Tough call.
I have to give my vote to
HUMAN ALLIANCE JAZZ.
I think it really deserves the nod... this figure just surprised me so damn much! Excellent engineering and rock-solid in both modes, despite the high level of detailing, topped off with an
exquisite paint job. I don't even LIKE Bayformers in general, but this toy just oozes class, and looks fantastic displayed.
Very impressed.
Tough call, but I have to give credit to a toy that made me like it in spite of myself.
* I
wanted to vote for
MP Grimlock, because I
luv him... but I've had the Takara version for almost 2 years now, so it feels wrong, even if he's
one of my favourite all-time Transformers.
Anyone complaining that Grimlock's transformation is "too simple" is missing the point entirely. He gets such high marks BECAUSE his transformation is less irritating, time-consuming, and excessively, unnecessarily convoluted. MP Megatron and the Seekers suffer from an overly fussy design that makes transforming them a chore, rather than a joy... which utterly defeats the point of a transforming toy. Transformations should be innovative and sophisticated without being awkward or tedious. In short, FUN.
MP Grimlock is fun, and one of the things I like best is the fact that he can be transformed in under 3 minutes.
* Munitioner/Explorer are great little figures, but I can't hand them the laurels. For what they are, they still cost too much, and are too dependent on the other (flawed) Energon molds. My FP Bruticus (er... "Colossus") looks fantastic, but I have too many misgivings about the price, the delicacy, the integration of the accessories, etc...
* Honourable mention goes to
Leader Class ROTF Starscream. I absolutely
hate that chicken-monkey Starscream design
with a passion... and yet, this toy is such a pleasure to hold and to transform. The undercarriage kibble is not perfect, but it's a lot more streamlined than Leader Class ROTF Jetfire, and the wide range of moving parts and gimmicks is really appealing. Besides my personal biases against this monstrosity as far as being "Starscream", I think the only other points I would subtract would be for the lackluster deco (too little on the rest of the figure, while the tattoos are just too much) and somewhat lame sound feature. They made an attempt at a G1 Starscream voice, but it comes off sounding pretty weak instead.
Still... it's quibbling, really. Looking over this list, they are for the most part, a fantastic bunch of toys!
zmog
