Susp's Review: TRU EXCLUSIVE G1 INSECTICONS
The Insecticons consist of the sadistic Hardshell, the devious Kickback, and the supercharged Sharpshot. And yes, I hate those new names as much as you do.
Beast Modes: All three Insecticons share the same colour scheme: black and purple with yellow and chrome silver parts and translucent yellow canopies that open up to reveal compartments for Diaclone figures. Kickback and Sharpshot’s canopies can be opened in either mode, but Hardshell’s only works in robot mode. The upper half of the Insecticons’ thoraxes(main body section) is composed of die-cast.
Hardshell is a Japanese horned beetle or Kabutomushi. He measures about 12 cm(4.7”) long and is particularly creepy thanks to his bulging yellow eyes. He rolls along on four tiny wheels and has a single point of articulation in his front horn. His rub symbol is on top of his carapace.
Kickback is your basic grasshopper. He measures 11 cm(4.3”) long and has quite the impressive range of articulation. His antennae, wings, and limbs are hinged and his head rotates. His rub symbol is on his left wing. He too has four tiny wheels to aid in movement. Unfortunately, his robot face is in plain sight on the bottom of his insect head.
Sharpshot is a Lucanus stag beetle. At 13 cm(5.1”), he’s the longest Insecticon and the most dangerous-looking thanks to his enormous chrome mandibles tipped with laser guns. His mandibles can open, but spreading them too wide reveals his robot head. Like the other Insecticons, he features four wheels and a rub symbol.
Transformations: Flip out the halves of Hardshell’s carapace to form legs. Swing out the arms and fold down the beetle horn to reveal the robot head.
Rotate Kickback’s head 180 degrees, swing his wings forward, connect his small insect limbs, and fold in the purple tips of his rear limbs to form his robot feet.
Fold in Sharpshot’s yellow limbs, extend his robot legs, rotate his waist 180 degrees, swing up his feet, and spread apart the beetle mandibles to reveal his robot head.
Robot Mode: Hardshell’s metallic silver face somewhat resembles a medieval knight’s helmet. He also features laser blasters on his wrists and chrome silver thighs. Thanks to the beetle horn/mortar launcher on top of his head, he stands 12.5 cm(4.9”) tall. He comes with a twin ion impulse blaster that pegs into either fist (which inevitably will wear out the chrome finish). His shoulders, hips, and knees are hinged. It should be noted that his shoulder joints were frighteningly tight when I first transformed him. Even now, I’m very careful when I pose his arms.
Kickback stands less than 9 cm(3.5”) tall at the head, but his raised wings are as high as Bombshell’s launcher. His face and brow are metallic silver. Unlike his fellow Insecticons, he features pincers instead of fists. He wields a clip-on electrothermic blast tube and is articulated at the head, shoulders, pincers, and hips.
Sharpshot has a height 10.5 cm(4.1”) tall and a width of 11.5 cm(4.5”) thanks to his beetle mandibles. His face is metallic silver, his thighs are chrome, and his forearms are equipped with blasters. His weapon of choice is a clip-on gamma ray detonator. His shoulders and hips are hinged and his waist rotates.
Overall, Susp Sez: All three Insecticons are very good toys, with cool features, easy transformations, and fairly good articulation in robot mode. At $49.99 Canadian, however, they’re not exactly an impulse buy. And hopefully your Hardshell won’t have the same joint problems as mine. 7/10
”A little heavy on the electrons, electrons!”
Beast Modes: All three Insecticons share the same colour scheme: black and purple with yellow and chrome silver parts and translucent yellow canopies that open up to reveal compartments for Diaclone figures. Kickback and Sharpshot’s canopies can be opened in either mode, but Hardshell’s only works in robot mode. The upper half of the Insecticons’ thoraxes(main body section) is composed of die-cast.
Hardshell is a Japanese horned beetle or Kabutomushi. He measures about 12 cm(4.7”) long and is particularly creepy thanks to his bulging yellow eyes. He rolls along on four tiny wheels and has a single point of articulation in his front horn. His rub symbol is on top of his carapace.
Kickback is your basic grasshopper. He measures 11 cm(4.3”) long and has quite the impressive range of articulation. His antennae, wings, and limbs are hinged and his head rotates. His rub symbol is on his left wing. He too has four tiny wheels to aid in movement. Unfortunately, his robot face is in plain sight on the bottom of his insect head.
Sharpshot is a Lucanus stag beetle. At 13 cm(5.1”), he’s the longest Insecticon and the most dangerous-looking thanks to his enormous chrome mandibles tipped with laser guns. His mandibles can open, but spreading them too wide reveals his robot head. Like the other Insecticons, he features four wheels and a rub symbol.
Transformations: Flip out the halves of Hardshell’s carapace to form legs. Swing out the arms and fold down the beetle horn to reveal the robot head.
Rotate Kickback’s head 180 degrees, swing his wings forward, connect his small insect limbs, and fold in the purple tips of his rear limbs to form his robot feet.
Fold in Sharpshot’s yellow limbs, extend his robot legs, rotate his waist 180 degrees, swing up his feet, and spread apart the beetle mandibles to reveal his robot head.
Robot Mode: Hardshell’s metallic silver face somewhat resembles a medieval knight’s helmet. He also features laser blasters on his wrists and chrome silver thighs. Thanks to the beetle horn/mortar launcher on top of his head, he stands 12.5 cm(4.9”) tall. He comes with a twin ion impulse blaster that pegs into either fist (which inevitably will wear out the chrome finish). His shoulders, hips, and knees are hinged. It should be noted that his shoulder joints were frighteningly tight when I first transformed him. Even now, I’m very careful when I pose his arms.
Kickback stands less than 9 cm(3.5”) tall at the head, but his raised wings are as high as Bombshell’s launcher. His face and brow are metallic silver. Unlike his fellow Insecticons, he features pincers instead of fists. He wields a clip-on electrothermic blast tube and is articulated at the head, shoulders, pincers, and hips.
Sharpshot has a height 10.5 cm(4.1”) tall and a width of 11.5 cm(4.5”) thanks to his beetle mandibles. His face is metallic silver, his thighs are chrome, and his forearms are equipped with blasters. His weapon of choice is a clip-on gamma ray detonator. His shoulders and hips are hinged and his waist rotates.
Overall, Susp Sez: All three Insecticons are very good toys, with cool features, easy transformations, and fairly good articulation in robot mode. At $49.99 Canadian, however, they’re not exactly an impulse buy. And hopefully your Hardshell won’t have the same joint problems as mine. 7/10
”A little heavy on the electrons, electrons!”