Steeljaw One Step! Transformers Age of Extinction One-Step Changer Item No.: Asst. A6151 No. A8123 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: n/a Action Feature: Transforms from wolf to robot Retail: $9.99 Availability: December 2014 Other: Not bad at all
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I snagged Steeljaw at a Walmart clearance a few years ago, because at a couple of bucks I'll buy pretty much any toy from Transformers. I have shelves of Armada repaints because they were down to $4 or less, and the 1-step toys are pretty nifty at a low price. Steeljaw is special in that this is his only toy - this resulted in prices climbing and this goofy $10 robo wolf selling for bonkers prices on Amazon and higher than one might expect on eBay.

But is it any good?

I miss Beast Wars and cybernetic animal toys in general, so I was pretty pleased to see this one on the cheap. Why would I say no to a blue furry robot wolf for a couple of dollars? I shot the toy when I got it, but never wrote the review until 2018. It's a nice toy, but not the best for people that want the wolf to stand and look good on a shelf. The wolf's front legs are a little loose, so it takes some effort to get him to stand upright. He looks cool, with a jointed tail and big silver fangs giving this little blue wolf a lot of personality. The toy is a mishmash of what seems to be peak 1990s facial expressions with sculpted fur and exposed mechanical bits, making an intriguing toy.

Transformation is more or less automatic - just rotate the front left leg of the wolf, and the robot reveals itself. The animal-like head of the Decepticon reveals itself as the wolf head rotates down, and the legs all flip in place with minimal effort. The wrists can rotate, but everything else more or less stays where it is due to the 1-step gimmick. (It's a fun gimmick.) The robot head looks like something out of the Beast era, which is very welcome in this largely car-friendly time. I'm amazed that the legs have perfectly flat feet so the figure stands with absolutely no problems as a robot. But as a wolf? That's a challenge.

I got my money's worth out of this one, but $10 would've been a bit pricey given what it does. The size of the figure is decent, and it's bulky, but you can get a Legends-class toy with more moving parts for about the same price these days. I love seeing Hasbro experiment with transformations in toys, particularly this one as it's really fun to fidget with. My only complaint is that the transformation process is pretty much all of the fun that I have with this toy. It can't interact with hand-held weapons or accessories, and you can't really pose it. This means it's a good, durable toy for kids but those looking to plus up toys or make cool battle dioramas may not be in love with this one. It's a worthwhile purchase at regular prices, but I wouldn't necessarily throw down the ducats to get one at secondary market prices.

Sample courtesy Hasbro.

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