Unique Toys Buzzing Review

They're not my favourites! All of your favourites!

The 1986 animated Transformers movie proved just how brazen a toy company could be when promoting new product, its first twenty minutes a masterclass in murder and mayhem focused on systematically slaughtering your favourite characters, callously thrusting their replacements down your throat while screaming alien names in your ears and affording you no time to mourn. And hey, it worked on me. In Transformers and in life.

Unique Toys Y01 Provider Review (Test Shot)



Unique Toys Y01 Provider

 Unique Toys have been steadily gaining a reputation for producing solid third party Transforming figures. After an iffy start with Warlord, their much maligned take on Predaking, they have gone from strength to strength improving quality and engineering, most recently giving us the well received Ordin combiner (Abominus to us regular joes).

Now they have decided to take a crack at a triple changer, in this case Provider who is not to be officially confused with Hasbro's Generation One Transformer Octane. Alright then.

So today we will take a look at a test shot of Unique Toys Y01 Provider.

Third Party Round Up

For a long time there's been speculation that the third party bubble is about to pop with many thinking we're seeing that starting to happen now. There's been a huge number of announcements recently, in fact nearly too many to keep up with, so let's have a look at who is bringing out what.

Badcube

At TF Con Badcube's Evil Bug Corps value pack went on early sale exclusively through Ages 3 and Up. While existing releases were on display there was no sign of the Sunstreaker inspired Sunsurge which Badcube really need to get right after the overcomplicated and easily broken Wardog. It's been a rocky road for Badcube from day 1 but slowly they are winning people over and Sunsurge is their big chance to put their past behind them. 

Beelzeboss

Returning from obscurity with a bang, Beelzeboss appeared at the China Joy event showing off their new upgrade set for Generations Nightbeat, a set of weapons for Generations Chromia and Windblade along with an upgrade set for Generations Trailcutter. Their big reveal was a huge add on set for Combiner Wars Optimus Prime which looks a little similar to another company's work. Beelzeboss and their other brand, Guilty, do good work although they aren't afraid to copy existing designs.

So. Much. Want.

Cloud 9

Already causing a huge fuss are newcomers Cloud 9 with their first release - an MP sized Shockwave called Quake Blast. Fans Toys have claimed that the figure is heavily based on their own Quakewave and is essentially stealing their design, which is interesting coming from a company who essentially steals Hasbro designs. Also alleged is that Cloud 9 is Gigapower under a different name.

Corbot V

Also returning after a long break are Corbot V with their first full figure - an Allicon named Project Reyes.

Dr Wu

Following on from the upgrades for Wheeljack, it made sense that the Doctor would be back with more Masterpiece upgrades - this time a jetpack compatible with both versions of MP-21 Bumblebee.

At TF-Con Dr Wu also unveiled 'Companion', a static Carly figure which scales with Masterpiece figures.

Also revealed is Dr Wu's first full figure Vigourous Mixer which is intended to replace Mixmaster in the Titan Devastator team of Constructicons. It's more detailed and gives a better proportion to the cab.

DX9/Unique Toys

 DX9 continue to impress and seemingly outdo their parent company Unique Toys. UT showed Provider (Masterpiece Octane) and Buzzing (Blurr) at TF Con and teased a Blitzwing release but many seem indifferent to these releases and the knee issue with Seigfried has done them no favours.

On the other hand, DX9 have built on the successes of Invisible, Chigurh, Cocomone. their Megatron upgrade kit and War in Pocket line with the upcoming Carry, the impressive Hulkie which is a small scale Devastator and their new legends scale Megatron, Mightron.

Bolstering the line further is a Legends sized Arcee known as Leah!

Fans Toys

Bizarrely at TF-Con Fans Toys didn't have much to show other than prototypes of their Insecticons which are bigger than expected. With FT-04T and FT-04X Scoria repaints shipping, Fans Toys have announce further Scoria repaints in G2 and Diaclone colours. Sever will also be getting Diaclone and G2 editions while an extra dinosaur head piece is being sold separately for Scoria to give the toy the "smoked" G1 look.

There has been no further news on their Jetfire project but with a Quakewave reissue, a G1 toy coloured reissue and a clear version, plus a distinct possibility of Diaclone coloured Insecticons and Willy, a Masterpiece style Hound,  it wouldn't be advisible to hold your breath while waiting for it.

Fansproject

One of the big things with third party is the constant "I know someone in the know and he told me..." statements. The recent one was that Fansproject were giving up on Transformers style designs and moving on to other projects which did seem possible given that Fansproject had been eerily quiet since the titanic flop that was MADLAW. As usual the rumour mongers were proved totally wrong.

At TF Con the remaining Exo Lost Realm figures (aka Dinobots) were unveiled: Snarl, Grimlock and surprisingly, a female Raptor with ridiculous breasts.

Picture courtesy Ages 3 and Up

In addition to the convention exclusives Knight and Combes Robin, the rest of the Function X line was unveiled. The major news from Fansproject was that they'd be tackling the Japanese G1 combiner Dinoking, and teased Monstructor by showing a Wildfly figure.

Picture via TFW2005 who stuck their logo over Fansproject's.

Generation Toy

Warbotron's designer is on board for Generation Toy's first release - a huge Warbotron sized Devastator called Gravity Builder! All 6 parts are scheduled to be out by the end of the year but more likely are the same delays and 18 month wait that we saw with Warbotron.

Gigapower

Some people just can't get a lucky break and Gigapower seem to be in that category. A nice group of guys who have had a number of issues to contend with are seemingly preparing to release the chrome version of their spectacular Guttur. However, their competitor, Fans Toys have alleged that they have hired away Gigapower's designer. Considering Fans Toys lost their own designer of their Iron Dibot line it's expected that Giga's designer will now be in charge of getting FT's last Dibot together. The seemingly never ending soap opera of Gigapower and Fans Toys looks to carry on...

Guilty

Strangely, Guilty appeared at China Joy showing off Data Disc designs compatible with War For Cybertron Blaster and Soundwave. Data Discs had been solicited by Guilty two years ago and then were dropped by retailers when the designs turned out to be stolen from Shapeways. Are these new designs, will they see the light of day this time around, does anyone care? The answer to all three is 'probably not'.

Iron Factory

Yup. Miniature Overlord. 'Nuff Said.

KFC

Following the release of Transistor KFC went very quiet and the release of Fader seemed to quietly vanish as KFC concentrated on their X-Transbots brand instead. KFC have now reappeared touting their Transistor repainted as Broadcast and the cancelled Junkion designs. Will the Junkion designs see release this time?  Prototype pictures of their version of Reflector have appeared but with stiff competition from Fans Toys and Maketoys, will KFC's vision get a look in?

Maketoys

Floundering since their ill thought out double whammy of Quantron and Utopia last December, Maketoys only released repaints exclusive to their own store since then. However at TF-Con, Maketoys brought a rocket launcher to the proverbial knife fight as they simultaneously launched Cupola, a massive MP scaled version of Chromedome.

On show were the first 3 parts of their Guaria (Defensor) combiner and their Visualizer (Reflector) set. There were teases of MP scaled Targetmasters and the Powermasters Darkwing and Dreadwind along with Megatron and Starscream!


However, it's safe to say that of the imminent releases, one of the most anticipated is their version of Tailgate with add on parts for Universe Cyclonus.

MT have been on a serious roll as they also unveiled prototypes of Hardhead and Wrestle (Grapple), Hellfire (Inferno) and Gundog (Hound). Not to be outdone by Fans Toys, Gundog will be released in two colours - cartoon accurate and G1 toy accurate.

Mastermade

Hot on the heels of their Super Deformed Metroplex, comes the Super Deformed Trypticon, Diabolus Rex! The SD style isn't a major hit outside Asia but it's hard to deny how cool this Zoid-like figure is.

Mastermind Creations

Since Feral Rex, MMC have seemingly struggled after making a ton of announcements but then being very slow to follow up on them. Some questionable releases and the hugely over budget which in turn made it very expensive, Cynicus, plus parting ways with Ceno Kibble and using Cassie Sark less, both of whom were with the company from day 1, has jeopardised their arguable position as king of the third party mountain.

Finally we got to see pictures of their massive Carnifex (Overlord) figure though which was announced close to two years ago!

Continuing the IDW theme, we've seen more pictures of Commotus (Turmoil), Anachus (Kaon) and Kultur (Tarn). Considering the limited readership figures of IDW's Transformers comics, it's hard to see these figures translate into big money for MMC. Commotus hasn't been in the IDW universe for the last 18 months, Anachus will have reasonable success but it's hard to see Kultur getting to market as Hasbro is likely to hammer all retailers with cease and desists over the Decepticon logo which is the character's mask.

Also announced were Alpha and Beta (Decepticon Drift and Drift respectively), Sphynx (Mirage) and hopping on the bandwagon, more Insecticons.

Mayhem Mekanics

While not Transformers related as such, these transforming robots are worth mentioning. Cassie Sark and Ceno Kibble are two of the most prolific workers in the third party industry, famed mainly for their work for MMC from the company's start through to their most significant release, Feral Rex and the upcoming Carnifex. Now the two are teaming up to create their own vision. Mayhem Mekanics announced their Unrustable Bastards line at last year's Auto Assembly but then in the year since, there's been silence. At TF-Con pictures were shown of the UB toys and the idea is certainly a unique one.

The transforming robot bikers all share the same base body and colour scheme as the idea is that a motorcycle club would have a uniform look, but instead of multiple figures there is only one figure with multiple accessories so you can choose which of the seven characters you want to display. If you decide you want all seven then you'll need to buy seven figures. As the Bastards travel to different planets in their accompanying stories, their colour schemes will be changed for each release.

While this seems to be a continuation of the repaint syndrome we see so often, there is potential here. If MM include sticker sheets to customise the robots more or perhaps release accessory packs, the Unrustable Bastards line has the possibility to continue the idea that Stikfas used successfully for a number of years.

Megasteel

The bizarrely named Generations scaled Megatron, Granville, has been retitled a much more suiting, 'Tronus'. This impressive and heavy figure is apparently good quality and seems set to surprise when it hits the market in August.

Perfect Effect

With Leonidis about to be released, it seems Perfect Effect are content to carry on releasing add on kits for Combiner Wars including an Optimus kit that Guilty seem to have been 'inspired by' and an impressive add on set for Devastator.

Shadow Fisher Studios

As it's impossible for only one company to release a product, Shadow Fisher are joining in with the Devastator upgrades.

TFC Toys

For a company that was virtually dead in the water, TFC's versions of Ratchet and Ironhide were expected to be the death knell of the company. However they've announced their own version of Hound (what is it with Dinobots, Devastator add ons and Hound?) and in a move that took everyone by surprise, revealed Minos and Thanatos, the first two parts of the G1 Japanese combiner Liokaiser!

Warbotron

Unfortunately for Warbotron, the reveal of the final combined mode of their Computron homage was met with a cool reaction as fans complained that the arms were way too big. So far nothing past the current combiner has been announced but with a rift in the camp, will Warbotron be carrying on?

X2 Toys

Another company returns from oblivion! X2 are offering an upgrade kit for Masterpiece Ultra Magnus to give wider shoulder movement and a new weapon.

X-Transbots

The test shots of Andras (Scourge) have begun appearing as have pictures of the resin prototype of Eligos (Cyclonus). Digital versions of Boost and Hatch (Windcharger and Tailgate) have reappeared but the only mini seemingly close to production is their version of Beachcomber.

There are plenty of other releases out there but very little to report on them. Voodoo Robots seem to be forging on with their Ironhide and Ratchet inspired releases, Omnigonix's version of Sunstreaker is increasingly unlikely it seems to see light of day with Transform and Rollout's Hova (Jazz) is looking more impressive as time goes on. Play With This Too continue to show impressive prototypes after their very nearly successful crowd funding effort. That's it for now and remember most of these can be bought at www.masterforce.co.uk

Unique Toys Metroplex head upgrade set review

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Review: Unique Toys' Maniaking (Galvatron)

Galvatron knows the pain of trying to transform Fansproject's Diesel

The Good

We finally have a Galvatron! After years of third party releases, Unique Toys have finally stepped up to bat and give us the toy we've wanted since Hasbro gave us the rather ugly Galvatron in the Universe line.

Don't judge a book by it's cover was never more accurate!

There have been more than a few renditions of Galvatron but it seems that Unique Toys have taken their inspiration from the Heart of Darkness covers as drawn by Ulises Farinas which is a damn decent choice.

Behold, Galvatron!

Out of the box, Maniaking is pretty impressive! The metallic purple is a nice touch and really makes the figure vibrant!  A lot of people didn't like the white legs when the first pictures emerged but in person they aren't as bad and perhaps bring a little contrast to this figure. It's very hard to imagine a figure looking like a better Galvatron than this.

A distinct lack of kibble

There's very little kibble to Maniaking which is a nice change from the usual alt-mode-hanging-off-the-back that is often found with Transformers. The back is a very simple and sparse sight which is most welcome.

First Prime, then Ultra Magnus blah blah blah

Maniaking has a fair bit of articulation and the joints are nice and stable. The shoulder joints however do feel very stiff and like they want to snap unless you move them with two hands to not put too much stress on the joint. Considering how delicate the joints are on current Hasbro products are, it's not a big deal. 

Yep, Morg still can't take decent pictures.

Maniaking is in scale with Classics and stands at Voyager size which makes him a good bit taller than Universe Cyclonus and Generations Scourge and puts him at a good height for a character of his importance.  While this is going to sound odd, the small grey pieces on his shins are a great piece of engineering which hold together the legs and then are jointed to hold together the cannon mode. It's only a very small thing but it shows how much effort went into the design process.

Will anyone else attempt to flll his shoes?

The alt mode of giant tracked space cannon thing looks fairly decent and for the first time, I've actually liked this mode with Galavtron. It's nice and stable and looks for the most part exactly how you expect it to. 

The bad

It's a nitpick on my part, but the hands don't turn. As you can see from the next two pictures, when the elbow joint is in the "proper" straight arm position, the hand's knuckles face backwards. For the hand to sit as it would with most figures, the arm has to be turned so the elbow faces out. Not a deal breaker but a definite annoyance. 

Another minor nitpick is that forearm and the big gap in it. It feels like it wouldn't have taken a lot for the parts to snugly together like the legs do amazingly when transformed into cannon mode. The forearms also feel a little brittle. They aren't, they just feel that way but it was scary to first touch them.

The transformation sequence gets a mention here because it's a masterpiece level transformation with an instruction booklet that doesn't give masterpiece level details. At the point of the picture above I was starting to wonder if I'd be able to transform it at all.

The instructions were still baffling at this point but at least the front part was now beautifully put together. 

The Ugly

The back of the cannon mode definitely qualifies as ugly. In fairness, I may not have transformed it properly but the instructions were so vague at this point that it was quickly becoming a headache.

WTF?

As above, I'm happy to admit that this may not be the way it's supposed to look but I do find it hard to imagine it looking much better unless I've missed something major. EDIT: I did miss something major - the back end of MK's arm cannon slots into the top to improve the look of the back part.

The price is a bit of a sticking point in my mind too. I'm not sure why; Maniaking is a nice figure but with the bar being raised constantly and new releases seemingly getting bigger, better and better value for money it's hard to feel that Maniaking couldn't have been a little more spectacular in terms of pricing or what it delivers.

"And these shall be your minions - Scourge, the tracker. Cyclonus, the warrior. People will argue for 30 years over who they used to be trollolololol"- Unicron (Transformers: The Movie)

Overall

Let's talk about the elephant in the room - Unique Toys. Warhawk was dire, but slowly each release has improved as UT hone their craft and Maniaking is a fantastic figure with no obvious flaws. Nothing flopped around, dropped off or failed to line up. Yes there are some niggles, but this is a company that are less than a year old and still finding their feet. Maniaking is a definite leap in the right direction for them especially as they've nailed Galavtron's likeness spectacularly!

Two points that don't really qualify as bad points are the horns which look amazing but if MK decided to fall off a shelf there's no way they would remain intact. The other is that this should have been in Masterpiece scale as it's probably the best Galavtron we'll get for a long time! If UT re-released this in a larger size and fixed the minor nuisances I outlined above then it'd be hard to imagine Takara beating it!

So, we both die in the movie. You get a shiny new body while the image of my eyes turning orange and smoke pouring out of my mouth appears in most grown men's nightmares?

Maniaking is a definite buy for Generations collectors, especially those who like their characters to look like their IDW comic counterparts. Masterpiece collectors will find that MK is way too small to stand with the Decepticon MPs but he's still in scale with the Autobot cars to a point so it's got a wide appeal. Also, a toy this good looking needs to be in a collection even if it doesn't quite fit into your collecting scale perfectly!

Even if Maniaking isn't going to make you part with your money, Unique Toys are a company to keep an eye on if Maniaking is any indication!