Universe Sunstreaker

Robot Mode: Sunstreaker is one of those robots that, at first glance, look okay, but not terribly special. Then you hold him in your hand and play around with him a bit. Then you discover quite a few little details that push him well above average. And in the end you love him. It's that simple. At least for me. But let's break it down.

Sunstreaker is a very posable robot, he can pull off just about any humanly possible pose without too many problems. At times you have to shift the plates on his knees a bit, but apart from that he's not in any way restricted. His elbows are double-jointed and he can even lift his head a bit. So absolutely no complaints on this front.

As far as detailing goes Sunstreaker also looks pretty nifty. Despite having a different transformation design than the G1 figure of the same name, he still manages to look almost identical, having the roof and windshield of his car mode for a torso. His head has been done with a lot of attention to detail, too. It might just be imagination on my part, but I think they even captured his arrogant expression on his face. Well done.

Sunstreaker doesn't really have anything in the way of gimmicks, but he does feature something that has lots of potential for fun and for custom jobs, too. Sunstreaker has been designed with the Sideswipe repaint already in mind and seeing as Sideswipe usually features a different transformation design, Sunstreaker can adapt. Twist his torso around, put the 'backpack' on the other side, twist the arms and the head around, and you have a different figure. It's still Sunstreaker, but now he has the car mode's hood for a torso and looks quite different. I've already seen a Punch/Counterpunch custom made from this figure and it's one of the first things that sprung to my mind as well.

So what's left to say? An excellent robot mode with a very fun feature. The only thing that's a slight letdown here is Sunstreaker's weapon, which is just plain boring, but apart from that he's a great robot. Two thumbs up.

Alternate Mode: In the old days Sunstreaker transformed into a yellow Lambourghini and so the Classics/Universe version also transforms into a yellow sports car. I'm not sure whether that's an actual Lambourghini model or not, but it looks good, that's what counts. The car looks very wholesome, too, and offers little clue that there's a robot hidden inside, even when you look at it from the bottom.

I don't usually say much about the actual transformation of the figure unless it's in some way extraordinary. In Sunstreaker's case I was rather surprised at the complexity of the transformation. It's not difficult, definitely not Alternator or Masterpiece level, but it might just be the most complex transformation I've yet seen in a Deluxe-sized figure. That's not a bad thing, mind you. I enjoy it when the transformation is more than just pulling out legs and standing the car upright.

So bottom line, a very solid, good-looking car mode. No gimmicks here, but Sunstreaker really doesn't need them.

Remarks: In the days of G1 Sunstreaker was the violent bully among the Autobots. The cartoon, more oriented towards a kid audience, didn't show much of that, it just displayed Sunstreaker as someone loving to fight. The comics went a bit further, though, giving us a Sunstreaker who was more concerned with bashing heads and keeping his chrome polish intact than saving lives or any such nonsense. Judging by his profile, this new version of Sunstreaker stays true to his slightly sociopathic roots.

As a figure Sunstreaker is surprisingly good. I really didn't think much of him after seeing the first images on the net. He looked good, sure, but apart from that he seemed to be just another car Transformer. But while Sunstreaker certainly isn't a revolution in Transformers figures, he's very good, among the best Deluxe figures I've ever seen, and my favourite Classics / Universe figure at this moment in time. Good job. Let's hope the Sideswipe repaint looks just as good. I want to photograph the Lambo twins side by side with their torso twisted around so they match.

Rating: A

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And for a second opinion the review by Sam:

Robot Mode: Sunstreaker is almost genius. He might just be the most posable Deluxe figure I own so far. He has great hip and knee joints, freely posable arms with twisting wrists (!), posable feet and his head can turn, too.

And speaking of the head: The classic design fits the figure very well and I must agree with Phil. I, too, see that slightly arrogant expression on his face. Sunstreaker instantly puts across a “Kiss my skidplate!” look when he stands in front of you, which is cool.

The figure is also highly detailed. A lot of work and love went in here and I get the feeling that someone really wanted to make this figure work. There are, for example, the blue, transparent plastic plates on his thighs, the sculpted-in mechanics on the insides of his elbows, and so on and so forth. Only his feet are a bit loose, which hampers his stability a bit. Not a big thing, just thought I’d mention it.

Sunstreaker’s weapon is another story, though. It’s much too small. What I do like about it, though, is that it becomes part of the car, the exhaust to be exact. Which is a lot better than a weapon which can’t be placed anywhere in vehicle mode and simply appears out of nowhere from behind the figure’s back (Movie Jazz comes to mind).

Sunstreaker’s near-perfect design and abundance of character are also the reason, though, why I don’t quite like him. Seeing him standing in front of me here, he feels so arrogant and self-absorbed, that it causes me to lose interest in playing with him. It does speak well for the figure’s character, of course, but lessens the play value somewhat. I’m not sure how to phrase it, but to me the figure just isn’t all that relatable. Despite it being a very good figure, something keeps me from loving it completely. Maybe it’s the very simple style, maybe the facial expression, I don’t know.

Robot Rating: A-

Vehicle Mode: When I first saw Sunstreaker in this mode (in package in the store) I couldn’t imagine a more boring vehicle mode. A yellow loud-mouth of a car with a big fat spoiler, just too macho-like for me. But once I held him in hand the first time, the mode convinced me thoroughly.

The car is just great. Everything fits together well, you’d never imagine that there’s a Transformer hidden inside. The parts all blend seamlessly, there are no holes or gaping rends. The engine enhancement, which I almost disliked even in the classic Sunstreaker, just comes over well here. Just very well. You get the feeling this car can leave anyone in the dust and the engine enhancement fits in well with the rest without looking out of place.

Another positive thing are the KERBEN on the roof, another nice added detail. The Autobot logo also fits in well up there. It would have looked strange on the hood. In this case I also like the fact that the windows are non-transparent black. Instead we get transparent plastic headlights.

A very nicely done car mode. Lean, modern, elegant, and just Sunstreaker. As it should be. Too bad he only comes across this well on second glance.

Vehicle Rating: A

Transformation: Some tricky parts here. If you look at the instruction booklet (which you might as well throw out), it says to first pull out the doors sideways. If you do that, though, you’ll soon have the doors in hand without a Transformer attached. If you pull the car apart a bit first, though, the doors come loose all by themselves and can be twisted outward a lot easier. Apart from that the transformation is pretty intuitive and fun. It doesn’t happen often that I get a good feeling just from transforming a figure. In this case, though, I do.

Another positive thing I noticed: The front wheels are turned into the torso and become part of the shoulder joint. That’s great because it keeps the wheels from just hanging off some random body part. I like it.

Trans Rating: A

Remarks: Sunstreaker is a definite recommendation. He captures the flair of G1 Sunstreaker and wraps it up in a new, but not too modern package. He is without a doubt a good Transformer. Everything fits. And despite the fact that you often read this in my reviews: The figure just feels alive. The facial expression and the superb posability bring a lot of appeal to this figure. Sunstreaker feels even more alive than Acid Storm or any other figure I currently own.

One thing I do need to complain about to Hasbro, though: The windshield and hood of my brand-new Sunstreaker were SCRATCHED!!! Something like that just isn’t allowed to happen. Why do I buy a brand-new case-fresh action figure with scratched plastic and paint? If I had seen that back in the store, I’d have put him back. This is the worst kind of screw-up. How do scratches like these even happen? Where was the quality control?

Of course the figure itself can’t be blamed for that, so I’m not deducting any points here. I do have some trouble figuring out a total rating, though. Mathematics would end up with a straight A here, but personally I can’t get past the above-mentioned shortcomings of the robot mode. An A- wouldn’t be fair to the figure, either, though. It’s a very difficult decision, but in the end I have to take the latter option. Because I find such small things especially bothersome. So whatever the case, Sunstreaker gets his final rating.

Total Rating: A-