I clearly had Springer on the brain when I decided on Shortpacked!’s color scheme.
on October 3, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Somehow I have all the Primax Springer toys. I didn’t intend to. I have the four of them, and I only purposefully bought three. Over a decade ago (probably 2001), I bought the original Springer ‘cuz it was the only game in town, and I wanted the Wreckers’ leader. Then in 2007 BotCon gave us a second Springer, a redeco of Hot Shot. Shortly after, we got another Springer at retail. I considered my BotCon Springer sufficient for my requirements, but this New Retail Springer came packaged with a Ratbat I wanted, so.
And now this even newer Generations Springer. I thought myself satisfied with the BotCon one. It was a BotCon toy, after all! And Generations Springer was originally a China-exclusive, which meant he was gonna be $30-$40. I can pass on that, easy.
…but then Hasbro decided he was gonna get sold over here, too (as Toys”R”Us exclusives), and so now he was suddenly domestic prices. Impulse-buyable. And since around that time we were getting our first good photos of him, I started to realize he had things I desired. I mean, I already knew he had a new head and a new sword. Those were nice. But I didn’t realize he was going to be so gray-with-yellow-and-blue-hazard-stripes in helicopter mode. His helicopter mode gives me Original Springer Toy Feels in a way the other new Springers have not. So, yes, for $15, I would own that.
The new sword does complicate things a little. It can peg into helicopter mode, but only if you unpeg one of his missile launchers. His missile launchers do have several other ways to attach several other places, but I liked them best under the helicopter wings. The sword also is grasped pretty loosely in his hand. Good thing it’s got a hilt guard (double powerlinx ports!), ‘cuz that’s what keeps it from just slipping down through his palm.
Folks say that the toy is too movie-y for Springer. I disagree! Springer’s toy is pretty large in my mind when I think of Springer, and one of the things about Springer’s toys are his stickers. They are crazy. The front of his legs have these stickers where the detail shows all these access panels falling open and hanging open by wiring. G1 Springer’s kind of a messy dude. And so translating that into lots of crazy movie detailing really works for me.
(Besides that toy has already been another G1 guy, so technically it was a G1 aesthetic already.)
Have I mentioned how much I like those little yellow-and-blue hazard stripes on his gray wings? I really, really do.
Seeing this post reminds me of how a friend of mine actually did some lettering for some short stories in IDW’s Last Stand of the Wreckers HC. Then I remember that I still haven’t READ that mini and….oh. I made myself sad.
Oh my god read it now
http://www.comixology.com/Transformers-Last-Stand-of-the-Wreckers/comics-series/3786 dooo eeeeeeeeeeet
Ratbat you say?
That guy: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Ratbat_%28G1%29#Universe_.282008.29
I dunno, the legs looks funky to me. Springer always strikes me as a beefy kinda guy, especially in the leg area, and this toy doesn’t quite sell it for me. But, I guess it’s the closest we’ll get without a new mold Springer…
When I think “beefy,” I think Bruce Timm proportions, and big thick legs aren’t really a part of that. Generations Springer is pretty broadshouldered, though, and his smaller legs (like Batman’s) make them look even broader.
Yeah, I see what you mean. But the legs just don’t look substantial enough for me. Those look more like I’d imagine someone like Whirl’s legs should look, I guess. Someone who’s traditionally had less humanoid features.
But Springer’s gimmick (as originally conceived) wasn’t really triple-changing… it was springing. IIRC his TFU profile makes great hay about the powerful springs in his legs which allows him to make great leaps.
Except this element of his character has never appeared, anywhere, except one coloring book. So people forget he was supposed to be TF’s Ram-man.
(On reflection that’s probably what his dislodged leg-panels were all about — jarred loose from all his jumping!)
His jumping also appeared in The War Within.
Frankly, I’d say Generations Springer’s legs are the best of all Springer designs for jumping. They can be configured in a digitigrade fashion, like a rabbit or a kangaroo. If that doesn’t suggest “better jumping than other guys” in a sea full of dudes with “normal” legs, I dunno what does.
And Target: 2006, although the jumping seemed facilitated by rockets on his back there, rather than his legs.
Nah, I get it and I agree- them are jumping legs.
They just don’t “send” Springer to me, however. But I’ll just be quiet now!
I agree that they have the look of modern running/jumping quadruped robots, with the dainty little feet on spindle-legs, but I’m a crumudgen. I want big thick legs.
Oh well, it’s a good thing that Springer’s real gimmick isn’t that he’s got spring-loaded legs or that he’s a triple changer — it’s that he’s Han Solo.
They do have the look of modern running/jumping quadruped robots, with the dainty little feet on spindle-legs!
Damnit.
Never understood why a guy with an helicopter alt-mode would want to specialise in jumping… can’t you just fly dude?
Not while he’s engaged in close-quarters combat, he can’t!
I picked him up, and the rest of the tru generations deluxe and scout exclusives, gotta agree, this mold makes a fantastic Springer. and if the bird feet bother ya, you can transform the feet differently, giving him some ginourmous heels and wee little tiny chinese princess toes.
also, thank you, the sword thing bugs me too, glad to know i’m not the only one
And if you don’t mind him not having much stability at all…: http://www.shortpacked.com/?attachment_id=7976
They’re available in Canada too but not in my province because the packaging is unilingual
I iz sad panda ;_;
I’m wondering how long it’ll be before someone figures out a way to give him proper rotor-blade swords.
I’d rather he have improper rotor swords. Just hold the two right-angle-shaped pieces as weapons! Just because it’s ridiculously stupid doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome!
Energon Bulkhead has always been the Springer in my collection. http://tfu.info/2004/Autobot/Bulkhead/vehiclemode.jpg With the undercarriage attachment he even gets that 3rd mode all the others are missing… if an AT-ST like mode counts.
G1 Springer really did have some bizarre stickers.
I think it must be an Autobot triple changer thing; Broadside’s leg stickers were also pretty crazy and to a lesser extent Sandstorm’s as well.
Please tell me Reprolabels is making a GI Joe inspired sticker set for this guy. A nice Sigma 6 Dragonhawk/ARAH Dragonfly combo would really work for his vehicle mode.
> Besides that toy has already been another G1 guy, so technically it was a G1 aesthetic already.
Only if you redefine words in ways not approaching the dictionary. When people refer to a “G1 aesthetic”, they almost invariably mean the Deryfied G1 cartoon models that the comic also adopted as a base. There’s no way anything designed around the very different Bay-movies TF aesthetic fits with that, no matter how many recolours are done.
Well, sure, if you want to narrow “G1 aesthetic” down to a small window in the mid Eighties as portrayed on television. G1 was much larger than that. I am preeeetty sure G1 also included guys who transformed into partially organic wolf monsters and skeleton samurais. Brawn’s first toy was a lanky, spindly creature with no face and giant clamps for arms, and he predates the cartoon by a wee bit. If folks want to say those aren’t part of the G1 aesthetic, then those folks are by definition wrong.
Now, if they said “G1 cartoon aesthetic,” certainly. But that’s a vanishingly small subset after nearly 30 years.
I really want to like this figure (as I love Springer) and while I had no problem with Tomahawk as a figure, there’s just something about Springer’s head on this body that doesn’t quite work for me.
Probably the weakest of the GDO line.
But I do love those hazard stripes. (Gives off a G1 feel)
You going to mod him to have a car mode, like either of these?
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/635020-hah-finally-i-got-my-asia-exclusize-generation-springer.html
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/635907-sssspringer-another-gdo-car-mode-attempt.html