REVIEW: BingoToys BT-02 Windgirl (part 1)

We absolutely need to talk about third-party naming.

Like, I get it. You’re producing a take on the fan-favourite Transformers character, Windblade. And she’s a girl, right? So, yeah, ‘Windgirl’ perhaps wasn’t too much of a stretch, and yet I can’t help but feel an extra few minutes thought into the process mind have yielded a distinctly more flattering result.

To be fair, though, it’s far from the biggest topic to cover as part of this assessment, which you’ll probably have garnered if you’ve taken a gander at the toy’s aesthetics. Before we get to that, it’s worth framing why any attempt at Windblade seems to garner so much scrutiny, with some of it arguably tracing back to the origins of the character a decade ago now.

Windblade was the first ‘fan-created’ Transformers character, following a relatively extensive series of polls on the main Transformers website over multiple weeks in 2013. Everything, including her alternate mode, colour scheme, faction, name, gender and personality, was decided on by fan vote, after which the first toy debuted in 2014 as part of the Thrilling 30 line-up. That she was a direct product of fan input no doubt speaks to why some feel so invested in the character to this day and perhaps why they’re a bit protective of how she’s portrayed, too.

Beyond that, however, her fictional portrayals really sealed the deal. Although she was created due to fan input, she truly became a fan favourite due to a star turn in her own IDW comic series and subsequently in animated form for cartoons such as Robots in Disguise 2015 and Cyberverse. All of this speaks towards why Windblade is so beloved in some corners of the online fandom and why new designs of her are often judged in terms of the aesthetic choices they make.

All of this brings us up-to-date and ready to check out this offering from BingoToys, then. Having already made a name for themselves with their debut release, a larger take on Bumblebee movie Shockwave known as Silencer, this feels like a leftfield sophomore effort, but an interesting one nonetheless. One thing’s for sure, it’s undoubtedly quite stylised, in many regards.

Let’s begin by turning to the jet form, which is a lot more pointy and perhaps more sci-fi orientated than much of what we’ve seen of her in plastic form before this. It’s a departure from her classic look, which, whilst it wasn’t modelled after a specific model of aircraft, felt like it was something that could exist in the real world, at least. By comparison, this eschews most of that in favour of a more ‘futuristic’ vibe.

This is no bad thing, even if it might not be to everyone’s tastes. It certainly catches the eye, especially with the attractive shiny red paint job over much of the figure, and the hot pink translucent plastic parts never fail to draw attention. There’s tons of visual interest overall, so whilst it may not be the classic Windblade alternate mode, it still has merit.

What doesn’t work so well about this form is a slight lack of cohesiveness. It all looks great from a distance, but up close, it becomes apparent that it’s a robot folded up into the approximate shape of a jet, with lots of awkward gaps and a few less-than-sufficient solutions for concealing the humanoid bits. Once you notice the rear of it is a pair of folded-up legs, it’s hard to ignore, and that’s to say nothing of the underneath having the majority of the robot body just hanging there (or the unfortunate placement of the chest area under the nosecone, but more on that in good time).

It’s not bad by any means, but it’s not as convincing up close as it could have been. In many ways, it’s perhaps a trade-off of the more slimline nature of the robot form in this case, as there’s not enough bulk to make up a solid jet. Still, it does its job well enough, and I’m sure it will more than tick a box for anyone curious about this toy in the first place. I just wish it felt a little more solid and defined as a mode in its own right.

However, some points of note include the excellent landing skids that can be deployed from under the cockpit section and on the rear, hidden in the knees. These are very well hidden in the robot form, to the point where it was a genuine surprise for the jet mode, and they provide a stable and solid way of displaying the toy. There is also a lovely hot pink flight stand which can be used if that’s your jam.

I’m also quite a big fan of how the swords are incorporated into the wings, even if their presence is far too obvious to blend into the jet overall. Still, it’s a neat touch and adds a welcome pop of colour to the already gorgeous red. I will add that the tail fins have a habit of coming untabbed and popping off if you’re not too careful, but still, it works overall and gives this mode a rather unique flavour.

When it comes to transformation, there’s nothing overtly complex about the design itself, but somehow the execution remains a trifle too fiddly for my liking. It’s all down to how much ambiguity there is regarding the placement of various parts, particularly on your way to jet form. With some elements lacking the defined click-into-place you’d find on the most satisfying of conversions, it can leave you fumbling around trying in vain to get everything sitting in roughly the right position and tabbed in properly. The journey to robot is naturally easier in that regard and essentially involves unfolding Windgirl’s humanoid guise from the bottom of the jet.

It leaves you with a robot form which is certainly striking in a number of regards, though one which i feel entirely confident will divide opinions down the middle when it comes to some of the aesthetic choices at play.

Perhaps we’re better off assessing that in detail next time, then. Be sure to join us for part 2 soon!