It's funny how I can write about a well and fully-documented toy that's almost 20 years old and feel that people will be interested and enthusiastic about the review, yet writing this review about a toy that had been out for approximately ONE year gave me the feeling that this article would be a little out of date and old news. Eitherway, here's my take on the US/UK release of the first Transformer in the Alternators series, Smokescreen.

The Alternators are of course Hasbro's version of Takara Japan's Binaltech series. Where Takara have used diecast metal, Hasbro have opted for plastic. As with the Japanese line, Smokescreen is the first release. The Diversionary Tactician is based on the 2003 Subaru Impreza World Rally Championship car that eventually won the WRC title that year in the hands of Petter Solberg and co-driver Philip Mills. That championship winning car was the #7 car, which was available as part of the Binaltech line in Japan. For the US and UK release of this toy, only Tommi Mäkinen's #8 car was available. For the record, Mäkinen and co-driver Kaj Lindström finished 8th in the 2003 championship season. Regardless of the race car's success, it was an absolutely beautiful model to launch the toy line with.

The toy's outer packaging is not too disimilar to its Japanese counterpart. There is a large window for viewing the toy within, but instead of a photograph, box art is used instead on the box front. It's also a multi-lingual box. It should be noted that the Alternators boxes are noticeably larger than the Japanese Binaltech packages. This Smokescreen was purchased at my local Toys'R'Us in London

The sides of the box do not showcase the front and rear of the toy as the Japanese packaging does, instead there are photographs of Smokescreen in both modes. The figure mode isn't done very much justice here it must be said. On to the inner packaging...

I found that the Alternators inner packaging was a little easier to get through than the Binaltech (minus the tape that holds the plastic tabs on to the base), but there's no real display stand to speak of. It's basically just a plastic bubble taped on to a cardboard base. The base has some Smokescreen artwork but nothing particularly noteworthy. Overall, it's not nearly as well presented as the Japanese Binaltechs. There's no Collector's card or information booklet, just a set of instructions.

The thing is, I'm now writing this review from the standpoint of someone who owns a BT-03 Streak, so I'm used to all the terrific presentation and inner/outer packaging detail of Takara's Binaltechs. I'm also now accustomed to the fantastic heft, weight and quality of the diecast Streak version of the Subaru Impreza mould. However, when I originally purchased Smokescreen, it was the very first taste I had of Alternators/Binaltech, so at the time I was much more impressed. I'll now concentrate on the toy itself, and that toy more than makes up for any complaints I may have had about the packaging...

The original Subaru Impreza, in my own opinion, was a magnificent car. I absolutely loved it, and like a lot of people, was first introduced to it properly via the Sony Playstation Gran Turismo series of games, where it was by far and away one of the most outstanding vehicles in what is probably the greatest racing sim ever. The newer road-going Imprezas probably haven't been as beautiful, but the traditional blue/yellow 555 colour scheme of the WRC cars has never lost its magic and still makes this car look fantastic. A brilliant contrast of speed, mean, sports car and regular road car.

When this toy was first announced as a Binaltech, I was no longer a collector but I was absolutely stunned at what I saw and it was easily the most enthusiastic I had been about new Transformers releases since the reissues were first announced. I still didn't start buying these until my resistance finally gave in at the end of 2004 and I purchased the Alternators Smokescreen. This IS the toy that is responsible for me getting back into collecting and really enjoying Transformers again. Even before the Binaltechs were unveiled, I was a massive fan of this car and had bought my brother an extremely high-detail (and expensive) model of the Subaru Impreza WRC from AutoArt. You can imagine how pleased I was with this thing....

I have heard many negative things about the Alternators release of Smokescreen. I think the biggest complaint is the lack of sparkly blue paint with Hasbro instead opting for a dull blue. That does not make this toy ugly in the slightest, but when compared with the superb diecast sparkly Japanese Binaltech BT-01....well there aren't many toys PERIOD that can stand up to that piece anyway! This poor guy had a tough act to follow. I do notice some things myself though, like how the hood is a little harder to secure than the Japanese version. The US plastic version needs to click shut (without any real specified 'clicking' points) but the Japanese hood just kinda thuds shut due to its diecast composition and weight. Speaking of opening doors, here are some of the features in car mode:

Lots of opening doors here that add to the displayability and playability of this excellent toy. Due to its plastic nature, you don't need to worry about paint chipping when two or more surfaces come into contact. The intercooler you see underneath the hood is removable and becomes Smokescreen's only weapon. The steering wheel is adjustable and the wheels do turn an acceptable amount in either direction with some synchronicity thanks to a magnetic axle underneath the car:

All in all, the vehicle mode is extremely faithful to the original car and is very displayable. I absolutely love the way it looks and was not at all disappointed when I saw the toy in the flesh. Turning wheels, opening doors, nice rubber tires, cool magnetic technology, accurate detailing and a very popular choice for a Transformers vehicle I should think. The next picture will give you some idea as to how Smokescreen comes apart in vehicle mode and how he can be transformed into a robot.

The arms fold out from underneath the hood, the legs need to be extended and the waist needs to be rotated, the doors are opened to act as wings in robot mode and by folding the hood down to become the chest, the robot head is revealed. That is almost exactly how the original G1 Smokescreen had to be transformed. I really really dig the fact that this toy makes so many references to the original namesake and Fairlady Z mould. The transformation is not too difficult and is very enjoyable in my opinion. I can't really see myself ever getting bored of transforming and posing this toy. Without further delay, here is the figure mode...

Just superb. How about that robot head, eh? It's 100% Smokescreen down to the yellow horns. The rear of the car as the feet, the doors as wings, the front of the car as his chest and the wide shoulders...I was beyond impressed with this mould. The hand gun, formerly the intercooler, has small pegs that allow it to be securely attached to his hand, and his fingers and thumb then wrap around the weapon snugly. Smokescreen can be posed static G1-style as above with his legs straight and head facing forwards. His extendable feet and well-hidden black heel-things provide excellent stabilty for his robot mode, and allow you to experiment with some slightly more dynamic poses...

James Bond pose...

"Excuse me Sir"...

It's very easy to have a lot of fun with this figure and I'm always discovering cooler ways of displaying Smokescreen. Being the plastic version I feel he's a little easier to manipulate and you can be less worried about causing lasting aesthetic damage.

Now, as I mentioned before, the gun/intercooler has small pegs on it to connect to his hand and to clip on to his folded arms in car mode. That same arm/peg interface can be employed in figure mode to either store his weapon or have it act as a Starscream-like arm cannon as follows...

That just adds yet another dimension to his already superb posabilty. There is an awful lot of fun and play value locked within Smokescreen's joints and I cannot recommend it enough. Yes, the presentation is inferior to the Japanese counterpart. Yes, the paint is not as nice looking as the Japanese counterpart. Yes, the lack of heft and weight is certainly noticeable to me now that I own a Japanese version of this mould. Yes, I miss the collector's card you get with Binaltechs. And yes, the Japanese version does kinda click and fit together better and more snugly in vehicle mode.

But does that mean that you should definitely opt for the Binaltech over the Alternator? Actually, yes it does. Let me however make one thing clear first; I absolutely LOVE this toy. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best moulds that has ever come out of the Takara/Hasbro factories and I like it better than an enormous proportion of any G1 toys I've ever seen or owned. This Alternator was the first toy of this series/type that I bought and it was the toy that put the fire back into my TF-collecting belly. It's got sentimental value for me and I don't ever want to see it go and I doubt I'll ever see this Alternator as a surplus requirement even when I eventually get around to picking up a BT-01 Smokescreen and BT-07 Smokescreen GT (slightly updated 2004 re-tool of BT-01). It is also cheaper to buy AND cheaper to have shipped to you than any Binaltech is going to be. You'll feel less worried about transforming, playing with and displaying it because it won't chip. It's absolutely perfect for trying out the line to see if you like it or not...the exact reason why I bought this instead of a BT-01.

Other than those reasons though, I think the Binaltech would be a better buy. For not THAT much more, you get a noticeably more beautifully presented toy with many collectible features like the gorgeous character card, the sweet display stand and the funky information booklet. Plus, despite the possibilty and inevitability of paint chipping, you get a sturdier and satisfyingly heftier bulk of a toy that fits together slightly better with more accurate-to-real-life paint. And also BT-01 is the daddy as far as this line goes. In all honesty you can't go wrong with either release, it just depends on your preference as a collector and the money you want to fork out for this mould. You could just by-pass them both and get the 2004 updated Binaltech BT-07 Smokescreen GT though.

Whatever you decide, Smokescreen is a wonderful toy and one that absolutely no Transformers collector should be without. This toy line has an IMMENSE amount of promise and potential, and so far it's living up to it nicely! Here are some parting shots of the bad boy himself....

All the best
Maz