TFW2005 boards member Starscream Gaga has dropped by to bring us our first in-hand look at the Transformers Generations Nightbeat figure. Nightbeat is a redeco/retool of the Generations IDW Bumblebee/Goldfire mold with a new head, and also comes packaged with an issue of Dark Cybertron. Starscream Gaga gives us a small gallery of the figure, showing off both modes as well as some comparisons with other figures, and also provides a brief write-up on his thoughts about the figure.
Check it out after the break!
LongarmMagnus
Just got this guy off eBay. Loose knees, chest piece that would drag in altmode, half-assed paint. Pretty awesome and enjoyable to fix up.
Boiled and pressed the knees.
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Shaved the inside chest piece a bit to help flatten him in altmode.
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GoLion
I vaguely remember that if you line the pegs on the chest piece up with the slot of the inner torso piece it flattens the chest out.
rlmiddleton
Actually sorry, I see others have reported it as well. Sorry.
rlmiddleton
Apologies for resurrecting this long dead thread but wanted to compare notes with felllow Nightbeat owners and my issue doesn't seem to be in the review vids I've watched, so didn't know where else to go.
When I transform him into car his bot chest bit seems to stick out a lot and stops the wheels from touching the ground, so I doesn't roll. Anyone else had this?
SaberPrime
Nightbeat, I thought I would be sick of this mold by now considering I already have two of them. I kind of wish they stuck with the Jazz mold that was on the comic cover… but now having this in hand… I actually like him more than Bumblebee or Goldfire. Maybe because it's a character I'm not really familiar with maybe because he has a little bit better of a paint job. Not much better, it's most just the flames in vehicle mode and the weapons. I'm not sure exactly what it is but this actually seems to be the best one while I felt Goldfire was the worst.
jametron
I've had him (and Goldbug) since first release and NEVER had anything pop off…
Fallout
i knew this toy wasn't gonna be great, but the knees popping off and bending the part that clips onto the upper leg is really stupid. just from trying to transform the shins properly.
Bountyan
I like him. Glad I passed on the Bumblebee and just got this instead.
Edwardmus Prime
This seems like a pretty big bump. As an update on mine, the knees seem like they are starting to get floppy just around where the joint is in standing position. This has left me with a Nightbeat leaning forward or falling backward. I am trying to see what the problem is.
Digilaut
This is my second version of the mold (first was Goldfire Bee / Goldbug): right out of the package everything seems tighter and better (might be wrong but the plastic feels a bit thicker/sluggish) – not sure if it will stay that way or degrade over time.
Could have used a bit more yellow – obviously on the chest, but also in other places, as the bot is really, really blue. Yellow paint apps don't really seem to stick, looking a bit greenish at points, and for some reason they painted the back window in altmode blue so the difference between plastic and paint is barely noticeable (in fact, less noticeable than the painted blue arms are).
Was also a teeny bit disappointed to find out you can't simply unscrew the head, as I'd love to repaint his visor blue. Oh well.
In the end though…I really like him. Huh? Yes.
I already really loved the Goldbug version, but mine was a bit floppy..think I like Nightbeat even better, and he is sturdier, so…yay!
Starscream Gaga
I mentioned the comic cover in the very first post of the thread.
Nobody really knows why it was changed or even if it was changed at all and there wasn't some big mix up somewhere.
Cast
We don't know, some people argue cost, other that the Bee tooling actually looks a hell of a lot more like nightbeat than Jazz, it could well be both.
SaberPrime
I saw on TFW that Nightbeat was originally intended to be made from the Classics Jazz mold.
I actually got that for my brother a few years back but I never got one for myself so I don't have that mold already. I already own both Bumblebee and Goldbug so I'd actually rather have the original version of Nightbeat than a 3rd version of this same mold.
Besides preferring a mold I don't already own I also much prefer the Jazz mold because I'm not a big fan of the giant shoulder pads. I like the chest design more and the overall look of the figure isn't too bad but I've never liked the shoulders.
Finally, and I don't know if this is true or not because I haven't seen it in stores yet, but apparently the comic book he comes packaged with depicts him in Jazz's body making him the only figure where the image on the comic book doesn't match the actual toy you're getting with it. I probably wouldn't mind it as much if they changed the cover art at the same time they decided to change his body type but now they don't match.
Why did they decide to change the body anyway? What's wrong with the Jazz version of Nightbeat?
Underwear
Yup this mold suits better for Nightbeat & the upcoming Go-Shooter.
Liege Prime
I think the mold they want with is more suiting. At least his chest stays down when you move his arms up.
Anyways, mine's solid. I would actually say the most solid out of the 3 versions I have of this mold. I think this mold is one of the better molds we've gotten since they started to do comic base characters. The articulation and size are a step above a lot of the others. Too bad the bee they released first with this mold is the worst version.
rego0012
Looking at the comic cover included with this guy it looks like the generations jazz mold was suppose to be used for this guy initially.
Shame it ended up not being the case
nemesisconvoy
I'm loving Nightbeat in this mold, however their are definite signs of mold degradation. And there's still the little problem of the chest plate scraping the ground in alt mode. I'm looking forward to seeing what Reprolabels will produce for him!!
NotRamjet97
I managed to unscrew him, and the shin panels were indeed glued into place. I managed to fix it, but the one on one of his legs is rougher, so I'll leave the panels in the car mode position.
NotRamjet97
So, apparently my Nightbeat's shin panels are glued in place. Hasbro…just…why?
Skyclaw
I love this guy and looks the best using this mold compared to the other releases!