{"id":27751,"date":"2014-05-01T21:33:57","date_gmt":"2014-05-02T02:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27751"},"modified":"2014-07-01T00:47:30","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T05:47:30","slug":"transformers-masterpiece-lambor-g2-sideswipe-review-mp-12g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27751","title":{"rendered":"Transformers Masterpiece
G2 Sideswipe Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> I love the Transformers Masterpiece line. I tried to lie to myself for awhile, to stay out and save money, but all that ended up doing was keeping me from buying a reasonably priced Starscream. Yes, I know there\u2019s a new one for $200, but really, Hasbro can\u2019t avoid Screamer at retail forever, right? And then there\u2019s Skywarp… I\u2019ll save all that nonsense for a jet review, maybe Sunstorm, or Acidstorm, or Thundercracker… man, that\u2019s a lot of opportunities with one mold, isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n

All the remolds are more or less the one area where I\u2019m not sure what to do about Transformers: Masterpiece though. See, Starscream aside, I keep buying all the releases since MP-10. All the repaints. Now the aforementioned jets, I don\u2019t mind. I loved F-15s as a kid (I was huge into fighter jets, bet I\u2019ve never told you that) and they\u2019re all characters I think are cool. Okay, Acidstorm was pushing it, but he\u2019s green, okay? <\/p>\n

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Year of the Horse Optimus Prime has been kept at bay, but that clear trailer? That\u2019s to die for. I love it. I even think the gold accents kinda look neat, but I think he\u2019s finally a bridge too far for my collection. I didn’t buy the one time I saw him. I do have plenty of repaints though: the \u201cblack\u201d version of Prime which I consider Scourge or Nemesis Prime depending. I have Soundblaster, though that was more about getting Ratbat. The Fairlady Z cars, but they’ve all been crucial G1 guys. And then there\u2019s the Lamborghinis. Sideswipe & Red Alert? Gotta have \u2018em. Tigertrack… he was maybe pushing it, but Lambroginis look so sweet in yellow and he was unique character. <\/p>\n

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But now there\u2019s G2 Sideswipe. He\u2019s still Sideswipe (-1), but Lamborghinis look slick in black, don\u2019t they? (+1).* I waffled back and forth on him quite a bit, but (as usually happens) he ended up on his way to my house. I blame his guns, but we\u2019ll get to that in a minute. In the short-lived Generation 2 comic and toyline, Sideswipe got a color swap. What was black now was red and what was red now black. This may sound rather inconsequential, but it\u2019s kinda important for Sideswipe. His mold buddy, Red Alert, didn\u2019t have a new deco toy in the G2 line and met a grisly fate in that same comic series. Sucks when you don’t have a toy version Hasbro is trying to sell. <\/p>\n

* – I wonder what color Lamborghinis look bad in?<\/em> <\/p>\n

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While I\u2019m wishy-washy on if I should\u2019ve bought G2 Sideswipe and poking fun at the mold re-use, it\u2019s not really because of mold reuse. That\u2019s an integral part of collecting Transformers. The mold reuse now is largely possible due to mold reuse then. But cost & space do come into play. At $60-80 a pop for these Cars*, I just don\u2019t know if I need every single release anymore. I never had the original toy of G2 Sideswipe (and, strangely, have little affinity for his neon green stickers) and was not even familiar with the comic appearance with his awesome commando gear until this very figure was announced. The whole product tie-in thing works in reverse when the toy has you hunt down the media, right? I’m not sure why I just needed to spend $80 on him sometimes. <\/p>\n

* – Granted I\u2019m importing them and the TRU price will hopefully be a little cheaper, but this guy is not likely to be available there.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Space is the other factor. MPs take up room and the line is looking amazingly healthy right now. My dream toy is coming, Ultra Magnus, and he looks spectacular! (No, I don\u2019t care one second about the white inner robot being skipped, but speaking of repaints, Takara could make easy money off me with a white repaint of Prime!). And then there’s Bumblebee & Wheeljack! If the line continues to do well… well, let’s just say there are plenty of guys I have to have, and have to have room & money for. I worry about what will happen to guys like G2 Sideswipe or this upcoming, unrevealed repaint of Bluestreak (all-silver is prolly a no go for me, but if it’s blue we\u2019ll talk). I can\u2019t know what I\u2019ll do, but I\u2019d like to figure it out and maybe save some dough, y\u2019know? Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019ve noticed, we\u2019re on the second page of the review and I haven\u2019t talked much about the actual figure itself yet. I\u2019m going to cover the differences, but I will direct you to my reviews of Sideswipe<\/a>, Red Alert<\/a>, & Tigertrack<\/a> for all the nitty gritty details. For the most part, sculpt, articulation, etc are the same from release to release so those should do you if you have any general questions (or ask in the comments and I\u2019ll answer below!). <\/p>\n

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There are some fun differences that make this Sideswipe unique besides his colors though. Most notably is the face sculpt. Sideswipe\u2019s fighting robot grimace is directly lifted from the comics. I\u2019ll be honest, I\u2019m not the biggest fan (I\u2019m on record as hating screaming heads), but it\u2019s grown on me. Also included, are two spiky wheels that can attach to the shoulder ports. If you have him in alt mode sans weapons, you\u2019ll need to find a home for these \u2013 I don\u2019t like that \u2013 but they do look great up there in robot mode. If I were to treat this guy like a unique character (I kinda want to), those spiked wheels would definitely change his characterization from our ol\u2019 pal Sideswipe. <\/p>\n

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The big difference is the accessories though. Instead of the usual complement that came with all three of the previous releases, G2 Sideswipe includes accessories from the G2 comic, notably a sword and two BFGs. Remember, G2 was a 90s comic, after all. The sword is okay, but I have trouble getting it to stay secure on his back. And come to think of it, the comic look featured a bandolier. I kinda wish Takara had worked that in somehow so we could finish the look and, bonus, it could hold the sword back there. The sword is fine though and I like the relief marks sculpted into it, but it just gets less play because of the guns. <\/p>\n

See, the guns are awesome. I do wish they were a little more snug in his hand (they have a rectangular peg & port connection, but rely on that more than the grip), but they stay in better than some of the other MPs I have. The real appeal though is their look. They look fantastic; like they fell out of the comic and popped into 3D. I have it on good authority that everyone on my toy shelves wants to hold them, even First Aid (if he had an MP anyway). <\/p>\n

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Overall, I\u2019m happy I bought G2 Sideswipe. He\u2019s a nice redeco of the original toy. He\u2019s got even more awesome accessories and Takara was kind enough to include a sticker sheet with various options for his look. I can keep him without a logo, go for the G1 logo, a subtle G2 look with just the logo, or go full-on neon should I choose. Smart work. With Sideswipe and Red Alert on display in bot mode and Tigertrack holding down the Alt Mode display (one way Soundblaster comes in handy for Soundwave), I\u2019m not sure what I want to do with G2 Sideswipe. He would look cool as a black Lamborghini alongside Tigertrack, but I\u2019ll prolly stick with his bot mode because that\u2019s where his uniqueness shines. The new face, the gear, he’s fun to have. So, no, despite that unsure opening, I don\u2019t have any regrets on this particular purchase. But I am going to have to draw the line on the repaints somewhere. No matter how cool MP Deep Dive and MP Clamp Down would look on the back of an MP Diaclone Ultra Magnus.. Doh!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \t

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