General Information:
Release Date: June 2017
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Weapon pod
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
Transformers Generations Titans Return Legends Class figures are 3.75-inch scale figures. When this Legends Class Seaspray figure is in submarine mode, Titan Master figures fit inside. Additional figures are each sold separately. Subject to availability. In Titans Return, the Autobots and Decepticons unite with Titan Masters, small bots that carry a power boost. Titan Masters are key to controlling an ancient race of warriors the size of cities: the Titans. No Decepticon can get past the naval defense of Seaspray. Using his ultra powerful sonar systems to detect incoming underwater attacks, the Autobot waits for the next intruder breach. Even when the lone wolf is far from the Autobot base, he remains vigilant at sea. Character Specs: Seaspray: naval defense Figure Specs: Legends Class Seaspray Modes: robot, submarine Converts in 8 steps Comes with a character card with tech specs Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
As vehicle forms go, Transformers who become water-based vehicles are rather uncommon. Sure there are tons of cars, jets, tanks and so on. But just how many boats, hovercraft or submarines are there? Not a ton, which is why Seaspray has always remained one of the more distinct characters from the G1 era. Add to that voice actor Alan Oppenheimer's distinct voice for the character in the G1 cartoon (that sounded like someone talking and gargling at the same time) and Seaspray is one of G1's most memorable characters. That said, he has not had a whole lot of toys made of him, with the last significant one being the "Hunt for the Decepticons"/2010 figure. Now Seaspray has joined his fellow "Mini-Bots" as a Legends Class "Geneations" figure featuring a whole new sculpt!
Packaging:
Seaspray 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 Seaspray's artwork. This is all new artwork based on the figure in the packaging and curiously it shows him in vehicle mode instead of robot mode. The art is colored in a beautifully painted fashion that recalls the artwork from G1 toy packaging. Seaspray 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 vehicle mode with the name "Seaspray" printed next to an Autobot 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.
Robot Mode:
In Generation One, Seaspray had one of the most distinct robot modes among all the Autobots. His head was flanked by sections connecting to propellers in the back. His body was rather thick, with a rectangular piece sticking out in the middle. His arms had a round shape to them and his feet were clearly formed from the front section of his hovercraft mode. While the 2010 version of the character tried to get away from some of these design features, this figure fully embraces them. Not only does he have all these features, but they have been bulked up a bit and the propeller sections on the top of the figure are more angular than his G1 predecessor. Seaspray shows that even with a hollow core (to fit Titan Masters, more on that later) a figure can still feel solid and look "big" for his size class. Seaspray's head sculpt appears to be largely based on the G1 action figure, complete with a "helmet" section that slopes down to the eyes and a mouthplate with small, horizontal lines etched into it. Purely from a sculpting standpoing Seaspray is fantastic.
There is a fun Easter Egg in this sculpt that shows how deep the designers are digging for G1 references in the "Generations" line. Look at the inside of both arms and you will see some tiny Cybertronian glyphs. They spell the name "Alana", a character who was a love interest for Seaspray in the G1 episode "Sea Change". Kudos to the team for even thinking of this Easter Egg and executing it in a non-obtrusive manner!
Seaspray's colors are based on those from his G1 counterpart. The top of the figure (including the propellers and head) are yellow. So are his thighs and knees. His arms and feet are a dark blue color. The torso is white plastic. This almost exactly matches the color layout of G1 Seaspray. The only significant difference are the propeller blades, which are blue on this figure, but were black on G1 Seaspray.
Taking another cue from the G1 figure, Seaspray's eyes are painted black (instead of the more traditional blue color). His feet have white and black paint applications on them but perhaps the coolest deco details on this figure are two vertical tampographs on his torso. Each is outlined in red featuring rectangles and triangles. These are based directly on stickers found on G1 Seaspray's torso. Now, if you have Seaspray's "chest armor/weapon pod" detached, you'll see a tampographed Autobot symbol in the middle of his body in red and silver. The fun part is, if you attach the pod not only do you get a more "G1 accurate" Seaspray design but there is another Autobot symbol on the weapon pod! I really love this extra touch and it looks great.
There are thirteen points of articulation on this figure. Six of them are ball joints (the arms and the hips), so he has a good range of motion. As mentioned above, you can detach the weapon pod from forming "torso armor" and he can hold it in his hand as a weapon (theories suggest it might be a scanner of some sort too...or a pizza). There is no 5mm peg on the accessory. Instead, its tab slides into a slot on Seaspray's wrists. Seaspray does have 5mm ports, so you can attach weapons from other figures to him in this form.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- On the back of each foot, swing out the blue piece.
- Holding the back of the robot, swing the back and head/propeller section up.
- Swing each arm back, then attach the tab on the wrists to the corresponding slots on the sides towards the back.
- Swing the hip/waist section into the slot opened up by step three.
- Swing the legs up and point the feet forward.
- Push the feet in and tab in the blue section to the side of the vehicle.
- Swing the panel in front of the robot head up.
Vehicle Mode:
Seaspray's vehicle mode is a hovercraft and you can see a lot of his G1 vehicle form influencing this design. The edges are rounded and tube shaped. Cockpit windows appear in the front and the propellers are set in the back. His weapon/torso armor piece sits on top of the center, looking a bit more like a sensor pod of some sort in this form. Unlike his G1 counterpart, Seaspray is very bulky, so while he has the same basic vehicle form design, this one looks considerably more formidable.
There are some slight design changes between the G1 version and this one. He has a lot of tiny details including openings on the front of the propellers which look almost like blasters. The panel that covers his robot head has some nice, raised line details on them. In a nice callback to the G1 Seaspray figure, the sides of the vehicle towards the front have raised details that end in an angled set of three lines that point towards the front of the vehicle. This is based off a very similar detail on the G1 Seaspray figure's vehicle mode. I love subtle yet significant touches like this. It shows just how much the designers paid attention to the original figure when making this one and I think that's great.
Seaspray has all the same colors in this mode as the robot form. The blue comes together in the front, along the sides and on the back. White makes up the middle of the vehicle and part of the back. The propeller section is yellow plastic. Most of the paint details from the robot mode carry over here, but this mode lets you see the red on the front of the accessory clearly. Black paint is used for the windows at the front of the vehicle. Overall the deco looks great and true to his G1 roots.
Since Seaspray is part of the "Titans Return" line, he is made to interact with Titan Master figures. Swing the propeller section forward and you will find a seating area for a Titan Master! This piece clips to lock in place so your Titan Masters will be nice and secure.
Final Thoughts:
Seaspray is absolutely awesome. His design pays homage to the G1 character beautifully and he is fun to play with in both modes. I also love how bulky he looks for a Legends Class figure. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt in both modes.
- Great homage to G1 Seaspray.
- Includes an accessory (a rarity for the Legends Class).
- Nice deco (especially the tampographs).
- Nice and chunky for a Legends Class figure.
Cons:
- Unique design may not be for everyone.
- Some people are bothered that the head is only covered by a small plate in vehicle mode (I personally have no problem with it).
