Transformers Generations Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection Toy
Item No.: Asst. F3076 No. F5762 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Blaster, claw, nozzle hand Action Feature:Converts from robot to crane Retail:$33.97 Availability: August 2022 Other: Green Inferno/Grapple, like e-HOBBY once made
When too many good toys come out at once, it can take some time to get to them - I had Road Hauler for about 11 months before I got the box shot and opened. We're getting so many new Transformers toys that even if I open one or two a week, I can't keep up - in many respects Hasbro is competing against themselves. During Beast Wars, I picked up Fuzors because Fuzors were there (and on sale) - I'd probably be buying EarthSpark or Cyberverse if these weren't out there. But they are, they're great, and no matter how good a figure is, eventually you've got too many.
While long gone from my area, and after its subsequent stop at Ross on extreme clearance, it's a good figure. The robot mode has great black and yellow markings plus a green color that's right at home with Devastator or some of the other Constructicon-esque figures. Of course, fans know this figure predates the six green guys because he appeared in "More Than Meets the Eye Part 1" way back in 1984. Granted, he was orange there, but that's Takara for you - they wanted a new character and by gum, they made one. This figure is actually a pretty fantastic robot, standing about 6 1/2-inches tall and with lots of places to store accessories. There are sockets for his alternate hands - a claw, or a nozzle - plus a place to connect his blaster.
Each fist can rotate around to connect the alternate hand tools, or be left as a fist to hold any accessory that has a 5mm peg at the end of it. They did a nice job. I love the colors, the detail is just as good as the other guys, and he stands incredibly well thanks to his oversized feet. It's also an obscure Takara toy brought to the biggest mass market store (with toys) in America, so it's a delight to see. It's bizarre to see, but at least it's a nice-looking toy.
Packed out in crane mode, the toy is a nice and easy transformation - I miss those. Nothing pops off, nothing feels like it's going to break. The back of the truck becomes the legs, the arms swivel out from the top near the crane, and the whole crane mechanism folds up and rotates around to reveal the head. It's actually fun and isn't at all a hassle, which can be a rare thing on collector-aimed toys where Hasbro remains under the mistaken assumption that, in our 30s and 40s, we want a "challenge." We don't - well, I don't. I just want to be able to change the toy in under 2 minutes without consulting instructions. That's why we love G1 Soundwave so much.
As a truck, it does the unthinkable: it's a toy! The crane goes up and down with a jointed hook, and the boom arm can telescope in and out. It swivels too! You can add a claw tool on the hook if you like, and there's an attachment there to tow or pick up select Earthrise vehicles. You can store the gear on the sides, and it rolls about as well as you can expect. The wheels aren't amazing, but at least they look good. You have transparent windows and matching lights, too. I'd say this figure looks exactly as good as you might hope.
If you don't have a previous Hauler/Road Hauler toy, this one is nice. I'd recommend it at or under retail price, and I'd probably even have paid a slight premium were it a low-run exclusive for somebody - it's worth having. But then again, I can't get enough of some of those 1984 guys. Even if it didn't transform, it's still a nice robot action figure and that's the kind of quality we don't always get. His joints aren't too floppy, the paint isn't bad, he just delivers the goods exactly as one might hope. Why he went to clearance - other than too much hitting at once - I'll never know.
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