General Information:
Release Date: March 2018
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: None
In Generation One Hasbro experimented with creating different types of Transformers figures that did more than just change from one form to another. One of these experiments were the Duocons. Each one featured a pair of vehicles that would combine into a robot. In fiction this would later be explained as the precursor to Triple Changer technology. Now with "Power of the Primes" one of the Duocons has returned: Battletrap! Originally Battletrap was a helicopter and truck that combined into a robot. In this new incarnation, each of the individual vehicles has its own robot mode and they still combine into one larger robot!
This review will focus on the combined form of Battletrap. Check out my Battleslash and Roadtrap reviews to see my thoughts on the individual components that make up this figure.
Transformation to Battletrap
- Start with Battleslash and Roadtrap in vehicle modes.
- Push the rear section of Battleslash's tail section down (separating it from the section with the rotor).
- Swing the cockpit section on Battleslash up.
- Split the section with the rotor blade and swing Battleslash's arms out to the sides.
- Each of Battleslash's arms is on a hinge, swing the arms in on those hinges. Straighten them out, rotate the forearms around and bring them together.
- Now separate Battleslash's tail section in half and swing each half out and down, forming the robot arms.
- On each of Battletrap's arms, swing the tail rotors in, then rotate the forearms around.
- Swing Battletrap's head up and close the chest panel. Set this half aside for now.
- Swing out the waist/legs section from the back of Roadtrap's vehicle form.
- Split Roadtrap's vehicle form in half.
- Swing the front halves of Roadtrap's vehicle mode up to form Battletrap's feet.
- Connect the port on the bottom of Battleslash to Roadtrap's head.
For the time, G1 Battletrap was a fun toy. The spring loaded feature that combined the two vehicles is fun to execute and it looks cool in action. However, once you formed the robot there was not much you could do with it. He had zero articulation (literally). Fortunately you could attach his weapon to his shoulder so at least he could roll into battle and shoot at Autobots! Still, for the time he was fun and a beloved part of many Transformers adventures in my living room during my youth.
In true "Generations" style, Battletrap's G1 design has been given a makeover in a more modern form. Taking a cue from the G1 figure, Battleslash (the helicopter) forms most of the upper body and back while Roadtrap (the truck) forms the legs. This arrangement allows for several parts to fall into the same place that they did in the original figure. For instance, the helicopter rotor is on the back, the helicopter cockpit forms the torso and the front of the truck mode forms the feet and ankles. Not only is the placement of these sections similar to the G1 figure, but the designs are similar as well. The torso has an angular cockpit in the middle with small "wings" on the sides of the chest. The head has many of the design cues from the G1 design including ridges on the sides, visor eyes and a central crest.
Of course, this is an update, not a recreation of G1 Battletrap so there are some new elements in the design. First, parts of Battleclash form actual robot arms that can move! Also, the rear of the truck forms the legs (both the thighs and lower parts). These parts extend the design out, giving him the proportions and articulation his G1 counterpart severely lacked. The result is a very dramatic silhouette which is wide at the shoulders, then narrows towards the middle, then extends back out to the sides with the thick legs. The chunky bits on the legs call back to G1 Battletrap nicely while providing a modern appearance. The only oddity in the design are triangular bits that wind up sticking up from the sides of the fists. They do not dramatically affect the functionality of the fists, but they look a bit strange. Some fans have taken to look at them like small blade weapons, which is kind of fun.
For those curious, Battletrap winds up standing at about 5.5 inches (about 13.9 centimeters) tall. This makes him roughly the same height as some Deluxe Class figures. When I stood him next to Impactor they two were roughly the same height. However, when standing next to "Titans Return" Hot Rod he was shorter. Of course, being made up of two Legends Class figures, Battletrap is nowhere near as bulky as your typical Deluxe Class figure.
Battletrap combines all the colors of Battleslash and Roadtrap, revealing only two "new" parts. First is the robot head, which is blue plastic. The face is painted light blue and his eyes are painted silver, which is a nod to G1 Battletrap's colors. Also "newly" revealed are the arms, which have blue paint on the fists (a nod to the blue arms and fists on G1 Battletrap). This mode also shows off a purple Decepticon symbol with a black outline on the middle of the chest, a callback to G1 Battletrap. The deco looks great and I appreciate the nods to the original figure.
There are twelve points of articulation on this figure. This includes two in each arm and three in each leg. This sounds like relatively little articulation, but thanks to ball joints on the arms and hips he has a good range of articulation, allowing him to pose dramatically. Thanks to his large heel pieces, he has plenty of foot support when you pose him. Each fist has a 5mm port, allowing him to hold weapons with 5mm pegs. Note: the "triangles" on the insides of the fists can get in the way of attaching weapons if the pegs are not long enough. This is no issue for Titan Master or Prime Master weapons but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Final Thoughts:
Battletrap is a fun update of the original character. The figure strikes a good balance of using classic aesthetics while also adding in modern day articulation and design elements. Individually each half of this combination are fun toys on their own, making his a cool addition to your "Generations" collection.
Pros:
- Design has elements of the original figure while using modern day design elements.
- Good articulation.
- Combined deco looks good.
- Very unique play pattern among recent "Generations" figures.
Cons:
- The "triangles" on the inside of the fists are a bit odd (but they don't get in the way as much as they could have).
- It would have been cool if the rotor could detach as a weapon and if he had a dual barreled blaster like the G1 figure.
