[TAO: PhillipReed from battlegrip.com is bringing us another review in honor of Transformers Week. Have a look at his thoughts on the Takara Transformers Collection rerelease of an Autobot classic, Inferno. If your money is burning a hole in your pocket, this guy might be just the toy to put the fire out; read on to find out!]
Name: Inferno
Line: Transformers Collection
Manufacturer: Takara
Released: 2006
Scale: A red fire truck that’s too small for 3.75-inch action figures and exists as its own thing
Accessories: Two fists, a gun, three missiles, two wing things, and a silver piece that won’t stay connected.
When I was a kid I owned the
Autobot Grapple, a giant construction vehicle that turned into a robot.
Grapple, as hardcore Transformers fans already know, used the same
basic mold as Inferno; one of the had a crane while the other had a
ladder. Well, today I have a reissue of Inferno and he’s every bit as
awesome as Grapple was when I was a kid. About 5.5-inches long (in fire
truck mode) and solid, Inferno is probably one of the best of the
second wave of Autobot cars. If you’re a Transformers fan and don’t
already own a classic Inferno then go buy one now. Trust me, you’ll be
happy that you did.
7 / 10 - He’s not the greatest example of
toy sculpting that I’ve ever seen, but Inferno’s sculpt – in both fire
truck and robot mode – is some of the best work of the 1984/1985
Autobot cars. In fire truck mode he’s got it all, even a hose coiled on
one side of the body, and the detail is better than I’ve seen in some
of the other classic Autobot cars. The ladder extends and swivels
(though the swivel is a little rough), there are horns and clear lights
on the roof, and his cab even opens to reveal room for one tiny action
figure. (And if you’re looking for the rubsign you’ll find it hiding
behind the cab.) I’m very happy with Inferno’s sculpt since – unlike a
lot of Transformers from that era – he looks good in both of his modes.
5 / 10 - Paint isn’t this toy’s strong
suit. Not because the paint was applied poorly but, rather, because
there’s so little painted details. Just about every scrap of color is
cast plastic (or a sticker) with the only real paint work on Inferno’s
robot head. I’m sure that whatever Hasbro saved in paint on this toy
they more than lost in plastics; Inferno has red, white, silver, and
black cast parts. I don’t know how many individual parts were used to
assemble him but it’s gotta be a lot since I count nine separate pieces
in just one arm. Inferno could be improved with some painted details (a
dark red wash and some red drybrushing would make him look
significantly better) but then he would lose his classic look.
5 / 10 - Forget about it, folks. Inferno’s
only articulation is whatever was necessary to transform him from fire
truck to robot. The shoulders and elbows are hinged, and the shoulders
even have a little swivel action going on, but that’s it for
articulation in robot mode. His ladder does extend when he’s in fire
truck mode, though, so that’s a nice touch. Of course, finding toys to
climb the ladder could be a little challenging. But hey, it’s the
thought that counts. Right?
9 / 10 - Inferno is amazingly fun, if only
because his working wheels and solid construction means that you can
roll him across a hard floor. He’s a little stiff in some of the
transformation – the head feels like it’s going to break each time I
snap the rear-half of the truck from the cab – but that doesn’t keep
him from being a lot of fun. And since he has firing missiles and a
great-looking robot mode he’s as much fun to play with in robot mode as
he is in fire truck mode. Out of all of the classic and reissue
Transformers that I own I would placeInferno in the top 3 for fun
value. He’s tall, solid, and red. What more could a kid (even an old
kid like me) ask for?
5 / 10 - Like all of the other toys in this
series Inferno is an expensive toy. At about $50 he doesn’t even
compare to other new toys on the market. But as a chunk of my childhood
re-released today I have to say $50 doesn’t feel at all out of line.
The box – complete with a booklet – is a nice touch, and the fact that
Inferno feels and looks exactly like a toy from 1985 – for less than
the price of an original – really fires my memories. I may have never
owned an Inferno when I was a kid but this guy feels enough like
Grapple that just playing with him takes me back to 1985. The two are
so similar that after opening the box my muscle memory kicked in and I
transformed Inferno without even checking the instructions. Okay, so I’m
an old geek. But I think that anyone out there who can appreciate that
$50 is a fair price for a toy like this will understand just where I’m
coming from when I say that Inferno’s neat, fun, and worth every bit of
the $50 price tag.
Overall Score: 65 / 100 - This is an Okay Toy
[TAO: Inferno must be a fun toy that looks good, even for his age!
P.S. Leave a comment on this review for a chance to win a toy at battlegrip.com. Comment must be received by midnight on June 27th to be eligible.]
- PhillipReed
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