Pictorial Review of Xovergen's Rolling Thunder Prime (Grand Patriot)

Okay, pardon the messy desk, and lack of a good camera, but I haven't seen a whole lot of buzz about this fig/set so I thought I'd post a quick review and pics of this set. Yes, you do get TWO figs for the price. G1 prime style and Green GI Joe style. They are exactly the same other than color. This one is for the Prime style coloring.


Box is big, really heavy duty card stock (eighth inch I think) and he comes in a foam cutout inner tray. Comes with comic/instructions and different head (thought there were supposed to be total of three) and spark crystal/matrix







Like alot of GI Joe figs, some parts could use some screws (not included)
good thing is that you can adjust things to a point for a configuration of your own. Two Turret stands, front and back, front is trailer hitch (could use washered screw, mine came off right away) Entire setup is about 13-14 inches long depending on whether you use front or back pegs.






Guns are huge, G1 style, all blue plastic, hollow for LEDs? Clips and hole in back also for LED maybe and to clip into back turret.






Trailer Splits in half, becomes a command center and missile/artillery base, scaled to be able to use standard GI Joe type figures.





The gas tanks on the side of the trailer come off and become wrist blasters, according to a drawing in the comic, looked like they were supposed to be swords instead.




The cab has moving guns up top, and also two sets in the back that pop up kinda fort max style. Front wheels on a suspension of sorts, but suspension is done out of standard white plastic and not painted, they are also kind of on the flimsy side a bit, definitely not for kids. Becomes a backpack of sorts in Robot mode. Front panel flips down for spark crystal/matrix. Trailer hitch/front turret can attach on its own for missiles or blasters for a tank mode of sorts. Also uses the square trailer connector so it can connect to the Fansproject G3 trailer, BTS Trailer, and technically the city commander, but his legs are too wide to fit.....






Robot mode is about a head taller than Classics Prime Mold, and alot chunkier/bulkier. Pardon the lean, I hadn't figured out how to pull the knees all the way out yet.





Spark Crystal/Matrix up front and the other available head. Almost looks like the yellow got painted in the wrong spot......




Issues for me are that some of the joints are "floating" meaning the don't quite click into place, and because of this, he does have a bit of a "Pelvic Thrust" issue, and I can see where some folks might complain about floppy ness. Also, as I stated above, some of the transformation joints and such are in standard white plastic colors and really look out of place to a point. I'm also wondering what happened to the third head?
The front wheels not having anything to click into kinda makes me flinch a bit, but, on a flat surface, he rolls just fine, just that the mounting bracket is kinda flimsy and the rest is a big white chunk of unpainted plastic. I'll probably paint mine black for smokestacks.







All in all, for Xovergen's first out the door figure, they did a great job. Might have been a bit rushed, but, if they keep going, I hope they take what they did here, and learn more to do better next time. By all means this is NOT a bad figure, and for me, totally worth the cost, considering you get 2.
The plastic is really solid quality, doesn't feel knock of in the slightest, and would compare to the same plastic that Fansproject uses if not better. All the weapons are standard pegs, so they can be used by other figs, even the rockets.

Lots of articulation, ball jointed hips, thigh swivel, hinged knees, arm hinge and swivel, shoulders can swing up and rotate, wrist rotation, hip swivel, even waist/chest/torso rotation, though the backpack does hinder it a bit.

This toy reminds me alot of a cross between Star Convoy and Sentinel Prime from IDW comics. Really beefy and heavily armed. I totally recommend this set. If cost is an issue, split the set between you and a friend, just make sure you remember that there is one green and one prime style.

 

So the eyes are painted in the wrong spot on the official release as well? That's a shame. Still, the figure looks fantastic. The packaging is easily the best of any third party figure.

I want the green one, but... you know.

 

Thank you thank you thank you. That But you missed the feedback forum XD.


Now that I've seen it more, the less I really want it...The guns are the only thing that I like about the figure. That milky white plastic is not doing it for me, and the level of detail in the sculpt is seriously lacking, especially the heads.

 

It does have quite a bit of detail actually, but because of the lack of paint aps things get missed.

As for the second head, I can't say if the paint got missed or not, just the extra part on the face mask looks like that was supposed to be the eyes instead of an all yellow mono visor......if that makes sense.

 

Wow, that huge chunk of white plastic on the back of the cab really looks like ass.

I like the look of the figure a little more, but that white plastic and all the horrid QC issues people are having mean I won't touch this unless it's on deep clearance.

 

Appreciate the review. As stated, should be in the feedback forum though. To each his own of course, but I cannot justify paying $90 even for one of these, even IF the quality is good. Wasn't sure about this toy to begin with and after seeing these pics, I am even more unimpressed. To be honest, I just don't get it, and I am a huge Prime fan.

 

It looks even worse in person. I can actually forgive all of the tiny niggles I have with this thing except for that milky white wheel bracket on the cab. It's barely held on by a very tiny friction hinge, it takes excessive and alarming force to cram the tabs into place for robot mode (even their website says "Push really hard"), it's an incredible pain in the ass to configure correctly in either mode and most of all it looks really, really awful. It looks like it doesn't even belong on the toy, like a makeshift home-made addon that some fan cobbled together after a trip to the hardware store. It looks less like part of the vehicle and more like a big bracket with screws in it. Most of that has to do with the color - if it were black I think it would stand out a lot less.

That said, after a week of playing around with this thing I have no regrets buying it. Nothing has broken, it holds poses and it looks pretty damn good mixed with the other TFs on the shelf.

As for the second head, mine has the eyes painted further up like in the photos. I don't know if it would look much better with them painted further down, just bad in a different way.

 

Like I posted in my review, for a first time out, XG did a decent job, though I think they should have taken a bit more time in figuring out the issues and getting them corrected. Its almost like they had to get it out, or lose it....

I myself have no regrets and hope others will still get this toy and or split with buddies. I also hope that they see the C & C threads, realize they didn't do a horrible job, did somethings right, and can improve on others for future releases.

I mean, look at Fansprojects first release of city commander, there were some minor issues that got fixed later on, and I personally still don't think its that great of a figure. (CC armor set). So much so, that I refuse to get the orginal Ultra Magnus theme because I feel UM deserves something better.

 

I like it actually. I'd love to split one set with someone, but even then it'd be $80, and I'd prefer getting FP Protector instead.

 

This guy is strange - awesome presentation box, nice little comic and a neat idea, it just doesnt quite come off.

First impressions when you get it out of the box are ''my god its light!'' you then panic that its fragile and is going to break in your hands until you spend a bit of time with it.

It is indeed a big toy, I think its the biggest unofficial figure out there if you dont include the Teletran 1 set, the trailer feels kinda big and not needed until you realise that this thing is supposed to be compatible with 3-3/4 inch Joe figures and then it takes on a new lease of life as you can see from the pics.

The cab itself is a nice if flawed idea, I dont personally have any issues with mine standing up straight or the backpack clipping into place tightly enough, what a lot of people are missing is the fact the wheel assembly can ratchet and also push in on itself causing it to narrow so it can slot smoothly into place on the figures back.

The joints are also suprisingly strong and mine feels durable, its been put through the mill with no stress marks over the last 24 hours which is quite pleasing, its also worth noting that there is a gentle knack needed for transforming back into Rolling Thunder mode, if you push on the inside of the leg near the inner knee they should slide back down smoothly without any probs.

In short spend some time with GP and you will probably really like him even though your first impression will be ZOMG!!!!!!!!!! the question is are you willing to part with the $ or £ to spend said time  

Overall 6/10

Forgot to add and thanks to Megatroptimus for reminding me, the 2 little gas cans that detach and attach to the arms have a turret inside each and unless you press them upwards fully they will flop around.

 

im diggin the vehicle mode

but thats about as far as my liking goes with this thing  

 

Ooh, nice piccys.
Have these arrived now mate?

 

Yep will be shipping out from Thursday  

 

Huzzah! Now come on DOTM toys....so I can stop spending so much!

 

pretty cool figure but would prefer a better head sculpt(s) Still cant justify spending that kind of money when theres other things missing from my collection

 

I am liking it but I just dont want to spend $180 and tax on 2 versions of the same figure. If I could get one, I would be fine. Would anyone be interested in going half on the set ? I am really thinking about ordering these guys, but I dont want or need both. If you are, just inbox me.

 

The head and chest ruin it for me. The lack of detail and features is depressing especially given the price. I actually expected a bit more out of the trailer considering that was the main feature out of the original Joe vehicle. I was kinda expecting a GIANT rocket launcher or something. The two blasters are nice looking but they don't seem to fit well with the rest of the figure aesthetically.

Also, is there some function to the detachable wheel backpack thing? Did they really cop out and make him a parts former in that sense?

 

You can build the backpack into a little drone using one of the weapons platforms, its pretty fidly but better than nothing.

 

He will be strongly considered and debated over.