Ramjet fared better than Thundercracker in the '90s redeco department.
I am so bummed out right now that my old Generation 2 Ramjet is up in the attic. I could do awesome comparison pictures! Also, because G2 Ramjet is greatness. He’s the first version of the Seeker mold I’ve ever owned. Some time in the middle of Beast Machines, I found him and G2 Sideswipe (and a buttload of other G2) at a True-Value hardware store back in my Indiana hometown. Clearly some toy cases were discovered long past their shelf date. So, y’know, I splurged. It was the right decision.
Also like G2 Sideswipe, I’ve never sought to replace my G2 Ramjet with an original G1 version as they became reissued or more available to me through BotCons and eBay. Again, same as Sideswipe, what’s the point? The G2 colors are awesome. Ramjet’s Generation 1 colors… eh, they’re all right. They’re not offensive or anything. They’re just kind of dull. They’re not black and purple and turquoise with spots of orangey red.
When you're colored this distinctively, it's not like the "RAMJET" on the side ruins the whole disguise thing.
So when Classics Ramjet came out, I liked him, but he wasn’t really my Ramjet. My Ramjet is gorgeous. This new Club Exclusive G2 Ramjet… this is my Ramjet. And while in principle I kind of like to see my Classics molds with updated decoes that are simply evocative of the original rather than slavish recreations… I admit seeing all of Ramjet’s stickers recreated millimeter by millimeter does kind of pull at me in the right places. It is an improvement that nearly all of his stickers are recreated with paint. The bits on his shoulder-intakes and the tops of his feet are still stickers, but only ‘cuz you can’t tampograph stuff inside those crevices very easily (as I understand).
And in the past, when Fun Publications has tried to recreate sticker detail that had words, their font recreation has never been very good. But not here. The “RAMJET” on the side looks accurate to me. A big improvement in that regard. It is kind of weird that they painted black between the legs on the top of Ramjet’s jet mode, as if they’re trying to recreate the gap that existed there on the original toy. Not sure how I feel about that.
That's right. This is my new Seeker shelf. G'bye, blue and white dudes!
And thank God his eyes are gold.
There are some downsides, though! For example, wow, is this mold showing its age. It’s the twentieth use of the mold, if I recall, so no big surprise, even if Hasbro/Tomy has been trying to upkeep its viability bit by bit over the years. Some folks have reported scary-looking seams in their Ramjet feet. This does not appear to be a problem with mine. However, it is kind of a pain to get his torso transformed. The cockpit part of his chest no longer wants to fit smoothly inside the rest of the torso. It requires some excessive force to squeeze it into place.
Oh, and the art on Ramjet’s box is kind of yikes, like someone hit a drunken Pat Lee over the head. Here’s a hint: the middle finger should not be the shortest finger. Another hint: This Shortpacked! strip was not a serious how-to, dude.
Yep, this G2 Ramjet is quite excellent. For what should be a crazy color scheme, the black, purple and turquoise work.
My Ramjet has the same problem with the torso.
Postscript to my earlier idea about the F-15 acquisition by Ethan: If you Google Earth Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and scan to the east, you will find the biggest parking lot of retired military jets in North America. Among the B-52s and F-111s being chopped to pieces (as part of the START Treaty with the Russians) you’ll find over 20 F-15s, likely all A and B models. You probably won’t need Bruce Wayne money to reserve one, but delivery will probably be a good-sized undertaking.
http://www.whisleraviation.com/id2.html
Ethan would have to get to know THESE guys.
Now THAT’S the Ramjet I remember! I was mostly paying attention to TFs during the G2 days, so a lot of that stuff is my TF nostalgia (though Beast Wars is what really drew me in). My friend had this Ramjet and we used him as Starscream, for lack of anything better. I always imangined he had a rocket punch, due to the fists being removeable.
And, once again, it’s disappointing that they only do these kinda repaints for botcon! I doubt I’d ever get ahold of this one without paying through the nose.
Oh, c’mon the blue and white dudes should be there too. There were probably generic seekers that looked just like them.
That is a pretty good color scheme. They should use that on a new Seeker-type character.
I somehow didn’t notice this.
You sir just blew my mind.