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General Information
Release Date: October 2023
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Jetpack, Blaster
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com
- TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS NOAH DÍAZ EXO-SUIT: This Transformers Studio Series Noah Díaz Exo-Suit action figure for boys and girls is highly articulated for posability and features movie-inspired deco and details
- TRANSFORMERS STUDIO SERIES CORE CLASS: This 3.5-inch collectible action figure is inspired by iconic movie scenes and designed with details to reflect the Transformers movie universe
- 2 ICONIC MODES: This action figure for 8 year old boys and girls features classic conversion between Exo-Suit and jet blaster modes in 7 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Transformers figure comes with removable blaster cannon and jetpack accessories that attach to the Noah Díaz Exo-Suit figure in both modes
- GIFTS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS: Transformers toys make great gifts for 8 year old boys and girls and up!
Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the Transformers Studio Series Noah Díaz Exo-Suit action figure, inspired by Transformers: Rise of the Beasts! Studio Series Transformers toys are collectible action figures for 8 year old boys and girls that feature movie-inspired details and accessories. Convert the collectible action figure from Exo-Suit to jet blaster mode in 7 steps and pose the Noah Díaz Exo-Suit toy with the included blaster cannon and jetpack accessories. Transformers action figures for boys and girls make great gifts! Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. Hasbro and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro.
Background:
During the final battle in Rise of the Beasts, Mirage is disabled so he uses parts of his own body to create an Exo-Suit around Noah Diaz (don't worry, he gets better later). You can see part of this scene below:
Towards the end of 2023, one of the last Rise of the Beasts figures to come out in Studio Series was Core Class Noah Diaz in his Exo-Suit. This figure came out very briefly on shelf and then was only available in limited numbers via online retailers making him fairly elusive to collectors. I was lucky enough to score one on BWTF sponsor BigBadToyStore before they sold out.
Packaging:
Noah Diaz is packaged in the standard Core Class Studio Series box. The box is rectangular with a flap on top. The box portion features an open window to show off most of the toy. There is no plastic window, aligning to the eco-friendly packaging of the time. The background of the box is black while the Studio Series logo uses light blue colors. The vertical Transformers logo is on the right and the top flap has the character's artwork showing him with his Exo-Suit on and face shield activated.
The back of the packaging mostly uses various shades of red. The figure is shown in both modes calling out an 7 step transformation. His full name (which is also on the front) is "Noah Diaz Exo-Suit" but for simplicity's sake I'll just refer to him in this review as Noah. Below that section is a ton of legal information in multiple languages.
The figure is bound to a cardboard insert with rubber ties. This cardboard insert also doubles as the Studio Series style backdrop, featuring the rocky landscape seen in the final battle sequence of Rise of the Beasts.
Accessories:
Noah comes with two accessories, but calling one of them an "accessory" is an understatement and that would be his jetpack. This piece literally detaches from the Noah figure and is pretty much a standalone toy by itself. Right out of the box, the jetpack looks like a mini-jet fighter complete with a cockpit in front, wide wings angled out to the sides and a rear section with both horizontal and vertical stabilizer fins. This jetpack is made of grey and silver plastic on smaller parts. The main paint color is metallic blue with some smaller bits colored black.
To truly form the "jetpack" form, you swing the tail section up and the cockpit down. Then swing the wings in and you wind up compressing the vehicle into a jetpack. If you want to use it as a standalone Drone, attach the blaster accessory to the underside of the cockpit. Interestingly, there is a 5mm port that flips out from the bottom of the jetpack which basically turns it into an "Action Master-esque" weapon for a larger figure. The jetpack clips to Noah's back using the two tabs sticking out from the bottom of the figure.
Noah's other accessory is a blaster. Keeping in spirit with past live action movie figures, this piece represents his arm cannon so it fits into his fist to make it look like he has transformed his arm into a blaster. This piece is made of grey plastic and has a 3mm peg that attaches to his left fist, making it look like his arm has "transformed" into the weapon. This piece is made of grey plastic with metallic blue, gunmetal grey and orange paint.
Exo-Suit Mode:
The Noah figure (separate from the jetpack) is based on the character's appearance in the film once he gets his armor. A lot of the key details from that armor are featured on this figure including:
- Head: The head/helmet design features a round helmet with circles on the side, a crest on top and a face shield (made opaque here to prevent any likeness issues with the actor).
- Arms: The arms feature a ton of mechanical details including a "U" shaped piece on the shoulders and bits that look like vents on top of the shoulders. The right arm features a blade weapon sculpted into the forearm. This is based on the blade Noah uses on Scourge in the film (but in the movie it was on his left arm).
- Chest: The chest features two rectangular pieces that look like they could have been formed from Mirage's vehicle mode rear lights.
- Legs: The legs feature angled armor pieces on the thighs and layers of detailing on the lower legs including smooth panels on the sides that are meant to represent bits of Mirage's vehicle mode.
When it comes to the deco on this figure I feel like the designers were forced to change it from being "screen accurate" so as not to potentially have issues with trademarks and Mirage's vehicle mode. The figure is made of gunmetal grey and dark metallic grey plastic. The paint applications are mostly black and silver with some metallic blue on the face, forearms and lower legs. The blue helps to give hints of Mirage's colors in the film but they're pretty subtle on the actual figure itself whereas in the film Noah had very obvious blue and red details on his chest and side armor.
There are twelve points of articulation on this figure. This includes two on each arm and three on each leg. Most of these joints are ball joints, allowing for a good range of movement. Each fist has a 3mm port but his blaster only fits over the left arm because the blade on the right arm gets in the way. Surprisingly, this articulation also includes waist articulation! Since the figure itself does not really transform in the traditional manner, it is cool to see the designers tried to give it a lot of articulation instead.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the blaster if attached.
- Attach the jetpack to the back of the Noah figure.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the cockpit section up behind the robot head.
- Swing the wings out.
- Swing the rear section of the jetpack back.
- Connect the back of the lower legs to the tabs on the rear section.
- Attach the tabs on the forearms to the corresponding slots on the jetpack.
- Point the feet back.
- Attach the blaster to the underside of the cockpit section.
Vehicle Mode:
Noah's vehicle mode is rather amusing. If you look at it from all angles, it basically looks like Noah is attached to the underside of a jet and is just tucking his arms and legs in as it throttles him into the sky! There are no real surprises with this design. The jetpack is now in its "vehicle mode" with feet sticking out the back and arms peeking out on the sides. While I know it is not intentional, I cannot help but think of Ace McCloud from Centurions when I look at this mode.
Final Thoughts:
Noah Diaz in his Exo-Suit is not the most amazing Core Class figure ever, but he does represent the character well and being a Core Class he roughly scales well with other figures in the Studio Series Rise of the Beasts line of figures. The jetpack is a fun accessory and I actually quite like it. As a Transformers figure Noah is not going to rock anyone's world, but it's fun in its own way and I dig it. Recommended.
Pros:
- Good sculpt that represents the character from the film well.
- Good articulation.
- The jetpack is a fun accessory.
Cons:
- The deco could be more screen accurate.
- The transformation is not particularly impressive.
