Cyclops…a JUGGERNAUT of a risk that was taken by Mastermind Creations in the Spring of 2012.  A risk not only defined by the high price tag (160$), but also by its amazing ingenuity, as well as its company’s somewhat sketchy track record.  Mastermind Creations is most well known for their Hearts of Steel version of Optimus Prime, Knight Morpher Commander.  While this release started out with some big quality control problems, Mastermind Creations was VERY quick to fix the problem with the second release and show just how dedicated they are to their fans.  Now although Cyclops does have a few problems, it’s nothing compared to the first run of Knight Morpher Commander, and despite some initial flak from the fans about Cyclops, I for one can say that it’s a great figure made by a dedicated group of individuals.

The first thing you’ll notice when you finally chug through that initial transformation of Cyclops from alt to robot mode is the spectacular looking head.  It’s very detailed and really captures what Guido Guidi was penciling a few years ago in the Hearts of Steel comic.  It’s articulated on a ball joint, so plenty of movement there.

Cyclops’ torso looks stunning too.  All the details that we’ve all seen in the Hearts of Steel comic, and the colors and paint job go together perfectly.  That’s one thing that I’ll definitely say about Cyclops; the paint apps are absolutely AMAZING throughout the entirety of the figure.  The way Cyclops transforms and pegs in gave me some doubts that the torso area might be a little weak and fragile (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to this part of the transformation), but I can safely say that I’ve had ZERO problems with my Cyclops particularly, and it’s working out very well.  Just use precaution and take things easy and you should be ok.

The back of Cyclops really does a great job of hiding the kibble, and also serving as a point of attachment for Mini Cyclops to be stored in sub mode, as well as the anchor attaching to the back.  I really hated how when transforming the “wings” on the back from alt mode you feel like you’re going to break something almost, but I have to give MMC credit and say that for a figure this size, and for how much space the “wings” take up in alt mode, there’s really no back kibble, and it looks to be close to 100% accurate to the comic.

The Big Boat’s arms are definitely intriguing.  I’ll start with the left one and say that the joint connecting the shoulder to the torso is pretty neat.  It’s connected with a ball joint in the torso, with a ratchet joint giving the arm structure the ability to also move up and down laterally, although it’s a bit pointless because there is a joint in the actual shoulder that allows the arm to do this, which looks A LOT better.  The rest of the arm connects to the shoulder , and right where the arm meets the shoulder, you’ll find a bicep swivel.  The elbow has a point of articulation that allows the forearm to be moved up a little, albeit not much.  The rotating turret on the shoulder is also a nice small touch.

Cyclops right arm definitely looks a bit intimidating at first glance, but it’s not as stiff and articulation lacking as it looks.  The right arm also has a small turret on the shoulder.  It’s got the same type of joint in the shoulder as the other arm does, but this one can be spun around to allow for some different poses from this arm other than the typical one.  There is elbow articulation, and a surprising amount is there seeing as how big the arm structure is.  The hand is on a wrist swivel, and the fingers are somewhat articulated.  The thumb, forefinger, and other three fingers (middle, ring, and pinky are all one structure) each have one point of articulation on the knuckle.  The only disappointing part about the hand is that due to the little articulation, you either have the hand closed, or all the way open.  No pointing or any other diverse open hand poses.

On to Cyclops’ lower body, there is a little bit of waist articulation for rotating the torso, although not a huge amount.  Where the articulation in this figure really shines is in the hips and legs.  The hips have the same joint as the shoulders, and allow for a full range of movement and rotation.  Cyclops also has a thigh swivel, which is really awesome, as it gives this makes this guy a lot more posable in the lower half with the feet being so big.

The knees are ratcheted, so them locking in place is definitely a plus with all the weight this guy sports.  The feet are another point of interest for me.  Both the front section and the heel are rocker jointed, which is huge in my opinion.  This combined with the aforementioned articulation in the hips gives Cyclops a whole new element and personality.  Great features here!

The transformation from alt to robot mode with Cyclops was honestly a bit of a pain in the ass.  The instructions leave a lot to be desired, and like I said before, when I was transforming the “wings” in to how they should be for robot mode, I felt as though I was going to snap something off.  I will say though that once you get past some of the confusion from the poor directions, transforming back and forth does become A LOT easier.  I didn’t have any  issues  with transforming from robot to alt mode except at the end.  Again, the flimsy “wings” that turn into the sides of the boat became troublesome for me when trying to get them to snap and mesh together on the bottom.  I really hated trying to get these to match up.  I mean REALLY hated it.

Overall, if you can get the transformation from bot to alt mode down, Cyclops’ steam boat mode is pretty fun.  Of course there aren’t any wheels on Cyclops for stability, but there are a couple tabs you flip down so that Cyclops is able to be displayed in alt mode without falling down.

Another cool feature of Cyclops’s alt mode is the feature to store the anchor inside, as well as having the compartment being able to open and have the anchor hanging out.  It’s a little bit of a pain to try and cram the anchor and chain into the slot, but not impossible.  The Mini Cyclops is also able to be stored inside Cyclops during alt mode in another small hangar.

The Mini Cyclops is definitely my favorite Transformer accessory of all-time.  Maybe he shouldn’t be considered an accessory and instead his own toy?  I definitely think so, but for the sake of my not having any section banners with “Mini Cyclops” made up at the moment, I’m putting him under the accessories section.

This guy was a nice little surprise that was given to us by Mastermind Creations.  From what I’ve heard from the guys at MMC, it was initially supposed to be a complete surprise to the fans, but when TF Source got their boxes in and decided to take some pictures, they spoiled the surprise.  I could probably do an entire review on this guy itself, but I’ll stick him in here for now.

I’ll start off by saying this little guy is articulated out the ass, and is put together very well for something this small.  The head has articulation thanks to a ball joint and both of the shoulders are on a ball joint that gives them a full range motion.  The right arm is very similar to Cyclops’ in the fact that it looks like the front of the boat and it also sports a bicep swivel and elbow articulation.  The left arm features the cannon, and as well as too having a bicep swivel, the elbow also has two points of articulation: one for moving the cannon, and one for moving the entire arm at the elbow.  The hips are on ball joints, there’s a nice thigh swivel, and the freaking knees have articulation.  The feet are the weakest part, as the front part is the only part that really has any articulation.  This doesn’t bug me at all though.  For a figure this size to have the amount of articulation it does is insane.  Very nicely done on Mastermind Creations’ part.

As noted previously, the alt mode is of a little submarine.  Nothing too much to talk about here other than the fact that it’s kickass like the bot mode.  I think it’s very cool and does a nice job complimenting Cyclops.  One thing that would’ve been nice would have been some tabs on the bottom like Cyclops has to keep him stable when you want to display it in alt mode.

Now for the “real” accessories, there’s really only one, and that’s the anchor.  Now although this is the only true accessory, it’s a stellar one at that.  The chain on this is real metal, and has a great weight to it.  You of course can either display this in bot mode by attaching it to Cyclops’ back and then left arm, or use it kind of as a flail in Cyclops’ right hand.  AWESOME design and implementation by MMC.

Overall, I think Cyclops is definitely a great figure.  It’s weird though, because I’m not sure I would consider Cyclops a “great” figure in the terms of an easy and fun transformation, value and playability, but instead in a different way.  Although I may not bust out Cyclops to mess around with or pose like I would some other Transformers, I definitely would probably view him as a top 3 Transformer on my shelf to just look at: a gigantic, maniacal, purple steam-machine of power.  There’s no doubt about it that Mastermind Creations knocked it out of the park with the aesthetic and with capturing Guido Guidi’s design.  Not to mention the surprise minicon we got!  Yea, that thing’s just awesome, isn’t it?  My advice to those who are on the fence about Cyclops is to go buy him, NOW!  MMC has stated that the 160$ price point probably won’t last long, so get yours while you can.  Check out the gallery below to see the pictures that didn’t make it in the review, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts!