General Information:
Release Date: June 2018
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: None
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
The Autobots and Decepticons use Prime Masters to wield the incredible powers of the legendary bots who shaped the universe: the Primes. Prime Masters carry the spark of a Prime, allowing them to share a Prime's godlike ability with other bots. How will the fire-loving Terrorcon Cindersaur wield this epic power? Anything is possible and everything is at stake when the Power of the Primes is unleashed! Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Legends Class figures are 3.75-inch-scale figures. When this Legends Class Cindersaur figure is in beast mode, a Prime Master figure can ride on its back. Prime Master figure not included. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. Figure Specs: Legends Class Cindersaur Modes: robot, beast Converts in 12 steps Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
Note: This figure is clearly intended to be a new version of the G1 character Cindersaur, who was described as a male in the original G1 tech specs. However, the Alpha Trion card for this character calls Cindersaur "her". I am leaving my original review as I wrote it, but feel free to interpret Cindersaur as whichever gender you prefer.
Back in the mid-80's, the Transformers line began to diversify its offerings beyond figures that only transformed. Several small sub-groups were created to generate interest in the figures. One of these was a trio of Decepticons known as the "Firecons". Each transformed into a beast that fired sparks out of its mouth when you ran a wheel that was part of a friction-motor across a smooth surface. These were not the most articulated or amazing figures, but they had a certain retro charm about them. Years later Fun Publications would revive the character as part of the Botcon 2010 set. A few years after that, a Legion Class figure was released as part of the "Beast Hunters" line. Now the character is back in a new incarnation based on the G1 version of the character. This figure is a retool and redeco of Dinobot Slash. I recommend checking out my original review as this one will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Packaging:
Cindersaur is packaged in blister card style packaging. The card features the "Transformers" logo in the front against a black background with the "Generations" logo above that. Most of the card is taken up by Slash's artwork with a smaller "Transformers" logo on top, almost like a watermark. In a move that surprised me, the artwork for the character is not just a repaint of Dinobot Slash's artwork. Instead it is brand new art! The art is colored in a beautifully painted fashion that recalls the artwork from G1 toy packaging but more dynamic, with Cindersaur blowing out fire from his mouth (a nod to his "Firecon" origins). The figure is in robot mode inside the bubble with a collector's card behind him. The insert in front shows a photo of the figure in beast mode with the name "Cindersaur" printed next to a Decepticon symbol. The back of the packaging features a grey grid with CG renders of the figure on top in both modes. Overall it's really cool packaging and I'm happy the art features so prominently.
The "Power of the Primes" figures from Legends Class up come with collectors cards. However, unlike the "Titans Return" cards which featured tech spec stats, these focus on what ability the character gets if they connect to a specific Prime Master Spark. This means there are thirteen potential card variations per character (one for each Prime)! In my copy of Cindersaur, I received the "Solus Cindersaur" card indicating when powered by Solus Prime he can forge a heat proof chalice to guzzle lava! Here's the funny part. On the front of the card it says the word "Dinobot" over Cindersaur's name. If we were to ascribe any group to him it would be the Firecons. My guess? There is an in-house template that is used for the cards and the word "Dinobot" was inadvertently left in from another card.
Robot Mode:
Cindersaur features a new head sculpt based on the G1 version of the character. The G1 toy had a very wide "helmet" piece that wrapped around the head (which frankly, was spectacularly impractical). Of course, the way this sculpt functions you cannot duplicate that head, so instead the designers did their best to approximate it with a more practical head design. The head sculpt features two of the more distinct elements of G1 Cindersaur's head design: a triangular crest at the top of the head and large, angled eyes. The designers did not stop there however. They went one step further and added in a rather blocky "helmet' section that extends out to the side a bit, calling back to the giant helmet on G1 Cindersaur. It's a fantastic head sculpt and the designers did a great job balancing the old and the new.
The rest of the figure has the same design as Dinobot Slash but the new colors are all based on G1 Cindersaur. Cindersaur is cast in purple, yellow and clear plastic. The yellow plastic makes up the head and torso while the legs and forearms are purple plastic. The shoulders and biceps are clear plastic but they do not appear that way at first glance since they are painted purple. The colors are very particular shades which are not used very often, especially the yellow. There is something wonderfully retro about the color combination and I think it looks great.
The paint pattern on Cindersaur is a similar to the pattern on Slash. The area around the face is painted purple and the eyes are black. The face is painted a lime green (which may be the most retro color choice on the whole figure). Purple is used on the shoulders and mid-body to provide extra detailing. A Decepticon symbol is painted on the top of the chest. Several parts including parts of the chest, mid-body and the legs are painted grey. While not all these details call back to G1 Cindersaur, they actually add quite a bit since that figure did not exactly have a ton of deco. Overall the figure looks great and calls back to the original character beautifully.
The joints on my copy of this figure are every bit as tight as those on my Slash figure. The fists can also still hold weapons with 5mm pegs without an issue.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the black pieces on the bottom of the forearms up. The tab on them snap into the bottom of each hand, creating the beast mode feet.
- Swing the tail on the back up over the head.
- Rotate the arms up to form the rear legs.
- Swing each foot into the lower legs.
- Rotate the thighs around.
- Push the lower legs together, then swing them back and attach them to the tabs on the robot chest.
- Move the beast mode arms up.
- Open the panel on the back, then swing out the beast mode head, then push the panel back into place
Beast Mode:
In G1 Cindersaur's beast mode was a fanciful looking dragon-like creature complete with a horn at the end of his nose and spikes running down his back. He actually reminds me quite a bit of the "Godzilla" character Anguirus. However he is now a much more "conventional" creature in beast mode: a robotic Velociraptor. That said, the designers did try to find ways to call back to the original Cindersaur with the deco. As with the robot mode the figure has a combination of purple and yellow colors. Most of this is done with the plastic colors but some paint is used on parts like the tail (which is painted yellow). To call back to G1 Cindersaur, the designers did a couple of neat things with paint applications. The top of the head has silver deco that looks like a horn, calling back to the tip of G1 Cindersaur's nose area. Also, the eyes are painted silver like G1 Cindersaur's. Finally, the grey details from the robot legs wind up on the underbelly of the beast mode, which calls back to the same area on G1 Cindersaur which was grey.
The joints in this mode are still nice and tight. You can also still flip the back panel up to seat a Prime or Titan Master in the back.
Final Thoughts:
Cindersaur is an unexpected use of the Slash sculpt but it totally works. The figure looks great and I think it is super fun that a relatively obscure character was brought into a modern day Transformers toy line. Add to that the fun of the figure to begin with and this figure is definitely recommended!
Pros:
- A fun and relatively obscure character to update.
- New head sculpt is a great compromise between modern design and the original head design.
- Fun deco.
Cons:
- I would have liked the beast mode head to be retooled as well.
