So thanks to Digital-toys.com's awesome clearance sale, I went to check out their site again. I've been having a growing interest in G2 stuff lately, and I saw RM Doubleface and Road Rocket on sale for $5 each! (plus shipping, of course).

Well, I'd been looking at the Doubleface mold, and decided I'd like to get my hands on it, whether it be good, bad or ugly. Hey, $5, right? Well, shipping turned out to be about $8. Hey, another RM Motorcycle for the same price! Added Road Rocket to my cart, shipping didn't change! I figured I may as well order both, drops cost of shipping per figure.

This review has a number of statments that make it sound like I think I know something about motorcycles. I don't, I'm entirely ignorant, and I'm honestly pretending I know something and hoping it works out. Please don't hold it against me if I make a statement that's just altogether WRONG because I'm simply ignorant. Please do correct me if I am, though!

Now, I understood right away I was ordering G2 molds, so while I expected them to be good, I expected them to be good for their time. OK, That DID end up being true, and while they won't win any awards for articulation against today's standards, They'd fit in pretty well in the RiD Universe... oh wait, Doubleface DID make an appearance as RiD Axer. Granted, not as many joints (or useful articulation in those joints, depending on what we're talking about) as the Car Brothers, but kinda close. As far as articulation goes, they're kinda between the build team and the brothers car. Yeah, the molds were just a little ahead of their time. Not unlike the Cyberjets, judging by the two KO Cyberjets I have.

Anyways, PICTURES! Everyone likes those.



Pretty nice molds. Very vibrant colors, but they're kinda appropriate on motorcycles. These two are yellow and purple on Doubleface, with some gray and silver, and yellow, teal, red and silver on Road Rocket... considering I've seen some crotch-rockets in lime green, I don't think this is too off the wall for bikes, if you're interested in realism. I'm not really, but I feel it's worth mentioning.

Transformation isn't much more than you'd expect for basics, even up to and including the Cybertron line, which is where we've seen the last new mold basics (which aren't that much more advanced than Energon, from my experience. I have no experience with Armada basics, nor am I aware there WERE any, but I could be wrong). Not as complicated as somthing like Cybertron Lugnutz or Energon Arcee, but much less fiddly as far as getting pieces to get into just the right places.



Bot modes are pretty much what you see here. Balljointed elbows and shoulders on both. Balljointed hips on both. Doubleface has ratchetting knees, but they're pretty low. Road Rocket has balljointed knees, and they're kinda high. No swivels on them, unless you count the balljoints. I like that Road Rocket hides his alt mode pretty well (the bike front and windshield is his backpack, which is a little big, but he has heels that support it, and it's not too bad. The wheels on his shoulders are kind of annoying as far as articulation goes, but it's not too bad, considering his era. Doubleface has that bike front on his chest, which doesn't hinder articulation much, but it is a little odd looking. His really skinny thighs are kinda odd against the thick lower legs, but again, let's consider the era.

Still, they can pose pretty well.



Oh, and yes, they have a gimmick (which I didn't realize until I got them). They both have little buttons on em that cause their transluscent weapons to light up via a red LED light. It's kinda cool, and really doesn't hamper the figures AT ALL (unlike some other gimmicks, especially sound boxxes). You can take out the batteries and forget about it, and they still end up being pretty cool figures, so I really feel like it's a bonus gimmick that only enhances the figures, if that's your thing. I, personally, like lights, but I don't like sounds.

Overall, as far as fun factor goes, not even considering era, they're some fun toys. They're not QUITE what you'd expect from toys these days, but, now we consider the era, they're pretty cool.

Using my 1-10 scale, this is how I feel they measure up:

Doubleface:
Alt mode: 7 - Not my kind of bike, but pretty solid looking. Not much special, but deserving of an above-average score.
Bot Mode: 5.5 - Not big on the big motorcycle front chest, and skinny thighs, but the pros outweigh the cons. Pictures don't really do him much justice. Small toes.
Transformation: 7 - Simple, yet very effective. I'm a fan.

Road Rocket:
Alt Mode: 6 - I like the look of crotch rockets (though I don't think I've got the guts to ride one), and he's got it pretty good. The front of the bike is a little oddly shaped, making him look like a hybrid crotch-rocket/harley (OK, I'm reaching there)... that'll be a personal call on how you like the look of it.
Bot Mode: 8 - Very good use of what he has to work with, though I'd like some hinges on the wheels so they could be moved into a position kinda like Energon Arcee's. That would throw off his balance, though.
Transformation: 7 - I really like the use of where his arms go.

Overall:

I give them both a solid B. I wouldn't go hunting em down and buying em at a high price, but if you get em at a good price, definitely two toys very worth adding to your collection.

 

i have the clear versions of these toys as a japan toys r us microman exclusive from a few years ago. They actually look nicer as the robot master versions though, the clear versions were really bright 'life saver' candy colours.

they arent bad looking bots but i dont really enjoy their actual transformations, rather weird and assymetric.

 

I kinda like that, personally. It's something different, though I can see where you're coming from. There's a lot to be said for symmetry.



OH! I forgot to mention, that white bar is NOT Road Rocket's eyes/visor... thing. It's actually a light-piped blue clear plastic piece. It's pretty cool. He's a ninja.   Pretty bad one at that, what ninja wears BRIGHT YELLOW?

 

its perhaps not just the assymetry, they are a bit fiddly too, something that was to become rather common in later TF. i sppose thats actually a by product of ball joints and increased articulation.

 

I've got Road Pig and Road Rocket from back in 1995 in a box somewhere. I really should dig them out along with my Laser Rod figures to enjoy.  

 

I happen to also have both of these. I love the bike mode and paint job. The light gimmick is a fun bonus. Although I haven't touched these two in over a year so maybe I need to check the battery.

On a side note Robot Masters are my favs, I mean they are small toys that are fun to play with. Most of them are repaints but very well done. The clear weapons that come with several figures can actually combine, which is another fun gimmick.

 

For the age of the molds, they are quite good ones. I've got the RiD two-pack versions and the RobotMasters versions. A simple push-button LED makes a good gimmick for a small figure, too.

 

Yeah, I like light-up things, if they aren't intrusive (most aren't, really). My batteries died, though.   Well, they were sealed RM versions, they're old.