Review – Transformers Collection Inferno

NOTE: This is an older review (2009) that I wrote for the now-dead Articulated Discussion website. After getting home from Botcon — where I bought both a Transformers Commemorative Series Grapple* and the e-Hobby RoadHauler (a green Grapple) I figured it was a good idea to get this Inferno review somewhere safe.

When I was a kid I owned the Autobot Grapple, a giant construction vehicle that turned into a robot. Grapple, as hardcore Transformers fans already know, used the same basic mold as Inferno; one of them had a crane while the other had a ladder. Well, today I have a reissue of Inferno and he’s every bit as awesome as Grapple was when I was a kid. About 5.5-inches long (in fire truck mode) and solid, Inferno is probably one of the best of the second wave of Autobot cars. If you’re a Transformers fan and don’t already own a classic Inferno then go buy one now. Trust me, you’ll be happy that you did.

Sculpt

He’s not the greatest example of toy sculpting that I’ve ever seen, but Inferno’s sculpt – in both fire truck and robot mode – is some of the best work of the 1984/1985 Autobot cars. In fire truck mode he’s got it all, even a hose coiled on one side of the body, and the detail is better than I’ve seen in some of the other classic Autobot cars. The ladder extends and swivels (though the swivel is a little rough), there are horns and clear lights on the roof, and his cab even opens to reveal room for one tiny action figure. (And if you’re looking for the rubsign you’ll find it hiding behind the cab.) I’m very happy with Inferno’s sculpt since – unlike a lot of Transformers from that era – he looks good in both of his modes.

Paint

Paint isn’t this toy’s strong suit. Not because the paint was applied poorly but, rather, because there’s so little painted details. Just about every scrap of color is cast plastic (or a sticker) with the only real paint work on Inferno’s robot head. I’m sure that whatever Hasbro saved in paint on this toy they more than lost in plastics; Inferno has red, white, silver (chromed), and black cast parts. I don’t know how many individual parts were used to assemble him but it’s gotta be a lot since I count nine separate pieces in just one arm. Inferno could be improved with some painted details (a dark red wash and some red drybrushing would make him look significantly better) but then he would lose his classic look.

Articulation

Forget about it, folks. Inferno’s only articulation is whatever was necessary to transform him from fire truck to robot. The shoulders and elbows are hinged, and the shoulders even have a little swivel action going on, but that’s it for articulation in robot mode. His ladder does extend when he’s in fire truck mode, though, so that’s a nice touch. Of course, finding toys to climb the ladder could be a little challenging. But hey, it’s the thought that counts. Right?

Fun

Inferno is amazingly fun, if only because his working wheels and solid construction means that you can roll him across a hard floor. He’s a little stiff in some of the transformation – the head feels like it’s going to break each time I snap the rear-half of the truck from the cab – but that doesn’t keep him from being a lot of fun. And since he has firing missiles and a great-looking robot mode he’s as much fun to play with in robot mode as he is in fire truck mode. Out of all of the classic and reissue Transformers that I own I would placeInferno in the top 3 for fun value. He’s tall, solid, and red. What more could a kid (even an old kid like me) ask for?

Value

Like all of the other toys in this series Inferno is an expensive toy. At about $50 he doesn’t even compare to other new toys on the market. But as a chunk of my childhood re-released today I have to say $50 doesn’t feel at all out of line. The box – complete with a booklet – is a nice touch, and the fact that Inferno feels and looks exactly like a toy from 1985 – for less than the price of an original – really fires my memories. I may have never owned an Inferno when I was a kid but this guy feels enough like Grapple that just playing with him takes me back to 1985. The two are so similar that after opening the box my muscle memory kicked in and I transformed Inferno without even checking the instructions. Okay, so I’m an old geek. But I think that anyone out there who can appreciate that $50 is a fair price for a toy like this will understand just where I’m coming from when I say that Inferno’s neat, fun, and worth every bit of the $50 price tag.

Philip Reed probably won’t have time to review Grapple and RoadHauler before he leaves for Hong Kong . . . but he’ll sure try to find the time!