Pricepoint/Vintage: Scout, 2007.
Modes: Robot and Car.
Transformation Style: Lay back, limbs
become legs.
Play Patterns: Robot and car, key
gimmick, 5mm weapons.
Points of Interest: Repaint of the identically named Cybertron toy.
Points of Interest: Repaint of the identically named Cybertron toy.
The Good
Play value is a strength of this toy, the car exhausts being 5mm weapons which compliment his cyber key gimmick. He can technically handle six 5mm weapons at once due to clever use of fist holes, and has ten points of articulation, including a waist swivel. The car mode meanwhile is open-topped, with a tinted windscreen and seats, four 5mm ports, and looks nice. His cyber key gimmick functions as a rocket booster with flip-out guns for car mode, and as a hand weapon.
Play value is a strength of this toy, the car exhausts being 5mm weapons which compliment his cyber key gimmick. He can technically handle six 5mm weapons at once due to clever use of fist holes, and has ten points of articulation, including a waist swivel. The car mode meanwhile is open-topped, with a tinted windscreen and seats, four 5mm ports, and looks nice. His cyber key gimmick functions as a rocket booster with flip-out guns for car mode, and as a hand weapon.
The Bad
Clocker's cyber key gimmick takes up a lot of space, and looks odd in robot mode, which by itself is a bit awkward. The flip-out gun barrels seem to have a moulding issue. There's also a case of Viable Head Syndrome in car mode, cavities in robot mode, and sloppy paintwork in general.
Clocker's cyber key gimmick takes up a lot of space, and looks odd in robot mode, which by itself is a bit awkward. The flip-out gun barrels seem to have a moulding issue. There's also a case of Viable Head Syndrome in car mode, cavities in robot mode, and sloppy paintwork in general.
The Mediocre
Clocker is an inherently sci-fi design re-purposed for the "realistic" film series, and the colours don't really play to the strengths of the mould. The wheels and windscreen are cast in translucent plastic, but this has been has been made so dark, you can't immediately tell. Unfortunately, this has resulted in his light-piped eyes feature being rendered useless, and so painted over. The articulation is also a bit unrefined, despite being in useful places.
The Alternatives
This mould was used 5 times, notably for Botcon 2006 with Beast Wars characters, and oddly Swerve, instead of Rodimus. Small cars certainly aren't hard to find either.
The Verdict
When you get right down to it, Clocker is an uninspired repaint of an unremarkable toy. Putting aside some production flaws, there's nothing actually BAD about him, but he's so forgettable it took me months to finish this review. The alt mode is decent, open-topped cars not being that common, but the robot mode needed a little more arm articulation, while the cyber key gimmick makes for a bulky and unconvincing weapon. He's not terrible, play value being there, but he lacks anything to make him stand-out. You can do worse for a fiver, but I'd point towards a more colourful version instead.
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