General Information:
Release Date: June 2018
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Rifles x 2; Foot pieces x 2; Autobot Enigma
Official images with asterisks and text below in italics are from BigBadToyStore.com and 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 firefighter Inferno wield this epic power? Anything is possible and everything is at stake when the Power of the Primes is unleashed! Seven-inch scale Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Voyager Class figures work with Prime Master figures (not included, each sold separately). Use the included Prime Armor accessories to attach a Prime Master figure and imagine Inferno wields the power of a Prime. Figure Specs: Voyager Class Inferno Modes: robot, fire truck Converts in 22 steps Includes 2 Prime Armor accessories, Autobot Enigma accessory, and collector card Also works with Prime Master figures (Not included. Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
Packaging:
Like previous waves of "Generations" Voyager Class figures Inferno is in a window box. The box has a black background with graphics on top. These include the Generations logo on the upper right hand corner and the vertical "Transformers" logo under it. On the other side is Inferno's package art along with the "Power of the Primes" logo and his name underneath with a Autobot symbol. The right side panel of the box features the symbols for the twelve Primes along with the "Power of the Primes" logo and the "Authentic Transformers" logo at the bottom. The other side of the box shows Inferno in his Combiner form. In a nice touch, the figure can be seen both in box via the front window and a small window on top.
The back of the packaging shows Inferno in both modes set against a grey background. It also shows him with his Prime Armor attached and the "Autobot Enigma" attached to it. It also indicates 22 steps of transformation for this figure. His cosells are the final wave of Prime Master figures: Solus Prime, Quintus Prime and Megatronus.
Accessories:
Inferno includes two rifles. They have an interesting design featuring one long barrel and a smaller one underneath. The back of each rifle has a thick cable connecting the top section to the bottom. The front section has a thinner cable wrapping around the barrel of the weapon. The rifles are not exact copies of each other, rather they represent two opposite sides. Each has a small peg on the inside to connect the weapons to the vehicle mode.
The figure also includes two "Prime Armor" pieces which form the feet of a Combiner. However, the Prime Armor accessories pictured on the box are not the same ones that come with the figure. The ones on the packaging seem to have blasters on either side of the "toes" while the ones that are actually included with the figures have flat, "toes" and no blasters. Like the other Voyager Class figures in this line Inferno includes an "Enigma". In this case it is the "Autobot Enigma". All these accessories are cast in black plastic. The Enigma has a beautiful blue deco on it that looks like it is "glowing" with energy.
I appreciate the inclusion of extra accessories with this figure (the original version only came with the rifles). It helps make the figure more worthwhile given how many times the sculpt has already been used.
Inferno is a redeco and retool of the base sculpt first introduced as Protectobot Hot Spot during "Combiner Wars". Other uses of this base sculpt (with retooling and a redeco in each case) include:
- "Combiner Wars" Protectobot Hot Spot
- "Combiner Wars" Onslaught
- "Combiner Wars" Pyra Magna
- "Combiner Wars" Bludgeon
- "Combiner Wars" G2 Onslaught
- "Unite Warriors" Hot Spot
- "Unite Warriors" Onslaught
- "Unite Warriors" Mega Octane
- "Unite Warriors" MegaEmpress
Check out my original Hot Spot review for a detailed look at this sculpt. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Robot Mode:
Inferno features a new head sculpt based on the character's Generation One appearance. This makes the base Hot Spot sculpt one of the few in the Transformers toy line to have hosted four distinct head sculpts! Like G1 Inferno, this head has a small crest on the top of the head, two panels on the sides with horizontal lines inside and a face with very sharp features. It is instantly recognizable as Inferno (and yes, it could be repurposed as a Grapple head as well). The head is rather flat since it has to fit into the chest compartment during transformation, but it is not as if Inferno's head design requires it to be thick so I'm fine with it.
The head is the only new part on this figure. The body is still the sculpt originally intended as Hot Spot, so none of G1 Inferno's trademark design elements (most notably the windshield on his chest) are present. Instead, the designers relied on changing the colors on the sculpt and some stickers to bring this figure more in line with the G1 version of the character.
Inferno's primary plastic colors are red, black and white. The red makes up most of the body with black making up smaller parts like his head and thighs. The white plastic is used for a major portion of the ladder on his back. These colors alone already call back to G1 Inferno nicely, but the finishing touches are several paint applications which are all based on design elements of G1 Inferno. These include:
- The head features silver on the crest and face with light blue eyes. The vertical panels on either side of the head have yellow paint on them. These color choices come right from G1 Inferno's head deco.
- There is an Autobot symbol sticker on the chest right at the top. This is based on an Autobot symbol on G1 Inferno's chest.
- The shoulders each feature a section that is painted black. This is a callback to a section on G1 Inferno's shoulders that were also black.
- The wrist area on each forearm is painted silver. This is a reference to G1 Inferno's vacuum metallized silver wrists.
- The waist area has two stickers on them with two headlights on each. These are inspired by the headlights found on G1 Inferno's chest.
- The fists are painted black, a callback to the color of G1 Inferno's fists.
- On the sides of the ladder on the back, you will find sections painted silver. There were sections on G1 Inferno's ladder that were also silver.
- Right above each foot is a sticker with a distinctive red rectangle in the middle split into two sections by black lines. This is based on a sticker from G1 Inferno in roughly the same area.
Taking all of the above into account, it is pretty cool to see just how much of G1 Inferno's design, colors and detail worked their way into the deco on this figure. This goes a long way in helping fans see this figure as Inferno instead of just "Hot Spot with a new head". There are some additional details that are distinct to this incarnation of Inferno. First, the chest has certain sections painted yellow. Also, the sides of the lower legs are partly painted silver, which seems to be a distinct design choice. Overall the deco on this figure looks great and I appreciate the combination of stickers and paint used on this figure to bring Inferno into the "Power of the Primes" line.
All the articulation points on my copy of this figure are nice and tight, which is quite a relief given that the base sculpt has been used so many times. You can still have the figure hold the blasters in the fists, but since this figure comes with Prime Armor accessories the designers figured out a way to utilize them as well. Swing out the peg at the bottom of the Prime Armor and then attach the blasters to the front part using the side pegs. Attach the Enigma inside one of the Prime Armor pieces and now you have "super" weapons for Inferno to hold! The Prime Armor and/or the blasters can also be attached to the sides of the ladder in the back for storage. I appreciate the way the designers found a way to integrate the Prime Armor into the play pattern on this figure.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Remove the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the chest panel down.
- Swing the robot head down.
- Swing the robot arms up, connecting the forearm panels to the shoulder armor.
- Rotate the arms up, then swing the two arms in and connect them.
- Swing each foot down.
- Swing up the ladder to move it out of your way.
- Rotate the lower legs around, then swing each robot leg up (covering the thighs with the lower legs).
- Push the two halves of the robot legs together, clipping them against the waist/hip section and each other.
- Pull the ladder up, then swivel it around.
- Swing out the panels on the sides of the ladder, then swing the ladder forward and push the panels back up.
- The rifles can be attached to the sides of the vehicle or holes at the base of the ladder.
Vehicle Mode:
The vehicle mode utilizes the same configuration as Hot Spot's (not the reverse form used by Onslaught). There are no tooling changes in this form. It relies entirely on the deco to sell the figure as Inferno. Most of this figure is cast in red plastic, with smaller parts like the wheels cast in black. The ladder is mostly white with black at the end. The bucket section is painted white on the sides to help it match the rest of the ladder. The sides towards the back are painted silver, serving as a callback to G1 Inferno. On these silver parts are small Autobot symbol stickers. There are two more stickers towards the front on the sides. These stickers have a shield in the middle with the letters "F" and "D" on either side. This is directly based on a sticker from G1 Inferno's vehicle mode.
The windows in the front and sides are painted black. The light bar is painted silver on the inside and yellow on the outside. While these deco points are all good, I would have liked one more to be added: red paint on the sides of the wheels. This was a distinct detail on the original Inferno that was even replicated in the "Universe" version of the character. The wheels look really plain here without any paint on them.
From a functional point of view you can still roll the vehicle on the wheels and raise the ladder up and down. In a bit of what may be coincidence, a Prime or Titan Master can stand in the bucket at the end of the ladder! The base of the ladder has 5mm ports to attach accessories. There are also additional ports above the rear wheel wells. This will allow you to attach all his accessories in this form.
Transformation to Torso Mode (Starting in robot mode):
- Swing the chest panel open, swing the head down then close the panel.
- Swing the forearms up, connecting them to the shoulders.
- Swing the black panels on the sides of the shoulder pieces down.
- Pull the ladder up, then rotate it around.
- Swing the panels on the sides of the ladder out.
- Swing out the panels on the sides of the bucket section.
- Rotate the piece inside the bucket around, then swing the top of Defensor's head back.
- Swing the ladder itself down, then bring the robot head up from the back. The ladder bends on a hinge and there are tabs on the panel that the head rests on that connect to notches where Inferno's robot head was.
- There are rectangular holes on the side panels that form the panels on the torso, connect those to the tabs on the back of the shoulders.
- Swing each lower leg up over the thighs.
*Unfortunately one of the wheels (specifically the left side, rear wheel) has a tendency to pop off during transformation, so be careful.
Torso Mode:
Inferno's torso mode is a straight up redeco of Defensor's torso. The Combiner head is the same and the panels that make up the torso arm are also the same. That said, there is a slight retool on the legs. On Inferno's thighs there are small tabs that connect to the lower leg pieces. The lower leg pieces have been retooled slightly so these tabs hold much more securely onto the lower leg sections. This is a nice improvement over the previous versions of this sculpt. That said, the figure still leans over a bit when limbs are attached just due to the weight. You can "click" each of the thigh pieces on notch back to balance it out, but he does look like he is leaning back slightly when you do this.
Inferno's torso mode still shows red plastic, but the white parts from the ladder take center stage. Parts of the ladder are painted silver, black and red - all key Inferno colors. Running along the top edge of the chest panels are silver and red line stickers with small Autobot symbols on them. Silver is also used on the lower part of the torso section. The head is black with red on the top and yellow on the eyes. The face is painted silver. The torso looks great, and if you combine him with Protectobot limbs, their largely white deco contrasts beautifully with the red, white, silver and black colors on Inferno. As "unfinished" as I felt the vehicle mode deco was, I really like the deco in this mode!
The only sad part about this torso mode is that Inferno's combined form has no "Combiner name". For me personally I would not mind calling the combiner "Guard City" as a homage to the red redeco of Hot Spot from Generation One. Some have suggested this figure may be a "secret" homage to Fire Chief, the character who formed G1 Guard City's torso but aside from the red on the figure there really is not much else of a connection between the two. This guy was definitely intended to be Inferno and not Fire Chief (but hey, in your personal head canon make him whoever you want!).
Final Thoughts:
"Power of the Primes" Inferno may not be the most exciting or inspired figure to come late into the line, but the figure is a solid toy and I think the designers did a good job changing what they could to turn the base sculpt into Inferno. If you are not already super tired of this base-sculpt then this figure is recommended!
Pros:
- Nice new head sculpt.
- Changing the legs for the torso mode has added a level of stability to the torso mode.
- New deco pays homage to many aspects of G1 Inferno.
- All joints are still nice and tight.
Cons:
- This is the tenth use of this sculpt, so some fans may be getting burnt out on it.
- The vehicle mode needs more deco.
.
