Steeljaw Transformers - Studio Series 86 Transformers Studio Series Core Class Toy Item No.: Asst. F3135 No. F8752 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: 2-piece speaker, 2-piece wing backpack Action Feature: Transforms from cassette tape to lion Retail: $11.99 Availability: August 2024 Other: Small, really small
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I picked up quite a few toys this year where I'm asking myself "Am I getting my money's worth here?" Steeljaw is a figure that's pretty small, sized about the same as a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure. Obviously there's only so much mass to play with when you're making a lion out of a tiny rectangular slab, and they got a lot in here, but there's no getting beyond how tiny he looks. Given how few tapes are made for Blaster (and Soundwave), he's going to sell out, and you're going to want him, but you're still going to be surprised how small he is - especially when confronted with the packaged toy in tape mode. It does not impress at first blush, but it's still better than Siege Ravage. The form factor is probably too small to do a great tape, and/or the G1 versions may have been too perfect for their time.

I appreciate the Blaster Speaker hand, and the swappable backpack is nice, but this is one of those toys where you open it and say "Well, I guess they'll probably redo it in a few years anyway. It's impressive for its size, but the head proportions are more Garnet from Steven Universe. and the G1 toy has more articulation.

The lion mode is very small, but it stands and has a cute roaring mouth - also the mane looks more like a cube, which doesn't feel right. The legs are stubbier and are only jointed at the hip, a far cry from the knees and ankles of the original toy. Since the legs don't move much, and the head can't really do much looking around, it's basically a brick where you can kind of swing a leg forward if you really want. Given that they crammed hip cannons, a big head, and four decent little legs in a tiny form factor, it's kind of impressive. But once you transform it, you're not super-incentivized to touch it again unless you want to swap his wing backpack (with tail) for a mount for Blaster's "Auto-Bop" wrist speaker.

I appreciate that Hasbro understood they needed a bonus accessory for $12, but the problem I have with it is that it's one speaker when Blaster has two. Hopefully, they'll include it with another toy in the future as well, because you can't exactly complete the look with what you get in the package. It fits perfectly nicely and looks fine. It's easily mounted to Blaster's fists or Steeljaw's back.Steeljaw's gold wings and cannons are articulated, but you can pop the wings off if you like. It serves no real purpose other than looking cool, and probably ensuring they don't snap off. The figure lacks the printed cassette markings, but does a good job looking like the cartoon lion.

Other than a second speaker, I wouldn't assume we should get much more in a set like this, but it seems Hasbro is struggling fitting tapes in the right price point. When we got two for $10, they were rather small and had no accessories. Now that we're getting Frenzy, Rumble, and Steeljaw, $12 seems rather expensive and they tend to have some pretty big accessories - the Frumble piledrivers are quite impressive. A second speaker hand would probably have sweetened the deal.

The transformation is pretty simple, but I needed to consult the directions because I didn't want to snap anything off if I did it in the wrong order. Also he looks a little more like some sort of gadget than an audio tape.

The cassette is very small, and while it has the reels only one is painted. This sort of draws your attention away from the other reel, with some red paint in the middle which looks more like an LED. I think they did the best they could given the paintable areas on the toy, and trying to paint fine detail on a 1 1/2 x 1-inch rectangle box is an impossibility. It's also worth noting the tolerances barely let you squeeze Steeljaw in Blaster's chest, and it's so tight you can't hit "eject" and watch the chest open freely.

It's not a bad Steeljaw, even if the mane proportions are off and it's tiny. It is about as good as you're going to get in these dimensions, but unfortunately it has to go up against the original toy from the 1980s. Takara did such a good job with those, and the subsequent Masterpiece Edition releases, that it's hard to beat. Given the proclivity for a higher price point, my only suggestion for Hasbro would be to consider releasing a "slug" cassette that doesn't transform in the set, along with a larger transforming tape guy who is too large for the figure's chest. Hasbro could reuse the "slug" part with every single character they make, adding value to the package and hopefully freeing themselves from a too-cramped form factor.

If you collect these guys, you want the little tapes. You may be disappointed by them, but you'll want them. I'm no exception - if they ever do li'l tapes of Overkill and Slugfest, I'll be first in line. I can pick up my old Ravage or Slugfest and go "wow, these are neat!" Spring-loaded spikes? Multiple leg joints? It was impressive now, it was almost mind-blowing back then. Studio Series 86 Steeljaw is by no means terrible, but he doesn't look quite right in any mode and he can't fit in Blaster's chest super well. As much as I write about not wanting to re-buy a character again, I would probably be ready to jump on a revised, improved take on this guy.

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