Toy Review - JP MP-25 Masterpiece Tracks

[kurdt_the_goat]

Opened my Tracks & Road Rage recently too. Tracks is a big'n for me - always wanted the G1 toy when i was a kid, because i loved the car design - still don't have it though since i've never managed to grab a reissue.

Funny though, when i got back into Transformers around 2007, one of the first i picked up was the yellow Binaltech Tracks. Having forgotten the character and not associating it with my childhood want, i just chose yellow cause it looked nicer to me at the time. It's great to have a proper blue Tracks now

As a toy it's not without faults, a few that seem like they really shouldn't be there on a MP toy. The bonnet is temperamental when it could have easily been made to lock solidly. It reminds me of Alternity Starscream, another Kobayashi design - he seems to favour the slightest connections at odd times. His neck piece can tilt backwards with a knock - and is even worse on Road Rage where they seem to have remoulded it to not stay put in either direction! The windscreen seems to have more gaps around the front and sides than it should as well. The wings are (unavoidably i guess) in the way of poseability. The backpack is barely transformed, reminiscent of a generations figure but it does evoke Tracks' design well.

All that said, everything looks great. This is a slim-ass car and would have been tough to pull off Tracks' robot mode accurately i think. I really like both headsculpts and autobot symbols on the chest. The door transformation is a very clever way of filling in his back and you get that nice tapered chest/waist like in the cartoon as a result. I like the smaller shoulder rockets too, just seems more balanced. He really has a good robot silhouette!

The blue is a nice metallic fleck style, a bit different to the other MP's, but nice nonetheless. Reminds me again of another Kobayashi figure, RID Sideburn - that's probably a little bit intentional i think! It suits Tracks personality well, but i might have preferred the more wet looking gloss finish, similar to the G1 toy. Road Rage is mostly unpainted as has been noted... but for me it's a struggle to notice the difference anywhere, it's a good match and looks good regardless, even next to the fully painted Ironhide.

Not the best engineered MP imo, but still one of the best looking ones!

[drifand]

For the record I don't think this is a licensed blue is just taken from bluestreak left overs and that's it. I left it in bot mode as is his best appearance