UniqueToys - Allen (Springer)

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by icemanff23, Aug 11, 2016.

  1. Squall42080

    Squall42080 Autobot RSX Type-S

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    I would agree with that assessment. When I ordered this thing, I guess I didn't believe just hog and full of plastic he would be. The fact that I got him for $45 before shipping is downright ridiculous considering a hollow Hasbro Deluxe is $16.99.

    Allen is chock full of material. Incredibly solid. Feels premium. The transformation is amazingly smooth considering the complexity of all three modes. I would rank him as one of the most fun figures I've ever purchased in a long time!

    I think everyone has some minor nitpicks here and there, but definitely the best Springer out there currently in my opinion. Just incredibly premium. For $45 out of the box, you can whatever to make him feel more "premium". What are you losing?

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  2. pezley

    pezley Well-Known Member

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    Oh there's certainly no lack of quality with Allen. It's just a shame he is %90 of the way there to being perfect. The scultp, transformation etc are great but just a shame the colours make him look less than he should be
     
  3. cj37a

    cj37a Well-Known Member

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    He is pretty good. I got mine on clearance. 1 to paint and play with and one to keep as is.
     
  4. Starganderfish

    Starganderfish Well-Known Member

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    I received Allen yesterday from TaoBao. He's my car mode Springer. Open and Play Big Spring is going to be chopper mode, and XTB Virtus will be bot mode.
    First impressions of Allen where about what I expected - Nice and solid, good posability, decent finish - absolutely butt-ugly design and sculpt - at least for bot mode. He's just so fat and puffy. Big clown feet, fat thighs, fat forearms.
    Really don't get all those folks who rave about his looks and how he's "close to perfect". He's great as a $60 toy but not up to snuff as an MP design - at least looks wise. I said it from the first photo's and I feel the same now that I've got it in hand, he's like a Fisher Price toy.
    Transformation was horrible - but I peg that up almost entirely to the abysmal video from Toy Dojo that I watched for transformation. Stupidly enough, almost every other video went from vehicle mode to bot mode, even though the figure cmes packaged in bot mode!! Toy Dojo at least started in bot mode, but the guy honestly had no idea what he was doing and four or five times had to go back and correct mistakes. Super frustrating.
    I have Allen in car mode now and he's pretty good for that. There's a few little things I don't like - the rear end is pretty opren and gappy, the front wheel arch bits don;t ppeg ibn to anything so flop around. I also had to unscrew that horrible cheap looking port on the roof for the chopper blades. It;s bad enough that it's so big and plasticy and pokes out of the roof, but I really don;t get why they did it in that brigh tlime green plastic, instead of at least matching it to the colour of the vehicles roof. Fortunately, he's a car mode only option and it unscrews really easily, so it's been removed.

    I know this probably sounds pretty negative on the figure, but that's kind of how he feels to me. He's okay, for a cheap and nasty effort, but compared to the other versions we've had since, he just doesn't hold up. Especially given how well a figure like Open and Play Big Spring fills that same cheap MP niche.

    He'll do for a vehicle mode copy (bloody triple changers make collecting bot and alt modes really expensive) but I just can't see him in a purely bot mode collection for me.
     
  5. GR1ML0CK

    GR1ML0CK Dinobot Commander

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    I disagree
     
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  6. Starganderfish

    Starganderfish Well-Known Member

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    Absolutely. My opinion is very particular to me. Glad others like Allen and glad there are heaps of other Springers out there so we can all find something we like. And Allen does work reasonably well for me as a car mode. so he does have some place in my collection.
    I just feel that FT and Open Play have done Springer a lot better and I'm reaosnably confident that XTB's and MMC's will hit the spot better for me as well.
    Oh well, it's not all bad - at least he's better than Toyworlds!!
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Rodimus Mike

    Rodimus Mike MP & TF Collector

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    I think even tho Allen is as close to perfection as you can get,but there is something that keeps me from classifying him as a masterpiece,not sure why but just his look for me screams Classic,and so the two problems with that is this:

    1.his size is spot-on to fit in with MP but not his overall look.
    2.he is basically too big to fit in with Classics except for maybe Voyager or Leader Class.

    So in my case since he fits neither for me he is now classified as a stand-alone figure.
     
  8. backhawkdown

    backhawkdown Well-Known Member

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    Allen is a fun toy that I got a lot of mileage out of “playing” with, but once I figured out Apache’s transformation I was comfortable selling him off.
     
  9. cj37a

    cj37a Well-Known Member

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    They are all winners. Fans toys and open play win for G1 anime. I classify my two Allens to Marvel and guilty big bot pleasure category. The only Springers I don't own in the MP scale category is the Toyworld one. MMC looks really good but I think I got too many Springers now lol...

    I'm getting MMCs too aren't I.....
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
  10. Starganderfish

    Starganderfish Well-Known Member

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    The problem for me is his chub. Look at the photo above with all four Springers side by side.
    Cut it off at the waist and look at their lower legs. Allen’s lowers legs and feet are twice the size of any others.
    Now compare torso to torso on all four. Again, Allen’s chest and stomach is far wider than any others.
    He crotch is massive. The head is massive.

    He just feel huge and out of proportion. It’s the Fisher Price look - big and rounded and “inflatable looking”
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    What he does have going for him though is the Season 3/movie Floro Dery rounded limbs. Almost the only MP movie era bot that really pulls off the fluid rounded proportions. Shame the dimensions are so off.
    He’s too puffy to even be a Dreamwave bot!!!
    All good though. We all like what we like.
     
  11. cj37a

    cj37a Well-Known Member

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    Are you done or do you want to post a couple of more times how he looks like a Fisher Price baby toy over and over.
     
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  12. Rodimus Mike

    Rodimus Mike MP & TF Collector

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    Now since UniqueToys has done both Sandstorm and Springer isn't it about time they completed the set with Broadside,technically during G1 I always felt Broady was my favorite triplechanger even tho he was more of a brick than the rest of them,but his 3 modes were all great from robot to aircraft carrier to jet.I don't know why companies haven't done him yet,surely he has somewhat of a fanbase.
     
  13. BIOMEC

    BIOMEC Terrorcon, aka "Ratchetman"

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    What about MP complexity?
     
  14. Starganderfish

    Starganderfish Well-Known Member

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    Or alternatively you could allow other people to express opinions and discuss the pro's and cons of a figure, what with this being.. oh... I don't know... a discussion forum?

    We were actually having a pleasant discussion where various people were talking about what they liked and didn't like about the figure. There was no animosity, no finger-pointing or fan rage... at least until you decided to pipe up. It must be awfully cold and lonely in your little world where no-one elses opinion matters and anyone who disagree's with you has to be attacked.
    Feel free to leave if you can't play nice, and please don't let the door hit you on the way out.
     
  15. Rewind

    Rewind Swoosh!

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    This thread bump reminded me that I hadn’t put Allen out on display yet since my move. Just fixed that, and his big green beautiful presence was exactly what my shelf was missing. Took some time to transform him again too and fell in love all over again. Such a phenomenal design and so satisfyingly chunky and robust. I think his beefy, rotund nature is part of what draws me to him as I’m not typically a Springer guy. But this one...this one I just want to hug.
     
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  16. GR1ML0CK

    GR1ML0CK Dinobot Commander

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    Allen is great. Apache cant even move his arms. If only allen was a better green. No matter! With reprolabels he is beyond awesome
     
  17. GR1ML0CK

    GR1ML0CK Dinobot Commander

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    Allen don’t!!But Allen had had enough lol F4254213-1AA8-4C7C-BF9F-2309BB36E8FB.jpeg CC6E7E26-976F-4105-BA1A-35718536A03B.jpeg F86521A6-46E4-49D1-860C-BDD8A6370F8B.jpeg
     
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  18. cj37a

    cj37a Well-Known Member

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  19. Rewind

    Rewind Swoosh!

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    Allen enjoys transforming his buddy Carry.

    39D32BE9-8A7C-40C6-B00A-8828D5ABB156.jpeg

    They’ve got the touch.

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  20. Max Tower

    Max Tower Well-Known Member

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    Allan is nice enough I might have to sand him a bit in some spots before i'd feel comfortable playing with him - he's got some over tight pieces i'm concerned will snap off. Not a huge deal He's not much fun to Transform anyway.

    I just got Toyworld's version (dirt cheap and a free display base isn't bad) he's also hugely heavy with a load of diecast metal.
    I wanted him for his Studio Ox looks. He's actually pretty smooth to Transform to - surprisingly so. Shoulders are a little weird though, and he does have clip-on wheels and a lack of weapon storage. But nice enough.

    I'll likely pick up the Open and Play one as well before to long.