[Toys] Transformers ROTF: Deluxe Strike Mission Sideswipe

Popular YouTube toy reviewer Optibotimus had a random contest drawing like a month ago for a few of the NEST subline ROTF figures, and I won this guy from it. That's about it, onto the review!

Strike Mission Sideswipe is a redeco of the Sideswipe released near the beginning of the ROTF toyline. It's a type of redeco I'm usually down on, which is color schemes that are almost EXACTLY the same as the original, but with an added stripe here and there. Skids and Mudflap are particularly guilty of this in the Fast Action Battlers subline. That said, yes, he is the same silver car but with a stripe down the middle. And a couple of stripes on the side baring the NEST logo.

However, I like this. I like how the original one looked, don't get me wrong. But something about the stripes here almost add to the appearance. Which is weird for me to say since I usually hate the added stripes on these minor redecos. Also, the blue windows are now red, and while they're a little less transparent than I was expecting, they still look pretty hot. Personally I think they would help him pop if he was a Tracks custom.

The robot mode is really gorgeous. I've never owned the mold before, so this is news to me. He's admittedly a little finicky, but worth it, and there's some neat bits to the transformation. He has a little kibble since the front of the car is on the back, but there are a few hinges in them which allow you to arrange them in different ways, which I LOVE.

The legs have an odd bit to them where he has faux-joints on the front with the real joints made from clear plastic. I have no idea why they did this, but it's an interesting design element to translate into the toy. And they're not as in-the-way as I assumed they'd be. They're also plugged into the legs, which is surprisingly intricate.

Now, the wheel feet... Yes, they DO make it hard for him to stand. But if you position the feet portions to the top of the wheel, he's able to balance on the heel. Just mess with him until you can get it. For battle poses? Uhh... Mess with him some more. It takes some work, but yeah.

This robot mode exemplifies my previous mention of redecos with almost no change. Because of how this guy transforms, those additional racing stripes aren't even present in robot mode. If you didn't notice the red window, you might even think he's the original figure, though I say this without comparison. Regardless, he looks nice, and since I've not owned the original, this alone makes a good Sideswipe robot mode.

So, Mech Alive. The gimmick of moving bits. He has some pistons in the back of the legs which move when you bend the leg. Also, the red bits on the thigh go in and out when you do this, which I didn't know about. Very cool. The massive "kibble" you see on his forearms flip down on a gear in order to form the massive blade weapons he's known for. They're a little flimsy on mine, but that might just be due to this being the third use of the mold. Still cool.

Also, what's with those little exhaust pipes over his back. They extend out but it's hard to do, and I've never seen pictures that indicate what they're for. Transforming into missile launchers? Who knows.

Overall... Is he worth it? I've got my issues with these only-slightly-different redecos, but since I missed out on the original (and intended to get this guy for a future Tracks repaint), I would dare say he's worth it if you're in one of those categories. However, if you really want a Tracks, I would dare say you should wait for Sidearm Sideswipe to come out. He's an entirely new mold from what I can tell, has guns in place of the iconic Sideswipe blades, and he's also got improved, balanceable feet. STILL, this guy is pretty cool, and Sideswipe would agree: He's good.