Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great fun transforming real cars, April 22, 2004
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow. I didn't realize how fun it would be to play with these Alternators Transformers. When I got them by UPS this morning I couldn't wait to get them home after work. Yes, I said "work". I'm 26 and was a big Transformers fan when I was a kid. Now that I'm older I can afford to buy the collectors edition Transformers and boy are they sophisticated today. I wasn't so sure about Beast Wars or the Armada series, but Hasbro has redeemed themselves with the Alternators. It's what all us grown ups have been waiting for. Kudos go to Hasbro and Takara!Side Swipe is challenging and I think it's just a matter of getting used to the method of transforming. I'm still not sure if I bend a hinge or it was like that and I didn't notice at first. But I think it came like that (a defect?) because I was noticing how big the gap was between the hood and the left side (as you're looking at the front of the car) was compared to the right. But, I didn't collect just for collecting. I also like to play with them. Yes, this adult likes to play with toys. And a little defect is expected and can be ignored.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite as Nice as Smokescreen..., February 19, 2004
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
...but still a great Transformer. Sideswipe in Alternator form is a beautiful current-generation Dodge Viper SRT-10- so it scores points with me right there. The steering mechanism works beautifully, with the front wheels having lots of room to move around. The only way you could tell this particular Viper can change into a robot is an Autobot symbol stamped on the tonneau cover. The interior is all there and is even more detailed than Smokescreen's. The robot mode is where Sideswipe starts to lose some points. First off, the transformation is somewhat more difficult than Smokescreen's and the instructions don't help much. In fact, getting him into robot mode is more similar to G1 Tracks than G1 Sideswipe. Sideswipe's robot mode isn't quite as "natural" as Smokescreen- shorter looking, with stubbier arms. There's quite a bit of car parts sticking out from him too- especially from the waist up. Perhaps I'm making it sound worse than it is though- it's still a great toy with an amazing amount of engineering put into it. Highly recommended, even if you're a scale model collector looking for something a bit different.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another great recreation of the classic G1 Transformers, August 23, 2004
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
I'm a longtime fan of the Transformers, and am again a collector of their original figures. Many of the originals look great in my opinion, but lack posability.
I was interested when they began to produce larger versions of the original G1 characters, first with the awesome die cast 20th Anniversay Optimus Prime, followed by the first of the Alternators, Smokescreen, and now with Sideswipe. I have all of the said figures, having just bought Side Swipe yesterday, and I have to say I'm well pleased with each of them.
For Side Swipe, although he was a Lamborgini in his original G1 incarnation, a Dodge Viper is now his alternate form. He's the same size as a model car in car mode, and would probably blend right in with any modelers' collection. Aside from some separation lines needed for transformation, it would be quiet difficult to realize he's not just a regular model! His Viper mode is well done, with a slick red color, rubber wheels, front wheels that turn in tandom (due to a couple of magnets), chromed rear view mirrors, and detailed interior. Very well done indeed.
Take a look under his hood, and he even has a Chromed engine. Then comes the transformation. Remove the engine, swing out a barrel attached to it's underside to make it into a gun, and transform the rest of the figure. The front hood section becomes his legs and feet, the windsheild and middle of the car folds and becomes his body, and his head and arms are in the back or trunk area of the car. The outer section of the car's rear is on his back, almost like some kind of backpack or jetpack, which I think was unintentional but apropriate for this character, since in the G1 show Side Swipe had a jetpack. His car doors hang off the sides of his shoulders, with his back wheels being at his very shoulder itself. He also has a head that looks like his old show incarnation too, like his counterpart Smoke Screen does. The Viper mode looks exceptional, but his robot mode looks a tad weird, atleast to me. Don't get me wrong, he really looks good (look at the picture), but I think he's a bit odd looking with his chest and lower abdominal area all about the same width, while many characters have an upper chest that is wider and a lower body that's supposed to represent a "lean" look that a human might have. The car doors hanging off his shoulders isn't something I'm that thrilled about either. All minors touches though. Another thing I'm a bit disapointed in though, is that his knees can't bend that far, and you really can't move his legs up, as if to put him in a sitting position. Even with that included though, he's very well articulated, especially in the arms. Also, you might see that there are reports (I wrote one of them) of how difficult it is to transform Smoke Screan back into a car, and I am happy to anounce that no such problems exist here. Although a little complex, Side Swipe has no major issues where you'll go mad trying to fold his legs just right or anything. Only maybe small concerns when first getting the hang of transforming him.
All in all, I think Side Swipe is a very good figure. My complaints are minor, only pointing out small flaws. He is a worthy addition to the Alternators line, and deserves the place of honor he has standing next to 20th Anniversary optimus Prime and Alternator Smoke Screen on my VCR.
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