Transformers Masterpiece MP-30 Ratchet

Ratchet is the Autobot's chief medical officer. While his original bio characterized him like Hawkeye from M*A*S*H more recent versions of the character have made him much more like Dr McCoy from Star Trek. Either way when his fellow Autobots are in need of repairs Ratchet will do everything he can to get them back in fighting shape.

Ratchet has been my favorite Transformers character for as long as I can remember. Not just in the various G1 universes but across the whole spectrum of Transformers fiction. So to have a Masterpiece figure of him is something that makes me very happy.

Ratchet is a retool of the Masterpiece Ironhide mold. Just as the original Ratchet toy was a retool of Ironhide. Or maybe it was the other way around. There will probably be some things I skip over with Ratchet as they've already been discussed in the Ironhide review.

Vehicle mode:

It's an ambulance! No surprises there. Ratchet's vehicle mode is pretty much the same as Ironhide's with the exception of the light-bar on top. Out of the box the he looks rather plain. This is due to a copyright issues surrounding the use of the red cross symbol. A sticker sheet is included with options to make things a little more interesting.

That said it's a very nice vehicle mode. Almost all of the white is a glossy white paint. The red stripe down the side is very clean. The panel lines seem to stand out a bit more on Ratchet than they did on Ironhide. But all in all it's an accurate take on Ratchet's ambulance mode.

Because of the light-bar Ratchet's roof has been slightly redesigned from the original Ironhide release. The light-bar is on a spring. It can be depressed and will lock into place for transformation. When going back to vehicle mode pushing it back slightly will release the catch and let it pop back up.

Behind the light-bar is a small rotating piece. This is to accommodate the attack mode. Sadly, because the white surfaces have been painted, I noticed the paint had chipped slightly when flipping this piece up. A quick search has shown that a number of people have had minor paint chipping issues with this figure. Something to be careful of.

With the piece flipped up you can plug in one of Ratchet's guns. Yay, attack mode. Moving on.

Transformation:

As a retool of Masterpiece Ironhide the transformation is almost exactly the same. You can read my description in the Ironhide review. The only difference is you need to push Ratchet's light-bar down before you start transforming him. It will lock into place when depressed.

Robot mode:

Ratchet's robot mode looks fantastic. This is very clearly Ratchet. Like his vehicle mode he's almost entirely white. But the glossy white paint looks just as nice in robot mode as it does in vehicle mode.

His windows are more transparent than Ironhide's. This means you can see more of the folded up vehicle mode behind the chest window. The figure does come with a little cardboard insert of an ECG reading which you could use to cover this up if you wished.

While the crotch pieces are different from Ironhide's they function in exactly the same way. There is no difference in articulation between the two figures.

Ratchet comes with two options for facial expressions. The first is my preferred face. He looks appropriately cranky. The eyes are picked out in a nice bright blue that stands out well against the flat grey of his face.

The other option is a happy face. Like the grumpy face the paint work is very nice. They even painted inside Ratchet's mouth. But the sculpt is just creepy. I've since plugged this into the bottom of the accessory "sled" and don't intend to look at it ever again.

Accessories:

Due to copy right issues Ratchet couldn't have the red cross symbol tampographed to his vehicle mode and shoulders. Instead you get a sticker sheet with two options. I went with the top line of stickers - crosses with Autobot logos in the center. If you had the time and patience you could cut the smaller squares out of the corners of the lower set of stickers to get the most accurate look for your Ratchet.

Ratchet comes with a large number of accessories. Like Ironhide a "sled" is included to store them all. This homages the fact that the original toy had it's roof come off during transformation to become some sort of mobile repair bay. Ratchet did use something that looked vaguely like this to search for the Dinobots in the Marvel comics.

Ratchet comes with a number of weapons. He's probably the most heavily armed doctor out there. Like Ironhide he comes with a pair of identical pistols. These are just like the ones he used to defend the Autobot shuttle from invading Decepticons before he was mercilessly shot and killed by Starscream.

These are probably the best looking weapons included with Ratchet. They can also store in his vehicle mode behind the rear wheels. Getting them in and out of Ratchet's hands can be a little tricky. The tabs seem a fraction too long when trying to slide them into place.

He has a gun based on the one included with his original toy. I know I'm not the only person to think this weapons looks silly. It's better left as part of the repair bay than used as a hand held weapon.

I don't remember Ratchet ever using this missile launcher in the cartoon like Ironhide. But it is another weapon that was included with the original toy. The arm on the launcher has multiple points of articulation so you are able to position it over Ratchet's head however you think looks best. The missile is also removable. It doesn't fire from the launcher like the original toys did.

Ratchet's last weapon is a very generic laser gun. This he was definitely seen using in the original cartoon.

Ratchet also comes with a decent number of tools for repairing injured Autobots. Probably the most basic is a pair of identical wrenches. These are nicely sized and fit very easily into Ratchet's hands.

He also has this fancier hand tool. I'm sure there's a specific name for it but I'm not sure what it is. The instructions for the figure are in Japanese and unfortunately I can't read any of it. It looks very nice though and like the wrenches fits easily into Ratchet's hands.

This welding torch uses the same plugs that Ironhide's many liquid shooters used. You need to flip Ratchet's hand back into his for arm to use it. It fits snugly into place and is very nicely detailed.

The repair beam emitter uses the plug on Ratchet's forearm. It's a simple design but there are enough little details to keep it from looking bland or unfinished.

Ratchet also comes with a laser scalpel. While in the comics (and probably the cartoon) the scalpel didn't have a pistol grip Ratchet wouldn't be able to properly hold it without one. Like his other tools it's detailed enough to keep it from looking bland but still has that simple cartoon feel.

The welding torch, repair beam emitter and laser scalpel can all use the included effect piece. The beam plugs onto the end of each device. A little bit of white paint over translucent yellow plastic creates a nice effect of Ratchet working away to heal his injured comrades.

Final thoughts:

It's hard for me not to be biased towards liking a Ratchet figure. Even with minor paint chipping issues I'm so happy to have this guy in my collection. As I said in my Ironhide review this mold is really solid. If the paint chipping is putting you off Ironhide is about to get a second release. If not I'd definitely recommend Ratchet as the superior of the two figures. The shiny white finish, appropriately cranky expression and the plethora of tools make this take on Ratchet damn near perfect.

Fans Toys FT-11 Spotter (3rd Party Reflector)

Intro

Camera mode:

Reflector transforms into a camera. The proportions are right and it's comfortable to hold in your hands. But I can't say that it's a particularly realistic camera. The mismatched colors don't help the look much, especially from the back. There's also the fairly obvious robot head on the right hand side.

It's not impossible that a camera could look like this. The size is right for this sort of camera. Batteries, film, etc would all fit inside. But the robot modes clearly took priority when this toy was designed.

The lens and flash are separate pieces that just clip on. The lens looks nice with the clear green plastic in the front and the silver and red painted details around it. The flash however is very blocky and molded in flat grey plastic. It's not bad but it's not 100% convincing either.

Transformation:

I'm not going to describe the steps of the transformation here. With the other Fans Toys figures I own the transformations were on par with official MPs. Go through the instructions the first time and you're good from then on.

I found Reflector's transformation to be painful the first time though. Literally painful. Many parts do not seem to have enough room to move past others. Even following the instructions to the letter it was not an easy process. Having done it a few times now it is not as bad as the first time but it's still not a fun experience.

The general idea here is good. All three robots have pretty much the same transformation. The side robots differ in one place only and even then the step is only mirrored. But the process probably should have gone through another draft. A few minor adjustments to fix the clearance issues and this set would have been brilliant.

You can see in the alt mode pictures the gaps in the grey part at the top of the camera. These sections would just not tab together properly. Part of this I think is due to each of the side sections require a piece to be rolled into place. It's on a clip that's also attached to a track that is L-shaped. Most of the time it just unclips and then is really fiddly to get back into place.

Robot modes:

The robot modes of Reflector are really nice. Drawing inspiration from the cartoon depiction of the character all three robots are practically identically. The central bot obviously has the shutter at the center of his torso. His backpack also differs from the other two robots. As for the side bots the way that their backpacks fold up is mirrored. Otherwise they look exactly the same.

All three are quite poseable. They go beyond the usual articulation seen on your typical Masterpiece figure. The biggest stand out is that they all have double jointed elbows and knees. Unlike the transformation joints the ones used for articulation are all smooth and hold well straight out of the box.

The robot mode does have two very minor flaws. The side hip pieces are hinged to so that they don't impede leg movement. Sadly when flipped up they do get int the way of the waist articulation. And while the ankle tilt is really nice side to side it's designed to cup the bottom of the leg. This means that pointing the foot leaves it looking broken.

Reflector comes with three face options. You get a set of faces for each member (nine faces total). The smirking and grinning faces have a lot of character. The smirk in particular works well if you want to have these three bullying some Autobots. 

I don't think these will get a lot of use with my figures though. Unlike MP Bumblebee or Ironhide - or Fans Toys own Sever and Stomp - you can't easily swap the faces over. You've got to disassemble the head to put the new face piece in. I much prefer when the faces are designed to just plug in. This set up is just too much hassle to swap the faces around

Accessories:

The camera flash and lens break down into smaller chunks. Most of these can be reused by the robots as weapons. All accept the central grey piece pictured above. It contains a knife but seems to have no function or place to store on any of the robots.

The outer pieces of the flash and lens can combine to make a large gun. There are two of these, one for each of the side robots. While the robot mode hands don't grip the gun handle very tightly there is a place for it to tab into the forearm. These guns aren't terrible but there are better options included with these figures.

The inner pieces of the flash become sheaths for knives. These can clip onto any of the robots left legs. The way the pegs are placed they only fit on the left. Personally I'm not fond of these. I think they're too large and chunky tacked on to the side of the robot.

The knives themselves do look nice. The blades are painted silver to make them stand out. The grip tabs nice and securely into the robot mode hands. 

The main part of the lens becomes a large cannon. The transformation on this is painful. It has similar issues to the alt mode. There just doesn't seem to be enough room to move parts past one and other. 

This gun assembles around the robots forearm. There's a grip inside as well as places for the sides to tab both into the robot forearm and the body of the gun itself. Getting everything lined up is a chore.

While I don't think the gun looks half bad I don't feel it's worth the effort to assemble. I've been keeping the lens and flash in their alt mode configurations and just setting them aside.

The best weapon option in my opinion are the three identical pistols. Like the knives these tab securely into the robot mode hand. The design is nice and compact. It's just a shame these are unpainted. Painted silver like the knife blades would have been much nicer. Even cast in black plastic would have been nicer than the plain grey they come in.

Reflector also comes with a scaled down version of their alt mode. This is nicely detailed and, if I'm being completely honest, looks nicer as a camera than the actual figures combined. The flash is removable and just clips over the molded robot mode head on that side.

Finally there are three energon cubes included with Reflector. These are molded in translucent pink/purple plastic. As they're hollow they are easily held by Reflector or any other Transformer you might want to give them to. I think these are a great accessory and hope Fans Toys choose to include a few with future releases.

Final thoughts:

I can't help but be a little disappointed with Reflector. It's such a shame that the transformation here is not up to scratch. I knew the alt-mode was unrealistic going in. And that wasn't a problem. But a Transformer that isn't fun to transform has clearly failed on some level.

I'm still happy to have these three in my collection. The robot modes are great. And the official Masterpiece line has been neglecting the 'Cons so any help bulking up their forces is welcome.

I think it's important to know what you're getting if you're looking at buying these guys. I can't say I'd recommend them. But if you're aware of the issues with the transformation but still like what you're seeing I don't think they're a bad purchase.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-29 Shockwave

Cold, calculating and logical Shockwave was one of the highest ranking Decepticons under Megatron's command.In the original cartoon he was left behind to look after Cybertron while Megatron pursued the Ark. Despite being left behind he still appeared in numerous episodes throughout the first two seasons of the cartoon.

But where Shockwave really got to shine was Marvel's The Transformers comic series. The image on the cover of issue 5 (above) is one of the most memorable in the history of the franchise. in this series Shockwave followed the Ark when it crashed on Earth. He was the first of many to take over leadership of the Decepticons.

Decepticon Masterpieces are few and far between. With Megatron, Soundwave and multiple Starscreams being made over the years Soundwave was the logical choice to get the Masterpiece treatment.

"Space gun" mode:

Shockwave's alt mode is a generic looking laser pistol. All of the main features are here in this mode. Grey barrel with an octagonal opening. Hose on top of the gun. Clear sight on the butt of the gun. As a gun the grip is fairly comfortable in the hand. But there's not a lot of room between the bulge in the middle of the gun and the trigger. I have relatively thin fingers and, while I could get my index finger into the gap to pull the trigger, I found it a tight fit to get my finger on the trigger.

The butt and grip of the gun both have gaps in them. As far as I can tell these are present for the transformation. But they might be off putting for some.

Shockwave comes with a display stand for this mode. It's little more than a purple box with some techy details on it. A clear flap folds out to hold up the barrel of the gun. I can't imagine many people displaying him this way but at least you have the option.

Shockwave does have a light up feature in this mode. There's a small switch in the middle of the gun. In the default position the barrel will light up as long as the trigger is held. In the other the light in the barrel will blink on and off for a set time before switching itself off. It takes two AAA batteries to do this which are not included with the figure.

Transformation:

Shockwave's transformation is fairly simple and intuitive. Start by flipping up the sight onto the lower back of the robot mode. Then flip out the sides of the grey barrel. This will allow you to open out the robot mode arms and fold the barrel up onto Shockwave's back. The side panels should collapse snug on either side of the barrel and it will tab at two places onto Shockwave's back.

The leg transformation on this toy is really cool. Untab the small hinge that connects the back of the grip to the butt of the gun. This will allow you to slip the butt of the gun. Open up the hip flaps then slip the guns grip. Open the robot mode hips out to give yourself room to work with each leg.

Fold out the panels on the inside of the grip, straighten them and tab them in place near the robot mode ankle. Flip the foot around. Straighten the leg and using the double hinge close it onto the butt of the gun. There's a tab on the half of the butt of the gun that will go into a slot on the inside of the leg. Rotate the leg so it's facing the right way then close the hip flap. And then repeat for the other side.

Pull up on the torso to free the waist joint. Fold the trigger up onto Shockwave's belly then pull down the flap under his chest to hide it. Fold the arms down into position. Then lift up Shockwave's head. Getting the head out can be a little awkward as the head itself is on a ball joint which is attached to a flap. If things are colliding try moving the head on the ball a little to get clearance.

Robot mode:

The robot is undeniably Shockwave. All of the defining features of the character are present. His left hand is just the barrel of a blaster. He has a hose running out of his back into his left arm. And he has a very large hexagonal chest.

The color is hard to photograph accurately. It seems to change depending on the lighting. He's definitely lighter in color than some other Shockwaves out there (mainly Fans Toys Quakewave). In person I think he's a nice shade of purple. But I can see how some collectors would prefer that he be a much darker shade.

Shockwave ends up with some proportionately skinny legs. I know this has been a criticism for some who prefer the bulkier form of Fans Toys Quakewave. I don't think the legs could've been done differently and kept the current transformation scheme.

But most importantly when it comes to Shockwave is the head. A single yellow eye is set inside a blocky hexagonal head. Two fins sit on either side of the box. And that's it. It's a big part of the creepy, emotionless vibe Shockwave has going for him.

Pretty much all of the joints on Shockwave are ratcheted. Shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet. You put him into a pose and he'll hold it. His feet are also die-cast which adds some weight and helps him balance.

The elbows have been designed to bend both ways. Out of the box the hose connects to the bottom of Shockwave's left arm. If you prefer it connecting at the top you can swivel both forearms around and then rotate the right hand to it's the right way around. The hose is a metal coil with plenty of flex so it's not going to lose it's shape or break being twisted around like this.

There's also a light up gimmick in robot mode. Three small batteries need to be placed in his left forearm for this to work. Pressing a small button on his forearm will cause an LED to light up and make his blaster glow purple.

Accessories:

Shockwave's accessories seem gear mostly towards giving you options on how to display him. Transforming the base figure leaves the grey barrel sitting on Shockwave's back. If you don't like this and/or would prefer a more cartoon accurate look the display stand can clip over the gun barrel. This doesn't add much bulk to the backpack overall. 

There's a sticker sheet allowing you to decide where and how many Decepticon logos Shockwave has. In different media he's been depicted with logos on his chest, forearms or shoulders. You also get two different styles. The standard Decepticon logo or a cartoon accurate logo. The purple backing is very well color matched to Shockwave's plastic.

Shockwave also has numerous alternate hands. He comes packaged with opaque light purple hands. The right hand can be swapped out for a saluting hand.

Alternatively Shockwave has a complete set of translucent hands. The translucent blaster means the whole barrel lights up rather than just the tip of the opaque hand. Personally I prefer the look of the opaque hands but it's nice to have the choice.

To recreate the animation errors of the G1 cartoon Shockwave has a normal left hand. I can't see this getting much use. I took this one picture than promptly swapped his blaster hand back again. But it's always nice to have the choice.

Finally Shockwave comes with a tiny version of his own gun mode. He did wield himself in an animation error in the original cartoon. The gun has the standard Masterpiece tabs on the grip so you can also have your other 'Cons wielding Shockwave if you choose.

Final thoughts:

I'm really happy with this take on Shockwave. It does everything I wanted it to do. For some the color or the skinny legs might be deal breakers. For those people I'd recommend looking into Quakewave. But Masterpiece Shockwave is a solid toy and worth checking out if you've liked what you've seen here.