Death's Head
22-08-11, 10:07 PM
The Constructicons were made available again in 1993 during Generation 2, this time in two fruit flavours: Orange and Lemon. The orange Constructicons are the hardest to come by, having been produced in far lower numbers. Finding loose, complete examples is also something of a task. Mine I got from a seller who had broken up the figures and accessories as individual lots, but the accessories quickly outstripped the value figures, so I went without.
As with the Combaticons and Dinobots, these toys utilise plastics with a slightly different chemical composition, which makes them feel a little waxy and prone to stress fractures. To get around new toy safety laws, all the missile launcher mechanisms have been completely removed and the missiles and fists retooled to just slot into the launchers.
The orange Constructicons suffer the most for the use of these new plastics. Whilst they are not weak in any way, on the figures with glossy paint applications (most notably Hook), the paint doesn’t adhere to the plastic very well, chipping and flaking very easily. The lower grade/ new mix also has the unintentional effect of making the figures slightly less crisp than they should. The die cast is still present in both sets of Constructicons, but it’s not all shiny. Scavenger in particular has a dull grey metal connector piece. Whilst this doesn’t diminish the figures in terms of their playability, it does make them feel less of a quality product than the 1985 originals and even the European 1991 release.
The yellow Constructicons are, in terms of construction, a much better bet than the orange ones. Although feeling noticeably different to the original toys, they look far tidier than their orange counterparts. They are also easier to pick up loose and complete without breaking the bank, particularly if you’re prepared to look further afield (mine came from Australia!). Mine do suffer from a little playwear (I say that, really the decals are poorly applied and Hook has some damage to his, er, hook!). The yellow is a slightly brighter hue to the 1992 Constructicons (as is the purple on both sets of Generation 2 toys) and can be easily be told apart – the vehicles are yellow all over, with no grey plastics used, they carry the familiar Generation 2 faction tampograph, and of course, retain the parts that will allow them to combine to form Devastator. Mixmaster has also lost an accessory in the transition to Generation 2, but that’s okay, it’s that rubbish single missile that makes him look a knobhead.
It’s difficult to recommend the Generation 2 Constructicons as an essential purchase. They are harder to come by and their 1980s counterparts are far easier (and cheaper) to source - at least loose.
302303304
As with the Combaticons and Dinobots, these toys utilise plastics with a slightly different chemical composition, which makes them feel a little waxy and prone to stress fractures. To get around new toy safety laws, all the missile launcher mechanisms have been completely removed and the missiles and fists retooled to just slot into the launchers.
The orange Constructicons suffer the most for the use of these new plastics. Whilst they are not weak in any way, on the figures with glossy paint applications (most notably Hook), the paint doesn’t adhere to the plastic very well, chipping and flaking very easily. The lower grade/ new mix also has the unintentional effect of making the figures slightly less crisp than they should. The die cast is still present in both sets of Constructicons, but it’s not all shiny. Scavenger in particular has a dull grey metal connector piece. Whilst this doesn’t diminish the figures in terms of their playability, it does make them feel less of a quality product than the 1985 originals and even the European 1991 release.
The yellow Constructicons are, in terms of construction, a much better bet than the orange ones. Although feeling noticeably different to the original toys, they look far tidier than their orange counterparts. They are also easier to pick up loose and complete without breaking the bank, particularly if you’re prepared to look further afield (mine came from Australia!). Mine do suffer from a little playwear (I say that, really the decals are poorly applied and Hook has some damage to his, er, hook!). The yellow is a slightly brighter hue to the 1992 Constructicons (as is the purple on both sets of Generation 2 toys) and can be easily be told apart – the vehicles are yellow all over, with no grey plastics used, they carry the familiar Generation 2 faction tampograph, and of course, retain the parts that will allow them to combine to form Devastator. Mixmaster has also lost an accessory in the transition to Generation 2, but that’s okay, it’s that rubbish single missile that makes him look a knobhead.
It’s difficult to recommend the Generation 2 Constructicons as an essential purchase. They are harder to come by and their 1980s counterparts are far easier (and cheaper) to source - at least loose.
302303304