Galaxy Force Sonic Bomber

Robot Mode: Let me just put this one first: Sonic Bomber's robot mode is the weakest of his three modes (counting the combiner mode with Optimus Prime), but that isn't to say that it's a bad mode. It just isn't as good as the others. Sonic Bomber makes for a pretty decent robot. Posability is good despite his bulkiness. What I found really neat is that his hands are the gatling guns from his bomber mode, but a tiny lever retracts one of the muzzles and shortens another, leaving fing long fingers and one shorter thumb. Not bad. On the detailing side he could have been a bit more defined in my opinion, but that's just a minor thing. Weapon-wise he can use the edges of his wings as swords (though he can't hold them, just fix them to his wrists) or use his force chip / cyberkey to unlock the weapon stored in the cockpit of his jet mode, which folds up over his head. All in all a pretty good robot mode, but with an indefinable something that makes you think it was more of an afterthought.

Vehicle Mode: Sonic Bomber becomes a very, very neat fighter plane. This bomber makes for a nice combination of a rather old-fashioned looking plane with very modern weapons on the wings, and lots of them. The legs of the robot become the twin jet engines jutting out from the back and they are this mode's one weak spot, too. Their attachment to the rear assembly of the jet is tedious at best. Still, they remain in position even without being attached, so it's okay. The force chip gimmick is workable here, too, of course, splitting open the tip of the bomber to reveal the bigger weapon. A really, really good jet mode.

Combiner Mode: A good robot mode and a very good vehicle mode are rounded out by a kick-ass combiner mode together with Optimus Prime / Galaxy Convoy. Sonic Bomber becomes a replacement of Prime's own weapons rucksack, but a much, much better one. Optimus now has proper wings, gattling guns on his shoulders, the best swords I've ever seen among the Transformers (and he can hold them properly, too) and on top of all that he can use Sonic Bomber's force chip gimmick in this mode as well. Sonic Convoy (or Sonic Wing as it's called in America) is quite possibly the coolest "Prime-combines-with-someone-else-for-more-power" mode ever. I know some people think it's a bit much, seeing as Prime now has enough weapons to flatten the Decepticons single-handedly, but I love this combination. It's great.

Remarks: In the Cybertron series this robot was made into the updated version of Energon's Wing Sabre, in Galaxy Force Sonic Bomber is a new character. His role in either cartoon wasn't too big, he served as a power-up for Optimus Prime, nothing more, but from a toy perspective that's more than enough. That isn't too say Sonic Bomber can't stand on his own. He can. But the kick-ass combiner mode with Prime is what elevates this figure from good to very good. If they'd put a little more effort into the robot mode I'd have called it an A, but even without that he is a recommended figure, especially if you have Cybertron Prime / Galaxy Convoy.

Rating: B+