Brakedown
Brakedown's vehicle mode
is... something. It probably ties with Crumplezone's
for the least recognizable Speed Planet vehicle, in that it has no Earth
counterpart. Regardless, it looks really, really cool; large, dragster-esque
wheels in the back, smaller front wheels inside a sled-like front half,
a small cockpit with no roof, and several exhaust pipes in the back end
make it look very unique. The color scheme of black, bronze, and light
gray is top-notch, and though I think maybe making the transparent parts
red or smoky black would've worked a little better, the color that he's
given by no means clashes with the others. He's also got some great mold
detailing like hydraulic cylinders and springs, as well as some good paint
detailing like his bronze racing stripes. One major complaint that many
seem to have with Brakedown is that you can't insert his Cyber Key in this
mode anywhere, and this is a little annoying, but not a deal-breaker, as
I don't think his gimmick (discussed later) is all that great anyway. There
are a few somewhat obvious robot parts in this mode, such as his the fact
that the back end of the car mode is rather obviously the robot chest,
and if you look at the top of the main body of the vehicle, Brakedown's
robot head is somewhat noticeable, though the sensory dish molded on top
of it in this mode helps hide it some. Still, a very solid mode.
As good as his vehicle
mode is, Brakedown's robot mode is even better. GREAT proportions, and
good articulations too-- he can move at any major point except the waist,
and most of these are on ball joints. He has a little kibble-- the backpack
made up of part of the front half of his vehicle mode-- but this stays
out of the way and doesn't look too odd, so it's easily overlooked. I love
how well his other vehicle parts integrate so well into his robot mode--
how his rear wheels look like big biceps on his arms, and how his exhaust
pipes look like abdominal muscles. Truth be told, if it wasn't for the
"beard" on his robot face, I never would've thought this guy was supposed
to be an old timer, but some kinda butt-kicking ninja anti-hero. The light
piping also works very well in his eyes, so they can glow with relatively
little light. I have only two real complaints about this mode; first, his
lower arms are pathetically small. His arms look like they're nearly all
biceps because of this. Also, his Cyber Key gimmick is kinda uninspired--
plug the Cyber Key in to the little hand-held piece that pops out in this
mode, and a knife flips out. It's at a big of a downward angle from the
rest of the hand-held piece, however, so it almost looks like the knife
is "drooping" a bit. Brakedown also can't move his arms up at the elbows
while holding this weapon, and the way his arms are attached to his body,
it looks a little odd if he points it straight out in front of him. Still,
if you don't like his weapon, you can store it on his back.
Brakedown is a fantastic
toy, and one of my favorite scouts of the line. Great-looking in both modes,
great color scheme, great proportions and articulation-- his Cyber Key
gimmick is rather lame, and his lower arms are too teeny, but those are
his only glaring flaws. Highly recommended.
Review by Beastbot