A trio of #transformers mini-reviews today, as befits the subject matter: mini-bots! What a thrill to see these toys on store shelves three decades after their first appearance. We’ll begin with Tailgate!
Tailgate is a great toy. The white Camaro is plain, sure, but it’s classy at the same time. The proportions of bot mode are the best of any of the mini-bots. He’s got a face plate and I’m sure by now you know how much I love those. The blue body sets off the white limbs nicely.
Next up is Swerve! I have to gush here about the packaging. It’s so unapologetically G1, I love it! I don’t save many boxes, and these are the first cards I will save. They’ll look awesome in the game room garage.
Swerve is a dark red truck with a white camper shell. As with Tailgate, the white/color contrast makes a nice scheme. He has a very nice face sculpt. Only two complaints here: the rubsign is place oddly, and there are some weird scrapes on his knuckles. Otherwise, quite good.
Last (no Bumblebee, I kept him on card) we have Outback. I bet this guy loves steak and lobster! Outback, I have mixed feelings. Weakest mold, by a fair margin, and the color scheme doesn’t really do him any favors.
The alt mode is a neat little vehicle, and I love the cannon! Not sure why it is removable, as it doesn’t seem he can use it in bot mode. Robot mode is long-legged and stubby armed, with iffy head placement. He’s like that gangly teenager you love despite his awkwardness.
How about some group pics? They are fun little toys! I might never have hunted these down, just not an immediate need for my collection. But I am so glad they were reissued and available for less than $8! Just couldn’t be happier with them.
Here they are with their moldmates. More “realistic” faces (and even fingers, in Outback’s case) on the remolds. I get that, but abstract faces seem to better fit the simplicity of the robots. I admit it’s hard for me to be objective when it comes to my own old toys!
Marc Allie.Com 