I'd be lying if I said that I went crazy over Spinister, the next Transformers exclusive from Botcon 2012. I didn't care about the G1 character back then, I don't see why I should care now; sans it being another toy for my Classics collection.*This figure came packaged with Octopunch and offered as an add-on souvenir package. Here's the review. Spinister Alt Mode: Spinister is a repaint of Transformers Hunt for the Decepticons Tomahawk/Transformers Dark of the Moon Vortex. Compared to Botcon's Darkmount and Octopunch repaints, Spinister has a few significant pieces of deco on its alt mode. There are a few nice tampographed designs as well as a new areas of paint application. Though it doesn't look like the G1 Spinister, I can live with it being an homage. I also want to mention that the blades use*grey sparkly plastic. Robot Mode: Many people in America missed their chance at getting their hands on the alternate head*used on the Japanese Exclusive Vortex. Botcon saved some molding money by simply reusing this head for Spinister. Great idea... but what lazy production. How can they justify the expensive cost of this figure if there isn't anything special about it? The colors look pretty nice, but they're a little too bright for Spinister. Instead of looking like a Classics rendition of a G1 toy, it looks more like a hybrid G2 one. What's the deal? My figure has a fairly loose left-wing that tightened up after I ran it over a lighter's flame a few times. Overall: Anyone else here not really care about Spinister? In all of Transformers fiction, I haven't seen the guy do anything cool. He was even a thumb sucker in the con comic. Besides this being a character that is just balls, it's repainted from a mold that I don't really like too much. While I like the direction FunPub took to use that alternate head, I think the cost of production should then be lowered. Though I marginally like the colors, I can't say that it's worth the price I paid for it. For more pictures, The Rabbit Haul
Yes, cool pics! I hope he looks better to me once I get him in hand. A new head in a upgrade kit down the line for he or Vortex for differentially between the two could be a cool idea.
I must be in the minority in that I like Spinister as a character. However this particular toy doesn't do much for me; I think it's the neon color palette; had it been more muted I would've been all over this guy. I had held out hope that this was going to be one of the 40 Generations figures next year, since it would've been rather easy to produce, but perhaps not.
The Vortex remold for me, works in a Movieverse toy for G1 fans kinda way. As others have said - particularly when a more G1 accurate Vortex head got a 3rd party release, that just makes things like the legs stand out as overtly not G1/Classics, and here on Spinister, that part is in bright pink for all to see lol. Not that I have anything against any colour, but it is right on the cusp of G2 styling. I don't own this mold in any form yet - I really wanted to like this enough to get it - and I'm not yet sure if I will. My question is, do the arms mostly stay hidden inside the altmode? No use crying over spilt milk, but if the arms were hiddne like that, they at least could have been pink instead of the legs, if not the torso, which for this mold at least would look a bit jarring in helicopter mode. If solid colour on the arms was too much, they could've tried something like tatoos/the tribal flame pattern on RTS Tracks. Oh well.
If the shade of pink was close to the pinky purple of Lilformers Ratbat in your avatar pic, I think a few more fans would be into this - or the deco at least.
He was an okay character in the Marvel U.K. comics but his personality was kinda generic. His color scheme is only a touch brighter than his G1 toy. The only reason he has pink legs is because the cockpit is now his chest. And he had to have some pink on him. He gets a head that was only previously seen on a Japanese toy - that makes him special. Not every mold can get a new head so best to use a lesser seen head. The head wasn't designed to be Vortex's, it was just some random head they made when doing Tomahawk. The choice to repaint Tomahawk into Vortex using the second head would have come later.
This guy is nice addition and all... but the colors make me think of Seacon Snaptrap. I want it... but part of me doesn't care if I don't ever get one.
Spinister is actually awesome. Maybe it didn't make an impression on everyone but I loved his role in the US comics trying to bring Thunderwing back to sanity (and failing, of course). He's a good example of a "reasonable" Decepticon. For me, just being Thunderwing's only canonical lieutenant (and a member of the Mayhem Attack Squad) is a reason to want him. And of course it's a great figure...who would snub more Classic Decepticons? Plus, MasterShooter is already making his Targetmasters. He really should have had a new head (he loos like Optimus Prime as a ninja) but this one is colored right and works fine.
Alright. I rarely post any more but I'm gonna jump in and cast my vote for "Botcon Spinister is awesome." Spinister and Ransack (G2) were my favorite TF's of all the ones I had as a kid. I've always loved helicopters, and Spinister got so much play time back in the 80's/90's. Ever since they announced the universe line like a decade a go (has it really been that long?), I've wished, waited an wondered what 'copter bot would get the universe/classics treatment as Spinister. And now we have it. There are a few other 'copter bot molds that may been a better/bigger choice (movie blackout, DotM Skyhammer, even G2 Rotorstorm), but I'm not complaining about the Tomahawk mold. I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of my new Spinister. Now if they'd just do a universe/classics G2 Ransack, I might have a transformers nerdgasm.
I am glad I am not the only one. Yeah...I love Spinister as a character, but this mold does nothing for him. Initially I thought he was alright, but after seeing these pics, he ended up becoming "meh" to me. Not terrible...just....ehh....
I didn't much like the Tomahawk mold either, yet it looked good in pictures. Springer will be repainted from this mold too as an Asian Exclusive later in the year.
Yeah, but that guy was 'Spinister' in name only. Unless the bot is painted purple, pink and teal to match my sister's Caboodle, it ain't Spinister. For clarification on the Caboodle reference for anyone not alive in the 80s: Fourth Grade Nothing: Caboodles '80s Plastic Makeup Case Kit Sorry, should have clarified. Spinister and Ransack were my two favorites. But Spinister usually won out as 'the favorite' because of my fascination with his helicopter alt mode. (Consequently I now have a whole shelf of my collection dedicated to helicopters) I just thought Ransack was cool b/c of the WWII fighter plane alt mode.
Got Spinister and my other exclusives. Haven't actually done anything with him yet aside of getting him out of the baggie. But... did anybody notice his character art on the bio card? He was drawn with Vortex's mechtech rifle.
I like Spinister...but he really needs at least one Targetmaster. I didn't bother looking at a lot of the pics when they were first released of the Botcon exclusives, but when I heard he would be made from the Tomahawk mold I knew I wanted him. Imagine my surprise when I opened him up (last night) and saw the Vortex head! You are right on several points. It's not the best figure and the colors are a little bright, but I give Fun Pub a nod for what they were aiming to do w/ this character/figure.
