Robots in Disguise - Obsidain

Okay, I know in the BM Obsidian review I said I wasn't going to buy this, and I originally hadn't intended to, but we got in a box of RID basics at work and I couldn't stop myself for some reason. KB charges $5.99, so after a 25% discount he only cost me $4.50, 50 cents less than Walmart and Target charge. Joy is me. As is the case with repaint reviews, this will only compare with the original. If you want a more extensive review of the mold, check out the BM Obsidian review.

Of course in vehicle mode Obsidian is a VTOL Osprey. In fact, aside from the copyright year, there are no changes to the mold at all, so I really don't need to review any of that stuff. The obvious change is the color scheme. Instead of translucent orangy plastic for the propellers, tail fins and cockpit, Ridsidian uses a dark yellow sort of plastic. When you see him alone it may look orangish, but next to BM Obsidian, it looks quite yellow. I like this color of plastic better, for one, but really it's all a matter of opinion with the mold.

The other obvious color change is the body. Rather than shades of green with blue tampos, Ridsidian is a very light brown (skin color if you're really pale) with a gray tail. Also instead of blue tampos, they're dark brown and actually they're paint apps, sorry. Um, Ridsidian's paint apps make for a camouflage look, whereas the blue on BM Obsidian (this is getting confusing, I wish Hasbro had given him a new name) is in a stripe sort of pattern. The yellowish paint on Obsidian's guns has been changed to a much lighter shade on Ridsidian.

Transformation would be, well, exactly the same, though for some reason my Ridsidian's head was installed upside down. As in, when he was transformed the first time his head was the wrong way. Weird. Not hard to fix, of course, as it's on a ball joint. Also, the gearing mechanism seems to stick a little less, which is probably due to the different type of plastic used for Ridsidian.

Well, robot mode has the same color differences that vehicle mode had, being they're almost one in the same. Ridsidian's eyes are the same color as his propellers. The final thing is his spark crystal, which is a very dark purple Vehicon spark. Actually it's quite dark and you need to stare for a little while to fully make out the Vehicon symbol. Ah well, no Decepticon sparks.

Overall, well, it's a cool toy regardless, with two excellent modes plus the bonus hover mode. If you don't own BM Obsidian, then definitely pick this guy up if you see him. If you already own BM Obsidian, it really depends on how much you like the new colors and if you want to own two of essentially the same toy. At $5 it's the best basic released in the RID line, so it's worth the cash, so it's all up to you in the end (as it always is). Myself, I like the original color scheme better, so Ridsidian loses himself half a point in his rating. That's all folks.