I think we all know that movie Roadbuster deserved an updated figure. Back in 2011, we were given two figures of the character. The HA version as well as the deluxe. They aren’t bad figures however the deluxe didn’t do the design justice and the HA figure was just… a fiddly mess (For my copy at least). Studio Series is pushing out some fantastic figures which are doing the characters and designs justice; I certainly hope that Hasbro keeps this up! Roadbuster is one of the newest figures to come out of Studio Series and I just knew I had to buy him.




I’ve set up a Pros and Cons list at the end of the review so if you aren’t bothered to read the whole review or want to skip straight to the points, feel free to skip to the end!

Now, onto the figure. Studio Series Roadbuster looks fantastic however he has quite a few disappointing aspects about him. I’ll be focusing on the negatives first so we can end on a high note. The transformation can be extremely frustrating for the first few times! There are so many clearance issues with this figure. I couldn’t line and tab everything up perfectly in his vehicle mode but I did the best I could. After a few times, I think he’ll be a bit easier to transform but I’m sure he’ll still be a nuisance. Don’t get too upset about this because I’d say that going through the annoyance is worth it because of the beautiful vehicle mode.


Another issue with the figure is the articulation. Unfortunately, Roadbuster has a lot of kibble and it can be a big problem. The legs can’t really go back by much as the backpack just obstructs everything and doesn’t move in the right direction. You can move the backpack but only downwards which stupidly doesn’t help in any sort of way. For some reason, the backpack also doesn't tab in well so it just droops low. Roadbuster has a really nice thigh swivel and a 90 degree bend at the knee. Luckily, the backpack doesn’t affect the knees. His arms have a nice range of articulation with a bicep swivel and a double hinge joint in the arms. Sadly, arm movement is restricted because of his large shoulders which do get caught on the backpack, but you can move them around so that they don’t get caught on the backpack however it may get annoying. No wrist, waist or ankle articulation unfortunately.

The last complaint I have is that his gatling gun (which is the only accessory) doesn’t stay in his arm well. It just pops out if you play with the figure too much.

Let’s move onto the positives now, shall we? This figure looks beautiful! Not just in one mode, but both his robot and vehicle mode! The shade of green is perfect, and the accuracy is on point. He also scales nicely! I admire how compact the backpack is. They stuffed quite a bit into his back, and it doesn’t look too bad even though it can restrict a lot of articulation. The amount of detail in this figure is great too. It would’ve been nice to see a bit more of it painted but I shouldn’t ask for too much. It’s a job that can easily be done! One more thing, the weapon storage is great! The gatling gun slots in right at the front of the car and stays in quite well.

Spoiler: Where's Leadfoot?!

Spoiler: Comparisons!

Pros and Cons of the figure:

PROS:

- Very accurate
- Looks fantastic in both modes
- Compact backpack
- Massive amounts of detail throughout the figure
- Nice weapon storage

CONS:

- A lot of kibble, mostly on his back
- Lack of articulation
- Annoying transformation
- Weapon doesn’t stay in place (In robot mode)
- Backpack doesn't tab in place


I hope my review was enjoyable! Feel free to ask me anything about the figure! Thanks for reading!

 

Neato!

I take it you don't have a Leadfoot.

 

Great review, thanks for sharing!

 

Great review

 

Yeah, no Leadfoot with me! I'll definitely be getting the Studio Series version as well as SS Topspin.

Thank you!

 

I was sold when it was announced. Looks AWESOME

Great review as always

 

Thank you! And the colour separation might contribute to his good looks! They did a great job with this one!

 

Excellent and thorough review! I think the wreckers really need to be a team in order to get the full effect. I wish he came with more weapons too. He should have had one on each arm, but I suppose he has missiles too, right?

 

it was smart of them to give the green character a giant kibble cape so he's easily repurposed as crosshairs.

 

Yeah he has his missiles which can rotate around but it would've been nice to get something even more. These guys are meant to have weapons everywhere!

 

Still good.

I'm looking for a top 6th figure.

 

Great review!
I think the gun it's supposed to be on his shoulder so maybe that's why it's kinda loose on the arms?
The biceps do look kinda thin tho, how do they feel?

 

Awesome and thorough review! He's my most anticipated figure for this wave deluxe despite having quite a few flaws. I've always wanted to replace my dotm one and this looks great! It's a pity he only has one accessory and has that big backpack.

By the way, how does he scale with SS49 Bumblebee and SS Jazz or Sideswipe?

 

The gun does slot into a hole next to his head which is rather snug. Same with in his hand which I forgot to mention. It's just very loose in the arm.

The biceps are fine and don't feel like they'll break anytime soon. They're slightly tight but I wouldn't worry about them!

Yeah, the DOTM version definitely needs to be replaced!

Regarding your question, he scales quite nicely with Jazz and Sideswipe!

 

Looks amazing! Cannot wait to get him now

 

It's the only thing that's making me want to get the original dotm figures again, so I can really load them up. Topspin and Leadfoot both came with a plethora of smaller weapons which I miss having around. I really wish more 3P companies and 3D printers would use their talents for weapon packs! More modern looking ones too. Not those retro scifi goofy ones they make for G1 figures.

Dude imagine how loud that would be  

 

great review. I opened mine yesterday and it’s a fun figure, and the detail on it is really great, only problem I have is if I tab the back pack in at the lower back the tab that’s meant to hold it on the top doesn’t work and it causes the whole thing to droop. Not sure how widespread that may be.

one thing is for sure though the wreckers are gonna look amazing when we get them all together.

 

Great review by the way! I regret not picking up DOTM Roadbuster and much like Barricade and Sideswipe, SS has offered me a chance to have him yet again. Neat  

 

I have a question. Can the Gun go in the shoulder? Like this...


Edit: Never Mind, I just saw your recent picture.

 

Yeah I also have that issue. Initially, the backpack tabbed in but after transforming him once, I couldn't get it to tab back which is frustrating! I've now mentioned it in the review.