BEAST
WARS: TOY REVIEW
Name: NIGHTGLIDER
Allegiance: Maximal
Function: Intelligence Operative
Beast Mode: Cybernetic Squirrel
Average Price: 12 AUD
BEAST MODE
Length: 13.5cm (disincluding sword)
A rather nice looking robotic flying squirrel. On the
top side, there's a nice blend of organic and mechanical components meshing
together. There are a few holes that appear 'torn' in the wings as well.
The body is a combination of metallic amber and metallic blue with vacuumised
copper parts along the top, outer wings and tail. There are even two red
V.T.O.L. (Vertical Take Off and Landing) turbines on each wing (nice!).
The head is primarily mettalic blue with red eyes and the jaw is metallic
amber. Protruding from each wing is an arm, which are gray. The toy also
comes with a 63mm sword. Although it is not shown nor mentioned in the
instructions, it can be inserted in through the end of the tail.
The main weakness of this toy is revealed when it's turned
upside down. Obviously this toy was designed to be viewed only from the
top, as the bottom reveals an obscene amount of robot parts.
Furthermore, the toy is packaged incorrectly transformed.
I'll elaborate on this in the next section of the review.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Flip down the robot body and flip up robot head. Now, notice
how the feet are pointing towards the tail whereas the illustration shows
it pointing to the front? Yes, this toy was incorrectly transformed when
it was packaged. To make it match the illustration, turn the robot waist
180 degrees... but in all honesty, you're going to have to turn it back
later anyway, so don't bother (just remember to rotate it when transforming
back to beast mode -- correctly!).
Now, during stage 2, the instructions get really ambiguous
and the crappy illustrations don't help much either (not to mention a lack
of any photographs of the toy anywhere on the card... *sigh*... American
packaging and technical illustrations are so f*****). Anyway, here's what
you should do; Push in on the vacuumised copper section just behind the
squirrel head, unlocking the wing section. Bring the squirrel head down
until it locks in with the robot body. Swing down the wing section and
I recommend swinging the tail up against the back. Lower robot arms to
the sides and turn the robot head around 180 degrees. You should be at
stage 5 of the instructions which will tell you to "Rotate legs at knees."
Ignore that line. Thanks to the big packaging boo-boo, the legs are fine
as they are (unless you actually went and rotated them back a paragraph
ago, in which case, just turn them back round again). And it doesn't take
a genius to figure out that the sword goes into the fists.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 9.5 cm (head to foot)
Points of Articulation: 12
A very nice looking robot mode indeed. The squirrel wings
form nicely to the sides in a Decepticon-jet style fashion (see Beast Mode
section for description of wings). The head is metallic blue with red eyes,
amber teeth and an amber spherical object embedded in the forehead. The
torso is amber with a nice metallic blue pattern streaking across it. The
spark crystal sits majestically in the middle of the chest. The waist is
metallic amber. The upper arms and thighs are metallic gray and the forearms
and lower legs/feet are metallic amber. The best feature about this toy
is that it's quite (although not totally) symmetrical!! Part of the whole
Transmetal 2 scheme was to make the toys asymmetrical... something I never
liked (and participants at Naonori's
Transformers BBS are probably sick of me harping on about it!) but
it seems that they've practically abandoned the whole misbegotten concept
here! Excellent!
Also, the robot mode incorporates organic and mechanical
features rather well (okay, the hairy face is kinda whacky). In robot mode,
Nightglider also wields a serrated broadsword.
Broadswords are cool, but are only medium to short range
weapons. Nightglider should have a long range ballistic weapon like...
a gun!
SPARK CRYSTAL LOCATION
Right smack in the middle of the robot chest! I love that
location! I've never liked the whole "let's hide the insignia" idea. Transformers
should be proud of their allegiance. Nightglider is Maximal and proud of
it (even says so in his Techs, so nyah!).
Up till now, the only other Transformers to ever openly
display this insignia were Optimal Optimus, Lio Convoy and Big
Convoy.
OVERALL
A great combination of metallic (oh, that means any paints
where 'metallic' filaments have been mixed in) and chrome 'vacuumised'
colours (just like Optimal Optimus!); fantastic near-symmetrical moulding;
well designed articulation; a Final Fantasy-esque sword; a spark crystal
patriotically placed in the chest; and all for only 12 bucks! Arguably
one of the best basic figures ever made and certainly the best Transmetal
2 I've gotten so far!
As those of you who know me already know, I'm really not
a big fan of Transmetal 2s, but this is one major exception! He's a credit
to his sub-group. Damn, I'm bringing this sucker into the office!
Purchase of this toy is mandatory.
******
Photographs courtesy of Benson
Yee
BEAST TRIVIA
These appealling little creatures are found throughout
most of the forested areas of Canada, but are rarely seen because of their
nocturnal habits. A furry membrane uniting the front and back legs enables
them to glide from higher branches to lower ones with great dexterity.
This is a sociable little animal with strong maternal instincts.
Their large, dark eyes give the flying squirrel
a look of lively intelligence, and, indeed, they have been known to make
affectionate and playful pets. The males and females frequently occupy
separate nests in the summer, but in the winter months they often live
in “communes” in hollow trees or stumps. Their fondness for maple sap has
often led to their tumbling into sap buckets in spring and drowning. Its
principal enemies are owls and cats.
Bibliography: Musée
canadien de la nature
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