Classic Pretender Jazz

Hey, look, another Pretender.  This is the second Pretender Jazz that I've owned.  I somehow lost the shell to my first one, and the helmet was chewed to smithereens by a dog lo many years ago.  I've decided to transition that one to the Legends Jazz since I kept just the inner bot and weapon.  This instance of Jazz represents a first for me as this is the first figure that I purchased from a seller on Facebook.  The transaction was smooth, and I think I'll buy more figures from different groups there now.

The Classic Pretender Jazz was the first version of Jazz that I owned as a kid.  The original 1984 version eluded me for reasons that I can't fathom, so when I saw this guy in a Children's Palace in 1989, I was pretty quick to pounce on him.  The version that I got from Facebook needed some help in the decal department, which was fine by me since I wanted to try out the upgrade labels from Reprolabels anyway.  Still, for what I paid for the figure, I really can't complain about anything.  Finding a good looking Pretender Jazz on eBay is next to impossible.  The light blues and whites always seem to be scratched and faded.

Decals were really important for this guy thanks to some creative coloring on that someone did on the helmet.  The decal on the crest is covering a splash of red marker and there's red marker on the back of the helmet.

Sadly, I can't seem to get the red to come off.  Perhaps I'll look for a new helmet, but it isn't really a priority.

Pretenders are famous for having scratched up heads, thanks to the helmets.  This one isn't that bad, and I'm glad for that.  Enough of that, let's look at the inner robot!

The upgraded decals give the inner robot a look closer to the 1984 model.  There are tons of extra details like the Martinii details.  Reprolabels really knocked it out of the park with this set.

Here's a closer look at the front of the car.  Again, this is really sharp.

Here's the back end.  Notice the Martinii on the license plate.

Attack mode for Jazz consists of just popping the rifle on the hood.  It looks like a Porsche with a gun on top.

Man, so many pictures of the car mode, and just one of the robot mode?  What kind of gyp is that?  At any rate, one picture is enough to show off what's new with the upgrade set.  For starters, there are the two decals on the hips.  They add a bit more color to the overall figure.  Then there are decals on the legs to drive home the 1984 vision.  I was really impressed by the two decals for the feet more than anything else with the set.  It's amazing how a couple of stickers can really make a difference.

Fall of Cybertron

I know that the Fall of Cybertron figures for Jazz, Optimus Prime and Shockwave have been out for awhile, but I haven't really searched them out. If you've read my previous posts, I've been kinda lukewarm about them. I was in a store yesterday and just stumbled across them.

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.