General Information:
Release Date: July 2022
Price Point: $73.99 (Multi-Pack that includes Goldbug, Ransack, Scorponok & Skywasp)
Retailer: Target Exclusive Accessories: Goldbug (Cannon pieces x 3, Skis x 2, Car trunk/shield), Ransack (Blaster, Energon Blades x 2, Alternate Head), Scorponok (Missile Piece, Cyberbee, "Mutant" Head), Skywasp (Stinger/Blaster, "Mutant" Head)
Official product information and stock photos are from Target.com
You've probably heard the buzz, but Bumblebee is kind of a big deal. And now the bodacious bot is making his mark with a line of some of the most buzzworthy Bumblebee products for fans of all ages. See what all the buzz is about, only at Target.
Goldbug finds himself facing villainous enemies from an alternate universe! The Decepticons and Predacons have teamed up to defeat Goldbug in an epic creature collision! This pack includes 4 alternate universe-inspired figures, including Autobot Goldbug, Ransack, Skywasp, and Predacon Scorponok figures. Figures convert from robot to alt mode in 14-25 steps. Each figure comes with character-inspired weapon accessories. Includes 2 alt heads for Predacon Scorponok and Skywasp figures.
Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures feature collectible special packaging themed to fit the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. Collect more Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures, only at Target (each sold separately, subject to availability).
Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. Volkswagen trademarks, design patents and copyrights are used with the approval of the owner, Volkswagen AG.
Includes: 4 figures, 4 accessories, and instructions. Ages 8 and up
In July 2022 Target stores across the United States released the "Creatures Collide" four pack of figures, the latest addition to the (increasingly difficult to categorize) Buzzworthy Bumblebee collection of Target exclusive figures. There was never (and has yet to be) any official announcement about this set, but its existence was confirmed by In Demand Toys in the UK in June. As I write this review, the set has yet to even appear on Target's web site making it a bit of an anomaly. That said, this set is highly anticipated as it contains four Deluxe Class figures for $73.99 USD (a relative bargain nowadays). The four figures are:
- Goldbug: A redeco and retool of the Netflix Bumblebee
- Ransack: A redeco and retool of Legacy Kickback
- Scorponok: A redeco of Kingdom Scorponok
- Skywasp: A redeco of Kingdom Waspinator
With Goldbug and Ransack in this set, it became a must have if you wanted to add updated Generations style versions of these characters to your Transformers army.
Packaging:
"Creatures Collide" is being released at a time when Hasbro is working to remove plastic from their packaging as much as possible. Unlike the previous Buzzworthy Bumblebee four packs, this set is in a closed box. Instead of a window box showing all four figures inside, the designers created a beautiful piece of art in the front showing Bumblebee fighting against Ransack, Scorponok and Skywasp. The box has the yellow and black borders seen on all Buzzworthy boxes along with the "Evergreen" Bumblebee head in the lower left hand corner. The other side has the Generations and vertical Transformers logo along with the Buzzworthy Bumblebee logo. The Legacy logo hovers above the artwork which effectively places this boxed set into three categories at once. In my book I see this as a Generations set first, then Legacy and finally Buzzworthy Bumblebee. The center features the "name" of the set: "Creatures Collide". But wait, you may ask, isn't Goldbug a vehicle in his alt mode? Sure, but first off he is named Goldbug and second his vehicle mode is an official Volkswagon Beetle so the theme totally works!
The back of the box features each figure from left to right in the same order they appear on the artwork in front. Each figure has its transformation steps called out. Goldbug has twenty, Ransack has fourteen, Skywasp has twenty and Scorponok has twenty five. Behind each character is their faction symbol. In a bit of consistency with Kingdom, Skywasp and Scorponok both feature the modified Predacon symbol from Kingdom. Goldbug has the official Volkwagon logo next to him, indicating this is a fully licensed vehicle mode, a rarity nowadays in the Generations line. Overall this packaging is beautiful. If we must lose the plastic window, this is a cool way to do it!
Background:
In the G1 era the popular character Bumblebee would eventually change his form and become known as the more mature version of the character known as Goldbug. There was a G1 toy of Goldbug who was a member of the Throttlebots sub-group. While Bumblebee is ubiqitous in the Transformers toy line (to say the least) Goldbug has only had a few homages here and there over the years. In Reveal the Shield there was a "Gold Bumblebee" figure that was a redeco of a Legends Class Bumblebee. Years later you'd have Goldfire based on the IDW Publishing comic book character. More recently, Hasbro released a Shattered Glass version of Goldbug based on his Botcon appearance. Now thanks to the release of the "Creatures Collide" four pack, we finally have a "proper" update of G1 Goldbug!
Goldbug is a redeco and retool of the Netflix Bumblebee figure. I have not yet reviewed that figure, so this will be my first look at this base sculpt. The basic design for this figure actually goes back to Earthrise Cliffjumper and would go on to be used for a variety of releases including (but not limited to) "Selects" Hubcap and "Buzzworthy Bumblebee" Cliffjumper.
Accessories:
Goldbug includes the same accessories as previous versions of this base design which partly makes up for the relatively small size of the figure. His main accessory is a giant cannon that features a long barrel and small fins at the back. It also features small legs to rest the front on. The cannon halves are black and gold plastic with black paint apps on the gold half. The back piece is gold and black.
But wait, there's more! The cannon can be broken down into several components. Here's a rundown:
- The barrel of the cannon splits into two blasters, each with its own 5mm peg so Goldbug can hold them separately. Even better? These also form the boosters that appear on the sides of his vehicle mode in its "ski mode". You can attach Blast Effects to these weapons to make them look like they are firing.
- The back of the cannon forms...some type of device that can connect to the figure via a tab fitting into a slot on his arms. I say let our imagination roam on this one. This could be a weapon or maybe a "shield generator".
- The legs that the end of the cannon rest on form the skis on his front wheels in vehicle mode. These pieces are blue plastic.
On top of all that, the back of of the vehicle mode detaches and can be used as a shield in robot mode. This piece is a smokey grey translucent plastic with gold paint details. Some fans have not been happy about this since this makes an already small figure a "partsformer". I think that is an exaggeration. One part detaching does not make an entire figure a "partsformer" (that distinction belongs more to figures like Weaponizers and Modulators). Also, this piece serves a function in robot mode and should the figure be given a retool (which I am guessing it totally is) this makes it much easier to create a different vehicle mode out of the basic design of the figure.
Robot Mode:
The Netflix Bumblebee sculpt was only used once for a Walmart exclusive release, making its price on the secondary market pretty high (I've seen ebay prices hovering between $50-70 USD for a figure that was about $22 originally). Part of the reason the design is unique is that the alt-mode is a licensed Volkswagon Beetle. That means his torso, the piece that attaches to the back and his feet are all different than say, the Cliffjumper design. The back piece is curved and features the distinctive engine compartment and rear lights. The torso is rounded and sticks out a bit (almost like a belly). The feet feature the front halves of the vehicle mode, featuring the distinct curved lines of the Beetle. This gives Goldbug (and Bumblebee) a distinctly chunky looking design that really does callback nicely to his G1 counterpart.
The interior parts of the chest are shared with Cliffjumper and the area at the base of the neck is a bit taller than that of Cliffjumper's. Of course, the biggest difference between this figure and Cliffjumper and Bumblebee is the head sculpt. This is actually a reuse of the Shattered Glass Goldbug head sculpt which works great. I've always loved this distinctive design, especially the mouth plate which had distinct lines. All that said, it appears on my copy of this figure some accident happened at the factory so part of the mouth plate is "smooshed" a bit. That said, I have not seen this on many of the copies of the figure I've seen online, so I would not call this a widespread issue.
The rest of the parts on the figure are the same as those seen on other variations of this base sculpt (such as Cliffjumper). This includes the blocky shoulders, rectangular forearms and the elbows looking like tubes. The section in between his legs also has a distinct triangle detail and he also has etched lines on the edges of his thighs, a detail that calls back to the original G1 Bumblebee toy.
Goldbug features a combination of a deep yellow, gold, blue and translucent dark grey plastic. Gold paint applications are used on some parts like his houlders, torso and feet. His head has silver and light blue deco. A red Autobot symbol is painted on his chest. Overall, he looks fantastic and very distinct from any of the other uses of this base design.
All the articulation points on my copy of this figure feel about the same as the Netflix Bumblebee and Cliffjumpers that I have. That said, the torso panel does not quite "lock" into place well so enough arm manipulation will cause them to swing out to the sides. It's not a huge deal unless you're smashing the figure around in battle against others but it is worth noting.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories if attached and set it aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Detach the "back pack" piece and set it aside for now.
- Swing the torso plate forward, swing out the panel with the Autobot symbol on it then swing the torso plate back into place.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Rotate the arms around at the elbows.
- Swing the arms up at the elbows, then swing them up at the shoulders so it looks like the arms are punching into the air.
- Swing the upper body forward.
- Swing the arms together, using the tabs on the shoulders to help clip them into place.
- Swing the back panel on each foot out.
- Rotate the panels on the feet up.
- Swing the front wheels out to the sides.
- Push in the panels from the robot feet to complete the front and sides of the vehicle. You will have to do a bit of careful adjustment to make sure all the tabs are in place and the panels line up.
- Take the "back pack" piece and swing in the black peg, then slide the gold pegs into the robot fists to form the back of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Since this is a licensed Volkswagon Beetle toy, that means the vehicle mode had to pass scrutiny by Volkswagon itself, and it has been said in the past they were notoriously picky about allowing toys to be made from their designs, so this vehicle mode is an absolute treat. The vehicle has a lot of the trademark features of the Beetle including its distinct curves in front and back, the curved lights in back, the curved bumper and fender as well as the small lights over the front wheel wells. It even has the light over the license plate sculpted in the back. I absolutely love this vehicle sculpt!
This mode mostly shows off painted gold parts and it's beautiful. The metallic gold just shines and it fits the character (of course). Silver is used on the headlights and the sides of the wheels, which makes me really happy since that detail is not often painted in nowadays. I do wish some red had been used on the lights, but I can live without it.
All the accessories still attach to this figure without any issues. Given how many times the foundational sculpt of this figure has been used that's really good news for those worried about tooling degradation.
Final Thoughts:
For many, Goldbug is the centerpiece of this collection. It gives them an updated version of the character and a licensed Volkswagon Beetle to boot! It also represents a base-sculpt that was difficult to get, so many see this as perhaps the last chance they'll have to get it. For me, I simply love Goldbug. I was a Bumblebee fan in the 80's and when he "upgraded" I loved it and was thrilled by his appearances in the cartoon and comic books. Even with the slight "smooshed" mouth plate bit I absolutely love this figure!
As for the entire set as a whole, overall I think this set is awesome. From the fantastic packaging art to having a Goldbug that actually transforms into a licensed Volkswagon Beetle there is a lot to love. The price is also right at about $20 USD per figure and the inclusion of the additional heads was a fantastic idea. Overall this four pack is highly recommended!
Pros:
- The Bumblebee/Goldbug body plus a licensed vehicle mode makes for a fantastic sculpt.
- Beautiful deco.
- With the base sculpt having been used several times already, it is great to see the joints are mostly still nice and tight.
- Fun play value.
Cons:
- The arms swinging out to the sides and not "locking" in well in robot mode is definitely an issue.
- The "smooshed" part of the mouthplate on my copy of this figure is an unfortunate flaw.
