While, when I heard about certain vehicles being made for the 2002 line, I was very happy, hearing about this one made me delirious! I have heard SO many things about the Warthog. So many GREAT things…but for whatever reason, I have never had the chance to own one of these gems. I’ve hunted on eBay, but was unwilling to pay $30+, and I’ve just never been able to track one down otherwise. While I’m sorry that I’ve never gotten a hold of the Warthog, having the new Night Rhino in my collection makes it a lot less painful!
To get right down to it, all of the great things I’ve heard about the Warthog are 100% true. The Night Rhino is probably the coolest G.I. Joe vehicle released in the past 10 years. Well…maybe that’s pushing it…I’d give it a tie with the A-10 made in ’97 as two of the coolest vehicles made for the Joe team since G.I. Joe’s "Golden Age". Perhaps a strong statement, but I really, really love this vehicle.
Display: Hasbro keeps kicking the box art up a notch and this is no exception. The Rhino tearing over the ground on the box backdrop is just fantastic. I hope Hasbro keeps this artist on their payroll for a long, long time. While it does not have the realistic edge to it that the older stuff had, this style has a great design all of it’s own. Very, very cool stuff, and if Hasbro would only put this stuff on the FIGURES, maybe we’d really be cooking!
Assembly: A couple rough spots here and there, really. The body halves had a little trouble snapping together…some pieces didn’t fit quite right. One of my grenade launchers appears melted almost and barely fits. The stickers are oddly designed and placed...I had to actually take the thing APART to put a couple stickers on. So the assembling was not a pleasant task, but once the thing was together, it was a pure pleasure.
Playability: This is where the Night Rhino shines. This thing is GREAT. It is tough and solid, being made up of only a few pretty solid chunks of plastic. There isn’t a lot of access flimsy plastic to get caught and/or broken off, and the vehicle feels like a nice, rugged tank, which is as it should. The shape and design of the vehicle make it great for frontal assaults, using it’s slanted front armor as a battering ram. The eyes and teeth combination on the front really add to the meanness and overall, the thing looks threatening, dangerous, but functional. Not only would it make a great tank, but the thing is a TROOP CARRIER too!! Wow. This thing holds almost TEN figures, and is perfect for the G.I. Joe nighttime assault with plenty of weapons and plenty of storage space. Plus, the thing FLOATS. The fun never ends with the Night Rhino!! Saweeeeet.
Durability: Again, it ties in well with playability, as it has very solid parts. There are some dangers however. The hinges for the troop doors in back are VERY thin and nerve-wracking! Putting troops in there may be a cautious task, simply because the hinges feel like they’re going to snap merely by opening the door. A dangerous thing, and something to watch, but a small bad point to an overall stellar vehicle.
Colors: Absolutely fantastic. In quite possibly the ONLY color scheme that could be better than the original, Hasbro went the black route, and it really looks AWESOME on this vehicle. And don’t be fooled by the pictures…the highlights that may look yellow, are actually a nicely muted copper/gold tone, which is NOT as bright as they may appear. The nice silver missiles and all touch ups really make this vehicle shine. A very, very nice piece.
Hasbro has done some things recently to illicit a lot of complaints, but this was a fantastic move on their part. Taking a nice, relatively unknown vehicle and retooling it and designing it to fit the modern stuff was a great idea. This vehicle is going to be a solid part of my Joeverse from now on, and I really wish I had been able to enjoy the Warthog throughout my childhood. Still, never too late to start!
If you’d like to see a review of the Night Rhino driver, Dusty, Click Here
