One thing I noticed was the price. The Generations line was anywhere from $9.88 to $12.88 retail. These new figures were $15.47 a pop! That just seemed excessive. It's essentially only a $3 increase, but I just see myself paying that much for the whole line.
At any rate, I decided to purchase Jazz and Shockwave because Optimus didn't appeal to me at all. He just looked odd to me. I must say that the new packaging looks great to me. I love the new tech spechs. They're a call-out to the days of yore. Thank goodness I have to wear a ruby quartz visor so I didn't need to find a decoder to see the ratings.
First up is Jazz, and I must say that I'm disappointed. He just seems so simplistic. There isn't a lot to say about this guy. His robot mode just seemed kind of boring to me. His face is reminiscent of a Bayformer. For some reason I was also expecting waist articulation. Jazz just stands there. Looking at him, I just feel bored.
Moving on to his vehicle mode, things don't get much better. I snapped one of his arms off several times during transformation. Once I got him into vehicle mode, eh. It's sleek, I'll give it that. The metallic blues certainly make it stand out. That's a plus.
Size wise, he's in line with the previous War for Cybertron figures in robot mode. Once in vehicle mode, Bumblebee dwarfs him, which is odd. Once compared to the War for Cybertron figures, Jazz really starts to look bad. The War for Cybertron figures have more going for them in terms of articulation and mass. Jazz is just so light!
Next up is Shockwave. I like Shockwave's robot mode. It's sleek, although it is a little skinny. The light piping for his eye is awesome. That iconic purple just looks great, and the silver highlights aren't overdone. Really tasteful. Supposedly, his gun clips to his back, but on mine, it barely stays put. Still, great robot mode.
Shockwave's vehicle mode is sleek like his robot mode. I just wish it were bigger. Just looking at it, it really looks to me like a gun disguised as a ship. Still, I think Shockwave deserves a Voyager class figure. If Soundwave is getting one, shouldn't ol' one eye get one too?
Overall, with the huge price increase, limited articulation, and seemingly small size, I think Hasbro has made up my mind for me with this line. I'll still buy Bruticus, maybe a couple more, but I won't be out searching high and low for them. I will be searching out for Toys R Us Asian exclusives, however.
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