Post by cybernaut on Apr 13, 2008 1:31:15 GMT 8
Foreword
First of all, I DON'T own a TftM Voyager Blackout. For a CybPh review of the original TftM Blackout, check zephon's review here.
This review will focus mostly on Evac himself, since I think zephon did a pretty good rundown of the original Blackout mold.
TftM AllSpark Power Voyager Evac
Bio:
When EVAC received the transmission from OPTIMUS PRIME inviting the surviving AUTOBOTS to Earth, he knew he was needed there immediately. The final battle against MEGATRON could only have resulted in massive damage to the world, which meant that his skills would be critical. As a rescue specialist, EVAC has spent his life traveling from one disaster zone to the next, protecting and saving those he could. He is totally fearless, willing to risk anything to help his fellow sentient creatures.
Tech Specs:
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 8
Speed: 7
Endurance: 9
Rank: 5
Courage: 10
Fireblast: 5
Skill: 8
The name Evac was previously held by the Hasbro Tf Cybertron version of Live Convoy, who also transfromed into a rescue helicopter. It's a good choice of a name for this remold, since he's also a rescue copter, plus, unlike Live Convoy, there's no "Planet Leader" associations attached to the name.
Intro:
Evac comes packed in Vehicle mode, rotors folded and secured in place via two clear rubber bands. Noticeably, the packaging graphics have been changed to reflect the Allspark segment of the Movie toy line, with the Allspark cube replacing the Optimus Prime eye, plus generous splashes of AllSpark blue...
TftM Voyager Evac packaging, front
TftM Voyager Evac packaging, back
TftM Voyager Evac, loose, complete...
Out of the box, you get three pieces, namely the Evac toy, the life raft and the instruction sheet. More on these later...
Alternate Mode
Evac, like Blackout before him, is an approximately 1:89 scale Sikorsky MH-53J/M Pave Low chopper, albeit in the colors of the US Coast Guard, though the color map isn't an exact match. FYI, as far as I know, the US Coast Guard does not have Pave Lows in it's service...
Done in orange, black and white plastic, Evac looks very snappy. Evac has a painted Autobot symbol on the cockpit roof, arrows on the sides of the cockpit and "EV1015-07" on both sides of the tail assembly...
What the tail markings signify, I don't know... Anyone?
TftM Voyager Evac, vehicle mode, various angles.
All things considered, it's a very good chopper mold, although the transformation lines are very pronounced. Also, due to weight distribution issues, Evac won't rest on the front landing gear, tipping backwards instead and resting on the rear strut under the cage.
As for the gimmicks, he shares almost the same two gimmicks as Blackout. Rapidly pressing the black plunger on Evac's tail will make his rotors spin. The gimmick where Blackout and Scorponok link up, with Blackout's rotor mechanism connecting to Scorponok's rotating claws mechanism is still present here, as as shown by the black connector which anchors the cage to Evac's fuselage. I doubt Evac would want to spin Scorponok's claws though...
As for his other gimmick, while Blackout had a mini-Scorponok inside his cage, Evac comes with an orange life raft instead. The life raft is nicely sculpted with twin pontoons on the underside and a grey "tent". There's an obvious grey protrusion on the top of the raft, while closer study of the underside reveals gun barrels on the underside of the raft, owing to it's alternate function in Evac's robot mode... As it is it's a very well-armed raft.
Like Blackout's "Scorponok drop", pressing the black button under Evac's tail causes the cage floor to drop, thereby um... "dropping" the life raft, just like real rescue choppers do when performing deep sea rescues...
TftM Voyager Evac, vehicle mode gimmicks - spinning rotor blades (left), "Life raft drop" (center and right)
However, due to how it's made, the life raft breaks apart upon impact with a hard surface (i.e. my glass cabinet top, as seen on the pics... I had to put the raft back together for that last shot) with the canopy and the raft section each going their own way... erm, not like actual life rafts...
Also, probably due to mould issues, the connection of the cage (via the port where Scorponok pegs onto) tends to work loose when the rotor is engaged.
Transformation
Nothing much here...
Being a remold of Blackout, he essentially transforms the same way. His Automorph also moves (or breaks...) the same way too. With mine, I had to reset the gears on the cockpit just to figure out how it works... As it is now, I still don't think I've gotten Evac to automorph correctly.
Any help here, Blackout / Evac owners?
Robot Mode
Evac's general form is no different from Blackout. Unlike Blackout, however, I feel Evac has a more aesthetically interesting robot mode. The combination of orange, white and (unbelievably...) Allspark blue make for a visually appealing color map, unlike the monochromatic look of Blackout. The hazard stripes on his shoulders and the accents add much needed character to Evac.
TftM Voyager Evac, robot mode
Points of articulation are : head, limited ball joint, shoulders, pseudo ratcheting joints, rotators on the biceps, hinge joints on the elbows and hands. The waist rotates albeit limited, pseudo ratcheting joints on the thighs, rotators above pseudo ratcheting knee joints. There are no ankles although the front "toes" can be adjusted to accomodate the toy's weight.
There's very little to actually complain about on Evac, save for the usual QC issues and some loose joints fresh out of the box. One thing though, due to the placement of the Autobot symbol, it's prone to be scratched by the waist assembly.
One of the major changes on Evac was that he received a new head mold different from Blackout. The new head is sculpted to look like a helicopter pilot's helmet and has an excellent lightpipe. I don't know why, but I feel the new head fit's better than the original Blackout head.
TftM Voyager Evac, close-up of head unit
The life raft also serves as Evac's hand held gun... Well, it's essentially the raft upside down with the peg folded up to serve as a handle... There's no extending barrels, so the gun looks sort of weird, as in, it really loks like Evac's holding an upside-down life raft. Despite that, I'm happier with how the life raft interacts with Evac more than Scorponok does for Blackout since the latter joes becomes added junk in the cage...
Like Blackout, Evac can also hold the rotor assembly as some sort of huge fan weapon.
TftM Voyager Evac, robot mode gimmicks, life-raft-turned-handgun (left), hand-held rotors (right)
I supppose as a testament to the good points of the Blackout mold that Evac is very sturdy and balanced. Even with a huge chunk of copter on his back or on his shoulders, he's very stable and can be put in a lot of poses. He passes the kick test, too!
TftM Voyager Evac, various poses. Kick test passed!(left)
Size Comparison
As you can see from the pics, it's very evident why a lot are saying that the Blackout / Evac mold is essentially a huge deluxe. Most of the plastic in the toy's construction went to the tail / rotor assembly, while the base robot is small in comparison with a Voyager such as Incinerator.
TftM Voyager Evac, in comparison with fellow AllSpark Voyager, Incinerator
Conclusion
For some reason, despite me finding a lot to really nitpick on Evac, I find myself liking this guy very much. Admittedly, a lot of the problems stated here are essentially a carryover from the Blackout mold, so it's a given that if you hate the Blackout mold, you may not like Evac too. But the new colors, head mold and more focused (albeit not very show accurate...) gimmick make Evac stand out from Blackout. Also, while I can't really vouch for it, a lot on the internet swear Evac's automorph works better than Blackout.
As it stands, I recommend Evac more than Blackout, though be wary of Hasbro's QC issues...
Battle of the blades...
Evac with KO Over-run Minicon, either as a shoulder attachment or handheld gun...
"TORNADO ATTAAAACK!"
"It's all in the blades. Tatak Standard, tibay Standard..."
Score:
out of
Four Marks out of Five
Despite the inherent flaws, I really like Evac...
jya na!
First of all, I DON'T own a TftM Voyager Blackout. For a CybPh review of the original TftM Blackout, check zephon's review here.
This review will focus mostly on Evac himself, since I think zephon did a pretty good rundown of the original Blackout mold.
TftM AllSpark Power Voyager Evac
Bio:
When EVAC received the transmission from OPTIMUS PRIME inviting the surviving AUTOBOTS to Earth, he knew he was needed there immediately. The final battle against MEGATRON could only have resulted in massive damage to the world, which meant that his skills would be critical. As a rescue specialist, EVAC has spent his life traveling from one disaster zone to the next, protecting and saving those he could. He is totally fearless, willing to risk anything to help his fellow sentient creatures.
Tech Specs:
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 8
Speed: 7
Endurance: 9
Rank: 5
Courage: 10
Fireblast: 5
Skill: 8
The name Evac was previously held by the Hasbro Tf Cybertron version of Live Convoy, who also transfromed into a rescue helicopter. It's a good choice of a name for this remold, since he's also a rescue copter, plus, unlike Live Convoy, there's no "Planet Leader" associations attached to the name.
Intro:
Evac comes packed in Vehicle mode, rotors folded and secured in place via two clear rubber bands. Noticeably, the packaging graphics have been changed to reflect the Allspark segment of the Movie toy line, with the Allspark cube replacing the Optimus Prime eye, plus generous splashes of AllSpark blue...
TftM Voyager Evac packaging, front
TftM Voyager Evac packaging, back
TftM Voyager Evac, loose, complete...
Out of the box, you get three pieces, namely the Evac toy, the life raft and the instruction sheet. More on these later...
Alternate Mode
Evac, like Blackout before him, is an approximately 1:89 scale Sikorsky MH-53J/M Pave Low chopper, albeit in the colors of the US Coast Guard, though the color map isn't an exact match. FYI, as far as I know, the US Coast Guard does not have Pave Lows in it's service...
Done in orange, black and white plastic, Evac looks very snappy. Evac has a painted Autobot symbol on the cockpit roof, arrows on the sides of the cockpit and "EV1015-07" on both sides of the tail assembly...
What the tail markings signify, I don't know... Anyone?
TftM Voyager Evac, vehicle mode, various angles.
All things considered, it's a very good chopper mold, although the transformation lines are very pronounced. Also, due to weight distribution issues, Evac won't rest on the front landing gear, tipping backwards instead and resting on the rear strut under the cage.
As for the gimmicks, he shares almost the same two gimmicks as Blackout. Rapidly pressing the black plunger on Evac's tail will make his rotors spin. The gimmick where Blackout and Scorponok link up, with Blackout's rotor mechanism connecting to Scorponok's rotating claws mechanism is still present here, as as shown by the black connector which anchors the cage to Evac's fuselage. I doubt Evac would want to spin Scorponok's claws though...
As for his other gimmick, while Blackout had a mini-Scorponok inside his cage, Evac comes with an orange life raft instead. The life raft is nicely sculpted with twin pontoons on the underside and a grey "tent". There's an obvious grey protrusion on the top of the raft, while closer study of the underside reveals gun barrels on the underside of the raft, owing to it's alternate function in Evac's robot mode... As it is it's a very well-armed raft.
Like Blackout's "Scorponok drop", pressing the black button under Evac's tail causes the cage floor to drop, thereby um... "dropping" the life raft, just like real rescue choppers do when performing deep sea rescues...
TftM Voyager Evac, vehicle mode gimmicks - spinning rotor blades (left), "Life raft drop" (center and right)
However, due to how it's made, the life raft breaks apart upon impact with a hard surface (i.e. my glass cabinet top, as seen on the pics... I had to put the raft back together for that last shot) with the canopy and the raft section each going their own way... erm, not like actual life rafts...
Also, probably due to mould issues, the connection of the cage (via the port where Scorponok pegs onto) tends to work loose when the rotor is engaged.
Transformation
Nothing much here...
Being a remold of Blackout, he essentially transforms the same way. His Automorph also moves (or breaks...) the same way too. With mine, I had to reset the gears on the cockpit just to figure out how it works... As it is now, I still don't think I've gotten Evac to automorph correctly.
Any help here, Blackout / Evac owners?
Robot Mode
Evac's general form is no different from Blackout. Unlike Blackout, however, I feel Evac has a more aesthetically interesting robot mode. The combination of orange, white and (unbelievably...) Allspark blue make for a visually appealing color map, unlike the monochromatic look of Blackout. The hazard stripes on his shoulders and the accents add much needed character to Evac.
TftM Voyager Evac, robot mode
Points of articulation are : head, limited ball joint, shoulders, pseudo ratcheting joints, rotators on the biceps, hinge joints on the elbows and hands. The waist rotates albeit limited, pseudo ratcheting joints on the thighs, rotators above pseudo ratcheting knee joints. There are no ankles although the front "toes" can be adjusted to accomodate the toy's weight.
There's very little to actually complain about on Evac, save for the usual QC issues and some loose joints fresh out of the box. One thing though, due to the placement of the Autobot symbol, it's prone to be scratched by the waist assembly.
One of the major changes on Evac was that he received a new head mold different from Blackout. The new head is sculpted to look like a helicopter pilot's helmet and has an excellent lightpipe. I don't know why, but I feel the new head fit's better than the original Blackout head.
TftM Voyager Evac, close-up of head unit
The life raft also serves as Evac's hand held gun... Well, it's essentially the raft upside down with the peg folded up to serve as a handle... There's no extending barrels, so the gun looks sort of weird, as in, it really loks like Evac's holding an upside-down life raft. Despite that, I'm happier with how the life raft interacts with Evac more than Scorponok does for Blackout since the latter joes becomes added junk in the cage...
Like Blackout, Evac can also hold the rotor assembly as some sort of huge fan weapon.
TftM Voyager Evac, robot mode gimmicks, life-raft-turned-handgun (left), hand-held rotors (right)
I supppose as a testament to the good points of the Blackout mold that Evac is very sturdy and balanced. Even with a huge chunk of copter on his back or on his shoulders, he's very stable and can be put in a lot of poses. He passes the kick test, too!
TftM Voyager Evac, various poses. Kick test passed!(left)
Size Comparison
As you can see from the pics, it's very evident why a lot are saying that the Blackout / Evac mold is essentially a huge deluxe. Most of the plastic in the toy's construction went to the tail / rotor assembly, while the base robot is small in comparison with a Voyager such as Incinerator.
TftM Voyager Evac, in comparison with fellow AllSpark Voyager, Incinerator
Conclusion
For some reason, despite me finding a lot to really nitpick on Evac, I find myself liking this guy very much. Admittedly, a lot of the problems stated here are essentially a carryover from the Blackout mold, so it's a given that if you hate the Blackout mold, you may not like Evac too. But the new colors, head mold and more focused (albeit not very show accurate...) gimmick make Evac stand out from Blackout. Also, while I can't really vouch for it, a lot on the internet swear Evac's automorph works better than Blackout.
As it stands, I recommend Evac more than Blackout, though be wary of Hasbro's QC issues...
Battle of the blades...
Evac with KO Over-run Minicon, either as a shoulder attachment or handheld gun...
"TORNADO ATTAAAACK!"
"It's all in the blades. Tatak Standard, tibay Standard..."
Score:
out of Four Marks out of Five
Despite the inherent flaws, I really like Evac...
jya na!
