Cliffbee.com Actionmaster Tracks Toy Review

Individual Review




Name: Tracks
Series: "European" G1
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Warrior
Alt Mode: None (was a Chevy Corvette)



ROBOT MODE
Height: 9.5cm Width: 4.5cm

   As you might expect, Tracks is a blue robot, although he's a lighter blue than the blue of the original Tracks toy. Unlike many classic character Actionmasters, he's not really a cartoon accurate robot mode. His face is white, whereas the cartoon and the original toy both had a red face. In fact, the head is grey whereas before it was white. The thighs are also grey now. He has a blue chest, as well as blue shins and forearms (both were originally black). The black groin and upper arms are consistent, as are the wheels on his shoulders and the outsides of his shins. While the original was blue, black and white, Tracks is now blue, grey and black, with the white restricted to his face, which has orange eyes for some reason.

   So you're probably thinking it really doesn't look like Tracks anymore. While he looks quite different, this is clearly Tracks. The flame motif on the car hood is now on his chest (there's an Autobot symbol in the middle, which is a nice touch), the chest has the front and side windows, which are black, and the groin is the same. The calves look like car-bonnet halves, which helps sell him as Tracks. He has what looks like silver exhaust pipes on his back, which is nice. It's something of a feature of the Actionmasters to pay attention to the moulding on the back - but then I suppose every surface is dedicated to the robot mode. On the sides of the shoulders are small wings which point backwards. While they're black not white, it's nice the designer made an effort to incorporate Tracks' wings into this toy.

   Poseablity is the same as every other Actionmaster - head turns, arms rotate and legs have G.I. Joe poseability (fully poseable hips, knees bend 90 degrees). He's certainly more poseable than the original was, although that's not all that difficult. His handgun is grey and looks like one of those giant water pistols.

THE PARTNER - BASHER

   The partner is a neon green and blue tank. Basher's a a rather bright little thing that doesn't go well with the rather tasteful Tracks. As with most non-animal Actionmaster partners, it doesn't impress me - but in neon green it's worse than most. The top springs up and over Tracks' head when you use it as a backpack, and looks like a giant neon head with elephant ears.

   The ears are courtesy of radar dish like missile racks, sitting on either side of the main block. While it looks reasonable in tank mode (neon aside), it really looks bad on Track's back.

VARIATIONS

   None that I know of. But they'd be worth an absolute fortune (c8

OVERALL

   On it's own, this is quite a nice Actionmaster. The colours work and the overall look is quite nice. It's still Tracks despite some major changes from his original look, so if you're a fan of him as I am you'll probably like it simply because it's Tracks. Basher is a waste of plastic, but if you can get Tracks for a fair price I'd recommend him - 7/10

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