One of the amazing and irritating things about Roadbuster and his comrades are that these cost the same as previously released toys but seem to have more paint and more guns. I just don't get how that works - his body was previously sold as three different flavors of Swindle, all of which share this piece's flaws and charm. Not only can he be a car of some sort, but the hulking robot can also change in to a leg or an arm for the giant robot Xaaron Ruination. Molded mostly in green and grey, it's a wonderful little robot with bright orange bringing him to life.
Standing about 5 3/4-inches tall, this member of the Wreckers has a pretty good (if somewhat hollow) robot mode - flip him around, and you can see where he isn't. Due to the requirements of having four modes, this is to be expected - there's a lot of stuff to ensure that this can be just about anything the engineers can fathom, which is why you can see robot hands in his feet. Of this entire group, he probably has the best-looking robot mode with real arms and legs, and nothing seems overly puny or loose. It feels like a real toy, and that's a big plus.
Transformation involves getting a lot of pieces just right - there are tons of tabs and slots, plus panels which much be rotated just so or the whole thing will fall apart. I wouldn't call it an enjoyable experience, but it's an experience to be sure.
The armored vehicle itself has a spot to put the gun - or two guns if you stack them - and wheels that roll a bit. These particular wheels aren't all that great, and they don't seem to want to roll on my desk at all. Still, the light grey color looks good against the green and I'll always happily take more orange any place I can get it. The guns are notable in that the small one was previously sold with Swindle, and the other one is new here. It sort of blossoms when you push on it and activate the mechanism - like a flower that will bloom and then blow your head off. It's pretty neat, and surprisingly complex as a bonus for a repaint of a previously released toy. If you need guns for your toys and would pay $20 for a third-party blaster, this was probably worth the price of admission. Now it costs more on eBay, but with an all-new Voyager Roadbuster coming any day now you probably will be able to get the 2013 deluxe version on the cheap shortly.
This is probably the best of the Deluxe Wreckers in terms of making the most out of the existing mold. The big guy becomes The Big Guy, the new weapon is good, and the deco is striking. It's a shame the design is toy-only, but hey - we need more toys for the sake of toys. If the chance comes up, this is arguably worth the original price but I have to admit I cringed at paying full price for these guys back in 2013. The higher prices now seem a bit much for these toys. Sure, they're fun, but they aren't that much fun.
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