Toy Review: Generations Leader Jetfire

[FruitBuyer]

While I understand that, it is still a sign of corner cutting and that is never good. The fact that they didn't even bother with covering the hollow pieces exemplifies this. Of course it's not just a trait of Jetfire, there are plenty of other figures that have this.

I certainly understand Hasbro/Takara doing this to save costs but at the end of the day, it drives collectors into the arms of third-party companies. As someone eloquently put it on TFW2005:

Every cent Takara/Hasbro save by cutting corners is another dollar into the third-party pockets.

[Sinnertwin]

While i cant speak for anybody else, Hasbro's cost cutting hasn't and won't drive me into the arms of third party manufacturers.
It's great that the third parties have been offering other options, but i can't justify $500 for a single combiner etc etc

[5FDP]

While i cant speak for anybody else, Hasbro's cost cutting hasn't and won't drive me into the arms of third party manufacturers.

You can speak for me on this point because I 100% agree with you. I collect Transformers

[yoshi594]

While i cant speak for anybody else, Hasbro's cost cutting hasn't and won't drive me into the arms of third party manufacturers.
It's great that the third parties have been offering other options, but i can't justify $500 for a single combiner etc etc

3rd party toys are way too expensive to even consider and some are just pure turd (sonicron, warbot anyone?).

[Bidoofdude]

I just can't understand the need some fans seem to have for Transformers to have specific weights. While I do get that exposed hollow parts are ugly, the fact remains that engineering has improved since the 1980s and 1990s and as a result our toys today are by and large stronger and lighter. That's a good thing, not a bad thing! In Jetfire's case specifically, he is still clearly quite a large toy, being taller than the G1 and Classics versions as a modern leader class toy. The fact that he weighs less is neither here nor there, surely?

Nonetheless, as much as I want to like Jetfire, I'm struggling. I think it's all the white. I may just wait for the leader class Thundercracker redeco.

I think the hollowness is not the problem. The grups they have are because the hollowness is visible.

[millhouse]

I think the hollowness is not the problem. The grups they have are because the hollowness is visible.

I'm very much hoping that someone creates shapeways parts that clip on instead of the red armour.

[GoktimusPrime]

I still like classics Jetfire the best.

Yup. Especially considering that CL Jetfire cost about half the price of GEN Jetfire, I definitely think that Classics Jetfire gave us more bang for our buck. CL Jetfire is a more solid toy, has a better looking jet mode, has more fun accessories, more detailed paint apps, and more articulation (there doesn't seem to be any reason why Generations Jetfire's wrists can't rotate). Classics Jetfire also has a better designed transformation too IMHO, being more of a "proper" transformation rather than being a backpackformer. Okay, Classics Jetfire suffers from having the fists not being concealed in jet mode, but Generations Jetfire has its entire robot chest, including faux-cockpit, being visible in jet mode! It makes it look like the jet has two cockpits, one on the top, the other upside down on the bottom! Classics Jetfire is also able to pull off a much better Gerwalk mode than Generations Jetfire.

And sure, I do understand why Generations Jetfire is the way that he is; the designers have decided to make the robot mode look as close to the G1 Jetfire/Skyfire cartoon/comic design as possible with a jet mode that still resembles the original toy, whereas the Classics toy is a hybrid in both modes. But I think the hybrid idea works better. Perhaps they might've been better off just making a pure "Skyfire" toy that resembles the cartoon model in both modes. That would remove the necessity for being a backpackformer and allow for the toy be a more "proper" Transformer. Also, while the opening cockpit feature is neat, I was expecting it to be able to hold the MP Seeker pilots. It can't. Diaclone pilots won't fit in either.

Overall it is a pretty nice toy though.

[GoktimusPrime]

More pics

[SMHFConvoy]

I only just took mine out of the box today (purchased Tuesday) and almost had a heart attack transforming him back to robot mode because of the way the chest and crotch piece unfold.

[GoktimusPrime]

The toy made a really loud SNAP noise the first two times I transformed it, which freaked me out. I've since worked out a way to transform the chest section reeeaaally carefully as so to avoid that, but yeah... after the first time, I was looking around the toy to see if any small pieces had broken off.