Review: Transformers PCC Steamhammer & Grimstone
During my trip back home for Thanksgiving, I stopped by at WalMart on Black Friday for a little shopping. I really wasn’t looking for much, but decided to stop by at the toy aisle anyway. Lo and behold, there were a few of the newest Transformers Power Core Combiner 5-packs waiting there with a 15 dollar price tag. If it wasn’t for the price reduction, I probably would have passed on these like I did on the repaint commander wave. Based on the last few waves, I really was on the fence with being a completest or even collecting this line at all, but the 15 dollar price tag let me give them a shot. Of course, when I went to check out, the machine couldn’t recognize the UPCs so I’m wondering if I got them before street date? Will Grimstone with Dinobots and Steamhammer with Constructicons make or break my PCC collecting lust? Here are the reviews.
Grimstone with Dinobots
Alt Mode: If you look at the 5-pack sets that came before this wave, you’d notice that there really wasn’t any strong relationship with the colors used between the commander and his drones. Grimstone and the Dinobots, however, look like they are all part of the same team since they share the same color scheme as the original Dinobots. I generally think that it’s really hard to screw up a Dinosaur transformer’s alt mode since they have all been really awesome. This poor Slag imitation proves me wrong. Grimstone’s Triceratops mode is pretty crappy. It’s crest sits really low to the body and his hind legs just make this mode look wrong in every way possible. This is definitely the weakest part of the toy. The drones on the other hand are fantastic. They’re fairly large compared to the other drones that came out before and have a lot of details sculpted in. I wish there was a little more playability to them but I understand why they can’t, since they need to be stable enough to form limbs. Also, random note, it seems like Hasbro has used a similar type of plastic that Fansproject has used this whole time. I wonder if it’s a cost saving thing… because sometimes this plastic feels a lot more brittle than before.
Robot Mode: To transform Grimstone from Triceratops mode to robot mode, you just move his arms and legs around and crack the hide in half. The transformation sequence is super simple, so don’t expect any head scratching here. The robot mode feels somewhat solid, with his eyes being the highlight of this mode. The flaws exist in his gimpy hands and really weird feet/legs. I originally found the robot mode to be really great, but after playing with it a few times, it’s just slightly above average. Still not bad for a PCC toy.
Gestalt Mode: The best thing about this mold is the Commander Power-Up mode with the drones attached. This is one solid combiner and easily one of, if not the, best in show. Since the entire squad is molded in the same colors, the combined mode looks super cohesive. I really like the Spinosaurus head being the hand in this mold. The feet are both really bulky and surprisingly works well for him. The head reveal is very cleverly done as well. Lastly, of course mine’s going to have a problem. Grimstone’s PCC connection points are loose and the only thing keeping it standing upright is friction and gravity. Not a good combination for a bulky combiner.
Overall: Grimstone and the Dinobots is in my opinion the greatest PCC set to date. I feel like Hasbro has gotten into their groove by now, and are going to churn out some fantastic toys. I was really tempted to quit collecting the Power Core line, but Grimstone basically brought me back. Sure these limbs might look odd on other commanders, but this team should be left as is. Buy on sight.
