ToyWorld - TW-D01 Roar

Roar is ToyWorld's take on the Dinobots' Snarl. There are a lot of 3rd party companies out there jumping on the Dinobot bandwagon and each is trying to change things up to stay competitive in this market. Whether it's Masterpiece Class size or more cybertronian look, there's something for different tastes. Toyworld is going with a Voyager sized modern classic feel with an edge: they will combine into one big bad ass combiner!

Alternate Mode: 

The stegosaurus mode looks very classic. I like that I can move the head a bit and open it's jaw. I usually don't get into alt modes, but I really enjoy this one. Looks great on shelf and even better with a diorama.

Articulation:
While the dino mode has limited articulation it's still playable and well... I can't imagine a stegosaurus having that much mobility anyway so it's ok. It's a different ball game in robot mode. Here's the breakdown:

Head - Ball joint. 

Arms- Shoulders on rotating hinge joint that can be pulled out. Super tight ratcheting elbows. Wrist swivel with hands that open and close.

Waist - Swivel

Legs - Tight rotating swivel joint. Knee rotation. Super tight knees with good bending degree. Feet bend up, down, and side to side (Awesome!!). 

Aesthetics: 

The modern classic look looks really good in both modes, but could use a little more paint apps on the red torso (for the robot mode). The weapons don't look all that great compared to the competition, but it works, and he looks badass holding them. It would seem they are meant to combine (with the other figures' weapons) to form a bigger weapon for the combined mode. His sword by the way may be stored in the tail in alt mode.

Transformation:

Simple and intuitive. Didn't need instructions for it. Which is always a plus in my book.

Notes: 

Roar comes in a nice and simple package. I used the styrofoam cover as a jungle(ish) diorama base. It came out okay. Still needs a little work. Works really good with the figure I think.