WST Dinobots

Some of my most favorite Transformers toys were the Dinobots. I mean, how could you go wrong with robots that transform into dinosaurs? I'm sorry, but it's impossible.

Grimlock was my favorite of the 5 Dinobots, and probably was the favorite of every other child as well. Sludge and Swoop were my next favorites with Snarl and Slag as my least favorites. I think Snarl and Slag are my least favorites due to their ugly transformations into robot mode. Snarl was way to top-heavy while Slag's tail just looked weird in robot mode. Oh well, their alternate modes still rocked.

Every time I played with my Transformers, the Dinobot had to have a key role that would lead my Autobots to victory. It was just the way it had to be.

Imagine how sad I was as a child when I broke Swoop. His fragile top beak broke off while I was having the dinobots reenact a scene from the TV show against Devastator. Oh yes, I remember that day dearly. T'was a sad day for all my Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon.

I never threw him away though, as I swore to one day repair my might Dinobot Swoop. To this day he lays in a box in my parent's garage with my other G1 toys.

To my dismay, Hasbro never re-released Swoop or most of the Dinobots for that matter when G2 came around in the early 90's. They re-released Grimlock and Slag for sure, but I can't remember if they also re-released Sludge or Snarl. What I am certain about is that they didn't re-release Swoop. Curses!

Maybe it was for the best since Hasbro did recolor most of the toys for G2. Grimlock wound up to be blue of all colors. =\

I recently purchased some new Dinobots, three of which you can see here. These aren't your normal sized Transformers however (nor are they officially licensed toys).

Over in Japan, Takara released a new line of Transformers called "World's Smallest Transformers" or WST. They released the staple Transformers such as Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream and various others. Sadly, Takara decided to stop making WST toys due to the lack of interest.

The WST Dinobots come from a company called JustItToys, a Hong Kong company that specializes in making 3rd party collectible Transformers toys and accessories. The quality of their products is just amazing.

JustItToys managed to shrink the Dinobots into a height of less than three inches! On top of that the Dinobots transform almost with 100% accuracy.

Snarl was the first one to be released by JustItToys, followed by Slag and then Grimlock. Grimlock is the only of the three with a 100% authentic transformation - Snarl and Slag require you to attach their hands separately for robot mode (originally, their hands were hidden inside their legs). Sludge and Swoop will be released later this year, hopefully with even better build quality.

I really enjoy these toys, particularly because of the nostalgia but especially after seeing and feeling the quality of the toys in hand. I can't wait to get my hands on Sludge and Swoop.

If you want to collect these toys, I purchased them from TFSource.com. The website is run by only one guy, but my toys were still shipped to me in two business days and with packaging that keeps the toys' safety in mind. Happy collecting!

Transformers toys

Being in the Transformers mood that I've been in lately (all thanks to the upcoming movie) I went and bought a couple of the movie toys, namely Leader Class Optimus Prime, Voyager Class Starscream, and the Target exclusive Robo-vision Optimus Prime.

I'm really impressed by the quality of these toys. They have a lot of fine details that the old Transformers toys didn't have. Additionally, the Leader Class Optimus Prime has rubber tires (something that the Transformers toys of recent years have neglected).

I'm most impressed by Starscream. When I first saw the toy, I hated the design because I thought that it made him look top heavy and bulky. Not something I normally think of when I think of a F22 Raptor or a fighter jet in general. After buying the toy (I had to, it's freaking Starscream) I was instantly amazed how well designed the toy was. The transformation is very nicely done and goes very smoothly.

The transformation for Leader Class Optimus isn't as nice as I feel it should be. I think it's over-complicated for a kids toy. Sure, it is rated as one of the more difficult toys to transform, but I still think it's too complicated. Regardless, both the robot and truck forms are impressive.

I'd like to get a Megatron toy, but I don't like the look of the Leader Class version. Hopefully the Voyager Class Megatron will be better.

Less than two weeks until the movie premieres in the US. I can't wait!