Review - MP12G Masterpiece Lambor G2-Ver. (G2 Sideswipe)
Takara has graced us with another MP repaint, this time G2 inspired Cybertron Lambor AKA Autobot Sideswipe. This is more than just a simple repaint and actually includes a number of new parts. I won't be going in to depth about transformation or posability as this is repaint/retool. Instead I will be focusing on the new tooling and on the presentation as a whole. Dive in and check out my review!
Vehicle Mode
The original Lambor had some issues with gaps and mismatching red paint on his side panels. Due to the glossy black paint job the G2 version has no noticeable issues on the sides. Sure you can still see the panel lines but the paint hides them instead of showcasing them like the red version. In fact, the whole alt mode looks clean and tight and I'm sure the choice of paint is helping to hide a lot of the flaws you could pick out with the original release. The tinted red windows and wind shield give this suped up sports car a downright nasty complexion. He's not here to play nice, he's gonna mess you up! He has the same spring loaded peg hole on his roof as the original and you can peg his new guns in for a mobile attack mode. Sadly there is nowhere to store the machete or spiked tires in alt mode. (If you know of something I'm missing for storage please let me know in the comments)
Robot mode
This bot's all teeth! The first thing you might notice on G2 Sideswipe is his gnarly facial expression pulled right from the G2 comic books. I love the amount of grit and pure 90s comic bad-assitude that just oozes out of this face. He exemplifies everything that G2 was about, flipping Transformers on it's "kid-friendly" head in an attempt to keep up with their ageing demographic. He trades in a good portion of his glossy black finish for matte red and white. His new face, along with his shoulder mounted spiked wheel armor and his G2 chest emblem really set him apart from the standard release. I do wish he came with some of the bandoliers and weaponry that the comic representation has, but Dr. Wu has a nice upgrade kit for him that I plan on getting to really put him over the top. He has all of the same flaws as the standard MP12, there is a big gap in the lower leg, single hinge elbows and his helmet casts a shadow on his face no matter how you light him. He also has a bit of a hard time holding his weapons. Speaking of weapons, let's take a look at his treasure trove of accessories.
Accessories
Sideswipe is no slouch when it comes to firepower. He comes with 2 large blasters that are highly referential to his comic book appearances. He has a large engine block style blaster and a massive machine gun that he can dual wield with awesome ferocity. Unfortunately the size of the handles on the weapons will not allow his hands to close all the way around them without knocking them out of the tabs, so posing him with his guns can be a bit of a struggle. His engine block gun can be mounted on his shoulder similar to the shoulder cannon that ships with the standard release. It also has a peg hole designed to fit the handle of his machine gun to create a giant block of bullet spewing death for his alt mode. I feel like the weaponry on his alt mode is definitely obtrusive and silly looking, but again it's exactly as it was presented in the comics, so who am I to complain? He also comes with the aforementioned shoulder armour. 2 spiked wheels that sit in his shoulder ports where the mainline release's shoulder cannon would sit. They don't tend to hinder mobility and they can be removed easily if they aren't to your taste. He also comes with a big scarred up machete, that can be "sheathed" in his backpack. I put it in quotes because as far as I can tell it just slots in to the gap between his shoulder and the backpack, but doesn't tab in and secure in any way. I like to have him holding it so it's not a big deal to me, and if you really don't like it there's a slot in the box for it. It's one of my favourite accessories (I love them all, I don't know why I'm picking this one out now) and I love that instead of just going with a plain moulded sword they actually added wear and battle damage to the blade. It does appear to have a square peg on the hilt but for the life of me I can't tell if it's supposed to do anything. Let me know in the comments if there's a secret I'm missing :)
His last accessory, if you want to call it that, is his sticker sheet. It comes with neon green G2 stickers, liveries, and both G1 and G2 Autobot insignias. The stickers are printed on a transparent backer and look good when applied but due to the glossy finish of the black paint the edges of the stickers can be very apparent. I would recommend to trim the stickers down with a hobby knife before application for a cleaner look.
Final Thoughts
I have no emotional attachment to G1 and G2 toys. TV show and comics is another story, but I was born just a little too late to be caught up in the toy craze and I haven't really backtracked with the exception of a couple figures. I am a big fan of 80's-90's comic books and media though, so Transformers strapping giant Judge Dredd style blasters and wreaking havoc without a thought is definitely up my alley! I also really enjoyed the G2 comic series having read it recently (instead of all the other things I have backlogged to do). I absolutely adore this G2 Sideswipe and if Takara Tomy want's to include more overloaded, armed to the teeth G2 decos in their Masterpiece line I will definitely be giving them a second look. (I'm looking at you G2 Bumblebee) Take a look at the gallery below for the full experience!
