Transformers Legacy Evolution Voyager
Item No.: Asst. F2991 No. F8543 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Purple blaster, Cyber Key, removable wings, removable tail fins Action Feature:Transforms from robot to starfighter Retail:$34.99 Availability: April 2024 Other: Even the Mini-Cons Have Abandoned Him (much earlier)
I've been buying some of these for so long that some toys, like Cybertron Universe Starscream, seem a little too soon for an update. This 2024 toy aims to replicate the Galaxy Force Starscream toy's vibes, and that came out in Japan in 2004. We never got these colors at the Voyager-class size in the US market, so if you got the big guy, or the Toys R Us repaint, you may not have an appropriately sized version of this fellow in these colors.
Like most modern collector toys, you get a lot more articulation, but you don't get any action features. The original toy had a key-powered flip-out blade on each arm - in 2024, you flip them out manually. That toy also had a rocket launcher, while this one just has a purple blaster that looks like one. A key is included for the 2024 toy, but it's just for fun - you can plug it in his back, or in his blaster. Nothing here is automated. You even have to install his shoulder pylons and the two small wings on his back. The deco mostly matches the old Takara toy, but what surprised me is that Hasbro opted to not include a visible Decepticon symbol anywhere on the toy. Most Galaxy Force toys that weren't blatant Autobots and Decepticons lacked such sigils back in the day, but Starscream sure as heck had one.
Back in the day I skipped the Japanese one to my peril, and I didn't want the Supreme-class one, so I got the 2-pack with Vector Prime which is pretty close in size to this one. The new one is a little skinnier, with more articulation and of course the "correct" colors. The colors more closely match the cartoons, with a nice gray and some red over it. If you compare it to Japan's toy, you'll find this new toy is missing some paint - but you probably wouldn't realize there were missing patches of red unless you did a side-by-side comparison, many of which are on the legs. I think it's fine - this toy looks like what you imagined the toy to be.
It's a good toy - not amazing, but generally pretty great, especially given some of the rumors of his development. I love that he can be posed much more easily than his ancestor, and the flip-out blades are nice to have too. The head looks more or less like the toy head, and I wouldn't be surprised if the colors were nearly identical to that first release. The sculpted detail is incredibly close too, including the little cannons on the side of his chest. The big difference is that the original toy's were painted black, these are unpainted gray.
As robots go this is pretty much what you want to see out of Hasbro. It looks like the cartoon, it looks like the toy, it has more articulation, and the price isn't bad. While I lament the lack of rocket-firing action, the new purple blaster does look good and I like clear purple accessories. The cyber planet key is pretty worthless - I assume its inclusion came from fans complaining after we got Override without one, although I would argue that having no key would not be any different. You can plug it in to his blaster, which is nice, so I can actually see it on display instead of just shoving it in his back and forgetting it was there.
Transformation is pretty easy, you have to twist and turn a lot of it but it's still more or less like the original toys in his varying sizes. I wouldn't say it's terribly surprising, although I was delighted by the vestigial head nub that takes the place of the actual head in ship mode.
The vehicle mode is kind of interesting because it's a remake of a not-quite remake of a toy that Hasbro never made in the first place. It took inspiration from The War Within seekers, which took inspiration from the tetrajets from the original pilot miniseres which Hasbro has yet to accurately update - but we got really close with Siege Starscream [FOTD #2,081] a few years ago. This toy has a lot more in the way of sculpted detail, which means he looks a lot more like a robot contorted into the shape of a space superiority fighter. It's accurate to the original toy, although I will once again mention the lack of any real action features. The audience for these toys tends to be a bit older and probably won't be wowed by spring-loaded blades or blaster, but I always found them to be fun.
It makes sense that Hasbro is going in and making every version of the most popular characters - from Cybertron alone we've gotten new versions of Hot Shot, Metroplex, Optimus Prime, Cannonball, Override, and Vector Prime in the last five years. (Energon doesn't get as much love.) They were good toys and largely tanked in Japan, with tons of shockingly cheap toys making it to US convenrions when they were still new - but they're fun, and you should look into them. If you're a fan of all things Starscream, I think you'll be pleased with this one. Legacy has been a good line for this particular robot in disguise.
16bit.com is best not viewed in Apple's Safari browser, we don't know why. All material on this site copyright their respective copyright holders. All materials appear hear for informative and entertainment purposes. 16bit.com is not to be held responsible for anything, ever. Photos taken by the 16bit.com staff. Site design, graphics, writing, and whatnot credited on the credits page. Be cool-- don't steal. We know where you live and we'll break your friggin' legs.
RSS 
