Well, this is it: I've finally decided to start reposting my old "Alexx Shorts" G.I. Joe reviews. They're the reviews that lead to what eventually became this blog! I'll be posting them in straight copy-and-paste format, separating them with bold dotted lines so you know where they begin and end, and then I'll post some final thoughts on what I think of the figure currently.For those unfamiliar: I used to take random pictures here and there, but by the time the Rise of Cobra toys came out, I was getting annoying with how much people had been bashing the figures which were clearly better than the previous 25th Anniversary offerings. I set out to show people how awesome they were, and things went from there, forming into "Alexx Shorts", named so because I thought I was going to keep to a short format with a few pictures. I did not do that.
Gliders! I just....man I don't think they're the best thing for military procedures.
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Another Target Exclusive (most of which seem to be awesome), Grand Slam has become the pilot of the glider that originally came with Barrel Roll in Spytroops. This time around, the glider has no spy accessories, and sports a snazzy camo scheme that matches the only camo that RoC figures wear. It's also got stickers to show it's movie allegiance.
Personally, I think this set it worth it for Grand Slam alone:
Grand Slam now has a new head for himself, and it's Ace's! I think it looks great, but I wasn't a fan of Flash's head for the 25th line. It worked once, but putting it on other folks didn't work so well. (Changing Ace's hair color seems to have made him look different, but the Flash head is very unique looking). Anyway, other than the head sculpt, the whole thing just looks great. I love the metallic blue! Once again, though, they went back to Spytroops for the weapons. Grand Slam didn't fare as well as the Air Viper, though, 'cause GS gets the crazy Spearhead rifle. I liked it back in the day, but now I've been spoiled by the really cool weapons we've gotten for awhile now.
It's huge, though you can have him hold it realistically. Perhaps I just need to do some research and find out what it was based on, but it's so strange, with the dual clips and giant silencer thingy. Either way, it doesn't really work for Grand Slam here. Not sure what to use yet, but he looks awesome with Hawk's jetpack and gun, in a sort of update to Grand Slam's jump pack:
I wish he had just come with what they showed on the back of the package, but it's not so bad I guess:
Oh, he's also got a pistol in his leg holster!
Enough about that, though! You're paying ten bucks for two things. A figure, and this:
Yeah, it's not much better than it was originally. I didn't like it that much during Spytroops, and I'm still not that amazed by it here. They added some stickers to put on it, and they actually found some good places to set them, like the new Joe symbol on the front:
They replaced the old back peg with the new one, of course, but the hole in GS's back is up much higher than the old holes (which were all near the middle of the back) so that places GS way back on the glider:
Now, the CLAW has no way to support the legs either, but this one is just ridiculous! His butt is way past the whole glider, making it even more obvious that he's gotta have some major stomach muscles to keep himself straight on that thing! Like I said, the CLAW pilots have to do the same, but they kinda fit into the thing really well and make a nice illusion that they are secure. Grand Slam here is just kinda....on there. Somehow. Not only that, but the glider still has it's wacky feature:
Still no idea what that is supposed to be. Does kinda make a neat mini-dropoff ship for 'em though:
Otherwise, I don't know what else to do with that mode. There you have it, though! I love the Grand Slam (even if I don't end up using him as Grand Slam) but the glider is still as lackluster as it used to be, being a confusing chunk that now looks even worse with a person stuck to it. So it's up to you: is it worth it for Grand Slam? I thought so, but I'm also gona try to find something useful for that glider to do!
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I was lookin' at these pics, wondering what I didn't like about the glider, because it actually looks kinda cool! Then I dug it out and BLECH. I mean, the colors and paint are real nice, but the fact remains that it is just not fun. It wasn't back in Spytroops, and it wasn't in RoC. I'm not sure if I can explain it well (and apparently Past Alexx couldn't either). I mean, it's just a glider, like the CLAW, but it looks more awkward and doesn't feel fun to play with at all. It's too large, the figure sticks to it strangely, and it has the weird feature of removable wings that reposition pointlessly. The pictures make it look like something I could use in some way, but every time I hold it the thing just kills imagination. Dunno why.
Grand Slam, on the other hand, is still cool! I love the color scheme, the choice of head, the body, and the fact that he could easily work as Grand Slam or someone else. Nothin' bad about this one, and easily worth hunting down by himself. You can skip the glider thingy.
This is the Grand Slam from my O13 shelf... not even sure if I got the glider with him, to be honest. I slapped a spare JUMP on him and he looks fine enough considering Grand Slam has to be the most obscure / pointless of the O13.
ReplyDelete(Hawk would've been had Hama not kept him important enough in the comics that Hasbro revisited him with the bomber jacket / black hair version a few years later)
The glider's still stinky, tho. Not sure why they tossed in so many added missiles for the Cobra version, but just sort of assumed the "play" feature would be enough over here....
Yeah this one jumped into my O13 and stayed there, to this day. Grand Slam and flash used the same heads in the 25th, so this was a much needed difference. The blue armor is also real jazzy! Glad I wasn't the only one using him this way.
DeleteI think you mentioned it in your Dollar Store "Duke" review, but it'd be genuinely interesting to go back and see exactly which mutts (not Mutt-s) are clogging up everyone's O13 displays.
DeleteI know mine has the Desert Battle SE (because I bought those every time I saw them for obvious reasons, and it had the commando head as a spare part), the comic pack Scarlett (never got the original set, and didn't want to put any GOOD Scarletts - not that there really are any - in there), 30th Stalker with the OG's head attached, and this Grand Slam (technically movieverse), at least. Plus I'm pretty sure Clutch and Rock and Roll have been kitbashed all to hell.
I was actually fairly lucky in that I bought legit versions of Steeler and Short Fuze from a friend when he was dumping his collection. But other than, like, Hawk and Breaker (easy to get from comic packs) and Zap (Cobra Island pack FTW), I'm pretty sure the others all came in via sundry means.
Great figure, so-so vehicle. I used the Spytroops one a lot back in the day though I do admit.
ReplyDeleteI tried to use it, back in the day, but I never found an interesting thing to do with the glider. I dunno, it's just so awkward! The Spytroops one at least came with this awesome giant Cobra symbol for the back of it that I used elsewhere.
DeleteThere was a time period when I had practically no vehicles other than that and the wave crusher thing, so...yeah. Lol, it was more because I *had to*.
DeleteI certainly understand that! The 25th era was pretty much the first time I was swimming in vehicles.
DeleteI have to imagine that the recoil from that minigun would cause Grand Slam to fly uncontrollably backwards. But then again, hilariously implemented weaponry is kind of a staple in GI Joe toys, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteYES, one of my favorite staples of G.I. Joe! Mostly because I'm a 90's kid and all the weapons were ridiculous by that point.
DeleteThough, as I say that, the funny thing is that the rifle he comes with is from the 80's, when they were still trying to look somewhat like real guns. I'm sure it's based off something - or a mix of some things - but I dunno what the heck takes two different magazines and has a silencer the size of a pop can.