BEAST WARS: TOY REVIEW
Name: SHARP EDGE
Allegiance: Cybertron
Function: Deep Sea Assault
Beast Mode: Saw Shark
Average Price: 1800 JPY
Sharp Edge is shown on the left with his Swordmaster
nemesis, Hardhead pictured right.
BEAST MODE
Length: 26 cm
Fundamentally a repaint/retool of Cybershark.
The only mould difference in this mode lie in the head and tail. Cybershark's
Hammerhead tail and head have been replaced with original sculpted Saw
Shark tail and head. However, the main body is the same, which means that
there are still four pairs of gills, whereas saw sharks have either
five or six pairs of gills, depending on the genus. Of course, between
five and six, the closest number would be five... perhaps suggesting that
it's a Pristiophorus. If it's a Japanese saw shark (which would be fitting,
since Sharp Edge is a Japanese Transformer -- nothing escapes me), then
it would be a Pristiophorus japonicus.
The upper side of the toy is a deep cobalt blue with
sky blue stripes throughout the body. The underside is a sort of green-beige
(I think). The only downside to this mode would be that the robot legs
are clearly visible on the underside of the shark. However, they've really
tried to tuck them in as tight as possible, so it's a nice effort. Other
than that, it looks fairly organic.
A trigger on the top of the shark (in front of the dorsal
fin) launches the face. Yep. It shoots out to over 80 centimetres in fact
(whereas Cybershark's
launcher has a shorter range of 46cm, hence Sharp Edge obviously has a
stronger launcher). Without the faceplate, there's a weird looking red
robotic shark head. Needless to say that the toy looks really silly after
launching off its face. (I suppose that in adhering with Japanese tradition,
it would have to kill itself after "losing face" -- boom TISH, get it?
Oookay...)
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Launch the face and take off the tail. You know have something
which looks ready to be made into shark sushi. But of course, first you
have to gut the fish, so you split open the underbelly, and lo-and-behold,
there's a pair of legs which swing up, then everything above the robot
head swings down. Presto, instand torso and legs. The feet swing up and
the arms are already there.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 14cm (not including side panels)
Points of articulation: 13
The only mould difference between Cybershark
and Sharp Edge's robot modes is the head. Sharp Edge's head actually has
a fin running across the top and down the centre of the face (where a nose
may have been). This gives Sharp Edge a kind of mecha-centurion look. The
entire body is covered with an array of mechanical parts. This creates
a very mechanised robot which starkly contrasts with the previously organic
looking shark mode. The shark face can be held in one hand as a huge sword.
A trigger on top of the tail section flicks out a blade, hence the entire
section becomes a pincer weapon, also held in Sharp Edge's hand.
The launcher in the chest can be lifted 90 degrees and
used as a chest cannon. Although it's a silly place to have a cannon (apologies
to Guyver fans). This cannon can fire either the sword/shark face or a
73mm missile. These missiles are stored in two cavities behind the head.
I think it's neat how they've given him both a short and long range weapon
(a rarity among Beast Wars Transformers).
A very slick looking robot mode, it's coloured primarily
cobalt blue and gray. The underbelly panels and abdomen are red. The toy's
centre of gravity is slightly biased towards the back though.
RUB STICKER LOCATION
Inside the left underbelly panel (lower side).
OVERALL
Cool looking toy with good playability and slight standing
problems.
BEAST TRIVIA
There are four distinct species of saw sharks. All belonging to the long-snouted,
edible marine sharks of the Pristiophoridae family. Found in the waters
off South Africa, Australia and Asia, they are characterised by a long,
slender, snout. The snout (also known as the saw) is equipped with sharp,
toothlike projections on each edge. Although they resemble the sawfish
rays, the difference lies in the fact that saw sharks have a pair of barbels
on the underside of the saw and have gill slits on the sides of the head
rather than underneath.
Saw sharks grow up to a metre in length. They feed on fish, slicing
and dicing them with their saws (yummy!). However, they do not attack humans
(like most sharks).
There are two genera of saw sharks: Piliotrema, with six pairs of gill
slits and Pristiophorus, with five.
Bibliography: Encylopaedia Brittanica
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