Is Generations Blitzwing a Bad Toy?

[FEZaid]

Hi,

Maybe I might be blind when I look at the flaws, since Blitzwing is one of my favorite characters in the Transformers universe. So, Is Blitzwing a ba...ba..ba...d Toy?

Because the problem I had with it was the shoulder which I ended up fixing with a sander and the gun is tiny in my opinion but makes a good turret for tank mode.

[RNSrobot]

Blitzwing is one of my favorite characters as well. I think he's a good toy with one big flaw and a couple minor ones. Too ambitious for his size class? Hasbro just needed better qc?

The shoulder issue is obviously huge. I feel like he's going to snap so easily everytime things move while trying to pose the arms. I feel like if you gave that to a kid who PLAYED with it, he'd break in minutes. I think it's fair to say from a play standpoint, he's a 'bad' toy.

The gun is too small and weirdly enough it won't sit right in his hand. You can't really peg it into the fist well and have it straight, it has to angle a bit. I'm sticking it into his shoulder...

But he's big, he looks cool, the three modes are pretty solid, the sword is great. I'm going to have to do a shoulder fix on him. He'll mostly sit on the shelf but I still like to transform and pose my toys, y'know?

I wonder if Doubledealer will fix some of these problems. Springer is a more solidly designed toy, but the Sandstorm version of the mold improved a lot of the little tabs. Sandstorm holds together much better than Springer.

[chovner]

I have no problems with the look of the figure overall, I really like it.

[Undrave]

The shoulders are bad, the legs are misproportionned, the spring loaded head gimmick doesn't lock and thus constantly push on the flimsy flexible nosecone, meaning that if you try to keep him in vehicle mode the nosecone will eventually break. It needed a solid plastic rim before the soft plastic cone so it could have ap roper solid locking system.

Aside from that it's a fun toy.

[sarmick01]

Mine has the nosecone issue and I really dont likethe plane mode.

[Rev]

Not a bad toy, just flawed. He needs a bigger gun, and I have no idea how he passed design inspection with that shoulder issue.

[RNSrobot]

Mine has the nosecone issue and I really dont likethe plane mode.

it's my least favorite, i dislike the huge gap on the back end. from the front it looks good enough.

Not a bad toy, just flawed. He needs a bigger gun, and I have no idea how he passed design inspection with that shoulder issue.

yes and no kidding...

[Darth Cylon]

I wonder if the Takara one will fix the shoulder issue. Other than Takara MP, most Hasbro TF not only get production first, but they are mass produced. Takara's production run comes months later and in much less quantiues. Maybe Takara's production batch will fix the shoulder issue? Maybe?

[Matrix_Holder]

I wouldnt put too much faith that Takara will have that fixed, there is that 3rd party set coming out with a new head and a fix for the shoulders...I think I will pick that up. I think hes a great figure, no real complaints here.

[wervenom]

I wouldnt put too much faith that Takara will have that fixed, there is that 3rd party set coming out with a new head and a fix for the shoulders...I think I will pick that up. I think hes a great figure, no real complaints here.


Agreed

[Dynamo.Dave]

I'm a fan of how they managed to get a pretty smooth transformation for all 3 modes (as it, it's pretty 'easy' to transform him), but yeah the shoulder thing sucks and really could have easily been better.
I'm ok with the head thing - it's not great but it's ok.

[Rev]

I wouldnt put too much faith that Takara will have that fixed, there is that 3rd party set coming out with a new head and a fix for the shoulders...I think I will pick that up. I think hes a great figure, no real complaints here.

Do you have a link?

[Matrix_Holder]

I dont think its up for preorder yet. There have been posts on facebook about this set.

[Rev]

K. Thanks very much.

[The 12th Prime]

I wouldnt put too much faith that Takara will have that fixed, there is that 3rd party set coming out with a new head and a fix for the shoulders...I think I will pick that up. I think hes a great figure, no real complaints here.

Agreed, it can be hit or miss with Takara resolving first run issues that Hasbro may have. For example the 1st version of Voyager TFPrime Ultra Magnus (not the Prime remold/paint) I got the AM version. I have no issues with the shoulders on that figure as reported on the Hasbro Voyager version but on the Commander size version I got from Takara the same loose shoulder issue that happened on the Hasbro Commander version still existed. Seems to be a thing with shoulders lately, gravity is a heartless b***h, isn't she?

So buyer beware, it really is just luck of the draw at the end of the day because we have no idea what day of the week these toys were made just hope yours weren't made on a Friday, lol.

[Undrave]

Yeah it's like Hasbro forgot how to make solid shoulders at some point. Way too many toys have floating shoulders instead of solid pegging connection.

[Deception]

blitzwing is awesome, if you don't have it you're missing out. even with the shoulder i wouldn't worry too much its not that big of a deal. mine displays very nicely, if it is a really big issue for you, peaugh has a video on how you can fix the problem i believe.

[Malwave]

I wouldn't say it's a horrible toy, but the fact that you need to fix something right out of the box that is a prevailing design flaw from the factory - and has been reported by so many who have bought it - does colour a toy in a negative light I'm afraid :(

that said, if you fix the shoulder issue, you eliminate the only reason that it does suck so...lil bit of column A, lil of column B? :p

[Undrave]

Peaugh's little fix doesn't work on mine. The part the turret sits on on mine is warped out of shape so no matter how much I try it doesn't work.

[BoNKerS]

This BLITZ IS BETTAAARRRR

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/9525911127_1f2619e6a3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/foibless2k/9525911127/)
AnimatedBlitz4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/foibless2k/9525911127/) by FoiBLeSs2K (http://www.flickr.com/people/foibless2k/), on Flickr

OKBYE!

[xueyue2]

it's a very good toy, really love it even with the should problem. And that problem is not hard to fix. If this is a bad toy, 90% of the transformers will be junks.

[down_shift]

Absolutely not. He's Mt favorite of the 30th line thus far. I just got the 30th deluxes yesterday and I'm very underwhelmed by them. I mean I loved them when I opened them, but quickly changed my opinion after screwing aroundbwith them. Pax is probably the best one with bb as a distant second. Trailcutter was the one tf aside from Blitzwing I've had high hopes for in the past few years but has fell brutally short.

Megatron is parts forming garbage...

To the point, Blitzwing is brilliant. People lock into the negative shoulder issue, while in actual fact it's not that bad. If your a kid, you wouldn't give a damn if the shoulders clip in, and as an adult collector who cares? It's going to stay in the same stance for 99% of its shelf life. My shoulders are fine on mine, if a little loose, but doesn't bother me none.

[Akroyer]

Just opened mine up this morning, was pretty impressed with him until I started to transform him. He has a bad pin in right elbow and the forearm just fell off. Looking to get that fixed or replaced when CS get's back to me.

I'd have to at least say he's much nicer in person than pictures. Same thing I found when I opened my Springer and Sandstorm.

[Shepp]

Well, after receiving my Gen Blitzwing from sarmick and popping it open, I have to say that out of the box the figure has problems.

But, after much cutting and adjusting, I have to say that I like Blitzwing. Now that his tabs secure and nosecone sits almost perfectly flush and faces turn well, he's pretty cool.

I like his jet mode better than his tank mode, which surprised me because everyone was saying the jet is the weakest mode.

Of course, I had to trim down the torso screws and surfaces several times to get that right, and also make a little trim to the nosecone's rubbery hinge, and then fix one of the pieces that sit next to his crotch to sit flush, glue on the end of the tank's barrel, and trim some flash from the missile so it would actually fire.

An interesting journey, but well worth it. I'd hardly call what I fixed design flaws (except for the nose cone hinge), but QC problems.

I think my only complaint now is that Blitzwing's hand covers keep popping off when I flip them, which is just mildly annoying. not annoying enough to trim anything though, since they just pop back in without a problem.

[down_shift]

Nope. It is my favorite of the three triple changers.

[Shepp]

Nope. It is my favorite of the three triple changers.

Until they redesign them all as Voyager class figures.

[canprime]

Definitely the weakest of the three triple changers just released.

I would classify him as garbage but his tank mode and three faces save him from that designation. The other two modes are garbage though. (In my opinion of course)

[Pascal]

My least favorite of the three. Too many flaws/gaps. Still fun to transform though.

[Hellboy]

I place Blitzwing 3rd amongst the Triple Changers but I still love the figure. I fixed the shoulder issue and I have no complaints. Sandstorm ranks #1 but I still like Springer a little better when it comes down to appeal.

[down_shift]

Until they redesign them all as Voyager class figures.

He already is a Voyager...

You lost me on this.

[elburrito]

He already is a Voyager...

You lost me on this.



Think that meant Blitz is too big.

[Mega-Prime 316]

^^or Astrotrain and Octane are too small. ;)

[Marcotron]

I look at this toy as a challenge to see how close to properly transformed it can get in each mode without breaking it. But he does look wicked standing there on the shelf.

[Supernova]

I look at this toy as a challenge to see how close to properly transformed it can get in each mode without breaking it. But he does look wicked standing there on the shelf.

Breaking it? Other than flipping the turret (which absolutely frightens me every time I do it), I didn't think there were that many potential failure points. Care to elaborate?

[Commandoclone87]

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being Terrible and 10 being Awesome), I would place Blitzwing roughly around a 5-6.

His transformation is relatively complex and fun and while some people take issues with the alt modes, I find that they are very reminiscient of the Generation 1 Blitzwing.

What keeps me from ranking it higher though, is that i find the head is too gimmicky and the extra mass to accomodate said gimmick interferes with transformation. Also the well noted design flaws are proof that maybe somebody should be testing the prototypes more extensively to ensure that everything fits.

[Markusmaxmus]

I agree the head is the worst part on mine. I can not keep it pushed down and his head pushes on the nose cone.

[Commandoclone87]

I agree the head is the worst part on mine. I can not keep it pushed down and his head pushes on the nose cone.

I had the same issue until I carved out a small bit from the inside of the nose cone and trimmed the two tabs on the side off.

[Shepp]

^^or Astrotrain and Octane are too small. ;)

Exactly.

[Slave]

soooo... anyone got those SXS head/gun replacement that came along the shoulder lock pieces? How are they?

I like Blitzwing... he's not perfect... but he's ok... a solid... 6/10... I dont have a problem with the shoulder since he just stands there on my shelf among others of my collection... but if anything can make him into a 7 or even an 8... no 8 would be reprolabels... well in any case the SXS fix/replacement pieces looks.... intriguing to say the least...

[Vakamadisk]

. . . The shoulder issue is obviously huge. I feel like he's going to snap so easily everytime things move while trying to pose the arms. I feel like if you gave that to a kid who PLAYED with it, he'd break in minutes. I think it's fair to say from a play standpoint, he's a 'bad' toy . . .

Generations is a line of kids' toys designed for adult collectors . . . Hmmmm--it appears a conundrum has arisen, as those two factors seem to cancel each other out. I can now conclude that Generations is an anomaly that will result in the creation of a black hole that will lead to the Classic destruction of our Universe theory coming true.

Oops I seem to have gone off track. Ummm I like Blitzwing. I think both alt modes look different enough from each other, they hold together securely, and they're tons of fun. The robot mode is cool with a G1-inspired look and an Animated-inspired face-swapping gimmick.

There is the issue of paint inside the helmet hardening, making the face-swapping difficult, though. For that, Just try flipping the faces either up or down by placing a nail under or over the chin, nose or other such groove.

Oh! And there's the infamous shoulder problem. It hasn't bothered me too much. I just place my thumb on top of the purple shoulder piece when I want to move an arm upwards. Downwards, however, is easy as the shoulder has no reason to come unhooked like a bra.

In my opinion, this toy is definitely worth adding to the collection. I'm not sure if this goes for the rest of Canada, but in my area Blitzwing is easy to find in stores, as he has been deemed the Shelfwarmer of the Generations Voyagers so far.