Cruising into Christmas with another Retro Review. Today, we dig though the ToyBox to find the Hasbro Transformers War for Cybertron Earthrise Bluestreak. As a kid, Thundercracker was my first ever Transformer and Bluestreak was my first Autobot. One of these days, I'll find a modern version of Thundercracker. Until then, I'm happy to have Bluestreak on display in my collection.
When the war between the Autobots and Decepticons first broke out, Bluestreak's home city was utterly destroyed. Though peaceful by nature, Bluestreak's desire for revenge burned hotter than his desire for peace. His skills as a sharpshooter earned him the gunner position in the Autobot army. If Bluestreak has one major flaw... it's that he's always talking, if his mouth isn't moving, it's because he's powered down, but otherwise, he's generally annoying his fellow Autobots with his nonstop commentary. Despite his proficiency, Bluestreak wants nothing more than for the war to end so that he can return home to Cybertron.
Per our tried-and-true formula, Dan's ToyBox will rate the Accessories, Appearance, Articulation, and Affordability of this figure and then give it an overall grade of zero to 10 ToyBoxes. Let's transform and roll out!
Images © Dan's ToyBox 2022
ACCESSORIES
Bluestreak comes with his Beam Rifle and two shoulder mounted rocket launchers. What is pretty neat about the weapons that come with this particular figure is that you can attach them to Bluestreak in both robot and vehicle mode and the rocket launchers can attach to either side of his rifle. Of course, I had forgotten about that little bonus when I was taking pictures, so naturally, I have none of the launchers attached to his gun. The way the figure is designed, there is really no way to add alternate hands or anything like that, nor is there a need to do so. In the cartoon and the comic books, Bluestreak only comes with these weapons, so for accessories, this figure is right on target... so to speak. I would have liked to see a newer, revised character profile card, with their statistics included with these figures as well, but overall, I'm happy with it and give him an 8 out of 10 for Accessories.
Images © Dan's ToyBox 2022
APPEARANCE
The original Bluestreak was all silver and this newer version has a black hood and roof. Bluestreak was originally based on the Datsun Fairlady Z and this version is updated for the modern look. He transforms easily into vehicle mode and really looks incredible. Granted, when you look at it from the back, you can see the seams, but it's not terribly distracting and when transformed, the parts fit together quite well. Though I display him in robot mode, as a car, both with and without the weapons attached, Bluestreak looks great. When in robot mode, though, we really get a great depiction of the character. The paint applications are clean, he is fitted with clear blue plastic for windows and headlamps and his eyes are painted a silver blue which almost perfectly matches the blue plastic windows. There is some marbling on his shoulders and fists, which is kind of disappointing and could have been hidden with a wash. His weapons are all molded in the same gray plastic and could have also benefited from a black wash to give them some detail and depth. The Autobot symbol on his chest is nicely applied and hasn't deteriorated in any way for as long as I've had the figure. The sculpted details in the figure really give a nice mechanical look while still somehow conveying an organic feel to the face and body. Honestly, my biggest disappointment with the figure is that the wheels are plastic, not rubber. Admittedly, the fact that Bluestreak has always been one of my favorites makes it tough for me not to be a bit biased so with that in mind, I have to say this is really one good looking figure. With the couple of small issues I had, I'm willing to give this figure a solid 8.5 out of 10 for Appearance.
Images © Dan's ToyBox 2022
ARTICULATION
Bluestreak has articulation almost comparable to import figures! I cannot get over the amount of poses I can do with this figure. His head will actually look up and down a bit and turns side to side easily enough. The shoulders have multi-point articulation, allowing the whole joint to rotate upward as well as an actual shoulder hinge that can move the arm upwards independently and can raise above T poses, and rotate a full 360 degrees. The elbows have a single point of 90-degree articulation and there is actually a bicep swivel as well. The wrists will only swivel, which is ok. Technically there is no ab crunch, per se, but the waist does swivel, and the hip articulation allows the figure to bend forward. The hip and leg articulation are probably the best part. Bluestreak can kick forward very high, backward a lot and can do better splits than most Marvel Legends!The upper thigh can swivel, and the knees can bend in very deep. Even the "ankles" hinge, giving the figure a better base for posing. I am really thrilled with how easily this figure moves and how amazing it can pose. Bluestreak gets a 9.5 out of 10 for articulation.
AFFORDABILITY
I found Bluestreak at Walgreens a few years ago and paid $19.99 for him at the time. He is currently available online for as little as $24.99 and is easily an affordable figure to add to your Transformers collection. Pricing is definitely worth an 8 out of 10.
Overall, the Transformers War for Cybertron Earthrise Bluestreak is a fantastic addition to any collection and earns a solid
9 out of 10 ToyBoxes
As always thank you for stopping by Dan's ToyBox. Until next time... GEEK OUT!!!