Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Dave's Cyberverse Rant: Walmart Ultimate Gift Set
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Dave Van Domelen
Feb 27, 2012, 10:23:04 PM2/27/12
to
Dave's Dark of the Moon Rant:
Cyberverse Ultimate Gift Set
Optimus Prime (Commander, redeco)
Powerglide (Commander, redeco)
Bumblebee (Legion, redeco of DotM mold)
Sideswipe (Legion, redeco of DotM mold)
Crankcase (Legion, redeco)
Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/GiftSet
For the 2011 holiday season, Walmart put out a bunch of $20-30 "Ultimate
Gift Sets" for various properties, with exclusive redecos of several toys
from a particular line (Star Wars, Bakugan, Transformers, etc). When they
dropped to $14.90 clearance, I grabbed a set.
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Legion1 - Legion molds
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Preview1 - Optimus Prime
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Commander1 - Powerglide
CAPSULE
Cyberverse Ultimate Gift Set: At the original price, $30 for two
Commanders and three Legion, all redecos, it really wasn't worth it unless
you had none of the molds yet. But at half price it's worth picking up, but
beware of serious quality control issues.
RANT
Packaging: A shelf-dominating flat box 12" (30cm) on a side and 2" (5cm)
deep, with the top right and lower left front corners truncated. It has a
corner banner reading "ULTIMATE GIFT SET" that's common to all the sets. The
front window shows all five figures in robot mode (Prime's backpack is just
hidden at the border), with art of the vehicle modes ringing the window. The
top and side edges just have the logo, the bottom legalese and UPC. The back
shows photos of both modes (with Crowbar in my preferred alternate
transformation, rather than the hood-front configuration the toy has in the
package) and techspec numbers all surrounding a common bio note. They all
have the same names and techspecs as the versions listed in the reviews
linked above, so I'm not going to put in the full info block for each.
The instruction sheets are individual, but folded over just once each
and with new photos of the figures included to match the redecos. The inner
tray backdrop has a photo of the Chicago skyline with a large full moon in
the background and some unrealistic stars, plus exploding scenery in the
foreground.
Unified Bio Note: OPTIMUS PRIME meets his most trusted AUTOBOT comrades
to discuss battle strategies and hone assault skills. An AUTOBOT offensive
against a secret DECEPTICON base is being planned. Unfortunately for the
AUTOBOTS, CROWBAR lurks in the shadows using specially modified sensors to
spy on the secret meeting. Just as the crafty CROWBAR begins to upload the
secret data to the DECEPTICON mainframe, the audio sensors on BUMBLEBEE perk
up! The DECEPTICON has been discovered!
So...this set could also be called "Crowbar Beatdown".
Optimus Prime:
Three strings hold the robot into the package, the jetpack is held in by
one more string. The guns are in his hands.
Color Swaps: (Compared to preview version) Black remains black, red is
very bright, blue is bright, gunmetal is now black.
Paint Apps: The blue-silver paint apps are all present, but now bright
pure silver. The hood flames are replaced by two small blue flame bits above
the front wheels, nothing on top. The red chest paint and door flame chunk
is brighter red. Silver flames have been added to the wings, but it's
clearly meant for robot mode, as they point the wrong direction in vehicle
mode.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Feels kinda cheap, and the front end of the vehicle mode
barely stays in place, although that's a problem on the original as well.
Powerglide:
Three strings hold the robot in place, with weapons pegged to arms and
wings (arms in vehicle configuration, basically, including hands stowed).
The feet were stowed as well, to better fit into the flat box.
Color Swaps: Brick red becomes a slightly yellowish desaturated pearly
green, the warm silvery gray is now lighter and less warm.
Paint Apps: Red on the leading edge of the wings, red Autobot roundels
on teh engines, red and purple flames on the nose with yellow eyes. The
cockpit windows are metallic blue. Cool gray patterns on the tail, yellow on
the pelvis and chest sides, silver face.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Doesn't hold together as well in either mode as the
original, might just be QC lottery.
Bumblebee:
A single string holds the robot in place.
Color Swaps: The head, boots and feet are swirly golden yellow plastic,
everything else is black plastic.
Paint Apps: Lots of yellow paint on the hood, roof, doors and arms to
try to match up, and it's not a horrible match. The effect is to make the
rally stripes stretch down to the sides. There's some black on the rear
piece to connect up the design, but it's glossier than the black plastic.
Metallic light blue windows. Silver face and pelvis, bright blue eyes and
headlights. A silver Autobot symbol sort of drapes across the driver's side
headlight.
Making the pelvis yellow instead of silver would have helped tie the
robot mode together better.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Slightly warped, took a bit of effort to get the doors in
place.
Sideswipe:
Another single-stringer.
Color Swaps: Silver-gray remains the same, black becomes a dark taupe
like the wheels of the Go-Bots.
Paint Apps: Metalflake red tattoo patterns on the front fenders and
doors, red seats. The front grille and secondary grille-lets are dark
metallic blue, as is an "ascot" splotch. The windshield and eyes are bright
metallic blue. The inner thighs are painted dark metalflake red.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Looks like the legs on mine are slightly warped, he's
pigeon-toed in robot mode and the rear barely holds together in vehicle
mode.
Crowbar:
Single string, legs straightened to fit flatter.
Color Swaps: The pelvis, thighs, shins and wheels remain matte black
plastic, but the rest of the pieces are a very dark blue.
Paint Apps: The windows are a magenta-violet sort of color, except for
the rear window. A silver outline Decepticon symbol is on the roof with
flames trailing down the rear window and trunk. The headlights and
taillights are red, the front grille and foglamps are silver.
In robot mode, pretty much everything the original had in dark bronze is
now silver, while the red and silver on the face are unchanged.
Mold Changes: Not that I noticed.
Other Notes: Much better quality than the other four.
Dave Van Domelen, cranking through his backlog rather quickly....
Cyberverse Ultimate Gift Set
Optimus Prime (Commander, redeco)
Powerglide (Commander, redeco)
Bumblebee (Legion, redeco of DotM mold)
Sideswipe (Legion, redeco of DotM mold)
Crankcase (Legion, redeco)
Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/GiftSet
For the 2011 holiday season, Walmart put out a bunch of $20-30 "Ultimate
Gift Sets" for various properties, with exclusive redecos of several toys
from a particular line (Star Wars, Bakugan, Transformers, etc). When they
dropped to $14.90 clearance, I grabbed a set.
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Legion1 - Legion molds
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Preview1 - Optimus Prime
http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/DotM/Commander1 - Powerglide
CAPSULE
Cyberverse Ultimate Gift Set: At the original price, $30 for two
Commanders and three Legion, all redecos, it really wasn't worth it unless
you had none of the molds yet. But at half price it's worth picking up, but
beware of serious quality control issues.
RANT
Packaging: A shelf-dominating flat box 12" (30cm) on a side and 2" (5cm)
deep, with the top right and lower left front corners truncated. It has a
corner banner reading "ULTIMATE GIFT SET" that's common to all the sets. The
front window shows all five figures in robot mode (Prime's backpack is just
hidden at the border), with art of the vehicle modes ringing the window. The
top and side edges just have the logo, the bottom legalese and UPC. The back
shows photos of both modes (with Crowbar in my preferred alternate
transformation, rather than the hood-front configuration the toy has in the
package) and techspec numbers all surrounding a common bio note. They all
have the same names and techspecs as the versions listed in the reviews
linked above, so I'm not going to put in the full info block for each.
The instruction sheets are individual, but folded over just once each
and with new photos of the figures included to match the redecos. The inner
tray backdrop has a photo of the Chicago skyline with a large full moon in
the background and some unrealistic stars, plus exploding scenery in the
foreground.
Unified Bio Note: OPTIMUS PRIME meets his most trusted AUTOBOT comrades
to discuss battle strategies and hone assault skills. An AUTOBOT offensive
against a secret DECEPTICON base is being planned. Unfortunately for the
AUTOBOTS, CROWBAR lurks in the shadows using specially modified sensors to
spy on the secret meeting. Just as the crafty CROWBAR begins to upload the
secret data to the DECEPTICON mainframe, the audio sensors on BUMBLEBEE perk
up! The DECEPTICON has been discovered!
So...this set could also be called "Crowbar Beatdown".
Optimus Prime:
Three strings hold the robot into the package, the jetpack is held in by
one more string. The guns are in his hands.
Color Swaps: (Compared to preview version) Black remains black, red is
very bright, blue is bright, gunmetal is now black.
Paint Apps: The blue-silver paint apps are all present, but now bright
pure silver. The hood flames are replaced by two small blue flame bits above
the front wheels, nothing on top. The red chest paint and door flame chunk
is brighter red. Silver flames have been added to the wings, but it's
clearly meant for robot mode, as they point the wrong direction in vehicle
mode.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Feels kinda cheap, and the front end of the vehicle mode
barely stays in place, although that's a problem on the original as well.
Powerglide:
Three strings hold the robot in place, with weapons pegged to arms and
wings (arms in vehicle configuration, basically, including hands stowed).
The feet were stowed as well, to better fit into the flat box.
Color Swaps: Brick red becomes a slightly yellowish desaturated pearly
green, the warm silvery gray is now lighter and less warm.
Paint Apps: Red on the leading edge of the wings, red Autobot roundels
on teh engines, red and purple flames on the nose with yellow eyes. The
cockpit windows are metallic blue. Cool gray patterns on the tail, yellow on
the pelvis and chest sides, silver face.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Doesn't hold together as well in either mode as the
original, might just be QC lottery.
Bumblebee:
A single string holds the robot in place.
Color Swaps: The head, boots and feet are swirly golden yellow plastic,
everything else is black plastic.
Paint Apps: Lots of yellow paint on the hood, roof, doors and arms to
try to match up, and it's not a horrible match. The effect is to make the
rally stripes stretch down to the sides. There's some black on the rear
piece to connect up the design, but it's glossier than the black plastic.
Metallic light blue windows. Silver face and pelvis, bright blue eyes and
headlights. A silver Autobot symbol sort of drapes across the driver's side
headlight.
Making the pelvis yellow instead of silver would have helped tie the
robot mode together better.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Slightly warped, took a bit of effort to get the doors in
place.
Sideswipe:
Another single-stringer.
Color Swaps: Silver-gray remains the same, black becomes a dark taupe
like the wheels of the Go-Bots.
Paint Apps: Metalflake red tattoo patterns on the front fenders and
doors, red seats. The front grille and secondary grille-lets are dark
metallic blue, as is an "ascot" splotch. The windshield and eyes are bright
metallic blue. The inner thighs are painted dark metalflake red.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: Looks like the legs on mine are slightly warped, he's
pigeon-toed in robot mode and the rear barely holds together in vehicle
mode.
Crowbar:
Single string, legs straightened to fit flatter.
Color Swaps: The pelvis, thighs, shins and wheels remain matte black
plastic, but the rest of the pieces are a very dark blue.
Paint Apps: The windows are a magenta-violet sort of color, except for
the rear window. A silver outline Decepticon symbol is on the roof with
flames trailing down the rear window and trunk. The headlights and
taillights are red, the front grille and foglamps are silver.
In robot mode, pretty much everything the original had in dark bronze is
now silver, while the red and silver on the face are unchanged.
Mold Changes: Not that I noticed.
Other Notes: Much better quality than the other four.
Dave Van Domelen, cranking through his backlog rather quickly....
0 new messages