| 03.10.2018 – Every kid who grew up their first Transformers means something. Personally back in the cool looking TFs where expensive as presently now. But Hasbro made it possible to bring these characters in a more modern aesthetics with impressive details and articulation for some action packed poses. Some may be impressive others were downright forgettable.
Beachcomber is an Autobot geologist and would be considered a true blue hippy hence the description in the characters original bio file being a pacifist that tries to avoid conflict. In the cartoons the Autobot speaks like a surfer dude as voiced by Alan Oppenheimer best known for invigorating the personality of Skeletor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The Power of the Primes version is also cool! |
Way cool to see Hasbro produce Beachcomber for the Generations ‘Prime Wars Trilogy” in Power of the Primes, the third installment of the series that was released in 2018. The character may not be as impressive as Jazz or Cliffjumper he has his own moment to shine in the original cartoon. My original vintage Beachcomber was my first Transformers if you count it under the brand name.
But overall Beachcomber is my third Transformers figure if you count the Diaclone version of Sideswipe and Clampdown, which I got before the toy got rebranded to what it is today. Most of the TF toys I keep track now are from my childhood and it was good timing to see this figure at a Myers store in Westfield Marion a couple of weeks back, which surprised me to ever found it along with the figure’s wave mates.
At first I was unaware of Power of the Primes until passing by Myer’s and South Australia doesn’t get many Transformers around compared to the other state of Australia. Adelaide is quite remote to get the toys unlike other countries in Asia. The Philippines is updated event ahead of the North American releases that some collectors based in the US where not happy about.
Beachcomber by the Sunset
There have been handful reiterations of the character but this is what could be the modern take on Beachcomber based on the original toy design and some elements from the cartoon. I was too ecstatic about it not having second thoughts picking this figure at Myers when I can wait for it to be released at either Kmart or Target a few weeks later with a little lower pricepoint.
But as giddy as I was I had to get it or miss out in a personal quest to get all the TF characters that I used to own from my childhood in their modern versions (I kind missed Galvatron from Titan Returns since he was a bit pricey for my budget). So far this was the one I was most excited about since I already have Sideswipe from the TF Universe released almost a decade ago.
When I had the chance to go to Glenlg one afternoon on the last Saturday of February it was probably good timing to shoot it outdoors and at the beach hence the pun on the character’s name. Sunsets in Australia are different let alone you’re close to the beach. It was also an awesome sunset to have it set up just using an iPhone 5s for this shoot.
Autobot Hippy by the Beach
Though Beachcomber’s characterization in the cartoon was not fully shown in the series there were some reinterpretations in the Marvel comicbooks, but he would be considered just another minor figure in the narratives as compared how a bigger role like Brawn or any minobot is portrayed in various forms of media that have been published in the past.
The modern take on the figure is based from the original designs of the vintage toy down to the aesthetics of his chest design in robot mode. Beachcomber is a bit muscularly built if you chose to compare it to Brawn from the same series. Like most of the Legend Class minibots they can have any Titan Masters or Prime Masters take the driver seat in their vehicle mode.
There’s one part that most who has reviewed this figure is the rear end of the dune buggy doesn’t have a hatch or cover for the head that slides in unlike the vintage version, where his head folds into the rear engine cover to make the vehicle whole.
Overall Beachcomber is an awesome figure but not as great as any that was released for Power of the Primes. It does have a nostalgia factor personally for me having owned the vintage toy twice. The first one was purchased in Anding’s Toys in Divisoria that was lost and for the second time a friend hook me up despite the rubber tires have degraded for the wheels to freely role on a flat surface.
But despite the vintage toy’s life has not been great it is none the less a classic and has not been reissued by Hasbro or event Takara Tomy. This modern take on Beachcomber can be the replacement from that old toy, but it can never replace the story behind it although this one is making stories personally for me having acquired it here in South Australia as a surprise without knowing its release.
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