Transformers Legacy Evolution Deluxe
Item No.: Asst. F2990 No. F7192 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:2 blasters, 2 pipes, wheel throwing star/shield Action Feature:Transforms from robot to motorcycle, can be taken apart Retail:$24.99 Availability: March 2023 Other: Hard to find?
We've been in the "remakes of remakes" phase of Transformers for a few years, so it makes sense Hasbro would want to cash in on Insecticons with bigger versions. Shrapnel brings us 2/3 of the way through the set, with Bombshell rounding out the set. Despite being a fixture on the cartoons since the first season and a recognizable member of a recognizable team, he hasn't gotten that many toys over the past four decades. A cheaper "Generations" version was sold about a decade ago, and then reissued, before this all-new mold came out.
I like this figure a lot more than the last version, but not the price. At about 5-inches tall (at the top of the head) he's the biggest transforming version of the toy ever, and it shows the compromises Hasbro makes in the modern era. You can see the push and pull of the various interests all here. It's $25 for a small deluxe - so some of his arm cannons are now removable accessories. There's a fair amount of paint and various plastic colors to make him look good. Also, you can tell Hasbro is aware of the third-party "gap filler" market because the legs are pretty nicely closed in, thus robbing that group of a revenue stream. You even get a silver-painted blaster that looks a lot like the one on the original toy, while the robot mode itself clearly walks a line between "toy accuracy" and a little more "cartoon accuracy." You should get it.
As of my writing this I've got Kickback and this guy, plus Ransack but nobody cares about Ransack. It's nice to have a team of the bugs together, mostly because I like having squads of things and hope Hasbro will finish the job this time. They did a good job in making him fun. The forearms have blasters hanging off of them, like the original toy. You can remove them to give him a cleaner silhouette, like the original toy. Hasbro seems to be walking the line between "toy" and "cartoon" with this figure, as you've got yellow toe stripes and a blue collar box that look like the original toy stickers. You get a red visor, like the original toy. I assume the only reason you don't get more faux toy stickers on him was to keep costs down, because he looks pretty dang close otherwise. Articulation meets expectations, with a generous 20 points of articulation. The hips and shoulders each have two joints, though, so that keeps things pretty stable and tight.
If that weren't enough, they kept the 3mm "zit" posts so you can add on those C.O.M.B.A.T. blast effects from previous lines. The antlers can each hold one, as can each of the three blaster barrels. I think it's one of the best executions of this concept, mostly because nothing seems obtrusive other than that purple tip on his blaster. All accessories look great and fit as a "we remade something from 40 years ago" could be.
Transformation is easy and fun. These aren't complicated toys, mercifully, so you can easily convert it without a huge fuss.
While the Thrilling 30 Skrapnel [FOTD #962] and Power of the Primes Skrapnel [FOTD #1,888] had more bug-like legs, this one seems to aim a little closer to the original toy but drops the wheels. It still looks more or less like a stag beetle, but it's more Diaclone than "realistic." I think it's a good place to be, mostly because I don't think this toy would be any more fun with added spindly legs hanging off it. There aren't a lot of moving parts beyond the jointed pincers, but at least you have lots of 5mm ports to mount his accessories.
I expect another version will come some day. Hasbro (or, let's be honest, Takara-Tomy) could easily repaint this figure to make one version truer to toy colors, or one in cartoonier colors. I could see them doing remolds or new toys toy - because without the chrome antlers and blaster, it's never going to be "done." It's certainly good enough for now and satisfies my needs enough to say I could probably stop with the Insecticons after the trio is done this year, but I guess it's up to them to prove me wrong and make something even better. The trio will set you back about $75 this time, and that's the kind of thing that prevents me from wanting to try another set of remakes down the road. It's good enough that I don't think I want to try again.
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