Sideswipe w/ Whisper & Divebomb (Botcon 2008 Attendee-Only Exclusives)
 

Divebomb
Beast ModeRobot Mode
Allegiance: Decepticon
Size: Mini-Con (comes in a 4-pack with Sideswipe, Whisper, and Blurr)
Difficulty of Transformation: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Light orange, black, and some red
Rating: 7.5

(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to the Predator Attack Minicon Team. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the Predator Attack Minicon Team here.)

    Like the other Predator Attack Team Minicon repaints in this year's Botcon set, Divebomb is based off of the G1 Predacon of the same name. Given that he has a nearly identical beast mode, it certainly fits, and the primarily orange color scheme certainly gives him a very G1 Predacon-ish look. The black also serves as a nice contrast color, though I wish there was considerably more of it, particularly on his tail feathers. And really, that's my main complaint with Divebomb-- there just isn't enough color variety on him. Except for this teeny tiny slivers of red painted on his optics, he's molded entirely in orange plastic and his some black paint apps that are primarily visible in beast mode. Not a particularly complex scheme-- perhaps some more of that red would have helped liven things up a bit? It was particularly ingenious to include Divebomb with Sideswipe, however, since Divebomb's two Minicon ports on the underside of his beast mode match up EXACTLY with the two Powerlinx ports on Sideswipe's back end in vehicle mode, essentially giving Sideswipe a bit of an impromptu "flight mode".
    No mold changes have been made to Botcon Divebomb.


Divebomb Bio:
FUNCTION: Aerial Combat
MOTTO: "Soar above those who would bring you down."
Divebomb was a daydreamer who would often come up with brilliant theories as he stared happily at the sky. When the war came, his only escape from its horrors would be to dream of a better time, both in the past and future, when destruction would not be a part of his every day existence. There is a deep sadness inside Divebomb's Ember that he masks with a cheerful exterior. He understands his importance in the Decepticon / Autobot conflict and never wants his personal sorrow to affect anyone else. The only time he will let his true feelings show are when he is alone, soaring above the world in the sky that he could once only dream about touching.
Strength: 6.0
Intelligence: 7.0
Speed: 9.0
Endurance: 6.0
Rank: 5.0
Courage: 8.0
Fireblast: 5.0
Skill: 8.0

(NOTE: Because the following two toys are repaints, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the molds and the color schemse, and merely compares them to Armada Wheeljack w/ Wind Sheer. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Armada Wheeljack w/ Wind Sheer here.)

Whisper
Vehicle ModeRobot Mode
Allegiance: Decepticon
Size: Mini-Con (comes in a 4-pack with Sideswipe, Divebomb, and Blurr)
Difficulty of Transformation: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Dark bluish gray, bright coral green, and some dull off-white, red, and dull yellow
Rating: 6.2

    As is usually the case, Whisper's color scheme is more of a side effect of his larger partner Sideswipe's colors. The main blue-gray color is a bit boring, but still a serviceable main color (even if it is way too similar to Wind Sheer's main color), as is the dull yellow stripes used for his vehicle mode. However... that is a PUTRID shade of green. Ick, ick ick. It doesn't fit with any of the other colors at all. Neither does the off-white color used for the head, though at least it isn't a loud shade like the green is. At least he has a cool name, though.
    No mold changes have been made to Whisper.

No Stats
 

Sideswipe
Vehicle ModeRobot Mode
Allegiance: Decepticon
Size: Deluxe (comes in a 4-pack with Whisper, Divebomb, and Blurr)
Difficulty of Transformation: Medium
Color Scheme: Dark bluish gray, bright coral green, dull off-white, and some dull yellow, black, silver, and red
Rating: 7.3

    Sideswipe here has a rather interesting history. This toy, in very similar colors, was originally going to be released as a store-exclusive for the original Universe line as "Drench", an homage to the obscure G2 character. However, for whatever reason, it never panned out. Now, "Drench" finally sees a release as a mirror-verse version of Sideswipe (so named because of the uncanny resemblance the mold has in robot mode to the G1 character). Also, because of the topsy-turvy world of the mirror-verse and the "slashed" allegiance symbol on the chest, Sideswipe is a bad guy gone good instead of a good guy gone bad like Armada Wheeljack-- an interesting twist. As far as the actual color scheme goes, though... bleh. Like I said with regards to Whisper, the main color, a bluish-gray, may be dull, but it's still a decent main color. Not so with that completely ugly, ridiculously loud coral green, homage to Drench or not. A milky off-white color that becomes another main color in his robot mode also doesn't help matters much either, as it's dull and light-colored, neither of which go well with that ugly green either (and Armada Wheeljack also had a rather similar color in the same place as that white, as well). On the plus side, though, the head is nicely detailed, with the head and black looking quite well on the off-white, and the silver is a nice accent color. So is the yellow, in the lesser amounts that it's used in.
    No mold changes have been made to Botcon Sideswipe.


Sideswipe Bio:
FUNCTION: Warrior
MOTTO: "There is only one rule now; revenge!"
Once part of Prime's elite Seeker unit, Sideswipe was feared as the most ruthless of the trio. Drench, the team's leader, believed that there should be a balance between a stern hand and compassion. Though there was a difference in philosophy between the two, there was also a mutual respect. However, for Optimus, these were not traits he found appealing in his sub-commander and when the opportunity arose, he had Drench killed. Sideswipe, though ruthless, was loyal and did not agree with the fate that had been dealt to his fallen leader. Sensing a conflict in Sideswipe's "loyalties," Prime let Sideswipe walk into a staged ambush in which he and a fellow Autobot were left to die. Though the companion, who had been there by mistake, was killed, Sideswipe survived and ended up being accepted into the ranks of the Decepticons. While Sideswipe fights for different reasons than his new comrades, he fights nonetheless. As a tribute to his former commander, Sideswipe has taken the colors Drench once bore as a constant reminder to Prime that vengeance is coming.
Strength: 8.0
Intelligence: 7.0
Speed: 9.0
Endurance: 7.0
Rank: 8.0
Courage: 9.0
Fireblast: 8.0
Skill: 8.0

    Botcon Sideswipe w/ Whisper and Divebomb easily comprise my least favorite "group" in the 2008 Botcon set. Divebomb isn't half-bad, even if he could use a bit more color variation, but Sideswipe and Whisper both just look horrid because of that awful shade of green. Homage to a cancelled Universe toy or not, their colors just don't sit well with me. Especially considering how they both share two major colors with their mass-release versions, I think something else definitely should have been done with their color schemes.
 

Review by Beastbot

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