Post by Philip Ayres on Oct 30, 2010 18:59:22 GMT
Sandstorm
Sandstorm is a repaint of Universe Legends Beachcomber
When I think of Sandstorm, or either of his Autobot Triplechanger brethren Springer or Broadside, I tend to think of their aerial mode rather than their ground or sea mode. Yet this is the second time that the first modern version of an Autobot Triplechanger has been their ground mode - see Botcon 2007 Springer.
Sandstorm swaps Beachcomber's blue for a sandy beige while keeping the black plastic. Orange paint is added to the wheel arches and robot chest giving us quite a decent Dune Buggy & Sandstorm robot.
Tracker Hound
Tracker Hound is a repaint of Universe Legends Hound.
The most obvious ways to go with a Hound repaint is something desert themed as either Detritus or Strongarm. Unfortunately he's packed with Sandstorm who already uses a similar colour scheme. So what do Hasbro do? Fortunately they didn't go down the Energon Strongarm route! Instead we get an all black plastic toy with some silver and gold highlights.
For me this toy doesn't really work. The all black doesn't suit it at all. Sorry!
Smokescreen
Revenge of the Fallen Legends Smokescreen is a repaint of Universe Legends Rodimus
Smokescreen is perhaps not the most obvious choice of character to use as a Hot Rod/Rodimus repaint. But then again the base mould isn't a usual Hot Rod, more of a modern, as opposed to futuristic, interpretation on the character. The most obvious connection between the Rodimus & Smokescreen is that they both have a spoiler. The original Smokescreen is a repainted and adapted version of the mould that Bluestreak and Prowl use.
I associate Smokescreen with being blue with a red stripe, but the Legends version swaps Rodimus' orange/red for a bright red, keeps the black plastic and then paints the sides of the car blue, the windows black, the headlights yellow and adds Autobot & number 38 details. The end result looks a lot like the original Smokescreen car, which is what we're after here. My only real complaint is the lack of a 38 on the bonnet.
Robot mode is less like Smokescreen. We lack any white or painted black for a start, and while both toys have the bonnet for a chest, original Smokescreen has his bonnet pointing out while the Rodimus mould has it flat against the chest. The front of the legs are painted blue - the original was red so I'd have saved my paint here. The forearms are blue while the shoulders & hands are red - I'd have reversed that too. Since none of these details is visible in vehicle mode there's no reason why they couldn't have been changed to produce a better looking toy in robot mode.
I've seen much worse Smokescreen homages. The vehicle is very good and although much is forgivable at legends size a lot of the things that trouble me with the robot mode could easily have been fixed. So he makes an adequate Universe Legends Smokescreen, rather than a top notch one.
Smokescreen was sold in the USA in a Target Exclusive 2-pack with NEST Legends Starscream, a repaint of the original 2007 Movie Legend Starscream.
Shadow Striker
Revenge of the Fallen Legends Shadow Striker is repaint of Universe Legends Wheelie.
"I am Evil Wheelie, I am Evil Wheelie!"
Straight colour swap here: orange becomes black and grey becomes red. Unfortunately for the vehicle mode this now means red wheels but otherwise the rest of the vehicle and all of the robot mode look superb.
Shadow Striker was sold in the USA in a Target Exclusive 2-pack with NEST Legends Bumblebee, a repaint of Revenge of the Fallen Bumblebee which I am surprised to learn is not a repaint of 2007 Movie Bumblebee
Sparkcrusher
Sparkcrusher is a repaint of Universe Legends Warpath.
Sparkcrusher swaps Warpath's red for green and grey for orangey beige. He keeps the black paint on his treads, adds some to the faceplate, and gains some grey on the face and front of the legs.
Decent realistic repaint. Unfortunately it is just a straight repaint and doesn't fix the moulding flaw so Sparkcrusher still has a fixed turret pointing in the wrong direction.
Sparkcrusher was sold in the USA in the Target exclusive Straightaway Shootout boxset with Mudflap, a repaint of the ROTF Legends Mudflap, Ironhide, a repaint of Movie Legend Ironhide, Swerve, a typically red ( because all Swerves are always red) repaint of Sideswipe (who himself should have been red to start with) and Runamuck, a rather G1 Jazz/Stunticon Breakdown inspired repaint of Movie Legends Jazz
Sandstorm is a repaint of Universe Legends Beachcomber
When I think of Sandstorm, or either of his Autobot Triplechanger brethren Springer or Broadside, I tend to think of their aerial mode rather than their ground or sea mode. Yet this is the second time that the first modern version of an Autobot Triplechanger has been their ground mode - see Botcon 2007 Springer.
Sandstorm swaps Beachcomber's blue for a sandy beige while keeping the black plastic. Orange paint is added to the wheel arches and robot chest giving us quite a decent Dune Buggy & Sandstorm robot.
Tracker Hound
Tracker Hound is a repaint of Universe Legends Hound.
The most obvious ways to go with a Hound repaint is something desert themed as either Detritus or Strongarm. Unfortunately he's packed with Sandstorm who already uses a similar colour scheme. So what do Hasbro do? Fortunately they didn't go down the Energon Strongarm route! Instead we get an all black plastic toy with some silver and gold highlights.
For me this toy doesn't really work. The all black doesn't suit it at all. Sorry!
Smokescreen
Revenge of the Fallen Legends Smokescreen is a repaint of Universe Legends Rodimus
Smokescreen is perhaps not the most obvious choice of character to use as a Hot Rod/Rodimus repaint. But then again the base mould isn't a usual Hot Rod, more of a modern, as opposed to futuristic, interpretation on the character. The most obvious connection between the Rodimus & Smokescreen is that they both have a spoiler. The original Smokescreen is a repainted and adapted version of the mould that Bluestreak and Prowl use.
I associate Smokescreen with being blue with a red stripe, but the Legends version swaps Rodimus' orange/red for a bright red, keeps the black plastic and then paints the sides of the car blue, the windows black, the headlights yellow and adds Autobot & number 38 details. The end result looks a lot like the original Smokescreen car, which is what we're after here. My only real complaint is the lack of a 38 on the bonnet.
Robot mode is less like Smokescreen. We lack any white or painted black for a start, and while both toys have the bonnet for a chest, original Smokescreen has his bonnet pointing out while the Rodimus mould has it flat against the chest. The front of the legs are painted blue - the original was red so I'd have saved my paint here. The forearms are blue while the shoulders & hands are red - I'd have reversed that too. Since none of these details is visible in vehicle mode there's no reason why they couldn't have been changed to produce a better looking toy in robot mode.
I've seen much worse Smokescreen homages. The vehicle is very good and although much is forgivable at legends size a lot of the things that trouble me with the robot mode could easily have been fixed. So he makes an adequate Universe Legends Smokescreen, rather than a top notch one.
Smokescreen was sold in the USA in a Target Exclusive 2-pack with NEST Legends Starscream, a repaint of the original 2007 Movie Legend Starscream.
Shadow Striker
Revenge of the Fallen Legends Shadow Striker is repaint of Universe Legends Wheelie.
"I am Evil Wheelie, I am Evil Wheelie!"
Straight colour swap here: orange becomes black and grey becomes red. Unfortunately for the vehicle mode this now means red wheels but otherwise the rest of the vehicle and all of the robot mode look superb.
Shadow Striker was sold in the USA in a Target Exclusive 2-pack with NEST Legends Bumblebee, a repaint of Revenge of the Fallen Bumblebee which I am surprised to learn is not a repaint of 2007 Movie Bumblebee
Sparkcrusher
Sparkcrusher is a repaint of Universe Legends Warpath.
Sparkcrusher swaps Warpath's red for green and grey for orangey beige. He keeps the black paint on his treads, adds some to the faceplate, and gains some grey on the face and front of the legs.
Decent realistic repaint. Unfortunately it is just a straight repaint and doesn't fix the moulding flaw so Sparkcrusher still has a fixed turret pointing in the wrong direction.
Sparkcrusher was sold in the USA in the Target exclusive Straightaway Shootout boxset with Mudflap, a repaint of the ROTF Legends Mudflap, Ironhide, a repaint of Movie Legend Ironhide, Swerve, a typically red ( because all Swerves are always red) repaint of Sideswipe (who himself should have been red to start with) and Runamuck, a rather G1 Jazz/Stunticon Breakdown inspired repaint of Movie Legends Jazz
