Toy Review: Japanese micromaster combiners

[Time Traveller]

Before I left for college, i recieved a package from around the world, containing some of Takara's reissued Japan-only transformers. What I got are three sets of the micromaster combiners, Sixtrain, Sixbuild, and Sixturbo to be exact (such creative naming). Aside from the names, they arrived packaged in little plastic bags with instructions i can't read. The figures are a little larger than regular micromasters, more comparable to the size of the pretender monsters. they are made out of similar lighter plastics like the micromasters, rather than the heavier, grainy stock of the pretender monsters. some featured the thinner parts in a very flexible rubber material. plus one star for that.
i'll start with sixbuild. the transformations here remind me a lot of the american construction patrol. the cement mixers in both transform the same, as do the cranes. the individual figures are well detailed, and the power shovel truck and the crane have rubber booms so they don't break off, yet are still jointed, and move smoothly plus one star on detail. the combiner parts can be reconfigured to a jet that any micromaster can ride in, and it uses all teh parts. plus one star.
when combined, they form a beefy looking gestalt, much as the construction machinery could. again, the big guy has detail, stays together well, and is just cool. plus one star.

Sixbuild gets four stars. the colours are good, i think i liked the original colours a little better. the front end loader is cool, but he looks incredibly awkward in vehicle mode, because the cab is sunken down from transformation.

the style of Sixturbo is similar. the parts are all repaints of Sixbuilds' parts, except different hands, head, and a radar dish is included for a shoulder. this is okay, because, again, they can combine into the jet, but it looks acceptably different: plus one star. the individual figures are decently detailed. again, their transformations are fairly simple, but there are still some nify features on them, and couple small unbreakable rubber parts. though there is not a ton of correlation, i suppose the autobot cars were no less assorted. the transformations, however are all new, and widely varied. plus one star. colors are all apt, even up to lamborghini yellow on the diablo. plus this one kept its original colours. yay for original colours. plus one star. the combined mode looks cool, the arms seem a bit short. the radar dish enhances one side so it doesn't look so small since it's a F1 car. good idea. gestalt mode gets a star.
again four stars. the motorcycle character, though well designed, is weak looking compared to the others. i applaud the work on this, though. the only other thing is the police car and the diablo transforming the same.

lastly, sixtrain. the parts are cool and unique, BUT, so far as i know, don't combine into anything, so they jus sit there when uncombined. the individual figures are detailed to look like miniaturized specific trains. a couple look like some of the trains in Raiden, and three are micro copies (and good ones) of the RiD train combiners. cool. 'super good' paint detail. transformations are good considering the material you've got to work with here. they all have hitches to double up and pull one another. plus, two hitches are used for teh combination. plus two stars on individual characters. the gestalt mode looks slick. he is more poseable in teh arms than the other two. he looks like a fast warrior, his shape is more consistent. there aren't points that are way thicker than others. i love the styling of the big guy here. plus two stars. though this one has been partially recoloured (some of the trains are the same), i think i like the recolored look better. plus a half star for improving on a recolor.
four and a half here. this guy would really kick ass if they combined the parts into something like the other two. it almost looks like they might... maybe i'll dig something up, cus unlike the others nothing like this was shown in the instructions.

overall, i'm really pleased with these. no i've just to get a decent version of Sixwing, and Landcross. and moreover, i was pleased with the price. autobot car recolors cost about half as much as you pay for an LMC, but these cost $20 a set shipped from a dealer on ebay (LCM House) as compared to four or five times that.... at least.... for the originals, if you can find them. the best part is, they're barely over 10 years old ('93).
so, these guys are a dang good choice if you've got a few bucks and want to try something a little more exotic.
So, though repros, they are as good as the originals, they are made by takara, and they do make them a LOT more affordable than the originals. TT says: KOSHER.

[Jose]

Ben, can you show us some pictures? I have always had interest for going for a Sixturbo (cars! cars! cars!).