Poison
Bite
Barracuda mode is excellent.
The detailing is VERY nice, with many bumps and small pits molded in. While
this doesn't look like a real barracuda, mostly because of the color scheme,
the whole "mutant" idea gives some leeway in the color department. The
articulation isn't all that great in this mode (only the front two fins
and the mouth can move), but this is to be expected of a sea creature.
The only downside I can find in this mode is the fact that the tailfin
looks very odd, as it is four of the scorpion legs connected together,
and can come apart rather easily. Other than that, this is a great mode.
Although the scorpion
mode isn't quite as extra-free as the barracuda mode, it's still a pretty
good mode overall. There are basically two ways you can have this mode
done; one is to swing the tailfins forward and plug their pegs into their
corresponding holes to form the front four legs, while straightening out
the back fins to become the back four legs. This is the mode shown above.
This is the way that you are told to transform it in the directions, but
it has a major flaw; the scorpion doesn't seem to have any real body, and
just a big plate on its back connecting its head, claws, tail, and legs.
The back four legs can't move seperately as well, and have a thin piece
of plastic connecting them. The positive to this mode, however, is that
the scorpion can stand on its legs in this mode (a rare feature among arachnid
and insect transformers). The other way to form this mode is to swing the
tailfins forward like discussed previously and peg them into their holes,
but, instead of swinging the back four leg-fins out to form the legs, you
keep them where they are, and close the two skin-flap halves after you
are done rotating the front four legs. This makes the scorpion look like
he has more "body", but the leg movement is severely limited, and the scorpion
can't stand up on them. The scorpion also has only four legs in this mode
as well. Since both modes have their advantages and disadvantages, it's
up to you to decide which one you like better. Now, onto the features common
to both modes. The only major complaint I have common to both modes is
that the claws are not evenly rounded, but are only rounded on one side
and are straight on the other, making it obvious these two halves come
together to form the barracuda head. One clever idea with the claws, however,
is "hiding" the barracuda face with the fins, making them look a little
more like genuine claws then head halves. Although the fins may stay in
their place for a while, the ball joints here eventually get a little loose,
and you may have the fins flopping around when you move him later on. Other
odd features in this mode are that the "head crest" makes the scorpion
head look longer than it should, the odd "fins" hanging off of the legs,
and that the tail is jointed in an odd manner, with the middle of the tail
behind, instead of above, the beginning of the tail. The robot head is
seen by pushing down on the tail stinger, which lifts a panel that keeps
the head out of sight most of the time. The robot head looks very odd,
kinda like a cybernetic chipmunk. The mutant allegiance symbol is on the
left side of the right claw, it's very easy to spot. Since Hasbro does
not want you to forget that this is a transformer, a little "weapon detail"
is shown if you open a panel on Poison Bite's right claw; there's some
wires and other mechanical devices molded inside!
Pretty good in both
modes, although the scorpion mode looks a little odd in some areas. Recommended.
Review by Beastbot