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As mentioned in the Decepticons section of the site, the camera we know as Reflector went through a number of changes. The commonly accepted release order for Reflector bits are; the Pre-TF Microx, the fake Microx, early USA Reflectors based on Microx mold, updated USA Reflectors, and finally Japanese Reflector based on updated USA mold. |
   This unit is associated with the tapered gun, hollow gun, a multi-tab missle, and the pegless arm. It is stamped, Takara-only. |
 This unit is, at the moment, a mystery. It is presumed to have the same molding as the standard Microx Reflector, but if you recall, Joustra had 'Diaclone' cars with Autobot symbols on them. :-) Not to mention the Prime changes. So we'll see. |
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There are a couple of knockoff versions of Microx that people try to pawn off as real, and whose parts keep working their way into people's collections. An easy way to differentiate is that fakes are stamped 'Taiwan' (if they're stamped at all) wheras Microx and Reflector are stamped Takara, and Hasbro-Takara, respectively. The 'multi-tab' missle of the fake is lighter grey in color when compared to the silver original. The guns have an unfocused, 'soft' look to them when compared to the real guns.
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This Reflector comes in two types; the first version (similar to the Pre-TF Microx, with tapered gun, hollow gun, and Takara stamping) and the 'updated' version (Hasbro-Takara, straight gun, solid gun). Interestingly, the USA missles are either NO tab, or single-tabbed.
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And back to Japan again. :-) Now instead of Microx, boxed as Reflector. Interestingly, we once again see the multi-tab missle format (versus the USA versions of NO tab, and single-tab). The thing I can't figure is...were there concurrent-releases of Japanese Reflector of different types? Or did Reflector transition as well? Reason I ask is, I've seen only the early-versions of the mold as Japanese Reflector (multi-tab missle, and hollow gun, like Microx). Yet, usually Japan gets the later-releases of moldings (as compared to the USA versions). That means Japanese Reflector should come as the updated Hasbro molded version (solid gun, pegged arms) bus as you can see, the one pictured here has pegless arms, and a hollow gun. So what gives? Different versions of Japanese Reflector as well? Not just a Japanese and a Microx version? Probably...
   Maybe the key is the multi-tab missle. :-) Not to be confused with the fake one... |