The toy features several unobtrusive built-in gimmicks, including numerous opening panels on his jet mode surface (highlighting the attention this mode received), flip-up panels in his chest that reveal missile racks based on the weapons seen in the Generation 1 episode "Fire on the Mountain", and a rotating face that allows Starscream to switch his expression from stony-faced to sneering. Later versions of Starscream saw a retool in the jet intake area, which involved the slope of his shoulders being decreased, and a fifth small rectangle being added to the vertical area. Certain parts of Starscream, like his back panel and tailfin assemblies, are made of unusually rigid gray plastic that is slightly prone to cracking or breaking, and should be handled with care.

When it comes to The Transformers, there is a bot who stands wing tips and shoulder vents above most others – Starscream. In an undocumented feature, Starscream's tail-fin is attached via a 5 mm post on its underside, and can be detached to reveal three additional peg-holes, with two of these peg-holes being just the right distance to accommodate the two pegs found on the underside of the combined assault cannons/rifle, with the tail-fin pegging on the rifle's top peg-hole.The tip of each weapon can accommodate Blast Effects that are packaged with some Siege and Earthrise figures.

Like the rest of Siege, his robot mode focuses on articulation, with double-jointed elbows, knees that bend at nearly 180 degrees, ankle rockers, and especially waist articulation being notable articulation points for a Starscream toy. He comes with all his original accessories, as well as a gold-chromed version of the "Jamming Trident" solitarium weapon that came with Wingstun. At the same time, the prototype has it painted a more Additionally, his turbines can each fire a missile in either mode via pressure-launch, and can be positioned in robot mode to either face forward or lay flat on his back.Part of the twelfth wave of Japanese Generations toys, the TakaraTomy release of Generations Legends Class Starscream is a redeco with a number of minor differences in color, most notably a gray nosecone, null-ray cannons and tailfins. Oddly, as the years have gone along, some Starscream figures ignored these designs, choosing to create alternate weapons instead ( Fall of Cybertron Starscream being one dramatic example). Stand compatible in both modes, although the peg hole is under the front skirt armor in jet mode, and I imagine it might tilt if not resting on more of the stand. Another release of the Reveal the Shield Legends Class sculpt, this time as an odd mish-mash of prior releases. Where’ as the Siege toy pretty much just turned Starscream into a cube under a pair of wings (and stuck his chest on his back), this tucks everything away nicely.