General Information:
Release Date: November 1, 2021
Price Point: $47.99 (The Amazon price fluctuated until finally settling on $47.99)
Retailer: Amazon Exclusive with a limited run at Hasbro Pulse
Accessories: Blaster, Rocket Launcher, Rocket (Sideswipe); Arm blasters x 2 (Skywarp)
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
- DISCOVER KINGDOM: Worlds collide when the Maximals and Predacons join the fight, coming together with the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle that will alter their destiny forever
- BATTLE ACROSS TIME COLLECTION: The Battle Across Time Collection allows fans to experience the clash between G1 and Beast Wars with Maximal and Autobot team-ups! With Scorponok in pursuit, Sideswipe and Skywarp must team up to keep the Decepticon-Predacon threat at bay
- G1 AND BEAST WARS-INSPIRED: G1-inspired Sideswipe toy converts from robot to sportscar mode in 16 steps. Beast Wars II -inspired Maximal Skywarp toy converts from robot to bald eagle mode in 22 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Comes with shoulder cannon, blaster, and 2 Photon Blaster accessories
- EXCLUSIVE PACKAGING: Each Battle Across Time pack features exclusive art that creates an epic battle scene when combined (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Beastify the battlefield! Worlds collide when the Maximals and Predacons join the fight, coming together with the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle that will alter their destiny forever. The Battle Across Time Collection allows fans to experience the clash between G1 and Beast Wars, with G1-inspired figures to complete the Earth-mode vehicle collection and Beast Wars-inspired figures not featured in mainline. With Scorponok in pursuit, Sideswipe and Skywarp must team up to keep the Decepticon-Predacon threat at bay The G1-inspired Sideswipe toy converts to sportscar mode in 16 steps. The Beast-Wars: II-inspired Maximal Skywarp figure converts to bald eagle mode in 22 steps. Comes with a shoulder cannon, blaster, and 2 Photon Blaster accessories. Each Battle Across Time pack features exclusive art that creates an epic battle scene when combined (each sold separately, subject to availability). Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
Background:
As part of its 2021 capsule programs, Amazon released two figure packs under the Battle Across Time banner. One of these packs featured the pairing of a G1 inspired Sideswipe with a surprising partner: new version of Beast Wars II Skywarp! Both figures are redecos and retools of previous releases. Sideswipe is a redeco and retool of Siege Sideswipe (which was also used for many other figures including Deep Cover and Tiger Track). Skywarp is a redeco and retool of Kingdom Airazor. Check out those reviews for a detailed look at the sculpts. This review will cover what has been changed from the original releases.
Packaging:
Sideswipe and Skywarp are packaged in a special box that takes its inspiration from the main retail Kingdom packaging. It is mostly a rectangular shape with an angle on the right side. The background art shows a rocky area with Skywarp and Sideswipe getting ready to battle some bad guys who (presumably) include Scorponok who appears on the angled part of the box. Both character names are written in both Cybertronian text and English. The Generations and Transformers logos are set to the right while the huge Kingdom logo is towards the bottom. This artwork is meant to be put side by side with the art from the two pack featuring Grimlock and Mirage to form a larger scene. I really love this art and wish it had been released in some kind of large coffee table book!
The back of the box shows both figures in their robot and alt modes. Sideswipe has a 16 step transformation called out while Skywarp's is 22 steps. Both are standing on the portal like designs used on Kingdom packaging and above them are the "spray painted" Maximal and Autobot symbols used on mainline Kingdom boxes.
This version of Sideswipe is meant to represent the character in an "Earth" mode. This means several key parts have been replaced with new ones:
- Rocket: While not part of Sideswipe himself, this accessory change is an interesting change. Unlike the rocket included with the Siege version of the figure, this one does not have a handle. That said, it still attaches to the launcher without a problem.
- Chest: The panel that makes up the torso and the front of the vehicle mode. This piece is much smoother than the Siege version. It is designed to resemble the front end of a Lamborghini Countach LP500S and definitely evokes the G1 animation model.
- Back: The back piece is entirely new, featuring some mechanical detailing behind the windshield piece similar to the details on Earthrise Sunstreaker's windshield.
- Back of the Legs: The pieces that form the back of the lower legs are new, resembling the rear portion of a Lamborghini Countach including layered panels in the middle.
Sideswipe comes with more accessories than his Siege counterpart. Not only does he have the launcher and rocket, but he also includes the rifle that was included with Siege Red Alert, Deep Cover and Tigertrack. The accessories are made of black plastic but painted white.
All the dark red parts from Siege Sideswipe are now a nice bright red color that looks really cool. His other parts remain black and white but instead of the more muted tones of the Siege release these are bright white and a really clean, strong black color. Black and white paint are used on the body while the face is painted silver. The chest also has a large Autobot symbol in white outline on it that looks like it came right out of the animated series.
Sideswipe retains all the same connection points for accessories as Siege Sideswipe and the shoulder slots for the rocket launcher. All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight, so no worries there. Overall this is a solid "Earth Mode" version of Sideswipe. I loved Siege Sideswipe to begin with, and this offering is a really nice reuse of the core tooling.
Some fans may wonder why the powers that be didn't just call this guy Silverbolt, the English name for the sculpt that was called Skywarp in Beast Wars II. It's no secret that Hasbro works hand in hand with Takara Tomy on these products, and my guess would be that this was a bit of influence from that side of the design team (this is speculation on my part). It also diversifies the line a bit, having Kingdom not only include the Mainframe Entertainment Beast Wars shows but the Japanese ones as well.
Skywarp features one new part: a new robot head. This head design is based on the one from the original Beast Wars II Skywarp cartoon model. It features the eagle head sitting on top of a robot head with a stylized mouthplate and thin eyes. It's a gorgeous head sculpt, but I find it amusing how the beast mode head on the top of the "helmet" section is shaped differently than the actual beast mode head! Most likely due to cost, the designers did not see fit to give the figure a new beast mode head, so in beast mode he looks like a Peregrine Falcone painted as an Eagle.
Airazor and Skywarp both share brown-based colors as a foundation for their decos but the actual colors are very different. There are two shades of brown here, a dark one and a lighter one. Other parts are made up of white plastic. I really like the way the browns are used. Whether it's plastic or paint, the browns alternate between the two shades and the white colors. The head sculpt features silver paint on the face with yellow on the beak. There's also a bit of gold paint on the chest, which pays homage to the gold on the original Beast Wars II action figure.
All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and solid and he has the same attachment points for accessories as Airazor. I know some fans are disappointed that this figure isn't part of a new Magnaboss Combiner, and I totally get that but I do appreciate the nod to one of the less well known parts of Transformers lore.
Final Thoughts:
I really dig this two pack. Sideswipe is the stronger figure of the two, but if you had told me a couple years ago that we'd get a nod to Beast Wars II other than LioConvoy I would have been shocked yet here we are! As of September 2022, some fans have found this two pack at discount stores for about $20 off the original price. If you can get it for that I say snap it up! Recommended.
Pros:
- Excellent retool of Sideswipe.
- Nice new head sculpt on Skywarp.
- Nice decos on both figures, especially the new red color on Sideswipe!
- Sideswipe includes all the weapons intended for the sculpt.
- I do love the box art gimmick where it forms a larger image with another box.
- Despite being retools both figures are nice and solid.
Cons:
- I would have loved for Skywarp to be part of a new Magnaboss (but to be honest that would involve a lot more retooling and two more exclusives to hunt down).
