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Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review

Transformers News: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 9:26AM CST

Category: Toy News
Posted by: Mach   Views: 31,770

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Seibertron member Diem has just purchased the Transformers Alternity Bumblebee and he is kind enough to conduct review and let us know what his view on this toy.
Below is what he has to say:

"So far in these early-bird reviews for Seibertron.com, I've never had to take one for the team. Alternity Convoy, Megatron, DL Ravage...all of them great. But needless to say I was pretty worried about this figure.

As soon as I picked him up I was impressed by how small he is. And not in the most positive way. His car mode is small, around the size of RiD's X-Brawn. On the other hand, he is also cheaper than Convoy or Megatron, being closer to 3,200 yen than 4,000, though this may just be a quirk of the particular shop I bought it from. Unfortunately for importers, I don't know if this small discount is being passed along.

His box and instructions are the same palpable classiness seen in the other Alternitys. Nothing special to report.

His car mode, though small is...well...perfectly formed. Due to his light colour his transformation seams are slightly more visible than on Convoy or Megatron. Apart from that though, he's great. The distinctive Suzuki "S" is clearly visible on his grill and boot, and his headlights and side mirrors are very nicely detailed. All four doors open and reveal an interior that's pretty realistic, although there's a jointed beam reaching from the gearstick up to the roof as part of the transformation. His bonnet opens to show a small Suzuki detailed engine, and his boot opens, although opening it too far reveals Bee's face staring up at you. Thankfully his paint colour is consistant throughout, which is rare for a yellow TF.

The transformation is not too hard, although it involves my least favourite thing: pulling on a section with so much force that you're worried it'll snap in half. Essentially his front grille splits in two and his legs unfold from there. His arms are hidden behind the rear tyres and his boot and rear doors end up as back kibble. His head and legs slide down through his body like Universe Silverbolt while his windscreen and bonnet slide up into the car interior.

His robot mode...ah, his robot mode. I'll get straight to the nitty-gritty: his chest/belly. It looks bad. In person, it looks bad. Unless I'm mis-transforming him his chest juts out from under his armpits like a shelf. It's too wide, it's too sticky-out. It's impossible to defend, even if I'm feeling generous.

One thing I can defend is his back kibble. It doesn't look bad unless you're fundamentally opposed to kible. In fact, it looks a little like the Wave Crusher jetpack. Sadly, it limits his arm articulation, which is not that strong anyway. His shoulder pads are interestingly-shaped, with brakelights on the tips. His arms are pretty thin, and pose strangely. His legs are a little skinny, but well articulated. His feet are fairly movie-esque, being split up rather than blocky, with jutting heels.

This robot is not without merits. His headsculpt is really nice, looking thouroughly detailed without looking too cluttered or spoiling the G1 simplicity. His expression is neutral or determined. His light-piping is really subtle; I had to shield his head with my hand to see it. Charmingly, his horns need to be pulled out to the sides. I can't even explain why I like this, but I do. The other features I like most are his pistols. They fit onto the inside of his knees during car mode and if he's not holding them. The pistols are really small, like, barely bigger than his fists. This might annoy some fans but I have a soft spot for Transformers with little pistols rather than honking great cannons. Besides, they suit a stealthy scout type like Bumblebee or a tough-talking midget like Cliffjumper. Besides, I'm sure one of the third parties will make a foldable bazooka that can be stowed on the backseat.

The final verdict: This figure is not as huge a disaster as some (including me) feared. His car mode is great and his robot mode is passable. That said, I can't recommend him to importers. Unless you're a big Bumble/Cliff fan, you desperately want him for your Masterpiece/Alternator forces or to complete an Alternity collection, or he becomes way cheaper, he's not worth the outlay.

As usual, any particular questions or picture requests are welcomed.

EDIT: Oh, and his head is at the same height as Alternity Convoy's head. Ouch.

With Alternity Convoy:
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

Pistol close up (sorry about the quality):
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

Car mode, with Henkei Red Alert:
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

By the by, his mirrors are painted silver rather than chromed. Booo.

Crouching:
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

Action shot. Shots from above are really unflattering for this figure.
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

The back kibble in all its glory. I was trying to make it look like he was blowing out the smoke from his pistol but...yeah, Alternity Bumble can put a gun to his own head.
Re: My Alternity Bumble review

As you can see from the angle of the stuff in the background, he can lean pretty damn far and still balance.
Re: My Alternity Bumble review"


Stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest information on Transformers.
Credit(s): Diem

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Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023462)
Posted by Sabrblade on November 28th, 2009 @ 9:31am CST
Okay, why are some people okay with using "Convoy" instead of "Optimus Prime", but use "Bumblebee" instead of "Bumble"? Isn't that a bit inconsistant?

Nice review, BTW. :APPLAUSE:
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023464)
Posted by freaky777 on November 28th, 2009 @ 9:33am CST
Sabrblade wrote:Okay, why are some people okay with using "Convoy" instead of "Optimus Prime", but use "Bumblebee" instead of "Bumble"? Isn't that a bit inconsistant?


Haha thats what I do too.. Convoy sounds cool and everyone knows its Japanese's OP name.. Bumble is well.. lackluster, it needs the bee at the back to sound cool.. at least that works for me..
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023467)
Posted by Mach on November 28th, 2009 @ 9:35am CST
Sabrblade wrote:Okay, why are some people okay with using "Convoy" instead of "Optimus Prime", but use "Bumblebee" instead of "Bumble"? Isn't that a bit inconsistant?

Nice review, BTW. :APPLAUSE:


Yeah, everyone know convoy = optimus prime.
But i guess no one refer BB as bumble or Cliffjumper as Cliff.... Sound retarded, although I know it is an official name for this case...
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023469)
Posted by Diem on November 28th, 2009 @ 9:48am CST
Sabrblade wrote:Okay, why are some people okay with using "Convoy" instead of "Optimus Prime", but use "Bumblebee" instead of "Bumble"? Isn't that a bit inconsistant?

Nice review, BTW. :APPLAUSE:
Maybe because Bumble sounds sufficiently similar to Bumblebee that it makes no difference? Or becasue everyone knew that OP was called Convoy in Japan but almost no-one knew Bumblebee's J-name?

I'm pretty consistent in my own pointless way: I use the Japanese name for Japanese toys and Japan-only characters and English names for everything else. So for example: "Bumble's tiny pistols are appropriate for a sneaky scout like Bumblebee".

Newsed! Hooray!

NB: I had slightly mistransformed him first time round. His bonnet/windscreen section is directly but oppositely linked to the pillar attaching his head to his legs. It turns out his chest actually goes slightly higher so it's level with his shoulders rather than under his armpits. Not a huge difference, but slightly better.
I changed him from robot to car but didn't push his head/leg column all the way. When I tried to change him back to robot, the whole thing got jammed, so I had to push his legs in before I could pull them out. Forget what I said about easy transformation.

Oh, and as a side note, he can't hold Alternity Megatron's swords. Fail.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023473)
Posted by Diem on November 28th, 2009 @ 10:24am CST
Okay, I'm gonna head to bed now, though I'll answer any questions or photo requests in the morning.

As a final note, I was looking at his instructions: as well as a text story called "The World Is Flat" which I'm too tired to translate, there are a couple of interesting points: his pistols are described in the Power Plans as "Chrono-venom Stinger Guns" (um...what?) and his Function is listed as..."Trickster". That's...that's pretty cool.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023476)
Posted by Kibble on November 28th, 2009 @ 10:31am CST
I'd be curious to find out more about the price...if it was just the store, a sale, or this one really is cheaper at retail. If the latter, pretty lame that the online stores don't pass those savings along.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023479)
Posted by cannonfodder4000 on November 28th, 2009 @ 10:59am CST
Diem wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Okay, why are some people okay with using "Convoy" instead of "Optimus Prime", but use "Bumblebee" instead of "Bumble"? Isn't that a bit inconsistant?

Nice review, BTW. :APPLAUSE:
Maybe because Bumble sounds sufficiently similar to Bumblebee that it makes no difference? Or becasue everyone knew that OP was called Convoy in Japan but almost no-one knew Bumblebee's J-name?

I'm pretty consistent in my own pointless way: I use the Japanese name for Japanese toys and Japan-only characters and English names for everything else. So for example: "Bumble's tiny pistols are appropriate for a sneaky scout like Bumblebee".

Newsed! Hooray!

NB: I had slightly mistransformed him first time round. His bonnet/windscreen section is directly but oppositely linked to the pillar attaching his head to his legs. It turns out his chest actually goes slightly higher so it's level with his shoulders rather than under his armpits. Not a huge difference, but slightly better.
I changed him from robot to car but didn't push his head/leg column all the way. When I tried to change him back to robot, the whole thing got jammed, so I had to push his legs in before I could pull them out. Forget what I said about easy transformation.

Oh, and as a side note, he can't hold Alternity Megatron's swords. Fail.


um . . . why does bumblebee need swords ?
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023480)
Posted by Convotron on November 28th, 2009 @ 11:01am CST
Thanks for the review, Diem! :)

Your review gave me the info I needed to finalize my decision to purchase Alternity Bumble and perhaps Cliff.

How well does the figure pose? What would your rough estimate be for the die cast content when you compare Bumble to the hefty Convoy and less hefty Megatron figures?

Hmm, my main criticism is that Bumble is the same height as Convoy in bot mode. I was hoping it would have been a bit shorter.

The bot mode issues(mainly torso) are forgivable for me because this Alternity figure's design isn't so far removed from what I'm used to(G1 Bumblebee). I love Alternity Convoy and Megatron but it's because of the designs of the toys as figures. I'm not a big fan of the characters turning into cars(though I think the fiction of Alternity explains it well with the Auto-Avatar concept).

I'm someone who isn't a fan of the live action movie design of Bumblebee. I love the HA figure but, like with Alternity Convoy and Megatron, it's because the toy is designed so well that I can overcome my ambivalence towards the character design(HA BB is the only movie BB figure I own and plan to own). Aside from Classics Bumblebee, Alternity Bumble is the only other recently produced figure that hits my nostalgia for the G1 design. As mentioned by others in previous threads, Alternity Bumble is probably the closest thing we'll see to a Masterpiece Bumblebee/Bumble for some time.

I don't know...I think that a lot of people are really giving Bumble's proportions more flak than it deserves when you consider that Alternity Convoy and Megatron have similar issues with quirky proportions:

a) Convoy's lower legs are basically boxes while Megatron has almost ballerina-like feet in comparison to the rest of its body.

b) They both have pretty horrendous back kibble with basically the hood of the alt mode hanging off the back.

c) Their head sculpts are visually compromised by having the engine block stuck to the back of their skulls.

d) Convoy's upper arms/shoulders are visually compromised due to the alignment of the door wings and the panels that serve as the upper arms.

e) Megatron's lower legs have a dodgy configuration due to how the rear tires peg simply onto the sides of the legs and stick out obtrusively.

f) Both figures basically have the front portion of the car sticking out of their chests.


When you look at the bot mode details of all three Alternity figures, it's a matter of six of one and half a dozen of the other. Convoy and Megatron may look better to most people but it's not as if Bumble's design came out of left field. It's par for the course so far with respect to the Alternity bot mode design sensibilities and at least, for the G1 fans out there, it's a figure with quite a few visual nods to the original character design. Also, it's something different than Convoy and Megatron, which both are fairly similar in terms of their bot mode anatomy.

Cliff's unique head sculpt is another bonus too. We aren't just getting a repaint with this figure's variations. I'll take the little victories where I can find them. :D
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023482)
Posted by Mach on November 28th, 2009 @ 11:34am CST
Kibble wrote:I'd be curious to find out more about the price...if it was just the store, a sale, or this one really is cheaper at retail. If the latter, pretty lame that the online stores don't pass those savings along.


In singapore, the retail price for bee and cliffy indeed is cheaper than convoy or megatron....
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023483)
Posted by Mykltron on November 28th, 2009 @ 11:52am CST
cannonfodder4000 wrote:um . . . why does bumblebee need swords ?


Because all TFs need swords, DUH! :roll:
:wink:

Diem, you said his arm articulation is not that strong, Can you expand on this please?
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023485)
Posted by Firebird on November 28th, 2009 @ 12:04pm CST
Thanks for the review Diem!
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023500)
Posted by lowman_x on November 28th, 2009 @ 2:04pm CST
I still say that it looks like he's wearing a big, yellow nappy/diaper. Or maybe it's a loincloth...
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023519)
Posted by kirbenvost on November 28th, 2009 @ 4:45pm CST
Thanks for the review Diem, great work! Maybe could you take some more angles of the bot mode? I want to see how it looks with a regular camera as opposed to the previous gallery we saw.

Diem wrote:NB: I had slightly mistransformed him first time round. His bonnet/windscreen section is directly but oppositely linked to the pillar attaching his head to his legs. It turns out his chest actually goes slightly higher so it's level with his shoulders rather than under his armpits. Not a huge difference, but slightly better.
I changed him from robot to car but didn't push his head/leg column all the way. When I tried to change him back to robot, the whole thing got jammed, so I had to push his legs in before I could pull them out. Forget what I said about easy transformation.


Suprisingly, he almost looks better to me the way you transformed him first. But yeah, due to the size and other issues (don't like the codpiece either), I won't be picking this guy up unless I find him on sale. Not the worst BB, but certainly not the first.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023533)
Posted by Kibble on November 28th, 2009 @ 7:19pm CST
Looks like the first video review has shown up on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJeQirRcRso
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023548)
Posted by Diem on November 28th, 2009 @ 7:58pm CST
cannonfodder4000 wrote:
um . . . why does bumblebee need swords ?
He doesn't need swords but the Alternity line's hands are different to all other TFs. I was hoping that even if they can't hold, say, Energon weapons they could hold one another's. But no. The apertures in Megatron's hands are slightly larger than those for the 'bots So all three can hold the pistols (though Megatron holds them a little limply) but only Megsie can hold the swords. :-x

Real Devastator wrote:
Kibble wrote:I'd be curious to find out more about the price...if it was just the store, a sale, or this one really is cheaper at retail. If the latter, pretty lame that the online stores don't pass those savings along.


In singapore, the retail price for bee and cliffy indeed is cheaper than convoy or megatron....

I guess that confirms it. Hmmm.

Mykltron wrote:
Diem, you said his arm articulation is not that strong, Can you expand on this please?


Convotron wrote:How well does the figure pose?


I'll cover these both at once. From top to bottom:

His head is on a full balljoint and unlike Convoy and Megatron he can look upwards at about 45 degrees. Also, his horns can be pulled inwards or outwards. His back kibble "wings" can be pulled back a little like G1 or MP Grimlock, and the doors can open making it look a little more jetpack-ky. The doors on the sides of his chest also open, though I'm not sure this counts as articulation. Like the other Alternities, he uses few ball-joints, instead using pairs of rotational joints. His shoulders can rotate through 360 degrees though his kibble stops them from going all the way back. His shoulders can also pivot back slightly. Inside the shoulders, his arms can fan outwards by about 90degrees. His elbows bend by 90 degrees also, and can fully rotate. He has ball-joints on his wrists, and due to his transformation his wrists can tilt back by 90 degrees into his forearms.

The articulation of his arms isn't too bad but between his shoulders hitting his wings (unless you push his wings back)and his forearm armour colliding with his tyres he lacks range compared to Convoy.

His legs have a ton of articulation. At the hip, they can pivot out until they touch the sides of his chest. They can also swing backwards and forwards on a ratchet joint so stiff that I wasn't even sure it was there. They can swing back by 90 degrees, and forwards until they hit his crotchplate. His knees (which are..um...right below his hips) have three joints which swing forward and back and his kneepads are on another joint. His legs can rotate 360 degrees just below the hips and above the knees. He has more joints at both the top and bottom of his ankles, and his heels and "toes" can be manipulated, a bit like Movie Sideways. Also as part of their transformation his pistols are jointed at the handle, meaning they can tilt up or down a little in his hands.

So yeah, posability wise he has lots of room for crouching, running, and what have you. No complaints there.

Convotron wrote: What would your rough estimate be for the die cast content when you compare Bumble to the hefty Convoy and less hefty Megatron figures?

He doesn't seem to be very die-casty. He feels only slightly heavier than if he were all plastic. I'm no expert but I'd say the die-cast is only in his hips and chassis.
lowman_x wrote:I still say that it looks like he's wearing a big, yellow nappy/diaper. Or maybe it's a loincloth...
Interstingly his Suzuki engine looks like a planned crotchplate but it's covered by the big yellow plate. I wonder if it's an artifact of an earlier design...

kirbenvost wrote: Maybe could you take some more angles of the bot mode? I want to see how it looks with a regular camera as opposed to the previous gallery we saw.


Can do:

Crouching:
Image

Action shot. Shots from above are really unflattering for this figure.
Image

The back kibble in all its glory. I was trying to make it look like he was blowing out the smoke from his pistol but...yeah, Alternity Bumble can put a gun to his own head.
Image

As you can see from the angle of the stuff in the background, he can lean pretty damn far and still balance.
Image
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023607)
Posted by kirbenvost on November 29th, 2009 @ 3:44am CST
Cool, thanks! Darnit, still chubby as heck.

Hmm...I don't suppose there's any way whatsoever to flip or rotate the car hood/codpiece/loincloth/terribleterriblekibble up into the roof area, is there?

I know, grasping at straws, it wouldn't be like Takara to forget a step in the instructions... at least, I'd expect Hasbro to lead stuff out, but not them.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023608)
Posted by Diem on November 29th, 2009 @ 3:53am CST
kirbenvost wrote:Hmm...I don't suppose there's any way whatsoever to flip or rotate the car hood/codpiece/loincloth/terribleterriblekibble up into the roof area, is there?


Only by breaking it off, I'm afraid.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023609)
Posted by kirbenvost on November 29th, 2009 @ 3:55am CST
Hmm. I did some searching around, and found this, take a look at the second pic here:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10096614a5/20/5

Seems there is a way to get the hood farther up in there, but it still doesn't help the barrel chest of course.

Or, it could just be a good angle. #-o
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023613)
Posted by Mykltron on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:21am CST
It looks like his legs are well proportioned, you just can't see his thighs under his skirt.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023615)
Posted by Diem on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:29am CST
kirbenvost wrote:Hmm. I did some searching around, and found this, take a look at the second pic here:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10096614a5/20/5

Seems there is a way to get the hood farther up in there, but it still doesn't help the barrel chest of course.

Or, it could just be a good angle. #-o

Are you talking about the image on the front of the box?

I've tried, but I'm pretty sure the bonnet won't go any further in; the very back of the windscreen is touching the top of the inside of his chest. It's possible that there's something I'm missing: the Suzuki engine has hollows on the back that match up with pegs on his crotch...but to get them to intersect the crotchplate would have to be about a centimetre higher...or his crotch would have to be about a centimetre lower.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023617)
Posted by kirbenvost on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:32am CST
Diem wrote:
kirbenvost wrote:Hmm. I did some searching around, and found this, take a look at the second pic here:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10096614a5/20/5

Seems there is a way to get the hood farther up in there, but it still doesn't help the barrel chest of course.

Or, it could just be a good angle. #-o

Are you talking about the image on the front of the box?

I've tried, but I'm pretty sure the bonnet won't go any further in; the very back of the windscreen is touching the top of the inside of his chest. It's possible that there's something I'm missing: the Suzuki engine has hollows on the back that match up with pegs on his crotch...but to get them to intersect the crotchplate would have to be about a centimetre higher...or his crotch would have to be about a centimetre lower.



Sorry, I meant this one:

Image

It kind of looks like the hood is further up than in your pics, but it could just be the angle. Or it was your first set where he was slightly mistransformed.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023619)
Posted by Diem on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:41am CST
kirbenvost wrote:



Sorry, I meant this one:

Image

It kind of looks like the hood is further up than in your pics, but it could just be the angle. Or it was your first set where he was slightly mistransformed.[/quote]

I've played around with his transformation a bit now, and the bonnet isn't any further up in that picture than on the figure in front of me. Not sure how well that was reflected in my pictures... :?

NB: He is WAY yellower than in either my pictures or the one you posted. He's like a cartoon banana.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023620)
Posted by kirbenvost on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:44am CST
Yeah, I guess it was just the first picture with Black Convoy where the piece seemed to be hanging down lower, sorry for the confusion.

It is weird about the color difference, same with Cliffjumper. They were both more traditional looking before, but the reviews make BB look a paler yellow, and CJ is a darker metallic red, almost maroon.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023623)
Posted by Diem on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:48am CST
kirbenvost wrote:Yeah, I guess it was just the first picture with Black Convoy where the piece seemed to be hanging down lower, sorry for the confusion.

It is weird about the color difference, same with Cliffjumper. They were both more traditional looking before, but the reviews make BB look a paler yellow, and CJ is a darker metallic red, almost maroon.
No problem.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023641)
Posted by Convotron on November 29th, 2009 @ 9:28am CST
Thanks for the extra info and photos, Diem!

Hmm, it seems like the figure has a surprisingly good range of articulation in the legs. I'm surprised it can balance so well on its feet, which don't look so stable at a glance. Very interesting!
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023708)
Posted by Hard Hacker on November 29th, 2009 @ 4:58pm CST
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023738)
Posted by Diem on November 29th, 2009 @ 8:18pm CST
Convotron wrote:Thanks for the extra info and photos, Diem!

Hmm, it seems like the figure has a surprisingly good range of articulation in the legs. I'm surprised it can balance so well on its feet, which don't look so stable at a glance. Very interesting!
He can balance fantastically as long as you fiddle with his feet enough. Image
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023758)
Posted by mandingo_rex on November 29th, 2009 @ 10:30pm CST
Thanks for the review... I know a lot of people don't like his bot mode, but I don't think it's much worse for my taste than Alternator Sunstreaker. That pose is one of my least favorites in the Alternator/Binaltech line, and it's still a great figure.

I'm not familiar with the Alternity line, but I know it's closer to 1:32 or 1:36 instead of the 1:24 scale of the Alternator/Binaltech line. I passed on Prime and Megatron because they were way out of scale for me, and too movie-inspired with the insect-like plating (that's what I see it as, anyway... Maybe it's supposed to be armour scales similar to Samurai gear?)... but I've been wanting an MP/BT/Alt scaled Bumblebee for nearly 5 years now, and as you said, this is probably as close as we're going to get.

Do you have pics of him in scale with say, MP Convoy/Prime or a BT/Alt?

I know that the Alternity guys are irritated that he's as tall as Alternity Prime, but I'm happy for it... It means he's smaller than the BT/Alts, but not even tinier than the previous Alternities, which is what I was afraid of.

Perhaps he's a little closer in scale to the BTs than I originally worried he was... or perhaps not. A reference pic would be much appreciated!
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023789)
Posted by Diem on November 30th, 2009 @ 2:49am CST
mandingo_rex wrote:
I passed on Prime and Megatron because they were way out of scale for me, and too movie-inspired with the insect-like plating (that's what I see it as, anyway... Maybe it's supposed to be armour scales similar to Samurai gear?)...
Up close, they look very detailed, but not movie-like. Megatron is very samurai-esque.

Do you have pics of him in scale with say, MP Convoy/Prime or a BT/Alt?

I don't own any version of MP Prime :sad: I hope this will suffice: Image
Image
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1023793)
Posted by mandingo_rex on November 30th, 2009 @ 3:39am CST
Diem,

Thanks a ton. I guess to an MP he's tiny, but to an Alternator, it's about the right size comparison as in the cartoon? Bee was always a tiny guy in the first place, so I'm not too upset with the scale. It is odd that the car is going to be smaller, but with it being a compact, I guess it will perhaps help the illusion?

Not like I'm keeping him in car mode often, anyway. :)

Thanks for the pics.

And that reminds me, WHY hasn't a third party made a decent Megatron replacement cannon that's not so absurdly scaled in bot mode? We got a chalice for Grimlock and a cape and crown that was in 42 seconds of TF:The Movie, and yet Megatron's cannon is gigantic! :grin:
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1024918)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 4th, 2009 @ 7:56am CST
Diem, excellent work with this.

Would you mind if I requested a picture or two of BB in alt mode next to an Alternator or two in alt mode?

Thanks man.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1024930)
Posted by Diem on December 4th, 2009 @ 8:45am CST
Counterpunch wrote:Diem, excellent work with this.

Would you mind if I requested a picture or two of BB in alt mode next to an Alternator or two in alt mode?

Thanks man.

No problem:

Image
Image
Image

That last picture looks more seedy than I planned...

Hope those helped.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1024938)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 4th, 2009 @ 9:36am CST
Diem wrote:Hope those helped.


They do help.

and complicate my decision making process...
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025018)
Posted by Convotron on December 4th, 2009 @ 2:37pm CST
Counterpunch wrote:
Diem wrote:Hope those helped.


They do help.

and complicate my decision making process...


You've got to get an Alternity Bumble! Every time someone buys an Alternity Bumble or Cliff, an angel gets its wings.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025021)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 4th, 2009 @ 2:48pm CST
Convotron wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:
Diem wrote:Hope those helped.


They do help.

and complicate my decision making process...


You've got to get an Alternity Bumble! Every time someone buys an Alternity Bumble or Cliff, an angel gets its wings.


A fat angel?
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025025)
Posted by kirbenvost on December 4th, 2009 @ 3:03pm CST
Counterpunch wrote:
A fat angel?


Hahaha, wow. Alternity Bumblebee, Fat Angel of Multidimensional Power.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025030)
Posted by Convotron on December 4th, 2009 @ 3:16pm CST
Counterpunch wrote:A fat angel?


Of course! They didn't get fat by walking regularly.

kirbenvost wrote:Hahaha, wow. Alternity Bumblebee, Fat Angel of Multidimensional Power.


It does have back kibble that do resemble wings... :D
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025031)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 4th, 2009 @ 3:17pm CST
Convotron wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:A fat angel?


Of course! They didn't get fat by walking regularly.

kirbenvost wrote:Hahaha, wow. Alternity Bumblebee, Fat Angel of Multidimensional Power.


It does have back kibble that do resemble wings... :D


That's what I was thinkig too...
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025149)
Posted by Diem on December 5th, 2009 @ 4:15am CST
Convotron wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:
Diem wrote:Hope those helped.


They do help.

and complicate my decision making process...


You've got to get an Alternity Bumble! Every time someone buys an Alternity Bumble or Cliff, an angel gets its wings.

I hope someone gets one soon! I'd love to hear the opinion of someone else on this board, and to discuss the figure with 'em.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025298)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 5th, 2009 @ 5:57pm CST
Diem wrote:
Convotron wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:
Diem wrote:Hope those helped.


They do help.

and complicate my decision making process...


You've got to get an Alternity Bumble! Every time someone buys an Alternity Bumble or Cliff, an angel gets its wings.

I hope someone gets one soon! I'd love to hear the opinion of someone else on this board, and to discuss the figure with 'em.


I ordered them, give me a few days and I'll let you know.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025518)
Posted by Flux Convoy on December 6th, 2009 @ 6:06pm CST
I'm waiting on more stuff to come into BBTS before I ship em. The 3rd Encore tape set should be in soonish.
:BOT:
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025552)
Posted by Blurrz on December 6th, 2009 @ 8:41pm CST
Oh dear. I never knew Alternity figures were so small..

Well there goes my pre-orders.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025619)
Posted by Diem on December 7th, 2009 @ 2:08am CST
NB: Alternity Cliff get.

I haven't had a chance to bust him out yet but his red is so, so pretty!

Not very G1ish though.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025646)
Posted by Mykltron on December 7th, 2009 @ 4:30am CST
Blurrz wrote:Oh dear. I never knew Alternity figures were so small..

Well there goes my pre-orders.


How did you miss that? People have complained about that since they were announced!
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1025693)
Posted by Diem on December 7th, 2009 @ 9:58am CST
Okay, so Cliff...his red is beautiful. If Alternity Convoy was this shade of red, I'd have got him instead of the silver version. His function is High Protector, and aside from his awesome headsculpt (on which the lightpiping doesn't work) he's the same. However, his joints are even tighter than Bumble's. It was a real fight to get his legs unfolded.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1026520)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 10th, 2009 @ 1:12pm CST
Hey Diem...

I got the figures today. They rock. I was wrong, but the initial pictures of the toy lied to me. They told me the toys were crappy...

At any rate, you had some discussion here about his hood and getting it to align in. I just wanted to check and make sure that you were able to snap the little engine piece, the one under his hood in bot mode, into the body frame.

It tabs in snuggly, controls the hood piece, and makes the front view of the toy far less apron like. If you've already done/discovered this, just ignore me.

I opened these up at work for big fun. I can't wait to put them in their place with my Alts and Masterpiece figures.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1026525)
Posted by Razorclaw0000 on December 10th, 2009 @ 1:26pm CST
Please let's not have anymore glowing reviews of Alternity Bumble and Cliff. I was hoping I could just pretend Alternity never happened and save money by not buying any.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1026623)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 10th, 2009 @ 8:13pm CST
Razorclaw0000 wrote:Please let's not have anymore glowing reviews of Alternity Bumble and Cliff. I was hoping I could just pretend Alternity never happened and save money by not buying any.


No more reviews...just pics:

Click to enlarge.
Image

Image

The figures don't really photograph well... It's a shame, but if I have any credit to what I say here, trust me that they are good, fun toys.
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1026627)
Posted by Razorclaw0000 on December 10th, 2009 @ 8:22pm CST
Counterpunch wrote:The figures don't really photograph well... It's a shame, but if I have any credit to what I say here, trust me that they are good, fun toys.


They look really natural in with the Alts and BTs. You keep doing this to me CP!
Re: Transformers Alternity Bumblebee Toy Review (1026628)
Posted by Counterpunch on December 10th, 2009 @ 8:27pm CST
Razorclaw0000 wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:The figures don't really photograph well... It's a shame, but if I have any credit to what I say here, trust me that they are good, fun toys.


They look really natural in with the Alts and BTs. You keep doing this to me CP!


I do. I really do.

These guys are actually in scale to the other Alts when in bot mode. Vehicle mode, not so much, but they are of similar scale to the G1 cars and mini-cars.

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