Hello, folks, and welcome to our review of the first wave of Ben 10: Omniverse figures, featuring Ben, Rook, Bloxx, and Feedback! We'll be looking at each figure individually before rating the set as a whole. Are these figures worth your money, or should you wait for Kickin Hawk and Khyber? Read on!
Ben Tennyson (16 Years Old)
It only seems right to start this review off with the main character of Ben 10: Omniverse, right? So here's teen Ben w/ skateboard:
The figure looks good; he has a good sculpt and is nicely detailed. Basically, he looks like Ben, although he does have a weird poofy hairstyle. The shirt and Omnitrix both look nice and show-accurate; the pants are pants. As for the hoverboard, it looks like the one seen recently in the show, only with wheels. It has two pegs, but Ben can only fit on one at a time; the other is left over from when it was used on AF Ben.
Ben has good articulation. He can bend at all of the places that a Ben 10 figure generally does. This allows him to be posed rather well; above is an image that shows Ben articulated at every joint.
Here he is compared to the Bens of series past. He's very short; this will be a recurring theme throughout this review. The OV toys are done in a new scale that unfortunately makes them shorter than past figures. Even 10 year old Ben is taller than poor new Ben.
Of course, this isn't the first Ben that we've reviewed. Here he is compared to Tenn-Speed Cycle Ben. This Ben is better in every possible way (articulation, appearance), but he does have one flaw absent in the other one: he can't fit into the bike! That's okay. He still has a cool hoverboard.
So how is this figure? Pretty great. Here are my ratings:
Articulation: He has it all, as far as Ben 10 toys go. 5/5
Sculpt: Looks like Ben, but he has a weird hairstyle. 4.5/5
Playability: Can't actually hit the Omnitrix, but he can do a lot else. 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5 Great
Rook
Ben's new partner, Rook is a by-the-book Plumber rookie learning to be a hero. But you know that. Rook is proving to be a hit with the fans (and the ladies) because of his badass fighting skills combined with his humorous personality and tendencies. Is the figure as good as the character?
Rook, like Ben, has a very accurate sculpt and is very detailed. He looks just like the Rook on the show. I would say that he looks better than Ben, because he doesn't have poofy hair.
Of course, Rook comes with his trademark Proto-Tool. Though it cannot shapeshift or attach to his shoulder, it is quite detailed and nice-looking for such a tiny sculpt. Rook can only hold it in his left hand; his right is not open enough.
Like Ben, Rook can move in all of the normal places. However, his movement is a little less restricted and better than Ben's. Because of this, he can be posed more easily than Ben. The photo above shows all articulation articulated.
Here he is compared to Ben and Ben's last bff, Kevin. I told you guys shortness would be a recurring theme. Rook is a pretty good size, though.
Here are the ratings:
Articulation: Everything Ben has, but better. 5/5
Sculpt: Looks great, and just like Rook. 5/5
Playability: Rook can do some pretty awesome things. He just can't put the Proto-Tool on his shoulder. 5/5
Overall: 5/5 Amazing
Young Ben
One of the most anticipated features of Omniverse was that it will show flashbacks to the immensely popular young Ben of the original series. Naturally, this meant a brand new design for the 11-year-old hero, which means a brand new toy! How does it stack up to the young Ben toys of years past? Let's find out!
Ben looks like himself. This is good. Generally speaking, Ben 10 toys have detailed and accurate sculpts and paint jobs. So from here on it, I'll use this space to tell you if something is off. And describe accessories, of course. Ben comes with a hoverboard, identical to the one that came with his original figure, only transparent. The transparency is awesome and makes this really look like an energy hoverboard. The problem is that it was made for a bigger figure, so it's ridiculously huge on him.
This Ben does not have maximum articulation, as his elbows do not bend. Derrick Wyatt has said that this is because they are too thin. Regardless, it doesn't hinder the figure. He is also lacking the ability to rotate his lower legs that was present in the original series figure. Above, all of his points of articulation have been articulated.
Here he is against OV teen Ben and all of the Bens. Like I said: short. Despite that, I think this figure has a better face, Omnitrix, and overall sculpt than the original figure. For an 11-year-old, he seems to be a good size.
Ratings:
Articulation: Less than the others, but it doesn't hurt the figure. 4.5/10
Sculpt: The best young Ben yet. 5/5
Playability: Same problems as teen Ben. 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5 Great
Bloxx
Now, we get to the main focus of both Ben 10 and its toyline: the aliens! Bloxx was the first new alien used by teen Ben in Omniverse and is controversial amongst the fans for his more juvenile appearance. He's made of legos! Is this toy any good, or would you be better off buying a Lego set? Read on.
Bloxx is a very well-made figure. He looks great and is great to have in your hands. The only problem is that his Omnitrix is round, rather than the pointed shape in the show, but that's a minor gripe. Another problem is that due to his powers, shapeshifting, he's nearly useless in play. Perhaps Lego could team up with Ben 10 to release a Bloxx Bucket of only Bloxx-colored bricks XD
Bloxx has an unusual body, so the usual points of articulation don't really apply. He can move at the neck, shoulders, wrists, and hips, as seen above. He has all of the articulation I think he can stand with his unique shape, and the wrist articulation is definitely a nice touch.
Size comparison with Ben and Ben's last shapeshifter, Goop. Unlike most figures in this line, Bloxx is a good size and in scale with both the OV line and the older lines without being freakishly huge or annoyingly tiny.
Just like in waves past, the Omnitrix aliens of OV come with mini figures for the Omnitrix. In this case, they are small game pieces for the Omnitrix Challenge game. Each alien has stats on the bottom, and the alien with the best stats wins. The little figures are surprisingly detailed for tiny one-color figures.
Ratings:
Articulation: He has all that he can, plus some rare wrist movement. 5/5
Sculpt: One minor error doesn't detract from an otherwise perfect sculpt. 5/5
Playability: Limited, considering how hard his ability is to make into a four inch toy. 2.5/5
Overall: 4.2/5 Great
Feedback
Finally, we get to young Ben's newest and favorite alien, Feedback. Feedback was introduced in the first episode, and his toy came shortly after. How does it stack up to such great figures as Bloxx and Rook? Let's see.
Feedback looks nice, but I have a few problems with him. First, the tail attaches in an awkward place that gets in the way of his legs and is constanty falling off. It makes him difficult to pose and play with. Second, I'm not sure if this is just mine or all Feedbacks, but he can barely stand up. Either the tail falls off, or he just falls over. But he does look nice, despite all of this. He has shiny fingers :)
Feedback has standard articulation...sorta. Technically, as shown in the picture, he can bend in the usual places. But he is hindered by his tail and tentacle, giving him limited articulation and making him harder to play with.
His mini figure is posed weirdly, but it has the same detail as Bloxx's.
Feedback compared to Ben and Chromastone, his spiritual predecessor and successor. He's small, but still decently sized.
Ratings:
Articulation: Full articulation hindered by naught tentacles. 3.5/5
Sculpt: Obnoxious tail placement, but nicely done otherwise. 4.5/5
Playability: Again, his tail and tentacle cause problems. 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5 Okay
Overall
This is a really nice set of figures. Despite Feedback's problems, there isn't a bad one in the bunch. Both the numbers and my personal opinion say that Rook is the best and Feedback the worst. I would definitely recommend that you buy these figures as soon as possible.
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