Toy Review - SIDEWAYS (Studio Series)

[GoktimusPrime]

SIDEWAYS
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series
Hypo-line - Revenge of the Fallen
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 31
Released here - October 2022
Approximate Retail Price - $40
Approximate Size - 15cm (may vary depending on how you configure the door wings)
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Audi R8
Main Features/Gimmicks - Greater media likeness
Main Colours - silver and gunmetal grey
Main Accessories - gun



















In many ways this toy is an improvement over the original Deluxe. The car mode now features the dark colours on the bonnet, roof and boot. The robot mode isn't nearly as lanky and looks a lot more media-accurate; it also has larger feet which makes it much easier to stand. The vehicle does feature far more panel lines and the headlights are just painted dark grey instead of using transparent plastic like the original. So in this regard, the original still has a nicer looking car mode (although lacking the media-accurate dark bonnet, roof and boot). The sides of the chest also don't lock into place, hence why it's mistransformed in some of my shots.

The transformation is still quite fiddly, but so was the original; at least this time there's no spring-activated parts to deal with. The silver painted head really helps make the mould details pop, and the silvers and dark greys compliment each other well. The belly part is now dark grey instead of red, but given that it's proportionately much smaller, the red belly really isn't needed (nor would it be media accurate).

Speaking of media accuracy...

It's somewhat tricky to determine what Sideways' media accurate form should look like. In the movie, he only makes a very brief blurry appearance in robot mode. We can see him more clearly in images taken from the Universal Studios Transformers 3D ride, which I am assuming used the movie model (or one very close to it). tfwiki states that this toy is more based on the PlayStation/Nintendo game version of the character, but I'm inclined to disagree with that, especially given how the door wings are two single pieces that rest along the outside above the back, whereas on the game model each door is split, giving Sideways four wings with the two larger wings resting along the centre. The game model also has the tail lights forming the outer chest panels, whereas the movie model clearly shows the headlights illuminated, and the ride model also shows the headlights on the chest.

Is this toy worth buying? TBH... at $40, not really. This toy is a nice enough Deluxe, but not extraordinary. As such I can only recommend getting this toy if you find it cheap.

[SharkyMcShark]

I got this for $29. No idea what Big W are doing with their pricing. Legacy deluxes $39, Studio Series deluxes $29?

Anyway.

My first thought is that the joint tightness is really really bad in the legs. Mine could barely stand out of the box. i've tightened the hip and ankle ball joints but I can't really do anything about the knee, which is a pin/swivel joint.

Otherwise, I actually really like this. It's small, but characterful. The colours are nice, theoretically you could get some nice poses from it (if you've got one with tight enough legs), and I like the accessory.

The only non QC criticism I can muster is that the car mode is kind of bland. I know that Hasbro couldnt get the Audi license but this is basically just a hatchback. Looks good from the front and less good from any other angle.

[GoktimusPrime]

For future reference, Big W does price match competitors. So does JB Hifi, which I forgot about when I got this toy and paid $40 for it. Whoops.

[Bemblebuu]

The ankle ball joints on my Sideways fig are too loose. Poor guy can't stand...

[GoktimusPrime]

The ankle ball joints on my Sideways fig are too loose. Poor guy can't stand...

Nothing a bit of Fix Loose Joints Action Figure or clear nail/floor polish won't fix.

Loose joints on TFs recently have become a fairly common problem, which is annoying; but at least it's easily fixable. My Legacy Pointblank surprisingly had no loose joints, except for the barrel on Peacemaker (which I tightened w/ a few drops of Fix-Loose-Joints).