PowerCoreCombiners: Darkstream and Razorbeam

Repaints sometimes make or break figures. The third wave of Power Core Combiners turns out to be the repaint wave. Since I'd like to think of my self as a faction-pure collector, getting Darkstream and Razorbeam would 1. Give me a chance at getting another minicon that turns to a weapon 2. Give me a chance to get another Decepticon flyer.

Darkstream and Razorbeam are packaged in the standard PCC 2-pack cardback packaging.



The back contains a little bio on the toy you're buying.



For a Decepticon, Darkstream comes in bright colors. His alt mode is a nice, compact, sleek and quite solidly build jet.



The color scheme masks it but Darkstream's jet mode resembles the Firefox jet in the old Clint Eastwood movie. (dang I'm showing my age!)



Inspite of his scout-class size, Darkstream's jet mode has a 3-point retractable landing gear under him. Consider this as major plus points for something of his size.



The jet mode is undoubtedly very sleek. There are no visible weapons molded on the jet's body. I'd say this jet is a perfect toy for anyone who still picks his toys and zooms them around (whethere in private or not).



Talking about weapons, Razorbeam has a vehicle weapon mode which can mount on top of Darkstream via minicon peg. So much for the sleek fighter design....



Darkstream's transformation is quite reminiscent of VF-1 toys: 1. The legs are connected to a "T" swingbar that locks to the nose of the jet 2. The nose of the jet forms the crotch of the robot 3. The body of the jet breaks in half to reveal the head. 4. The arms fold to the rear of the jet. Well, because of all that, YES, Darkstream does have a GERWALK mode!



You'll need to deploy the blue combiner pegs to act as extended heel support to make him stand properly.



Finally we have Darkstream and Razorbeam's robot mode.



Darkstream has a decent level of articulation which is quite common for recent scout class figures. He's got knees, double jointed elbows and elbow swivel thanks to a ball joint.



Quite unfortunate though that his face isn't painted as well as other PCC's. His scheme makes him look like he's wearing Hitler's mustache.



Now comes the bad part. Darkstream comes in red molded plastic. The major gripe here is that the red molded plastic resembles those found in cheap KO TF's you find in flea markets! The proof? Stress marks formed on his knees around the area of his ball joints.

KO red plastic? Major deduction in score!


If that wasn't enough, here's the second major whammy -- He CAN NOT weild Razorbeam in axe mode! That's why we've never seen Darkstream weilding Razorbeam!



Since he can't grasp his minicon partner, the only way to store him is to peg him to the only minicon port he has.



The mold Darkstream originally came from in Wave 1 was a 5-pack Commander. Hence, he doesn't have any minicon port on his chest. It's not as bad as not being able to hold Razorbeam in axe mode but Razorbeam's armor mode is relegated to just being a backpack of Darkstream.



It turns out that Darkstream's fist holes aren't the ones with the problem -- it's the way Razorbeam's axe handle was designed. Darkstream can actually hold any weapon using the standard 5mm peg. Unfortunately, his head can't swivel so I can't do a proper pose with him and a rifle.



At this point I can simply close the review and say that Darkstream and Razorbeam is 3 out of 5 at the most. The 2 deductions coming from this inability to hold the minicon in axe mode and the kind of plastic used on him. We still have to tackle the torso mode though.....



People have been saying that there's this trend that Decepticons have been starting to have Autobot colors and that Autobots have started being more agressive -- a kind of Shattered Glass trend in toy design. Darkstream is a good example of this. With a face like this and all those red with orange trim, would you think he's a Decepticon?



Redemption comes in the form of Darkstream with the Destructicons.



For some strange reason, Darkstream looks darn good with the Destructicon limbs. Mudslinger has definitely been ousted as team leader for this group.



Articulation in combined mode is limited to shoulder swivel and a limited range of movement on his thighs and knees. The drones hang on nice and tight -- no need to use nail polish or freeze the joints to make them stick.



I was ready to toss aside Darkstream and Razorbeam and write them off as a waste of money....until I combined them with the Destructicons. They're now staying in this mode and right with the rest of my PCC combiners.



Because of his combiner core mode, he's getting a 4 out of 5 from me.

****




Bonus pics:

With Crankcase and the Destrons:


With the rest of the Decepticon PCC's:

I have to say that it was such a flaw on Hasbro's part to not retool his arm pegs. He is shown in the instruction to hold the axe. That's false advertisement isn't it.

Nevertheless, I do have him, I think he looks great, right now, I have him with 2 combaticon set mix.I will try the destructicons once I get the next set of extra drones!

The color scheme is awesome. I plan on getting him sometime down the road. I think I'll mod Razorbeam by shaving down the handle, so Darkstream can hold him.

His head should rotate, it does on the original, it's just difficult to move because of the surrounding plastic

Wow, with the destructicons he looks, brilliant! OK, time toget Mudslinger...

He's also the only two-peg package in Wave 3 to have an accurate colour for the minicon. The Backwind and Caliburst repaints look nothing like what they look like on the box. I noted your Caliburst repaint was green as well, while the card shows that's he's yellow or something. The Backwind repaint is even worse, being solid brown when the box shows him as translucent brown. Darkstream and Razorbeam win for accurate advertising.

Shame there's not very many new Mini-cons to come - unless they are saving up the news for Toyfair 2011.

I thought Energon showed the way for clear repaints of many older Mini-cons teams as an idea but since these guys use clear plastic so dominantly perhaps the idea Hasbro need to consider is remaking all the old "Weapon / combiner Minicon teams" in partially clear plastic.

Just imagine the sky boom shield used as a full chest plate !

Wow, as shitty as this mold is (I still own the aerialbot team though), he does look very good with the destructicons.

Ohhh a blue chopster mold/repaint. I must have it. Darkstream looks alot better than I first thought. Thanks for the review.

I was planning on passing on this one, but he really does look good with the Destructicons.. might have to rethink this one.