(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 Overload w/ Rollout. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Overload w/ Rollout here.)

Apelinq

Allegiance: Minicon
Size: Mini-Con
Difficulty of Transformation: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Dirty white, metallic brick red, black, and some silver, very dark brown, pale yellow, light powder blue, metallic silvery blue, glossy sky blue, and dull jungle green
Rating: 3.7

    Apelinq is revived-- this time as a Minicon! Well, officially-- considering that Minicons, in actuality, are about as big as Maximals, I'd wager he's still a Maximal myself. I can't fathom why he'd change alliances... But anyways, the one mold change made to Apelinq, when compared to the mold's predecesssor, Rollout, is the head. It's now pretty much a carbon-copy of Apelinq's previous form, minus any of the organic parts like ape fur or what not. It looks pretty nice, and has a lot of detail for such a small head. Unfortunately-- and this is my biggest beef with this version of Apelinq-- the head does NOT match the body. At all. Apelinq is a serious, no-nonsense guy, and judging from his facial expression, this hasn't changed. But his body is stubby, tubby, and rather dumpy, and though this look can work for some Transformers, it doesn't for Apelinq. And in vehicle mode, you can tell that the head piece is a bit bulkier than it was on Rollout's-- the back tends to stick up above the roof of the vehicle a bit. But if you ignore that, the colors on this mold are quite nice, and fit together very well-- red, white, and black is a good scheme for a good guy leader. And he's got a TON of paint apps for such a small toy-- heck, just check the color scheme list! One of my favorites is the the powdery blue paint wash used on the tires-- it actually makes the toy look really rugged, like Apelinq has been through his fair share of battles. Oh, and one positive mold change I've noticed from Rollout-- the lower legs don't snap off so easily anymore, so that's a big plus.
    Apelinq's new Minicon version was a nice idea, and has a great color scheme, but the mold itself still looks pretty dorky, and the head does NOT match the body as much as Rollout's did.

Sentinel Maximus

Allegiance: Autobot
Size: Max-Con (Armada size class)
Difficulty of Transformation: Medium
Color Scheme: Dirty white, metallic brick red, metallic dark blue, metallic dark red, black, and some silver, glossy sky blue, light powder blue, red, gold, and metallic silvery blue
Powerlinx ports: 6 (0 gimmicked)
Rating: 8.7

    Sentinel Maximus is certainly a spiffy repaint, and just like Apelinq, he has one mold change; the head. Sentinel Max's head is very stylized, and a great update of the Primal Prime head (which is who the Sentinel Maximus character is supposed to be an upgraded version of). It's very prime-ish, but not so much that you can't recognize that it's not Optimus Prime itself-- it's a bit more bulky, and there aren't any antennae. A small complaint, however, is that the green used for Apelinq's head crests show through a bit on the backside of Sentinel Maximus' head, and the green really doesn't fit with the other colors. Still, a nice remold. The color scheme itself is awesome, and the colors are almost spot-on the same as Primal Prime's. Red, white, and blue, again, is pretty primish, and excellent for a good guy leader. To mix it up, though, there's other colors in play here, like black and gold, and they work VERY well with the other colors. Sentinel Maximus has also got plenty of paint apps, just like his little buddy Apelinq, so nooo problems there, folks. I especially like the silver "worn" paint wash on the upper shoulder bits-- he's definitely a battle-hardened 'bot, that's for sure. Sentinel Maximus also has two more Autobot symbols-- one on the left side of his chest, the other on the inside of his right arm-- but considering that he already has two Autobot symbols on his shoulders, I think they were pretty unnecessary. Also, the electronics have been gutted, and although I do miss the automatic transformation sound, I can understand why it was removed-- to make an already-expensive exclusive toy a bit cheaper. So I guess it was a good decision in the end. Oh, and one more small complaint-- it just seems like the ratcheting joints on the shoulders don't aren't quite matched up to each other when they're in their vehicle mode position, thus making the vehicle a little harder to snap together. It's not too big of a problem, but it is worth noting.
    Sentinel Maximus is a wonderful repaint, and a great homage to Primal Prime-- the remolded head is especially a great design. And he can still combine with Armada Prime and all that good stuff, if you so desire. But as great as he is, he doesn't QUITE match up to the awesomeness that is Energon Ultra Magnus. But considering how rare Magnus is, it might actually be cheaper to go for Sentinel Max in this case. But if you don't really want to spend a lot of money on this mold, the only real choice left is Overload, who I think has a rather bright color scheme, so... your choices are pretty limited unless money isn't an option, anyways.

Review by Beastbot

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