By Loran
Yeah, there’s nothing about the Wreckers from Transformers: The Dark of the Moon that I can say that hasn’t been said in my review of Roadbuster. Great concept, silly, fun, etc etc.
Now unlike his green brother Roadbuster, Topspin comes in the fully-armored configuration we’ve come to see in the trailers. I believe his Legends-class figure comes without all the armor and weapons, making one wonder if at some point in the movie they’re seen without the weapons. This configuration looks VERY cool, with four ports for 5mm weapons—yes, you can put his entire loadout of 4 5mm guns and his mechtech gun on him in this mode. However, I haven’t been able to find any ports on this figure for 3mm clip weapons. Weird.
THANKFULLY, Topspin’s transformation is a lot less frustrating and a lot more intuitive than Roadbuster. No annoyingly tight missile pods here! However, I have noticed that some of the ball joints on his backpack bits are fairly loose. I’m not sure if it’s just mine, but they keep popping out with just a little force. I might have to use some clear nail polish to tighten them.
His robot mode is DEFINITELY an improvement over Roadbuster. It’s not so much the design as it is the detailing. Roadbuster’s paint budget got used up through all his crazy sponsors, so his robot mode suffered. Since Topspin’s vehicle mode covers a good deal of the sponsors, he gets a much more detailed color scheme in robot mode, with the weird highlighter-yellow shoulders and pecs, and the silver on his waist. It’s nice to see that all the sculpted detail is noticeable.
His backpack may be seen as kibble by some, but I think it works with the supposed “mechanic” motif of the character. Plus, it provides great weapon storage.
His head is a little odd. I’ve been hearing that the Wreckers are actually all British (which would make sense—the Wreckers DID originate in the Marvel UK comics!), and his head seems to look like it has a British judge’s wig. If that’s the case, I suppose it’s cool, but it rather clashes with the… “aesthetic” of the rest of the team. Sadly, his light-piping isn’t as good as Roadbuster’s.
Articulation on Topspin is actually a bit of a mixed bag. He has many of the same joints as Roadbuster, plus a double joint in the knees, but he isn’t as fluid. His bicep swivel, for one, is VERY tight. He does have articulated claws, for a very nice additional touch. Thanks to his transformation, he manages to get the coveted “waist swivel”. Amazing, I know.
Topspin’s mechtech gun is probably one of the lamest ones I’ve seen so far. It’s… a claw. Because it’s not like he had those already. His four guns are very cool, though, and can plug into his forearms. He doesn’t have useful hands to speak of, however—just the plugs on his forearms.
If you are wondering which Wrecker to pick up if you have to choose only one, I’m not sure I can recommend one over the other. I feel Roadbuster’s robot mode looks nice but lacks detail, whereas Topspin has a much higher play value and simpler transformation. Really, they’re both great, and it’s up to you. In the end, you can find both here at FPNYC. Now I just hope Hasbro gives us an armored Roadbuster…
