Tag: Mini-Bot

New Age H19 Hogan and H20 William Bonney

New Age has finally returned to the mini-bots with their two-pack of Hogan (aka G1 Brawn) and William Bonney (aka G1 Outback)!

The Box

The box is about what you expect from the Legendary Heroes line but with red details.

Inside the box you get both figures in robot mode, a combined set of instructions covering all three releases of the mold, a large cannon, a pistol, 2x gas tanks in matching colors, a die-cast drill and the die-cast Initial Premium set which includes a drill for Agamenmnon and a claw for Lucifer.

The Transformation

I found it impossible to transform the arms into vehicle mode as shown in the instructions. There are post on the forearms that have to slot into the folding piece that fits between them and, if the arms are in the final position, there is not enough clearance to slide everything into position. I have to rotate the forearms out (as seen below) so that the posts clear the bottom of the center piece then use the fists to fold the arms into the final position.

The Gas Tank

The gas cans fold out into odd-looking blasters.

They also fit into the back of the vehicle mode very tightly. So tightly that I had trouble getting them back off. They’ll probably end up in my New Age parts bin.

H19 Hogan

Each figure gets an unique head and chest so that they maintain the unique look of each character.

And a close-up of his face – Hogan is apparently very unhappy.

In vehicle mode the only difference between the two figures is the bottom of the grill, for Hogan, there is a hole for the drill attachment.

Here is Hogan with his TOE drill.

H20 William Bonney

The different head and chest really helps the two figures stand apart.

Since the spare tire on the roof is identical to the regular tires, including the mounting rivet, it is not possible to mount the cannon in the middle of the roof like on the G1 toy. You’ll have to pick a preferred side and use that fist to mount it.

The Conclusion

After the recent releases it is a bit of a shock going back to such small figures but the quality and poseability certainly don’t suffer.

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

January 29, 2020
X-Transbots MM-VIII Arkose
The 2019 version of Arkose comes in two versions, one for each generation:

Supposedly, the 2019 version includes several updates:
- Easier transformation, including a higher roll-cage
- Shortened heel spurs
- Fully metallic paint
- Stronger tabs to eliminate stress marks
I don’t have the original so I cannot verify any of these.

The Box

One confusing thing is that the back of the box for the G1 version shows the G2 version and vice versa. I suspect that this is why I originally received two G1 versions instead of one of each.

The Figure

The figure looks dead on although the shoulders do not lock into place well and are constantly sliding up.

The Dune Buggy

Unlike other MP Beachcombers, Arkose transforms into an accurate Chenowth type fast attack vehicle, which is a big plus for me.

There are some surprising details in vehicle mode like the first aid kits on the back of the seats.

The dune buggy looks great, but the transformation is not fun. Also, I hate the roll cage, which is just a series of tubes that hold together by friction and fall apart as soon as you being the transformation.

The Masterpiece

Arkose fits in perfectly with other Masterpiece-class figures.

The Conclusion

Although this figure looks great, for me, the play-ability is very low. Like their Ollie, it will remain on the shelf in robot mode.

Get yours where I got mine: Show.Z Store
- XTransbots MM-VIII Arkose
- XTransbots MM-VIII-G2 Green Arkose
* “That One Episode” – the obligatory accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.
August 11, 2019
New Age H6L clear Max

The clear version of Max has arrived at JunkionHQ!

The Box

The box is similar to those of the other two Maxes but the background has been changed to a much lighter blue and green gradient

In the box you get the same instructions and three piece “beam up” stand as the original Max.

The Robot

Same bot – now see-through!

The UFO

The UFO mode…

The Comparisons

Here are all three versions of Max.

Autobot symbol sold separately

Autobot symbol sold separately

The Conclusion

Certainly not a “must have” release unless you’re one of the lucky few who own the Weibo giveaway Heart of Gold Flipper or Ion Storm Max. Still, it is a very cool looking figure!

The Max fleet (Autobot symbol sold separately)

360 Degree Turnaround

May 10, 2019
New Age H6 Max
Mini Warrior Max (aka Cosmos) has arrived at JunkionHQ! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this figure since receiving Harry, which was a massive improvement over the already great Flipper.

The Box

Max’s box is an even stronger homage to the G1 Autobot packaging style than Gremlin‘s was.

Mine got a little beat up in the mail.

In the box you get the, probably X-Transbots Klaatu inspired, three piece “beam up” stand and instructions.

The Robot

Max is an enormously adorable rotund little figure!

Robot mode side view

Robot mode back view – this was my first view of the figure since it’s how it was in the box insert.

And the face that only a mermaid could love.

Unfortunately, the articulation is more limited than their previous releases:
- The shoulders, being jointed inside the torso don’t have much vertical movement
- The hips, with their large side panels, do not have much forward and backwards movement
- The feet have an extremely minor ankle tilt
The UFO

The UFO mode is straight out of the G1 cartoon!

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

UFO mode side view

UFO back view

The details of the UFO front

UFO mode on the includes stand
(Autobot symbol sold separately)

The Comparisons

Here’s Max with the Generations Thrilling 30 Legends Scale Cosmos.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

And here with the, Masterpiece-scaled, Spaceracer from Toy World.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

The Conclusion

Overall, I’m happy with Max, although not as much as Harry, which still holds the top spot in this line. Articulation issues aside, this is still a fun figure. The transformation is a little more fiddly than either Harry or Flipper requiring the instructions for the first go.

Now all I need is to get an Autobot symbol small enough to fit on his chest.

It looks like the blue version will be next since we’ve seen it in package. The transparent version can’t be far behind.

360 Degree Turnaround
April 1, 2019
New Age H1K Critter

After receiving Harry and pre-ordering the Path Finder-inspired H6B Max V2 I decided that I needed Critter as part of a New Age GoBots collection.

Critter is inspired by the version of Bug Bite that was included in the Botcon 2007 box set.

The Box

Critter’s box is based on the Generation 1 Decepticon packaging.

In the box is the pistol (in silver this time!), jet pack (identical to Gremlin‘s) and instruction sheet.

The molded details on the pistol are much easier to see in silver.

The Robot

While I broke out the macro lens for Flipper, I never photographed alternate views of the robot mode.

Robot mode with no kibble, so passe.

A better job on the details than my copy of Flipper.

According to Ben Yee, Lanny Lathem intended the tattoo as “a highly stylized version of the Decepticon insignia.”

The Volkswagen Bug

Like Flipper, Critter’s black shoulders stand out in vehicle mode but, with the black windows, they don’t clash as badly.

360 Degree Turnaround

March 24, 2019
New Age H1 Flipper

Ok I admit it: after receiving Harry, I’ve become a bit obsessed with New Age‘s Legendary Heroes line!

Although Flipper was my first New Age product I never had a chance to review it before Gremlin arrived so I’ve decided to correct that error.

The Box

The box is based on the packaging for Microchange (the source of the original Bumblebee mold) which is a nice tribute.

Unlike every other version of this mold (including the exclusive clear version) Flipper only includes the pistol and instructions there’s no jet pack here.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Just like the main figure, there are a lot of details on the tiny little pistol

The Robot

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

The paint on my version isn’t great in this close-up but It’s not noticeable normally. Even with the flaws the sculpt is still impressive.

The Volkswagen Bug

The biggest flaw in the vehicle mode is that the black shoulders are extremely obvious and break up the door panels.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Even though they don’t spin, the wheels are fully painted.

360 Degree Turnaround

March 8, 2019
New Age H3 Harry
Harry (aka Prowl and, presumably, “Clean” Harry), the newest release from New Age‘s new legends-scaled line has arrived at Junkion HQ!

The Box

Harry comes in a Diaclone-inspired window box.

Apparently the Autobot car-inspired releases are Ark Warriors while the mini-bot-inspired releases are Mini Warriors. Harry is also labeled as Alliance Military Strategist which is a designation the Mini Warriors lack.

In the box you get a rifle, two missile launchers and instructions.

The Robot

One thing I really like about New Age’s products is that they feel very sturdy in hand which encourages you to spend time with them. I have plenty of third party products that are larger and more expensive that are both more fragile and less fun.

Harry is extremely well articulated! In addition to ball joints in the arms and hips, Harry also has thigh swivels and ankle tilts.

New Age also didn’t skimp on the details, here’s a close-up of the amazing head sculpt.

And the tiny details on the robot’s waist.

And now, fully armed!

The Fairlady Z

The biggest change with Harry is that, unlike Flipper, the wheels actually spin!

There are just so many details for such a small vehicle that I wanted to spend some extra time with the macro lens to really capture them all:

Hood logo and turn signals

Head light

Windshield wipers

Door badge

Fully painted rolling tires!

Tail lights

I’m amazed by the paint apps on this figure!

The Comparisons

Looking at Harry and Flipper in robot mode really shows off how much detail they put into this release.

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

The vehicle mode continues the trend making Flipper (who really is a nicely painted figure) look plain by comparison.

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

To give a better sense of scale, here’s Harry with Masterpiece Prowl.

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

The Rest of the Legendary Warriors

At the 2018 Shanghai Wire Factory (SGC) show, New Age showed off sixteen different figures!

New Age’s Legendary Heroes line as shown at SGC 2018 (photo by Chicken Fritters on Weibo)

Heaven knows how long it will take to get all of these released but here is the full line up:
- H1 Flipper (Bumblebee)
- H1G Gremlin (Goldbug)
- H1K Critter (GoBots Bug Bite as seen at Botcon 2007)
- H2 Manero (Jazz)
- H2G Capoeira* (Stepper, aka Ricochet)
- H2P Cyclops* (Alternators Shockwave?!)
- H3 Harry (Prowl)
- H4 Murphy (Anime Bluestreak)
- H4? Murphy (Diaclone blue Bluestreak)
- H5 Maverick (Smokescreen)
- H6 Max (Cosmos)
- H6B Max V2 (GoBots Path Finder)
- H6T Max transparent (ghost Cosmos?)
- H7 McCoy** (Ironhide)
- H8 Miller** (Ratchet)
- H9 Agamenmnon (Megatron!)
* ~~I’m not actually sure which one is H2C and which one is H2W – I’m just guessing that W is for Shock~~W~~ave.~~ Corrected after TFcon 2019
** ~~More guesswork: McCoy just seems to fit Ironhide better.~~ Confirmed, TFcon 2019

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10161312005100014&set=gm.2252622164966626&type=3&theater
Check out ‎Daniel Bellido‎’s gallery of the event!

It’s unlikely, but I’m hoping that H10 ends up being their version of Optimus Prime for the MP-10 nomenclature symmetry.

The only disappointment that I can come up with for this line is that, by what we’ve seen for the pre-orders, it looks like they’re not giving the Max repaints unique names like they did with Gremlin and Critter. If that’s the worse thing that they do I’ll be very, very happy.

The Conclusion

I’ve never been a Legends-scale collector but I am now certainly a New Age collector. This line is just pure fun! Transforming them is a joy despite their diminutive size. I am really looking forward to their upcoming version of Cosmos and hope to hear more about their other releases very soon!

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

360 Degree Turnaround
March 6, 2019
X-Transbots MM-VI Boost (Toon V2)

My final 1984 Masterpiece mini-bot, Boost (aka Windcharger) has arrived at Junkion HQ!

The Box

The box featured a nice illustration of the figure in robot mode on the front and G1-style tech specs on the back.

Unfortunately, they sealed the box with large “X-Transbots” decals that cover the edges of the tech specs.

In the box you’ll find a pistol, tractor beam attachment, toy visor with compatible head piece, trading card and instructions book.

Another cool thing about the box is that it was designed to be displayed along side the box for mold-mate Hatch. The front of the box is actually a single illustration of both figures and the back shares a line drawing of the robot mode.

The Robot

The robot mode looks great but the transformation has a lot of steps that require parts to be precisely positioned. When transforming the arms you can’t just fold out the hands, you have to manipulate the hand around a raised edge on the forearm starting with the thumb then spinning it so that the palm clears the edge. The feet are an even more awkward with multiple parts that have to be positioned just right before everything can be rotated into place. I’m not sure I’ve managed to do it in the correct sequence yet, I usually just fiddle with it until the pieces finally fall into place.

Boost with his TOE* tractor beam from The Ultimate Doom.

The Trans-Am

Windcharger’s G1 vehicle mode was not nearly as deformed as Cliffjumper‘s or even Bumblebee‘s retaining a similar basic shape as a classic Trans-Am so it is much less of change to see such a realistic vehicle mode.

One thing I always appreciate is having a place to store weapons while in vehicle mode. Boost can not only store his pistol but also his tractor beam between the rear wheels.

The Masterpiece

X-Transbots did a good job matching Boost with MP-21, on display they certainly look like they are from the same line.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

In vehicle mode, Boost fits right in too.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

The Conclusion

I ordered this set as soon as the pre-order appeared in June 2018, long before I even knew there would be multiple versions. As it turns out, I got the one I would have picked anyways! The chrome legs on the other two versions wouldn’t really fit with the rest of my Masterpiece collection.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

March 4, 2019
BadCube OTS-9 Grump

BadCube just reissued their version of Masterpiece Gears – the final BadCube mini-bot that I need for my 1984 Autobots!

The Box

The traditional BadCube box comes in red and blue to mirror the figure inside. When I first saw these boxes I thought they were plain, but I have to admit that they’ve grown on me.

Inside the box you get a trading card, instructions, pistol and TOE* personality card and welder.

The personality card is detailed to look like a VHS tape.

The card fits very tightly into the chest, I had to use a small pair of pliers to get it back out.

The Figure

Grump has a lot of personality and looks like he just stepped out of the cartoon.

Happy to help Megatron, good buddy!

Grump’s head contains both faces. The whole face folds up and everything below the eyebrow spins.

The Truck

Just like Slick, locking Grump’s chest piece in place for vehicle mode is challenging but, due to the quarter panels being attached to the hood, not quite as difficult.

The Mold Mate

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Although I usually don’t display Slick with his wheels out, it does help differentiate the two versions.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Not much difference in vehicle mode besides the colors, as it should be.

The Masterpiece

Beside Bumblebee, Grump’s vehicle mode doesn’t look nearly as realistic.

The Conclusion

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

I was pretty happy with Slick and am just as happy with Grump. He looks great with the rest of the mini-bots. Now I just need my X-Transbots Boost to arrive to complete the set!

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

February 1, 2019
New Age H1G Gremlin

New Age‘s Gremlin “gold” repaint of their Flipper mini-bot has arrived at Junkion HQ.

In the box is an extremely tiny pistol, jet pack and instructions sheet.

Like the original G1 Goldbug, Gremlin is more of a mustard yellow than a gold.

The VW Bug

The only drawback with the vehicle mode is that it lacks rolling wheels.

The Robot

This is a super fun little figure!

It’s very poseable for its size and has a great intuitive transformation.

Unlike Flipper, Gremlin includes the jet pack from Dinobot Island.

The Comparisons

This is not my first New Age mini-bot: I picked up Flipper a while back but never got the chance to review it. This where the clever transformation really shines. Because of how the rear window transforms it allows Gremlin to have a Throttlebot-style hood and hides that kibble for Flipper.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Flipper has one big flaw in vehicle mode compared to Gremlin, his black shoulders stand out awkwardly just under the side windows.

(Autobot symbol sold separately)

Not having one of his own, Flipper has to borrow Gremlin’s jet pack to recreate TOE*.

(Autobot symbol sold separately))

360 Degree Turnaround

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

January 21, 2019