BW: A pleasant surprise
graywolf
After reading the Beast Wars posts here over the last two months or so, I
finally built up my courage and bought my first BW figure.
I picked up Wolffang for $12.99 at Kaybee and am *impressed*! Here's why:
1. He's balanced in robot mode and can actually *stand on his own* easily
(unlike other TFs whose legs slide up and down freely).
2. Posability.
3. His weapon, shield, and projectiles all snap into him in either mode,
so they don't get lost.
4. His weapon *actually shoots*, unlike many TFs I've seen with rocket
launchers (Optimus's trailer thingamajig, Metroplex's cannons, etc.)
5. Lots of moving parts! (fun factor = no. of moving parts squared *
constant)
6. For the most part, he looks cool in both modes.
There aren't many things I don't like about this figure:
1. Aesthetics problem: His 'mutant mask' is ugly, but fortunately, that
can be removed easily.
2. Aesthetics problem: His chin sticks out * WAY * too far w/o the mutant
mask. Hmmm, maybe the mask isn't so bad after all...
3. Intangible problem: The bio on the back of the card is too short and
oversimplified, but then again, the type of bio I like is too spammy to
fit on a tech specs card anyway. In that respect, his note isn't any
worse than any other TF's.
4. Mechanical problem: His robot head and arms tend to get in the way
when rotating the two halves of his wolf head.
5. Mechanical problem: In wolf mode, his head and forearms aren't
poseable.
Despite these minor flaws, I'm quite satisfied with the figure. Whoever
designed Wolffang is to be commended!
-Graywolf, who wishes some station would broadcast the BW cartoon in
central Wisconsin.
Dave Van Domelen
In article <321D5D...@pcpros.net>, graywolf <gray...@pcpros.net> wrote:
[on the advantages of Wolfang]
>4. His weapon *actually shoots*, unlike many TFs I've seen with rocket
>launchers (Optimus's trailer thingamajig, Metroplex's cannons, etc.)
Early TFs were based on toys made in Japan, where the safety standards
are a LOT more relaxed (I've got some SD-Gundam models that shoot tiny rods
a distance of over 5 meters!). When importing the molds for the TFs, they
had to make the toys conform to US safety standards, which include the rule
that any projectiles must be too long to fit through a choke gate (plastic
model of a toddler's throat) and must not be easily breakable into parts
that are.
There's three ways to deal with this.
1) Make the missiles long and tough enough to conform. This requires
total reengineering, so was not feasible in 1984-5. Note that the G2 toys
got around this by tacking on new missile launchers and just adding holes
for the pegs to the molds.
2) Make the missiles unable to leave the launcher. That's what later
Battlestar Galactica toys did, for example.
3) Yank the springs. Easiest way out. Don't have to change a thing,
just don't put in one of the pieces. Or in Megatron's case, yank the whole
firing assembly.
Since late G2, they've finally worked out how to make decent cool
missile launchers with okay range that meet the safety guidelines. Some
of them end up a bit anemic (like Megatron Rex's hip launchers) but others
have a respectable and sometimes annoyingly long range (like Scorponok's
"lose the missiles if you look at it funny" launchers).
Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
incorporated into some of the later toys....
Drogn
In article <4vkptv$b...@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
dva...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dave Van Domelen) wrote:
> In article <321D5D...@pcpros.net>, graywolf <gray...@pcpros.net> wrote:
> [on the advantages of Wolfang]
> >4. His weapon *actually shoots*, unlike many TFs I've seen with rocket
> >launchers (Optimus's trailer thingamajig, Metroplex's cannons, etc.)
<mash>
> Since late G2, they've finally worked out how to make decent cool
> missile launchers with okay range that meet the safety guidelines. Some
> of them end up a bit anemic (like Megatron Rex's hip launchers) but others
> have a respectable and sometimes annoyingly long range (like Scorponok's
> "lose the missiles if you look at it funny" launchers).
The best launchers, IMHO, were the two pistol style ones that came
with G2 Smokescreen (with Stealth Bomber vehicle!) and LOP's five-shot
launcher. The missles are big enogh to be hard to lose, and have
across-the-room range, which is all that's really needed for a toy.
> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
> incorporated into some of the later toys....
Ugh. I have to disagree with you there, those were about the WORST
ever, not counting the ones that had the springs left out. On a bigger toy,
and with a missle that looks less like a club and more like a missle, they
might be acceptable, but I took them off all my Space Cases with a pair of
vice grips, and only left them on my (one each) Skyjack and Hooligan
because they don't actually have right arms of their own. In an attempt to
disguise them, I have Holligan hold the gun from my VF-19S Blazer toy,
which is about half again as long as Hooli, and give Hero Megs' small black
gun to Skyj. Even so, I tend to leave them on the shelf, except to retrieve
the Blazer's gun for playing with him.
-Drogn, "Everyone is entitled to MY
OPINION!"
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LORD Xiphos Rawulf
Dave Van Domelen wrote:
> 3) Yank the springs. Easiest way out. Don't have to change a thing,
> just don't put in one of the pieces. Or in Megatron's case, yank the whole
> firing assembly.
I actually had worked out a way to make G1 Megs fire, and knew someone
who had the Japanese, still functioning Megs. But, it got stolen and I
don't remember how to do the modifications anymore.
> Since late G2, they've finally worked out how to make decent cool
> missile launchers with okay range that meet the safety guidelines. Some
> of them end up a bit anemic (like Megatron Rex's hip launchers) but others
> have a respectable and sometimes annoyingly long range (like Scorponok's
> "lose the missiles if you look at it funny" launchers).
I musta gotten lucky. Not ONLY do you actually have to open the claw on
my Skorponok to make him shoot (and it MUST be opened all the way. I can
actually make mine to the 'snap-snap' of the cartoon without launching),
but my Polarclaw's spring-action claw STAYS PUT!
BTW, anyone else notice the <ahem> interstingly placed gun as picture
with Barbearian is missing from Polarclaw? Guess it DIDN'T get by the
censors afterall :)
> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
> incorporated into some of the later toys....
Unfortunately, all my Cyberjet's missiles got bent in my move from
Nebraska to California. So, even though they still SHOOT, it's not very
straight or very far :(
But man, ya hit Laser OPs whiffle-missile launcher thingy hard enough,
man that thing SOARS! TF-scaled ICBM's there!
/ I'm sorry, but your reality check has bounced
/ xip...@cyberspace.org
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D++++ CN++++
DeadPhrog
In article <merryhwd-230...@pm1a14.bf.sover.net>,
merr...@sover.net (Drogn) wrote:
>> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
>> incorporated into some of the later toys....
Hey, here's a question I've had since I got my Cyberjets... The instructions
are terribly vague here... HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT THOSE FRIGGING
MISSLES?!?!?
----====DeadPhrog====---- President and founder of SHATTERED PERSPECTIVES GAMES, Offcial ZZT/MZX NL reporter || Fan of Robotech/Macross (and + & 7) and Transformers. || Author of the fanfic in progress Robotech: Secrets of the Flower. || "Don't tell me what I wanna hear, 'Fraid I'm never knowin' fear..."-Nirvana || I'd give my right arm to be ambidexterous! || Looking for: eps of Macross 7 and TF: Masterforce , the G1 TF Jetfire and the Macross VF1S and VF1J transformable toys. || "Hah!" - A
LF
Robert A. Jung
In article <4vo5ft$6...@nyheter.SineWave.com> Dead...@sinewave.com (DeadPhrog) writes:
>> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
>> incorporated into some of the later toys....
>
>Hey, here's a question I've had since I got my Cyberjets... The instructions
>are terribly vague here... HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT THOSE FRIGGING
>MISSLES?!?!?
Insert the missile, then push on the tip that's sticking out of the rear.
Your missile will end up shooting a good eight to ten feet -- maybe fourteen,
if you have some tailwind. B-)
(And I think most people end up developing a grip where they brace the
launcher with two fingers while they launch with their thumb, n'est pas?)
--R.J.,
who loves the springless
missile launchers...
B-)
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Dave Van Domelen
In article <4vo5ft$6...@nyheter.SineWave.com>,
DeadPhrog <Dead...@sinewave.com> wrote:
>>> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
>>> incorporated into some of the later toys....
>
>Hey, here's a question I've had since I got my Cyberjets... The instructions
>are terribly vague here... HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT THOSE FRIGGING
>MISSLES?!?!?
Ah, it's actually quite elegant. Bracing your index and middle
fingers on the side projections neat the back to the launcher, push hard
with your thumb on the back of the missile. The claw pieces will hold the
missile in place long enough for the force to build up and make it snap
out at a reasonably good velocity. No spring to get tired from leaving it
loaded, and it takes a lot of abuse to wear out the claw enough to reduce
the range.
Dave Van Domelen, notes the loaded launcher also makes for a third leg
in some poses....
msipher
On Sun, 25 Aug 1996, DeadPhrog wrote:
> In article <merryhwd-230...@pm1a14.bf.sover.net>,
> merr...@sover.net (Drogn) wrote:
>
> >> Dave Van Domelen, likes the Cyberjet launchers and hopes they get
> >> incorporated into some of the later toys....
>
> Hey, here's a question I've had since I got my Cyberjets... The instructions
> are terribly vague here... HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT THOSE FRIGGING
> MISSLES?!?!?
Simple. Just grip the launcher with two fingers, and push the missile
itself with your thumb.
M "Pretty Good Distance On 'Em, What With Having No Springs" Sipher
DeadPhrog
In article <rjungDw...@netcom.com>,
rj...@netcom.com (Robert A. Jung) wrote:
>In article <4vo5ft$6...@nyheter.SineWave.com> Dead...@sinewave.com
(DeadPhrog) writes:
>>> incorporated into some of the later toys....
>>
>>Hey, here's a question I've had since I got my Cyberjets... The
instructions
>>are terribly vague here... HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SHOOT THOSE FRIGGING
>>MISSLES?!?!?
>
>Your missile will end up shooting a good eight to ten feet -- maybe fourteen,
>if you have some tailwind. B-)
Thanx, but it's been explained to me. I never pushed the thing in far enough,
I thought'd brake it... Got it now.
----====DeadPhrog====---- President and founder of SHATTERED PERSPECTIVES GAMES, Offcial ZZT/MZX NL reporter || Fan of Robotech/Macross (and + & 7) and Transformers. || Author of the fanfic in progress Robotech: Secrets of the Flower. || "I think I'm dumb, maybe just happy..."-Nirvana || I'd give my right arm to be ambidexterous! || Looking for: eps of Macross 7 and TF: Masterforce , the G1 TF Jetfire and the Macross VF1S and VF1J transformable toys. || "Hah!" - ALF
Greg E. Dopp
8-10 feet? Mine go a piddling 3 feet about. I did a Beast Wars Olympics
"missile fire/ javelin" competition and Tarantulas took the Gold easily at
around 8 feet or so plus a good extra bounce and skip.
Polar Claw's bat and Megabee (de Scorponok) took honorable mention
going a whopping couple inches and flopping straight down of course.
Beast Wars and the Cyberjets (now that I know how to fire them) have
turned me into a missile firing fool.
Next up is probably a super/ultra/deluxe toy that completely explodes
all over the place shooting missiles/arms/feet/ head everywhere. :^)
That wouldn't be too bad except I've already been playing with
"part-losing" fire with all the missiles.
At least Megatrank can keep a couple extra tucked away in his legs. I may
have lost one of his already.
Greg D
Devastator
I've never tested it but when aimed properly, the rotor to the Rotor
force go pretty far.