Dirt Boss' vehicle mode is a highly futuristic monster truck-- a perfect alt mode for the name. Obviously, a monster truck might not be the first vehicle you'd expect to find on a Speed Planet, but the Key Gimmick rectifies that-- by plugging his Speed Planet Key into the rear of the vehicle, the wheels move outwards more while the main body moves downwards, to make the vehicle look like it's capable of being much speedier. The wheels look much better in this position, I think-- in their "normal" position, they look like they're too far separated from the main body to the point where the look awkward. Another, more minor, problem with this mode is the fact that the robot hands are rather easily visible near the rear of the vehicle. But other than those two beefs, the rest of Dirt Boss' vehicle mode looks great. I love the futuristic paneling detailed on his main body, and the exhaust pipes to the rear and the exposed engine on the front hood help to make Dirt Boss look all the more speedier. He also has a drivers' seat and console molded inside the cockpit, though it's hard to see because the transparent plastic is so dark. He has a decent amount of paint detailing as well, though a few more silver paint apps near the rear of the vehicle mode are needed. His overall color scheme is very good, too-- purple and green are definitely Decepticon colors, and they look good on a futuristic "rough 'n tough" truck such as this. The bit of charcoal black and silver help to give the scheme a bit more variety, too (even if just plain black would've worked a little better).
    Dirt Boss' robot mode is also very good, though it does suffer from a few flaws. For one, his head hovers just a little above the chest without anything to anchor it down (think Energon Jetfire). The Key gimmick activates something different in this mode-- plug it in, and the exhaust pipes swing over Dirt Boss' shoulders to become guns. However, though it's a cool gimmick, it reveals another flaw-- the guns are slightly uneven, at least on mine. One points more downwards, while the other points straight ahead as it should. It's not a huge deal, but it is a little distracting. Many Transfans don't seem to like the four large wheels hanging off the sides of Dirt Boss', but I actually think they add to the mode-- they give the mode more bulk and weight than it otherwise would have, and thus makes Dirt Boss look more like a force to be reckoned with, I think. They get in the way of backward arm articulation a little, and make Dirt Boss a tad back heavy, but otherwise I don't have any problem with them. And speaking of articulation, Dirt Boss has a ton of it-- he can move in any place you could reasonably expect on a deluxe-sized figure except from side-to-side at the elbows, meaning you can get him into a number of cool poses. His proportions are overall pretty nice too, though I perhaps would've made his legs a little bulkier. His head sculpting is also awesome-- the rotating telescope over his right optic looks really cool (even if it doesn't actually rotate, it's too small-- but it looks like it should). His head also has a really unique, steamlined design to it.
    Dirt Boss is a fine Decepticon, with a alt mode that hasn't been done in years and a well-proportioned robot mode. They way his wheels are positioned normally in his vehicle mode look rather odd, however, and it does bug me a little that his guns are uneven in robot mode and his head hovers a bit off his chest. But I still recommend him-- he's a unique, cool Decepticon to add to your ranks.

Review by Beastbot

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