Your reviews just like FT releases get better and better Only guy out there who can articulate the pros and cons. As usual entertaining as hell. God bless your family btw. Awesome!
OK, I have to say this: Been following this figure for some time and have noticed that many buyers of him are just gonna display him in bot mode, due in part to the complex transformation and, to be perfectly blunt, less than stellar alt modes. Which brings up the question why even buy a transforming version of him at all then? That figure looks frustrating, not fun to mess around with, which I do with random bots when I am surfing, transforming back and forth to keep my skills up. I think Fanstoys is going too far to the Badcube side of things as of late. So I too will wait to see how OcMax does on the character, and until then I will keep my Open & Play Big Spring, because for all his faults he is still fun to transform and play around with. I have definitely gotten my bang for the buck with him. Plus bonus points for being the only Springer to have a solution to the cockpit sizing issue. Is his vehicle mode a bit more compact than most? Yes, but at least he doesn't look like a Cybertronian version of a merman in that mode. In the end what we choose doesn't really matter. If we like it, we like it. There are a lot of times Fanstoys hits my sweet spot perfectly. This time I feel it is a swing and a miss. Not gonna fault someone for liking it though. It's why I love all the third parties, we get choice. (BTW, I WON'T buy the Open & Play Galvatron. That thing looks like a hot mess...) Hey, on a side note, any chance you doing Boldforms Gladius? Talk about a heartbreak of a figure...
I think it's primarily because the market for non-transforming Transformers figures is currently fairly small but I often ask this same question - it certainly seems that a lot of (highly anal) G1 collectors would be so much happier with posable figurines instead of transforming figures. And I do agree with you on Apache too - it doesn't look fun in the least, and though it definitely looks good in robot mode, it seems underwhelming as a transforming figure overall.
So for me the allure of transformers has always been the transforming robot. I know for sure I'd be completely out of the hobby if it was action figures that I could pose. It's just not what I want. I also tend to enjoy the more complex transformation (as long as there is an intuitiveness about it) as it tends to create an overall better figure. With respect to the alt modes on this guy. I think the tiny little cockpit looks a little silly, but I think once again it's the adult expectations of what a cockpit should look like (for vehicle and helicopter) that make the alt mode not so good looking. If you look toward the cartoon at springer.. his helicopter and car mode had that ridiculously small look in alt mode. In that regard I think FT nailed it even if people think it looks silly. People just impose the real word vehicle limitations on Springer inadvertently without really remembering what Springer really looked like. All that said you nail it when you say if we like it we like it. It's a good time to be a collector for this media as there's plenty of competition out there for us to pick which we like best (and hopefully allow the companies to improve based on competition).
Bots & Bits! I planned on FT or XT but ended up getting UT Allen for half price and have been really happy with it. I like the look and the transformation is relatively easy and fun.
Great review Skull Brother!!! I think this is hands down the best Springer so far but damn that transformation. I'll wait and see the final two before I pull the trigger but I may end up buying this version anyway. You see I have Arcee from FT on preorder and I love figure photography and I think the inter webs would love to see these two consenting bots in some romantic situations. There relationship was certainly hinted at in the cartoon and I think some very sensuous photos are just what the mature people of the inter webs need to generate some more interest in this amazing product LOL...
It’s ironic how you pointed out that third party might be slowing down. Then Fanstoys announces 4 awesome figures this week including Sixshot, Skulkcruncher, Mindwipe, and then the recent news I posted over at TFW2005 that Cyclonus is coming out finally!! Third party is still exciting as ever! Fanstoys is also my favorite third party company. Thanks for contributing to the community!!
I was just watching Season3 of Transformers, and I have a new appreciation for Apache. His car mode may look weird, but that's not Fanstoys' fault. They NAILED the look of the animated vehicle mode.
@@MythsAndHeroes then again, AKOM are the freaking worst when it comes to animation, and the movie has some gorgeous shots as well. Springer's modes all look different across studios. Nobody wins!
I love the face sculpt and most of the bot look, I hate the car and chopper though. I have Open & Play myself, the cheap bastard that I am, it will do me...just need to copy the FT face sculpt... :P
My side pieces in helicopter mode were tight af too. They will rotate though even though the instructions don't tell you that. You just gotta force it. I also figured out the feet in car mode. There's a peg and hole that they do peg into, but ultimately it doesn't help the car mode any.
Just got this guy recently, no regrets. I'm really loving him so far. His transformation is actually pretty easy. Bot mode and 'copter mode are fantastic. Vehicle mode is meh. Not sure what part of his transformation people are finding difficult, it seemed pretty easy to me. Thanks for the help transforming him!
That's my bot mod right there! Sorry Allen, you're going to chopper mode. Your skit just convinces me more and more that a half hour sitcom of House of Skullface™ would be the bomb!
fwiw, you can open the flap on the back of the shoulder and slide the arm on the rail to the front to get more out of that butterfly joint. makes his poses a little more dynamic with the appearance of his arm coming out to the side more naturally.
Woah, those new fangled flash effects almost gave me a epileptic seizure! Good review as always. Now I know I want to pay more for this guy than the others.
His name should've been Slider lol. Looks good, but I'm tempted on waiting only because MMC Saltus is looking pretty good. Probably gonna end up with both lol
Lately...i feel all these figures coming out could be a perfect 10 or near a 8 but there always a lot of lil things that make a person irritated cause you would think it would had been a easy fix but they still ship the product out as it is anyway
I wanted to check at 7:40 in when you have him next to MP-9 is it at his taller or shorter setting? You know because it was supposed to have both a "Hot Rod" and a Rodimus Prime in one. I prefer not to assume. Thank you.
I'd like to echo the issue with the weapon tabs for the hands. The implementation totally prevents the weapons to be secured in any way but one since the tab molding is so specific. It's less of an issue with the gun, but for the sword, you can't secure the sword in the hand with the sword pointing down into the ground (for any "knight" pose). The stiff fingers allow you to fake it, but this could have been done better, no doubt.
Well great review as ever but, and i don't think this often, i will wait for x-transbots version before pulling the trigger for which take on Springer i get.
Bobby Skullface L Your Bobby Skullface i'm sure you will. Look forward to your opinion on who wins the "Springer" wars! Do we know when x-transbots take is released?
Well...two out of three modes ain't half bad. (Robot and chopper modes) Fans Toys is seriously nailing the season 3/movie cast here. Now where's their versions of Blurr and Wheelie?
G1 Smokescreen Its a personal choice thats different for everyone. Watch the reviews and go with the one you think looks the best. Unless the best looking is a bitch to transform and you plan on flipping it back and forth a lot. Then you may choose one that don't look the best but is easy to transform. The Skull Man laid out all the info now you gotta take that and make a decision for yourself. As long as you like it thats all that matters. Also don't forget there are two more Springers to go...
Man, Koot and now this. Is Keith designing for Fanstoys now. I’m ok with a slightly complex transformation but sliding joints and armatures and i tap out. Faux chest and all, I’m still liking Allen. I like my Springer pudgy.
Mine is out for delivery! Can't wait! When all is said and done, I think XTB's will be the best (sculpt wise), but will have terrifying engineering. FT seems like the best choice overall as of now.
Well… I’ll wait until mine comes in. I managed to get 1 for pretty cheap… & I’ll see what I think of it. I didn’t have a G1 Springer until I was in college… & even then he was something that I had to put together because I couldn’t find a complete 1 at the time. He was probably my favorite 3rd series Autobot… & I just wanted 1 that was new & complete. Me personally… looking at something is different than playing with it… so we’ll see if my opinion changes… but I just want to make sure that he’s a good quality toy. There have been several MP scaled Springers that have been made… but I opted to get FT’s version simply because of the fact that I’ve had very good luck with everything else that I’ve bought from them. Even if there was ‘something wrong’ with it, it was superficial at best/worse. I would say that the triple changers (any of them) have suffered in some shape or form (no pun intended) when it’s come to 1 or any of the modes that they transformed into with limitations with what you can do with the figure. I might be saying that because of sympathy for anyone that has worked on these because of the design work that I’ve done in the past… but sometimes you’re limited to what you can do with the figure when you’re doing the mass shifting. This is more true with certain characters than others… but in the old cartoon series… they took a lot of liberties with a # of characters when they transformed. Sometimes they didn’t even look like the toy that they were modeled after. And sometimes depending on who was doing the animation… sometimes they had completely different portions. So it depends on which animation cell that you’re referencing. Know what I mean? What I am more interested in is if it’s put together well. That’s my main gripe. I might take it down off my shelf & play with it once every blue moon, but I want to make sure that it’s something that will stand the test of time. I’m still trying to figure out what I am going to do with him, but I have a broken KFC Stratotanker still sitting out in the front room. I have all the parts to fix him… but I haven’t done it because I don’t think that I have the skill to put him back together. I’m still kind of thinking that I might try to find a ‘mechanic’ to put him back together. My point in referencing him is at his core I didn’t think that Strantotanker was that bad of a figure… but I wasn’t impressed at the fact (1) no 1 offered me an direct exchange for an unbroken figure, (2) I didn’t like the fact that he was mostly made out of plastic. I wasn’t planning on transforming him much… but the thing that I didn’t like where there were certain parts that were made out of plastic that should have been made out of some cheap metal. And my gripe with that is that it wouldn’t haves cost that much to make that switch in production. I just thought that they were being cheap. Depending on the metal... sometimes metal can be just as expensive as plastic. And (3) this is something that I’ve seen both in official products as well as 3rd party… but there have been a # of figures where I felt that they skipped a step or 2 in regards to engineering & transformation. Almost like they were getting bored with the project & gave up. So some figures feel unfinished to me. As long as this guy doesn’t break on me in the next 10-15 years… I’m cool. Feel me? Thanks for the review SF!
Big Spring looks better in vehicle. Somebody should really get a replacement face for that thing so I can put it on my shelf since I don't think I'll get the FT version anytime soon.
Yeah, the car mode has me waiting for the Xtransbots version. XTB, Fans Toys, and Open & Play all have good things going for them, but I think Virtus looks the best in all three modes.
Im collecting these Fanstoys. I think this guy is a little big like seaspray a little small. Its the only issue im having with Ft lately. I like this and i cant wait for it to be on my shelf.
Ordered. I am actually looking forward to an MP season 3 maincast shelf since I bought MP Magnus around release. Only missing Arcee now on autobot side. I always felt that the season 3 bots were more.. euh.. seasoned. The harder bigger more military autobots compared to the sometimes puny ones from before. I saw the show as a kid from season 1 but contrary to many I really love season 3's eps often better.
Looks good, but the price is top much. Openplay is awesome for the price, and if you can do a little customisation on him, then hes even better. Another topic though, do you still have your KFC simba? The rear left lion foot is loose on mine and I was wondering if you knew any ways to tighten it up
Bobby Skullface L the chest tab is thr biggest problem for me, but I'm sure once another company (maybe takara) makes one, it will blow him out of the water lol. Thanks, no problem
Those lower legs seem to have a bit of a Badcube Hoist thing going. The figure still looks tempting, though. I wonder if the car mode would seem less long with the parts that form the arms in robot mode kept in their helicopter mode configuration.
Hey Bobby, I know you have Apache & I know you lean more towards FT. For me I tend to lean more towards Ocular Max. But, they're are two of the best. I just got my Ocular Saltus today, & I just got him transformed. He's so incredibly clean in both alt modes, but especially Bot mode. But, where he really shines is in his articulation. He has the full Monty, Van Damm, Butterfly joints & his knees are better than most Marvel Legends. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this guy. Imo, this is some of the best articulation we've seen outside of Flame Toys.
The only issue is the delay this release had... I know most didn't hold out like I did and I'm worried he may get overlooked, which is a shame because he really is amazing. The amount of accessories & the quality of the figure are incredibly impressive. He comes with the Bomb, a Staff, 2 Spear Heads, 3 different Heads, his Sword and Gun. All for $129.99.
i feel compelled to get it. i also feel like it would have a stronger presence if it had the same style of legs that Unique toys allen has. Allens legs look more or evocative, especially the big feet.
I’m a big season 3 person, I was born in 88 and by then most Saturday morning VHS’s, do you remember VHS’s lol, had season 3 and 4 episodes on them. Great review as always uncle skullface :)
He is too green, some of the colour choices are strange. I am off of FT after the nightmare that was their Galvatron. Good to see a review of him, thanks. I think I'm good with Open Play Springer, who had many issues, but they are at least fixable.
Car mode got back. I think this review really shows how good of a reviewer you are - I gather you really like Fanstoys for your collection. In general, I don't. That I can see what I don't like in them through your reviews speaks to your impartiality/integrity. Regarding Fanstoys. I oughta be fair to them. In the past (Quakewave/Dinos/etc) I would have said that they are doing the very obvious, easy targets at high quality and high price. I applaud that they took on Kup, Springer and Arcee. I think the awkward, complicated transformations have 'found them out' a bit, though. Regarding this release. They seem to have the best compromise between the three modes of any 3P Springer. They seem to have by far the best car mode. Like most 3P Springers, I think they've gone way too big in 'bot mode. And too boxy. Among the Springers, I dunno how to call it - Allen's too big, this one isn't right, Toyworld's is very different, MMC's looks like it makes some big sacrifices in car mode, X-trans' looks best to me but will never see release in the face of such competition. All told, the one I'm closest to buying is Open&Play's. And I haven't. Not yet, anyway... I'm glad you voiced some enthusiasm for s3 MPs - I'd really like a strong TF:TM presence among my MPs. Fanstoys' Hot Rod (Hoodlum?) looks like it might be up my street - are you planning on reviewing it?
Cool - do I read anything into the use of the word 'if'? I recall they announced it before TT's v2 Hot Rod MP - are they maybe backing down on this one because of the official release?
I may be one of those people you mentioned. SO far I am only going for season one of the cartoon ( as stipulated by the DVD seasons). I may be persuaded to get Kup, Arcee, Hot rod and Springer ( and balster possibly if I can get him for a good price) if four release that are really nice. so far it may mean I get a fans toys set ( So I can recreate the , got better things to do, than die, scene).
Looks good, really do not like those alt modes. Robot mode looks good. If I decide to do a season 3 shelf.... doubtful but, if it happens this guy could be a winner. Great review as always Bobby.
Hmm, I'm not diggin' the whole 'tire on the arm thing. And, the transformation seems too "Xtransbots". Ironically, I'm leaning more towards the Xtransbots figure. Really looking forward towards your review of Xtransbots Virtus, Bobby! (Rolling the dice😉)
Tap the part on your teeth ,that's how you can tell the difference on die cast ,may seem crude but it's effective 😉honest question which springer has the best sword?
I really like my unique toys allen that i got on the bbts clearance. i think the bot mode is really good on this which i know works best for your sensibilities.that said i think the alt modes look better on Allen. For me i think the fun and usability of Allen and the alt modes are gonna win out on this one. Love your reviews though.
So.. I'm never super excited about season 3 because I have fonder memories (and more representation) of the older bots. I had ultra magnus and rodimus prime and hotrod and that was about it from season 3 for me (a few combiner bits I guess). So Season 1 and 2 hold more nostalgia for me. That said I think the season 3 bots in modern days make for a more impressive display than the Season 1 and 2 because of how season 3 didn't really compromise the toys much for the character on the tv show since hte alt modes were... "shapes" and just called futuristic. So your Season 1 and 2 masterpieces have to conform to a specific alt mode which isn't always captured in the robot modes, where as season 3's alt mode shapes that don't really need to form a recognizable vehicle and end up translating better in both modes. Also I think that seasons 1 and 2 had a lot of "bot of the week" type feel whereas season 3 more often followed the same group of 5-6 bots which makes the group of them standing together on a shelf feel more "right."
I don’t know Bobby I think I will have to Wait for MMC or xTransbots to do theirs because for this I don’t like the altmodes, the bot mode is fine but it’s real blocky like seasons one and two not seasons three were the bots had more smooth and round proportions
Excellent review fellow collector. Out of the box Springer looks stout and the likeness is there. The shoulder design is WHACK! That being said displaying in bot mode works like a champ. I think MMC / Ocular Max version of Springer will have more of an action figure vibe similar to BigSpring ......perhaps Ocular Max will put out a better product for the first time compared to Fans Toys...........time will tell. Good Monday to all.
Bleah. Good video, but watching the transformation killed any desire I had for this. It males Allen's look pleasant. I only wish I could take that head and stick it on my Big Spring.
Yeesh, the leg transformation back to bot mode sucks massively. Car mode is ok, good copter and great bot, 3 great modes would have been nice but what can you do. My copter runners were super tight too, had to take that apart to loosen a screw inside. I'm happy with him, if mildly disappointed in some small ways.
Oh I have a totally dedicated season 3/movie shelf which is seeming to shape up quite nice with the addition of this figure and of course the soon to come Rouge. Awesome review, excellent figure and I love the look of it! Great effort by Fans Toys, not without flaw, but pretty damn nice as far as I'm concerned. Funny skit and yeah, I have kids and I understand the frustrations.
Alt modes don't look great. Bot mode for display is outstandingly accurate. The yellow on the chest looks like it needed 2-3 more coats of yellow...the yellow almost looks like the hands in color. Helicopter looks a lot better than that Car. Generations Springer FTW! Probably the best IDW springer to date in all modes. Probably the best Voyager Hasbro/Takara have ever put out to date.
i agree its the best thing hasbro has ever made in modern times. i think that chest yellow should be a different shade but agree it needed another coat, especially on the head
Good review Bobby,now the face sculpt is on point,everything else is not that good coming from Fanstoys,going to keep it 100 U.T Allen is better looking then this,it have the big feet but all the modes to me look better. IJS
oooooooooo i greatly disagree sir. this thing has unique toys beat in the robot mode aesthetically in every way. transformation and alt modes? now thats a different convo lol
I kind of wish I could angle the shoulder things on an angle, to be honest. And it's a fine figure, with a much better transformation than Koot, but those legs, man, those legs. Even with the instructions the transformation was making no sense to me.
Since when is a cut-joint thigh swivel "fine"? I recall you calling out figures for that before because it breaks the sculpt, which is true. Fans Toys needs to stop this recent trend of cut-joint thigh swivels before they do something really bad, like the one shown on the Hydra test shot.
Bobby loves paint on his figures so much he thought he'd try some on himself...
lol
Needs more paint on the hand to give then a real finished look.
I love paint on my figure there is nothing wrong with that.
Your reviews just like FT releases get better and better
Only guy out there who can articulate the pros and cons. As usual entertaining as hell. God bless your family btw.
Awesome!
same to you and yours
Way to spring another great review on us! Awesome as always. Well sprung sir skullface, well sprung.
god I love puns
Nailed it with the family stuff. “Hey honey, can I go? I don’t have to. I’m happy staying here.” And good review too.
lol
OK, I have to say this:
Been following this figure for some time and have noticed that many buyers of him are just gonna display him in bot mode, due in part to the complex transformation and, to be perfectly blunt, less than stellar alt modes. Which brings up the question why even buy a transforming version of him at all then? That figure looks frustrating, not fun to mess around with, which I do with random bots when I am surfing, transforming back and forth to keep my skills up. I think Fanstoys is going too far to the Badcube side of things as of late.
So I too will wait to see how OcMax does on the character, and until then I will keep my Open & Play Big Spring, because for all his faults he is still fun to transform and play around with. I have definitely gotten my bang for the buck with him. Plus bonus points for being the only Springer to have a solution to the cockpit sizing issue. Is his vehicle mode a bit more compact than most? Yes, but at least he doesn't look like a Cybertronian version of a merman in that mode.
In the end what we choose doesn't really matter. If we like it, we like it. There are a lot of times Fanstoys hits my sweet spot perfectly. This time I feel it is a swing and a miss. Not gonna fault someone for liking it though. It's why I love all the third parties, we get choice.
(BTW, I WON'T buy the Open & Play Galvatron. That thing looks like a hot mess...)
Hey, on a side note, any chance you doing Boldforms Gladius? Talk about a heartbreak of a figure...
i wont be looking at gladius
I think it's primarily because the market for non-transforming Transformers figures is currently fairly small but I often ask this same question - it certainly seems that a lot of (highly anal) G1 collectors would be so much happier with posable figurines instead of transforming figures.
And I do agree with you on Apache too - it doesn't look fun in the least, and though it definitely looks good in robot mode, it seems underwhelming as a transforming figure overall.
So for me the allure of transformers has always been the transforming robot. I know for sure I'd be completely out of the hobby if it was action figures that I could pose. It's just not what I want. I also tend to enjoy the more complex transformation (as long as there is an intuitiveness about it) as it tends to create an overall better figure.
With respect to the alt modes on this guy. I think the tiny little cockpit looks a little silly, but I think once again it's the adult expectations of what a cockpit should look like (for vehicle and helicopter) that make the alt mode not so good looking. If you look toward the cartoon at springer.. his helicopter and car mode had that ridiculously small look in alt mode. In that regard I think FT nailed it even if people think it looks silly. People just impose the real word vehicle limitations on Springer inadvertently without really remembering what Springer really looked like.
All that said you nail it when you say if we like it we like it. It's a good time to be a collector for this media as there's plenty of competition out there for us to pick which we like best (and hopefully allow the companies to improve based on competition).
Pretty sure your reply here lit the fire that burnt display of transforming figures to teh ground.
Ah man I let myself get caught in the hype. This doesn't look like the home run I thought it was.
not perfect, but best so far. anxious to see the last two
Bots & Bits! I planned on FT or XT but ended up getting UT Allen for half price and have been really happy with it. I like the look and the transformation is relatively easy and fun.
Transfixed Yeh Im having a think about Allen atm. Him and Sworder are being cleared out in China for like $60AUD + ship atm...
Xin Wang I used to run a toy store and import from china :)
Great review Skull Brother!!! I think this is hands down the best Springer so far but damn that transformation. I'll wait and see the final two before I pull the trigger but I may end up buying this version anyway. You see I have Arcee from FT on preorder and I love figure photography and I think the inter webs would love to see these two consenting bots in some romantic situations. There relationship was certainly hinted at in the cartoon and I think some very sensuous photos are just what the mature people of the inter webs need to generate some more interest in this amazing product LOL...
100%
It’s ironic how you pointed out that third party might be slowing down. Then Fanstoys announces 4 awesome figures this week including Sixshot, Skulkcruncher, Mindwipe, and then the recent news I posted over at TFW2005 that Cyclonus is coming out finally!! Third party is still exciting as ever! Fanstoys is also my favorite third party company.
Thanks for contributing to the community!!
I also said fanstoys is the only one still revealing projects regularly, so the statement still works :)
Yup. Looking forward to them. I just hope the ones after Rouge will have a better transformation. I don’t like the X-Transbots syndrome.
Awesome review and great looking Springer! You got him pretty fast, great timing!
i live close to 215 :)
I was just watching Season3 of Transformers, and I have a new appreciation for Apache.
His car mode may look weird, but that's not Fanstoys' fault.
They NAILED the look of the animated vehicle mode.
seems a little long to the animation model for me personally
@@MythsAndHeroes then again, AKOM are the freaking worst when it comes to animation, and the movie has some gorgeous shots as well. Springer's modes all look different across studios.
Nobody wins!
I love the face sculpt and most of the bot look, I hate the car and chopper though. I have Open & Play myself, the cheap bastard that I am, it will do me...just need to copy the FT face sculpt... :P
I have to agree. While I am not a fan of Big Spring's face, I can at least say that does nail all three modes...
if you like it, you win :)
yes, I forgot to add, thank you for the review! :)
+1
My side pieces in helicopter mode were tight af too. They will rotate though even though the instructions don't tell you that. You just gotta force it. I also figured out the feet in car mode. There's a peg and hole that they do peg into, but ultimately it doesn't help the car mode any.
yea im not forcing shit lol
Just got this guy recently, no regrets. I'm really loving him so far. His transformation is actually pretty easy. Bot mode and 'copter mode are fantastic. Vehicle mode is meh. Not sure what part of his transformation people are finding difficult, it seemed pretty easy to me. Thanks for the help transforming him!
difficulty is a subjective thing in the end
good point
The best springer...definitely
That's my bot mod right there! Sorry Allen, you're going to chopper mode. Your skit just convinces me more and more that a half hour sitcom of House of Skullface™ would be the bomb!
dude... life goals
fwiw, you can open the flap on the back of the shoulder and slide the arm on the rail to the front to get more out of that butterfly joint. makes his poses a little more dynamic with the appearance of his arm coming out to the side more naturally.
copy that
Woah, those new fangled flash effects almost gave me a epileptic seizure! Good review as always. Now I know I want to pay more for this guy than the others.
enjoy!
Another great review and I can't wait to have this guy as part of my collection. Oh, and I laughed uproariously at the Sir Mix Alot reference.....
;)
His name should've been Slider lol. Looks good, but I'm tempted on waiting only because MMC Saltus is looking pretty good. Probably gonna end up with both lol
anxious to look at that one myself
Did the chest take damage through the transformation to get the 2 Yellow lines which are visible on the close in on the face at the end?
i dont believe so but would have to double check to be sure
Thanks for the review, the face sculpt is superb. Guess I will wait it out for the last two offerings and decide from there.
im anxious to look at the MMC one specifically
Lately...i feel all these figures coming out could be a perfect 10 or near a 8 but there always a lot of lil things that make a person irritated cause you would think it would had been a easy fix but they still ship the product out as it is anyway
yep
"So ladies, ladies, do you wanna roll my Mercedes?!" Lol
;)
I wanted to check at 7:40 in when you have him next to MP-9 is it at his taller or shorter setting? You know because it was supposed to have both a "Hot Rod" and a Rodimus Prime in one. I prefer not to assume. Thank you.
I belive its the taller but would have to double check
I'd like to echo the issue with the weapon tabs for the hands. The implementation totally prevents the weapons to be secured in any way but one since the tab molding is so specific. It's less of an issue with the gun, but for the sword, you can't secure the sword in the hand with the sword pointing down into the ground (for any "knight" pose). The stiff fingers allow you to fake it, but this could have been done better, no doubt.
fair criticism ^
linebacker...great comparison....totally fits.
thanks!
He's like the Howie Long of the Autobots....lol
Well great review as ever but, and i don't think this often, i will wait for x-transbots version before pulling the trigger for which take on Springer i get.
im hoping to check out the remaining two efforts as well
Bobby Skullface L Your Bobby Skullface i'm sure you will. Look forward to your opinion on who wins the "Springer" wars! Do we know when x-transbots take is released?
Omg i want to throw this out the window. Car mode is a nightmare
Well...two out of three modes ain't half bad. (Robot and chopper modes)
Fans Toys is seriously nailing the season 3/movie cast here. Now where's their versions of Blurr and Wheelie?
they know how to sculpt a figure thats for sure
So if I were to get a 3rd party Springer, which one would be the definitive one, that you would prefer?
G1 Smokescreen Its a personal choice thats different for everyone. Watch the reviews and go with the one you think looks the best. Unless the best looking is a bitch to transform and you plan on flipping it back and forth a lot. Then you may choose one that don't look the best but is easy to transform. The Skull Man laid out all the info now you gotta take that and make a decision for yourself. As long as you like it thats all that matters. Also don't forget there are two more Springers to go...
apche for now
I love his figure, more than I thought I would...
nice
I had a hell of a time transforming this thing.
What's your opinion of how this compares to Unique Toys Y-04 Allen?
this is better
Looks good. I’m a fanstoys fanboy but I’ll wait to see how the xtransbots and mmc shape up before i decide who’s in for season 3.
im hoping to check both out as well
Man, Koot and now this. Is Keith designing for Fanstoys now. I’m ok with a slightly complex transformation but sliding joints and armatures and i tap out. Faux chest and all, I’m still liking Allen. I like my Springer pudgy.
to be fair FT transformations have never been smooth. its always been their weakest link
Mine is out for delivery! Can't wait! When all is said and done, I think XTB's will be the best (sculpt wise), but will have terrifying engineering. FT seems like the best choice overall as of now.
enjoy!
Thanks for getting the review up fast!
thanks for watching
Well… I’ll wait until mine comes in. I managed to get 1 for pretty cheap… & I’ll see what I think of it. I didn’t have a G1 Springer until I was in college… & even then he was something that I had to put together because I couldn’t find a complete 1 at the time. He was probably my favorite 3rd series Autobot… & I just wanted 1 that was new & complete.
Me personally… looking at something is different than playing with it… so we’ll see if my opinion changes… but I just want to make sure that he’s a good quality toy. There have been several MP scaled Springers that have been made… but I opted to get FT’s version simply because of the fact that I’ve had very good luck with everything else that I’ve bought from them. Even if there was ‘something wrong’ with it, it was superficial at best/worse.
I would say that the triple changers (any of them) have suffered in some shape or form (no pun intended) when it’s come to 1 or any of the modes that they transformed into with limitations with what you can do with the figure. I might be saying that because of sympathy for anyone that has worked on these because of the design work that I’ve done in the past… but sometimes you’re limited to what you can do with the figure when you’re doing the mass shifting. This is more true with certain characters than others… but in the old cartoon series… they took a lot of liberties with a # of characters when they transformed. Sometimes they didn’t even look like the toy that they were modeled after. And sometimes depending on who was doing the animation… sometimes they had completely different portions. So it depends on which animation cell that you’re referencing. Know what I mean?
What I am more interested in is if it’s put together well. That’s my main gripe. I might take it down off my shelf & play with it once every blue moon, but I want to make sure that it’s something that will stand the test of time. I’m still trying to figure out what I am going to do with him, but I have a broken KFC Stratotanker still sitting out in the front room. I have all the parts to fix him… but I haven’t done it because I don’t think that I have the skill to put him back together. I’m still kind of thinking that I might try to find a ‘mechanic’ to put him back together.
My point in referencing him is at his core I didn’t think that Strantotanker was that bad of a figure… but I wasn’t impressed at the fact (1) no 1 offered me an direct exchange for an unbroken figure, (2) I didn’t like the fact that he was mostly made out of plastic. I wasn’t planning on transforming him much… but the thing that I didn’t like where there were certain parts that were made out of plastic that should have been made out of some cheap metal. And my gripe with that is that it wouldn’t haves cost that much to make that switch in production. I just thought that they were being cheap. Depending on the metal... sometimes metal can be just as expensive as plastic. And (3) this is something that I’ve seen both in official products as well as 3rd party… but there have been a # of figures where I felt that they skipped a step or 2 in regards to engineering & transformation. Almost like they were getting bored with the project & gave up. So some figures feel unfinished to me.
As long as this guy doesn’t break on me in the next 10-15 years… I’m cool. Feel me? Thanks for the review SF!
Love your reviews, man. Realized I only comment when I have something smart assed to say. Not this time.. FANSSSTOYYYS!
hahaha many thanks
Gah! Just finished getting to chopper alt..what a royal PITA of a transformation! Robot mode it will stay
its no walk in the park, that's for sure
Big Spring looks better in vehicle. Somebody should really get a replacement face for that thing so I can put it on my shelf since I don't think I'll get the FT version anytime soon.
if you like that, you win
Yeah, the car mode has me waiting for the Xtransbots version. XTB, Fans Toys, and Open & Play all have good things going for them, but I think Virtus looks the best in all three modes.
they say that patience can save pockets
Im collecting these Fanstoys. I think this guy is a little big like seaspray a little small. Its the only issue im having with Ft lately. I like this and i cant wait for it to be on my shelf.
enjoy
Ordered. I am actually looking forward to an MP season 3 maincast shelf since I bought MP Magnus around release. Only missing Arcee now on autobot side. I always felt that the season 3 bots were more.. euh.. seasoned. The harder bigger more military autobots compared to the sometimes puny ones from before. I saw the show as a kid from season 1 but contrary to many I really love season 3's eps often better.
enjoy!
Looks good, but the price is top much. Openplay is awesome for the price, and if you can do a little customisation on him, then hes even better. Another topic though, do you still have your KFC simba? The rear left lion foot is loose on mine and I was wondering if you knew any ways to tighten it up
lol, if you like that open and play, then you win :) as for your question i still have simba, and he has been combined since i got him so not sure
Bobby Skullface L the chest tab is thr biggest problem for me, but I'm sure once another company (maybe takara) makes one, it will blow him out of the water lol. Thanks, no problem
Those lower legs seem to have a bit of a Badcube Hoist thing going. The figure still looks tempting, though. I wonder if the car mode would seem less long with the parts that form the arms in robot mode kept in their helicopter mode configuration.
hard to say, the action figure element is solid as hell
That's always a plus in my book.
Sweet. Arcee controversy set Part A looks great, can’t wait for Part B
hahahaha
Hey Bobby, I know you have Apache & I know you lean more towards FT. For me I tend to lean more towards Ocular Max. But, they're are two of the best. I just got my Ocular Saltus today, & I just got him transformed. He's so incredibly clean in both alt modes, but especially Bot mode. But, where he really shines is in his articulation. He has the full Monty, Van Damm, Butterfly joints & his knees are better than most Marvel Legends. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this guy. Imo, this is some of the best articulation we've seen outside of Flame Toys.
The only issue is the delay this release had... I know most didn't hold out like I did and I'm worried he may get overlooked, which is a shame because he really is amazing. The amount of accessories & the quality of the figure are incredibly impressive. He comes with the Bomb, a Staff, 2 Spear Heads, 3 different Heads, his Sword and Gun. All for $129.99.
i feel compelled to get it.
i also feel like it would have a stronger presence if it had the same style of legs that
Unique toys allen has. Allens legs look more or evocative, especially the big feet.
has a great presence
I’m a big season 3 person, I was born in 88 and by then most Saturday morning VHS’s, do you remember VHS’s lol, had season 3 and 4 episodes on them. Great review as always uncle skullface :)
of course i do :)
He's a big fella no wonder arcee looked the way she did in 'that' image lol
im done talking about that one lol ;)
I want to see X-Transbot. Nice review though buddy.
me too
He is too green, some of the colour choices are strange. I am off of FT after the nightmare that was their Galvatron. Good to see a review of him, thanks. I think I'm good with Open Play Springer, who had many issues, but they are at least fixable.
"he is too green" is funny as all outdoors to me, thanks for that
I'm not even gonna bother attempting that transformation until I'm trapped in my house under 12 feet of snow. Snow day transformer for sure!
hahahahah
Car mode got back.
I think this review really shows how good of a reviewer you are - I gather you really like Fanstoys for your collection. In general, I don't. That I can see what I don't like in them through your reviews speaks to your impartiality/integrity.
Regarding Fanstoys. I oughta be fair to them. In the past (Quakewave/Dinos/etc) I would have said that they are doing the very obvious, easy targets at high quality and high price. I applaud that they took on Kup, Springer and Arcee. I think the awkward, complicated transformations have 'found them out' a bit, though.
Regarding this release. They seem to have the best compromise between the three modes of any 3P Springer. They seem to have by far the best car mode. Like most 3P Springers, I think they've gone way too big in 'bot mode. And too boxy. Among the Springers, I dunno how to call it - Allen's too big, this one isn't right, Toyworld's is very different, MMC's looks like it makes some big sacrifices in car mode, X-trans' looks best to me but will never see release in the face of such competition. All told, the one I'm closest to buying is Open&Play's. And I haven't. Not yet, anyway...
I'm glad you voiced some enthusiasm for s3 MPs - I'd really like a strong TF:TM presence among my MPs. Fanstoys' Hot Rod (Hoodlum?) looks like it might be up my street - are you planning on reviewing it?
i'll be reviewing it if it comes out. thanks for the kind words
Cool - do I read anything into the use of the word 'if'? I recall they announced it before TT's v2 Hot Rod MP - are they maybe backing down on this one because of the official release?
All the way Faaaanstoooyss... Great review bro!!
many thanks
I may be one of those people you mentioned. SO far I am only going for season one of the cartoon ( as stipulated by the DVD seasons). I may be persuaded to get Kup, Arcee, Hot rod and Springer ( and balster possibly if I can get him for a good price) if four release that are really nice. so far it may mean I get a fans toys set ( So I can recreate the , got better things to do, than die, scene).
its just a collection thats shaping up VERY well
When is mmc and X transbots supposed to be released?
no clue
Looks good, really do not like those alt modes. Robot mode looks good. If I decide to do a season 3 shelf.... doubtful but, if it happens this guy could be a winner. Great review as always Bobby.
many thanks
That alarm bell works
So here i am Good morning sir
hahaha good morning
Hmm, I'm not diggin' the whole 'tire on the arm thing. And, the transformation seems too "Xtransbots". Ironically, I'm leaning more towards the Xtransbots figure. Really looking forward towards your review of Xtransbots Virtus, Bobby! (Rolling the dice😉)
hope i get the chance
I can't wait to caress.......er, display mine when it arrives from my Stash. Pleasantly surprised by the height of bot mode.
quite the presence
Hmmm happy to sit on the fence with this one. Wonder if takara can do better
wonder if takara will continue making g1 lol
Bobby Skullface L I hope so but if ft etc keep banging these out we've got no problem filling in gaps in our collection's 👍
Beautiful figure great review
many thanks
My big conundrum is do I still keep Allen in my life. This will be my go to Springer but Allen isnt too shabby
you can always see what you can get for him
Tap the part on your teeth ,that's how you can tell the difference on die cast ,may seem crude but it's effective 😉honest question which springer has the best sword?
lol not the worst idea
I really like my unique toys allen that i got on the bbts clearance. i think the bot mode is really good on this which i know works best for your sensibilities.that said i think the alt modes look better on Allen. For me i think the fun and usability of Allen and the alt modes are gonna win out on this one. Love your reviews though.
all good man. if you like it, you win
Just ordered Allen. And I feel like Allen's transformation is a bit more.........Unique!
Pun intended. Apache is still very great though!
hahaha i love a pun
So.. I'm never super excited about season 3 because I have fonder memories (and more representation) of the older bots. I had ultra magnus and rodimus prime and hotrod and that was about it from season 3 for me (a few combiner bits I guess). So Season 1 and 2 hold more nostalgia for me.
That said I think the season 3 bots in modern days make for a more impressive display than the Season 1 and 2 because of how season 3 didn't really compromise the toys much for the character on the tv show since hte alt modes were... "shapes" and just called futuristic.
So your Season 1 and 2 masterpieces have to conform to a specific alt mode which isn't always captured in the robot modes, where as season 3's alt mode shapes that don't really need to form a recognizable vehicle and end up translating better in both modes.
Also I think that seasons 1 and 2 had a lot of "bot of the week" type feel whereas season 3 more often followed the same group of 5-6 bots which makes the group of them standing together on a shelf feel more "right."
i think youre on to something there
I don’t know Bobby I think I will have to Wait for MMC or xTransbots to do theirs because for this I don’t like the altmodes, the bot mode is fine but it’s real blocky like seasons one and two not seasons three were the bots had more smooth and round proportions
they say that patience can save pockets
Excellent review fellow collector. Out of the box Springer looks stout and the likeness is there. The shoulder design is WHACK! That being said displaying in bot mode works like a champ. I think MMC / Ocular Max version of Springer will have more of an action figure vibe similar to BigSpring ......perhaps Ocular Max will put out a better product for the first time compared to Fans Toys...........time will tell. Good Monday to all.
i hope to get the chance to check it out
Bleah. Good video, but watching the transformation killed any desire I had for this. It males Allen's look pleasant.
I only wish I could take that head and stick it on my Big Spring.
transformation is a wild one but the bot mode is insanely solid
There's no stand for helecopter mode? bummer :/
nope. tf toy makers rarely include flight stands unfortunately
They included ones with sovereign and soar though, so it's sort of unfortunate. =/ Do you know where I can pick one up that would work for this guy?
Yeesh, the leg transformation back to bot mode sucks massively. Car mode is ok, good copter and great bot, 3 great modes would have been nice but what can you do. My copter runners were super tight too, had to take that apart to loosen a screw inside. I'm happy with him, if mildly disappointed in some small ways.
yea the legs are out for blood
I have my Springer on it's way!
enjoy!
I will, I'm Mr. One handed transformation. Lol!!
So in your opinion which one is better this one or big spring?AND HOLY CRAP HIS CAR MOD IS UGLY AS SIN,but the helicopter looks very good for me
He hated Big Spring.
Thirty oh damn,well thanks for telling me
Hated it because it wasn't FANSSSTOYSSSS...
;p
this, then allen, then the rest, then big spring, and then the fansproject one lol
Great review! Bummer about the limitations with the shoulder articulation. Waffles on the fins? Surprising. Presence is impressive though.
yea the shoulder is the biggest issue
Oh I have a totally dedicated season 3/movie shelf which is seeming to shape up quite nice with the addition of this figure and of course the soon to come Rouge. Awesome review, excellent figure and I love the look of it! Great effort by Fans Toys, not without flaw, but pretty damn nice as far as I'm concerned. Funny skit and yeah, I have kids and I understand the frustrations.
100%
Love the look of this fist ^^
his fist?
Or hands, you get the point :P Simply, they look perfect for Springer with good articulation.
Sorry I don't get the point :P
It's too bad these 3rd Party Springers don't have the pop-out forearm guns as seen in the Movie, where Springer's first line is "We're outnumbered!"
THAT would have been cool
After this and koot my fingers sore AF🖐🖑💣
hahahahahhah
Great review
many thanks
Can it ride Razorclaw (leo dux)? To recreate the Nightmare Planet scene of them battling the dragon :D Thanks for the review sir!
hahah i'll have to check
and you did not do an mp ultramagnus and ft koot with him. lol
That transformation looks tirering
its no walk in the park
*Plays The Touch from The Transformers Movie.*
lol
Alt modes don't look great. Bot mode for display is outstandingly accurate. The yellow on the chest looks like it needed 2-3 more coats of yellow...the yellow almost looks like the hands in color. Helicopter looks a lot better than that Car. Generations Springer FTW! Probably the best IDW springer to date in all modes. Probably the best Voyager Hasbro/Takara have ever put out to date.
i agree its the best thing hasbro has ever made in modern times. i think that chest yellow should be a different shade but agree it needed another coat, especially on the head
Can we have a Tigertracks review please?
NEVER! lol
I m SO ready for a FT cyclonus XD
me too
Thanks Mac!
my pleasure
Still waiting out on hoodlum.
fingers crossed
Oh, right off the bat. Backpedal Bobby Face.
lololol
Yellow's an absolute bitch to paint, even with an airbrush. That's why I try avoiding that color when painting minis.
everyday
What the? He's out? Gotta get him asap!
he is
Thanks again
Uh ah. I’ll wait for Virticus. So far Allen is still my favorite.
from handling all 3 available this is my favorite so far
How do I store his gun in bot mode?
in his hand :)
Bobby Skullface L 😆
I think of it as a truck now
gotcha
Good review Bobby,now the face sculpt is on point,everything else is not that good coming from Fanstoys,going to keep it 100 U.T Allen is better looking then this,it have the big feet but all the modes to me look better. IJS
oooooooooo i greatly disagree sir. this thing has unique toys beat in the robot mode aesthetically in every way. transformation and alt modes? now thats a different convo lol
Bobby Skullface L you right on the bot mode lol
I kind of wish I could angle the shoulder things on an angle, to be honest. And it's a fine figure, with a much better transformation than Koot, but those legs, man, those legs. Even with the instructions the transformation was making no sense to me.
yea the legs are out for blood
Since when is a cut-joint thigh swivel "fine"? I recall you calling out figures for that before because it breaks the sculpt, which is true. Fans Toys needs to stop this recent trend of cut-joint thigh swivels before they do something really bad, like the one shown on the Hydra test shot.
it depends. on robots, it usually doesnt bother me. on human figures it REALLY bothers me. im ok with the robotics moving around in my head canon ;)
Feel the same. Happy with my dx9 Hanzo due to him looking more natural.