Transformers Legacy United Deluxe
Item No.: Asst. F2990 No. G1034 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Blaster, spoiler Action Feature:Transforms from robot to car to limb Retail:$24.99 Availability: January 2025 Other: Formerly G1 Breakdown
30 years ago, the toy that inspired G2 Universe Breakdown was a super-rare BotCon exclusive, something the likes of which we'd never see again. Or so we thought - since then we've had a Fan Club exclusive version of this deco, a Kre-O figure, a Combiner Wars version, and none of them quite match the original. All come close, but are different in notable ways. Generation 2 is famous for wacky colors and odd stickers, and this toy gets it most of the way there - but you lose the weird black roof with red drippy blood drop decal.
Given the toy's construction, this is probably a smart move as I assume it would look weird or chip. Those seeking super-accurate recreations of obscure toys will be disappointed, and I know I miss the "BREAKDOWN" name tag on the original toy's arm/door. Aside from that, it gets the job done while leaving the door open for some 50th anniversary direct remake of that rare original toy from the 1990s.
While the original toy seems to have a smidgen more red in the purple, this new version more or less feels pretty good. You don't get the metal chest, but you do get a blue face (no visor), purple fists, purple shins, and some blue forearms and feet for contrast. As robot designs go, there's not much to him - as long as Hasbro got the colors right, we're doing pretty well. The original toy had jointed shoulders and a fold-down neck which doubled as your shoulder connector piece.
Hasbro's redesign added most of the articulation you've come to expect. The wrists swivel in and out of the forearms for transformation, so they don't rotate. You do, however, get a jointed waist and rocker ankles. And knees, and hips, and more articulation than anyone in 1994 had reason to expect when they did(n't) get the original toy redeco. I think it does a good job of getting the idea of a G2 Breakdown across for a fair price, but given some of the more saturated colors we've seen, or the visor heads, I wouldn't be surprised to see fans ask for a redo again. It's still plenty good, though.
Breakdown has a blaster and a spoiler, which you can merge together in some sort of death boomerang. I don't get it. But the blaster itself is blue (as opposed to the original purple one) and fits in his fist with no problems. I appreciate the contrast, to be honest - the purple of the original toy just all sort of blends together.
The removable spoiler does me no favors, I'd just as soon have it stowed on the back of the toy because it's kind of a silly accessory once placed in his hands. It does look good on the car mode, though, and I'd say Hasbro did a good job with this figure's gear. (Especially if he's destined to spend his life as a limb for a bigger robot!)
Transformation is easy. You won't have much problem folding the legs over, or tucking the arms in, or getting the hood positioned correctly. I don't remember it being quite so easy with the G1 model, so hey, good on Hasbro for making an intuitive toy here.
The car mode brings you the lambo with many - but not all - of hte major landmarks. The purple trim is present, as is the G2 Cybertronian Decepticon Empire sigil on the hood. You don't get the name tag on the door, nor the roof decal, but everything is otherwise close to how he looks on his wiki pages. The wheels roll about as well as they can these days, with the blaster mounting under the toy's hood quite nicely. The spoiler goes where it belongs and most of the car looks like one might expect. Maybe the colors aren't as saturated as a real one, but I've never seen the real one - just the TFWiki pictures. I'm assuming those colors are perfect because I know M Sipher and I know this is a meticulous photographer.
If you missed G1 Breakdown - and you probably did - this is a good filler until (hopefully) Hasbro reissues him later. As of now there are no known plans for G2 Motormaster to build out a complete G2 Menasor, but Hasbro has sold versions of G2 Dead End G2 Shadowstrip. I'm a sucker for G2 deco toys, so I bought them and I hope Hasbro completes the team. I think you'll enjoy this one if you're similarly inclined, because I like bright colors and things that look as if they came out of 1993. It's not a perfect recreation of G2 Breakdown's original color sheet, but it's the first non-exclusive version we've had. As such, I hope it sells well, and fans who want one on the cheap can get it at $25.
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