Combiner Wars Dragstrip

 

Robot Mode: Generations Combiner Wars Dragstrip is, of course, paying homage to G1 Dragstrip and it shows. He sports the same yellow and purple colors and while the robot design is a little different –no wheels on the arms - it’s still quite clearly meant to be the same guy. Detailing and articulation are where you expect them to be on a current Transformers figure that is not part of Hasbro’s “kids are dumb and need super-simple toys” segment, meaning pretty good. Not outstanding, but good.

Dragstrip comes with two weapons, the first being a short sword that doubles as a gun and loosely resembles the weapon the original toy carried. The second is a multi-purpose piece that serves both as a double-barreled gun (for both robot and vehicle mode) as well as either the hand of foot of the combining robot (see below). It makes for a decent gun, I think, though of course you kind of see the opposable thumb on it. Still, Dragstrip is nicely armed, no complaints here, either. So bottom line: a good robot mode. Not brilliant or exceptional, but fully satisfying.

Alternate Mode: Dragstrip transforms into a Formula 1 type racer, much like he did back in days of yore. Everything folds together quite nicely and there are no visible robot parts to be seen. Dragstrip’s gun (the Menasor hand/foot) can be mounted on top in order to arm the car, looking a bit like the big double-barreled gun the G1 toy had for the car mode. His sword can technically also be attached on either side, but it just looks stupid, so I left it aside. Nothing much I can write here additionally. The car looks good, no complaints and thumbs up.

Combiner Mode: Dragstrip can become an arm or a leg of a Combiner Wars combiner. He’s meant to be part of Menasor, obviously, but can just as easily become part of Superion or whatever other combiners might be on the way. There are actually two different ways to configure Dragstrip in leg mode. The first is basically just the car set upright, for the second you flip forward the car’s rear so the leg turns out thicker and shorter. The latter version is not in the instruction manual, but unless the designers included the flip-up rear just for the hell of it, you might need the shorter leg for some combiners, I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll do a separate review on Menasor when I have all the Stunticons together.

Remarks: When people talk G1 combiner teams, the Stunticons – who combine into Menasor - usually aren’t the first team mentioned. Neither the second nor third, for that matter. Which is why I’m very glad that they are finally making a comeback after so many years. Of course Hasbro’s distribution policy means you get four fifths of Superion in wave 1 of the Combiner Wars figures with just Dragstrip here for the Decepticon side, while the remaining four fifths of Menasor won’t be here until wave 2 (and neither will the final fifth of Superion).

Still, considering what I’ve seen of Dragstrip here, it’s worth the wait. He’s a good Deluxe-class figure, nicely updating the original G1 figure, and seems to work nicely as both an arm and a leg. Unlike most people I’ve heard from so far I also have no problem with the hybrid hand-foot-gun he comes with, I find it a pretty good design. So unless you already own the Fansproject Stunticons, there really is no reason not to get these new ones here. I certainly plan to.

Rating: B