Toy review: DotM Sideswipe
May. 18th, 2011 08:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lexAwwww yeahhhhhh guess who got a sweet new convertible Sideswipe, oh yes it's me.
Right, first impression: CHEAP. This is cheap plastic and I'm actually worried about breaking him. His sides don't click together despite the obvious tabs, and in fact he doesn't quite line up at all. My hooded Sideswipe can roll all four wheels on the ground. This guy? Two, three if I struggle for five minutes, and then his sides come apart. There's no paint at all, except for a touch on the grill and the Corvette symbol.
Transformation starts the same - front wheels pop down to be his shoulders. It's all basically in the same places, although the seams are in different spots. The torso is tricky as ever - in fact, the center hood section popped off with the slightest pressure. On closer examination, the struts that should hold it in place are actually too close together to make contact with both the joints:
In fact, I'm not sure that isn't on purpose. It stays on fine in vehicle form, but in his alt mode it just takes up space. In fact, on closer inspection I found two spring-loaded bits clearly meant to simply hold it in place. And if you leave it on his butt kibble is enormous and awkward, though taking it off almost makes a reasonable robot:
His legs have amazing articulation though. The feet are still... interesting, made more so by this:
That bit sticking out doesn't spin, it seems to be offset so that it can be used (along with the front bumper) as a stable foot. But... considering how OVER-articulated his legs are, I'm a bit baffled on how to pose him. Just look at this - here's one leg, looking reasonable, then the same leg showing all the points of articulation - none of which have any real limits on their range of motion. But whatever you do it still looks off. (oh wait, I just figured it out: bend back the black bit, and the foot part goes forward, and then it looks right.)
Anyway, as you probably guessed I think this figure is shit. But how about the only really important test: can you put him in a cool pose?
No. You can't. His knees can't bend in the right direction to actually balance him. All that wild range of motion in his legs? Not actually useful! And the best part of the first Sideswipe, those awesome hip joints, is totally gone in this toy.
Let's not even talk about the giant NOT COMPENSATING FOR ANYTHING gunsword. Wait, let's: the gun has SIX barrels, the blade doesn't stay out (you push a button and it swings out the top), and it hyperextends so there is just nothing positive I can say about it. In summary: what a piece of crap. Get the first toy instead.
Shockwave had better be a million times better than this toy, or I swear I will END SOMETHING.
Right, first impression: CHEAP. This is cheap plastic and I'm actually worried about breaking him. His sides don't click together despite the obvious tabs, and in fact he doesn't quite line up at all. My hooded Sideswipe can roll all four wheels on the ground. This guy? Two, three if I struggle for five minutes, and then his sides come apart. There's no paint at all, except for a touch on the grill and the Corvette symbol.
Transformation starts the same - front wheels pop down to be his shoulders. It's all basically in the same places, although the seams are in different spots. The torso is tricky as ever - in fact, the center hood section popped off with the slightest pressure. On closer examination, the struts that should hold it in place are actually too close together to make contact with both the joints:
In fact, I'm not sure that isn't on purpose. It stays on fine in vehicle form, but in his alt mode it just takes up space. In fact, on closer inspection I found two spring-loaded bits clearly meant to simply hold it in place. And if you leave it on his butt kibble is enormous and awkward, though taking it off almost makes a reasonable robot:
His legs have amazing articulation though. The feet are still... interesting, made more so by this:
That bit sticking out doesn't spin, it seems to be offset so that it can be used (along with the front bumper) as a stable foot. But... considering how OVER-articulated his legs are, I'm a bit baffled on how to pose him. Just look at this - here's one leg, looking reasonable, then the same leg showing all the points of articulation - none of which have any real limits on their range of motion. But whatever you do it still looks off. (oh wait, I just figured it out: bend back the black bit, and the foot part goes forward, and then it looks right.)
Anyway, as you probably guessed I think this figure is shit. But how about the only really important test: can you put him in a cool pose?
No. You can't. His knees can't bend in the right direction to actually balance him. All that wild range of motion in his legs? Not actually useful! And the best part of the first Sideswipe, those awesome hip joints, is totally gone in this toy.
Let's not even talk about the giant NOT COMPENSATING FOR ANYTHING gunsword. Wait, let's: the gun has SIX barrels, the blade doesn't stay out (you push a button and it swings out the top), and it hyperextends so there is just nothing positive I can say about it. In summary: what a piece of crap. Get the first toy instead.
Shockwave had better be a million times better than this toy, or I swear I will END SOMETHING.
