I arguably didn't need a Tiny Snarl, especially since the Studio Series line will almost certainly give us a Large Snarl eventually. But, I'm a sucker for a good G1 homage, and my Cyberverse collection now includes four our of five Dinobots, and plus it might take a year or three for us to finally get Large Snarl so this will keep me happy until then. Plus, it's my birthday, and my actual birthday gifts are coming from the European Union so it may be another week or so before I actually get them.

Snarl was my first G1 Dinobot, and indeed was one of my first G1 toys, and he's probably my favorite Dinobot. His voice and personality I can take or leave, but he's absolutely the most visually striking of them. I honestly don't know whether stegosaurus is my favorite dinosaur because of Snarl, or whether whether Snarl is my favorite Dinobot because I like stegosauruses..

I'm not delighted how the entire tail and spine assembly pops off for use as a shield. I would prefer the tail to be integrated into the robot design.. But, what can you do. It can plug into his back on a peg, but the peg is off-center so it looks odd. The peg also activates his "power slash" gimmick, by which he can slash his sword-arm, and probably his rubbery yellow sword, when you manipulate the lever. It's more effective than the Wacky Action Leo from the old TMNT toy line, who also had a rubbery yellow sword, and had a motor and would spin his arm around v e r y s l o w l y.

Aesthetically, he's very in synch with G1. Mostly grey with a red chest and some yellow bits. Pretty much exactly patterned after his 1985 look. About the only real difference, besides the lack of tail-halves on his back, is that the dinosaur claws are tucked to the side of his fists instead of folding back and ending up on his shoulders.

Transformation is pretty much exactly the G1 toy. Ony difference is that you plug the dinosaur's back-and-tail assembly into place. The whole thing is rubbery plastic, so the pegs like to move around and don't really cooperate when you try to plug it in. It can be done, but it likes to be stubborn.

Dinosaur mode is so cute. He's got widdle teefs. His stegosaur head splits in half like G1, but this time he's got an open mouth (the jaw still doesn't work, though). The real dino feet are black instead of yellow, because they're just the robot fists with those awkward claws poking out. But, that's okay.

I've been eyeing this guy for a while now. I actually saw him at retail before anybody reported the first sighting, but I keep putting off spending the thirteen bucks. Today seemed like a good day, though. And now I guess I need to track down Slag to finish off the set.

Zob (this guy is a little slice of awesome sauce)

On Monday, March 7, 2022 at 3:18:32 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
> I've been eyeing this guy for a while now. I actually saw him at retail before anybody reported the first sighting, but I keep putting off spending the thirteen bucks.

Some toys end up becoming Moving Toys, and they're never the toys I expect.

When my mom and dad divorced in 1985, my mom took my sister and me halfway across the country from Illinois to Maryland. It was going to be like a ten-hour drive, and right before we left, I ended up getting the Masters of the Universe versions of Trap-Jaw and Prince Adam, from People's Drug or some place, to give me something to play with in the car. I think I remember that shopping trip so vividly because it was the first time I'd gotten new toys but it wasn't Christmas or my birthday and I hadn't done anything special to earn them.

Years later, as a young adult, I was wih my first wife and working a job at the local grocery store when she was unexpectedly fired and money got tight. We ended up moving from New Jersey back where her family was in Utah, and I'd just barely gotten Onyx Primal from an online trade, so he accompanied me in the U-Haul, often hanging off the sun visor in the cabin, while we made the three-day trek.

So now Cyberverse Snarl here is my current moving buddy. He's the only toy I own that isn't packed in a box somewhere, and so he lives on the computer desk for now and I will fiddle with him whenever I'm taking a break and not stuffing junk into cardboard boxes. (Why do we own so many ceramic mugs? SO MANY MUGS. We don't even drink coffee.)

I won't be making a Very Long Drive this time since the new house is right up the street, but I estimate I will be making several dozen trips to load all the boxes into the van, unload them at the house, and then rinse and repeat ad infinitum. Utah is always the go-to place in media that's synonymous for "really far away" (e.g., "Can you go somewhere else now, please? Like Utah?") so it's kind of funny that this is where I ended up planting roots after spending so much time on the east coast. Also, it offends all the Mormons who live around here when my hair gets too long. But, we almost never have werewolves terrorizing the populace, so that's a big plus.

Zob (pulled out a kitchen drawer today and found underneath it paper sacks, Zip-Loc bags, a roll of alumonum foil, a crazy straw, and one plastic fork)

On Monday, March 7, 2022 at 2:18:32 PM UTC-8, Zobovor wrote:
> Aesthetically, he's very in synch with G1. Mostly grey with a red chest and some yellow bits. Pretty much exactly patterned after his 1985 look.

Looks very much like the Action Master to me, with the lack of kibble wings and the big black forearms. G1 toon was wings and grey forearms. This Cyberverse toy looks like it could almost pass as a transforming Action Master.