I'm only going to say one thing about this weeks review.
It's going to be XTREME!!!!
It's going to be XTREME!!!!
This week I'll be reviewing a Masterpiece figure but before I get into it I want to talk a little bit about the Masterpiece (MP) line.
The MP line started back in 2003 (wow that seems so long ago now) with the release of MP-1 Convoy/Optimus Prime. It created a lot of buzz, he was highly detailed, articulated and was vaguely screen accurate. Various MP's followed, a lot of which were just Convoy re-released (including a dulled colours version called "sleep Convoy") it had some serious mistakes (looking at you Megatron and Rodimus!) and some really good toys (Grimlock!) all of them were a little "off" with their scale. Nobody was really scaled the same, it was a little weird at the time. All of the figures were super big as well, price wise they usually clocked in at about $100 depending on where you got them from. There was some Hasbro releases of them which brought the price down but not everything got released in the west.
When the MP line hit MP-10 Takara made the deciscion to reboot the line and make everyone the same scale (hooray!). They also announced they'd be doing a smaller scale of MP figures based on the Autobot cars. A smaller set of MP's, based on licenced vehicles and more within my price range? Awesome!
The first figure they released was Lambor/Sideswipe and they've done a few since then.
Most TF's released recently each figure is usually designed with repaints and remolds in mind and the MP line is no exception. Sometimes they make perfect sense, Prowl into Smokescreen for example, sometimes they seem a little weird, a red Bumblebee? Clamp Down?? And sometimes they are pure genius.
This weeks subject is one of the pure genius moments.
GENERATION TWO SIDESWIPE!!
Sideswipe transforms from a Lamborghini Countach LP500S to a robot. He comes in his G2 colour scheme of mostly black, white and red. He differs in quite a few significent ways from the original release, obviously there's the colour scheme but there's also the weapons, the label sheet and the head.
The MP line started back in 2003 (wow that seems so long ago now) with the release of MP-1 Convoy/Optimus Prime. It created a lot of buzz, he was highly detailed, articulated and was vaguely screen accurate. Various MP's followed, a lot of which were just Convoy re-released (including a dulled colours version called "sleep Convoy") it had some serious mistakes (looking at you Megatron and Rodimus!) and some really good toys (Grimlock!) all of them were a little "off" with their scale. Nobody was really scaled the same, it was a little weird at the time. All of the figures were super big as well, price wise they usually clocked in at about $100 depending on where you got them from. There was some Hasbro releases of them which brought the price down but not everything got released in the west.
When the MP line hit MP-10 Takara made the deciscion to reboot the line and make everyone the same scale (hooray!). They also announced they'd be doing a smaller scale of MP figures based on the Autobot cars. A smaller set of MP's, based on licenced vehicles and more within my price range? Awesome!
The first figure they released was Lambor/Sideswipe and they've done a few since then.
Most TF's released recently each figure is usually designed with repaints and remolds in mind and the MP line is no exception. Sometimes they make perfect sense, Prowl into Smokescreen for example, sometimes they seem a little weird, a red Bumblebee? Clamp Down?? And sometimes they are pure genius.
This weeks subject is one of the pure genius moments.
GENERATION TWO SIDESWIPE!!
Sideswipe transforms from a Lamborghini Countach LP500S to a robot. He comes in his G2 colour scheme of mostly black, white and red. He differs in quite a few significent ways from the original release, obviously there's the colour scheme but there's also the weapons, the label sheet and the head.
His car mode, because it's licensed, is a spot on representation of the Countach, it's black with red tinted windows just like the original G2 toy. Before you put on the stickers it's a very plain looking alt mode. It looks good but there's nothing to it. Once you add the stickers he really looks good. The stickers are a perfect representation of the G2 toys markings. It's a good representation of G2's label style. Neon green with names on. Seems like everyone forgot about the disguise thing in G2. Look into G2 Optimus toys some time, he plasters his name and in one case his face all over his trailer.
The stickers make this mode pop, I don't know why you would buy this figure and not apply the labels. If you've not put them on why didn't you just buy a normal Sideswipe?
I like the labels but I don't like what they're made of. I've had to glue down the spoiler labels and the headlight labels. Plus the side panel labels on mine are a little rough. I wish they'd just made these paint decals and I'd be interested to know why they didn't.
I like the labels but I don't like what they're made of. I've had to glue down the spoiler labels and the headlight labels. Plus the side panel labels on mine are a little rough. I wish they'd just made these paint decals and I'd be interested to know why they didn't.
Sideswipe does have a peg hole for weapon storage in vehicle mode and it does a great little trick taken from the Dark Of The Moon toy line. There is a little spring loaded piece that slides up when you remove the weapon to hide the hole. It's obvious that there is something there, especially when you use the labels on this figure, it doesn't look out of place though.
Sideswipe's robot mode shows off the main reason I wanted this figure.
The head.
The glourious head.
The head.
The glourious head.
The face has been sculpted to resemble (perfectly) the Derek Yaniger art style from the Marvel G2 comics and I love it.
I am a big fan of G2, it was a lot of bright coloured sillyness in the toys and a different art style in the comic from anything I'd seen before. This face sculpt was something I thought I'd never see. They really did a great job on bringing the grimacing teeth filled face of anger of the page and onto that toy.
Now seems a perfect time to talk about the accesories that round off the perfect G2 look.
He comes with two spiked wheel shoulder pads, a giant knife/sword and two of the craziest G2'ing 'est guns you will ever see.
The Spiked wheel pads peg into the shoulder ports normally used for the shoulder mounted rocket launcher that G1 Sideswipe and Red Alert come with. They look great, they have a hinge in them so you can posistion them out of the way of the shoulders.
Now seems a perfect time to talk about the accesories that round off the perfect G2 look.
He comes with two spiked wheel shoulder pads, a giant knife/sword and two of the craziest G2'ing 'est guns you will ever see.
The Spiked wheel pads peg into the shoulder ports normally used for the shoulder mounted rocket launcher that G1 Sideswipe and Red Alert come with. They look great, they have a hinge in them so you can posistion them out of the way of the shoulders.
The knife/sword is a bit of a problem. Don't get me wrong it's a cool piece, he grips it well and it looks nice. However if it's not in his hand it's a bit of a waste. There isn't and dedicated storage for it, you just kind of slide it into the gaps in the back. You really need to get the Dr Wu (fiendish Dr Wu and his Kung Fu treachery!) kit that adds the one missing thing from this set, the bandolier. I always wanted to pick it up but it got released right when I couldn't really afford to drop the kind of cash they we're asking for it. When I'm a bit better settled here in Florida I'll be trying to track one down.
Finishing off the accesories is the cream of the crop, the guns.
The guns... Oh man... they are like a madmans dream put onto paper and brought to life in plastic. They are matched exactly from the first time you see Sideswipe in the G2 comic (see above) with a few exceptions. They don't have any of the antenna or sights that the artwork shows, they're also missing the extended ammo clips but everything else is perfect.
Finishing off the accesories is the cream of the crop, the guns.
The guns... Oh man... they are like a madmans dream put onto paper and brought to life in plastic. They are matched exactly from the first time you see Sideswipe in the G2 comic (see above) with a few exceptions. They don't have any of the antenna or sights that the artwork shows, they're also missing the extended ammo clips but everything else is perfect.
The smaller, SMG style, weapon is my favourite of the two, it's twin barrelled and has the checked pattern on the top to lock in that G2 style. It's got a lot of nice sculpted detail on there and Sideswipe grips it nicely due to how the hands work. Tab on the handle goes into the tab hole in the hand, works pretty well.
The larger gun, what I tend to think of as a grenade launcher (not sure why I just always have) it carrys on the G2 style but it's not as visually interesting.
The two guns do peg together for vehicle mode, it looks good on there, more G2 insanity, and you can also clip the wheels and the knife/sword on there for a complete storage solution.
All in all this is a great figure, he's an almost perfect homage to the G2 comic Sideswipe and part of me still can't beleive they did it. We've only had one more MP G2 figure since Sideswipe, G2 Bumblebee. Unfortuantly he doesn't have the Yaniger style face, it's weird as Bumblebee's swappable face gimmick would have been a perfect place to have done it, all it would've needed is a new face plate, he doesn't even have a crazy gun!!
It's based more on his G2 toy appearance which while I'm interested in it I'm not as excited for it as I was for Sideswipe. G2 Bumblebee lacks "Zazz".
I'd love more MP G2 toys based on the car scale figures, unfortunately I don't think I'll get them anytime soon. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll decide to re-do Optimus in a G2 style, all he'd need is altered colours, symbols, big crazy guns and his name plastered on the side of his trailer!
Well that's us finished for another week, I fear next week wont be anywhere near XTREME enough after this weeks review but if we stay strong together we can make it through!
All in all this is a great figure, he's an almost perfect homage to the G2 comic Sideswipe and part of me still can't beleive they did it. We've only had one more MP G2 figure since Sideswipe, G2 Bumblebee. Unfortuantly he doesn't have the Yaniger style face, it's weird as Bumblebee's swappable face gimmick would have been a perfect place to have done it, all it would've needed is a new face plate, he doesn't even have a crazy gun!!
It's based more on his G2 toy appearance which while I'm interested in it I'm not as excited for it as I was for Sideswipe. G2 Bumblebee lacks "Zazz".
I'd love more MP G2 toys based on the car scale figures, unfortunately I don't think I'll get them anytime soon. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll decide to re-do Optimus in a G2 style, all he'd need is altered colours, symbols, big crazy guns and his name plastered on the side of his trailer!
Well that's us finished for another week, I fear next week wont be anywhere near XTREME enough after this weeks review but if we stay strong together we can make it through!
Stu "Darkageis" Murray is a founding member of The Old Oilhouse, a lifelong transformers nut and collector of Sentai and Kamen rider in most of it's forms.
He sometimes takes epic trips and tells tales of these sagas often.
When not watching people in spandex fight each other he paints miniatures, go HERE to take a look.
He sometimes takes epic trips and tells tales of these sagas often.
When not watching people in spandex fight each other he paints miniatures, go HERE to take a look.
