Toy Review: Transformers Prime Deluxe Wheeljack

Transformers Prime WHEELJACK is one of the famed Wreckers, an elite group of Autobot warriors. Back in the day, he and Bulkhead were teammates, wrecking Decepticons from one end of Cybertron to the other. After Bulkhead left to join Optimus Prime’s crew, Wheeljack kept doing what he did best until the day he had to leave the planet himself. Wandering the stars alone in his ship the Star Hammer, he kept looking for his friend.

When you look at Wheeljack, you instantly know he’s an homage to his Generation 1 namesake. But how is he as a toy? Read on!

Vehicle Mode

Wheeljack’s vehicle mode is a sports car of undeterminate type, white with red and green accents. He looks very sleek and fast, and he just oozes coolness. The white is very stark, which makes the red and green pop very nicely. It’s a bit reminiscent of Drift, actually, but I like Wheeljack better. I admit, that might be because of the character….

I really love the fact that you can not only store his blades underneath, but you can also attach them to the front or sides of his vehicle mode, making for “Attack Mode”. Little things like that enhance the playability as well as make it less likely you’ll lose accessories. Kudos, Hasbro!

Robot Mode

I love Wheeljack’s transformation. It’s a tad tricky, but in a good way. I had to refer to the instructions to get him into robot mode, but it was worth the effort. There are a couple of parts that you pull out and rotate 180 degrees before snapping back into place. I love those types of transformations. I don’t know why; maybe it feels like there’s some automation going on here besides just folding out pieces and snapping covers closed.

As a robot, Wheeljack looks very much like a stylized version of his G1 counterpart. He’s got the faceplate, the wings, the red and green chest — this could almost pass for a Classics version, in some aspects, if it weren’t for the Prime aesthetic. He’s got loads of poseability and very little stability issues. I enjoy the little details like the little parts that extend from the top of his shins and the segmented details on his fingers.

For weapons, Wheeljack can hold the blades from his vehicle mode, but that’s not all. He can also clip them to his shoulders or store them down his back like he’s just waiting for an excuse to pull them out. Again, the attention to extra play patterns is commendable, and it leads to some cool poses. I love that, Hasbro!

The Good
I really love this toy. The pull-spin-push transformation pieces, the multiple ways to store/deploy his blades, the over all look — yeah, Jacky’s good.

The Bad
The price of Deluxes might make some hesitate on getting him. Also, some may not appreciate some of the transformation mechanisms. Otherwise, he’s a great toy.

The Final Rewind
Get this toy, but try to find him for $13 at Target/Walmart, not $15 or more.

The Geek Bits
Name: Wheeljack
Toyline: Transformers
Subline: Transformers Prime – Robots in Disguse
Size Class: Deluxe
Released: February 2012
Availability: Target, Toys R Us (and Walmart, soon)
Includes: Wheeljack, swords, instructions
Worth the price? Most definitely. He’s a stylized version of a great character. He’s just cool.

The Gallery