0157F: Double Triple-Changer Happiness

It's nice to have triple-changers again. For the longest time the only one in my collection was G1 Sandstorm, who was later joined by Classics Astrotrain. Thankfully the Transformers Animated line added Blitzwing and the quadruple-changer Shockwave.

But now we have new legitimate triple-changers in the form of Transformers Generations Blitzwing and Springer. I admit that I was initially more excited for Blitzwing since I generally like Decepticons more. But now that I've found time to play with both of them, I have to concede that Springer is the superior robot given the consistency of his transformations and how well the pegs slide into place. Blitzwing isn't too bad - he's just a lot more difficult to align. I think the only figure more annoying to transform remains to be the mold for Transformers Generations Cybertronian Bumblebee and Cliffjumper.

I did appreciate the addition of Blitzwing's multiple faces in this mold - a quirk that originated with the Transformers Animated version of the character. It seems like a silly gimmick compared to some of the things that we've seen with other Transformers, but it's a nice nod to the prior mold. The Generations line of toys is a celebration of Transformers throughout history and across media thus it's totally legitimate to celebrate something from a quirky cartoon.

His vehicle modes are both pretty respectable-looking but getting them perfectly right is what is going to drive me insane. I'll keep practicing with him to see if maybe I'm just missing some nuance of the transformation sequence that's causing the misalignment. Practice makes perfect!

Springer is totally a good-looking figure. Then again, Springer was always supposed to be somewhat hunky based on how he was depicted in the 1986 movie. This figure really tries to capture that about him - so much more than the different iterations that have come out in recent years without the full triple-changer function.

Both of his vehicle modes are pretty awesome - I'm not 100% sure which one I like more. Admittedly, the cartoon has me thinking that his helicopter mode is a lot more iconic, but his car mode is pretty awesome here too. I might argue that he's better as a car than as a helicopter - but give me more time to play with him.

I'll make time for a formal review of both figures on the Geeky Guide some time soon. In the meantime stress-relieving playtesting must continue!