(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 voyager Autobot Springer. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Generations voyager Autobot Springer here.)

    Sandstorm may technically be a remold, but he is one HEAVY remold, to the point where even his transformation is a bit different! Most of the more-visible parts have been completely retooled, with only a lot of the more "interior" parts-- the robot upper legs, waist, and feet, the back, some side panels-- are kept the exact same when compared with Springer. Sandstorm's color scheme is-- as you'd expect-- pretty accurate to G1, being mostly a dull sandy yellow, orange, and black. These colors contrast against and complement each other quite nicely, and the paint apps are kept varied enough throughout all three of Sandstorm's modes that-- with the exception of perhaps the top middle of the helicopter mode-- there isn't too large a section of any one color. The silver and gunmetal gray accent colors work quite well, though I wish the silver had been a bit darker, to provide a bit more contrast against the relatively light yellow/orange parts of the color scheme. It's certainly not a bad color scheme-- it's quite fitting-- but it's just a bit too yellow-dominated for my tastes, given that yellow's one of my least favorite colors. The transparent plastic is also a bit underwhelming, being a very pale blue that doesn't really fit in all that well with the other colors and isn't dark enough to "hide" anything inside the windows, either. A darker transparent blue would have worked much better, in my opinion.
    Sandstorm obviously has a lot of mold changes, though his general "structure" is the same. Thus, I'll be running through his three modes briefly, highlighting major/noteworthy changes. First, Springer's car mode has become an armored dune buggy mode on Sandstorm. This mode has a considerably more "pumped up" look compared to Springer's car mode, to nearly absurd levels. The most obvious change here are HUGE rear wheels, which honestly look a little ridiculous here, though their functionality in helicopter mode makes me forgive this aspect a bit. With the elimination of the rear "spoiler" pieces on Springer, there's not much of a back end to this mode on Sandstorm, though you'll rarely be looking at him from that angle, anyways. There's several armored bumpers and the like molded onto the front of this mode, which, along with the armored windows fitted over Sandstorm's regular side windows and bulkier orange roof, really makes Sandstorm look like he's ready to tumble with anybody. (That said, I wish the orange roof piece clipped in a bit more solidly to the rest of the toy instead of just folding roughly in place.) Having parts fold down over the side windows also partially masks the obvious fracture in between the front and side windows because of the transformation, so I like that cover-up bit. Sandstorm also has a new weapon-- a different type of push-firing missile launcher than Springer, and one that only fires one missile as opposed to two. It's still a neat design, though, and bulkier than Springer's gun. The sword has been eliminated from this version because of some extra, bulkier parts.
    Sandstorm's helicopter mode is a VTOL, twin-turbine helicopter, like an osprey, and is my favorite of his three modes. I LOVE how inventive it was of the design team to take the rear dune buggy wheels and turn them into the VTOL engines. Folding the dune buggy's roof back to provide Sandstorm with a more substantial tailfin was also a stroke of genius, as not only does it make the tops of the alt modes look more different, but it makes the rear section here not so obviously have a divider line down the middle that becomes the robot mode legs. The knee/landing gear have also been shortened to deal with the fact that Sandstorm's rear section doesn't angle up as much as Springer's, so no need to worry about that. The armored portion of the dune buggy makes the front of the helicopter mode look a bit more beefy and combat-ready, which certainly fits Sandstorm's personality.
    Sandstorm's robot mode is definitely the mode that has the most in common with Springer's design (outside of the colors, of course). With the exception of the head and some details along his lower legs, all of the changes to his "core Springer" parts are the result of changes made to his other modes, such as the turbine wings hanging off his back, the extra "armor" on his shoulders and chest, and orange roof-backpack. The orange roof-backpack I don't mind (it calls back a bit more to his G1 silouhette), but the turbines REALLY stick out from the back, and not in an aesthetically pleasing manner-- though you can fold them inwards a bit, making them stick out a bit less. The circular detailing on his legs is quite nice and helps him stand out a bit more from Springer aesthetically on said legs, as do the shorter kneecaps made from his landing gear. His headsculpt is excellently done and a modern update to his G1 head design, with a fairly normal-looking off-white face and transparent blue eyes with excellent light piping.
    Generations Sandstorm is one heck of a mold re-use, essentially being his own toy despite sharing a base mold with Springer. It's an excellent design, and given how much has been "changed up"-- particularly in the alt modes-- I'd recommend this toy even if you already have Generations voyager Springer. That said, because of the oddity of his huge wheels in buggy mode and how his turbines hang so unceremoniously off of his back in robot mode, I'd have to recommend Springer slightly over Sandstorm if you only want to get one.

Review by Beastbot

(Images from Hasbro.)

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