General Information:
Release Date: August 2019
Price Point: $14.99
Retailer: Target Exclusive
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from Toys 'R' Us Canada:
- 5-INCH ACTION ATTACKERS SLIPSTREAM FIGURE: Warrior Class Slipstream figure is 5.4 inches tall. Similar scale to Transformers Deluxe Class action figures.
- REPEATABLE ATTACK MOVE: Convert the evil Decepticon Slipstream to activate her signature Sonic Swirl Action Attack move. Fun move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps.
- 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TOY: Easy Transformers conversion for kids ages 6 years old and up! Convert figure from purple robot to jet mode in 7 steps.
- TRANSFORMERS CYBERVERSE CHARACTER: Slipstream robot toy inspired by the strategic Decepticon seeker from the Transformers Cyberverse cartoon, as seen on Cartoon Network and YouTube. Makes a great gift for boys and girls!
- INSPIRED BY CARTOON NETWORK SHOW: In the G1-inspired Cyberverse series, giant Transformers robots from the planet Cybertron engage in epic battles, activating signature abilities known as an Action Attacks! Kids can imagine unleashing this special power with Action Attacker figures!
"Picture this: me, on Earth, still cooler than everyone this side of Optimus Prime, but I've got zero memories. Now I'm on a mission to recover my memories and discover all of my awesome powers. I'll have to battle Decepticons, outrun an explosion or two, and be heroic- basically, I'm in for one epic ride across the Cyberverse."-Bumblebee
Convert and attack with Transformers Cyberverse Slipstream Action Attackers figure! Convert figure from jet to robot mode in 7 easy steps. The last step of conversion activates Slipstream figure's Sonic Swirl Action Attack move! Fun attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps.
Kids ages 6 years old and up can collect other Action Attackers figures, each sold separately, to discover the signature attack moves of favorite characters from the Cyberverse series - one of the best ways to introduce young kids and new fans to the exciting world of Transformers!
Figure scale: 5.4 inches. Ages 6 and up. Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts may be generated. Not for children under 3 years. Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
For much of the summer of 2019, Target's Transformers toy sections looked pretty barren. Sure they had the occasional BotBots or Studio Series figures, but many pegs were empty until Wave 2 of Siege hit shelves briefly (and then vanished for the most part). By the time August 2019 rolled around, the shelves were restocked with figures from the Cyberverse "Power of the Spark" line.
Along with this flood of toys was a Target exclusive Warrior Class Slipstream figure. This figure is a redeco of the sculpt originally released as Starscream. It would later go on to be released as Acid Storm and Thundercracker. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Packaging:
Warrior Class "Cyberverse" figures are packaged on bubble cards. The cards have a new design which takes cues from more recent Transformers packaging. There is still a vertical "Transformers" logo on the right side, above it is a symbol (Autobot or Decepticon based on the character) and the character art is at the top of the packaging with the Cyberverse logo under it. Perhaps the most distinctive part of the packaging design are the colors, which utilize yellow and light blue helping them stand out against the black and red colors used for "Generations" packaging on shelves. The back of the packaging features the figure with its action feature called out. In Thundercracker's case he has a "Sonic Swirl" feature. The back of the packaging shows the figure in both modes with a 7 step transformation. Soundwave, Megatron and Bumblebee are the cosells.
The insert on the packaging notes a recommended age of "6+" which is important to keep in mind with this Class of figure. Contrast that with a "Generations" Deluxe (such as Jazz or Sunstreaker) which have recommended ages of 8+. This age recommendation is more along the lines of "Robots in Disguise" Legion Class figures such as Bisk.
Robot Mode:
Slipstream is a straight up redeco of the Starscream sculpt. However, unlike their G1 counterparts, the Seekers in Cyberverse do not all share the exact same body design. The result? This Slipstream figure winds up having some "screen inaccurate" parts including the torso and the shoulder armor. Truth be told, this is not a huge deal given this is a redeco. You can still tell it is Slipstream, mostly thanks to the colors.
Slipstream is cast in purple, lavender and light teal plastic. The purple and lavender are mostly focused on the top half of the body with the legs made up of light teal plastic. Lavender paint is used on the shoulder armor and chest, offering some color variety to this form. The head is black with a silver face and red eyes. Some black paint is used on the front of the lower legs. Light teal is used for the cockpit window on the chest and there is a Decepticon symbol on top of it. In a detail that really distinguishes Slipstream from the other Warrior Class Seekers, there is a line of pink forming the lips, a color detail carried over from the animation model. While the colors are not 100% true to the animation model, they are close enough given that this is a pure redeco.
While Slipstream's action feature is called the "Sonic Swirl" it is really just the same thing as the "Wing Slice" feature from Starscream. The instructions are not very detailed, but near as I can tell, the idea is you twist his upper body to one side and it "clicks" into place. Then you push the jet cockpit piece in the back and the torso twists (sort of like the hold 80's He-Man figures). Now, in theory I believe what is supposed to happen is the wings go horizontal to form "blades" that slash at enemies. At the same time, the ends of the wings should swing out, Decepticon symbols underneath. Now, the wings do move up a bit so the effect is achieved to some degree, but the ends of the wings never swing out and the wings move up super quick, so it is not much of an attack. Overall, this action feature is just underwhelming and not worth the sacrifice of deco and articulation in this figure.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Push the robot legs together.
- Rotate the upper body around to the left.
- Swing the legs and waist section back.
- Swing the cockpit section forward.
- Swing the robot arms in, tabbing them into the sides of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
There was no retooling done for this mode, so it winds up looking very much like a cartoony version of the G1 Seeker vehicle mode complete with an oval shaped cockpit section, wings with points at the ends and four stabilizer fins in the back. However, this is quite different than her vehicle mode on the show, which is longer and has an angled nosecone. Even the cockpit window is angled on the animation model. If you are not a stickler for animation model accuracy this is no big deal, but it is important to keep in mind.
This mode features all the colors from the robot mode with some extra teal on the wings and cockpit. White is used the create the outline of large Decepticon symbols on the wings. Black paints in the front end of the nosecone. The deco looks good, but like the sculpt it is not particularly accurate to the animation model.
Final Thoughts: I think this is the best deco on this base sculpt since the original Starscream release. However, both the sculpt and deco are not particularly accurate to the animation model. Given that this is the fourth use of the sculpt, some retooling may have been in order (maybe the nosecone for instance). I would say if you want a more "show accurate" version of the character the Ultra Class is a better choice. Mildly recommended if you want every iteration of this sculpt. Otherwise you can skip it.
Pros:
- Nice plastic colors.
- Good deco.
Cons:
- Extremely limited articulation including legs that do not bend at the knees.
- Action feature does not quite work as it appears it was meant to.
- Sculpt is not very show accurate.
- Vehicle mode looks awkward.
