As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not much of a Transformers collector anymore. I think Prime Knockout last year was the breaking point for me, so these days I only go for the Masterpieces and the Kreons. Don’t ask about the Kreons, I just find them adorably addictive. Still, once in a while, Hasbro/Takara will put out an offering that I just have to get, simply because it looks like in addition to being a good Transformer, they’ll be a good robot toy in general on top of that.
Generations Springer is one of those figures.
The first figure in the new Generations line is also the first Voyager-sized triple changer since Animated Blitzwing. Springer is one of those characters who unfortunately gets neglected, but within the past year, received three new figures, one of which was a Kreon. Despite being the Autobots’ premier triple-changer, most of his toys, well, aren’t. I believe this is the first official triple-changing Springer since his original release back in 1986. And you know what? It’s a damn good one.
Additionally, this is the first Springer figure (aside from the ROTF Legends) that isn’t a repaint of an existing toy. It’s about time the Autobots’ big green jerk got some proper street cred. His new toy is respectably tall, especially after a year of tiny Voyagers. His color scheme is made up of perfect shades of green and yellow, amazingly accurate to his animation models.
His articulation is great, too, with heavy ratchets in his knees and elbows that allow him to hold poses well. They have just enough click points to give him the proper range of motion he needs. He has extra swivels at the hips for additional leg movement, and even has a waist joint that ISN’T a part of his transformation! That’s a first.
The head sculpt is fantastic as well, from the crest right down to his stoic grin.
For weapons, Springer includes a double-barrel pressure missile gun and a sword. The gun actually has a trigger, activated by pulling it forward. It shoots only one at a time, though. The sword is, unsurprisingly, his helicopter blades, which somehow manage to look convincing as both a sword and copter blades. Awesome.
His transformations are not too difficult, and you can easily switch between them after only one try. The helicopter is… well, it could use some improvement, but triple changers always have that one mode that doesn’t really work. It does get the job done, however, and makes a pretty cool gunship, complete with landing gear. The pressure missiles store on the bottom, which to be honest, looks a bit silly.
But the real winner here is the armored car mode, and it’s so good I’d honestly be happy if this was his only alt-mode. It’s sleek and tough-looking, and the only real issue I have is with the fins on the back. The gun stores on the roof, and you could move one of his backplates up and make it look like he has a gunner seat. The sword even stores underneath the car, like Generations Drift.
Really, Springer is an awesome figures and I highly recommend him, especially as someone who’s been soured regarding Transformers. He has great articulation, some fun alt-modes, and is just a really fun robot toy. But hey, if he’s not your bag, there’s always Sandstorm. Make sure to look for yours at FPNYC!