The newer Bumblebee just looks like a remold of the first release. Like the movie ones that used past versions parts.

 

Review: Arcee


Review: Bumblebee

 

i could be remembering this wrong, but as i recall it Hasbro was originailly going to release the "preview wave" of Prime in Generations packaging pre-DOTM, then changed it to the "First Wave" Prime packaging and kicking i tout to the end of the year. We saw Wal-Mart listings for the first wave like summer '10 and they were mixed in with Generations, and then i thought Hasbro confirmed that they changed plans at a convention panel... So theoretically these molds are coming out near a year "late" from the original plan.

 

Yeah, now that you spell it out like that, I do vaguely remember new Bumblebee & Cliffjumper listings in particular that everyone got excited about. So that could be the case. But I also thought once we got the WFC BB/CJ figures, that THOSE were the mysterious listings we all thought might be new Classics versions of the characters. I dunno... it feels like forever ago.

 

Yeah, Bumblebee, Arcee, Starscream, and Cliffjumper were originally going to be in generations, we even got listings for them. People were going nuts seeing Generations Arcee announced until we got clarification on that.

The listings for the preview wave in Generations came long after the WFC guys, too,

 

Since they were still available I bit the bullet and ordered a set with my 1/2 price groupons. I figured if this is the same mold as "first wave" BB but different from RiD BB I'll just skip "first wave." Might still get the blue Arcee though.

 

These pics actually make me change my mind on wheather I want this set or not.

What to do...

 

Would Bumblebee be a nice fit among Classics, or is the show aesthetic far too contrasting from the classic lines?

 

Here's my mini-review:

The set: Awesome packaging, and luckily, they don't make you rip it open to get at the figures. I haven't really touched the human figures, but the paint job seems to be good.

Arcee: What a GREAT mold! This is an awesome figure. The bike mode could be a little slimmer, but the bot mode is basically flawless. However, the paint job is soooo lame. No, the paint job is good, but the colors are terrible. The pink is so light that it might as well be eggshell white. I will be getting another Arcee in her normal colors later this year for sure. Poseability is great, and she looks awesome. The wheel hanging off her back isn't accurate, but it doesn't matter cause everything else is great. I especially love how the legs and chest transform. Overall it's just the colors that suck.

BB: The deco on the car mode is really fun. As I am a NYC native (and still living here) it's great   Transformation is fun, although unhooking the doors is sometimes a bit of a problem. Bot mode is cute and well articulated, but I'm not a big fan of this BB design in general. After getting such an awesome BB in the movies, this one seems like just a poorly-proportioned and less detailed version. I like the head mold a lot though, and the chest is cool. His legs are way too skinny and not long enough, with most of the bulk being in the lower legs, which I don't like. But it's a decent representation of the character. Recommended if you like the TFPrime design.

Overall I'd say if you can get over Arcee's colors and BB's slightly odd proportions, GET IT! In fact, get TWO (like I did!) so that you can keep one in the awesome package!

 

This is actually a pretty decent Bumblebee, certainly better than some of the movie versions, but he's no Battle Blades. Most of my problems with this toy come from the pieces that make up the chest area. The sides don't really hook on all that securely and even just moving the shoulders around is often enough to dislodge them. And those bumper sections that are supposed to move down are just ridiculous. I ruined a perfectly good boxcutter trying to pry the damn things open and the rivets won't even budge downward. How did they mess that up?

As for Arcee, well.....I really wanted to like this toy but it seems like a pretty big step down from Animated Arcee. She looks okay from the front but starts to look especially weird from the side when you realize how far back her torso extends. Barely anything in robot mode locks into place in any meaningful way, and that motorcycle kibble on her back is very obtrusive and blocks her shoulders. And she could've benefited from some kind of foot poseability. I like that the bike mode is pretty solid and there's a reasonable amount of articulation for the robot, but I would love for HasTak to give this character another try somewhere down the road and hopefully get her more on-model.

 

I think you are a little over critical on Arcee. I think she is great compared to the POS that is ROTF Arcee. She isnt anything like the third party or animated but decent as a cycle former.

 

Holy shit, Bumblebee has an amazing transformation. I love the way his front wheels form his shoulders and his robot mode is nicely stylized. I do have some minor stability problems with the figure on robot mode, but nothing I can't fix.

Bumblebee is definitely the stronger of the two for me. Arcee is nice, but her transformation is predictable and too simplistic. If she did more to minimize kibble she would be much nicer. I wish each wheel went into a heel, that would cut down on her back kibble and give everything else more room to maneuver into a clean position.

 

Yeah but then you would have these MASSIVE wheels for feet. I like how they try to minimize one wheel by halving it into each ankle.

 

So the pink on Arcee is not a 'loud' pink. My wife is a big Arcee fan so I probably need to get me 2 of her... 

 

Yeah the pink is very subtle. I was hoping for a much stronger pink or even a reddish pink like Animated Arcee, but if you want a very light pink then this one is for you.

I also disagree that Arcee's transformation is "simplistic". I think it's the most enjoyable transformation for a biker bot that I've seen so far. Kibble, like I said, is literally just the wheel on the back. C'mon man that's not bad at all!

 

So a pastel pink then? I don't think my wife will mind as long as she's pink...  I'll have to get one for me too. Hopefully these sell good enough to warrant a proper Classics Arcee down the line.

 

RotF Arcee makes EVERY other toy feel good about themselves.

The more I think about it, they'll probably never give Prime Arcee a version 2 because it seems like the design has problems the engineers can't solve. The arms, for instance, have to be completely hidden in bike mode because there's no way they can disguise themselves as bike pieces unless they add some kibble to them. The engineers used the wings to cover up the arms, but the end result is that her wings aren't accurately placed or sized. Also, the show has her with one wheel lodged in her back, so if they're aspiring for accuracy then there probably isn't any other place that her handlebars and windshield could go but where they are. (Still, I think they could've put the handlebars on swivels so they could at least get out of the way more. Or possibly made the wheel go further into her back)

 

I was thinking that the wheels could be stuffed inside her shin pieces, kind of like it looks like they are anyway. Without as much stuff on her back, they could have found a way to hinge her "wings" onto her back.

 

I've got myself a set on HTS. I've always wanted a pink bike Arcee ever since the pink and white 2007 movie version at Wonderfest. 'Course I ain't paying a lot to get that one so this is the next best thing. Can't wait to get it in my hands!

 

i would like to get this piece of Arcee due to her homage pink color
it looks great in vehicle mode, but not so nice in robot mode