August Transformers Round Up

I've got a stacked lineup this time, so let's just dive right in. Third party, official, model kits, one genuinely massive Target exclusive. A little bit of everything for the month of August!

Dr. Wu MC-05 Disc Jockey Frenzy

Let's get one thing straight, I very much dislike Bayverse Frenzy and understand why he has been kind of a punching bag since 2007, but I love Dr. Wu so I'm willing to give the little freak a chance.

He's small, only about 12 cm tall, which tracks since Frenzy was always the little guy of the bunch. There's also a red G1 inspired variant that's limited to 1000 pieces, which is a nice touch if you can actually snag one before it's gone. My hesitation is just the usual third party Frenzy problem: tiny scale, tiny joints, and I've heard these micro Bayverse figures can be a little fragile if you're not gentle with the transformation. Still, for something that's been such a disappointment officially for almost two decades, I'm cautiously into the make over that Dr. Wu gave him. He can stay, I guess...

Magic Square MS-B67 Scattershot

This is the fifth piece in Magic Square's legends scale Technobots lineup, and I think it's a solid cap to the set. Lightspeed and Nosecone turned out great in this line, honestly some of the better entries, though the alt modes across the whole team are a little inconsistent, some better than others. Scattershot specifically transforms into a double cannon spaceship and slots into the Computron combined mode, which sounds neat on paper. My complaint is more about accuracy nitpicks, like a fake chest panel or a foot mode that doesn't quite match the source material. Honestly at legends scale I think some of that is unavoidable. If you've been collecting the rest of this combiner there's no reason to stop now, but if you're expecting Masterpiece level precision you'll want to adjust expectations.

Transformers Jem and the Holograms Autobot Blaster & KP Glit, KP Sundor, and KP Rosanna

I'll be honest, when I first heard "Transformers x Jem crossover" I rolled my eyes a little, but then I actually looked at what's in the box and it won me over. You get a 7 inch Blaster in a hot pink and purple Jem inspired deco that converts to a boombox, plus three mini cassette figures repping the Misfits with the KP prefix (a nod to the old Kiss Players line, which is a fun bit of trivia). The whole thing is basically a callback to the classic Soundwave cassette gimmick but flipped to the Autobot side, and I think that's genuinely clever design work. My only gripe is the SDCC exclusive status. Sixty bucks isn't bad for four figures and a pile of accessories, but limiting it to convention attendees with only "limited quantities" trickling to Hasbro Pulse afterward is going to leave me and a lot of other fans of either franchise annoyed if we can't grab one.

Dr. Wu DW-E68 Gangsters & DW-E69 Rambo Set of 2

These two are deep cuts even by third party standards. Gangsters is a redeco of the Sweep mold based on some early, mostly forgotten concept art from the 1986 movie, and Rambo is a G2 inspired Sideswipe redeco with a genuinely over the top loadout of extra weapons and a new grimacing head that leans hard into that early 90s aesthetic. I like that Dr. Wu is digging into weirder corners of Transformers history instead of just doing the obvious character everyone expects. That said, this is the fourth release using that Sideswipe mold, so if you already own one or two of the earlier versions you're basically paying for a new head and some guns. Worth it if the character concept grabs you, skippable if you're just chasing the mold again.

Blokees CT01 Transformers Optimus Prime Transport Vehicle

This is a non-transforming model kit, which I know can be an immediate turnoff for some collectors, but I think it's worth judging on its own terms. It's a 78 piece build combining an IDW style cab with a G1 style trailer, and the trailer actually unfolds into a little combat deck platform with a launcher and a mini roller vehicle, so there's more play value packed in than you'd expect from something this small. Materials feel solid for the price point, and the assembly is tool free so it's a relaxing kind of build rather than a frustrating one. If you're strictly a "has to transform" collector this one's not for you, but as a display piece with a surprising amount going on, I think it earns its spot on a shelf.

Blokees 1/64 Wheels Transformers C03 Wreck'N Rule Set of 12

The Wheels line keeps growing on me every wave. This one brings in Kup, Arcee, Alpha Trion, Blurr, Wild Rider, Dead End and more in that little 1:64 scale, blind boxed format. I think the small articulated hands on some of these figures are genuinely impressive for the scale, tight and well engineered even though they're tiny. On the flip side, I have real fragility concerns with those same small pieces, especially the fingers, which feel like they could snap off the sprue or lose their grip strength easily. It's the classic tradeoff with anything this small and detailed. If you liked the earlier waves you already know what you're getting into here, just handle the delicate bits with some care.

Blokees 1/64 Wheels Transformers C02 Wreck'N Rule Set of 12

This wave leans into some deeper cuts like Springer, Roadbuster, jet mode Overlord, and Breakdown, plus a handful of chase variants that'll test your patience if you're a completionist. I actually really like the small storytelling touches Blokees keeps adding, like Pipes having an alternate "smashed" panel configuration referencing his fate in the early IDW comics. That's a fun detail if you know the comics. The blind box format is still the sticking point for me though. Paying a premium over standard Hot Wheels pricing for a random pull instead of a guaranteed character bugs me, and I don't think I'll get over that complaint anytime soon.

Blokees 1/64 Wheels Transformers C01 Roll Out! Set of 12

This was the wave that kicked the whole Wheels line off, with Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Megatron, Hound, Mirage, Prowl and a full IDW inspired cast of vehicles. The die cast weight makes these feel nicer in hand than you'd expect for the price, and there's a cute little poseable driver figure that fits in most of the cockpits. My main issue is one that seems to follow the whole line: the exclusive repaint versions, like special white Prime editions, tend to be tied to specific events or regions, which makes them frustrating to track down if you're not plugged into the right corners of the hobby. As a starting point for the format though, this wave holds up well.

XTransbots XTB MM-IX+MMIX+MM-9+MM9 Klaatu Cosmos G1 Metallic Version

First off, what is this name?! This is an older release getting renewed attention, and it's easy to see why it's held up. Cosmos in UFO alt mode is just an inherently fun little transformation, and the metallic version adds die cast weight in the chest, thighs and feet along with some genuinely nice metallic paint applications. I think this is a well built, satisfying pickup at masterpiece scale, easily one of the more solid metallic releases I've looked at. If there's a downside it's just availability. These runs tend to sell out and then sit unavailable for stretches, so if you've been wanting a Cosmos and see one in stock, I wouldn't sit on it too long.

Bingo Toys BT08-02 Newton Afterburner

Bingo Toys is still a pretty new name in the third party space, and their track record so far is a little uneven in my book. I was lukewarm on their earlier Nosecone and Lightspeed releases in this same Technobots line, and I have real concerns about joint durability on those, particularly the hips, holding up over time. Newton himself looks solid in the prototype images, standing around 25 cm and slotting in as Computron's arm, with a motorcycle alt mode that photographs nicely. I'd call this one a wait and see. The design is promising, but given how mixed my feelings are on the earlier figures in the set, I'd personally hold off on a purchase until actual in-hand reviews start rolling in rather than trusting prototype photos alone.

Machinecat Toys MCT-C01 Flight B-ROBO Superion Set of 5

I love a good chibi combiner and this one delivers exactly that. All five Aerialbots transform and combine into a super deformed Superion with two swappable faces, which is just a fun, low pressure way to own the character without committing to a full sized combiner budget. There was some annoying behind the scenes drama with this release getting rebranded from Lasercat and then again from JiGuangMao due to trademark issues, which led to some confusing preorder situations across different retailers. The actual product seems unaffected by any of that though, it's just a naming and listing headache. If chibi style figures are your thing, don't let the name changes scare you off.

Big-Figs 30" Transformers Optimus Prime Action Figure (Target Exclusive)

This thing is enormous and I mean that as a genuine selling point, it's pretty much the only reason I got it. Thirty inches tall, based heavily on the Studio Series 86 Commander Prime sculpt right down to the backpack, and it makes basically every other Optimus figure on your shelf look tiny by comparison, G1 Fortress Maximus included. At $34.99 it's also wildly cheap for the size, especially compared to what companies like Super7 or Funko charge for oversized pieces. The catch is articulation, which is pretty minimal. You get knees but no hip movement, so don't expect dynamic posing, this is strictly a "stand there and look massive" kind of figure. It also doesn't transform, which some purists will hold against it, but for the price and the sheer novelty of the scale I think it's an easy recommend as a centerpiece rather than a serious articulated collectible.

Mastermind Creations Ocular Max Infinite Finity IF-03 Chronus Vector Prime

The concept here is Vector Prime reimagined as a DeLorean, leaning into Back to the Future vibes, and I think that's a genuinely fun crossover idea on paper. You get 86 points of articulation, interchangeable faces, gull wing doors, the whole premium package Mastermind Creations is known for. I'm honestly a little torn on the execution though. I love the retro time travel theming as a concept, but once I actually sat with the images past the initial surprise, the sculpt didn't quite land for me the way the idea promised. It's not a bad figure, it's just not quite hitting the mark visually in the way I hoped. I like the idea more than I love the actual sculpt, but if you're a Vector Prime completionist or a Back to the Future fan first, this is probably worth the pickup regardless of my nitpicks.

That's everything for this round. As always, let me know what you're picking up and what you're skipping!!