Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 23, 2010 18:07:33 GMT
I'm not a huge fan of the Classics Minicon moulds. I bought the originals when they came out but never bothered with their original Universe 2 repaints. So why do I suddenly pick up the 10 pack ? Well the price helps - Tescos are clearing it out for £10 at the moment. Then there's the matter of what's in it. Someone pointed me at a link which made me realise nearly everything in the box is a homage to a previous toy. The box contains repaints of all three of the Dinobot & Predator Attack teams, two of the Night Rescue team and one each of the Clear Skies & Demolition teams. The Dirt Digger team aren't represented here.
The box these toys are packed in is a nightmare requiring the removal of the plastic front and all 4 upright strips between the cells containing the individual Minicons, before the remainder of the packaging is unfolded to give you access to the cable ties that secure the Minicons in their prison.
It's time for mini robot repaint madness !
Windrazor
Windrazor is a repaint of Swoop from the Dinobot Minicon Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOSwoop.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con team.
A very fetching mix of lilac and purple toys makes a nice looking toy for a Decepticon. Fortunately there's no faction logo on him or any other Minicons in this set so you can easily swap his allegiance in your forces.
Inspired by: Either Beast Wars Lazorbeak or Beast Wars Transmetal Terrorsaur
Ransack
Ransack is a repaint of Terrorsaur from the Dinobot Minicon team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOTerrorsaur.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con team.
The horrid green of the original is replaced but a slightly purpley red this time which looks much better - big red robot theory again, albeit as a little red robot.
Inspired by: Beast Machines T-Wrecks
Stockade
Stockade is repaint of Knockdown from the Dinobot Minicon team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOKnockdown.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
Stockade is an inverse of a previous Knockdown repaint, Micron Booster Ironlunge. This time both heads/beast rear limbs/robot arms are blue and the rest of the toy is grey.
Inspired by: Micron Booster Ironlunge but both are homag's to Diaclone Slag
Overcharge
Overcharge is a repaint of Strongarm from the Night Rescue Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcNRTStrongarm.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
Overcharge is something new for Transformers: he's a New York yellow taxi. Wonderfully inventive repaint. I know the name is a joke but I'm not sure about it for an Autobot. I shall call him Joe - previously used for a member of the SixLiner Team - but mainly in reference to the Vanessa Paradise song Joe Le Taxi.
Inspired by: New for Transformers, but I think there's a Gobots Taxi out there in similar colours. My Gobot-fu is weak, can you help me out ?
Skyshadow
Skyshadow is a repaint of Steelwind from the Clear Skies Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcCSTSteelwind.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
The A-10 Thunderbolt Minicon gets a Military Green colour scheme on this version.
Inspired by: possibly Cybertron Jetfire who was repainted as SkyShadow
Scavenger
Scavenger is a repaint of Overbite from the Predator Attack Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATOverbite.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The wolf is this time produced in grey. Transform him and some light blue is revealed on the head and chest.
Inspired by: he's Minicon Wolfang.
Longview
Longview, previously an Autobot Real Gear, is a repaint of Dreadwing from the Predator Attack team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATDreadwing.html for the original review. Here he's (she's ?) a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The beast mode Hawk here has brown fore feathers, a yellowy beige colour for the rear feathers and a white head.
Inspired by: This is Minicon Airazor.
Snowcat
Snowcat, previously an Energon Decepticon Snow Tank, is a repaint of Snarl from the Predator Attack team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATSnarl.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The Snowcat name implies something Artic and indeed we get an all white Artic Tiger here.
Inspired by: This is Minicon Tigatron. As a bonus joke Tigatron was originally displayed at Toyfair in the bright orange colours used for Snarl, the original version of this mould.
Treadshot
Treadshot is a repaint of Broadside, the Fallaparticon Tank from the Demolition team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDEMOBroadside.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
Lets get the big shock out the way: I transformed this from tank mode to robot and back again without a single piece falling off ! A huge improvement on the original he now finds himself sporting a desert colour camouflage colour scheme.
Inspired by: Destron Sandstorm, Car Robots Danger (which was recoloured in RID as Armorhide), Universe Armourhide and Movie Deep Desert Brawl
Crosshairs
Crosshairs is a repaint of Divebomb from the Night Rescue team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcNRTDivebomb.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
Crosshairs is effectively a darker version of Divebomb with both the grey and blue darkened, the later nearly to black.
Inspired by: The colours used here are very similar to those used for Universe Whirl
Overall: Decent set, full of nice repaints, one of which is a considerable improvement on the original mould. Well worth the £10 Tesco is asking.
The box these toys are packed in is a nightmare requiring the removal of the plastic front and all 4 upright strips between the cells containing the individual Minicons, before the remainder of the packaging is unfolded to give you access to the cable ties that secure the Minicons in their prison.
It's time for mini robot repaint madness !
Windrazor
Windrazor is a repaint of Swoop from the Dinobot Minicon Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOSwoop.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con team.
A very fetching mix of lilac and purple toys makes a nice looking toy for a Decepticon. Fortunately there's no faction logo on him or any other Minicons in this set so you can easily swap his allegiance in your forces.
Inspired by: Either Beast Wars Lazorbeak or Beast Wars Transmetal Terrorsaur
Ransack
Ransack is a repaint of Terrorsaur from the Dinobot Minicon team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOTerrorsaur.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con team.
The horrid green of the original is replaced but a slightly purpley red this time which looks much better - big red robot theory again, albeit as a little red robot.
Inspired by: Beast Machines T-Wrecks
Stockade
Stockade is repaint of Knockdown from the Dinobot Minicon team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDINOKnockdown.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
Stockade is an inverse of a previous Knockdown repaint, Micron Booster Ironlunge. This time both heads/beast rear limbs/robot arms are blue and the rest of the toy is grey.
Inspired by: Micron Booster Ironlunge but both are homag's to Diaclone Slag
Overcharge
Overcharge is a repaint of Strongarm from the Night Rescue Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcNRTStrongarm.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
Overcharge is something new for Transformers: he's a New York yellow taxi. Wonderfully inventive repaint. I know the name is a joke but I'm not sure about it for an Autobot. I shall call him Joe - previously used for a member of the SixLiner Team - but mainly in reference to the Vanessa Paradise song Joe Le Taxi.
Inspired by: New for Transformers, but I think there's a Gobots Taxi out there in similar colours. My Gobot-fu is weak, can you help me out ?
Skyshadow
Skyshadow is a repaint of Steelwind from the Clear Skies Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcCSTSteelwind.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Autobot Battle Support Mini-Con Team.
The A-10 Thunderbolt Minicon gets a Military Green colour scheme on this version.
Inspired by: possibly Cybertron Jetfire who was repainted as SkyShadow
Scavenger
Scavenger is a repaint of Overbite from the Predator Attack Team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATOverbite.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The wolf is this time produced in grey. Transform him and some light blue is revealed on the head and chest.
Inspired by: he's Minicon Wolfang.
Longview
Longview, previously an Autobot Real Gear, is a repaint of Dreadwing from the Predator Attack team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATDreadwing.html for the original review. Here he's (she's ?) a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The beast mode Hawk here has brown fore feathers, a yellowy beige colour for the rear feathers and a white head.
Inspired by: This is Minicon Airazor.
Snowcat
Snowcat, previously an Energon Decepticon Snow Tank, is a repaint of Snarl from the Predator Attack team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcPATSnarl.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
The Snowcat name implies something Artic and indeed we get an all white Artic Tiger here.
Inspired by: This is Minicon Tigatron. As a bonus joke Tigatron was originally displayed at Toyfair in the bright orange colours used for Snarl, the original version of this mould.
Treadshot
Treadshot is a repaint of Broadside, the Fallaparticon Tank from the Demolition team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcDEMOBroadside.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
Lets get the big shock out the way: I transformed this from tank mode to robot and back again without a single piece falling off ! A huge improvement on the original he now finds himself sporting a desert colour camouflage colour scheme.
Inspired by: Destron Sandstorm, Car Robots Danger (which was recoloured in RID as Armorhide), Universe Armourhide and Movie Deep Desert Brawl
Crosshairs
Crosshairs is a repaint of Divebomb from the Night Rescue team. See philstfreviews.site11.com/mcNRTDivebomb.html for the original review. Here he's a member of the Decepticon Ground Surveillance Mini-Con team.
Crosshairs is effectively a darker version of Divebomb with both the grey and blue darkened, the later nearly to black.
Inspired by: The colours used here are very similar to those used for Universe Whirl
Overall: Decent set, full of nice repaints, one of which is a considerable improvement on the original mould. Well worth the £10 Tesco is asking.