Cliffbee.com Menasor Toy Review

Individual Review




Name: Menasor
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Super Warrior
Alternate Mode: N/A - Gestalt comprising Breakdown, Dead End, Drag Strip, Motormaster & Wildrider.



COMBINED ROBOT MODE
Height: 20cm Width: 12cm

   A fairly compact gestalt, Menasor's colours are mostly subdued - greys and blacks with some beige, maroon and blue. The exception is the yellow on Drag Strip, but I'm happy to report that it's a subdued yellow - and overall the colour scheme is a good mix of dull and colourful. The central block is grey and black while his head is black with a silver face and red eyes.

   The red eyes work well on a Decepticon and the silver face is well sculpted, with lips and eyesockets. The head itself actually fits over Motormaster's - like a facemask, and his antennae stick out above the hood that encases Motormaster's head. The chestplate and groin are actually separate pieces, which do not connect to each other - which is unusual for a Scramble City gestalt.

   Three of the four limbs interchange easily - Drag Strip's spoiler gets in the way of his leg mode, so you can only make a leg out of Drag Strip if he's backwards - it'll result in a really unattractive leg. The shoulder posts are clearly visible, and since Menasor's inherited Motormaster's boxy shape, they're unable to blend into the torso - he has 1cm long pegs holding his arms in place. These pegs are really the only blemish on Menasor's appearance.

   Poseability is what you'd expect - the shoulders rotate and that's it. It is possible to give him bending knees if you attach his legs "backwards", but bending them would bare the pegs holding the legs on, and this is a bad effect. The upside is that both his sword and gun work well with Menasor. The sword is chrome the gun purple, and both are the right size for him.

VARIATIONS

   Released in 1986 individually or as a giftset and again in 1990 as Classics (no giftset this time). In 1994, A G2 Breakdown was sold exclusively at BotCon, without the rest of the team. It's possible to substitute G2 Breakdown into Menasor - if you can find one.

OVERALL

   I've always disliked the obvious shoulder struts, and since there's a lot of grey while the legs look robotic rather than carlike, I find Menasor a little dull. The knees will often flop when you don't want them too, but he's still more stable than Bruticus or Devastator. The weapons work well and his facial detail is great. Like the gestalt itself, the individual Stunticons are a mixed bag, but they were prominent enough in the cartoon that I recommend Menasor - he's a decent gestalt - 6/10

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