Name: Double Punch
Series: "European" Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Desert Vanguard
Alternate Mode: Scorpion
Thanks to Demonac for loaning me Double Punch for this review
SCORPION MODE
Height: 6cm Length: 9.5cm Width: 9.5cm
A black scorpion with magenta claws, a magenta head and blue legs. He's loosely based on Black Zarak, although the main link in scorpion mode is the black. The "arms" are teal and there's some bright orange added to the mix - although he really doesn't need more colour. Double Punch isn't really any more garish than many other Actionmasters, but that doesn't make his colours any more attractive.
This scorpion - while it looks like a scorpion - isn't a terribly thoughtful scorpion. There's no real tail, only the robot legs folded up on his back. The claws work fairly well although they do sit quite wide (being the arms). The legs look decent enough although they're a single piece on either side, which are detachable.
Double Punch will lay flat on the table - or close enough to it. There's not so much play value, the claws will lift up and down, alternating as you press a yellow plunger above his head. There are no wheels underneath and the legs are fixed, as mentioned.
A beast mode that really feels like the folded up robot that he is. He could have managed to do this if he didn't have different colours on all the different pieces. The lack of a proper tail really hurts, since it's a defining scorpion feature.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Fold away the attempted stingers on the robot legs, swing the legs back and down into place. Remove the scorpion legs, plug them into his back. Stand him up.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 10.5cm Width: 5.5cm
Double Punch is again based on black, the magenta on his claw-hands, head and feet. The teal is on his upper arms and the orange is on his chest, joined by some red. The face is gold with green eyes which would be good if the head wasn't magenta. Still, the colour scheme isn't quite as gaudy now since the blue and yellow are on his back and out of the way. The gold face also brings him close to the colours of Black Zarak, which I appreciate.
The tribute is quite obvious here, with a painted red door on the chest, big antennae similar to those of Black Zarak and the claws for forearms. Naturally there are also similarities to Scorponok even if the colours and head are different.
His poseability is quite limited. The head rotates through 360°, as do his shoulders although the waist is fixed. His hips swing and the knees can bend slightly but the actual range of stable leg poses is very small. The gimmick is still available through the yellow plunger, now on his back.
While this isn't a great robot mode, it is Double Punch's better mode with a more unified colour scheme and a fairly strong semblance to the toy he's meant to be tributing. It's strange they are imitating a toy not released in Europe, but at least he does a good job off it (compared to the other Actionmaster Elites).
VARIATIONS
None that I'm aware of. As with the other Actionmaster Elites, Double Punch was sold only in Continental Europe and Australia.
OVERALL
An interesting idea, but Double Punch is held back by his randomly poor colour choices. The gimmick isn't that great but the robot mode is quite good, and the Black Zarak tribute is strong despite the cacophony of colour. The scorpion mode really needs a tail, and along with the colours this holds him back. Considering the prices you're likely to pay on the secondary market, this isn't a toy I can recommend, but there's certainly curiosity value here - 6/10
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