General Information:
Release Date: June 2010
Price Point: $59.00 (Limited to 1,000 sets) (3 in a pack)
Retailer: Botcon Exclusive
Accessories: Missiles x 2

Images:

• Air Shark Tech Specs
• Land Shark Tech Specs
• Sea Shark Tech Specs
• Vehicle Mode
• Vehicle Mode (Side)
• Vehicle Mode (Back)
• Vehicle Mode (Front)
• Vehicle Mode (Angle view)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons deployed)
• Vehicle Mode (Rear view)
• Vehicle Mode (Close up on head)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons deployed, front)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons deployed, close up)
• With Sky-Byte (Vehicle Modes)
• With Energon Sharkticon (Vehicle Modes)
• With Energon Sharkticon (Vehicle Mode)
• With Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte (Vehicle and Beast Modes)
• Robot Mode
• Robot Mode (Side)
• Robot Mode (Back)
• Robot Mode (Close up)
• Robot Mode (Focus on head)
• Robot Mode (Angle view)
• Robot Mode (Posed)
• Robot Mode (Alternate view)
• Robot Mode (Head sculpt, side)
• Robot Mode (Weapons deployed over shoulders)
• Robot Mode (Weapons on hips)
• With Sky-byte (Robot Modes)
• With Energon Sharkticon (Robot Modes)

Last year at Botcon, Fun Publications released a three pack of Sweeps, something fans have thought about for quite some time. This went over very well, so for this year's "troop builder" pack, we decided to give Sky-Byte a little extra something in the form of his own personal army of Sharkticons. We did not want the Sharkticons to be total copies of Sky-Byte however, so instead the original Energon Sharkticon head sculpt was kept intact and the color scheme chosen for these bad boys is based on the Generation One "Gnaw" Decepticon figure, which is where the animated series took its inspiration for the Sharkticons in the animated movie and following seasons on TV. This Sharkticon trooper is based on the Energon Sharkticon sculpt. Check out that review for a detailed look at the sculpt. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.

The Sharkticons were released in a three pack at Botcon. While each figure was identical, they each have distinct identities (just like the Sweeps from last year). Each Sharkticon has a "specialty" area, landing them the names of Land Shark, Air Shark and Sea Shark.

Vehicle Mode:
The theme of a "Sharkticon" or shark-based Transformer has been explored repeatedly over the years. Beast Wars had a couple and Beast Machines had one as well. However, none of these shark-based Transformers took much inspiration from their Generation One predecessor - until now. While Sky-Byte took his inspiration from his "Robots in Disguise" namesake, the Sharkticon troops, this Sharkticon takes his color scheme from Gnaw, the 1980's Decepticon who was later used as the executioners and shock troops for the Quintessons in the animated series.

The primary plastic color on this vehicle is metallic silver. It's a vibrant color that really does look like the figure is made out of some type of metal. Smaller parts are cast in a pastel, light blue (these parts include the tower, cannons and fins) while pink (seriously) is used for other sections such as the base of his forward cannons and the sides of the tail section. Perhaps one of the most subdued colors is the translucent red used for the windows in the tower. To say this color scheme stands out is an understatement. Its sensibilities are firmly set in another time, which is part of the reason from a color perspective it fits so well into the wacky world of Generation 2. Many think G2 originated the idea of loud or bright color schemes, but it in fact just continued a tradition that began with Generation One, albeit on a much larger scale.

Aside from the plastic colors, it was important not to just copy Sky-Byte's color scheme in different colors and overlay them on this figure. Instead, a whole new color layout was put together, differing from either of the other releases of this sculpt. Like the plastic colors, the paint applications really stand out. The colors include neon green, red, pink, lavender and silver. Of all the paint colors, the boldest one is the lavender, which is used on the front end of the vehicle. The other colors such as the green and red are used to fill in small details such as the circles on the front and middle of the vehicle. What I like is that these bright colors are used sparingly, which gives the feel of energy glowing from the inside of this ship. The pink paint is used in the middle of the ship, giving a nice break between the silver plastic in the front and back. On the front nose of the ship is a giant Decepticon symbol, boldly declaring what side these Sharkticons fight on.

If this all sounds garish, I guess you could look at it like that, but really it's not. In fact, with the metallic silver plastic dominating the figure, the brighter colors only serve to accent details instead of overwhelming them. I like the color scheme a lot, and not just because it's a nice G1 homage but because it's actually appealing on an action figure.

All of the weapons in this mode still turn and the barrels can move up and down with ease.

Transformation to Robot Mode:

1. Swing the rear sections to the sides and straighten them out.
2. Swivel the rear sections around.
3. Flip the ship over and detach the robot feet from the front and swing that entire section down to form the robot hips and legs.
4. Flip the feet up.
5. Swing the entire front portion of the ship onto the back to reveal the robot head.
6. Swing each arm up and lock it into place.

Robot Mode:
For this robot mode, it was decided not to use Sky-Byte's head sculpt since that design should be distinctive to him. Instead, it was decided to go with the original head sculpt, which in itself has very "shark" like design features including a "fin" at the top and lines cut into the sides that look like gills. His narrow slit eyes and mouthplate add sharpness to the look of the design, reinforcing the point that this is indeed a modernized, sleeker Sharkticon.

While the silver plastic dominated the vehicle mode, the mix of plastic colors is a bit more even in robot mode. Most of the body parts are grey in this mode including the head, arms, chest and thighs. However, the other plastic colors become a lot more prominent in this form. The pink plastic can now be found on his shoulders, forearms and his lower legs. The light blue plastic is on his arms and legs as well. Grey and silver are tricky colors to work with since using them too much can cause quite a dull appearance on a figure, but with the pink and blue colors splashed in, the entire color scheme winds up looking retro and colorful in a good way.

Paint applications utilize all the same colors as the vehicle mode, but in different amounts. The green color is used on the raised triangular sections of his shoulders while the lavender can be found on his waist. Silver is used for the top section of his torso and some smaller details on his feet. The pink section from the middle of the vehicle mode winds up on his chest in this mode, forming a line that angles up and out to the sides. The red paint is used for four missile like details on his mid-body. Overall, the colors evoke the original Sharkticon colors very well and they manage to balance out. He doesn't look plain, nor does he look overly bright.

All the joints are tight on my Sharkticons. This is especially important with regards to the legs since he is rather back heavy. His missile launchers deploy under his arms or over his shoulders just fine as well.

Final Thoughts:
For the price, this was a steal in my opinion. Troop builders aren't very common in the Transformers world, and to have one of characters that are so identified with having replicas of themselves is fantastic. These guys will definitely cost you a lot more now, especially considering their limited nature. I do highly recommend this to higher end collectors or if you're a Sharkticon fanatic.