Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 16, 2010 21:59:13 GMT
I've not bought any of the Device Label Transformers toys before now. I can see the idea of Ravage being a USB stick, both a USB stick and a tape can hold computer data and music. I can also see how you get from Ravage to Cheetor & Tigatron versions via their Beast Wars connection, though neither of these really works without a robot mode. Similarly, moving on to the mouse toys, I'm not sure Grimlock really works without a robot mode, and although Trypticon does I don't see him as a computer peripheral. Maybe Overkill might have been a better choice for a Decepticon Dinosaur that turns into a mouse. Blaster however..... well I was aware of Blaster for a while and knew it was a smaller robot toy. While researching a review for the original Blaster I looked a little closer at the toy and discovered a feature that bowled me over and meant I had to own one.
Blaster's alternate mode is a Toshiba laptop, Toshiba supplying the working electronic components for the Device Label toys. No, he's not a working laptop, in fact he's scaled down with the width and depth each being about a third of those on the machine which I'm writing this, making the surface area of the case about a ninth of what it would be in real life. The depth is similar because there are working electronics in this toy: He acts as a USB Hub for your computer. Four USB ports are located along his leading edge, with a mini USB socket, the same as those on MP3 players or cameras, found on the left side of the toy. This is used to attach the hub to a USB socket on your computer using the supplied lead, turning one computer based USB socket into four. On my Windows XP laptop it installed automatically as a Generic USB Hub. You can used Blaster to attach both the data stick and mouse Device Label toys to your PC. In Ravage's case this is a particularly nice touch as it mimics how the original Blaster could work with the early micro cassette Transformers. The silver grey top of the laptop, emblazoned with a Toshiba logo, opens to reveal a moulded keyboard and a screen showing a red background with an Autobot symbol. So we've got the opening door, similar to original Blaster's chest and then we have the screen in the original Blaster's colours which are somewhat absent in alternate mode. I wonder if any thought was given to making this a red laptop with a yellow lid?
Like all the other Device Label toys, Blaster can Transform. Close the lid of the laptop and turn it over with the hinge end pointing up. Fold the bottom of the laptop out to the sides, then fold down to form the legs. Twist each leg in 90 degrees so that the USB sockets face forward then fold the feet down. Fold the forearms down from in front of the upper arms. Fold the black panels at the end of the arms down & back to reveal the upside down hands which then must be rotated 180 degrees at the wrists. Pull the shoulders out to the sides and up a bit. Open the chest, then fold his head up by first sliding it forward, then flipping it up and finally sliding it back. Close the chest. For now......
Device Label Blaster looks similar to original Blaster (Compare & Contrast Here). We've got red arms, a yellow chest and grey upper legs with the lower legs now becoming black. On the front of each leg are two USB ports with the Mini USB socket now being on the top of his left knee. The toy still works as a USB Hub in robot mode which is quite an achievement. The head sculpt is based more on that used for the comic/cartoon appearances of Blaster and instead of a segmented visor now has two eyes, which are at the end of a yellow lightpipe from the back of his head. The head turns about 45 degrees to each side with the shoulders raising and lowering at the body and turning on a ball joint at the top of the arms. The arms in turn bend twice at the elbow first with a simple hinge and then with a ball joint. A second ball joint forms the wrist allowing the hands to turn but unfortunately it also allows the hand to droop if he's holding too much weight so no posing Device Label Blaster holding the Requiem Blaster even though the 5mm holes in the hands will allow him to grip the handle. You'll have to settle for another a weapon which you'll have to get from somewhere else as there are none with this toy. He can, just about, hold original Blaster's gun but it's a tight fit. His waist doesn't turn but his hips will move forward 90 degrees and swing to the sides while the legs turn on a thigh swivel up to 90 degrees out to the sides. I'm assuming this is restricted because of the wire passing through from one leg to the other linking all four ports to the socket on the left knee. Finally he has a double bending knee. Behind the arms and the body we have a little bit of a cloak effect formed from the lid of the laptop but that's not too obvious. Size wise Blaster is around the same size as a deluxe toys. Here he is with Darkmount/Straxus, a much better size ratio than you'd get between the two characters if you tried to recreate US Transformers comic #17 with the original Blaster and the new "Straxus" toy. The things that really sold this toy to me was the chest though. It can open and hold the original Transformers Generations One micro cassettes - mine's currently transporting Steeljaw. This is a whole world of awesome to me. Many reinterpretations of Soundwave & Blaster fail because they can't transport minions and those that can aren't nearly as good as the originals. This toy says use the original idea on a newer toy and it works superbly. My only slight complaint about this feature is that using the standard transformation you can't store tapes in Blaster's laptop mode and the only way to achieve this is to fold the head out behind the latop!
I mentioned in my original Blaster review that I'd like to see the tape deck take up all the chest and the rest of the toy downsized round it. That's what's happened here and the end result is a deluxe (ish) figure with plenty of articulation that captures the character and features of the original toy. Top marks here Takara.
Blaster's alternate mode is a Toshiba laptop, Toshiba supplying the working electronic components for the Device Label toys. No, he's not a working laptop, in fact he's scaled down with the width and depth each being about a third of those on the machine which I'm writing this, making the surface area of the case about a ninth of what it would be in real life. The depth is similar because there are working electronics in this toy: He acts as a USB Hub for your computer. Four USB ports are located along his leading edge, with a mini USB socket, the same as those on MP3 players or cameras, found on the left side of the toy. This is used to attach the hub to a USB socket on your computer using the supplied lead, turning one computer based USB socket into four. On my Windows XP laptop it installed automatically as a Generic USB Hub. You can used Blaster to attach both the data stick and mouse Device Label toys to your PC. In Ravage's case this is a particularly nice touch as it mimics how the original Blaster could work with the early micro cassette Transformers. The silver grey top of the laptop, emblazoned with a Toshiba logo, opens to reveal a moulded keyboard and a screen showing a red background with an Autobot symbol. So we've got the opening door, similar to original Blaster's chest and then we have the screen in the original Blaster's colours which are somewhat absent in alternate mode. I wonder if any thought was given to making this a red laptop with a yellow lid?
Like all the other Device Label toys, Blaster can Transform. Close the lid of the laptop and turn it over with the hinge end pointing up. Fold the bottom of the laptop out to the sides, then fold down to form the legs. Twist each leg in 90 degrees so that the USB sockets face forward then fold the feet down. Fold the forearms down from in front of the upper arms. Fold the black panels at the end of the arms down & back to reveal the upside down hands which then must be rotated 180 degrees at the wrists. Pull the shoulders out to the sides and up a bit. Open the chest, then fold his head up by first sliding it forward, then flipping it up and finally sliding it back. Close the chest. For now......
Device Label Blaster looks similar to original Blaster (Compare & Contrast Here). We've got red arms, a yellow chest and grey upper legs with the lower legs now becoming black. On the front of each leg are two USB ports with the Mini USB socket now being on the top of his left knee. The toy still works as a USB Hub in robot mode which is quite an achievement. The head sculpt is based more on that used for the comic/cartoon appearances of Blaster and instead of a segmented visor now has two eyes, which are at the end of a yellow lightpipe from the back of his head. The head turns about 45 degrees to each side with the shoulders raising and lowering at the body and turning on a ball joint at the top of the arms. The arms in turn bend twice at the elbow first with a simple hinge and then with a ball joint. A second ball joint forms the wrist allowing the hands to turn but unfortunately it also allows the hand to droop if he's holding too much weight so no posing Device Label Blaster holding the Requiem Blaster even though the 5mm holes in the hands will allow him to grip the handle. You'll have to settle for another a weapon which you'll have to get from somewhere else as there are none with this toy. He can, just about, hold original Blaster's gun but it's a tight fit. His waist doesn't turn but his hips will move forward 90 degrees and swing to the sides while the legs turn on a thigh swivel up to 90 degrees out to the sides. I'm assuming this is restricted because of the wire passing through from one leg to the other linking all four ports to the socket on the left knee. Finally he has a double bending knee. Behind the arms and the body we have a little bit of a cloak effect formed from the lid of the laptop but that's not too obvious. Size wise Blaster is around the same size as a deluxe toys. Here he is with Darkmount/Straxus, a much better size ratio than you'd get between the two characters if you tried to recreate US Transformers comic #17 with the original Blaster and the new "Straxus" toy. The things that really sold this toy to me was the chest though. It can open and hold the original Transformers Generations One micro cassettes - mine's currently transporting Steeljaw. This is a whole world of awesome to me. Many reinterpretations of Soundwave & Blaster fail because they can't transport minions and those that can aren't nearly as good as the originals. This toy says use the original idea on a newer toy and it works superbly. My only slight complaint about this feature is that using the standard transformation you can't store tapes in Blaster's laptop mode and the only way to achieve this is to fold the head out behind the latop!
I mentioned in my original Blaster review that I'd like to see the tape deck take up all the chest and the rest of the toy downsized round it. That's what's happened here and the end result is a deluxe (ish) figure with plenty of articulation that captures the character and features of the original toy. Top marks here Takara.