Windrazor Deluxe 4: 004 Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Deluxe Item No.: Asst. ??? No. A6217 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Mace Action Feature: Transforms from Robot to Beast Retail: approx. $19.99 Availability: March 2014 Other: Upsized Cyberverse and Proud of It
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If you want a glimpse into an alternate universe of toys, look at this non-US release of deluxe Windrazor. Along with Twinstrike, Bumblebee, and a Smokescreen, these hit in international markets because Hasbro hates fun. Or because there's a sort of a weird "last wave syndrome" which has affected toys since at least the early 1980s, in which the final figure(s) got dumped overseas.

Because labor costs aren't going down, Hasbro has had to explore manufacturing alternatives. It also helped that in the wake of their toys being called too complicated for little kids - in some cases, I can't disagree when parts pop off - and we got a grand total of 6 "upsized" toys worldwide. The Optimus Prime and Predaking toys saw meager distribution in the USA at Target and later closeout chains, while the deluxes are just not sold here. As such, these cost me more, and I think I got my money's worth.

The 5-inch tall robot mode looks just like the Legion toy, with a bigger head and some engineering changes. It feels much sturdier and has enlarged fists for 5mm weapons. There are actually several places to mount weapons on this toy - great if you have Mini-Cons or BMOGs or Constructbots weapons - but oddly, no obvious place to mount his mace weapon. The pale yellow plastic toy has green, gold, and purple trim which fits together nicely. (Oh, and there's a color variant out there to boot.) This is the first release, and the only differences are the color. They all have articulated shoulders, hips, and biceps. If you're feeling generous you may consider the ankles to be as well, but based on their use in the transformation I would disregard counting them and say he has 6 meaningful points of articulation.

Transformation into beast mode is a snap, particularly if you've played with the smaller toy on which this was based. In a few seconds you are rewarded with a similarly simple beast with a massive 11-inch wingspan.

The creature mode is a distant cousin of Rodan, complete with moving wings and legs. The mouth is indeed a 5mm port, so he can carry his mace in his mouth. If you have other weapons, bring them to the table - there are 10 ports on his body (4 per leg) and you can mount gear all over the place. It's ridiculous, but a lot of fun.

For a desk toy, or something for kids, this is great. It's better than 1980s toys in terms of articulation and construction, but not as fancy as some other modern releases. Were it released in the USA at the right time, it might've done quite well - it's strange, neat, and tantalizingly close to providing us with everything we'd need to make an upsized Abominus. We're 40% of the way there, and I assume that is as far as we'll ever get. If you're contemplating pursuing these figures, start with Twinstrike - and if you're feeling saucy, get Windrazor too. They're both fun, but obviously not high-end collectibles.

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