Red Alert (G1 Reissue, Toys "R" Us Exclusive)
Vehicle ModeRobot Mode
Allegiance: Autobot
Price: $30 (U.S.)
Difficulty of Transformation: Easy
Difficulty of Sticker Applications: Very Hard
Color Scheme: White, red, black, chrome silver, and some transparent dark red, silver, and clear plastic
Rating: 7.3

    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.



Red Alert Bio:
FUNCTION: Security Director
MOTTO: "Caution can never be overused."
No detail, no matter how small, escapes the vigilance of Red Alert. This edgy Autobot assumes trouble is coming any time his exceptional sensors are activated. His ability to trigger alarms in his comrades often makes him unpopular despite their respect for his skills. Extremely fast in vehicle mode, he carries a particle beam rifle and rocket launcher with a 25 mile range. Red Alert sometimes makes quick judgements that cause injury to himself and his comrades.
Strength: 5.0
Intelligence: 7.0
Speed: 8.0
Endurance: 5.0
Rank: 7.0
Courage: 7.0
Firepower: 7.0
Skill: 8.0

Review by Beastbot

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