Post by Philip Ayres on Oct 4, 2008 11:55:32 GMT
No TFU.info pics yet but see www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-feedback/187222-universe-classics-2-0-ironhide-feedback-thread.html at the 2005 boards for some pictures.
Ironhide is a long awaited update of the original G1 toy Ironhide. It'd be fair to say that original Ironhide was one of the TFs that *least* resembled his animation model (also used in the comics) and as such made fans want an upgraded version that did have a proper head over the toy of the van's front window. So 24 years later we get the first real attempt at remodelling Ironhide - how did they do ?
First up Ironhide isn't a straight fronted van as seen in the original toy - the can's got much more of a nose. For a possible explanation *why* then see bellow. He's predominantly red - but a plasticy, almost orangey red rather than the red of Sideswipe - with some silver trim round the sides at the bottom. The front & rear windows, and front side windows are a clear blue plastic, whereas the rest and the sun roof are painted in blue. There's a small gap at the sides of the back where there aught to be some window. The whole vehicle is covered in lines where bits of it separate during TF. No weapons are visible or usable in this mode.
TF: Just in front of the back wheel you should be able to fold some of the side down - most of it's red but the bottom is painted silver. Pull the bumper away at the front and fold up - there's a hinge just behind the sunroof.. Fold the front of the car up by about 45 degrees then push on the folded side panels which fold out the feet. Pull the front and bumper of the car up and back - you may need to pull this in to the sides to get it to work (beware - because the panels on the front may pop off) Fold the fronts of the car forward and up so that the tops of the front pass over the robot's upper legs.Fold the front panels with lights under the panels that are the tops of the bonnet, then fold up to form the front of the robot legs. Fold the robot legs so they are pointing up if the car was on it's wheels and then fold the waist pieces together. Fold the side windows of the car - and the panel immediately beneath them at the front - backwards so they're sticking out the sides. Look at the back of the vehicle. Unplug the weapon from between the back wheels. Swing the arms round 180 degrees at the shoulders. Bend down the arms just bellow the shoulders. Fold the hands down. Turn the arms in bellow the elbow. Fold the back wheels out to the sides. Fold the bumper back and up into the back of the car which raises the chest panel up. Fold the back wheels back into place. Fold the back of the car down to reveal the robot's head. Fold the front bumper in and then fold the roof down to form the robot's back
The resulting robot looks a lot you'd expect Ironhide to. The big surprise is that it's the back that forms his chest. The rear window is now filled with a detailed silver plate with an Autobot symbol in the middle. The head looks like Ironhide, but the face plate is painted the same blue used for the windows, with a clear blue lightpipe for the eyes. Unfortunately the head is slightly looking down due to the TF. His hands are molded open, no fist hole. Boo. Instead the hand slots into the back of his weapon. Put it on the hand one way round and out pops a blue energon blade. Other way round and you get a 6 barrelled gattling gun (a tribute perhaps to his spiritual descendant Rhinox - a sort of Ironhide/Wheeljack cross in the Beast Wars cartoon) Instructions for the weapon show you folding the hand to one side but it does fit inside the weapon, and indeed helps keep the end fully extended. Some of the pale blue used to paint the windows is visible on the shoulders which looks odd, but this is the only place you can see it. The bottom of the front of the legs looks very empty - so much so that I thought (working without instructions) that the other side was the front !
Articulation: Ball jointed ankle,. bending knee, swivel bellow the hip, hip move back and forth and swing out to the sides, waist joint high within the body, neck turns, shoulder blades can be swung forward or back, shoulders rotate and fold to the sides, there's a sideways fold as part of the TF that's located above the elbow, and this moves more than the elbow does, which in turn only bends slightly upwards, a swivel bellow the elbow, the wrist is a ball joint and the hand folds in to the side on a hinge.
I've had trouble with mine - the waist has popped off a few times, as have the panels at the front of the car, one of the arms at the shoulders and one of the ankles. Your mileage may vary.
Overall: Would have liked a flat front van mode. But I have this inkling that as well as a Ratchet Hasbro are going to go for a Skids from this mold hence the nose. Robot mode is more Ironhide than you'd expect from the vehicle.mode, but the limit on the elbow movement is annoying. The weapon is nice - original. The whole thing does rather put me in mind of certain movie toys. So .... not a bad effort, but you feel it's missed the mark a little bit.
Ironhide is a long awaited update of the original G1 toy Ironhide. It'd be fair to say that original Ironhide was one of the TFs that *least* resembled his animation model (also used in the comics) and as such made fans want an upgraded version that did have a proper head over the toy of the van's front window. So 24 years later we get the first real attempt at remodelling Ironhide - how did they do ?
First up Ironhide isn't a straight fronted van as seen in the original toy - the can's got much more of a nose. For a possible explanation *why* then see bellow. He's predominantly red - but a plasticy, almost orangey red rather than the red of Sideswipe - with some silver trim round the sides at the bottom. The front & rear windows, and front side windows are a clear blue plastic, whereas the rest and the sun roof are painted in blue. There's a small gap at the sides of the back where there aught to be some window. The whole vehicle is covered in lines where bits of it separate during TF. No weapons are visible or usable in this mode.
TF: Just in front of the back wheel you should be able to fold some of the side down - most of it's red but the bottom is painted silver. Pull the bumper away at the front and fold up - there's a hinge just behind the sunroof.. Fold the front of the car up by about 45 degrees then push on the folded side panels which fold out the feet. Pull the front and bumper of the car up and back - you may need to pull this in to the sides to get it to work (beware - because the panels on the front may pop off) Fold the fronts of the car forward and up so that the tops of the front pass over the robot's upper legs.Fold the front panels with lights under the panels that are the tops of the bonnet, then fold up to form the front of the robot legs. Fold the robot legs so they are pointing up if the car was on it's wheels and then fold the waist pieces together. Fold the side windows of the car - and the panel immediately beneath them at the front - backwards so they're sticking out the sides. Look at the back of the vehicle. Unplug the weapon from between the back wheels. Swing the arms round 180 degrees at the shoulders. Bend down the arms just bellow the shoulders. Fold the hands down. Turn the arms in bellow the elbow. Fold the back wheels out to the sides. Fold the bumper back and up into the back of the car which raises the chest panel up. Fold the back wheels back into place. Fold the back of the car down to reveal the robot's head. Fold the front bumper in and then fold the roof down to form the robot's back
The resulting robot looks a lot you'd expect Ironhide to. The big surprise is that it's the back that forms his chest. The rear window is now filled with a detailed silver plate with an Autobot symbol in the middle. The head looks like Ironhide, but the face plate is painted the same blue used for the windows, with a clear blue lightpipe for the eyes. Unfortunately the head is slightly looking down due to the TF. His hands are molded open, no fist hole. Boo. Instead the hand slots into the back of his weapon. Put it on the hand one way round and out pops a blue energon blade. Other way round and you get a 6 barrelled gattling gun (a tribute perhaps to his spiritual descendant Rhinox - a sort of Ironhide/Wheeljack cross in the Beast Wars cartoon) Instructions for the weapon show you folding the hand to one side but it does fit inside the weapon, and indeed helps keep the end fully extended. Some of the pale blue used to paint the windows is visible on the shoulders which looks odd, but this is the only place you can see it. The bottom of the front of the legs looks very empty - so much so that I thought (working without instructions) that the other side was the front !
Articulation: Ball jointed ankle,. bending knee, swivel bellow the hip, hip move back and forth and swing out to the sides, waist joint high within the body, neck turns, shoulder blades can be swung forward or back, shoulders rotate and fold to the sides, there's a sideways fold as part of the TF that's located above the elbow, and this moves more than the elbow does, which in turn only bends slightly upwards, a swivel bellow the elbow, the wrist is a ball joint and the hand folds in to the side on a hinge.
I've had trouble with mine - the waist has popped off a few times, as have the panels at the front of the car, one of the arms at the shoulders and one of the ankles. Your mileage may vary.
Overall: Would have liked a flat front van mode. But I have this inkling that as well as a Ratchet Hasbro are going to go for a Skids from this mold hence the nose. Robot mode is more Ironhide than you'd expect from the vehicle.mode, but the limit on the elbow movement is annoying. The weapon is nice - original. The whole thing does rather put me in mind of certain movie toys. So .... not a bad effort, but you feel it's missed the mark a little bit.
?? There’s doesn’t seem to be an obvious reason for it – unless a co-moulded piece needed to be red (possibly part of the legs on robot mode – another piece that is red on both toys) The Henkei version has the same chromed headlights & weapon as Henkei Ironhide. Although not precisely the same the longer nosed van used here puts me in mind of the film version of Ratchet.
