(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 Combiner Wars Breakdown. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Combiner Wars Breakdown here.)
You knew this one was
coming ever since seeing Breakdown-- the hand/foot/gun weapon was most
definitely aimed for THIS redeco and not Breakdown. Without any remolding
done to the vehicle mode, it fits Sunstreaker perfectly to a tee, with
the usual Sunstreaker colors of black and yellow-- with a bit of gray in
robot mode-- present. I'm not usually a fan of yellow, but Hasbro picked
pretty much the best possible shade of yellow for Sunstreaker-- a rather
semi-metallic, SUNNY shade of the color that not only fits the name, but
looks pretty nice with all the glitter in it. The black serves as a nice
foil to the yellow, particularly in robot mode, where there are a surprising
number of paint apps specific to said mode. The addition of black on the
lower chest and lower legs really helps vary up Sunstreaker's colors a
lot, and keeps him from being TOO yellow as a robot. The gray plastic is,
unfortunately, the rather boring shade of milky gray that's on far too
many TFs, but Sunstreaker's is a shade or two darker than usual, making
it mildly more palatable, especially since it's really only visible on
the upper legs and accessories. As for the vehicle mode, the light metallic
silvery blue not only contrasts well against the yellow, but helps to tie
Sunstreaker in with his fellow "Optimus Maximus" components, given they
all have the same shade of paint for their windows. There's also some nice
silver paint on the accessories and the wheel hubs, but the surprise here
color-wise is the addition of some moderately light red on the rear sides
of the vehicle mode (as well as some small bits on the robot shoulders),
which is used in a more dynamic way and in a larger amount than on the
G1 toy. It looks nice and just gives that extra bit of color variance to
the toy that was largely missing on the Universe
2.0 version. That said, some paint on the rear spoiler/vents in vehicle
mode would have been appreciated.
Sunstreaker does have
one mold change-- obviously, a new headsculpt. It's done very well and
proportioned quite well, keeping all the unique features like a round head
with large yellow side antennae and a fairly "normal" silver face with
some
nice dark blue eyes. It's a nice update of the G1 look to make it look
more "natural" while making it very clearly the same character. No complaints
here.
Combiner Wars Sunstreaker
was pretty well-done, and honestly works better for the mold than Breakdown
did. The particular shade of yellow plastic chosen is PERFECT for the character,
and the amount of black, light silvery blue, and red paint helps keep him
from looking too yellow, especially in robot mode. That said, this IS still
one of the weakest deluxe molds from the Combiner Wars line, despite the
nice color scheme, and because of that unless you can't find the Universe
2.0 version for a reasonable price or just really want a combining Sunstreaker,
I'd pass on this version for the superior Universe 2.0 mold.
Pre-mission psych-screening report
by Rung, Autobot Psy-Ops Specialist:
Sunstreaker has always enjoyed spending
time on Earth, especially since humans tend to stare at him in both robot
and vehicle mode. At his spark, Sunstreaker is a courageous and skilled
soldier-- it's just that his spark is covered by the most stunning and
shiny metal you've ever seen. The only Cybertronian with nearly the same
flash and style is his twin brother Sideswipe. Aside from him being yellow
and Sideswipe being red, there's one other easy way to tell them apart.
According to Sunstreaker, "I'm the good-looking one." Carries a highly
polished cyber machete as well as a high-yield electron pulse cannon capable
of firing 300 bursts per second.
CONCLUSION: Cleared for mission.
HISTORY (extracted from compulsory
biographical download):
Sunstreaker has been an Autobot stalwart;
a volunteer for the Ark that first landed on Earth as well as a member
of the initial crew aboard the Lost Light spacecraft. He's an interesting
study-- conceited enough to crash a shuttle while staring at his own reflection,
but selfless enough to detonate a bridge alone while his teammates escape.
Forms either an arm or a leg of Optimus Maximus, the combined form of Optimus
Prime.
Review by Beastbot