The RID review thread
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:52 am
I spent some time this weekend digging out my off-air tapes of Robots in Disguise and copying them to DVD, since as far as I know the series hasn't been released on Region 1 DVD. I love the show... it's just plain goofy fun, and the humor just about always works. It got me to pull out some of the old RID figures and see what I think of them now, so maybe I'll put up a few reviews.
First up: our favorite Predacon poet, Sky-Byte.
Shark mode: the figure is a repaint of Beast Wars Cybershark. I remember seeing Cybershark shelf-warming in the local KB Toys, back when the place still existed, and I was never tempted by the figure. Clearly I wasn't the only one. But Sky-Byte vastly improves on Cybershark's color scheme by making good use of all the detail molded into the shark's skin. Blue, white and yellow are the primary colors, but there's plenty of other color mixed in on the small detail. The shark mode looks great, but it has some flaws. The lower fins tend to fall out rather easily, because they're just round pegs fitted to the shark sides. And the molded shape of the shark has the tail arched off to one side, which I think is a mistake, since it takes away from the aerodynamic look that the shark ought to have. The jaw moves a bit but doesn't close, and the missile launcher inside the mouth is a nice touch. The whole figure holds together fairly well, though some panels are easy to dislodge.
Transformation: Alright, you're never going to be able to transform the figure without one or both of the panels that form the shark tail popping off. The figure is a total shellformer, which can work but doesn't quite work in Sky-Byte's case. The robots feet form the jaw of the shark and swing down. The arms are tucked up in the shark tail, with one arm having a normal fist and the other using the tail fins as a claw. The tail panels end up as huge shoulder pads, while the chest slots into the waist component. The shark fin is on the robot head. The shellformery-ness of the figure becomes very apparent from the back, where half the shark sits on the back with the shark head as Sky-Byte's rear end.
Robot mode: Standard asymetrical TM2 design, with a great color scheme. Lots of blue, white and dark yellow, with various highlight colors. There's a purple Predacon spark crystal dead center in the chest, and the chest itself is molded in two different colors, while the mold looks a bit like a head with sharp teeth, referecing the shark head. Sky-byte's eyes are not quite the same, and he sports a lopsided toothy grin. One hand is normal, one is a huge claw. Even the molded detail on the legs isn't quite the same once you get in close and look. Articulation is pretty good, though the backpack/shoulderpads have to be taken into account when it comes to balance.
Overall: This figure is a bit of a mess when it comes to transformation, even if both modes look pretty good. It's proof that a good color scheme can really alter the look of what is actually a repainted figure, even though I'd bet most people are far more aware of Sky-Byte than Cybershark. I love the character based on the TV show, but that's probably my primary reason for enjoying the figure. Otherwise, it's far from the most 'playable' or posable Transformer ever. Worth owning because it at least looks great, especially in shark mode. But the transformation is more frustrating than fun.
First up: our favorite Predacon poet, Sky-Byte.
Shark mode: the figure is a repaint of Beast Wars Cybershark. I remember seeing Cybershark shelf-warming in the local KB Toys, back when the place still existed, and I was never tempted by the figure. Clearly I wasn't the only one. But Sky-Byte vastly improves on Cybershark's color scheme by making good use of all the detail molded into the shark's skin. Blue, white and yellow are the primary colors, but there's plenty of other color mixed in on the small detail. The shark mode looks great, but it has some flaws. The lower fins tend to fall out rather easily, because they're just round pegs fitted to the shark sides. And the molded shape of the shark has the tail arched off to one side, which I think is a mistake, since it takes away from the aerodynamic look that the shark ought to have. The jaw moves a bit but doesn't close, and the missile launcher inside the mouth is a nice touch. The whole figure holds together fairly well, though some panels are easy to dislodge.
Transformation: Alright, you're never going to be able to transform the figure without one or both of the panels that form the shark tail popping off. The figure is a total shellformer, which can work but doesn't quite work in Sky-Byte's case. The robots feet form the jaw of the shark and swing down. The arms are tucked up in the shark tail, with one arm having a normal fist and the other using the tail fins as a claw. The tail panels end up as huge shoulder pads, while the chest slots into the waist component. The shark fin is on the robot head. The shellformery-ness of the figure becomes very apparent from the back, where half the shark sits on the back with the shark head as Sky-Byte's rear end.
Robot mode: Standard asymetrical TM2 design, with a great color scheme. Lots of blue, white and dark yellow, with various highlight colors. There's a purple Predacon spark crystal dead center in the chest, and the chest itself is molded in two different colors, while the mold looks a bit like a head with sharp teeth, referecing the shark head. Sky-byte's eyes are not quite the same, and he sports a lopsided toothy grin. One hand is normal, one is a huge claw. Even the molded detail on the legs isn't quite the same once you get in close and look. Articulation is pretty good, though the backpack/shoulderpads have to be taken into account when it comes to balance.
Overall: This figure is a bit of a mess when it comes to transformation, even if both modes look pretty good. It's proof that a good color scheme can really alter the look of what is actually a repainted figure, even though I'd bet most people are far more aware of Sky-Byte than Cybershark. I love the character based on the TV show, but that's probably my primary reason for enjoying the figure. Otherwise, it's far from the most 'playable' or posable Transformer ever. Worth owning because it at least looks great, especially in shark mode. But the transformation is more frustrating than fun.