First Edition Arcee (NYCC)

Review by Laserwave13:

Prelude: Well it happened again. Right after Deluxe Optimus Prime from the SDCC comes the NYCC 2-pack including Bumblebee and Arcee. And of course their respective human sidekicks are included as well, but more about them in the review. Both figures have not been officially released except in a few Asian countries that already got some of the first edition deluxe toys. So comparison pictures between those versions and the retail versions will have to wait and could not be done at this time.

Both of these figures feature an exclusive deco and Arcee presents herself in a complete G1-style paintjob in white and pink. Most fans disliked this even before the figure was released at the NYCC event, but now we go ahead and see what is really up with her, to decide if she is worth getting and if so in which color.

Package: The box is a kind of window box, pretty similar to the Movie Screen-Battle boxes. Only a bit bigger, as we need to fit two figures and two humans inside. It is a pretty nice box, pleasing to the eye, displaying some kind of highway scene in New York. Is has a little 3D effect with the street and a few buildings in the back, and even Megatron and Starcream are included, painted on one of the skyscrapers. Neat idea and a nice solid package that even allows you to put the figures back in and use it for a complete display. All in all nice and what’s also cool, both figures have there own instructions. I like it.

Alternate Mode: We start with her alternate mode and, of course, it is a motorcycle. Pretty much standard by now, ever since Energon Arcee, but fine with me, it can stay that way. The bike itself is very compact and everything folds together nice and tight, which makes it a little smaller than its Movie predecessor. Also, she has one common problem: the Movie version had its hands sticking out the back, Prime Arcee has them in front of the engine block. They are not that visible, but they are there if you are looking closely. The Movie incarnation looks a bit more realistic, less bulky and does not show half the arms when looking from above.

Otherwise there is not much to say. It is a good toy version of what you saw on screen, only this time in white and pink. Very pink that is, even a little too much for a bike. The Movie version did a better job with it since she had more white and a little less pink. Still, very nice. The Prime toy gives the wheels - or rather the rims - a pink circle around them. Reminds me of the Animated Style and I really like that. In terms of mass I think they are pretty similar, only the Prime version is more compact and therefore a little smaller in size, but with more bulk.

For gimmicks, well, she has a kick-stand but you do not need that when the arm-blades are attached to the bike. They will hold her up just fine. Personally I find it a little sleeker and cooler-looking without the blades attached. The peg holes for them even remind me of the pedals on a real bike. Overall a very nice mode and not really that much to complain about, except for the excessive use of pink. It is nothing special or never-seen-before, but it does nicely when comparing her to what she looks on screen.

Transformation: Genius and just amazingly designed. The lower part of the bike, which contains the legs, is pretty similar to what we’ve come to know from the Movie version, but everything above the waist is totally new. And what you get when you’re done switching to robot is really a sight to behold. First of all, take the blades off. You need to do that since you will be using different peg holes on them to fit them on the legs in a higher position than on the bike. Take your pick on how to position the front wheel on her back. The instructions say to turn it flat to the left or right, but I prefer it straight down. That way it will fit deeper into the back. Of course it won’t go entirely into the back section like on screen, but it is a nice fit and lets you put the windshield and handle bars even lower.

The handle bars, yes, no matter how low you position them, they will be visible from the front, that is a little downer. Also the wing pieces are not attached to the back but to the shoulders, which limits the movement of the arms a little. It is not the end of the world since the wings can be repositioned to give the arm more freedom, but they are still a bit of a hindrance. It’s really cool how the legs transform and every leg also has half a wheel inside them. Half a front builds up a pretty „female chest“, I would say. So that is screen accurate for sure. All in all, not too complex but satisfying and a lot of fun to switch from one mode to the other.

Partner: Let us get this over with as fast as we can. Included in the package is Arcee’s human friend or partner Jack Darby. As far as I can tell it will be the same we will get in the still to be released Entertainment 2-pack including deluxe Megatron and OP, which will have all three of the humans including Miko. So not much of a difference except for the white shirt saying „NY Autobot“ and there’s not much you can do with it. The little figure can turn its head and can be displayed with or without a little base. That is about it. So not much use for me, either, and pretty useless for the set. Go for the Entertainment 2-pack if you want the human crew and that’s fine.

Robot Mode: Now, here is where Arcee really shines! What you get after transformation is a really, really awesome-looking figure overall. The size and looks are just stunning. For me, it has been a long time since a figure just blew me away just by looking at it. The proportions are really nice, definitely female, and everything from the show is there as it should be. Posabillity is just great and even better than what Movie or even Animated Arcee was capable of. Everything you see in the pictures, even standing on one leg, was done without any support, all on her own. She has very nice details and a pretty, female face, too. Mass and size are pretty much the same as with the Movie and Animated versions.

But then again, not everything is perfect around here. Like the bike, the Robot is very, very pink for my taste. I mean it looks great for G1, but a little more white would have helped. Also, the already mentioned handle bars sticking out behind her back, well, they are not exactly a pain in the butt, but still a little in the way when posing here, since the wings on her shoulders are not the perfect solution ether. But anyway, you can get some fine poses out of here without any big problems, it will just take more time. Also a little downer, she has pretty much every joint you expect on a modern day figure, except a twisting wrist. There is only a hinge joint there and with an open hand like that, I would have liked being able to turn it, too. But you can compensate that a little with the arms.

Everything else is like it should be: great colors, nice details, and it is very much apparent that a lot of love went into this piece of work. The blades from the bike mode can either stay on the legs, which I prefer, or fit on her arms. I think they are a little too big for the arms, too much bulk, but then again, it’s possible for being show accurate. All in all a great figure, highly posable, and just great to look at when on display. Pure Arcee and with this version even in G1 color.

Conclusion: Not easy! Were it about recommending the retail version, I would say: buy it, buy it, and once again, buy it! But here we have the G1 equivalent, which is also an exclusive and will cost you more than the retail version will. So I would see it this way: Arcee herself is definitely a „must have“ and there is no way you should pass on this girl. But that counts only for the retail version, which you should definitely get. The G1 version I only recommend to the ones that are really fans of G1 or G1-inspired Arcee figures. She will also easily fit in you Classics / Henkei collection if you do not want here for your Prime display. So my conclusion: the normal version would have received the same rating from me, skip her in G1if you want, but definitely go for her on retail. Get the almost perfect Arcee!

Rating: A-