Vault Review: Transformers Prime
Terrorcon Cliffjumper

Vault

Takara also did a good job with the rest of CJ’s colors.  Aside from his hooves, all the areas that were molded black on the FE figure are now a maroon brown.  All the silver areas are basically the same, just a bit more dingy looking and the guns that flip out to replace his hands are now black.

Zombie Cliff is articulated the exact same way as FE Cliff.  His head, shoulders, hips, and ankles are all ball joints.  He’s got swivel bicepts and wrists.  His elbows are double hinges, while his knees are single.  He also has a triple gun on each arm that flips out to replace his hands.

Since this is the Takara version, he does come with stickers for the unpainted areas.  Out of the three figures I’ve gotten so far, I haven’t used any of the stickers on the main figure.  That changed with Cliffjumper because none of his windows were colored and it looked a bit weird in car mode with no definition between the windows and the car.  The black windshield definitely looks better.  Now hopefully the stickers will last, but if they don’t I can always paint them on.

Like all the Takara figs, Cliff comes with a Minicon that transforms into a weapon.  This time the Minicon is a rat-like cheetah creature named Jida.  (Thanks to poster LV for correcting me on that.  Jida the cheetah makes much more sense, although I still like the idea of a zombie Transformer coming with a rat Minicon.)  I always assumed that the larger main character gave orders to and controlled their Minicons, but Terrorcon CJ is no more than a mindless beast.  So is Jida actually controlling him?

Jida’s weapon mode is a brutal looking double meat hook/chainsaw.  This is a weapon that would make Lobo jealous and they gave it to a creature that can’t distinguish between Autobots and Decepticons.  Kind of a horror movie waiting to happen.

Like all the Prime Minicons, Jida has plenty of male and female ports so he can attach to various Transformers and Minicons alike.  I really like this aspect of the figures because you can make some seriously crazy looking death machines.

I’m pretty happy with this figure.  I’d gotten him before Hasbro made their announcement about making him an SDCC exclusive, but I don’t think I would have changed anything.  The San Diego version looks great, but there’s just something about all that translucent purple that makes me like this figure more.  Plus he comes with a Minicon, and I’m loving these Minicons.  There’s only one thing that could make this figure better:  If Takara or Hasbro were to start making Terrorcon versions of other Transformers.  That would be a collection I couldn’t avoid.

-Vault

Pages: 1 2

36 thoughts on “Vault Review: Transformers Prime
Terrorcon Cliffjumper”

    1. I finally got to watch the last few episodes of Prime since it hit Netflix, and they were pretty good. I definitely think the series gets better as it goes on, so keep this in mind if you do check it out.

  2. Hey!

    I just wanted to let you know that Hasbro didn’t entirely cancel the First Edition line, it’s just the FE line was made months before the PRID line was even conceptualized. You see the FE figures were originally going to be Generations figures and were worked on by that team, but then Hasbro decided to make Prime it’s own new line with a new team after the FE figures were already made. Hasbro just said at last week’s Botcon they are going to try their hardest to get the rest of the FE figures out in the states as soon as they can.

    1. They’ve been saying that for a couple months now, and to me that just begs the question; why the hell was the second wave of FE deluxes and the FE voyagers never intended for U.S. release in the first place? That’s what seems to defy all logic. They went through the expense of tooling the figures and going into production on them for Canada and Japan, but only ever thought to release the first wave of deluxes in the States? That’s ass-backwards logic if I’ve ever heard it.

      1. They TRIED to release them in the states; the problem was that nobody (except TRU, for the Deluxes and that Bumblebee gun) were interested in ordering any. Hasbro can’t force them to carry the line, and most stores passed on the FEs and waited to order the main line once it started. Presumably, they were more concerned with getting rid of the end of their DOTM stuff when the ordering window for FEs was open.

    2. Yeah, I know it’s not entirely Hasbro’s fault since the retailers weren’t biting. But I am a bit disappointed in the oversimplified transformations of the smaller sizes of the RiD line though.

      I’m definitely glad they’re getting Terrorcon CJ out there. Hopefully they’ll do the same with the rest. I’d love to pick up a FE Bulkhead for a non-rapey price.

  3. I like the beast mode of the minicon. Looks silly on the hood though.
    Clear purple is pretty snazzy for a color scheme.
    Still sad cliffjumper died.

  5. that transp.purple really makes this figure.
    I’d love to get him, but I can live without.

  6. If I were a rich man (I’m not) I would get one of these and the SDCC version and swap a few parts around.

    1. I haven’t decided if I’m going for the SDCC one yet. He’s different enough to tempt me, but I’m not sure I like him enough to get another.

      Of course, money and availability will have a factor also…

  7. Great review! Makes me look forward to this guy even more.

    I just got a Takara Prime Soundwave today (and sliced my finger trying to get his Minicon’s parts off the sprue), and saw this guy in the promotional sheet that came with Soundwave. So I ordered him. Looking forward to getting this guy, but kinda miffed that he’s going to transform differently from the Cliffjumper I actually have. Enh, whatever. It’ll give me a “Ravage” to go with the Soundwave.

    1. Thanks Beedo! I think you’ll be happy with him.

      I got my Takara Soundwave the other day also. Sadly, he’s the first Takara Prime that I’m a little disappointed in. Aside from the Minicon, I think Hasbro did a better job.

      1. Yeah, I know what you mean. The plastic’s so soft on some parts as to be almost tearable.

  8. ….

    Zombie Transformers?

    *sigh*

    Still, excellent review as always, Vault. I agree, I like the translucent purple as well. It does give him a kind of….altered, somewhat decayed look.

    And I love the Minicons! Hasbro would do well to work with Takara and just sell a whole box of the kits at their online store. Never gonna happen of course but it would be nice.
    🙂

    1. “Zombie Transformers?”

      They totally had zombie transformers ever since Generation 1. 😉

      1. I can’t tell if you’re being serious or joking.

        But if you’re being serious, I’d love to know more.

        1. Yeah, in my perambulations around Teletraan-1, the TransFormer wiki (and before someone decided to overwrite practically every contribution I ever made), I read of several instances of zombie TransFormers in the G1 comics. Racthet and Megatron were part of that storyline, so those would be a good place to start looking.

          And don’t forget Undead Optimus Prime, who featured in the cartoons!

        2. I’m totally serious.

          The biggest Transformer zombie story before Prime and Dark Energon came out was in the UK comics, where a rogue Autobot scientist called Flame reanimated hundreds of deactivated Transformers into a horde of “undead” that threatened to overrun Cybertron.

          There was also an episode of Animated where some parasites reanimated Megatron’s body (and zombified the still-functioning Prowl and Bumblebee to boot!).

          And there’s been a few different incidents of “living dead” Transformers. TFwiki reminds me that Optimus is actually referred to as a zombie in the G1 episode “Dark Awakening” as well!

          And this isn’t even touching Transformer vampires!

          1. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!

            I was going to say “It was probably in the UK Transformers comic”, seriously!

            Because that’s the kind of stuff they did. 🙂

    2. Thanks Steve.

      I don’t remember where, but I saw some pics of an ad with all these first Minicons repainted. Since it was in Japanese I have no clue as to what it said, but it gave the impression that Takara was going to re-release them as individuals.

      I’ll post on the forum if I can find a clarification on this.

  9. This guy looks cool. They’re also releasing him with a different paint job and minus the minicon for the SDCC exclusives this year, so another shot for people to own this version of the mold (in a somewhat more show-accurate color).

    Looking good, loving the minicon there. I kinda wish Takara could do these all-new minicon molds available solo, like they have done with some other stuff in the past.

    1. See my reply to Steve above, but I think Takara may do that.

      Like I said, I’ll post if I hear anything about it.

      1. Great review as usual, by the way. The pictures you guys take are the bomb.

  10. Oh, by the way, Jida’s actually supposed to be a cheetah (hence the name). Although a rat would be both much more interesting and much more appropriate.

    1. I was wondering, because that didn’t look very rat-like to me. Chainsaw Cheetah. Gah, i wish the minicons would come out over here.

      1. lol, double chainsaw cheetah!

        Yeah, I wish Hasbro would release these. They’re really a great add-on.

    2. Ah, that makes much more sense, especially with the name. And now I know why some of his stickers have spots on them. But now I’m a bit sad that CJ doesn’t have a little rat buddy to nibble on his shambling carcass.

      I’ve updated the review with the correction. Thanks for the info, LV! 🙂

Comments are closed.