Customer Reviews

Transformers Universe: DepthCharge

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, I want you to know I'm writing this review based on the original Depth Charge figure released for the Beast Wars line, but as far as I know, the only differences are the color schemes.
Well, first of all, Depth Charge is a pretty nice sized Transformer, and especially in Beast mode, he looks like a big manta ray (atleast for a toy that is). One of the first things I remembered when I got this guy was how many different twist ties were holding him down, so it was a bit of a puzzle to try and unhook him.
Second thing I remember is that Depth Charge wasn't the simplest of Transformers to transform, atleast not without the instructions. I immediatly tried to figure out how to get him into robot mode, but was uncertain how to move his parts this way or that. But after reading the instructions and doing it a few times, it became second nature. The third thing I remember: searching under my bed for the 8th disk that MUST have come with him, since I could only find 7, and the compartment that holds his launching disks could easily hold 8. Well, let me spare you a bit of a headache: he only comes with 7, so you got everything, and no, you didn't lose any parts.
Anyway, back to the review. I think I prefere the original colors of blue, purple, grey and shiny transmetalized silver to this versions' colors, but I guess that doesn't help you much. I'll let you be the judge of the colors, since really I have as much to go on that as you do.
Depth Charges beast mode is pretty cool, like I said, a big manta ray. His tail can be moved from side to side (and actually detaches where attached to the body if too much force is applied, but it's easily reattached). His fins have several places where the can fold, which really isn't neccesary at all for transformation, but I think is a nice touch to the figure. His robot modes' gun is actually a double barreled missle launcher shaped like a small shark (a botton on each side launches it's corresponding missle), and attaches to his beast modes' underside. In the show, the shark was a actually a remote recon probe, which explains why it's docked there. The manta rays' mouth lauches the already mentioned disks. The mechanism is activated by pressing this small fin down on the mata rays' back.
While Beast mode is nice, robot mode is a bit clunky, but I don't think it's too bad. Arms and legs have a good degree of possability, and his find look cool behind his shoudlers. But he especially looks clunky due to the double hunged pieces on his hips that allow for transformation, and the fact that there's a large section sticking outward from the back beyond the wings (this is part of the disk launcher mechanism), which the tail bends down from. But aside from the oddities, I think he has a pretty decent robot mode. Also, his disk launcher mechanism works in this mode too, which is nice. As for additional weapons, he comes with his shark gun, and the end of his tail becomes a sword.
I imagine this is listed as part of the figures' features, but Depth Charge, being a "Transmetal", has a third alternate mode. In manta ray mode, you pull his wings out, and position them pointing forward and going vertically. This is Depth Charges wildly inventive flight mode. It kind of reminds me of when I would take some of my original figures and try to transform them different ways and come up with new forms for them. This one really isn't that creative, but I guess it isn't that bad.I just wish they put a few other features into the third mode.
But overall, I think this figure is a pretty good figure with several nice features, and if you can get over the few oddities thge reobot mode has, I think you'll probably like him.

yeah its an awesome toy...hes 5 so its difficult for him to transform it but he has fun, some pieces are really easy to lose

(...)After opening him, I feel he is worth what I paid for him - no more, no less. Paint applications on this figure are excellent; however, he has such a chunky torso (due to the disc-launcher action feature) and squat legs that he just doesn't look right in robot mode. If you pick him up, leave him in stingray mode.