Vehicle mode is an emergency
vehicle/sportscar. I've never seen one meself, but they obviously do exist.
In Beverly Hills. During an economy boom. Or something like that. Anyways,
like nearly all early G1 toys, this alt mode is pretty darn nice. Clear
windows that don't automatically give away that this toy is a robot in
disguise, nice "fire chief" and "F.D." detailing on the sides and hood.
Rubber tires. A police siren made of transparent plastic. (Man, this review
is just FULL of sentence fragments, isn't it?) Sleek. And almost the entire
back half of the vehicle is made of diecast metal, to boot. Unfortunately,
the weapons can't store anywhere. Oh, and the missile launcher can't fire,
due to a safety modification. But I don't fire mine that often anyways,
so it's no big deal to me.
Robot mode... is actually
pretty darn good for a G1 toy. Although the only articulation is at the
shoulders, elbows, and hands, I can't really ding this guy for looking
oddly proportioned, which is unusual for a toy this old. Nice (if a bit
stiff) arms, nice legs, nice feet. Nice sticker detailing, although that
stuff is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to apply. Little bitty stickers, how small
do they think our fingers are!? Moving on Red Alert has two weapons; your
basic hand-held gun and a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher that clips on.
Pretty sweet, actually, although I'm probably spoiled by the oversized
ones they have on more modern toys.
Red Alert's just a well-rounded
toy. No feature that makes him stand out from the pack, but his proportions
are decent, and his transformation and vehicle mode are solid. His only
real drawback is the insane sticker price- $30! For a toy that's barely
larger than a basic! If that won't deter casual toy collectors, I don't
know what will. And it's a shame, really, since Red Alert is one of the
better G1 toys.
Review by Beastbot