I was supposed to get this four weeks ago from Hasbro to promote it to the fans (being a gimmick toy, which would have less interest to the adult collectors that make up the bulk of members on these fansites)... but a delay at their office for a week and then me being in America for two weeks for BotCon, meant that by the time I did get this figure a few days ago, it was already released and someone else already did a video review on youtube ( The second video, of the secondary gimmick (transformation, and sound effects in both modes). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZVezH3XzSw&list=UUlnBT1wua-MRyTnINSIkJQA For those who don't want to watch the videos, these are some comparison photos and photos of the gimmicks. Robot mode, with sword in hand. It notes in the instructions, to have the arms by the sides and sword removed before you transform it back to dino mode. Underneath you can see why the arms need to be straight before transforming it... otherwise it all won't lock back into place. Dino mode with the Flip&Change Grimlock and the One-Step basic Grimlock. In robot mode, with the two Construct-Bots Grimlocks, the Flip&Change and One-Step basic Grimlocks, and the Leader & Voyager Grimlocks. The Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is definitely the biggest of them all. With the 16 inch and 12 inch Titans, and Dino-Sparker. Almost as big as Metroplex and Rescue Bots Epic Optimus. The Leader Class Grimlock looks so tiny next to it. The primary gimmick. First you need to open the two back-panels... something that isn't on the instructions, so it took me a while to figure out where to sit the toys on its back. (kids are more likely to explore their toys than read instructions, so that's probably why Hasbro doesn't bother with it on these sorts of young, gimmick toys anyway) Each side has a flat surface for each foot, and you can feel some sort of magnetic pull on the toys with metal pins in their feet. That magnetic pull makes a lever move at the back, which releases a weapon. If both magnets on both sides are activated, both weapons are released... However, if you have an Autobot toy with just one metal foot pin, it will only release the "Autobot" weapon. And similarly, the Decepticon toys with a metal foot pin, only activates the "Decepticon" weapon. The roar and lit up eyes when you tilt Grimlock forward (using the handle's release trigger). That release trigger under the handle is also required to be held when pulling Grimlock back up into "standing" dino mode, AND, when pulling all the way back to transform it into robot mode. The tail can be swiveled into two positions, depending on the mode. The glowing eyes are hypnotically evil... Awwww... it's a little baby Grimlock and its daddy. So that's about it for now. I think it is a fun toy, and will end up under the Christmas Tree of a lot of kids this year, which is probably why it has been held back as long as possible in Australia... to still have the movie in peoples minds, and be on shelves in time for the DVD release and Christmas. I'm a bit surprised at how expensive this figure is in America, so it will be a shame that it will be more expensive than what I would be recommending. If this was released here for the price of a Leader Class toy, I would say that it would be worth getting, with or without youngens who play with Transformers toys. I would love to say that this toy is worth getting for us older collectors (and I risk being sent any more toy samples to promote), but I know the collecting interests of the majority of us older collectors, to know that this would need to be under $50 before too many of us (who often prefer "puzzle" over "play") will bite. At the very least, hopefully there are people here who will now buy this for themselves or their kids, because of the gimmicks... or for those who do buy it, they now have a reference guide on how to activate all the different gimmicks.
DAMN good review. I think this is the kind of kids toy, that Hasbro is really doing well with these days. The one steps are great for kids, this uses the ones steps, and power battler guys..very slick move. Looks like a very cool kids toy. Not for us collectors so much (as you correctly stated) but I bet these will sell ok to kids throughout the year into Christmas. And then it will get clearance, for the collectors! Really well done review Dave
I would get this if my son was 3. He will be turning 7 right around Christmas and he is more into the Generation Deluxe and Voyager figures now. Now that Cyberverse is done, we have been focusing on those. Cool toy though.
Is it weird I actually like it? The "Autobot/green Decepticon/" red thing is kinda neat, and Dat size he probably scales better than the leader.
so we've got six bad guys to put on his back between lockdown, galvatron, stinger, junkheap, vehicon and wolf... really wish they'd stop labelling lockdown a decepticon...
That's the only real option that Hasbro has since most of the Lockdown toys are directed towards kids who have their parents or other relatives buying the toys for them. I mean, you obviously can't label him an Autobot since he Spoiler killed Ratchet & impaled Optimus with his hook & Optimus' own sword . Plus, while it makes sense to label Lockdown as a bounty hunter, or just an unaligned Transformer, the parents (or other relatives) looking for toys of Lockdown are probably looking for the purple faction logo as opposed to the actual name.
This would've been the most effective gimmick toy if it weren't for the robot arms. I get why the legs need to be static to provide a solid fulcrum for the auto transformation, but that they sprung for universal elbows and not shoulders is crap.
I was wondering about this... griffin-of-oz, great review! Can you discuss the shoulders? I may have missed it when I read the review, but in some pics it looks like they further out than others. How posable are they? Also, would it be possible to get some pics of other TFs riding him? Like a leader Optimus, a deluxe Bee, etc...
I actually really, really want this just for the giant dino mode... if it had no electronics and was consequently much cheaper I'd be all over it.
Yea, if I can find some kind of pre-christmas sale somewhere on it, I wouldn't mind adding it to my movie display. As goofy as it is, it is massive and would offset ROTF Devi in my display. I think $40 would be my buy price. Great pics OP by the way.
Picked up one when Amazon had them for $40 for a sponsor kid, kind of wishing I'd grabbed one for myself now.
