Prime Cliffjumper (Deluxe)

Robot Mode: Seeing as this is my second Cliffjumper from Prime, there will inevitably be lots of comparisons with First Edition Cliffjumper, the first version of the character I got. But while the two figures are similar enough to be easily recognizable as the same character, they do differ in quite a few ways. Without wanting to go into miniscule detail, let’s just say that RID Cliffjumper here has much slimmer shoulders than the First Edition and his chest is faked. Yeah, those car windows and roof parts on his torso? Not the real deal. Seems to be a trend among Prime figures already.

As far as resemblance to the TV character goes, you’d need the upper body of First Edition CJ and the lower body of RID CJ for the perfect fit. Overall I’d say the First Edition version has stronger resemblance, but it’s still quite clearly the same guy. The head molds are nearly identical, though RID CJs horns are a tad shorter.

Comparisons aside, this Cliffjumper here is a very powerful-looking guy. The only slight detriment in terms of design are the arms, because the way the panels fold together means his elbow is basically just one very thin plate connected to a small swivel and I fear for its long-term stability. No other stability issues, though, and overall there is nothing wrong with Cliffjumper’s articulation or look.

Finally, the weapon. Apart from the fact that has absolutely nothing to do with the weapons CJ used on TV, I really like this war hammer / rifle combo a lot. It looks good both as a melee and long-range weapon and I was actually tempted to buy a second RID CJ just for another version of that hammer (I didn’t, but I was tempted). So overall, if you’re willing to leave aside the fact that TV resemblance clearly wasn’t the primary concern here, you’re left with a pretty solid Deluxe-class figure. The elbow design is just about its only weak point.

Alternate Mode: While the two Deluxe Cliffjumper figures have quite a few differences in robot mode, the car modes are nearly identical. RID Cliffjumper has clear windows where those of the First Edition were tinted, he has a hole in the roof where you can plug in his weapon, and he has some minor paint differences such as the headlights. Apart from that, though, the two cars look very much alike. It’s still a pretty cool-looking car and no, RID Cliffjumper doesn’t manage to make the horns on the hood the same as the one on the robot’s head, either. So really not much I can write here, except that it’s a cool and solid car mode, no complaints.

Remarks: Considering that Cliffjumper died five minutes into the first episode of Transformers Prime, this guy is sure getting a lot of figures. Apart from this one, the First Edition figure and the little Cyberverse guy, there is also a zombie-like Terrorcon version in the pipeline and that’s just counting the Hasbro releases. So despite being dead, Cliffjumper is getting a whole lot more figures than arguably more important series characters such as Ratchet. Why? Can’t tell you, sorry.

To sum up what I already wrote further up: RID Cliffjumper is a good, solid figure and if you don’t mind that he doesn’t look exactly like his TV counterpart and has a completely different weapon, then there is really nothing wrong with getting him. He’s not an all-time classic, but he’s good. And hey, for some reason I’ve gotten it into my head to get all the various Cliffjumpers the Prime toyline intends to bless us with. Maybe there’ll be enough to restage all the scenes he actually had simultaneously.

Rating: B