Transformers Adventures: Sideswipe TAV22

One of the main cast members in the 2015 animated Robots in Disguise series is the juvenile, show off Autobot Sideswipe. I'll admit it, he's pretty annoying in the show when he's bickering back and forth with Strongarm; however he's got some good combat moves when in battle against the Decepticons.

Hasbro was first to release a Warrior class (deluxe) version of the character and it really annoyed me that the red tones of the plastic didn't match. I figured that Takara would eventually correct this with their release so I waited. 

 

In typical Takara fashion even the packaging is an upgrade over what Hasbro offers. Sideswipe comes packaged in a blister card, but the bubble can be easily removed without damaging the backing card. The back features his tech spec and lets you know about the mobile app and how you can scan the Autobot symbol on the toy.

Tech Spec

The designers did a pretty good job at capturing Sideswipe's show counterpart, however the toy has a lot of kibble. From the windows that hang off the undersides of his arms to the car's hood and windshield on his back. The kibble isn't that bad however; I'm more annoyed by his un-usually large clown feet. I also don't care for the two pieces that sit on each side of his head. They don't lock into place and I found it hard to get them to me symmetrical. His headsculpt is pretty spot on and even includes that smug smirk he wore at times in the animated show. Sideswipe comes packaged with black sword.

In vehicle mode this is where this toy really shines. I absolutely love the overall, sleek look of this red sports car. It also helps that the different red panels match better than the Hasbro version. The hood and the rear of the car has what appears to be some Japanese characters (is it Kanji?), but at least to me it doesn't detract from the overall look. Sometimes it's just the subtle differences that help complete the look such as the thin blue paint app to the tires.

I still find that the Decepticons have the more interesting character designs, although I really like Sideswipe's alt mode. I chose to compare him here against Thunderhoof since the two characters had a pretty cool one on one confrontation in the animated series.

 

Is Sideswipe worth importing? It's hard to say. I'm not a huge fan of the mold, though the changes Takara made do make the toy look much better. I ended up importing pretty much the entire Adventures line as I preferred to have a more show accurate display on my shelves, but I'll let you make that final call.

Transformers Adventures: Thunderhoof TAV38

I wasn't sure what I thought after I watched the first episode of the new Transformers Robots in Disguise animated show. It looked different and had a more "kiddie" feel to it, however I gave it a chance. With each new Decepticon that was introduced in the show the more I enjoyed it. It almost felt like the show writers were following the Scooby Doo formula...each episode featured a new scenario and villain. Once Thunderhoof made his debut he quickly became one of my favorite Decepticons on the show. I mean, what is there not to like about a mafia like tough guy w/ a New York accent that just happens to have antlers?

Sadly when it came to getting a toy of Thunderhoof fans had to wait. Eventually Hasbro released the character as a one step changer and then as a legion class toy. Thankfully Takara Tomy stepped up to the plate and announced a Warrior class (i.e. deluxe) figure was on it's way as part of their Transformers Adventures series. Finally, I have a great show accurate figure and I couldn't be happier!

The packaging is your standard blister card with the bubble taped to the card. I was surprised it wasn't the type of packaging where the backing card could easily be removed from the plastic blister. None the less it's still some very attractive packaging. Packaged inside are a set of instructions as well as a poster/catalog. Sadly no character tech sec card.

In place of a character card, the profile is posted on the back of the blister card. I'd love it if someone could/would translate this.

Thunderhoof is a beautiful figure, let me start of by saying that. It seems like the molds used for this series (Hasbro's RID as well) have been hit and miss. Some of the toys look nothing like their show counterparts, while others suffer from being hollowed out in places. While I still have a good many figures to open, this toy quickly jumped to the top of my favorite list. For starters the mold feels solid. The plastic doesn't feel cheap and I never thought any part of him was going to snap in half during his transformation. The figure is well articulated and is generally a fun toy to play with. Combine that with the premium paint applications courtesy of Takara Tomy and you have yourself a winner.

Thunderhoof's main color is that of a turquoise blue with black used for the limbs. On his chest is a nice metallic pearl turquoise. His wheelwells are a shiny metallic silver and when combined with the shades of blue he stands out as a great looking figure.

Thunderhoof is aptly named for his animal like features. His antlers are easy to notice, however check out his feet. Hooves...that has to be a first for Transformers. He comes packaged with a very interesting looking shotgun. Look carefully at the top of the gun and you'll see something that looks like antlers. Flip that around and it would look like one of the guns from the video game Gears of War.

Articulation is pretty good on the figure, much better than the poses I came up with. His shoulders are on ball joints, but because of the wheelwells and the antlers there is some restriction. His waist can rotate a full 360 degrees, but that is mostly due to the transformation. Hips are on ball joints while he has a mid thigh swivel. Knees are hinge joints and the lower leg is on a pin. This gives you some movement, but again it's part of the transformation.

I was surprised at how small and compact Thunderhoof was when transformed into his alt mode. Everything snapped together and held in place just fine and his large wheels rolled across both smooth surfaces and carpet with ease. I love the fact that he transformers into a combine tractor and it's surprisingly fun to play with in this form. The "teeth" on the front can be lifted up a little.

I didn't see this documented anywhere on the large instruction sheet, but you can place his shotgun right in the middle of the underside while in vehicle mode. It fits in perfectly and doesn't hinder the toy rolling on the ground.

As much as I love this toy, Thunderhoof is a little undersized. Take a look at the screen shot above from the animated show.

None the less this is one of my favorite RID/Adventures figures thus far. The Decepticons have sorely been outnumbered in Hasbro's series so it's great that more characters are on their way. The Hasbro version of this figure should be released to retail around the time of this post, however if you don't want to wait or just want a more show accurate deco look no further than the Adventures version.

Transformers Robots in Disguise (2015): Overload & Backtrack

One of Hasbro's biggest issues it seems with the newest iteration of Transformers' Robots in Disguise line of action figures has been distribution. I picked up Overload & Backtrack, part of the second wave of Deployers back in January 2016 from HasbroToyShop. Just in the last 2 weeks have I actually started to see him show up on retail shelves locally in my area. 

At the time I ordered Overload, I had no idea who he was as he hadn't made his appearance in the animated television show yet, but I liked the way he looked and then there is the whole Mini-Con thing...again. Some of you may know I used to be a big Mini-Con collector and at one point had a very large and lucrative collection of Mini-Cons and Microns. I sold off 95% of that collection, however these new RID Mini-Cons have their own unique charm that has been growing on me.

The first Decepticon Deployer released was Fracture. A lot of fans weren't too crazy about the toy for a couple of reasons, however it seemed like the consensus vote was the ugly Mini-Con launching gimmick that hung off the robot mode. Overload has been designed around a new form of Mini-Cons so his vehicle and robot modes are more slimline and pleasing to the eye.

   

While I like the animal themed Decepticons in RID, it's refreshing to see another "normal" Decepticon join their ranks. The inclusion of a new style Mini-Con is also refreshing, however there is something about Backtrack that reminds me of something else...* Bakugan anyone? *

My first impression of Overload himself upon taking him out of the box was how light he felt. He seemed to have a solid overall design, but just didn't weigh much. Most of the vehicle parts are well hidden in robot mode with is a nice touch. Judging from the large wheels on his shoulders, you would think he transforms into some sort of off road vehicle. Kudos to the design team for not making him look so "tank-ish". The orange weapon you see him wielding is actually the launching mechanism when his Mini-Con is plugged into this tank mode. Again, clever way of integrating this play pattern feature into the toy.

(not sure what happened to the photo on the left...when I was editing the photo this is how it came out and I lost my original photo when I had to re-format my camera's memory card)

Once I began to play with the figure for a bit I noticed why he felt so light...several parts of him have been hollowed out such as this arms. I know it's just a cost savings move by Hasbro/Takara Tomy and it's nothing really new, however I don't like the effect it has on the figure. It makes them too light and feel cheap in some cases. 

Backtrack pairs up with Overload nicely. I'm surprised however that his color wasn't matched to Overload's. Playing around with these figures I quickly started to get a bit of a G1 Soundwave vibe. In robot mode the Mini-Con can be transformed back into this sphere form and placed in the clip on the back of Overload's back.

I have to admit that I had fun with Backtrack. I never owned any of the now defunct Bakugan toys, but I can see why he would remind people of that franchise. For me I was reminded of the spherical Transformers released in Japan under the Beast Wars II series. Backtrack features a very simple transformation and when all rolled up he holds the form quite well.

Like the individually packaged RID Mini-Cons, Backtrack comes with a translucent orange Deception symbol shaped "tree" holding on the various detachable weapons and armor bits. You get a piece that fits on the head, two shoulder mounted guns, what appears to be a jet pack of sorts backpack and two pieces that look like feet.

If I'm being completely honest - I really don't like these Energon bits. Maybe it's the translucent plastic that is used. I don't know, but these pieces really don't do much for me. Speaking of the parts, you can leave them attached when you transform the Mini-Con back into spherical form.

As I mentioned earlier, the designers did a good job at hiding the fact that Overload's alternate form was that of a tank. He transforms rather easily from robot to tank and I love how the tank treads are hidden in the back of the legs. Sadly though the tank treads are solid plastic and not rubber. At first glance of this form I was immediately reminded of Armada Megatron and his H style tank form. The little clip in the front also mimmicks the horns of Megatron as well. This clip in the center is what holds and launches the Mini-Con spheres like Backtrack.

Loaded up, Overload may look a little odd however I like the overall look better Deployer Fracture. There is a small black button on top of the orange gun that when pressed, launches the Mini-Con forward.

Overload is a fun toy to play with. My youngest daughter has taken a real interest in the television show and the toys already enjoys launching Backtrack and watching him roll across the floor. Speaking of Backtrack, he has already been repainted and included in a 4 pack of Mini-Cons, current at retail. He seems more like a real Transformer and less of a gimmick toy. I couldn't say that about the Deployer versions of both Drift and Fracture. If you enjoy the show and you like the new style Mini-Cons, I encourage you to pick up this set.

I would like to apologize for the less than stellar photography in this post. Sometimes my current set up works great and then there are times my pictures come out with a quality lower that what I'd like to use. However with my current backlog I just didn't have the time to start over and re-take all the photos. Hopefully my next post with feature better photos.

Transformers Robots in Disguise (2015): Springload (One Step)

The problem that seems to be plaguing the new Robots in Disguise toy line is the lack of Warrior class (deluxe) Decepticons. Steeljaw was offered in the very first wave and after that it took a few waves before another Decepticon showed up. Why I'm not sure as there have been plenty of characters from choose from. I've enjoyed the television show and with each debut of a new Decepticon character I've secretly hoped Hasbro would give us a new toy. While I prefer the Warrior class, I'll take a Legion class figure...just give us something new Hasbro!!

When the frog character Springload was introduced in the animated television series, he was on a quest to find the lost city of Dorado. He was a very quirky character, but there was something about him that I really liked. Perhaps that it's because his alternate mode is that of a large bullfrog? Whatever the reason I knew I wanted to buy any toy that was made...even the One Step that was eventually announced.

Up until now I had previously purchased only one other One Step toy, Thunderhoof. These are simplified toys with minimal paint apps meant for the smaller fans, however they still have something to offer the older guys like myself. Packaging is the same style used for this series with the backs offering very little information. No bio, no cross sells. There is a very small transformation sequence shown, no set of paper instructions are included.

Springload underwent a change when he jumped from the television screen into toy form. In the animated series he transformed into a pickup truck as seen below. His One Step toy sports more of a muscle car type and in my opinion that is more fitting of Springload than that of a truck.

The car is decent looking and reminds me of a Dodge Charger a bit. It's molded in a lime green plastic with dark metallic gray paint on the windows. The vehicle carries over the blue trim on the finders. The dark green on the hood has a metallic look similar to the windows. The thing about the vehicle that bothers me the most is you can see his red eyes peeking out on the hood of the car. The wheels also stick out and immediately reminded me of Cybertron Dirt Boss.

The car rolls freely across a hard, smooth surface. Underneath the car you can see the frog legs, but if you didn't know he transformed into a frog you may not be able to figure out these are legs.

To transform Springload from vehicle to frog, simply split the legs and the toy unfolds with the top of the car flipping over onto the top. The legs are very small and basically just fold in and out. In frong mode the legs don't lock into place so if you're not careful the legs will try to fold back underneath the car.

There really isn't any points of articulation here so Springload just kinda sits there. His mouth can't even open or close as it's spring loaded for the transformation.

At this point in the game I'm not holding my breath for Hasbro to give me another other version of this character so I jumped on the One Step toy. It's not great, but it's not horrible either. If I'm being honest with myself I can see myself giving these One Step toys to my daughters to play with versus displaying them with the rest of my RID toys.

There aren't many frog Transformers toys so at least Springload has that going for him. Unless you are a die hard RID collector or just want to buy a new Decepticon, you may be better off skipping this release and holding onto your $10 for something else.