The first thing I noticed when I picked the figure up off the shelves was how heavy it was.  I was thinking that there might be some die-cast in it.  That would have been so cool and appropriate but no luck.  The second thing I noticed is, in order to check this figure out, I would have to pay $8 bucks!  Wow!  Action figures are really expensive.  Nevertheless...

The Mark 1 really surprised me.  Hasbro did a nice job with the sculpt.  There is a fair amount of detail here for a smaller figure.  You can see a lot of the unusual parts used to make this armor.  It is far superior to the first figure released from the first movie. 

The paint job was also refreshing as Hasbro put in a nice amount of paint applications.  The best parts are the colors in between the armor.  It really brings out the details in the armor.  There is a slight wash on the grey armor that also works well on this figure.

Iron-Man is fairly well articulated especially for such a bulky armor.  However, the joints are almost too tight.  It isn't necessarily fragile but it was a little frustrating trying to loosen them.

The Mark 1 includes a flame thrower that attaches to his arm and a base that includes a trading card.  I've never been a fan of this type of base but Hasbro did a good job with it.  The card is smaller than a typical trading card and the base isn't too busy.

I am pleasantly surprised by this figure.  I don't necessarily think this is the new standard for Hasbro's Marvel figures but they did a good enough job to get me to check out the Mark 3.  However, there is still one major problem here; Eight bucks is just way too much for an action figure of this sort.  I try not to let it affect my score too much but Hasbro is pricing this two bucks too high and for that, I can't be too nice.

3.5 out of 5

The vehicle mode is that of a Cybertronian race car.  It looks very sleek and fast.  This is also the closest looking to the original Arcee design from the movie (1986).  The color is worth mentioning off the bat because it isn't a pink color as expected.  I can't say I am disappointed as pink isn't particularly my favorite color nor do I feel the need to have the character to be identical to the original design.  The color is more of a deep red/purple/pink.  It looks as if Hasbro was trying to make it as girly as they could and still appeal to the boys.  I didn't like the color at first glance but I got used to it very quickly.  It is also worth noting that there is a nice sparkle to it.

The transformation is great fun like the majority of the Animated figures.  It is simple enough with some nice unique twists and turns.  The only turn off to the transformation (and the figure for that matter) is the wings are removable and tend to fall off quite easily especially during transformation.

I love this robot.  It is in the great unique animated style.  Arcee's head is a great homage to the character that never got her due.  Arcee has great articulation which surprised me as I expected her to be somewhat of a stick figure.  She comes with two great swords.  They are made of a transparent blue plastic and fit tight in the back of the car that can double as sword hilts in robot mode. 

Arcee is very well made and designed.  It would have been a shame had she never been released.  Thankfully, Hasbro found a way with this Toys R Us exclusive.  If you are at all a fan of Transformers Animated or Arcee, you can't go wrong.  We'll see how the rest of the year goes but Arcee could very well make the top ten of the year list.

4.5 out of 5

The Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder pilot is the second version we have received of this modified X-Wing pilot outfit.  The first one being way back in the very beginning of Power of the Force 2.  The sculpt of this new version is leaps and bounds better than the first one.  Hasbro has really nailed the rebel fighter pilot gear.   This Luke features a wrap to keep his head warm.  I watched ESB recently and could not spot Luke wearing this.  Nevertheless, it still looks fine but there are a few irritating flaws.  Most notably is on the package, the figure is pictured to have a belt clip were the grappling gun can clip on.  Unfortunately, the clip is nowhere to be found leaving the grappling gun chord hanging around.  Another flaw I found is again with the accessory.  There is a string for the hook of the gun but it also goes nowhere.  It is rather frustrating and makes this nice figure an eye sore when displayed with his weapon.   On the other hand, the helmet fits snug and I like how Luke holds his lightsaber hilt.

Now we get to Zuckuss.  I believe this is the third POTF2 version of this bounty hunter that had 6 seconds of screen time.  The first version was nice but is now quite dated.  The second one really still looks good to me which brings me to this third one which I find atrocious.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, soft goods do not lay properly on such small figures!  I don't know who these collectors are who prefer it but it makes no sense to me.  I suppose it would add some articulation if Hasbro had ball-jointed hips.  Also, who is begging to put Zuckuss in a dynamic pose?  If Hasbro insists on using soft goods then why can't they use a thicker, higher quality material?  After all, they charge about eight bucks a figure.  To add to the awful cloth, Hasbro has added terrible paint applications to the material to help it look like it is dirty.  Seriously, this looks so half-assed.  The rest of the figure is acceptable but I think the brown color appears a tad bit too dark. 

So, here we are.  Hasbro continues to crank out updated versions of figures we've seen a few times over.  The Luke is good but the grappling hook takes all the joy away for me.  The Zuckuss may end up in the trash.  Seriously, if you are going to update a figure, please...make it look better!

Luke - 3 out of 5

Zuckuss - 1 out of 5

The Cybertron mode Ratchet is perhaps the one figure from the final releases that I was the least interested in.  However, I was still very excited to get it.  The vehicle mode is fairly simple looking and appears somewhat incomplete but I suppose it looks as it should.  It looks somewhat like a futuristic camper type vehicle.

The transformation is very basic but is still very solid.  It only takes a few moments to transform but everything fits in its proper place.

The robot mode at first glance appears to look like the regular ratchet but side by side it is easy to tell that this is a very different toy.  The head shows a younger more happy ratchet before war started wearing on him.  The chest is not as bulky on this version.

Ratchet is well painted like the other animated figures with nice dull colors.  He looks great next to his Earth mode counterpart. 

Ratchet features substantial articulation and has plenty of play value.  He is accessorized with two fist weapons that really don't add much to the toy as they are just two plastic covers for his fists.  He also has a punching action feature that is rather useless.

Cybertron Ratchet fits in great with the rest of the animated figures.  He certainly is not my favorite of the line but I am very happy this Toys R Us exclusive made it to toy shelves as it has more personality and quality than virtually all the movie toys in my opinion.

3.5 out of 5

Hermann stands about 5 1/2" tall and is well designed and sculpted.  It is very obvious in many ways that this was not created for an American market.  The most obvious is how many sharp points this figure has.  I would never let my daughter even hold this guy.  He is simply dangerous.  The sculpt has incredible details.  The Asian market continues to amaze me with how detailed they can make a figure.  There are so many tiny lines that really bring this to life. Most of the plastic used is a strong model like plastic which I believe helps bring out the details. 

Hermann is well articulated from head to toes.  I do have a problem with the figure being a bit loose in the waist/chest joint.  It makes it a bit hard to maintain a nice pose but with enough care, it can be done.  The figure is given some nice weapons including two ax like weapons with two options to connect them into one massive weapon.  One is a simple connector to make it a huge double bladed ax and the other has a chain attached.  He also includes many nicely sculpted hands and a base,

There aren't a great deal of paint applications on this action figure but those that are present are rather amazing and bring out many of the fine details.  He is mostly made of a nice deep red plastic that shows off nicely.

I can't say that this figure has encouraged me to hunt down the rest (mostly due to their somewhat high import prices).  However, I am very happy I have this figure.  He is great fun to pose and who knows, if I could find them at a reasonable price, I could very well bite.

4 out of 5

How happy I am I did.  Like the other Armor Plus figures, you get a fairly blank, highly articulated body and the armor must be attached by you which provides them with added play value.  Tekkamamn comes with plenty of armor, extra hands and weapons.  The armor is made of a mixture of plastics and some very heavy die-cast metal.  I am a sure sucker for die-cast metal.  The cold feel is enough to make me giddy.  The armor attaches rather nicely with little problems.  Limbs do however need to be removed in order to attach the leg and arm armor.  This is perfectly fine for me.  However, the hands do not seem to snap back in securely which caused a great deal of frustration.  Enough so that what could have been a perfect figure, now gets a half off the final rating.

The sculpt and articulation are phenomenal!  The figure stands about nine inches tall which easily makes him the tallest in the Armor Plus series.  He comes with two heads.  One appears to be a more normal mode and the other features a far more dynamic look.  It is worth noting that many pieces on the armor are very sharp.  They don't appear to be to delicate but you may be extra careful not to break the tips and/or break through your skin.

The paint is clean as expected from high end Bandai figures.  I just hope the white does not discolor in the future.  Much of the white is paint so I am hoping that will make the difference.

Tekkaman features a nice array of weapons:  two single blades, a double bladed staff and the tail part becomes a arrow shooting arm weapon.  The weapons are well designed and painted.  I do wish the blades where painted with chrome like the Ryo No Roko figure's weapons were.

This figure has some nice moving parts.  Most notably are the rib cage armor and the shoulders open to reveal some awesome green blasters of sort.

I bought Tekkaman on looks alone and the fact I like the Armor Plus series and as soon as I finished putting him together I immediately added the anime to my Netflix queue.  I think that says a lot for my enthusiasm for this slick mech.

4.5 out of 5

Please note:  I apologize for the lazy photos.  There is so much more to this item.

I skipped Beast Man the first time it was released because I wasn't committed to this expensive series and I was only planning on buying a few figures that I had a childhood history with.  That has all since changed and I was fortunate to get Beast Man with this second release.  Beast Man always looked cool to me but his cartoon character sort of ruined him for me.  I saw him as a savage beast and the Filmation cartoon depicted him as a stupid lackey.  Nevertheless, he is a core character and the Four Horsemen did him right. 

Beast Man is excellently sculpted and designed.  Like the rest of the figures in the line, the figure captures the look of the original figure with added articulation and modern design.  The face really says it all with his vicious expression. The one aspect of Beast Man I always loved was his colors.  The orange and light blue go so well together and this figure displays that well.  Beast Man's one main flaw to me is he seems a little short.  I thought of Beast Man as a larger broader character but this figure stands shorter than the rest.  Beast man is accessorized with a whip.  It is of much higher quality than the vintage version which is more or less a string tied to a piece of plastic.

With most action figure lines, the main characters receive many costume changes.  In many cases, they are strange and unfitting to the character or are specific to one moment or climate.  With Battle Armor He-Man, his subtle change is equally as cool as his original outfit.  For anyone who knows anything about MOTU, knows how cool the action feature was on the figure.  You gently hit the chest and the plate would flip to reveal one or two slash marks.  This was a very fun feature to me when I was a kid.  The new version of this classic armor does not include this feature but instead has three plates that can be slipped into the armor to display the battle marks.  The chests plates look great but it is a hassle to change them.  Nevertheless, this figure is great and one of my favorites in the series. 

Other than the chest armor and changeable plates, Battle Armor He-Man only includes his ax.  Sure I would have loved his sword but the ax works just fine and this figure will look great sitting upon Battle Cat when he gets released next month.

I am glad I was given another chance to add Beast Man to my Classics collection and I am also happy that Mattel offered the excellent Battle Armor He-Man figure this month since I have no interest in the Princess Adora figure.  But who knows?  A month from now I may be hoping Mattel gives me a second chance to own her.

4.5 out of 5

There are six figures in the set.  Two of which are of main character, Zak Saturday.  I have been unsuccessful at finding Zak Saturday with Fire Sword but with a little more searching I am sure I will find one.

I have watched an episode or two of the animated series and thought it was pretty fun but I will admit, having a child as the main character sort of turned me off.  Mattel has done a nice job of capturing the style of the animation.  There are some similarities of the boxy shapes with Mattel's JLU series of action figures but the Secret Saturdays are scaled a bit taller.  The plastic used is much stronger than the flexi stuff used for JLU but the articulation is very similar with maybe the addition of elbow joints (some JLU figures did feature elbow joints). 

The paint jobs are fairly well done.  However, I did look at a few different figures to find the best ones as some of the paint applications were a bit off.  The colors are rather brilliant.  I like the use of the dull colors.  All the figures look really well together.  The good guys are predominately black, orange and yellow with some browns.  The baddies are distinct in color.  Accessories are limited to only what seems like the necessities.  I do like the simple bases that are included with each figure.

My favorite figure is Doyle.  He stood out to me particularly cause he reminded me of Thall Joban from the Star Wars Droids toy line (mostly due to the hair).  He looks like the true hero of the line.  Bad guy Van Rook is also pretty cool.  He looks sort of ninja like.

This is one of those toy lines that children may remember fondly of twelve years from now and they may be hard to find as toy collector's over looked it.  It is an easy collection to complete as there are only six regular scaled action figures produced.  I would have never bought these at regular retail as they don't have quite enough play value but with that said, if I can only find the Zak figure I am still missing at retail price, I will be okay with paying it.

3 out of 5

For those who may not know, Bludgeon was a character and toy from Transformers G1 Pretenders series.  I am not a huge fan of the Pretenders series and am completely surprised that Hasbro has brought back a character from the series.  I find it somewhat refreshing from seeing the same characters being redone over and over again.

This time around Bludgeon is not a human shell that breaks open to reveal a robot but he is a tank.  The tank is pretty nice.  It looks fairly generic and if you showed it to me I wouldn't necessarily be convinced that it was a new toy.  Nevertheless, it isn't too Sci-Fi looking and could easily fit in one of many different Transformers series.

The Transformation is pretty fun.  I particularly like the rubber tank treads that separate.  I can't remember the last time Hasbro used rubber on any Transformers series (except Alternators). 

The robot really impresses me.  He is clearly an homage to the original Bludgeon character design.  He reeks of samurai.  The highlights for me include the chest and surprisingly the head.  At first glance the head didn't strike me but upon more studying, I really feel it fits well and is very unique for a Transformer.

The paint and plastic are surprisingly good.  The chest has a nice high gloss orange that really stands out.  I also want to express my gratitude on what appears to be an improvement in the plastic especially with the grey plastic.  Normally Hasbro uses an almost transparent looking grey plastic but this time around the plastic looks strong. 

The accessories could easily be a selling point for many as he comes with a long and short samurai sword that connect to form one long double edged staff.  What is even cooler is the tank turret opens up to make a sword sheath.  It looks so natural and is rather ingenious.

Bludgeon is a rather bulky figure which limits some potential articulation but it isn't too bad and it makes up for it with multiple arm joints. 

Bludgeon is one cool robot and a great way to start out the new year.  He has a unique design that can fit in with other Transformers series which is good news for me and others who took a long break from Transformers with the tired movie designs.

3.5 out of 5