Windcharger
(Autobot Alliance)
Windcharger here is a
pretty much direct update of his G1 self, and in vehicle mode is a red
sportscar. The proportions are pretty exact in this mode, with the hood
perhaps being a LITTLE low and that being it. The mold detailing has what's
necessary-- such as the wheels, windows, exposed engine and covered rear
windows-- but not much else. This was almost certainly a deliberate choice,
however, to make Windcharger look almost like he jumped straight out of
the G1 cartoon. The red and black contrast against each other quite nicely,
and the red has a nice semi-glittery "swirly" effect that draws the eye
to it more than a flat red would have. That's also a bit of glossy gray
and silver on the front bumper and headlights to give Windcharger a few
more paint details beyond just his windows, but I really wish there had
been racing stripes of flames or something else in this mode to spice it
up a bit more and add some more colors. (Even the back bumper is only painted
black, unfortunately.) Though realistic, the color scheme's just a tad
dull here. Because Windcharger is from the "Reveal the Shield" subline,
he has an allegiance rub symbol front and center in this mode-- rub it
to reveal that Windcharger's an Autobot.
Windcharger's transformation
to robot mode is very straightforward, with the front of the car becoming
the chest, the sides becoming the arms, and the back half becoming the
feet while the roof sits across his back. However, it's quite effective--
Windcharger doesn't really have any proportions problems in this mode at
all, and kibble-wise he only has the aforementioned roof on his back and
behind his head, which doesn't get in the way of movement at all. The mold
detailing is a step up in this mode, with some nice crisp details like
vents on his upper legs and arms, and a great head sculpt as well that
hearkens back to his G1 head while updating it slightly in the process.
Unfortunately, however, his color scheme only adds in some of that really
bland light milky gray that's on too many TFs lately. Although it gives
some "light" to the otherwise dark-dominated color scheme, it's certainly
not an exciting color, nor is the dark gray used on a few of Windcharger's
minor robot parts like his feet and lower arms. Windcharger's articulation
is fantastic, however-- he can move at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists,
hips, knees, and ankles (at two points). Given that most of those joints
are ball joints and how well-balanced he is, you can't get much better
than that on a Scout-class toy. As for his "gimmick", both of Windcharger's
hands can fold inwards into his lower arms while (non-firing) cannons fold
out in place of them, giving him some much-needed firepower. A simple gimmick,
but quite effective. He also has two little bars on the sides of the weapons
for C-clip weapons from other toys to give him some additional accessories.
Autobot Alliance Windcharger,
if you tick off most of the boxes that create a well-engineered Transformer,
more than satisfies. He has great articulation, near-flawless proportions
in both modes, a neat and unintrusive little gimmick, and a transformation
that is straightforward and not too complicated while not being TOO simple,
either. However, his dullness does nudge him down a bit (though just a
bit). His color scheme is unremarkable, and so is his vehicle mode choice
and transformation... the only thing that really makes him stand out and
be unique, really, are his cannon-hand gimmicks. Still, he's a highly recommended
purchase because of how well-done he is; he's just not very original, is
all.
Review by Beastbot