by ShadowBlaze » Tue May 31, 2011 10:15 pm
I just picked up HA Roadbuster today (without having previously watched any reviews).
Venom711--Thank you for taking the time to show the complexities of Roadbuster's transformation. I will point out that you have missed a couple of steps regarding chest and shoulder assembly. In your video, you simply pushed back the sides of his chest on which the headlight segments rest; they should actually be returned to the forward position after lifting his head and secured on the pegs located on either side of the fan; once this occurs, the dark grey rectangular clips toward the back of his torso will allign with tabs on the shoulder struts. His entire upper body becomes more solid when this is done.
As for my own thoughts on the toy... He's a good HA figure--detail and transformation are certainly on par with the HA toys from ROTF--but he does have some flaws.
First, when he's in car mode, the way his doors close doesn't look right. The aforementioned grey clips which secure his shoulders in 'bot mode create an obstruction between the front of the doors and the body of the car, leaving 1-2 millimeter gaps near the hinges. This is less bothersome when the headlight segments are positioned upward with the guns facing out, but it's terribly obvious when the headlights are lowered to allign with the hood.
Complaint Number Two involves the lower grade plastic Hasbro is using these days. One of the panels that become his kneeguards popped off during the first transformation; replacing it was not the easiest, and it already has a faint stress mark (you'll need to be wary of the lower knee joints to avoid it popping off during transformation). He also has mid-thigh hinges that snap into place in robot mode; these were also fairly difficult to secure, and I fear too much stress may be put on the tabs if the process is repeated too often. Needless to say, he'll probably be staying in 'bot mode for a good long time.
Bottom line: he's a nice display piece for collectors who value the detail of higher-end figures over playability. He'll look good on the shelf beside other Human Alliance figures or Hasbro's Alternators. If you're simply looking for a fun little toy to fidget with, there are better, sturdier, and more economical options.
