I rolled my eyes with disdain over Buzzsaw when announced - he looked boxy. I just got a "disc" version a couple of years ago. Also, it's $10 for one "tape" - usually these guys were 2 for $10 or less. So why should I buy this one? ...it came in a set of 4 at work. So I gave it a shot, and it seems lowered expectations beget some fun. I'm not saying he's as cool as Shockwave but so far, he's getting the most action on my desk.
Much like Rumble means Frenzy, Starscream means Thundercracker and Skywarp, and Bumblebee means Cliffjumper, these orangey/golden bird bots tend to exist in proximity with Soundwave and/or Laserbeak. Neither has been announced officially but we know a Blaster is coming, and Buzzsaw is the same size and shape as the objects for Blaster, and none of you are stupid. It's probably something we can see in the next couple of months.
The toy is now a smart phone - a small one. It will probably fit in Blaster's chest without a hitch, and measures 3-inches by 1 3/4-inches by 1/2-inches. It's pretty substantial for a small box. Cast in a yellow/gold color with black markings, the figure makes ample use of foil stickers to create a decent screen. Mine seems to be in the process of peeling apart already, but it could just be my imagination - it's not bad, with indicators for battery, wi-fi, and of course bars. There are little icons for email and chat too, some thought was clearly given to developing some sort of Decepticon interface. Also, it is a block that does nothing.
His vehicle mode is, possibly, exciting - it's interesting enough to make me look forward to the little Titan Masters toys coming next year, especially as it seems to have a peg for one to sit and "drive" the vehicle. It has rolling wheels (that don't roll very well) and a transformation that's not terribly intuitive - you're going to need instructions or a reference photo in addition to realizing the buzzard legs need to be deployed behind the wheels. I won't say it's remarkable, but it's boxy, weird, and... a thing you can play with.
Of course, the reason you're buying it is for the bird mode - it's packaged in this mode, and he's going to perch on someone in this mode. Since they basically did a bang-up job with the original toy in 1984 and an even better job with the Masterpiece Edition version, pretty much everything else is just a pale copy of those toys. The mass-release Buzzsaw toys lack the guns of the tapes, but it does retain the neck articulation to give him some personality (a feature I had initially missed) plus an extra wing piece that pops out of the corners of the box. It's a cute little toy, it won't amaze you but it's arguably better than the Ravage that came with Hound a few years ago. It's not bad, but it's not great - you'll probably appreciate the head deco and unique head sculpt that vaguely recalls some of the more recent designs - but obviously, this is new. Maybe it will appear in the new comics in the next year, but the beak looks more like a beak and less like a 1980s robot toy. The silver "ears" don't add much to the piece, but hey, it's something. With a pretty wide wingspan it's a fun toy for fidgeting, but it's not going to scratch the itch of someone wanting that perfect update of the classic toy... which, at this point, is just the Masterpiece line anyway.
This toy is as close to a "sneak preview" toy as we've ever had in the "classic" and Generations ranges, with some weird holes that have no immediately obvious purpose. Maybe those holes in his tail connect to an upcoming accessory or a launch mechanism in Blaster. The little peg in vehicle mode seems to integrate with a Titans (little guy). This feels like a meaty Legends toy by modern standards, but it also feels pretty weak for not having arms or legs. It's by no means a bad toy, it's just not something you're going to be happy you paid $10 for when they could have slapped a pair of them on a Deluxe cardback for $16. Granted, the deluxe toys of 2016 might be too cool for that sort of thing, so I guess what I'm saying is this - you made up your mind about this toy before the review, and if you ever see it on sale you should absolutely spend the money for one of it. Maybe Laserbeak, I'm not picky.
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