Transformers Generations Deluxe
Item No.: Asst. 37986 No. A6346 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:2 blasters, Dark Cybertron #7 (Robots in Disguise #25) comic book Action Feature:Transforms from Robot to Sports Car Retail:$14.99 Availability: September 2014 Other: Skids Repaint with New Head
Many of the remolded figures in this line come from precedent, and Crosscut is no exception. Based on a Japan-only G1 redeco of Skids from 2002, the old Crosscut looked sharp! The new version seems more like something Botcon should have as an exclusive, but thankfully they didn't get it because we get to buy it for $10-$15 instead of $50ish. Win win!
If you bought Skids, this is basically Skids with a new head and some pretty nice deco. The decision to mold it in silver plastic (with a few painted silver bits) is disappointing because there's something weak about the way the plastic reflects the light. In a dark room it looks acceptable, but it's worth noting the metallic candy-like red is gorgeous - stunning, even. It makes me afraid it might flake. Yellow missiles and lights plus additional black painted details bring him to life nicely, with clean paint and just enough visible sculpted detail that I'm not at all upset that this is based on a mold I didn't much like the first time around. The only thing I don't like is a recurring problem on nearly all Hasbro products as of late, and that's stamping the product SKU (A6346) on his interior door which becomes his robot "wing". I hate it - this needs to stop. Why not stamp it somewhere that we won't always be seeing? I've always felt that toys are little illusions - avatars, abstract representations of a character or our character. Seeing the product number strips this illusion away quickly, especially if you know what it represents and presumably why Hasbro puts it there. It would cause no problems on the back of the robot thigh, or under the chest/car hood.
As with before, he has a few fun features in robot mode. For starters, each wrist has a pair of geared guns underneath - move one, and they both swing out. It's fun to play with this. Also fun, both handheld 5mm weapons can be carried individually or combined into a larger, menacing blaster. Skids' was silver, and they look exquisite in black. Finally, there are cannons which spring up from behind his back and rest on his shoulders, but I am unable to correctly trigger them for some reason. They still work, just I don't seem to be doing it right.
Transformation is the same as Skids, but I'm not seeing any obvious visible stress marks on the shoulders this time. Everything fits together well and easily which worries me - either Hasbro fixed it up just fine, or the original Skids was a dud. The hip swap problem was also corrected here.
The car looks remains beautiful in all but that silvery grey plastic - unless you like it, anyway. I find it a little fadey, if that makes sense. A silver coat of paint would no doubt add to the cost, but also make it look like a million bucks. The wheels spin nicely, everything seems to hold together well, and the transparent windows are a nice touch.
The guns plug together, and also in to the car mode. It just works - no complaints, no asterisks. This is a toy I like and if Skids' mold was this smooth, I'd have been more excited to get Crosscut (and probably less impressed by it - low expectations yield high praise.)
As he didn't show up in the comics until More Than Meets the Eye #25 and not in a huge capacity, it's not like this is a character fans were screaming for - but there's a precedent for him to exist, and now I'm glad he's here. I can't help but wonder if we'll see more takes on this mold, like Screech, and green Quantum Operative Skids, but I assume if they make them they'll be expensive. As such, I'm just going to be super-happy Hasbro made me a $15 Crosscut, and call it a day.
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