It was recently announced that one of the upcoming exclusive toys for Botcon 2014 (the official Transformers Collector's Convention) will be none other than Devcon, the bounty-hunting Autobot from the Generation 1 episode "The Gambler." Devcon has a small but passionate fanbase, and their cries for a decent toy of him have been plenty loud over the years. While the means do not exist to make Botcon toys all-new from head to toe, we're getting the next best thing: a remold and redeco of Transformers: Generations Scourge:
The end result is a fair likeness and should make for a great toy. In light of the news, I figured it would be a good idea to revisit the toy in its original form. Let's get to it!
Transformers: Generations Scourge is a modern update done right. The new vehicle mode (a semi-realistic "unmanned aerial vehicle") keeps him relevant to today's sensibilities while maintaining at least a partial nod to the crazy damn space-boat from the original design. If it's just too different for you, the ability to re-enact the goofy "peek-a-boo" routine famously featured in the old cartoon might be able to persuade you:
Ah, yes. Now let's move on to that whole "transformation" thing the kids love to rave about:
I honestly don't have much to say about it. I feel like the odd-man out here, but the last thing I care about when it comes to Transformer toys is how they get from one mode to the next. I'll do my best to commentate: the transformation here is complex enough to give you your money's worth while remaining intuitive and frustration-free. Once you're done, you find yourself staring down one handsome-ass robot:
The design is amazingly faithful to the original cartoon model, giant popped collar and all!
Modern versions of old characters are always at their best when they manage to stand on their own while still bringing the nostalgia. This Scourge is a good example. He has just enough changes to keep things fresh without losing the feel of the original. Once you consider everything else that makes up the toy, from the accessories (two guns that combine into an approximation of the "Fracas" gun from the 1987 "Targetmaster" release) to the truly bad-ass articulation (tilty ankles and all,) you are left with a fine damn toy.
Ultimately, Transformers: Generations Scourge is a beautiful balance between modern and nostalgic. The character was quite prominent in the later portion of the original cartoon series, making the toy an essential member for your "Classics" Decepticon display. He looks quite nice with his other Unicron-created homies Galvatron and Cyclonus:
The quality sculpt-work and articulation make him a great standalone toy as well. All told, I can confidently say that Scourge is one of my absolute favorites of the entire Generations line. Those of you looking to pick up the Botcon 2014 Devcon based upon him seriously have something awesome to look forward to.
That's it - thanks for reading! Be sure to leave your thoughts on Devcon and Scourge below, and if you'd like to keep up with Castle Geek-Skull from here, you can do so via Twitter and Facebook!
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