generation toy

Generation Toy GT-3 OP-EX

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This was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment pre-order from a while back that come release day I wasn’t hugely excited about, if I’m honest. But I’m enjoying him a lot in hand. There are some peculiar design elements – very few ratchets, slightly unusual plastic (feels like DX9, but thinner). The transformation has a little more panel forming than I’d like, too, and as a result is a bit fiddly (although nowhere near, say, Toyworld Primorion levels). But he tidies up very nicely in both modes. The light-up eyes are great (although dead looking when off or in bright light) and he’s got a lot of character.

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Upbeat about Downbeat

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I’ve not had much of a chance to get bots into the lightbox recently for an assortment of reasons. I recently had a bit of a health scare and whilst all is fortunately fine (horrific MRI claustrophobia panic attack aside), I am on some new meds and they’re knocking me for six. Plus, I’ve got a potentially big project (Transformers related!) in the very early and still shouldn’t be getting excited about stages that is hoovering up the time in which I am well enough to work.

I have been enjoying some bots though!

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REVIEW: Generation Toy J4zz

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The Masterpiece Autobot cars are, I’d say (and I’m always right so that’s a fact), one of the best and most consistent series Takara has produced. The Lamborghini and Nissan molds are both top-tier stuff, and even the molds that don’t reach quite those heights – Tracks, Wheeljack (arguably), Hot Rod – are all big, big winners.

But the line has always lacked something. Specifically, a Porsche-shaped something. Jazz, possibly the most popular Autobot car of them all, is STILL missing in action from Takara’s line-up. Popular myth will have you believe that it’s due to Porsche’s unwillingness to license the 935 for a “war toy”, a category which an armed robot sort of falls into. These theories are lessened somewhat by the fact that Porsche owner Volkswagen licensed out its Beetle for Bumblebee, but it’s still a compelling narrative.

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