Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom Wheeljack review
Wheeljack was the Autobot who could always be counted on to create some wild gadgets. It seemed in every other episode of the cartoon, Wheeljack was inadvertently creating a new problem with an invention.
That definitely made him one of the more fun original Autobots so I was thrilled to get another crack at him.
Packaging: Wheeljack has the Kingdom designation, which is my favorite of the various lines under the War For Cybertron branding thanks to the action shot on the side and showcase of both the bot and vehicle mode. The only thing I don’t love is the obscured view of the figure. Hopefully he doesn’t have a missing leg or anything or I’m short.
On the other side panel it’s a cool collage of various characters including the Bumblebee, which apparently I won’t own until I’m ready to drop triple digits. Spoiler: I’m not.
On the back, Wheeljack is shown in figure bot and vehicle mode as well. I wish these figures had some form of bio. It’s like GI Joes not coming with bio cards anymore…Wait.
Likeness: Wheeljack looks like he stepped out of the cartoon and ready to get dragged onto a pile of dead Autobots. Thanks Transformers The Movie. Even at a smaller than Masterpiece size, there’s a lot of favorable comparisons.
I do wish his wings were longer though as these look a bit stubby.
Alt Mode: Wheeljack turned into a Lancia Stratos Turbo 5 race car. It’s kind of impressive how well it matches up with the Masterpiece vehicle mode.
The details are solid and little touches like the ridges along the back. Some of the branding is missing, but otherwise this is a nice translation of the MP version.
Transformation: Wheeljack’s transformation is solid with 19 steps. Not too many and not too few. He’s one of those Transformers where the transformation is simple enough and makes sense that it won’t be too hard to repeat after the second time.
Scale: Wheeljack was around the same height as fellow sportscars like Jazz, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker meaning he should look up at Ironhide, Trailbreaker, Ratchet and Optimus Prime.
He’ll look down at the smaller Autobots like Cliffjumper and Huffer.
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Paint: The paintwork is where you’ll see the biggest difference between the Masterpiece figure. That figure had a nice vibrant white while the Kingdom Wheeljack has more of an eggshell/cream white. That’s definitely a point in the MP’s favor.
Kingdom Wheeljack is more cartoon focused so the colors are more subdued. I wouldn’t have complained if the windshield was more translucent blue and there was a bit more grey than black.
My figure had a little uneven paint applications with some of the white pouring over onto the red of the hood/chest piece. Beyond that, the paint looked solid.
Articulation: Wheeljack has smooth articulation. Like many of the newer Transformers, he’s a little light and lacks the stable foundation of some other figure lines. This leads to him falling easier than I’d like while setting him up for poses, but he’ll hold them once he’s locked in.
He’s got a solid range of movement as well so he’s fully prepared to bust some Decepticreeps.
Wheeljack has:
- neck
- bicep
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbows
- wrists
- wrist hinge
- torso
- waist
- hips
- thighs
- knees (double-jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: Wheeljack doesn’t have a ton of extras, which felt like a missed opportunity for the Autobots’ gadget guy.
He comes with his missile launcher gun that doubles as his sidearm.
It can also attach to his roof.
Worth it? I got Wheeljack for $20. He’s listed as a deluxe Kingdom figure, but in a rare case that doesn’t lead to a higher price point just because. In general this scale figure feels like it’s a good value.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
It’s not a worthwhile G1 Autobot collection without Wheeljack and Hasbro knocked him out. My major gripes are the smaller wing size and the overall lack of heft to give him a more stable foundation.
Where to get it? You probably won’t find Wheeljack in stores at this point save the random Wal-Mart. He’s still available from Amazon, Big Bad Toy Store or Target’s website.