Toy Review - Age of Extinction Dinobot Slash (Deluxe)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    Default Toy Review - Age of Extinction Dinobot Slash (Deluxe)

    Dinobot Slash
    Series - Age of Extinction
    Sub-line - Generations
    Size/class - Deluxe
    New/remould/redeco - New
    Wave - 2
    Released here - May 2014
    Approximate Retail Price - $30
    Approximate Size - 12.3cm
    Allegiance - Autobot
    Sub-Group - Dinobot
    Alt-mode - robotic velociraptor
    Main Features/Gimmicks - N/A
    Main Colours - cyan, chartreuse & black
    Main Accessories - x2 axes

    Appearance
    Like other AoE Dinobots, Slash's 'raptor mode is spiny, spikey and boney looking all over. A lot of the spines are swept back, as are rubbery frills which protrude from under the forearms, back, legs and rump, as well as the tail design. This is somewhat reminiscent of the feathers on an actual velociraptor (albeit exaggerated), which is interesting to see as no other 'raptor-moded Transformer has attempted to emulate the feathers before. On the down side, the head shape is too short and rounded for a velociraptor, more reminiscent of the 'raptor heads in the Jurassic Park films. We all know that Beast Wars Dinobot's beast mode was very much based on the JP raptor rather than a paleontologically accurate raptor form -- but Beast Wars at a time when Jurassic Park toys were enjoying the height of their popularity. So in the context of its time, that's understandable, and in late Beast Wars we saw Hasbro moving away from the JP raptor aesthetic and more towards a more paleontologically correct aesthetic with Mutant Beast Razorclaw (whose raptor shape is more elongated and sleek like an actual raptor, though still lacking feathers). It's been 21 years' since Jurassic Park... surely it's time for Hasbro to move on from that incorrect stylised velociraptor design and more towards something more accurate. Or maybe Spielberg wanted to make his own little JP reference with this toy... yeah, that's a stretch. The head also has two horns protruding from the back of the head, which doesn't make much sense since raptors never had horns, although I guess if squint real, real, real hard they might look feather-like. No? Ah crap.

    Okay, paleontological nitpicking aside (it's not as if Transformers are meant to be robots in disguise or anything, right? ), it is a pretty fearsome looking predatory and carnivorous looking velociraptor. In day-glo 90s hyper-colours. The teeth looking pretty fearsome, and are painted silver. Airbrushing on the throat, shoulder spines and tail section look quite nice. The jaw opens really wide.

    The robot head carries on the look of a feudal helmet... although I'm not entirely sure what this one is supposed to be based on. It kinda looks like an Etruscan Negau, only with additional ridges on the top and a visor added on the face... I don't know. :/ It honestly just looks like he's wearing a hard hat, coupled with the axes he ends up looking like a lumberjack and that's okay. The dino mode's shoulder frills cover the upper thighs and crotch in robot mode.

    Transformation
    There's relatively little shellforming happening with this toy; almost all the dino mode parts are incorporated into the robot body. They've tried some new ideas with the arm and leg transformation. The entire tail section sits on the back; although in a not too obtrusive way (it's a lot better than the 'backpacks' of the Leader Class Optimus Primes!).

    Pros
    + 13 points of articulation in robot mode
    + Dino mode jaws open and shut very wide
    + Relatively little shellforming - the way that the 'raptor feet are incorporated into the arms are much better done than on Voyager Grimlock.
    + I like the way that the axes become feathers on the beast mode's forearms. It allows the weapons to not only be stowed away in beast mode, but also makes them part of the beast mode, rather than having them stow away but not contribute to the beast mode (as with Scorn), or just awkwardly attach onto the beast mode but becomes an eyesore (as with Slug and Voyager Grimlock). It's somewhat reminiscent of Beast Wars.

    Cons
    - Those colours! Is Slash going to a rave party? Or perhaps he's going to live up to his name and unleash lubricant... or write that fanfic about Cyclonus and Tailgate.
    - Narrow feet make Slash one of the more challenging of the Dinobots to balance into dynamic poses.
    - Ball joints are prone to popping off easily.
    - Especially the body of the toy has some neat sculpted features which would really look nicer with some more paint apps, just to break up all that cyan.
    - I wish the thigh frills could rotate so that they'd end up covering the knees instead of the crotch.
    - The fists are designed so that the thumbs are in line with the inner elbows; in other words, as if he's permanently doing bicep curls. This effectively hampers the meaningful articulation of the elbows.
    - Robot fists are clearly visible from the back of the beast mode.

    Overall
    Like the other AoE Dinobots, Slash is very stylised in both dinobot and robot modes, so people are either going to love or hate the aesthetic. I really wish that the fists were positioned with the fist holes in line with the inside elbows, this would have greatly improved the robot mode's playability. And I have mixed feelings about the beast mode; on one hand it's cool how they've added featherish elements for greater accuracy, but on the other hand they've retained the inaccurate Jurassic Park shaped head. Though this may have been Paramount's decision rather than Hasbro's... either way, the inconsistent approach looks weird (I'd rather they'd just go full JP like they did with BW Dinobot rather than this half-half-but-not-quite-either look). I came in with pretty low expectations for this toy. None of the Age of Extinction Dinobots have really impressed me. The Saurian-moded Transformers from Beast Wars were better designed, especially by 90s standards, whereas I find the AoE Dinobots are pretty ordinary by current day standards.


    Images
    Beast mode stock image
    Robot mode stock image

    Beast mode


    Robot mode

  2. #2
    Join Date
    4th Mar 2013
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    154

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    I dont know why but this figure really appeals to me, maybe ive just always wanted a raptor but I think the overall look of the toy is great, a raptor/beserker type warrior however I will agree some parts of the toy arent designed as well as others. I love the huge shoulder pads and big arms, reminds me of many of the WFC designs that also had a fair amount of bulk.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    Sydney NSW
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    Default

    Beast Wars Dinobot is a much better velociraptor Transformer toy than Slash. A far more realistic beast mode (well... much less inaccurate) and a much more better designed and satisfying toy, especially by 1996 standards, whereas Slash is just dismal by 2014 standards.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    4th Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    414

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    Dino mode is okay but in terms of everything else -- transformation ease, poseability, robot mode -- he is so far below the other deluxe Dinobots that it's not even funny. An easy one to skip.

    But I congratulate him for being safety conscious enough to wear that bike helmet.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    31st Aug 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    390

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    I think we will look back on Slash after the movie comes out and realise he is the first non-screen character we got in the line.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    2nd Jun 2011
    Location
    Rylstone
    Posts
    8,382

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    Picked this guy up for half his usual price due to a price scanning snafu at TRU on the weekend. Kinda glad because I get the feeling I may have felt a little ripped paying the full $30 for him.

    It's not a bad toy per-se, but it's certainly not great. The colour scheme is a bit full on, the transformation is not hard but not particularly intuitive and I cant say his robot mode or his feathers turning into weird club thingies are particularly impressive. That said, his dino mode is ok (like they went out of the way to make him the missing link between dinosaurs and birds), the head of his robot mode looks good and the head of the raptor looks awesome - so angry & evil with a mouthful of chompers!

    I'd recommend picking Slash up if like me you are A: Getting a full set of the AoE Dinobots, and/or B: You can find him for $15 like I did




    Quote Originally Posted by davieanix View Post
    I think we will look back on Slash after the movie comes out and realise he is the first non-screen character we got in the line.
    I get the feeling you may be right. Either way, I reckon they could/should have made this toy a commander or Legion class size, then people might have a chance of buying the Dinobot toys in a relatively realistic scale with each other based on the dinosaurs they are modeled on. But then Strafe has got two heads so that has thrown the chance of making these robotic transforming dinosaurs from an alien planet in any way realistic anyway

  7. #7
    Join Date
    4th May 2013
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    Canberra
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    3,352

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    I really think so far Slash is the weakest Dinobot figure.

    Having said that I still have him

  8. #8
    Join Date
    11th Dec 2012
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    Perth
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    I got mine today. I must say I quite like it. I turned the feathers on his knees around as they were annoying me. Better figure than I was expecting.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    29th Jun 2011
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    Melbourne
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    2,606

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    Easily the worst of the Dinobots so far. A really disappointing toy. Small, garishly coloured, terrible articulation (especially the arms and the shoulders). It's a Scout class toy if I've ever seen one. The only positives are the axe weapons that can be stored in the dino forearms, but I'm not sure why they had to be made of the rubbery plastic that adorns so many of the AOE toys.

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  10. #10
    Join Date
    31st Dec 2007
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    Western Sydney
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    Only bought men cheap on sale, still not happy with the value for money.

    Aside from line wide issues like the hint size and rubberised parts, the transformation is annoying and the breastplates don't like staying in the right spot for robot mode. The knee feathers get in the way and the arms are ridiculous, they can barely move, cannot be put in decent poses and generally look terrible.

    I okay with the colours and the inclusion of feathers, but the toy itself is a bad design with an awful transformation. Only get it if, like me, you wanted the whole set if Dinobots.
    Looking For: Wreckers Saga TPB Collection (with Requiem)

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