{"id":12072,"date":"2011-04-14T15:18:30","date_gmt":"2011-04-14T20:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12072"},"modified":"2011-04-18T09:05:40","modified_gmt":"2011-04-18T14:05:40","slug":"transformers-week-reviews-reveal-the-shield-wreck-gar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12072","title":{"rendered":"Transformers Reviews
Reveal the Shield Wreck-Gar"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Vault put us a little behind, but never fear, the fifth and final review for Transformers Week is here! Friday wraps up with a look at everyone’s favorite Junkion, Wreck-Gar. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I was going to buy him when I saw him. I have a bias against out-of-scale motorcycles, but I do loves me some Wreck-Gar…<\/p>\n

Wreck-Gar is yet another Transformer that first appeared in Transformers: The Movie<\/em>, so I probably should’ve anticipated that I would buy him when I found him and never entertained the thought of passing on him. Wreck-Gar is introduced when Ultra Magnus & Co. crash land on the planet Junkion which is basically a giant landfill. Wreck-Gar is the leader of the ‘bots that live there (aptly named Junkions) who are a very strange group of Transformers to say the least. First, all the Junkions are basically immortal kit-bashes. They can repair themselves (& other TFs) from damage that would leave Ratchet filling out death certificates. But what makes them really odd is that they’re also TV junkies<\/em>. Wreck-Gar himself speaks largely in slogans and idioms taken from Earth commercials. Yes, that does make him comic relief, but remember he’s a basically invincible robot with a giant axe. Keep that in mind when you’re laughing at him.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

I never owned the original Wreck-Gar as a kid because I hated that his motorcycle alt mode was ridiculously out of scale with the car Transformers that I had. I know that’s silly because, as an adult, I know that Transformers and scale don’t really go together, but I was really hung up on that as a kid. I overlooked it sometimes, but the motorcycles bugged me. For example, Defensor was (and still is) my favorite combiner and I accepted the odd-sizes of the helicopter, ambulance, etc, but the motorcycle (Groove, I believe) always bugged me. Of course, it didn’t help that Groove sucked as a Transformer too. I had Happy Meal Transformers that moved more.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Anyway, so we flash forward to today and once again there’s a giant motorcycle alt mode mixed in with the other Transformers. Bah! But this time, Hasbro thought it through. He’s a motorcycle that the other figures can ride<\/em>. He’s an odd fit for some of them, but when Wreck-Gar’s inevitable mold buddy shows up (in Japan, they’ve got Scrapheap on the way, but the US one hasn’t been revealed yet) they’re designed to be compatible. Wreck-Gar’s alt mode has slots in his seat and his sides that line up perfectly with tabs at his crotch and ankles. I wish I had two Wreck-Gars to show you, but that’d be silly. This certainly makes his mold buddy a must buy though, so look for that pic in the eventual review. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the alt mode is a decent enough motorcycle, but the main appeal is going to be other TFs being able to ride him than anything specific to itself. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t have the same appeal as Kup’s simple pickup or Jazz’s \u201cPorsche\u201d. I’m not a stickler for proper G1 colors but that might’ve helped me like the alt mode a little more. I do like the clear plastic on the windshield, but I’m not sure about other things like the black flames or the lack of any deco or sticker on his license plate holder. Speaking of, that license plate screams for some love from ReproLabels<\/a> doesn’t it? Hasbro may as well be advertising for those fellas. Oh, and having his face stick out the bottom? I\u2019m never a big fan of exposed faces in alt modes. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The transformation isn’t that crazy once you get used to it<\/em>, but I still marvel at Wreck-Gar in motorcycle mold and wonder how it all works. His arms fold up to one side to form to the engine block and the legs somehow twist around to form the entire top half of the bike. It takes a bit to get everything lined up and interlocked right, but it’s not anywhere near as frustrating as Perceptor. I have a feeling that my future Junkion purchase will be spending most of his time in his alt mod as Wreck-Gar’s ride. Continue to Wreck-Gar’s Bot Mode…<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Wreck-Gar’s bot mode is appropriately junky. Despite the colors not being a proper homage, a lot of design elements are there, like the two tires on his left, the shoulder blasters, and the dead-on head sculpt. He’s got a goatee that might rival Scourge’s and his grin gives him some real personality, something a lot of TF toys lack. I pretty much like everything on the sculpt itself. The odd transformation comes in handy in his bot mode because he genuinely seems like a pile of parts. The license plate ends up being a knee cap, the front of the bike his left foot, and the two tires give him a really asymmetrical design which makes him particularly unique among his Transformers brethren. <\/p>\n

I would like it if his head could pop up a little higher, but that\u2019s my only real quibble.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Wreck-Gar’s rear wheel\/tail pipe also pops off to give him his classic bladed weapon. It looks cool as a weapon and blends in well in his alt mode which is probably the peak performance of any TF accessory. It also features that now pervasive c-clip. I still haven’t experimented with the clips to mix and match the parts, but I appreciate the implications.<\/p>\n

The articulation is really nice. Ball-joints on the head, shoulders, hips, & ankles, swivels at the biceps, hands, waist, & thighs, and hinges on the elbows & knees. He’s got a lot of great movement and that’s going to come in handy when he’s riding… himself.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

While I don’t like all the color choices, I got good paint on Wreck-Gar all around. The forearms seem to have a thicker paint on them that may scratch easily, but I haven’t had any issues with that yet. The flames are all nice and sharp as are the important facial details. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Overall, Wreck-Gar\u2019s out-of-scale alt mode becomes a lot less important when you get him in hand and play with him. Any drawbacks about the scale quickly fade away when you toss one of the other Generations TFs on his back. I keep using Scourge because I like the biker gang aspect and Scourge fits that for me. Wreck-Gar\u2019s bot mod could\u2019ve used more classic colors, but the design of the toy is great despite the colors. And he looks appropriately crazy when wielding his axe. In the end, Wreck-Gar is a really fun Transformers and that\u2019s perfect considering his character. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For more Transformers Reviews, check out our Review Index<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vault put us a little behind, but never fear, the fifth and final review for Transformers Week is here! Friday wraps up with a look at everyone’s favorite Junkion, Wreck-Gar. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I was going to buy him when I saw him. I have a bias against out-of-scale motorcycles, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":12074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[34,10,35],"tags":[941,2570,724,945],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/wreTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-38I","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12425,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12425","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":0},"title":"Vault Review: Transformers Hunt for the Decepticons Hubcap","date":"April 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been having no luck finding any of the \u201cReveal the Shield\u201d Transformers that I want. Not just the nearly impossible ones like Windcharger and Warpath, but even Highbrow or Wreck-Gar. So I decided to satiate my TF need with a \u201cHunt for the Decepticons\u201d Hubcap I found on sale\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11827,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=11827","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":1},"title":"Transformers Review Generations Scourge","date":"February 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"You wouldn't know it from looking over our recent reviews, but I've bought a lot of the Generations TFs. I should probably get to reviewing those - some of them have been waiting for awhile, but I wanted to rush Scourge to the front of the line. I've always been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3642,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=3642","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":2},"title":"ItsAllTrue.Net Toy Run #2: Clearance Toys Are Our Undoing","date":"February 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"You know the drill. You get up and you think you could get lucky today. You get ready and put on some nice clothes so you can at least feel presentable if you happen to get checked out. You hop in the car and travel to whichever place you've deemed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Toy Run"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12051,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12051","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":3},"title":"Transformers Week Reviews Reveal the Shield Turbo Tracks","date":"March 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Transformers Week continues with today's look at Turbo Tracks from the Reveal the Shield line. Don't let that yellow fool you, Tracks is right at home with your Generations line toys. Tracks proved a bit difficult for me to find at first, but I had to have him. He's always\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28146,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=28146","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":4},"title":"Transformers SDCC 2014 Boxset: Knights of Unicron!","date":"June 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9609,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=9609","url_meta":{"origin":12072,"position":5},"title":"Most Requested Figures: Transformers Kup","date":"September 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't really have a Transformers budget, but I try to keep an eye on the franchise. I was hooked as a kid and there are certain characters I just have to buy when they get a new version, a redeco, or a reissue. But an e-mail from reader Jason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Requests"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12072"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12072"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12352,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12072\/revisions\/12352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}