G1 and Beast Wars aren't the only series getting "redone" for the 30th Anniversary part of the Generations line-- more "recent" lines like Armada are getting redone too-- case in point, this update of Armada Starscream! Compared to his original voyager-class toy, this version of Armada 'Screamer is certainly much smaller, but it keeps the same big identifiers of Armada Starscream; the long engine-launchers, long main wings, no vertical tail wings, robot legs folded up for the back end, and a long and pointy nosecone. There are a few robot extras, though-- again, the robot legs on the back end are obvious, and the back side of Starscream's head is also quite visible from the top, between the front of his thrusters. The general color scheme is pretty similar as well compared to the original, though the most noticeable difference is that this version has more red overall, and the red is a tad lighter (particularly on the unpaintable nylon plastic parts, which are a considerably more pale shade of the color). The light gray paint works as a decent neutral color, but it's a different shade than the blah milky gray plastic used for a few parts like Starscream's robot arms and feet-- thankfully, as mentioned, it's not nearly as prevalent here as it was on the original Armada Starscream toy, so I don't mind it that much. There's more yellow, but it's still an accent color, and the black contrasts excellently against it where it's used, and thematically the yellow ties in with the light red as well. There's also a fair amount of translucent dull orange, which is a nice "in-between" color when compared to both the yellow and red, and complements them both well. One thing I was surprised at is that Starscream actually doesn't have many paint apps, but his plastic is broken up so well it's not really noticeable-- good on Hasbro for planning ahead with how the mold's colors break up. The mold detailing is certainly present, but mostly just relegated to various panels and lines across this mode-- it's noticeably less detailed than the original Armada Starscream in this mode. For his gimmick, Starscream can launch a missile from the front of each of his thrusters-- you push on the back end of the long transparent orange bits to activate the push-launchers, though; they aren't as complex or Minicon-activated like on the original Armada Starsceam toy. (Starscream DOES have four Armada Minicon ports-- one on the top of each thruster, and one on the side of each of his robot arms-- but they don't activate anything.) Starscream also has three fold-out landing gear, which highlights the major improvement this smaller version of Armada Starscream has over the original-- the arms aren't just sticking out the front as barely-disguised "landing gear", but instead fold back under his wings. They still definitely stick out from behind the main wings and are fairly obvious, but with them folded back it makes Starscream look much more streamlined.
    The robot mode is where this toy really shines in comparison to the older Armada toy. Starscream's overall proportions are better, with better-proportioned wings, arms, and legs, and his articulation is such that he looks more "natural" in most poses and less stiff. The mold detailing also goes up a noticeable notch in this mode, with such areas like his chest vents and upper arms having a particularly impressive amount of detailing on them, such as molded-in hinges and the like. Starscream's headsculpt is also spot-on, and the light piping for his eyes works wonderfully. His rear wings also fold into his lower legs pretty well to help minimize the kibble there while still helping make his silhouhette unique, though Armada Starscream's trademark shoulder-wings, shoulder-thrusters, and cockpit-waist are all replicated here quite faithfully. What's also quite good is that you can fold Starscream's missile launchers onto his back if you don't want them sticking so far back behind his body-- a feature that was definitely missing from the older Armada Starscream's toy. Another gimmick improvement is that Starscream still can form a wing-swords, but there's one on EACH wing this time, and instead of the entire wing forming the sword, only translucent bits on the back/underside of each wing separate out to form energy blades (that actually look like blades too, and aren't oddly thick). Other than the size, though, there are three things the original toy did better. For one, the lower arms are noticeably hollow on the inside, and there is a little gap in between Starscream's neck piece and where the front of his chest starts, which can be a tad unsightly from certain angles. There's also a gap in between his yellow "spine" piece and his cockpit which is very obvious from any side angles. For articulation, Starscream can move at the neck, shoulders (at three points), elbows, inwards at the wrists, and movement at the hips (at two points), knees, and slightly at the ankles, making him MUCH more posable than his original toy.
    Generations Armada Starscream is a great update of the design in many respects, even if it is much smaller-- the gimmicks may not be as impressive or as numerous, but those that he does have are well-implemented, and he's got much better proportions and articulation this time around. If proportions and articulation are your forte, this is definitely the version of the character you want; however, if you care more about size, gimmicks, electronics, and the ability to stick on Minicons effectively (Armada Minicons do look a bit too big on this toy), I'd go for the original Armada Starscream mold instead.

Review by Beastbot

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