He’s got a new head!
That doesn’t seem like a big deal now but back in 2010 it kinda was. Cliffjumper was just a Bumblebee repaint before this but now… Cliffjumper was a repaint and a remold!
I got Cliffjumper here as a birthday present way back and when I opened him I was not prepared. Cliffjumper was a surprising Transformer in more ways than one.
Vehicle mode
Cliffjumper is a futuristic Beetle.
Okay, that’s a lie. He’s a Cybertronian Racer apparently but if you ask me he just looks like a concept car. Like if the people who made Tron were tasked to design the new Mercedes A Class.
From the pictures I’d seen, I thought that I wouldn’t like the vehicle mode but it surprised me and I ended up absolutely adoring it. It’s really well thought out, nicely detailed and beautifully painted. What’s neat is, this is a Cybertronian vehicle mode but it’s not just a jumble of robot parts, it’s just a very futuristic looking car.
There’s not much you can do with it though. He rolls on all four of his (really nicely detailed) tyres. You can hide his accessory inside the back of the car.
Transformation
The transformation was the next surprise and it wasn’t a very pleasant one. Man, Generations Deluxes were super complex back in 2010. I think Cliffjumper here comes just short of ROTF Leader Optimus Prime of being the Transformer I want to transform the least.
Cliffjumper isn’t as complex as Optimus but he feels just as tedious and frustrating. Well at least the process is worth it.
Robot mode
Cliffjumper looks great in robot mode but… he also looks big for a Deluxe. Now normally that would be a good thing but it made Cliffjumper (and Bumblebee) look really out of place with the other WFC figures who were also Deluxes. I mean it’s not a bad thing now that we’ve got bigger WFC figures but at the time it was a bit of a bummer.
Still, Cliffjumper is a handsome and thicc boi. His body is chunky but his arms and legs are just a bit lanky. That doesn’t hurt him much though, because his exquisite detailing and plentiful paint apps still make him a treat to look at.
Cliffjumper is loaded with articulation. His head is on a ball joint for starters. His arms are ball-jointed at the shoulders, he has bicep swivels, double-jointed elbows and ball-jointed wrists. He has a waist swivel. His legs rotate as well as go in and out at the hips. He has thigh swivels and an extra joint above it that lets him bend his legs inward. He has bending knees. He doesn’t have any articulation at the feet but they’re big enough that it isn’t really a problem.
Gimmicks
It seems Cliffjumper is pretty hardcore because he’s loaded with weapons. He’s got a small pistol that’s he can hold in either of his hands. He’s also got deploying arm blades on both arms, so he’s got another thing in common with ROTF Optimus.
He’s got options for both ranged and melee combat but all his weapons are kinda small. Not pitifully small but still small.
Oh yeah, Cliffjumper should have light piping but it’s neutered and doesn’t work which makes me sad.
Toy or collectible?
Collectible.
All the WFC Transformers and come to think of it, all the Generations Transformers from this era command a respectable price nowadays. It’s partly because they’re rare and partly because their highly sought after by collectors. That’s one reason I wouldn’t give Cliffjumper to a child.
The other reason is his insane transformation. A kid would hate going through it. They would also probably break it.
Closing
Cliffjumper here has a pretty unique aesthetic and would be a great addition to anyone’s collection. That said, the Earthrise Cliffjumper is coming out soon and most would want the more grounded, Earth mode Cliffjumper.
I say get both. Space alien car Cliffjumper should be able to find somewhere to fit in to your collection. Come to think of it, even if you don’t collect WFC/FOC Transformers, Cliffjumper would probably fit right in with your Siege collection.
Starscream's Vizier 