(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Generations Firefly. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Generations Firefly here.)
For those of you who
want your Aerialbots to be nothing but jets, Hasbro's got you covered with
this online-exclusive release of the Firefly mold done up in G1 Slingshot
colors (who's now called Quickslinger for trademark reasons). Honestly,
I can see why he was left out of the mass retail assortment Aerialbots
in favor of Alpha Bravo-- beyond being another
jet-former with the same usual deluxe Aerialbot transformation, his colors
mostly don't add anything to the equation-- his core colors of black, white,
and red (the latter mostly in robot mode) are readily prevalent on the
other Aerialbots, and as such he largely is "just another jet-bot" that
combines. That said, the color breakup is pretty good, with the white and
red being rather pure, eye-catching shades. The silver-and-blue stripes
on his wings and tailfin do help him look a bit more individualistic, and
the blue in particular just contrasts fantastically with his other colors.
I do wish the stripes on his wings actually looked like they covered the
entire wing, but I suppose for paint-scraping reasons Hasbro nixed that,
due to the transformation. Beyond some silver on his abs in robot mode,
he's also got some metallic gold on his chest and knees, and both colors,
again, look pretty good against their surroundings, even if they aren't
prevalent enough to really contribute much to the overall scheme. What's
most unique about Quickslinger is his oddly orange face, forehead, and
cockpit-- it's pretty much the only orange on Superion if you exclude Alpha
Bravo (who this guy is supposed to replace), so it gives him at least a
little more uniqueness. That said, though I love how well the orange cockpit
contrasts against the white, the orange face and forehead in robot mode
look just too odd, like he's overly sunburned or something. I realize it's
G1-accurate, but it still looks weird. At least his glasses-like optics
are a nice blue that goes really good with both the white and the orange.
Quickslinger does have
one mold change from Firefly, and that's a new headsculpt-- it's a very
crisp sculpt that hearkens back to his G1 form while updating and refining
the design a bit, and I like the headsculpt quite well (orange coloration
aside). Fortunately, just like with Firefly, there's enough "cut away"
from the neck ball joint that he can look up as well as side-to-side.
Quickslinger is a pretty
decent redeco of a good Aerialbot mold, but unless you're a "G1 purist"
or completist, I'd stick with Alpha Bravo instead, as not only do you get
more variety amongst the Aerialbots with the latter, but Quickslinger just
doesn't bring enough new to the table when compared to the other deluxe
Aerialbots, beyond a bit of orange.
Pre-mission psych-screening report
by Rung, Autobot Psy-Ops Specialist:
Quickslinger has always stood out from
the rest of the Aerialbots-- a fact he'll happily tell you all about. As
the only original Aerialbot with VTOL capabilities, he can execute certain
maneuvers and missions that his teammates simply cannot accomplish. He
has incorporated his unique abilities into a signature style of aerial
combat, using his engines to move suddenly and sporadically in combat,
which makes him extremely difficult for his enemies to target. His twin
mortar cannons deliver remarkable damage, while his neutron blaster fires
with pinpoint accuracy over great distances. With fellow Aerialbots forms
Superion.
CONCLUSION: Cleared for mission.
HISTORY (extracted from compulsory
biographical download):
The endless stream of hero stories and
self-promotion from Quickslinger has turned off many of his Autobot teammates,
and his terrible taste in music pretty much took care of the rest. The
bragging likely covers actual insecurity and loneliness-- being a key part
of the Aerialbots is critical to his sense of self-worth. Forms either
an arm or a leg of Superion, the combined form of the Aerialbots.
Review by Beastbot