Space Case (Generation 2)

Height: 10.5cm x 7cm (jet mode length and wingspan); 9.5 cm (robot mode head height)

Articulation: 9 points total - ball joint neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

Accessories: missiles x2

Colors: Molded white, red, black, yellow, clear yellow; Painted blue, black, red.

Released in early 1995 at a price of around US$5. While neither the original Space Case nor its recolor, Strafe, are in production anymore, the mold has recently come into use both as the Transformers Universe Space Case in North America, and as X-Gunner in the Japanese Robotmasters line.

Gallery: 12 images.

Author: ExVee

The Figure

It's the 90's. Transformers has been revived in the US under the name of Transformers Generation 2. While the bulk of the earlier G2 toys were simple recolors (and in some cases minor remolds) of the very same toys released during the 80's, clearly such an approach could not keep the line going in perpetuity. Starting in 1993, Hasbro began making some new mold items, the first of which was Megatron as a big, mean, green tank. In the two years following, more new molds would be made, right up until G2 was essentially cancelled for the transition to Beast Wars at the end of 1995. But before that happened, some of the coolest Generation 2 toys came from 95, and among my personal favorites are the Cyberjets.

By modern standards of toy sizes, these would fall short of even "Basic". Though they're pretty small, they were innovators in the area of articulation, still having more than some toys two or three times their size. Along with a few others, the design lineage of the body styles used in Beast Wars and the lines that followed can be traced back to the Cyberjets. They're really landmarks of advancement in Transformers toys.

Vehicle Mode

Although many Transformers that turn into aircraft have a problem with robot parts hanging very noticeably from the bottom of the vehicle mode, Space Case's robot parts are kind of streamlined into the shape of the jet. It still looks thicker than it probably ought to, but the design makes the underbody nice and compact, largely thanks to incorporating the legs as the jet engines.

The top of the jet is a single piece from a little behind the cockpit, so it looks structurally sound, as the only lines are the ones molded into the surface to replicate the various panels that should be found on the body of a jet. The nose and cockpit are a separate piece from the rest due to the engineering of the transformation. In part, it's okay, because the separation is made along where it looks line a panel line should be anyway. However, the cockpit section won't quite line up with the back end, plus there's the matter of the big compound joint also used in transformation. It disturbs the illusion a bit...

The only parts meant to move in vehicle mode is the landing gear. One in each leg/jet engine, plus one under the nose. These move smoothly, but the joint is just tight enough - there's no chance of them falling out of storage, or collapsing under the weight of the toy.

Paint and Deco

Something really new that came with G2 was the toys having large amounts of paint detailing and decoration, and Space Case is no exception. The whole surface of the jet is painted. Square blocks of blue and some black cover the middle of the back of the jet, with just the edges of the surface being left white, and on top of that a red bird form made from stylized lightning effects - we'll call it a thunderbird - with its wings extending onto the jet wings, and its tail onto the stabilizers. This is extremely nice paint work, and really helps the toy to stand out. Where Space Case's Cyberjet brothers Hooligan and Air Raid have either tiger striping or flame patterns, this is a really unique paint job. Not at all what you might expect.

Of course, this is pretty much all the paint on the toy. I guess they blew the whole paint budget on the design on the back. In fact, the bottom of the stabilizers have stickers for their deco. Still, if you're gonna burn through all your paint budget in one shot, this is the way to do it!

Vehicle Mode gets 8/10

Paint and Deco gets 10/10

Robot Mode

The design follows what is pretty much tradition for jet Transformers: Cockpit on the chest, wings on the back. This became normal for Transformers because of the toy roots in powered mecha from such sources as Diaclone's Jet Robo and the Valkyries/Veritechs from Macross/Robotech, where the vehicle cockpit also had to be the robot cockpit.

Because of how the transformation largely occurs along a single line, the torso ends up being very thin. The cockpit gives the illusion of a little mass to the body, but it's mostly hollow, especially between the shoulders and the very thin hinged portion responsible for the majority of the transformation.

Even as small Transformers go, Space Case's head is disproportionately tiny. Maybe that's why they were able to spare a bit of paint for it. While the head is molded in the same white plastic most of the body is, it's painted all over the same blue used on the jet mode design. Plus, the head has a large visor for a face, using clear plastic, for the light piping effect, to make the visor glow when backlit.

The joints are all ball joints, but it's not necessarily good. Over time ball joints wear out, especially if both halves of the joint are the same hardness. So far, Space Case just has a loose shoulder and elbow, but this will get worse over time. Even though the legs are only jointed at the hips and knees, they can pose reasonably well. Space Case has no specific feet - his legs just widen out at the bottom where the jets are. So where a figure with actual feet might not be able to pose as well because of the feet being molded a particular way, the generalized feet give lots of big, flat edges to balance the figure on.

Robot Mode gets 7/10

Accessories

-Missiles

The only accessories Space Case comes with are a pair of identical yellow missiles. Because of the small size, Space Case doesn't use the typical spring based missile launcher. Instead, the missiles are the pressure launch type, whose launchers can be much more compact. The idea is that the missiles have a little bead like shape just behind the tip, which fits into a kind of claw shape on the launcher. You then brace your index and middle finger on either side and apply great force with your thumb. This kind is totally hit or miss (no pun intended) in effectiveness, but Space Case comes out quite well, firing his missiles up to four feet with a good launch. On some larger toys these launchers can get fancy, even being enclosed and with buttons to fire.

The launcher is accessible in either mode, plus there's storage points under the wings for use in either mode, though naturally it looks and works best in vehicle mode. And in robot mode, Space Case can hold the missiles as clubs. As stupid as it sounds, keep in mind his tech spec gives him an Intelligence rating of *2*, so using missiles as bludgeoning implements is probably perfectly in character.

Closing Remarks

Space Case is a really nice little toy, just like the rest of the Cyberjets. And as the only one with two hands, he stands a bit apart from the others. Sadly, while the Hooligan and Air Raid molds have been reused recently in an inexpensive format, Space Case is currently only available in either an American or Japanese set which will cost at least $20. If you're considering pursuing one of the modern uses of the mold, keep in mind that the Japanese X-Gunner comes with a recolor of the Air Raid mold, while the American Space Case is included with a recolor of Machine Wars Soundwave. The Robotmasters set is probably gonna be easier to find, but is likely to cost more.

You could also get an original on Ebay, but if you do, I'd recommend going for one sealed in its package to avoid the risk of hopelessly loose joints.

Overall, I have to give Space Case a rating of Excellent.

-ExVeeBrawn, 04/01/2005