Dark of the Moon Deluxe Sideswipe Review

[GoktimusPrime]

Toy Review: Dark of the Moon Sideswipe

Links to pics:
Vehicle mode
Robot mode

Series - Dark of the Moon
Sub-line - ?
Size - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - ?
Released here - ?
Approximate Retail Price - $30
Approximate Size - 'bout the same size as ROTF Sideswipe
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Corvette Stingray convertible
Main Features/Gimmicks - Mech Tech
Main Colours - grey with black and silver highlights. Clear transparent headlights, red tail lights. Robot mode has cobalt blue accents (same colour as mech tech weapon)
Main Accessories - Looks like a 6-barrelled pump-action shottie with flip out blade (push on the rifle stock to flip out sword)

cbb typing a proper review - so just brief comments here.

* Colours aren't as nice as ROTF Deluxe Sideswipe. The toy mostly uses a plastic that's like a "silver" grey (i.e. it's really grey that that's trying to pass off as silver). Not as bad as Hasbro grey, but I can see how this might bug some people. It doesn't personally bother me, but I can forsee a lot of collectors repainting this toy silver themselves.

* Upper door panels on mine doesn't sit flush.

* Toy has an open roof and there are two reasonably detailed seats inside. Looks like a Diaclone pilot could sit there... I'll have to test this out when I get back to Australia.

* Whereas Skids had two MechTech ports on the roof, Sideswipe has three - one on top of the boot (in front of the spoiler) and one on either side of the car - allowing you to mount his Mech Tech Weapon either on top or on the side.

* The MechTech weapon is a big gun with a flip out blade. The blade has characters from the language of the Primes written on it which says, "Peerless Under Heaven" -- the same as the Japanese writing inscribed on Drift's sword. Okay, I made that up... I have no idea what the writing says. It could say "Chick-Chick-Boom" or "Property of Sunstreaker"... who knows.

* The transformation is fiddly as one might imagine for moofie Sideswipe - though not quite as fiddly nor satisfying as ROTF Sideswipe. The engineering in this toy isn't as complex as ROTF Sideswipe as some engineering may have scaled back to cater for the MechTech gimmick - but it's not bad either. There are some clever elements to it and the toy does offer some articulation which ROTF Sideswipe doesn't have.

* DOTM Sideswipe's arm blades consist of only a single panel which flips over, whereas ROTF Sideswipe's arm blades have two panels which both flip over and combine to form the blades. It still works well, but not quite as cool as ROTF Sideswipe's blades.

Overall ROTF Sideswipe is the better toy, but DOTM Sideswipe is still a reasonably decen figure in its own right. The engineering is relatively simpler, but not inelegant.

Recommended if you can get it cheap. Not sure if I'd pay full price for this toy.

[SkyWarp91]

Wait isn't this meant to be in the reviews section?

[GoktimusPrime]

All the DOTM reviews appear to be posted here insted of the reviews section. I'm assuming this is to prevent revealing any potential spoilers to people who are trying to avoid them -- whereas it's more at your own risk when coming into this movie news section.

I'm assuming that the DOTM review threads might be moved to the review section once the toys are officially out on Aussie shelves or when the movie hits cinemas. <shrug>

[SkyWarp91]

Ah k, fair enough. Well I'm definitely going to pick up this figure as it has appeared on screen in DOTM (I'm primarily a movie-verse collector), probably will paint it silver too. If it shelfwarms I'll buy two more and paint them red and yellow lol

[dirge]

I've moved this to the review section (with a redirect).

[GoktimusPrime]

Coolies. I'll post any future DOTM review threads here (that's if I get any more DOTM toys in the near future... not sure if I will)

In the mean time, perhaps the DOTM Skids review thread can be moved to Ratbat's Reviews section too?

Cheers.

If it shelfwarms I'll buy two more and paint them red and yellow lol

Hehe, nice. If they get discounted low enough you could buy a few more and repaint them:
+ black (for movieverse Deepcover)
+ white and black and tack on a police siren strobe (for movieverse Clampdown)

I'm assuming the yellow one will be Tigertrack... maybe you could call the red one "Lambor" (Sideswipe's G1 Japanese name) -- despite not being a Lamborghini... but would be more meaningful than calling him "Corv."

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

"Property of Sunstreaker

LOL

I dunno if I am excieted about figurea that are almost exactly the same as ones I already have. The grey plastic looks drab too.

[GoktimusPrime]

It's an entirely different toy from ROTF Deluxe Sideswipe - not a retool. But it is the same character. That's why I decided to buy it here for cheap... other original DOTM characters like Top Spin etc. I'll get when they come out locally, that way I'm getting them MOSC and I get to keep the backing cards and paperwork.

The place where I got Sideswipe from has a DOTM Jolt too which I'd like to get cheap cos that's also a character I'd rather not pay full price for, especially if his appearance in DOTM is as underwhelmingly unspectactular as in ROTF. But the guy wants to sell it for about $25, which is of course how much I'd pay in AU MOSC. I keep trying to haggle the price down but he won't budge. I'll keep trying and see if I can wear him down... but if he refuses then screw it, I might as well pay about the same price back home for a MOSC one!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

It's an entirely different toy from ROTF Deluxe Sideswipe - not a retool. But it is the same character. That's why I decided to buy it here for cheap

Yeh, but I don't feel the love for this Sideswipe as much as say Optimus. As far as I am concerned with DOTM, I would like to see new characters. I reliase that most of the DOTM mould are new, but a lot of them looks the same as ROTF. Making them an easy pass for me. MY wallet is releaved though.

[GoktimusPrime]

That'd be because Prime did more whereas Sideswipe was a one-trick pony.

"Remember me? I killed Sideways!"
"Uh-huh... did you do anything else memorable?"
"Uuhhmmm... Look, a purple distraction!"