Transmetal 2 Nightglider is a new character in the Beast Wars Transformers universe. This little guy has taken on the unconventional form of a flying squirrel. But this isn't just a gliding mouse folks, this squirrel is armed and dangerous!
Beast Mode:
In beast mode, Nightglider is a Transmetal 2 flying squirrel. His primary color scheme is orange, with blue and vacume metallized copper colors on the rest of his body. The entire organics/mechanics blend concept works well with this toy because the creators took the time to really blur the lines between the mechanical and organic parts of this toy. On his back, the vacume metallized parts are clearly mechanical, but "organic" blue and orange parts mesh right over them, creating a very nice effect. Great mechanical designs on the tail and wings include turbines and blades.
The downside to the beast mode is that there is a lot of "underbelly junk", keeping this beast mode from looking totally smooth or lithe. In beast mode, Nightglider has ten points of articulation. This includes his rear legs which are technically part of this mode.
Overall the beast mode is neat and has some nice features. If the underbelly had been thinner, it would have been perfect.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
First, remove Nightglider's sword from his tail. Now, flip the beast mode head up and down. Fold down the robot chest and flip up the robot head. Now swing the arms down to the sides. Flip up the squirrel tail. Straighten out his robot feet. Finally, place the sword weapon in his hand and Nightglider's robot form is complete!
Robot Mode:
In robot mode, Nightglider is mostly colored orange. More metallic grey shows up in this form on his upper arms, upper legs and sword. His face is mostly blue with orange deco and red eyes. His facial design is very similar to that of the original bat Optimus Primal. Nightglider's sword can be placed back into his beast mode tail, which in this mode is on his back, making it more of a sheath. His Spark Crystal is right in the center of his upper body.
In this form, Nightglider has twelve points of articulation. This includes waist and knee articulation. The bright colors make it a bit hard to see the detailing on this figure, but if you look closely enough, you'll find fur patterns along with tubes and metal plating. Very nice. The only problem which Nightglider has is all the weight on his back. In general he stands fine, but there are a few poses where he tends to fall back because of his back weight.
Overall, this is one cool toy for a basic level. Recommended. A.
Updated Thoughts (January 30, 2022):
Night Glider stands the test of time as an awesome Basic Class figure. For what you get, the value of this figure at its original $5-7 USD price point is extraordinary. The sculpt is brilliant in both modes, and I love the use of his tail as a sheath for the sword. Despite being used later as Gildo in Car Robots I like this deco so much better. If you're into beast mode-Transformers at all, this one is definitely worthy of your collection.
