Daily fun fact: The Decepticon aspects of Alternators were kinda fudged together at the last minute. Hence Sunstreaker's repaint coming first, and the utter wonkiness of Decepticharge. And in Swindle's case, he was the result of a Hound retool that was going to be Trailbreaker, but they couldn't get the name. So instead of dropping the design entirely, they just named him Swindle. This is why Swindle's headsculpt, while cool, doesn't look very Swindle-y. Also, speaking of, if you wanna be technical, Dead End was a retool of Sideswipe.
I feel like Alternators Shockwave kinda gets away with it thanks to Shocky not having a defined earth alt mode. Blah blah science and robots and...stuff. Either way I’m just glad he even GOT a figure in the line.
I love Swindle, he kinda has that "This is a square robot that turns into a square vehicle beep boop" feeling but it's an off-road vehicle so it's somehow inherently badass. And he's evil. And he's named "Swindle" ! Like, imagine being born and someone's like "You shall be named.... 'Untrustworthy!' "
When the first trailer came out for Bumblebee I wanted a Human Alliance version of Bee with Charlie. Luckly and sadly we didn't get it. Sad because no HA and good because all the toys are based off of old concept art before the redesigns and story changes
Yeah I remember having the human alliance bee, skids and sideswipe! Always wanted to get jazz too. Outstanding figures! I also loved the little dudes they came with!
I think the idea was that since it's a Hound repaint, and Hound had a pretty tiny gun in the G1 cartoon. (But even then, Hound's pistol was a lot less slim.)
I like Alternators a lot, even though their robot modes are highly flawed. I have a ton of them, too. My favorite is Ravage (the second, non-"battle" one). A Jaguar that turns into a jaguar (or is that the other way around?), you gotta love it.
I have him as well, I always thought it weird he turned into a robot and not a jaguar, I would have been totally aboard if he looked better standing on all fours
@@zeroblade6599 sounds like you have the first one, the "battle ravage". They did make one late in the life of the line that turned into a jaguar. In the us it was a Walmart exclusive. Try to run searches for it, it's a beautiful toy.
Yeah, Ravage as a Jaguar was simply one of the best TransFormers toys yet. Still have mine. I'm surprised they didn't do the Alternators Rumble in blue, as well. Wouldn't even have had to modify the mould. Just bang in some different-colour plastic. Done. Easy money. Oh, well.
Funny, he cracks wise about potentially not being monthly in its origin video. Though, I'm sure he has got the Megatron collection, save for the ones he's already reviewed, but not the means to spot one out literally every month like a daytime drama.
Imagine if they did Alternators again, with modern technology. I will take an entire Prime Autobot cast each with a human partner packed in, thanks for that 3Ps.
Hasbro already sort of done that, its called Human Alliance. But if you dont like movie figures then that tip wont do you any good. But it got an awsome Barricade though, and thats coming from a geewunner
I care Thew. I care. I only have 3 Alternators and Swindle is one of them because it's bloody Swindle. I have the original Swindle Somewhere, got G1 Hound too, but did not give a toss about getting the Hound Alternator. Why would I want a normal green Jeep when I could have my favourite dirt boy Jeep. Would love to see some more Alternator reviews. I've always thought they were pretty rad, although, yeah, times have moved on and stuff.
I effing love Alternators. I think I'm missing like 1-2 repaints, but have at least one of every mold. Even Ravage, the Jaguar that turns into a jaguar. You absolutely are not alone here.
I only had 3 as well and they have all been sold now as I'm not big on collecting, but this guy (along with tf movie 1 voyager bumblebee on my shelf) will always be my favourite and is the first transformer I can ever remember having. I may be blinded by nostalgia but growing up with those robot car adverts and having him makes him the best and nothing will ever be better in my eyes
I had alternators skids that was in poor condition but I traded him for the silver knight optimus prime and I now have alternators windcharger which is my favorite honda ever, the honda s2000
Episodes like this are really interesting and neat! It's great to get a retrospective on where toys were, where they are now, the journey in between, and how that mattered to you as a collector. I didn't have TFs growing up, certainly no toys, and so these kinds of videos are just really cool. Like a super dynamic mini history lesson. Thanks for sharing!
@@kevinpeoples8702 I didn't have Transformers media in my life, and thus, certainly no TF toys. I had wanted to watch G1, but the one opportunity I got, the channel was changed because the show was "for boys."
I actually think you have backed into an amusing niche with this, Swindle is one of the only bots in a combiner team with a life of his own, yet nearly everything since alternators swindle has become obsessed with him being a brutiboot that since TFA's flawed figure, he hasn't had a life of his own.
Swindle also had a role in Animated without the rest of the team, and was the dissenting voice of the group in Fall of Cybertron. Yeah, Combiner Wars made him a barely sentient limb, but he hasn't fared too bad otherwise.
I realize you're sort of talking about him from a toy perspective, but he operates pretty separately from the other Combaticons for the majority of IDW's first run too. When you first see him he is hiding from Ultra Magnus among aliens he was selling weapons to. When the Combaticons start working for North Korea, he brokers the deal and takes off leaving the other 4 there. And once they're all back on a restored Cybertron, he is buds with Dirge and and hanging out with Blurr at Maccadam's, not with the other Combaticons. It isn't until Starscream makes an attempt on his life because of knowing many of his dirty secrets that he is put into a coma and the other Combaticons really start looking for him, eventually forming an unstable Bruticus due to Swindle's brain damage.
"It is from 16 years ago" I swear, being 17, I grew up in the weirdest phase of transformers. My first two toys were classics Sunstreaker and leader first movie Optimus Prime. I know it's not G2 but I grew up threw the Unicron trilogy, Animated, Prime, RID, all the movies and I really started collecting Siege. The brand changed so much in my lifetime and it's not stopping.
Personally I'm all for Thew just reviewing whatever he wants. It gives us a chance to watch a video about the most random of bots rather than the same ones that everyone else is reviewing.
Honestly I’d love for you to make more videos like this. As someone who doesn’t collect but still likes to hear about opinions of toys and review, I live for what connection(s) they have with the reviewer. The more story time with Thew the better.
Maybe a controversial opinion, I don't know: Swindle is the best character from any G1 combiner team by a long shot. He's actually an interesting character with that whole shady black market thing he has going on, and it makes him way more memorable than any of his peers. The rest of them, I have no idea who they are. Like, off the top of your head, what is Fireflight's personality? What is Dragstrip all about? Who is Sinnertwin beyond a cool name? They're just robots who turn into limbs for other bigger robots. That's their whole thing. Swindle though, he's a fun character in his own right. The fact that he just happens to also becomes a leg for Bruticus when he feels like it is just a fun bonus.
@@cavalierliberty6838 That sort of the problem Nick was pointing out, individual members of combiner teams are never interesting/fascinating or popular as their own characters even if they are, their reputation as body parts will always precede them. Of course, we have notable exceptions, like Swindle & Breakdown (who both got rebooted as fresh characters independent of being a combiner team), or G1 First Aid IIRC basically had his own episode and maybe some others I don't remember. Point is Swindle's personality stood out better than his peers, which is why he's reasonably popular.
Alternators are what got me back into Transformers. I am a child of G1 - the toys, the cartoon, the movie - I had the touch, the power. Then I lost it as I grew up. Then one day, 20 or so years later as a gainfully employed and sensible(?) adult, walking through ToysRUs, I spotted Alternators Hound. It was downhill from there - I bought a ton of Alternators and Binaltech, some Cybertron, a couple of early MPs, then fell out again for about 10 years until Siege, Earthrise, and more MPs. RIP my wallet. But I still have a soft spot for Alternators. While I can see the flaws in them, in a way I couldn't 15 years ago or whenever, their car modes are still absolutely stunning.
I ADORE Alternators. My best friend and I spent a lot of time hunting these down. Even got my wife (then girlfriend) into em. Better still, I freaking love Swindle! Wasn't expecting such a pleasant surprise reexamination of this Jeepcreep. Said a lot of stuff I didn't initially want to admit, but you made some solid points.
Thew, I know this’ll probably get lost in the comments but since you’ve said a few times that this is more a passion project and you were worried nobody would care, I just wanna say this is great. I think your videos with a personal touch are your best ones- off the top of my head, Slapdash, for example. I think I speak for most people when I say we’re here for your review and not the actual figure. There’s probably a million Swindle reviews but how many of them would you bet are a boring by-the-numbers “serious” review by someone with a monotone voice? Plus, I’m on the younger side of the “serious” fan spectrum, so it’s a real treat to see all the toys from slightly earlier in your collection with the polish and passion of your modern stuff because I never had those or even knew they existed. Transformers used to mean “the ones I could get in Asda if I was lucky”. Long story short, don’t worry about doing videos you want to do because personal preference is what MAKES this hobby. Keep up the good work!
I always appreciate people talking about why they love something. When you have a passion its just a delight to see them discuss that passion. Dont stop talking about why a certsin toy means something to you
YES! Alternators!! Thank you, Thew! These guys got me back into Transformers after I lost interest in them back around 1990. I chanced upon an Alternators Windcharger one day and was blown away by how far Transformers had come since the big plastic brick bots of my childhood. I bought him and actively went looking for more of these - and my second one was Swindle! A decade and a half and about 300 plastic robo-men later, I still enjoy my Alternators.
When it comes down to it. Alternators is why I got back into transformers. I some some G1 stuff but never thought I needed a couple shelfloads of it haha.
Around the time of the Alternators, I bought a Subaru Impreza. So I had to get the Silverstreak one, and I went for the Binaltech one. The Alernator design was so good I could leave Silverstreak in car mode and people just thought it was a model of my car. As for having a combiner robot buddy, mine was Blast-Off from the Combaticons. I had Blast-Off for what felt like kid years (probably 4-6 months) before getting another one: Vortex. Between then and my birthday (where I received Onslaught), I had picked up Swindle. And I had fond memories of them all since other than Astrotrain, Beachcomber and Kickback, I didn't really have transformers. But I totally get the idea once you get all the combiners, each individual bot kinda gets lost in the gestalt. I am sure I eventually got Brawl, but I have no memories of it. My Combaticons probably became Bruticus with Blast-Off getting some solo time as one of my favorites (I liked space shuttles as a kid).
Hay man, recently found you channel and bingeing the fuck outta it. Love that Swindle toy, he has been front and centre in my collection backing up MP Megs against Alternator Autobots for years. Love that guy x
As a small collector myself, I absolutely loved this video. I tend to get attached to the small amount of bots I'm able to get (see generations blitzwing) and even the ones that aren't the best, (see generations blitzwing) they hold a special place in my heart. Awesome video Thew :D
I loved Alternators and I was actually thinking about digging mine out as I work from home. I could find them in the stores for $20 and I could sometimes spend an hour transforming one for the first time. Possibly my happiest era of collecting. Thank you for this.
Part of the reason I ended up watching your reviews was just seeing you talk about random TF toys. It's actually the most fun and maybe doing this 15 years after the fact made it better since you could give a very different perspective (and ya know, edit a hell of a lot better).
yeeeeaaah boi! one fifth of my fave of my fave decpti-team...as an Alternator, rofl you slay me Thew! i dont have money for Master pieces so i never really got to see how they look together. do people display Alternators and MP's together?
Man. The way you describe Swindle just brings me right back to what I consider my childhood Autobot team. This video speaks to my inner child and the adventures the toys from my childhood would go on.
Last year at a comic con I grabbed myself an Alternator Meister because I need all things Jazz. But yeah, that transformation was just...something special lol
Watched the video earlier today (kudos! it was great), and I now feel the need to dig out my MISB Alternators Swindle and open him :) Alternators are the reason I got back into the hobby way back in 2003 or so, when I bought Hound at a supermarket in Greece while I was on vacation. For a while, I maintained that I would only buy "adult collector figures" such as Alternators and MPs. 1000+ figures later... obviously, that didn't work out.
I love that someone actually cares about my favorite transformers line. I adore Alternators Swindle and the entire Alternators Line because they tried so damn hard with the vehicles and they were just so cool man, the jeep has suspension for God's sake
Seriously one of the best videos you've done in a while Thew. You really connect with the character and it shows. There's a love there that just hasn't been present in your videos of late. It looks like you've found your spark again.
I adored alternators; I was just getting into collecting at that point (having graduated from the "you're too old for toys" to buying them with my own money) and they seemed so amazing. I've still got an almost complete collection (a mix of Alternators, Binaltech Japanese releases, Asterisk and Kiss Players), but they sadly spend most of their time in storage. Just take up too much real estate. Swindle is one of the three I keep displayed at all times as well.
i love that, after a decade and a half, the fact that alternator swindle's gun is smaller than g1 swindle's gun is STILL the thing that you can't not talk about with this figure. that and you still sneak puns into the video description- took me years to get the reference in the rail racer vid description
I do enjoy tangent reviews like this where we visit more obscure corners of Transformer figures. There's usually more to laugh at visiting the past than keeping updated on the present. XD
Wasteland millionaire is exactly what Swindle wants to be. Remember that time he sold all of his friends for human cash money just so he could have it? Like, what's he going to do with a stack of dollar bills besides put it in a shelf in a neat pile and admire it?
I for one, appreciate this video! I picked up Alternators Hound a month or two ago, and when I looked up the rest of the Alternator line I thought Swindle straight up looks like an even cooler use of the mold.
I kinda miss Alternators. There's this whole swath of about ten years where I would look at transformers and thought they were cool but was on such a tight budget that I couldn't HAVE any. This probably explains why this stuff has devoured my life, especially the era where I couldn't afford that stuff. Finally getting the stuff that I HAD to deny myself is somehow psychologically nourishing.
This sort of video where you just have to talk about it - are my fav videos of yours. Another example that comes to mind is longrack. Best transformers review videos I know of are these sorts of "i gotta get this out of my head" videos. Great work.
This video feels substantially different then your usual vids. It’s a lot more personal and I really like it. I didn’t ask for this, and I was never disappointed either
So happy to see another video from you. Definitely helps while going through this pandemic. I am sad to hear you sold your animated Swindle. That was a kick ass figure.
This may be your best review yet, Thew. It's clear you want to say something about Swindle and the Alternators line. I say do what makes you excited. I watch to see what you have to say about Transformers. The more invested you are, the better the review. Also, I meant to say this weeks ago. Oops.
Man, this takes me back. I loved Alternators back in the day and I kind of missed the days of "model cars that turned into Transformers," even if the second half of the line was all basically rubbish. Thanks for showing me how their DNA still continues on in today's modern lines, it helps me appreciate that the real Alternators were the toys we collected along the way. All I have of my original Alternators collection these days is Jazz. The rest got stolen during a move. I miss Grimlock and Hound most of all.
Binaltech Hound was the first Transformer I bought with my own money in 2006 (from Forbidden Planet) and I was blown away with the details and the solid feel of the diecast construction. I nievely assumed the movie 2007 toys were going to be the same. Hound is my own masterpiece version of the character and will always be a massive part of what got me into collecting Transformers. Thank you Thew.
More Alternators! MOAR!! I loved that particular lineup. Also, I can't be the only that thinks this, but Animated Swindle is my spirit animal. I love how he's a perfect incarnation of a robot used car salesman, inclusive of bola tie.
I bought your Animated Swindle (and Soundwave). They are well cared for. Totally get what you mean about Alternators. I was getting back into collecting at the same time, and Alternators Shockwave was my first toe dip back into Transformers since the very early 90s. Then Classics came out and I never left again.
Thew I loved this one. Please do more videos like this going back to robots you wanted to do back in the day this was really satisfying for me to watch. Love what you do! Keep it up Thew!
the Swindle altenator/binaltech has been one of my favorite Transformers since I bought him on release day. Its one of the best figs ever. Always loved swindle he is the only binaltech that stays out in my collection and on my desk
I'm begging you, please review more older toys like this. The mid-00s were a fun wasteland of the Energon trilogy and the Alternators line, not to mention the crossover lines. Some of these toys deserve to get full reviews. Also hell yeah fellow Swindle fan.
I used to have the alternators skids that i bought from an antique store that was missing the interior and gun. I gave it to my best friend who now has alternators grimlock
It’s always good to see Alternators get some mind paid to them. When I was a kid, somebody got me Alternator Sideswipe for Christmas one year. And he was so big and fancy and shiny that I was blown away! And then I tried to transform him... YIKES. On the bright side, my hatred for that toy kept him in a box for years and years; so now that I’m all grown up (arguably) and have the skills and patience to deal with him, I have a complete one to start figuring out if I like it. Meanwhile my brother’s poor Alternator Shockwave lost his two most important pieces and he now lingers on this Earth as a characterless purple corpse
I really liked this video! G1 has been covered to death by this point and I think just naturally with the passage of time people don't talk as much about anything before Combiner Wars or even T30 anymore. I don't feel comfortable calling lines from 2001-~2010 "retro" just yet but hearing about figures from that time period definitely feels refreshing.
Alternators were one of my favorite lines that I never could afford when they came out. The only big one was optimus as a Dodge Ram maybe should have been a bigger truck maybe superduty or 4500 series
Probably my fave alternator, as far as the molds go - one of the more presentable (and one that actually stands without too much effort)... I'm just longing to get one painted up as the Jurassic Park jeeps! :D
My one foray into Alternators is the Fairlady Z Alternity Megatron I got at a con in college (a video of which is on my channel, for the curious). It came pre-broken in the box (one of the side mirrors broke off, which made one of the shoulder armor pieces not stay deployed), but, man, that boy is a beaut...until you get to the ankles, which are the only balljoints on a figure with a diecast core. I get why they made it that way, but it really makes him a pain to stand. It's been 12-13 years since I got it, but I still want to fix it someday. Space issues have left him in package in storage this whole time, so he should be pretty fresh when I finally get around to it, hopefully.
Have the Rollbar version of this mold and absolutely love it. Makes me wish I had managed to pick up more alternators when I got back into collecting, only have him and Skids.
Daily fun fact: The Decepticon aspects of Alternators were kinda fudged together at the last minute. Hence Sunstreaker's repaint coming first, and the utter wonkiness of Decepticharge. And in Swindle's case, he was the result of a Hound retool that was going to be Trailbreaker, but they couldn't get the name. So instead of dropping the design entirely, they just named him Swindle. This is why Swindle's headsculpt, while cool, doesn't look very Swindle-y.
Also, speaking of, if you wanna be technical, Dead End was a retool of Sideswipe.
I feel like Alternators Shockwave kinda gets away with it thanks to Shocky not having a defined earth alt mode. Blah blah science and robots and...stuff. Either way I’m just glad he even GOT a figure in the line.
I had Alternators Ravage which was a Tracks retool. Who thought of that?
The Decepticons got their own line afew years later in japan called Alternity with Bumblebee sprinkled in for the fun of it
Also Ravage got a re-release as a whole new car/bot. Of course, he was a Jaguar as both modes.
thanks
I love Swindle, he kinda has that "This is a square robot that turns into a square vehicle beep boop" feeling but it's an off-road vehicle so it's somehow inherently badass. And he's evil. And he's named "Swindle" ! Like, imagine being born and someone's like "You shall be named.... 'Untrustworthy!' "
When you realize In lore that swindle just hijacked Trailbreaker's body who in itself knew it was a repaint
the live-action movie Human Alliance line are somewhat an evolution of Alternators.
One of the reasons I've enjoyed HA
I can see that
When the first trailer came out for Bumblebee I wanted a Human Alliance version of Bee with Charlie. Luckly and sadly we didn't get it. Sad because no HA and good because all the toys are based off of old concept art before the redesigns and story changes
Yeah I remember having the human alliance bee, skids and sideswipe! Always wanted to get jazz too. Outstanding figures! I also loved the little dudes they came with!
Somewhat .
“Whatever they had at Forbidden Planet” needs to be the official motto of UK collectors lmao
These days its "whatever they had at kapow toys"
If they had the whole spare tire flip apart into a gun, then problem solved there.
that said,
ankle. holster.
I think the idea was that since it's a Hound repaint, and Hound had a pretty tiny gun in the G1 cartoon. (But even then, Hound's pistol was a lot less slim.)
I like Alternators a lot, even though their robot modes are highly flawed. I have a ton of them, too. My favorite is Ravage (the second, non-"battle" one). A Jaguar that turns into a jaguar (or is that the other way around?), you gotta love it.
I have him as well, I always thought it weird he turned into a robot and not a jaguar, I would have been totally aboard if he looked better standing on all fours
The only Alternators toy I still own. And still one of my all-time favorites.
@@zeroblade6599 Zero Blade mate you're thinking of battle ravage, the second alternators ravage actually turns into a jaguar on all fours
@@zeroblade6599 sounds like you have the first one, the "battle ravage". They did make one late in the life of the line that turned into a jaguar. In the us it was a Walmart exclusive. Try to run searches for it, it's a beautiful toy.
Yeah, Ravage as a Jaguar was simply one of the best TransFormers toys yet. Still have mine.
I'm surprised they didn't do the Alternators Rumble in blue, as well. Wouldn't even have had to modify the mould. Just bang in some different-colour plastic. Done. Easy money.
Oh, well.
Don’t forget about this month’s Monthly Megatron, Thew!
He just did that as a joke title. I don't think he owns enough Megatron toys to keep doing it for very long.
Funny, he cracks wise about potentially not being monthly in its origin video. Though, I'm sure he has got the Megatron collection, save for the ones he's already reviewed, but not the means to spot one out literally every month like a daytime drama.
Imagine if they did Alternators again, with modern technology. I will take an entire Prime Autobot cast each with a human partner packed in, thanks for that 3Ps.
Hasbro already sort of done that, its called Human Alliance. But if you dont like movie figures then that tip wont do you any good. But it got an awsome Barricade though, and thats coming from a geewunner
zilvertron and that Jazz was pretty sexy
And the Human Alliance Bumblebee pioneered the way every subsequently movie Bumblebee figure would go on to handle the arm transformation.
3:39 "I've always preferred a smooth, luxurious ride" Spoken like a man who has never actually rode in a jeep.
I care Thew. I care. I only have 3 Alternators and Swindle is one of them because it's bloody Swindle. I have the original Swindle Somewhere, got G1 Hound too, but did not give a toss about getting the Hound Alternator. Why would I want a normal green Jeep when I could have my favourite dirt boy Jeep. Would love to see some more Alternator reviews. I've always thought they were pretty rad, although, yeah, times have moved on and stuff.
I effing love Alternators. I think I'm missing like 1-2 repaints, but have at least one of every mold. Even Ravage, the Jaguar that turns into a jaguar. You absolutely are not alone here.
I only had 3 as well and they have all been sold now as I'm not big on collecting, but this guy (along with tf movie 1 voyager bumblebee on my shelf) will always be my favourite and is the first transformer I can ever remember having. I may be blinded by nostalgia but growing up with those robot car adverts and having him makes him the best and nothing will ever be better in my eyes
I had alternators skids that was in poor condition but I traded him for the silver knight optimus prime and I now have alternators windcharger which is my favorite honda ever, the honda s2000
I love the alternators. I have Sideswipe, Rodimus, and Smokescreen.
Episodes like this are really interesting and neat! It's great to get a retrospective on where toys were, where they are now, the journey in between, and how that mattered to you as a collector. I didn't have TFs growing up, certainly no toys, and so these kinds of videos are just really cool. Like a super dynamic mini history lesson. Thanks for sharing!
Krin Syn Wait... you had *no toys* growing up‽
@@kevinpeoples8702 I didn't have Transformers media in my life, and thus, certainly no TF toys. I had wanted to watch G1, but the one opportunity I got, the channel was changed because the show was "for boys."
@@krinsyn6396 Casual Sexism at it's most predicable.
I have one of these sitting around, I love it. After having energon and armada figures, alternator swindle was a big step up for little Sam
I actually think you have backed into an amusing niche with this, Swindle is one of the only bots in a combiner team with a life of his own, yet nearly everything since alternators swindle has become obsessed with him being a brutiboot that since TFA's flawed figure, he hasn't had a life of his own.
Swindle also had a role in Animated without the rest of the team, and was the dissenting voice of the group in Fall of Cybertron. Yeah, Combiner Wars made him a barely sentient limb, but he hasn't fared too bad otherwise.
I realize you're sort of talking about him from a toy perspective, but he
operates pretty separately from the other Combaticons for the majority of IDW's first run too. When you first see him he is hiding from Ultra Magnus among aliens he was selling weapons to. When the Combaticons start working for North Korea, he brokers the deal and takes off leaving the other 4 there. And once they're all back on a restored Cybertron, he is buds with Dirge and and hanging out with Blurr at Maccadam's, not with the other Combaticons. It isn't until Starscream makes an attempt on his life because of knowing many of his dirty secrets that he is put into a coma and the other Combaticons really start looking for him, eventually forming an unstable Bruticus due to Swindle's brain damage.
"It is from 16 years ago"
I swear, being 17, I grew up in the weirdest phase of transformers. My first two toys were classics Sunstreaker and leader first movie Optimus Prime. I know it's not G2 but I grew up threw the Unicron trilogy, Animated, Prime, RID, all the movies and I really started collecting Siege. The brand changed so much in my lifetime and it's not stopping.
Personally I'm all for Thew just reviewing whatever he wants. It gives us a chance to watch a video about the most random of bots rather than the same ones that everyone else is reviewing.
That pic of G1 Swindle wearing Bruticus's noggin is adorable!
Honestly I’d love for you to make more videos like this. As someone who doesn’t collect but still likes to hear about opinions of toys and review, I live for what connection(s) they have with the reviewer. The more story time with Thew the better.
*Wakes up with a headache from hell, but sees a new Thew Review is up* YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Already, you've made my day, man.
Maybe a controversial opinion, I don't know: Swindle is the best character from any G1 combiner team by a long shot. He's actually an interesting character with that whole shady black market thing he has going on, and it makes him way more memorable than any of his peers. The rest of them, I have no idea who they are. Like, off the top of your head, what is Fireflight's personality? What is Dragstrip all about? Who is Sinnertwin beyond a cool name? They're just robots who turn into limbs for other bigger robots. That's their whole thing. Swindle though, he's a fun character in his own right. The fact that he just happens to also becomes a leg for Bruticus when he feels like it is just a fun bonus.
Um... need I point out the fact that dead end didn't care at all, and wildrider literally knocked the matrix out of not optimus?
@@cavalierliberty6838 That sort of the problem Nick was pointing out, individual members of combiner teams are never interesting/fascinating or popular as their own characters even if they are, their reputation as body parts will always precede them.
Of course, we have notable exceptions, like Swindle & Breakdown (who both got rebooted as fresh characters independent of being a combiner team), or G1 First Aid IIRC basically had his own episode and maybe some others I don't remember. Point is Swindle's personality stood out better than his peers, which is why he's reasonably popular.
Alternators are what got me back into Transformers. I am a child of G1 - the toys, the cartoon, the movie - I had the touch, the power. Then I lost it as I grew up. Then one day, 20 or so years later as a gainfully employed and sensible(?) adult, walking through ToysRUs, I spotted Alternators Hound. It was downhill from there - I bought a ton of Alternators and Binaltech, some Cybertron, a couple of early MPs, then fell out again for about 10 years until Siege, Earthrise, and more MPs. RIP my wallet. But I still have a soft spot for Alternators. While I can see the flaws in them, in a way I couldn't 15 years ago or whenever, their car modes are still absolutely stunning.
Great "classic" review! I miss alternators, but that might just be nostalgia talking. Also, loved that amazing do-de-do sequence, I live for those!
Oh boy, Thew mentioned Dead End, time to pull out that one image of the Alternators toy yet again!
AYYYYYYYY
I ADORE Alternators. My best friend and I spent a lot of time hunting these down. Even got my wife (then girlfriend) into em.
Better still, I freaking love Swindle! Wasn't expecting such a pleasant surprise reexamination of this Jeepcreep. Said a lot of stuff I didn't initially want to admit, but you made some solid points.
Thew, I know this’ll probably get lost in the comments but since you’ve said a few times that this is more a passion project and you were worried nobody would care, I just wanna say this is great. I think your videos with a personal touch are your best ones- off the top of my head, Slapdash, for example. I think I speak for most people when I say we’re here for your review and not the actual figure. There’s probably a million Swindle reviews but how many of them would you bet are a boring by-the-numbers “serious” review by someone with a monotone voice? Plus, I’m on the younger side of the “serious” fan spectrum, so it’s a real treat to see all the toys from slightly earlier in your collection with the polish and passion of your modern stuff because I never had those or even knew they existed. Transformers used to mean “the ones I could get in Asda if I was lucky”. Long story short, don’t worry about doing videos you want to do because personal preference is what MAKES this hobby. Keep up the good work!
I always appreciate people talking about why they love something. When you have a passion its just a delight to see them discuss that passion. Dont stop talking about why a certsin toy means something to you
Phenomenal work as always Thew,
Glad to see Alternators getting some love in the 2020s!
YES! Alternators!!
Thank you, Thew!
These guys got me back into Transformers after I lost interest in them back around 1990. I chanced upon an Alternators Windcharger one day and was blown away by how far Transformers had come since the big plastic brick bots of my childhood. I bought him and actively went looking for more of these - and my second one was Swindle!
A decade and a half and about 300 plastic robo-men later, I still enjoy my Alternators.
Swindle owns that mode in Alerternators. Sorry Hound, you're just not that sexy, you can go sit outback with Outback.
I have to disagree with you jonny
At least Overhaul has someone to hang out with now.
Naw Hound is my desk Transformer and he's beautiful.
F that, rollbar had that mold on lock.
Best alternator design by far, though. We shan't speak of smokescreen... car to robot and never back again...
When it comes down to it. Alternators is why I got back into transformers. I some some G1 stuff but never thought I needed a couple shelfloads of it haha.
more than the figures it's hearing you talk about Transformers and your experience with it which it entertaining
Around the time of the Alternators, I bought a Subaru Impreza. So I had to get the Silverstreak one, and I went for the Binaltech one. The Alernator design was so good I could leave Silverstreak in car mode and people just thought it was a model of my car.
As for having a combiner robot buddy, mine was Blast-Off from the Combaticons. I had Blast-Off for what felt like kid years (probably 4-6 months) before getting another one: Vortex. Between then and my birthday (where I received Onslaught), I had picked up Swindle. And I had fond memories of them all since other than Astrotrain, Beachcomber and Kickback, I didn't really have transformers.
But I totally get the idea once you get all the combiners, each individual bot kinda gets lost in the gestalt. I am sure I eventually got Brawl, but I have no memories of it. My Combaticons probably became Bruticus with Blast-Off getting some solo time as one of my favorites (I liked space shuttles as a kid).
That 'up yours!!' to transforming other Alternators really got me giggling like mad.. LOLS
Hay man, recently found you channel and bingeing the fuck outta it.
Love that Swindle toy, he has been front and centre in my collection backing up MP Megs against Alternator Autobots for years.
Love that guy x
As a small collector myself, I absolutely loved this video. I tend to get attached to the small amount of bots I'm able to get (see generations blitzwing) and even the ones that aren't the best, (see generations blitzwing) they hold a special place in my heart. Awesome video Thew :D
I loved Alternators and I was actually thinking about digging mine out as I work from home. I could find them in the stores for $20 and I could sometimes spend an hour transforming one for the first time. Possibly my happiest era of collecting. Thank you for this.
the purple part is for combining words into puns.
alternators refuse to come clean of dust.
Part of the reason I ended up watching your reviews was just seeing you talk about random TF toys. It's actually the most fun and maybe doing this 15 years after the fact made it better since you could give a very different perspective (and ya know, edit a hell of a lot better).
yeeeeaaah boi! one fifth of my fave of my fave decpti-team...as an Alternator, rofl you slay me Thew! i dont have money for Master pieces so i never really got to see how they look together. do people display Alternators and MP's together?
Wont work cause of scale issues, the Alternators are too big. But just about right if you compare to MP-01 versions
Man. The way you describe Swindle just brings me right back to what I consider my childhood Autobot team. This video speaks to my inner child and the adventures the toys from my childhood would go on.
Last year at a comic con I grabbed myself an Alternator Meister because I need all things Jazz. But yeah, that transformation was just...something special lol
Watched the video earlier today (kudos! it was great), and I now feel the need to dig out my MISB Alternators Swindle and open him :) Alternators are the reason I got back into the hobby way back in 2003 or so, when I bought Hound at a supermarket in Greece while I was on vacation. For a while, I maintained that I would only buy "adult collector figures" such as Alternators and MPs. 1000+ figures later... obviously, that didn't work out.
The wya you sang “dumping on the movies” was the same tune as the MAgic School Bus theme.
I love that someone actually cares about my favorite transformers line. I adore Alternators Swindle and the entire Alternators Line because they tried so damn hard with the vehicles and they were just so cool man, the jeep has suspension for God's sake
Which one is your favorite? Do you have any Binaltech?
Animated Swindle is still kinda my favorite.
Full of character, stumpy, CAR WITH A BFG. What's not to like?
Seriously one of the best videos you've done in a while Thew. You really connect with the character and it shows. There's a love there that just hasn't been present in your videos of late. It looks like you've found your spark again.
I adored alternators; I was just getting into collecting at that point (having graduated from the "you're too old for toys" to buying them with my own money) and they seemed so amazing. I've still got an almost complete collection (a mix of Alternators, Binaltech Japanese releases, Asterisk and Kiss Players), but they sadly spend most of their time in storage. Just take up too much real estate.
Swindle is one of the three I keep displayed at all times as well.
As soon as I saw this was coming, I was waiting gleefully for that suspension-enhanced doot-dee-doo.
Wasteland millionaire sounds like the band swindle agents for.
This vid is one of your best! So many little tidbits of transforners trivia and retrospective insights! Love it!
i love that, after a decade and a half, the fact that alternator swindle's gun is smaller than g1 swindle's gun is STILL the thing that you can't not talk about with this figure. that and you still sneak puns into the video description- took me years to get the reference in the rail racer vid description
It was Altenators that got me back into collecting. Love the video.
You’ll always be Barutazaru to me, Thew
Soo good to see some love for Alternators.
Lol I remember that Citroen car commercial! Watched it so many times as a kid around the time the first Bay movie came out.
I do enjoy tangent reviews like this where we visit more obscure corners of Transformer figures. There's usually more to laugh at visiting the past than keeping updated on the present. XD
Wasteland millionaire is exactly what Swindle wants to be. Remember that time he sold all of his friends for human cash money just so he could have it? Like, what's he going to do with a stack of dollar bills besides put it in a shelf in a neat pile and admire it?
I for one, appreciate this video! I picked up Alternators Hound a month or two ago, and when I looked up the rest of the Alternator line I thought Swindle straight up looks like an even cooler use of the mold.
This was my first transformer. This made me immensely happy.
I always like the little “stories” at the end of Thew’s videos
this is the most thew video you've done in months, loved it.
I kinda miss Alternators. There's this whole swath of about ten years where I would look at transformers and thought they were cool but was on such a tight budget that I couldn't HAVE any.
This probably explains why this stuff has devoured my life, especially the era where I couldn't afford that stuff. Finally getting the stuff that I HAD to deny myself is somehow psychologically nourishing.
Ages ago, I asked you about an Alternators review. You seemed reluctant, and I understood. Thanks, Thew. You made my day with this.
This sort of video where you just have to talk about it - are my fav videos of yours. Another example that comes to mind is longrack. Best transformers review videos I know of are these sorts of "i gotta get this out of my head" videos. Great work.
This video feels substantially different then your usual vids. It’s a lot more personal and I really like it. I didn’t ask for this, and I was never disappointed either
So happy to see another video from you. Definitely helps while going through this pandemic. I am sad to hear you sold your animated Swindle. That was a kick ass figure.
This may be your best review yet, Thew. It's clear you want to say something about Swindle and the Alternators line. I say do what makes you excited. I watch to see what you have to say about Transformers. The more invested you are, the better the review. Also, I meant to say this weeks ago. Oops.
Man, this takes me back. I loved Alternators back in the day and I kind of missed the days of "model cars that turned into Transformers," even if the second half of the line was all basically rubbish. Thanks for showing me how their DNA still continues on in today's modern lines, it helps me appreciate that the real Alternators were the toys we collected along the way.
All I have of my original Alternators collection these days is Jazz. The rest got stolen during a move. I miss Grimlock and Hound most of all.
Great video Thew. Keep on wandering down memory lane!
Oddly wholesome! Thanks for the insight Thew!
Always fun, thanks!
Binaltech Hound was the first Transformer I bought with my own money in 2006 (from Forbidden Planet) and I was blown away with the details and the solid feel of the diecast construction.
I nievely assumed the movie 2007 toys were going to be the same.
Hound is my own masterpiece version of the character and will always be a massive part of what got me into collecting Transformers. Thank you Thew.
More Alternators! MOAR!! I loved that particular lineup.
Also, I can't be the only that thinks this, but Animated Swindle is my spirit animal. I love how he's a perfect incarnation of a robot used car salesman, inclusive of bola tie.
I bought your Animated Swindle (and Soundwave). They are well cared for.
Totally get what you mean about Alternators. I was getting back into collecting at the same time, and Alternators Shockwave was my first toe dip back into Transformers since the very early 90s. Then Classics came out and I never left again.
Not counting all the CHUG Starscream repaints, this is Thew's first ever review do-over...
No way... I bought an Alternator Windcharger from Thew recently and here he is! In a video!!!
"Back then it kicked my ass, now I bump its fist"
This is the most badass line I've heard.
Thew I loved this one. Please do more videos like this going back to robots you wanted to do back in the day this was really satisfying for me to watch. Love what you do! Keep it up Thew!
the Swindle altenator/binaltech has been one of my favorite Transformers since I bought him on release day. Its one of the best figs ever. Always loved swindle he is the only binaltech that stays out in my collection and on my desk
I'm begging you, please review more older toys like this. The mid-00s were a fun wasteland of the Energon trilogy and the Alternators line, not to mention the crossover lines. Some of these toys deserve to get full reviews.
Also hell yeah fellow Swindle fan.
Every time you upload I just end up binging your older videos for hours, at this point I'm not even here for the toys I'm just here for a great time
I used to have the alternators skids that i bought from an antique store that was missing the interior and gun. I gave it to my best friend who now has alternators grimlock
Best birthday present ever! Thanks Thew!
too dope, that train gestalt
then theirs “not really Swindle”
It’s always good to see Alternators get some mind paid to them. When I was a kid, somebody got me Alternator Sideswipe for Christmas one year. And he was so big and fancy and shiny that I was blown away! And then I tried to transform him... YIKES. On the bright side, my hatred for that toy kept him in a box for years and years; so now that I’m all grown up (arguably) and have the skills and patience to deal with him, I have a complete one to start figuring out if I like it. Meanwhile my brother’s poor Alternator Shockwave lost his two most important pieces and he now lingers on this Earth as a characterless purple corpse
0:43
*The bottom of the brian*
*("Brainus")*
Dude I loved the alternator line. Especially hound and swindle as I grew up with Jeeps so having one that transforms is awesome
I have this figure - he’s my only alternator and really stands out (with thanks from that yellow paint job) on the shelf.
I really liked this video! G1 has been covered to death by this point and I think just naturally with the passage of time people don't talk as much about anything before Combiner Wars or even T30 anymore. I don't feel comfortable calling lines from 2001-~2010 "retro" just yet but hearing about figures from that time period definitely feels refreshing.
Had this lad and Alternators Grimlock back when all my others were from Armada. Needless to say, they were a big step up.
Alternators Smokescreen is that figure that I still love.
And yes - we do give a sh!t, 'cause you do!
Alternators were one of my favorite lines that I never could afford when they came out. The only big one was optimus as a Dodge Ram maybe should have been a bigger truck maybe superduty or 4500 series
I just got that MMC Swindle and have been fawning over it. Then along comes this nostalgia supplement.
I still have all my Alternators and appreciate the line. I thoroughly enjoyed this review.
Probably my fave alternator, as far as the molds go - one of the more presentable (and one that actually stands without too much effort)... I'm just longing to get one painted up as the Jurassic Park jeeps! :D
My one foray into Alternators is the Fairlady Z Alternity Megatron I got at a con in college (a video of which is on my channel, for the curious). It came pre-broken in the box (one of the side mirrors broke off, which made one of the shoulder armor pieces not stay deployed), but, man, that boy is a beaut...until you get to the ankles, which are the only balljoints on a figure with a diecast core. I get why they made it that way, but it really makes him a pain to stand. It's been 12-13 years since I got it, but I still want to fix it someday. Space issues have left him in package in storage this whole time, so he should be pretty fresh when I finally get around to it, hopefully.
Have the Rollbar version of this mold and absolutely love it. Makes me wish I had managed to pick up more alternators when I got back into collecting, only have him and Skids.
"A Swiiiiindle?.." loved that haha.
Serious Matt Berry vibes at 3:50. Thew, this is Clem Fandango, can you hear me?
Alternator/binaltechs were so damn awesome. Great aesthetic