General Information
Release Date: July 2024
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Blaster, Bumper, Shield/Car Top
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com:
- ROBOTS IN DISGUISE 2001 UNIVERSE AUTOBOT SIDE BURN ACTION FIGURE: This 5.5-inch (14 cm) Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe Autobot Side Burn toy features deco and detail inspiration from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise animated series
- 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TOY: Transformers action figure converts from robot toy to sports car toy in 18 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe Autobot Side Burn Transformers figure comes with a blaster accessory. Attach the rear bumper piece to the blaster accessory to form an axe. Vehicle roof can be removed and attached as a shield
- ARTICULATED FOR PLAY AND DISPLAY: Transformers figures feature articulated heads, arms, and legs for action poses
- CELEBRATE THE LEGACY: Transformers Legacy United honors 40 years of Transformers animated history! Collect other Legacy: United figures to unite your collection (each sold separately, subject to availability)
- GIFT TRANSFORMERS COLLECTIBLES: This Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe Autobot Side Burn action figure toy makes a great collectible figure gift for any Transformers fan
Unite your favorite characters from across the world of Transformers robots into your collection with the Transformers Legacy United Deluxe Class Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe Autobot Side Burn action figure! This 5.5-inch Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe Autobot Side Burn action figure converts between robot and sports car modes in 18 steps. Gear up for battle with the included blaster accessory. The Robots in Disguise 2001 Autobot Side Burn figure is inspired by the character from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise animated series and features articulated head, arms, and legs for awesome action poses. Celebrate the last 40 years of Transformers history with Transformers Legacy action figures. Transformers Legacy opens the portal to a whole new universe of -- More Than Meets the Eye -- bringing together every Transformers generation like you’ve never seen before. Collect and combine different characters to create your ideal Legacy lineup. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. © 2024 Hasbro.
Background:
In the year 2001, Transformers was starting to come out of its "Beast" era that had been dominated by the Beast Wars and Beast Machines series. In Japan a new show and toy line was released called Car Robots featuring a more traditional Transformers setting with Autobots on Earth battling it out with Decepticons (and Predacons, a remnant of the Beast-era). One of these Autobots was Side Burn, who transformed into a Dodge Viper. So accurate was the vehicle mode that when released in the United States, the figure had to be officially licensed! Now Side Burn is reborn in the Legacy line as a retool and redeco of Shadow Striker so you should definitely check out that review before this one.
Packaging:
Side Burn is packaged in the standard Legacy box design. The box is roughly rectangular with an angle on the top and side. The front features an open window and there is a cardboard hook on top. The graphics are very similar to previous years of Legacy boxes with blue and purple tones. The tray Side Burn sits in features yellow and orange colors, offering nice contrast to the darker outer box. On the left side is a box referencing the "Robots in Disguise 2001 Universe" (a mouthful!) with Side Burn's name under it. The Legacy United logo is under artwork of Chase's vehicle form. The left side of the box (if you are facing it) features Side Burn's robot mode art.
The back of the box shows Side Burn in both modes calling out an 18 step transformation. Under all that is the new 40th Anniversary Transformers logo. A small window off to the side shows the blaster accessory connected to the bumper to form a weapon similar to the one carried by the original Robots in Disguise Side Burn. One thing of note with this box: the cardboard is of significantly better quality than the previous two years of Legacy figures. This cardboard feels solid and firm which hopefully means damaged boxes on store shelves and right out of the case will be less likely. Since the first wave of "Legacy United" I have been thrilled by this (and months later, I still am!).
Accessories:
Side Burn includes three accessories based on the design of the original figure from 2001:
- Car Cabin Cover/Shield: One of Robots in Disguise Side Burn’s most distinct features was the top of his car mode winding up on his arm looking like a shield. Unlike that figure, this car cabin cover/shield is not permanently attached to the arm. It is a separate accessory made up of translucent yellow plastic with a blue hinge/connector piece. Blue paint is used on the top of this shield to blend it in with the vehicle mode. This can be held in one of the hands or attached to either arm to simulate how Side Burn looked in Robots in Disguise.
- Blaster/Blade Weapon: Side Burn included a blaster that had a blade on one side. That weapon could be held as a blaster or vertically as a blade weapon. The weapon included with this figure is heavily based on this weapon. However, the blade aspect has been de-emphasized and it looks more like a blaster with a wide, round barrel that can fit a Blast Effect. The bottom has a 5mm peg and the back has a peg with a small tab, allowing Side Burn to hold it in either hand. This weapon is white plastic with no paint applications.
- Rear Car Section/Blaster End: Robots in Disguise Side Burn had a missile launcher weapon that looked like a crossbow. This was made up, in part, by the rear of the vehicle mode. To simulate this the rear panel of the car is a separate piece that can be attached to the Blaster/Blade weapon, creating a weapon that simulates Side Burn’s missile launcher. However, since this does not launch anything, it has a port allowing you to attach a Blast Effect. This piece is blue plastic with no paint applications.
Robot Mode:
When this figure was released as Shadow Striker I already pointed out a bunch of the details that set it up as an eventual Side Burn release and here we are! These include:
- Torso: The torso features a huge engine detail showing off an engine block and several tubes, similar to the original Side Burn figure.
- Arms: The forearms have piston-like designs on the forearms and a panel on the left arm for the Autobot symbol. This is a direct callback to the original Side Burn’s arm designs.
- Legs: The leg designs are curved and feature what look like layers of armor overlapping each other. Two of the vehicle mode wheels wind up on the hips. These are also heavily based on the legs on Robots in Disguise Side Burn.
- Car Doors: The car doors wind up on the back of the figure. This is similar to the original Side Burn figure but here they panels with the doors sit flush against the back instead of just dangling like they did on the Side Burn figure.
The retooling aspect of this figure is the head. Instead of the head seen on the Shadow Striker head, we have a head design that is directly based off of Side Burn's appearance in Robots in Disguise This includes a unique helmet section that features a translucent piece that goes over the left eye. There is also a distinct "chin strap" piece and a pointed panel sticking up on the left side. The asymmetrical nature of this design has always made it appealing to me and it cool to see a new take on it!
All that said, there is something about the proportions of this figure that make it a bit less sleek and lithe looking than its 2001 counterpart. I think the arms feel a bit too small in proportion with the wide chest and somewhat thick legs. I do not want to give the impression that the figure looks bad, it just feels a bit "off" partly due to the original being so present in my mind. If you had no idea this was based on a previous figure it probably would not matter much to you.
This figure features four main plastic colors: two shades of blue, black, white and translucent yellow. Paint details include blue, silver, red and white. For the most part, the colors are laid out to roughly match the look of Robots in Disguise Side Burn. It is not an exact one to one match of course. For instance, the original Side Burn's arms are mostly white, but here they are a combination of two shades of blue and white. Other elements however are very much matched with the original such as the engine on his chest which is painted silver and red. From a deco perspective I really love the way this figure came out. I've always loved this combination of colors and they look great!
There are twenty four points of articulation on this figure. That includes five in each arm and six in each leg. The shoulder articulation is the most unusual because the arms are attached to the “back pack” section, so they can swivel outward and in as well as up and down. There are eight 5mm ports in this mode. Two are on the forearms and of course you have the fists. The heels also have 5mm ports. There is one on the back for accessory storage and there is one right behind the robot head. This is the one has limited use but I can imagine fans coming up with creative ways to utilize it especially with Weaponizer or Fossilizer parts.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the robot feet up against the lower legs.
- Extend the back panel out and swing it up so it is over the head.
- Swing each arm section with the wheels and doors inward. Swing the doors out for now.
- Swing the legs back.
- On the back there are two sections that are on hinges. Swing those forward to begin forming the front of the car mode.
- Push the chest section down, with the waist section (with the pentagon on it) forming the middle of the car’s front end.
- Push the front wheel wells against the sections with the headlights.
- Swing the doors in and tab them into place.
- Attach the back panel to the rear of the vehicle.
- Attach the cabin cover to the top of the car using the peg on the shield to the 5mm port on one of the arms. Push it into place.
- The blaster weapon can be attached to the top of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Robots in Disguise Side Burn was a Dodge Viper in his alt mode, but since the odds of a main line Legacy figure having a licensed alt-mode is low, this vehicle mode is a “made up” one based on Shadow Striker’s alt-mode in the Cyberverse cartoon. Perhaps the most distinctive design element is the front of the vehicle which has several angles that converge in the middle. The headlights are shaped in a very aggressive way, looking like two large narrowed eyes. There is a Side Burn-esque large engine sticking out of the car hood, but the pentagon shaped design in the front here is in the same area as Shadow Striker's Cyberverse animation model. The vehicle gets wider in the back with a spoiler set over the rear of the vehicle. There is something very futuristic or Cybertronian looking about this vehicle and it totally works for Shadow Striker. The issue is...this isn't Shadow Striker.
Sadly, the vehicle mode design does not work as well for Side Burn as it does for Shadow Striker. The original Side Burn had a long front end and shorter back end which gave him a very distinctive appearance. The entire vehicle looks like a snake head (which makes sense given the Viper alt-mode). This vehicle however looks kind of wide in the back to the middle then the front looks a bit "cut off", as if there should be a little bit more in the front if you were going to make it into Side Burn.
This mode mostly shows off blue and black plastic. The red and silver colors from the engine pop against the darker blue color. Where this deco loses me a bit are the flames. Side Burn's flames are one of the most distinctive elements of his deco and here they are done in a very faded blue color. No kidding, at certain angles when I first took this figure out I thought they had left them off the toy! On the original figure the flames were outlines with bold, white lines which really helped bring out the colors. These flames could have really used a similar outline on them to make them stand out more.
Final Thoughts:
I think if I had never seen the original Side Burn figure I feel like I would like this figure a lot more. However, from an aesthetic standpoint this figure is simply not as impressive in either mode. That said, the one huge advantage it has over the original figure is that the transformation is more intuitive and a bit less complex. As much as I love the original Side Burn figure, it can be a tad frustrating to transform. This figure is fine as a modern day version of the original, but I still prefer the original (which is about the same price as this figure loose on ebay, just saying). Mildly recommended.
Pros:
- Great new head sculpt and I do appreciate the nods to the original Side Burn's design like the engine on his chest.
- Good deco in robot mode (the vehicle mode is only okay in my opinion).
- Good articulation.
- Fun accessories.
Cons:
- For reasons stated above, this figure does not live up to or surpass the original.
