RID 2015 Sideswipe

 

Robot Mode: Sideswipe is the final of the RID cartoon’s core cast to come out in the Warrior/Deluxe-class line-up, but he was worth the wait. The figure is mostly red, as most Sideswipes are (at least those not part of the Movie toylines where nine out of ten toys are grey) and the detailing is pretty good when compared to most of the other RID 2.0 figures, though still on the minimalistic side for Transformers as a whole. I especially like the head mold, which nicely portrays Sideswipe’s high-peaked punk ‘hairstyle’ from the cartoon, and includes his cocky grin. Nicely done.

No complaints in terms of articulation, Sideswipe can certainly bust some moves, and he comes armed with a black Katana-like sword, which can also be stored behind his head. Sadly this otherwise excellent robot mode also comes with a flaw. The shoulder pieces are supposed to plug into the back of the chest plate and they do, but so lightly that the slightest movement makes them pop out again. It doesn’t really hurt the figure much, but when posing it you have to take care that the shoulders don’t unravel. There are ways to fix this posted online, but straight out of the package it’s a flaw that needs mentioning.

Apart from that one big flaw, though: a very nice robot mode. Very nicely articulated and balanced, good detailing for an RID 2.0 figure, and a very faithful translation of the cartoon character.

Alternate Mode: As most Sideswipes do RID 2.0 Sideswipe becomes a red sports car, loosely resembling a Lamborghini and sporting some Japanese (?) characters subtly imbedded into the red paintjob. Everything folds together very nicely here and there is no trace of the robot to be found, unless you’re looking at the undercarriage. Detailing is better than most of the RID 2.0 figures I’ve seen so far, but still on the minimal side overall. Sideswipe’s sword can be stored on top of the roof or underneath the car, though the latter is not intended, it just sort of works if you jam it in there carefully.

One tiny flaw amidst an otherwise very nice car mode: Sideswipe’s robot mode chest plate flips down during transformation, otherwise the shoulders don’t fold in properly, but now it drags on the ground. Not really a big problem for those who are just looking at the car mode, but for kids rolling their transformed figures over the ground... still not a big problem, but it’s probably gonna cause wear sooner or later. Otherwise, though: a very nice car mode, possibly the best yet in RID 2.0.

Remarks : Sideswipe is the ‘young punk’ in Bumblebee’s team, a sharp contrast to the by-the-book Strongarm and paying homage to various hot-headed speedsters we’ve seen during these last 30 years of Transformers. As season 1 of the show progressed he mellowed a bit and integrated better into the team, but he still likes to wind up Strongarm whenever he can. A fun character, who will hopefully see more development in season 2 of Robots in Disguise.

As a toy Sideswipe is excellent except for that one big flaw where the shoulders don’t plug in properly. As mentioned above, it’s not a big thing and certainly not a reason not to get this excellent figure, but it does cause some point deduction and prevents me from giving Sideswipe an A. Still, a good figure and essential for completing the main cast in your Robots in Disguise collection.

Rating : B