Cyberverse Starscream (Ultra)

Prelude: Every series that is basically a G1 revival, such as Cyberverse, needs a Starscream. The scheming second-in-command who’d like nothing better than to stab his leader Megatron in the back. So of course Cyberverse has a Starscream and of course that Starscream has several toys to his name. In a toy line that is geared towards a very young audience, is it possible that an Ultra-class, gimmick-defined Starscream figure ends up being a good toy? In short: no.

Robot Mode: When I first saw pictures of this figure, it strongly reminded me of G1 Skyquake, a figure that I love and adore despite its severe limitations. Sadly Cyberverse Starscream, a figure released more than a quarter century later, suffers from basically the exact same severe limitations. The articulation is restricted to raising his arms at the shoulders and doing the split. He does have elbows, but no knees and no turning head. Also, I was kind of hoping those big missile tubes on his wings could at least turn 90 degrees so he could fire them in robot mode. No dice.

So bottom line for the robot mode: pitiful. The looks are okay, but it offers little else and the fact that not even the toy-defining gimmick can be used in this mode renders it almost superfluous. So a definite thumbs down here.

Alternate Mode: True to form Starscream transforms into a fighter plane, though I use the word ‘transform’ loosely here. Basically he just flips over the wings and the cockpit on his back to cover his face, that’s it. The jet doesn’t have a landing gear and makes no effort to hide the robot fists or legs. The upside? Starscream can use his gimmick in this mode, which is to fire... things from his big tubes. I assume they are meant to be missiles with contrails, but why Starscream would want to fire pink missiles is beyond me. So bottom line for the jet mode: somewhat more entertaining than the robot mode due to the gimmick, but offering little else.

Remarks: Starscream has so far made several flashback appearances in the Cyberverse series, showing him back on pre-war Cybertron. Unsurprisingly he was an arrogant bully even before fighting broke out. So far we haven’t seen him try to usurp Megatron’s position as Decepticon leader, but I am certain that is but a matter of time.

Cyberverse seems to repeat the Robots in Disguise experience in that the cartoon is pretty good and appealing to both kids and adults alike, but the toy line is geared solely towards kids. And very young kids at that. Now I will admit that as a 40+ adult I might no longer be in the best position to judge a kid’s enjoyment of this toy, but my best guess is that it will not last longer than a few hours. The figure’s gimmick is pretty boring and the toy offers little else. Now kids back in the 80s made due with those limitations, no doubt, but mostly we didn’t have anything better to compare it to. Now we do. And this particular version of Starscream does not measure up.

I won Starscream here in a raffle and immediately after completing this review I gifted him to my niece. I was told she played with it briefly and it has been lying in a box in her room ever since. So bottom line: a toy that might bring your kids a brief bit of enjoyment, but certainly nothing more than that.

Rating: D