Strongarm
("Energon" Redeco)
(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 the original Strongarm toy. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original Strongarm toy here.)
Yes, you read right.
Strongarm is the first of several redecoes in the Energon line to have
the "Energon" prefix attached to his actual name to differentiate it from
the original in ways other than the color scheme. So his full name is Energon
Energon Strongarm. Talk about a lack of creativity...
Anyways, Strongarm ver.
2.0's color scheme is definitely a step down from the original's, both
in terms of overall appeal and in terms of how well it suits his alt mode.
I mean, really, how many sky blue jeeps have you seen driving around the
streets? Not bloody many, if any at all. Some of his secondary colors,
like his dull orange-yellow and the light gray, actually look okay together,
but the abundance of that sky blue just throws it all out of whack, since
it really doesn't fit with any of Strongarm's other colors at all. His
paint apps are mostly in the same places as they were on the original Strongarm
(although in different colors, of course), although he does have one extra
app- the lines on his upper legs are now colored, and it looks rather nice.
Energon Strongarm's Energon weapon is red, just like his predecessor's,
but considering the whole "Red= Autobot Energon" thing that this line has
going, I can see why they kept it the same. But just to differentiate the
weapons slightly, Energon Strongarm's energon is a bit lighter color of
red than his predecessor's, although it's not a big difference. Energon
Strongarm also has a slight mold change, although you probably wouldn't
notice it unless it was pointed out to you. His head has been remolded.
It still retains the same basic features, but the eyes are slightly smaller,
the nose a little larger, and the chin juts out a bit more. So he looks
a bit more "mature", but that's really it. It's no big deal.
Energon Strongarm's
color scheme seems rather random and unfitting for a rough-'n'-tumble jeep.
His head is remolded slightly, but it's not worth picking the toy up again
if you already have the original Strongarm. If you only pick one, I'd pick
the original Strongarm, easily, since his color scheme is definitely better.
Review by Beastbot