Just got this guy yesterday and loved him so much, I went and ordered the smaller Galaxy Force version. No, that's not a knock, but I just love the mold/figure so much, I had to have more. It's *that* cool. Anyhow, onto the review!

Robot Mode: Starscream comes packaged in robot mode, which is really awesome. I never thought I'd like it when they started packaging TF's in their robot modes, but Starscream friggin deserves it. Prime and Megatron, too. I won't do mesurements or anything, but lets just say he's huge. Taller than Unicron, but not by much. Each arm has a different weapon deployed when you plug in a Cyber Key. Unlike the smaller Starscream, the Cyber Keys are plugged into the actual arm, not the back of the figure. There is a spot at the back of the figure to hold one Cyber Key, which is a neat addition. Not really an addition, since it was already there in the mold, but it's nice they pointed it out. Another neat feature is of course his crown. If they would have released this version w/o it, I would have felt a little ripped off, but the crown makes it all worth it. It seperates him from any other TF in the line, as well as his smaller self. He really looks like the leader of the Decepticons/Destrons.

The right arm has a blade(just like smaller SS) that pops out when a Cyber Key is inserted. Also, if you have batteries inserted, if you move the arm up or down, you get a blade *clang* noise. The left arm has a cannon with launching missile that is deployed with help from a Cyber Key. It almost looks like a smaller version of Shockblast's cannon arm, but not quite. As with his right arm, when you move his left arm up or down, you get a "weapon" noise. Pretty neat.

The button on his left missile pod by his head activates the basic electronic features. His missile pods light up and a laser firing noise is made. I could have sworn his eyes were supposed to light up as well, but mine don't.

Transformation into jet mode is dead on with the smaller version. Fold the stabilizer wings up and push them together so they're one. Unsnap the forearms and swing them back 180 degrees, then snap them into place. Push the arms up and outward so they're at a 90 degree angle with the rest of the body. They should be facing out, or toward you. Fold the torso forward until it latches with the waist piece. Here comes the tricky part: spread the arms/wings away from the body. You don't have to pull the whole assembly, just grab by the thruster and gently push towards the stabilizer fins. Next, make sure the legs are parallel to each other. Then unfold the "toe blade" out from under each foot. After that, fold the heel underneath where the toe blade was before. Rotate the feet so the bottom is flush with the rest of the bottom leg. Now rotate the bottom legs so the flat pieces are parallel to each other. Ok, so I lied, that's not the tricky part. *This* is the tricky part. You have to fold the bottom legs over the upper legs and then latch them underneath the ship. Two things you have to remember: 1) make sure the nosecone is folded out, as the legs won't clip under it if it's not, and 2) make sure you moved the arms/wings earlier, because this is where it counts. Don't try to force the legs up and underneath, or you may damage the arm/wing pieces. It's almost happened to me several times. I find it easier if I rotate the legs forward one notch, then start folding, then bring it up underneath. Once that's done, push the legs and foot pieces together. If you want, you can add the uber cool crown onto his head in vehicle mode, as it sits just fine there, and looks cool to boot.

The missile pod lights and sound work just fine in this mode. However, for obvious reasons(ie: you can't move them) his left and right arms don't make any noise. All in all a simply awesome toy. Yes, it's a little expensive, but it's well worth your time and effort. If you're a Starscream fan, or just a transformer fan in general, you'll like this toy. The transformation might be too simple for some, but I love it. I dislike TF's that take an hour to get from one mode to another. King Starscream is right up my alley. The only negative I can find is that his eyes don't light up, but I'm still fiddling with mine, so maybe I'm missing something.

This was my first review, but please don't feel you have to be kind. Any and all critiques and comments are welcome.

 

Thanks for the nice review! I saw him in the store, but I'm spacing out my purchases so I don't have another dry season like this spring. I wish Starscream's colors were more like on the packaging, with that darker metallic silver instead of the matte gray. Looks like a great toy, however, and it's kind of a pity I'm only buying one a week.

 

You have nothing to worry about man your review was great 

I saw SS at TRU last week when I got Prime and Megatron and since I was already spending $80 I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I definitely plan on getting Starscream at a later time though, I think the size of the toy is great and it never hurts to have a gigantic space ship transformer in your collection 

 

Hey, does anybody know if they are going to release the normal sized starscream here. I'd like to get both

 

http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=4791&mode=flat

Look no further. And right after I got my imported GF Screamer, too.

 

Lucky, I've been waiting 3 weeks for my imported on to show up...

 

Pretty good first review. BTW, there have been pics of the smaller exclusive Screamer repaint linked from the front page for a few days, if anyone hasn't seen them yet.

I'm thinking of getting a King Starscream when he goes on sale (which will probably happen at least once before Halloween). I didn't like him at first, but the more I see him, the more he, uh, "grows" on me (grr, couldn't avoid lame pun...   ). Might give me something to save for in the next month or two, since the next batch of figs I really want doesn't hit until wave 3....

 

Am I the only person bothered by the fact that Supreme Starscream ports TWO null Force Chip ports (the ones on his back that, in the smaller version, release the blades)? I mean, you would THINK that at least one of those ports would do something to change the sound FX, or add lights, or SOMETHING. To have a null force chip port is just wasteful.

I also wish that they had added wrist articulation to this guy, in addition to fingers (either/or would have improved this figure). Further, it would have been nice if they had allowed the shoulders to pull out a little bit to allow a larger range of movement.

All in all, Supreme Starscream is great eye candy, but he's really restricted by his lack of arm movement. The inclusion of two NULL force chip points on his back is incredibly disappointing, and not at ALL in the spirit of the GF/Cybertron line.

Pick him up on clearance for cheap.

 

I wish more of these guys had a place to put the chip when you don't want any gimmicks activated. They lay around like Geewun extra parts otherwise. So you want to activate a gimmick on Starscream? Use the slots on his wings.

I completely agree with you on the hands. Finger and wrist articulation should be included with all TFs this size.

 

But, for a Supreme-sized figure, why SHOULDN'T the Force Chip holders also be able to vary the sound FX produced, ala Armada Jetfire and his minicon?

 

I agree, the slots on his back were a missed opportunity. Good suggestion as well.

 

My friends pooled together and got me one for chistmas. By the way his eye's do light up, when you activate the sword arm electronics.

 

how the heck do ya do that? I only know of the button on the shoulder. Course I've not fiddled with him much, just marveled at him towering over everything else in the room   I havn't TFd him since I put in the batteries. but there's no mention of them on the instruction sheet nor on the box!

Andy

 

Just swing up his right arm to activate the eye lights and slashing sounds, and his left arm to activate shooting sounds.

The fact that his eyes only light up when you swing the right arm? And that they light up GREEN instead of red, or even purple? Irks me.

 

They should'a just went with the light-pipeing.

 

Late to the party... as usual. Hey, I was waiting for a sale.   Found him at Wal-Mart on Saturday for $24.00. I was going to wait until he was under $20, but the amount of figures kept diminishing from week to week, and I figured I'd lose out if I didn't go ahead and buy him. It's half what he was originally, so that's a bargain.

Very nice figure, very bulky, which works well for the robot mode. The crown is a nice touch, as are the two cyber keys. The War Within type design is a big factor in why I wanted this toy. Articulation is ok, but the ratchets are VERY stiff on mine. Makes him sturdy, but hard to get into dynamic poses.

Disappointingly simple transformation.

Generally good vehicle mode, with a few complaints.
- the head is pretty visible behind the cockpit area. I turned it around backwards to lessen the effect, but still... could have been hidden better.
- The front of the fighter that runs past the cockpit (the part formed by the legs) is low compared to the area that is the elbow attachment in robot mode. It kills the aerodynamic look of the vehicle.
- This thing is big... it's so out of scale with other TFs, I tend to think of it as a Star Destroyer rather than a A-wing, to give a size comparison. A cruiser rather than the one-man fighter it's meant to be.

I still think it was an excellent buy for the price, and a nice version of one of my favorite characters.

 

(Sorry in advance if bumping old threads like this is a faux pas around here)

Picked this guy up today for $25 up at TRU, and I love it.

The Good:

- He's HUGE.
- Awesome design for both robot and alternate modes.
- The electronics and the crown are nice. Especially the crown  

The Bad:

- Overly simple transform, though some people might like that
- No wrist articulation
- "block hands", which are fine on small TFs, but not on a TF of this size
- cheapie paintjob. He's pretty much grey plastic with some red painted on it, and the white that's used on his face was a bad choice.

If you are paying a cheap price for him ($30 max), he's a really a great value and his downsides are overlookable. If you're paying more than $30, he's still not a bad buy if you are looking for a really big, cool looking Starscream, just be aware of his faults.

He would look fantastic with a custom paintjob. If I had money to blow I'd buy a second just to repaint it.

 

The only reason I haven't gotten him myself is size.

I saw him in person, and he's too big to fit in with anything. And too simple for that size, too.

 

Got him last October for really cheap and agree with most points - a little bit simple for such a huge TF, but really is a treat to display. Looks great on my display shelves, towering over all...