Two tastes that go together like chocolate and peanut butter: Generation 2, and Beachcomber. Generation 2’s where I started with Transformers, so the bright early 90s toyline always holds a special place to me. Beachcomber, meanwhile, is a favorite B-lister Transformer of mine. The pacifistic nature-loving hippy doesn’t feel like my usual preference of character, but it helps that he’s been in some surprisingly good Transformers stories, mainly one of the better G1 Cartoon character-focus episodes (“The Golden Lagoon,” which I saw in the 90s as part of Generation 2’s reruns of the original show), and a really good showing in Skybound’s recent Transformers comics.
Throughout all that time, his characterization’s stayed pretty consistent, as his Generaition 2 bio note shows. c. Seibertron.com
Beachcomber’s gotten some really good modern figures, including the Legacy Deluxe, reviewed here. But before all of that, he was just a little minibot, released in 1985. And then, in 1992, that little minibot got a repaint, as Generation 2’s first burst of toys went through their back catalog, before the line got up and running properly. I never owned this one back in the day, but he seemed to perpetually exist in the toyboxes of my friends and family, so it’s nice to have one of my own (snagged at TFCon) to look at. And in this case, I looked at him far from home, because I was at the cottage while taking these photos, and brought him along as a vacation friend.
Vehicle Mode
Lakeside adventures!
It’s funny how much this tiny dune buggy makes me think of a Hot Wheels vehicle. Now, he’s not literally the same size as one, he’s a bit too wide to ride on their tracks, but he is the same length as the lone Hot Wheels car I have, and spiritually feels the same scale.
This isn’t the lone Hot Wheel I own. Rather, like any old enough location, a house (or cottage) will just spawn Hot Wheels if it exists for long enough.
Beachcomber’s Dune Buggy altmode hasn’t really changed much over the years, so this feels like a shrunken-down version of his more recent releases. That’s because they kind of got it right the first time. I say “kind of,” because you can just about make out his robot fists on either side of it, and there’s a little gap between the hood and cockpit, where you can see his robot thighs, both details later releases smoothed out, but at this scale, they’re both barely noticeable.
A Short Cut of Mushrooms.
What is impressive at this scale is the rest of the detailing. You’ve got a tiny little roll cage, sculpted headlights, sculpted seats, a miniscule steering wheel, and a bunch of detail on the engine. It all holds up really well!
Green on green.
The colors are where we enter Generation 2 territory, and its more garish 90s sensibilities. Beachcomber’s mostly covered in shiny green chrome, of a dark, forest-y shade, with warm gray as a secondary color, bits of black for the wheels and roll cage, and then a bit of bright safety-vest orange, on his headlights and wheel rims. That orange really pops against the dark green, it’s a great color combination. It’s a bit gaudy, but tastefully so, if that makes sense. I like the green as a new main color for him, because it’s the color of nature, something the character loves. I think it’s the use of chrome on him that further adds to the “this is a Hot Wheel” feeling he embodies. Oh, also, there’s a G2 Autobot logo, next to the words “Autobot,” in yellow paint on his right doorway, in case you were unclear what his faction was. Every Generation 2 figure had these, it was the style at the time.
“This terrain is oddly saucy.”
For build quality, of course, the big story is the chrome, which is doomed to chip and splinter over time. Mine’s in pretty good shape, but has picked up a couple nicks here and there, where it’s turned silver instead of green. Unless you get one mint on card, he’s going to have this problem, you’ve just got to live with it. At least the rest of him’s really solid, including his roll cage, which you’d think would be breakable. In another impressive choice, too, his tires are real rubber. This is good, because his only real feature is that he rolls, so you’d best believe he rolls well.
He knows where to roll to to get the good stuff.
Transformation
Flip his hood out to form his legs, pull his arms out a bit, stand him up, you’re done! Easy-peasy, so much so that it hasn’t changed much over the years, just like his altmode. One thing I did note during this transformation is that my copy’s got really tight knees, that audibly squeak as I transform him. I’m used to vintage toys being loose, so this was an unexpected surprise.
Robot Mode
King of the Toadstools!
Beachcomber’s about as tall as an old Legends, or Legion-class figure. Generally, I appreciate that he cuts a very human-shaped figure, after so many G1 minibots had strange proportions thanks to primitive engineering. But not him. Outside of the wheels on his thighs, he cuts a very clean silhouette. He’s also remarkably animation-accurate for a 1985 toy! The only huge point of divergence, colors aside, is the fact that he doesn’t have a mouth on his face. In fact, it’s an interesting headsculpt, because beneath his visor, his face is split into a bunch of fractal shapes, looking kind of like old-fashioned computer graphics. It’s strange, and interesting.
“What’s also interesting is that humans willingly drink this stuff!”
For colors, he’s largely the same as his alternate mode, but with a bit more bright orange, thanks to his visible thighs. I think the gray on his robot chest might have yellowed a bit, but the shade suits him, so I don’t mind. The main additions are some silver for his visor, and some sticker detailing on his engine-block chest, and abdomen, little indistinct patterns of red, yellow, blue, black and silver. It’s not much, but I like the extra flourishes. Again, this repaint feels characterful, like he hangs out in nature on the regular.
Camouflage!
For build quality, he’s just as solid as his vehicle mode, which is to say, good, except for the chrome. He also stays standing just fine, something not every G1 figure can claim.
Even when the terrain’s a bit uneven.
For articulation…It’s a vintage toy, so there’s not much going on. He’s got swivelling shoulders uptop, and down below, you can use his transformation joint to bend his knees, though it’s very, very difficult to get him to stay standing if either knee is bent. I got him into a walking pose one time. Also, I guess he can hang his head in shame, too, thanks to his transformation joint. It feels like he probably does that a lot, given how often the Transformers and their war ruin nature.
For now though, he celebrates being in that nature.
Overall
All G1 Minibots are pretty much perfect Transformers, I’ll die on this hill.
I’ll also die on the hill that the best ice cream can be found at Kawartha Dairy.
But Beachcomber’s a little more perfect than most of the minibots, between his cool altmode, good transformation, and surprisingly proportionate robot mode. I also really dig this 90s redeco, with its green and orange, though it does come with the drawback of having to deal with potentially chipping chrome.
“Nothing lasts forever, though, man.”
This is why I also think they really need to repaint his newer Legacy figure into these colors. As for this one, I paid 40 Canadian at TFCon, which is a bit steep for a toy this small and basic, but again, that’s par for course with something this old, and in this good shape. Personally, I think he was well worth it.
Cruising off into the blue.
That said, the vintage 1985 chrome-free figure was never reissued or anything, so this is actually probably your best, cheapest shot at owning a version of the original figure.
Save him for a rainy day.
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