The "Transformers" series, launched by the internationally renowned toy manufacturer "Hasbro," can be described as the most widely recognized evergreen in the transforming robot world. Since the premiere of the G1 original cartoon in 1984, it has captivated audiences worldwide for forty years. The innocent and youthful fans of yesteryear have, without realizing it, become adults who have weathered many storms. Do you still remember the pure excitement you felt as a child, watching the cartoon on TV while playing with your toys?
▼Transformers' 40th Anniversary is about to make a grand arrival. Are all you toy enthusiasts ready?
Fortunately, though time flies, toys ultimately grow and evolve with us. The "Generations" series, which boasts remaking classic characters with new technology, is a magnificent boon for veteran collectors. From the key G1 characters of the past to popular figures from various stories and universes, the new sub-series of Generations—"Legacy United"—not only includes many well-known Transformers from yesteryear but also features refreshed interpretations that, while paying homage, warm the hearts of many old fans with their designs and mechanisms. That overflowing sense of nostalgia will undoubtedly allow veteran collectors to rediscover that pure excitement!
▼The Legacy United promotional poster released by Hasbro's official channels clearly showcases the wide array of characters included!
▼The stars of this unboxing include one Core Class figure, three Deluxe Class figures, two Voyager Class figures, one Leader Class figure, and a Generations Selects five-figure pack!
▼"Cheetor," the passionate warrior from the Maximals faction, recreates his tall, slender, and unique appearance from the "Beast Machines" era in a miniature Core Class size. He can freely transform between robot and mechanical cheetah modes and comes with his dedicated twin blades.
▼The weapons can be stored on his shoulders, held as twin blades, or combined to form a spinning quick blade.
▼Cheetah mode. Although articulation is limited by the Core Class size, the compact design is unexpectedly adorable.
▼"Cyberverse Universe Chromia," a formidable female Autobot warrior and close friend of Windblade. This figure utilizes a retool and repaint of the previously released "Animated Universe Prowl". She can transform from robot to heavy motorcycle, and the three-bladed shuriken stored on her wheel can also be held as a weapon.
▼The articulation is virtually identical to the original Prowl mold, allowing for cool dynamic poses with ease.
▼Vehicle mode, with a sky-blue main body paired with burgundy transparent parts, creating a very beautiful color combination.
▼"G1 Universe Gears," based on the Mini-Bot of the same name from the original G1, is a strong and powerful Autobot warrior who is always complaining. This figure features a new mold design and retooling, faithfully recreating his truck and robot modes, and also reproduces the chest-opening mechanism seen in the animation, making it a truly homage-filled Easter egg.
▼The sculpt truly and faithfully recreates the G1 aesthetic.
▼The opening and closing mechanism on the chest is truly a thoughtful design for veteran fans.
▼In vehicle mode, the transformation structure is clean and streamlined, making it very suitable for new collectors to explore and try out!
▼Incidentally, all four wheels of the gear can be folded and stored under the vehicle, transforming it into a hover truck mode!
▼“Shard (Infernac Universe)” (Infernac Universe Shard), one of the original Armorizers from the Legacy series, is covered in a dazzling and enchanting Death Crystal shell. It can transform from robot to helicopter mode, and can also break down into smaller mineral components, using 5mm pegs to enhance the weaponry and firepower of other characters.
▼The yellow and green color scheme, combined with the mineral-shaped armor, truly makes the Armorizers from the Legacy series incredibly distinctive.
▼Both the eyes and chest utilize transparent parts; the former can achieve a glowing eye effect when light is cast at the appropriate angle.
▼The articulation is also considered above average. With various weapon combinations, clever toy enthusiasts like yourselves will surely discover even more diverse and cooler ways to play.
▼In helicopter mode, this shell, which seems to combine a chameleon and rock, is truly fascinating.
▼Next, there's a third transformation – as an Armorizer, it's perfectly logical for it to break down into multiple weapon components.
▼The examples shown in the instructions: want more powerful firepower and explosive gear? Then it's up to the players' brainstorming!
▼“Starscream (Cybertron Universe)” (Cybertron Universe Starscream, see Note 1 below), the Decepticons (Decepticons/デストロン) Air Commander and second-in-command under Master Megatron (Master Megatron/マスターメガトロン), often dreams of usurping the Decepticon leader's position. This Legacy series version is an entirely new mold, utilizing the Voyager Class medium size to faithfully recreate both the robot and jet modes from the animation. It comes with a rifle, his signature Null Cannons, and recreates the essential Cyber Key (Cyber Key/フォースチップ) from the Cybertron series.
Note 1: The Japanese title is トランスフォーマー ギャラクシーフォース/Transformer: Galaxy Force, while the American title is Transformers: Cybertron. This article uses the name "銀河之力" (Galaxy Force), which is more familiar to Taiwanese players.
▼The sculpt not only recreates its appearance from the original animation but also enhances it with a modern aesthetic. Both its physique and details are exceptionally elegant.
▼The Cyber Key, made of transparent material, can be inserted into its back or attached to the rear of the rifle. While it doesn't possess the functionality of the original toy, its inclusion in this release is quite a thoughtful gesture.
▼The Voyager Class articulation is, naturally, beyond reproach. No matter which weapon is used, no matter how it's posed, it's simply cool.
▼In vehicle mode, it once again recreates the alien jet design from the original animation.
▼Besides being stored under the twin tailfins, the rifle can also be stowed directly beneath the fuselage, as shown in the image below.
▼“Silverbolt (Beast Wars Universe, see Note 2 below)” (Beast Wars Universe Silverbolt), a noble warrior of the Maximals with a chivalrous spirit, adopts a winged grey wolf as his Earth beast mode and shares an unbreakable bond with Blackarachnia from the opposing faction. This Legacy series release is arguably a long-awaited new interpretation for Beast Wars fans, utilizing today's most advanced technology to faithfully recreate Silverbolt's robot and winged wolf modes from the animation. Playing with it is truly an exhilarating experience.
Note 2: Beast Wars is now often translated as "野獸大戰" (Beast Wars), but this article uses "百變金剛" (Beast Wars), the title used during its broadcast in Taiwan.
▼Robot mode, highly restores and recreates Silverbolt's character image from the animation.
▼Both wings and back feature gradient spray painting, resulting in a fantastic texture!
▼Articulation is, of course, excellent, and posing with the wings for flight is absolutely superb.
▼Beast mode - Winged Silverbolt mode.
▼The temporomandibular joint of the wolf head's lower jaw is articulated.
▼By slightly loosening the limb pegs, articulation can be further unleashed. Beast fans definitely shouldn't miss this Silverbolt!
▼"Sandstorm (G1 Triple Changer)", named after the G1 character, one of the Autobots' famous Triple Changers, capable of freely transforming between robot, dune buggy, and rescue helicopter modes. This Legacy United version adopts the large Commander Class size, faithfully recreating Sandstorm's most original and classic triple-changing design.
▼This time, the head sculpt features the original toy's masked face, rather than the animation's unmasked face. Its angular, blocky silhouette exudes that classic G1 charm.
▼Included is a rescue capture cage, complete with a simple pulley design, and the cable can actually be extended, greatly enhancing the playability of this accessory.
▼Articulation is upper-mid tier, making it suitable for a wide range of dynamic and static poses.
▼First vehicle mode - Dune Buggy form. The outer cage frame, introduced earlier, seamlessly integrates into the rear of the vehicle, truly a brilliant design. Additionally, all four tires are made of rubber, providing a distinct tactile feel.
▼Second vehicle mode - Helicopter mode. Doesn't the round, plump nose look absolutely adorable?
▼The transformation process from dune buggy to helicopter is full of ingenious ideas and intricate flipping designs. All toy enthusiasts are highly encouraged to experience it firsthand!
▼Generations Selects "Autobots Stand United" five-pack.
▼The outer packaging features a consistent design, with the names of the five included characters visible on the sticker.
▼"Jazz", the Autobot lieutenant who accompanied Optimus Prime aboard the Ark, with a passion for Earth culture and music. This five-pack utilizes a repaint of the Studio Series 86 version, aiming to recreate his clean and powerful animated appearance.
▼Vehicle mode, strongly resembling a Porsche 935 Turbo. The windows have all been modified to a more cartoon-accurate light blue opaque version, and the body decals selectively reproduce the look from the original animation. However, I believe fans would be even happier if the "14" on the car door were reverted to the original "4".
▼"Sunstreaker", an Autobot warrior with a strong narcissistic tendency, who greatly cherishes his vehicle's paintwork. This five-pack utilizes a repaint of the Earthrise version, and includes an additional rifle as a weapon.
▼Due to the animation-style window paint, the car roof is no longer a transparent part, thus successfully avoiding the awkward color difference issue from the previous release. It's definitely worth acquiring again!
▼"Trailbreaker", a G1 tactician skilled at using humor to encourage comrades, capable of generating powerful electromagnetic fields to form a strong protective barrier. This is also a repaint from the Earthrise version, with the main body changed to a carbon gray that is closer to the original cartoon.
▼The vehicle is also a 4x4 camper van, and the red, orange, and yellow racing stripes on the rear are faithfully reproduced with printing.
▼"Wheeljack," the brilliant Autobot inventor and scientist, who always comes up with new gadgets when everyone is in trouble (hmm?). This time, it's also a recolor and repaint based on the Earthrise version, restoring the animated appearance and color scheme, and includes the rifle that was previously missing.
▼In vehicle mode, it also pays homage to the Lancia Stratos Turbo rally car, but the car's number retains the Earthrise 638, instead of the original 539, and the various sponsor logos on the original car have been removed to restore the animated style.
▼"Hound," the nature-loving Autobot scout, specializing in holographic projection and reconnaissance technology. This Hound in the five-pack is highly anticipated by core veteran players; after a long wait, we finally have this Earth Mode Hound, modified from the Siege version. His signature rocket launcher and holographic projection gun are also thoughtfully reproduced—it would be a disservice to oneself not to get him.
▼Faithfully recreating the classic Jeep form! The details on the front of the vehicle are especially worth savoring.
▼"Autobots, unite, one in spirit!"
And that concludes this Transformers unboxing report. As a long-time Transformers fan, to see so many childhood memories faithfully recreated and reinterpreted, and to know there are so many other players like myself eagerly anticipating whether a particular character will get a new mold or remake, this feeling is truly wonderful. In any case, let's all cherish this sentiment. See you in the next unboxing report!