Iron Factory EX-01 Dinoarmor and Rifle

The following words I do more as a public service announcement versus a review. A little over a year ago, Fall of Cybertron Voyager Class Grimlock was released to much fan fare as the majority of the FoC line had fallen flat with most collectors. Even with Grimlock being a great figure and perhaps the best one in the line, it was missing something. Even with those stubby arms, you can easily put your finger on it and that was the glaring hole in the middle of, oh what am I saying here, OK, the complete lack of a chest and belly in dino mode. In my research for this kit before my original purchase, I found the lack of information outside of what online retailers were saying very disturbing, so without further delay I present to you my public service announcement for all Transformers collectors out there.

Thankfully much like the add-on kit for FoC Ultra Magnus to set him apart from his mould mate Optimus Prime (click here for my review) Iron Factory came to the rescue with their EX-01 Dinoarmor and Rifle. In the small box you receive the parts to fill in the gaping hole in Grimlock's chest, a G1 inspired gun and a some smaller pieces that I will explain later on what their purpose is.

Out of the box you may wonder how a square box will fit in with the curved lines of Grimlock in his Dino Mode but surprisingly it works well.
Using the two posts on the underside of the add-on, and the two conveniently placed peg holes on the underside of Grimlock the whole assembly easily slides in and fits snugly. The colour match is spot on and can be easily mistaken to be part of the figure originally, that is if you didn't know any different. I do not own the Platinum version of Grimlock to test on, but from what I've seen in photos, the Iron Factory kit will also be a good match for the grey used. The main difference between the two being that vacuum gold finish on the chest and neck in the Platinum Version, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

I know what you might be saying, do I own another add-on that resolves one issue but will I just be left over parts when I transform him? The short answer to that is, no. The chest spits into two and on the ball jointed arms that tuck away on the inside. those two parts move up and out of the way just enough to keep the add-on in place while you complete the transformation as instructed.

Once in bot mode you can position those pieces in behind the shoulders thanks to an additional joint in the centre in the centre of the panel into a similar fashion of the G1 counterpart. Still not 100% certain why it is there, but on the inside of the main panels there is a smaller panel that can be extended out. Maybe someone could answer that question in the comments?

I know to complete the G1 look, those stubby arms need to be hanging off the sides of the panels. I can tell you that Iron Factory was thinking of the G1 purest when designing this set.

The additional parts I spoke if earlier allow you to complete what is called Classic Mode. There are two additional posts that secure into the ports on the chest section. Once pegged in you remove the arms from their original position on the toy and attach them. To complete the look you will need to unpeg the chest panels from the once hidden arms and use the additional parts to peg those panels onto the ball joints that the dino arms were once attached to. Now this does complete the G1 look, I will mention why this is not my preferred mode. One reason why I personally won't be doing this often, is because one of the ball joints that hold the panels was lose from the box. I have gone ahead and placed some clear nail polish on that joint and now the panel and joint hold onto their pose.With all the joints being popped, replaced and repositioned, to limit the wear and tear and for the purposes of photos, this will be the last time.

In the end the G1 look of Grimlock is complete, but you lose so much of what makes this kit great. The first thing is you lose are the joints that assist in transformation, hide in dino mode and hold those panels up in robot mode, now just hang out the back of Grimlock like a couple of useless appendages. A kit that was designed to allow simple transformation between the two modes now becomes a partsformer. You need to pop off the dino arms, their new pegs, and the additional positioning arms and store them where they won't be lost. Once all removed you need to reatttach the chest panels back to the original posts and the dino arms back onto the main Grimlock body. Granted I generally display my figures in bot mode and they are rarely transformed afterwards, but I like to have the option of taking my Grimlock off the shelf and playing with him, transforming him without the need and chance of losing parts. It is for that reason the additional pieces will forever remain in the little bag they first came in.

The next addition to this kit and in all honesty when I picked it up I had completely forgotten about, and that would be the G1 inspired rifle. Yes I know it is on the box and you can see it through the window but it was not until I held the package in hand I recalled it even being there. The dual barrel baster is an upscaled version of the original G1 version. A part of me is tempted to paint it black to match even further to the original, but how will that look in dino mode? Yes Iron Factory even went as far to think of weapon storage in dino mode. The blaster splits in two and using the 5mm ports that hold the original sword and shield, you can attach the two halves of the gun. The snug fit would ware off any paint that I could or would apply but may resolve the anpther issue I do have. While the mounting pegs are a snug fit, the handle of the gun is not. It seems as if the pegs are 5.1mm, while the blaster handle is 4.9mm, just enough that while Grimlock can hold the gun, it does fit loosely in his hand.

Is this kit worth your time, energy and most importantly your money? It does sell on the majority of online retailers sites for under $25US (without shipping) So if you are not concerned with doubling the cost of the Voyager class figure for the sake of filling in a gap I say go for it. I know I was not disappointed with my purchase. The addition of the panels in robot mode do not seem to add an additional kibble. Being on ball joints and the pivot point in the middle of the panel, you can position those panels closer to the body.

The choice of two different display modes and an added weapon are always a bonus. Ease of installation is less than a couple of minutes without any needed kitbashing is also a bonus. Using the ports present on the original model is a great design choice, that in the end would be your choice to glue those posts into position or not. This is a well thought out add-on kit and is a most welcomed addition to my Fall of Cybertron Grimlock even with its flaws of a loose ball joint and small peg on the rifle, but those are little complaints for an add-on that I feel came directly from the Hasbro design table but due to budget constraints was handed off to Iron Factory.  

TheRealRonin
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*EDIT* Well silly me was not thinking when I displayed even all that briefly the kit in Classic Mode. I made mention that the original arms that held on the panel would just be hanging off the back of Grimlock, that statement is wrong. Those arms are held on the same assembly that plugs into Grimlock to which can easily be removed and set aside. The downfall with that is every time you which to transform the figure into Dino mode, you will need to reinsert the assembly, pop off the panels and reattach everything. A bit of a pain in my book but if you want a clean classic look and not worried about the transformation I say why not go ahead. 

The One in Till all are One.

In my last review I,well for better lack of a term gushed over my enjoyment of Starscream. So for my latest I shall discuss the toy that got me start to collecting Transformers and bring a small piece of my childhood into my adult(ish) life.

One day while visiting a local dollar store I had just happen to pass through the toy section and mixed in with the various cheap toys and amusement devices I saw something that caught my eye, a bright green dump truck. On closer inspection I saw a additional yellow excavator and blue dosser. I grab the dump truck and to my enjoyment the bright packaging shows what appears to be a combined Devastator. Flipping the bubble pack over, I see black and white instructions to change the truck to a robot. I begin to think to myself, are all 6 in the shelf? If they are do they have all the pieces? So I begin to look on the peg board. I already located the dosser, excavator and I was holding the dump truck, let the hunt begin! I find the concrete mixer and front end loader easily, I am holding all the pieces? I look at the added parts, I see two fists and forearms, a large gun and a plain looking panel, but where is the head? I go digging further, there has to be a missing part.There buried deep in the pegs is a yellow crane and a familiar face looking right at me. There in my hands I have all six members of the Decepticon team known as Devastator, and all for the convenient price of $1 each. So forgetting why I went into the store in the first place and not knowing the Pandora's Box I was about to open, but I had the biggest grin on my face.

I know these figures are not the standard green of G1 release or the yellow of the G2 figures. They of course are missing the Decepticon symbols or may not even be the original moulds, but I did not care. When I returned home I ripped into the bubble packs and laid the parts out in front of me as my inner child was screaming for joy as I began to inspect my haul. Now please forgive me as my memory is not what it use to be, so I do not recall which parts came with what figure so I shall review each one as if it came with those parts originaly.

Not Mixmaster

The cement mixer and right leg of the team is mainly black with a yellow mixing drum with silver paint details and chrome plastic. The stickers on this figure and the others came applied out of the packaging, which is a shame as the one on the drum is not aligned correctly. Unlike the original versions there are no die cast parts, but what do you expect for a buck? The wheels are free rolling and the drum does rotate, just a fun little vehicle. Transformation is very simple, pull the cab forward and tilt up. Take the rear wheels and pop them out followed by......oh wait that's all! In robot mode you have a red chest piece and a sticker on the waist and surprisingly yellow painted eyes. The only articulation is in the shoulders to move the arms up and down.

Not Scrapper

A red front end loader with black wheels and cab cover. The cover has the only sticker application in alt mode. The wheels roll free and the bucket can be raised and lowered. Flipping the rear section over creates the legs and exposes the chrome plastic for the thighs. Pop the head up and position the bucket and arms to complete the transformation into robot mode. Taller in robot mode then his right leg comrade with additional sticker details on his chest. The black head does appear to have a faint application of yellow for the eyes.

Not Long Haul

The truck is mainly green with gold paint details on the hopper, chrome plastic on the underbody and a sticker applied to the hood. The wheels do move freely, but you will not be able to move the hopper without those rear wheels lifting off of the ground. Continue moving the hopper up and over and you have formed the legs, bend the front cab over to form the chest, and move the roof of the cab over to the back. Next you will want to pop the head up and move the arms out followed by the fists. In robot mode you can clearly see further stickers on the inside of the hopper and the surprise of the painted eyes on the face. The short arms do move up and down and due to transformation there is additional movement in the wrists. I call those arms short because if you look at this figure on it's profile, they are not even long enough to reach past the chest.

Not Bonecrusher

This purple bulldozer had some flaws right out of the packaging. The canopy that covers the control area was mismoulded and one of the pegs that hold it in place is not present. There is a sticker on the top of that canopy, as well on the engine cowl. There are no wheels under the solid treads so there is no rolling, but the bucket does move up and down. There is a lot of transforming in such a tiny vehicle, the first thing is to move the treads over to the front via the pivot point under the bucket, slide the front of the treads out and rotate them up to form the feet and legs. Next you want to take the engine cover and rotate them outwards and twist to expose the arms and hands hidden underneath. On the upper shoulder there is another joint so you can bend those arms to a 90 degree angle. The chest looks plan till you move the bucket up on the additional pivot point, moving the open end towards the figure to expose the additional sticker hidden underneath the bucket. Move the canopy back and pop up the head. This head being yellow is perhaps the reason why the eyes are not painted, but the chrome forearms and yellow hands help bring colour. The legs and feet are static in place, but the arms do move in and out as well as up and down.

Not Scavenger

The yellow colour is a reminder to the G2 version, with paint details on the boom and a sticker application on the sides. Much like Not Bonecrusher, the moulded treads have no wheels or moving parts but there are two points of articulation on the boom arm, as well the main bode does rotate. Move the treads over and rotate the feet out, pop the arms out from the sides and flip the head up. We are back to a black head so once again the nice added touch of the painted along with the normal articulation only found in the shoulders. There are no additional paint or sticker applications in robot mode. The chrome piece on the chest adds some extra details but the connection port for combine mode is in a very unfortunate place if it were moved into position.

Not Hook

The final member of the team is a crane made up of purple and yellow plastic with free rolling black wheels. The boom crane can expand with a chrome hook on the end and does pivot up and down. It is placed in a rotating base adding to the play value while in vehicle mode. To begin the transformation, grab the cab section and move it forward as it slides along a surprising little piece of die cast, this frees up the cab pieces as you flip them over to form the feet, now slide the assembly back into the original position. The arms are hidden behind the rear wheels, pop them out and flip up the head, you have the robot fully transformed. There is a sticker applied to the chest and once again the added touch of the painted eyes or visor in this case along with the same articulation in the shoulders.

Now that you have meet the team time to move onto the main show. Not only did my dollar store find nab me all six members there was also some additional parts tucked away inside each bubble pack that look mighty familiar. Just like any other G1 combiner you have many pieces that could be easily lost over time, but without these additional parts you cannot merge and form the first of the combiners, Not Devastator! The one thing I never understood about some collector's is there hatred of partsforming, yes I will admit in a past review I jumped on that same train but I believe partsforming has a place when done correctly, and making combiner is the best way to apply it. So lets begin.

Not Devastator


Why not start with the legs? After all that is the way it is done in the cartoon. Before I get started it is best to start these transformation into the body parts from their alt modes. Starting with Not Mixmaster, place the cab in foot mode but leave the arms tucked in. Now grab Not Scrapper and move the arms straight up and flip the entire assembly with the bucket facing down. Next you can grab the larger bland looking red piece and tab in the legs into the corresponding parts on the hip assembly.

Onto the torso by first taking Not Long Haul and bend the cab into the same position as in robot mode but now here comes the tricky part. Slide the centre piece that is sticking up from the bland red central piece in between the chrome thighs till it tabs all into place, the hopper section will bend back slightly making it look like it will start leaning forward. Complete the look by taking the red waist cover and tab it into the underside of Not Long Haul.

Now with Not Hook take the front and rear sections and slide them out as those parts will slip on the die cast piece in the centre. Once split turn them 90 degrees so the front cab and rear bumper are facing forward. Take the head piece from the pile of parts and slide it over top of the die cast piece. One last step before placing this part into position, there is a small tab on the right shoulder that you need to swing out, now. On the head piece there is a tab and slot and taking a look on the top of Not Long Haul, the smoke stack looks like a tab and on the top of the cab there is a slot. Place tab to slot, slot to tab and the chest and head are now all connected.

Now take one of the fists and forearms and piece them together. There is another little surprise, the forearms are spring loaded launchers that work quite well and lust like their original versions. Under Not Bonecrusher's there is a peg that the forearm slots into. On the underside of the dosser you will see a small hole that looks like it is waiting for a square peg, the same peg that was swung out before pacing Not Hook on the rest of the combined figure.

With Not Scavenger in alt mode, move the treads out of the way as if you were going to change them into the legs, next take that very unfortunately placed connector and pivot it in place. Build another forearm and hand combo and slot that into the peg available just on the front of Not Scavenger. Unlike Not Bonecrusher this limb connects differently, the connector hooks into an available port on the left side of Not Hook. Now you have a fairly naked combiner, time to dress him up a little. On Not Long Hauls front grill area there is a rectangular hole, the chest armour has a post that slips into this available port. Now on to a personal choice, there is a small weapon that can plug into the side of the head followed by holding the large gun into one of the fists.

Other than it not being an official release, you have a great KO figure. The head sculpt is exactly how I remember with a painted silver face and red eyes, the winged chest amour and the large rifle. With the different shaped limbs this figure always looks to be in a state of motion even while standing still.
For a KO the joints are tight and the figure surprising stays together quite well. Now there are a couple of flaws, I did end up receiving two right hands, so I have the left hand on backwards just to keep the shape. The other flaw is the stickers, the glue used is very weak something that I have forgotten about as Not Devastator stands along with my other combiners and this is the first time I have really handled him in years, to be honest.

Starscream might be my favourite character, but combiners have always been my favourite figures to collect. To add the grandfather of them all even if that figure is a knock off, I am happy to place it along my legitimate releases. Oh and even though it was only seconds for you, it was a few minutes for me, I just went to the Reprolabels.com and ordered a set of replacement stickers for my Not Devastator. I shall update this entry or create a new entry outlining the removal and application of those new stickers.

TheRealRonin
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Partsforming....In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

I came to the realization as I was doing a quick read of my previous entries and I seemed to provide very positive reviews with very few negative remarks, well time for a change of pace. In many ways having a hobby and collecting toys can be enjoyable, the hunt and purchase is always fun. There is the odd time when you see a possible new addition with either wide eyed enthusiasm or you scan the perfectly displayed piece in its box, the elegant photoshopped photos and wonder is this worth it?

The following review falls in that category. This was a figure that in the box, the photos and the features it screamed "Buy Me!" Now the previous price points even while on sale never fully tempted me to pull the trigger then it happened, the jolliest of seasons....Christmas! 

I voyage to a little (OK little does not do it justice) overstock toy fair in town. I came across a toy that on size alone intrigued me, the contents of the package drew me in and the shiny lights hooked me. I saw the price tag of $20 and I was sold or should I say it was sold. I present to you the crossover mishap of when Anakin takes Arcee out for a date and she demands to be Force Choked.....I give you Darth Vader/Star Destroyer or Anakin Skywalker/Republic Attack Cruiser!

Where do I begin? This toy is big and looks very impressive in the box. Displayed in the Darth

Vader robot mode with an open window to hear what Vader has to say. That's right Ladies and Gentleman, Vader talks, Nooooooooooo! Well thankfully no whiny screams, but I will get to that shortly. When I opened the large box from the bottom, parts began to spill out, large panels, small panels, light sabres and what I think are missiles.

One of those panels is the bridge section to the Star Destroyer. This piece needs to be clipped on a large peg behind the head of the figure. That peg both holds the panel and adds to the back kibble making the overall figure extremely top heavy and once placed you will never be able to stand the figure upright without it leaning against something Even with the legs the way they are depicted on the box, it will never stand under its own weight or not for very long.




What mode shall I start with? Why not start with the evil of the Empire, Darth Vader. I understand

that this is a crossover toy, meaning that there needs to be compromises to show both properties within the Transformers and Star Wars universes. Now keeping that in mind I believe they did an admiral job with Vader, as there is enough glossy black to offset the battleship grey but that is where it all ends.

Let's begin with the back pack. It is bad enough with the overly large back piece even attempting to have this figure stand on its own, but the designers in their infinite wisdom ADD to it! The two towering spikes just behind Vader's shoulders bring this to a figure that can challenge Metroplex for tallest Transformer. I do like the fact that the inside of the two pylons are painted red and black, but makes you wish they also did that with the underside of the cruiser deck to add to the look of a cape or cloak, (if I am so inclined one day, I may paint that piece) The two pylons are only held on by two tiny tabs that slot into ill fitting holes making it almost impossible for them to stay in place for any length of time. Like everything on this figure iy will be a running theme, the design is there but the execution and overall fit and finish is not.

Onto the head mould, they added what appears to be a more sinister look to the helmet with the slightly slanted eyes and raised brows yet it still looks like Vader, well sort of. I have no idea what possessed the designers to add the Empire symbol to the forehead? I know this is a Transformer too, and faction symbols have always been a part of that, but we have 2 on the shoulder pads, no need for a third!

Now you move onto the iconic Light Sabre...but wait what have they done here....a flaming sword? OK that does it! Out of all the things to change, miss the mark on or just royally ignore and that is Vader's light sabre! Yes the colour is right, and believe it or not they even got the handle right, but that is it. The figure comes with 2 blue light sabres, why could they not have included one normal red sabre is beyond me. I might look later into kitbashing one of the blue sabre's onto the hilt of Vader's and repainting it, but for now I shake my virtual fist at thee.

Transformation between Vader to Anakin is simple, but there is a neat little trick they did to make it enjoyable. First if they haven't already fallen out, remove the shoulder pylons. Take the legs and collapse them at the knees and now the fun part. Separate the chest from the waist and flip down a panel on the chest. Now that it is free to rotate, well after you left the large backpack up a bit, you turn the chest piece, Vader's helmet splits in two in order to reveal Anakin's head. As you spin, a mix of a Transformer and Star Drive sound plays, which is a nice little touch in what is becoming a toy with multiple design flaws. Next lift up a couple of flaps on the backpack and that is all that is required to bring Anakin back from the Dark Side.


As you can see other than a new mid piece and head, there is nothing new to report. You can combine the two shoulder pylons to make a shield in which can be "held" via a peg on the forearm of the figure, and use one of the two blue light sabre's to complete the look. Even in this mode painting the underside of the cruiser black would help in bringing this figure together. I feel that would convey the cloak Anakin has been known to wear in both the movies and animated series quite nicely. The figure does stands slightly better this way, as the added weight to the front and the rear cape piece used as a stand, but yet it is still top heavy and will fall over easily.

The head sculpt is different. They did include the scar over the right eye, but it looks like they were trying to go with a Hot Rod look with the face. Going from a future Prime to the face of Evil is missing the mark by a mile, but again two different properties and two different universes some liberties are need to be taken.



As I mentioned, in order to hold the shield you need to attach it to a peg on the forearm. It is a good thing that the shield is a huge and hollow piece. You need to twist the arm at one of the few points of articulation in order for Anakin to hold it, and in doing so it looks like he broke his arm.

In both these modes there are lights and sounds. Now of course in Vader mode the lights in the chest and head are Red and in Anakin mode they are Blue. Pressing the grey button located in a very inappropriate place activates the speech and light features.

While in Darth Vader mode:

- Impressive, most impressive.
- The force is strong with you.
- Release your anger and complete your Transformation
- I find your lack of faith disturbing.
- If he could be Transformed he'd be a powerful ally.
- Join me on the Dark Side.
- Lightsabre sounds
- Breathing sounds

While in Anakin Skywalker mode:

- We got em right where we want em.
- You're no match for a Jedi Master
- The Sith will never Transform me
- Lightsabre sounds

Now there are even sounds for when you switch from Anakin to Vader.

Anakin to Vader:

- The Transformation is now complete

- What is thy bidding my Master?

 Vader to Anakin:

- Anakin Skywalker Jedi Knight

- Anakin Skywalker at your service 

I had to highlight the little tip of the hat to The Transformers. Now as everyone knows in the Transformers Universe you have a Robot Mode and you have an Alt Mode. Time to investigate the two Alt Modes.

Since I started with the evil of the Empire, Darth Vader, it is time to look closer to the Empire's Destroyer. What you see is not really a Star Destroyer but a Chicago Deep Dish pizza with a bridge. The dimensions are way off and there was not even an attempt to taper the bow section of the ship. Here is where the majority of the parts forming comes into play. You may recognize the bow pieces as Star Anakin's "shield" It clips into small pegs on the cape section and surprising quitewell. There are no paint apps in this mode but I do not recall anything but Battleship Grey in the original movies.

There are a couple of items that I find at fault in this
mode, the first being that is not a stand the Star Destroyer is on. It is actually the bridge section to the Republic Cruiser. The second is the overall fit and finish of the panels. I have mentions the bow section fits in just right, but the port and starboard panels do not fit in as well. There are a total of two pegs and one slot that connect them into the rest of the figure, the top peg and the slot fit fine but the bottom peg does not slide in easily and pops out.

So by now you can imagine the transformation between the two space ship modes is easy. It just requires you to flip the vessel over. You would be partially correct, but thankfully to does involve removing those troublesome side panels. Now before I move on, I would like to show you what this figure looks like when you are not partsforming. With the bow, port and starboard sections removed you can see that the actual transformation to vehicle mode is quite easy. All that is required is to turn the legs on their sides and peg them together and into the cape of the backpack. The arms are twisted so the peg I showed earlier clips into the side of the body with a slight bend at the elbow. Now making sure your robot mode is in the Anakin Skywalker mode, you now have the necessary clearance required to bring up, rotate and flip down the Destroyer bridge section. Vader's helmet is just in the way for that step. As you can see, when people complain about partsforming, I will always hold this figure up against them, any time and any where because without those panels this figure is well, a sleeping Vader.

On to the Republic Attack Cruiser and flip, well only after you remove the two side panels. Now this side has some good paint applications, with the maroon stripe down the centre and what appears to be the bridge section as well all the rear tips. There is also a Republic logo on both sides of the hull. Now in the movies, the cruiser had less of a tapered bow, but of course this mode still has the deep dish pizza look, as well it balances on the bridge once again.


As you may have guessed this mode has some flaws, most notably the open sides exposing the arms of the robot mode. You would think a partsformer like this would have had a couple of additional panels to cover up those sections, and of course those same pieces would form some sort of weapon on shield, but no.

You might be wondering where those side panels disappeared to (or not, but I will show and tell you anyways) The bridge section for the cruiser flips up to revel another panel that you flip out and pop out a couple of side pieces. You take the two thruster panels that you slightly flipped up on Anakin's robot mode and place them just on the inside of the panel you flipped down from the bridge section.

On those panels there is a small peg hole that the former side panels
clip into and slide into the open area where the thrusters once sat. Actually this is a surprising use of toy engineering and all the pieces fit very securely together. Now this mode does suffer from having the bridge section of the Star Destroyer laying flat to the back looking like an interstellar trailer hitch, there is no way to hide that piece or even attempt to. 

On what appears to be the bridge of the cruiser, you can pop out the spring loaded missiles and replace them with the two blue light sabres to simulate laser blasts.Correct me if I'm wrong but where they not red?

The lights and sounds continue even in the alt mode, all depending on which button you press, but first you need to tell the electronics what mode you are currently in. When you flip the bridge section of the Cruiser and the rear engine panel you will see a toggle switch. The number II position is for Robot Mode and number I position for the Alt Mode sounds. At least the buttons to activate the sounds and lights are in a less uncomfortable place, but depending if you have the Star Destroyer up or the Attack Cruiser, the available buttons activate different sounds.

Star Destroyer Mode (in quotes said by Darth Vader):

- Flying Noises

- Blasters

- "You may fire when ready."

Attack Cruiser Mode (in quotes said by Anakin Skywalker):

- Flying Noises

- Blasters

- "We've got em right where we want em."

- "Locked on Transform."

- "Stay on Target."

- "Engine thrusters full power"

But wait there's more....Partsforming! The two side panel/thruster packs combine together, and with those blue Light Sabres make a weapon for Vader. It clips onto the forearm in the same fashion as Anakin's shield and gives the Asthmatic Leader a duel cannon blaster, a weapon that he would never use to begin with in either universe.

Well there is not much more I can add. If you have not gotten that impression already minus a few good points I have not been moved by this toy. Was it worth the $20 I spent? Perhaps, I thought this review would allow more playtime with this toy and I would find more that I would enjoy, yet sadly that is not the case. With its awkward ill fitting panels, inability to stand on its own and the lack of articulation that has not been seen since the days of G2 Transformers. I shall be placing Darth Vader with his flaming sword and large backpack, minus the pylons and blaster shield back on my shelf. While he stands with his gangster lean in the hopes that someone out there may want a closer look next time.

TheRealRonin
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*EDIT* Well apparently I had Vader slightly mistransformed. Now in my defence the instructions are not all that clear, and messing with a top heavy toy's legs is the last thing I want to do but anyways.....as you can see from this updated photo, the backs on the robot thighs are black. By placing the figure into a Jean-Claude Van Damme leg split, you can rotate the brown thigh around at the hip and turn those to the dark side (sorry for the bad pun) Also in this photo you can now have a better look at the very unfortunate placement of the activation button for both the Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker modes.