Post by Philip Ayres on May 5, 2010 15:19:07 GMT
Hunt for the Decepticons Seaspray
Is it a Movie 2 toy ? Or a Universe 3 toy ? It's not clear. Seaspray comes in robot mode in a Transformers box that may have a "Hunt for the Decepticons" sticker on it or may not.... which really doesn't help you decide where he belongs!
As you'd expect from Seaspray his vehicle mode is a Hovercraft as per the 1985 Seaspray. At first glance the new Seaspray has colours nothing like the original - a sea blue skirt, white cab and beige/bronze fans. But when you look at the original Seaspray he's got a bright blue skirt, a white cab - albeit set towards the back of the vehicle - and yellow fans. So this toy is just making the bright colours on the original more realistic. The cab is now moved to the front and features several clear blue windows,a silver Autobot logo and silver SEA S.P. RAY details (also found on the sides of the skirt). The cab stretches just under half way down the inside of the skirt with the rest of the vehicle being taken up by a flat grey deck which can be used to transport other Transformer toys - a Scout or a couple of Legends should fit. I'm told there's a forthcoming basic designed to sit here but for the life of me I can't remember which one. Just behind the cab on the sides of the skirt are mounted a pair of black missile launchers complete with clear blue harpoon like missiles. The fans are attached to the back of the sides of the vehicle. The fan housings fold into the deck and out over the skirt, turn round on their mounts and the fans within the housing actually spin ! Seaspray's dimensions are 17cm x 7cm x 5cm. Motion is provided by 4 small wheels hidden in the underside of the skirt.
Transformation: remove the missile launchers for later. Fold the very back of the cargo deck under the vehicle. Turn the toy over and find the white feet. Fold them and the piece of skirt they're attached to out to the side of the vehicle - there's a diagonally mounted swivel joint in the skirt close to the front. Separate the front of the skirt, fold out to the sides to form the upper legs and rotate downwards in relation to the hovercraft. Fold the beige/bronze waist piece up over the front of the can and position the legs extending out in front of the cab. Fold the skirt behind the feet down as heelspurs. Find the hands - in the skirt towards the rear of the card deck, fold down slightly breaking what's left of the skirt at the back in two, then fold the hands, attached skirt section and back of the cab out to the sides revealing the head. Fold the arms down then rotate each arm down at the shoulder. Fold the panel on the back of the shoulder closed. Rotate each arm so the top of the hand face forward. Fold the remaining skirt sections under the back of the cargo deck. Fold the cargo deck down onto the robot's back and then fold up in the middle so the fans are pointing over the robot's shoulders. The missile launchers can then either be re-attached on the panels under the arms or held in the hands.
Seaspray's robot mode is 16cm high x 11cm wide at the shoulders. He's a good chunky toy that's quite different to the original Seaspray. There are some similarities though - a white chest, blue lower limbs and the fans positioned over the shoulders. We have a completely new round black head - replacing the old box like yellow one with a grilled face plate. He does still have a visor but now it's the same clear blue as the vehicle windows and lightpiped. The faceplate now has breathing gear detail etched into it - very like Powercore Smoulder's combined robot head. Twinned with this is a feature hidden in his feet - you can fold flippers out from under the feet to turn him into a diver which I feel is appropriate given his vehicle mode. His hands are interesting too - they've got the traditional 5mm hole at the centre of them but instead of a closed fist he has open fingers with the peg hole being moulded using the webbing between index finger & thumb. The wrists rotate but they're limited to a 45 degree angle between upright and pointing in. His arms bend at the elbow - there's a second joint here but that only bends backwards. Bellow the shoulders is a bicep swivel joint, the arms swing out at the shoulders, which in turn rotate and then lift up at the body. The head turns but we're missing a waist joint. We have a universal joint at the hip that turns and swings to the side, a thigh swivel, bending knees & ankles and some sideways ankle movement which is useful as his default stance involves the legs being apart.
Decent update to a classic character. Nothing mind blowing about the toy - the ability to transport smaller Transformers and the diving gear details are nice. But there's nothing wrong with the toy either, no Bay style moulding. It's just a good,solid transformer.
Is it a Movie 2 toy ? Or a Universe 3 toy ? It's not clear. Seaspray comes in robot mode in a Transformers box that may have a "Hunt for the Decepticons" sticker on it or may not.... which really doesn't help you decide where he belongs!
As you'd expect from Seaspray his vehicle mode is a Hovercraft as per the 1985 Seaspray. At first glance the new Seaspray has colours nothing like the original - a sea blue skirt, white cab and beige/bronze fans. But when you look at the original Seaspray he's got a bright blue skirt, a white cab - albeit set towards the back of the vehicle - and yellow fans. So this toy is just making the bright colours on the original more realistic. The cab is now moved to the front and features several clear blue windows,a silver Autobot logo and silver SEA S.P. RAY details (also found on the sides of the skirt). The cab stretches just under half way down the inside of the skirt with the rest of the vehicle being taken up by a flat grey deck which can be used to transport other Transformer toys - a Scout or a couple of Legends should fit. I'm told there's a forthcoming basic designed to sit here but for the life of me I can't remember which one. Just behind the cab on the sides of the skirt are mounted a pair of black missile launchers complete with clear blue harpoon like missiles. The fans are attached to the back of the sides of the vehicle. The fan housings fold into the deck and out over the skirt, turn round on their mounts and the fans within the housing actually spin ! Seaspray's dimensions are 17cm x 7cm x 5cm. Motion is provided by 4 small wheels hidden in the underside of the skirt.
Transformation: remove the missile launchers for later. Fold the very back of the cargo deck under the vehicle. Turn the toy over and find the white feet. Fold them and the piece of skirt they're attached to out to the side of the vehicle - there's a diagonally mounted swivel joint in the skirt close to the front. Separate the front of the skirt, fold out to the sides to form the upper legs and rotate downwards in relation to the hovercraft. Fold the beige/bronze waist piece up over the front of the can and position the legs extending out in front of the cab. Fold the skirt behind the feet down as heelspurs. Find the hands - in the skirt towards the rear of the card deck, fold down slightly breaking what's left of the skirt at the back in two, then fold the hands, attached skirt section and back of the cab out to the sides revealing the head. Fold the arms down then rotate each arm down at the shoulder. Fold the panel on the back of the shoulder closed. Rotate each arm so the top of the hand face forward. Fold the remaining skirt sections under the back of the cargo deck. Fold the cargo deck down onto the robot's back and then fold up in the middle so the fans are pointing over the robot's shoulders. The missile launchers can then either be re-attached on the panels under the arms or held in the hands.
Seaspray's robot mode is 16cm high x 11cm wide at the shoulders. He's a good chunky toy that's quite different to the original Seaspray. There are some similarities though - a white chest, blue lower limbs and the fans positioned over the shoulders. We have a completely new round black head - replacing the old box like yellow one with a grilled face plate. He does still have a visor but now it's the same clear blue as the vehicle windows and lightpiped. The faceplate now has breathing gear detail etched into it - very like Powercore Smoulder's combined robot head. Twinned with this is a feature hidden in his feet - you can fold flippers out from under the feet to turn him into a diver which I feel is appropriate given his vehicle mode. His hands are interesting too - they've got the traditional 5mm hole at the centre of them but instead of a closed fist he has open fingers with the peg hole being moulded using the webbing between index finger & thumb. The wrists rotate but they're limited to a 45 degree angle between upright and pointing in. His arms bend at the elbow - there's a second joint here but that only bends backwards. Bellow the shoulders is a bicep swivel joint, the arms swing out at the shoulders, which in turn rotate and then lift up at the body. The head turns but we're missing a waist joint. We have a universal joint at the hip that turns and swings to the side, a thigh swivel, bending knees & ankles and some sideways ankle movement which is useful as his default stance involves the legs being apart.
Decent update to a classic character. Nothing mind blowing about the toy - the ability to transport smaller Transformers and the diving gear details are nice. But there's nothing wrong with the toy either, no Bay style moulding. It's just a good,solid transformer.
