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General Information
Release Date: April 2023
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: Target Exclusive (with limited quantities sold on Hasbro Pulse
Accessories: Blaster, Grappling Hook, Winch
Official images and text in italics are from Hasbro Pulse:
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 action figures Transformers toys for 6 year old boys, girls, and fans of all ages. See what all the buzz is about, only at Target. The battle is evolving with the Transformers Legacy Evolution Origin Autobot Jazz action figure! This figure is inspired by the alt mode of Jazz from the first episode of The Transformers animated series. Celebrate the last 40 years of Transformers history with Transformers Legacy action figures for boys and girls. Transformers Legacy opens the portal to a whole new universe of More Than Meets the Eye, bringing together every generation of Transformers like you’ve never seen before. Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures feature special Buzzworthy Bumblebee collectible packaging. Collect more Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures, only at Target (each sold separately, subject to availability).
Includes figure, 2 accessories, and instructions.
- BUZZWORTHY BUMBLEBEE: The Buzzworthy Bumblebee collection features some of the most buzzworthy Transformers action figures for boys, girls, and fans of all ages, only at Target
- G1-INSPIRED ALT MODE: This Origin Autobot Jazz action figure converts from robot to Cybertronian hovercraft mode in 20 steps
- SERIES-INSPIRED ACCESSORIES: Origin Autobot Jazz toy comes with blaster and hook accessories that attach to the figure in both modes. Hook can be swapped for the Transformers figure’s hand in robot mode
- EVOLVE THE BATTLE: Transformers toy robots are upgraded with Evo-Fusion battle features! Evolve the battle by combining the hook and blaster accessories into a grappling hook accessory
- BUMBLEBEE-THEMED PACKAGING: This Transformers figure features special Buzzworthy Bumblebee collectible packaging
- Ages 8 and up.
Background:
In 2021, Hasbro and Target released Origins Bumblebee, a figure representing the character as he appeared on Cybertron in the first episode of the G1 animated series. The animations were notable because the robot modes of several characters had "Earth Mode" design elements while their vehicle modes represented Cybertronian forms. Hasbro's follow up to this figure was Origins Jazz, also a Target exclusive with limited quantities sold via Hasbro Pulse. Like Origins Bumblebee, this figure represents G1 Jazz as a robot with some "Earth Mode" bits on him while transforming into a Cybertronian vehicle form. Transformers Hasbro team member Mark Maher worked with Takara Tomy designer Yuya Onishi on this figure as a love letter to the original series. A year later, the follow up to this figure would be Origins Wheeljack.
Packaging:
The look of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line largely revolves around the colors black and yellow on the boxes. Artwork showing Optimus Prime and Megatron also features on the box. This box is styled much like the War for Cybertron boxes with an angle on the left side and an opening to show off the figure in the front. The Transformers logo runs along the right side in front along with the Buzzworthy logo and the name of the figure. The back features the figure in both modes and accessories. It also calls out a 20 step transformation for the figure. Interestingly, the back of the box categorizes Jazz under the Legacy Evolution line and calls out the "Evo Fusion" ability of his blaster attached to the grappling hook.
Accessories:
Jazz includes two accessories:
- Blaster: Jazz's weapon is a blaster based on the design seen in the animated series. This includes a rear half that has a circular design on the sides and an angled section on the back. The front half is the weapons barrel. The weapon has a 5mm peg at the bottom and one on the right side. The end of the barrel has an attachment point for Blast Effects. This weapon is made of black plastic with no paint applications.
- Grappling Hook/Winch: Early in the G1 animated series, some Autobots showed the ability to retract their hands and use an additional tool or weapon. For Optimus Prime it was his iconic Energon Axe. For Jazz, this was a grappling hook attached to a winch. These two accessories are a homage to that feature from the cartoon. The base piece is a curved section meant to represent the winch. This piece features a 5mm peg on the back and a 5mm port in the front. This is made of black plastic. The grappling hook has three hooks and a 5mm peg in the back. This attaches to the winch, which itself can then attach to either of Jazz's fists if you swing them back. While I would have loved for there to be a string/line between the two, I do love that this homage exists at all. Both pieces have ports on the back that allow you to attach them to the end of the weapon barrel. Both of these accessories are made of black plastic with no paint applications.
Robot Mode:
Before diving into this review, it is important to note that this figure is not a redeco/retool of the Studio Series 1986 Autobot Jazz figure. While the two figures do share similar aesthetics, this figure is a whole new toy. The proportions are a bit different and more importantly the parts and the way he transforms are different, so this is (thus far) a unique representation of the character.
The key to the design of this figure is giving Jazz a robot mode that looks like it transforms into his G1 Earth-based vehicle mode while actually transforming into a Cybertronian car. To that end, his robot mode features several of Jazz's iconic robot mode design elements including:
- Head: The head sculpt features Jazz's classic head design with a small crest on top, "horns" sticking out at angles on top and vent-like structures flanking his face. His eyes are one wide "V" shaped visor piece and he has a nose and mouth set in a neutral expression.
- Arms: The arms feature blocky shoulder and forearm sections. The shoulders have circles on the sides and the forearms have grooves sculpted into the middle.
- Chest: The chest panel is designed to look like the front end of a Porsche 935-inspired vehicle. it is curved, features two round headlights and a grille in the center. Of course, all the details are changed just enough to prevent any potential licensing issues.
- Hips: The hip area features a middle section with a series of horizontal lines, a detail going back to the original G1 Jazz action figure.
- Legs: Jazz's lower legs feature a series of horizontal line details and a trapezoid shape on the feet which act as callbacks to the original Jazz action figure and G1 animation model. There is some compromise however. The legs do not feature round wheel wells on the sides, but given the price point this is not completely unexpected or a deal breaker.
- Back Pack: On the original Jazz's toy and animation model the top of the vehicle mode (including the windshield and windows) wound up forming a "back pack" in robot mode. Jazz's Cybertronian vehicle mode "cabin cover" does the same here. It may not look like the top of a Porsche, but there is an obvious parallel there.
Jazz is made up of black, white and translucent blue plastic. Paint colors on the figure include white, grey, two shades of blue, silver and red. Many of these are classic Jazz colors. The most "Earth-mode" deco is on his chest which is made up of translucent blue plastic but is painted white with a blue stripe and a red line on the bottom. A red Autobot symbol sits on top of the blue stripe. Two shades of grey are used for the front of the lower legs and feet, a callback to the vacuum metallized silver parts on G1 Jazz's feet. A darker blue appears on the panels on his legs. Overall the deco is very true to the character and the contrasts between the black plastic and brighter colors are striking.
There are twenty two points of articulation in this mode. This includes five in each arm and leg. The head articulation allows the head to turn from side to side and look up at an angle. There are seven 5mm ports in this mode: the fists, the shoulders, the bottom of the feet and one on the back for accessory storage. Each of Jazz's fists can swing in to reveal a 5mm port to attach the winch and grapple accessories.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Rotate the head around.
- Swing each fist into the forearms.
- Swing the feet down.
- Swing the chest panel up over the front of the head.
- Swing the robot arms in.
- Rotate the forearms around so the open slots on them face out to the sides. Keep the forearms swung forward a bit.
- On the back pack, swing the section with the windshield back, then swing the entire back pack forward.
- On each lower leg, swing out the side panels and then swing the smaller white panel forward.
- Push the lower leg sections together. Then swing that rear section forward.
- Swing the white panels forward.
- Swing the arms against the bottom of the vehicle.
- Attach the doors to the arms using the tabs on the doors and the slots on the forearms.
- The winch and grappling hook connect to each other, then attach to the 5mm port on the bottom of the vehicle.
- The blaster can attach to the top of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Jazz's Cybertronian vehicle mode was a stylized hovercar with a huge spoiler section in the back. The designers came very close to the look of the vehicle from the show. The front of the vehicle has a roughly rectangular section leading to a curved "hood" area leading to the windshield and angled windows on the sides. The back features a giant spoiler that extends down to the sides of the vehicle. There are some differences however. In the cartoon, the front section is a curved, rectangular opening. On tis figure it is solid featuring what appears to be a giant grille with a series of horizontal line details. Towards the back on the sides the spoiler goes straight down whereas in the cartoon there was a small square opening where you would find the rear wheel wells on an Earth car. It is not 100% perfect, but honestly, I don't care. It's about 90% accurate and that is more than enough for me!
This mode mostly shows white plastic and paint details. The front and back sections have dark blue paint applications while the grille is painted silver. A large, red Autobot symbol is found in front of the windshield on the hood. It's a simple deco but it matches the one seen in the cartoon nicely.
There are three 5mm ports in this mode: two in the back and one on top. The blaster weapon can attach to the top of the vehicle while the ones in back can be used to attach Blast Effects.
Final Thoughts:
To an Old Skool G1 fan like me, this figure is a dream come true. When I was a little kid watching G1 over and over, I never imagined I would own a Transformers toy that would represent Jazz as he appeared in the first episode of the series. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Fantastic sculpt that represents the character's appearance in the first episode of G1 beautifully.
- Nice clean and simple deco.
- Good articulation.
- Fun accessories.
- Intuitive transformation.
Cons:
- Fans who want 100% show accuracy will be disappointed.
- I wish there was some type of line between the winch and grappling hook, perhaps a "rope"-like Blast Effect.
