Review #10 - Universe G1 Twins - Sunstreaker and Sideswipe

During the first few waves of the Transformers toy line in the 80s, the usual method for creating characters was to spam a specific mold to make multiple coloured version of a single figure, and sell them as separate characters. While these two did have the same reason for coming into being, at least Hasbro and Takara did give them a good back story.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the review for Transformers Universe Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

Now, this review will be a tad different than most of mine as the two are basically the same figure with minor changes to each. So I'll first give a short bio of each character, then rate the gimmick, fun factor, articulation and vehicle modes as if it were one figure.


First, let's start with Sunstreaker...



Sunstreaker is unlike the majority of the Autobots in that he is only about one person; Sunstreaker. He believe that he was created by the mighty Primus (god of all Transformers) as the best there was and will ever be (lol Autobot Bret Hart?) He is so self-centered in fact, that the only Autobot who truly can get along with him is his brother Sideswipe, which says quite a lot.

The single reason why he is still under the command of Prime - and not on a asteroid repairing a space bridge - is because of his knack for being a ruthless warrior. He can take just about anything the Decepticons can dish out and yet can still whip some tailgate with the best of them. He is a true asset to the Autobots, despite his ability to annoy every bot around him.




Sideswipe is like the polar opposite of Sunstreaker, as it is common with most identical twins. Unlike his sociopathical brother, Sideswipe is more of a team player, and takes into account the efforts of all who battle with him. However, he is a tad more reckless than his brother. Now, when I say reckless, I mean "charging headlong into battle, ignoring everything that opposes him, all with the risk of perminent deactivation" reckless. In short, he tends to get himself into many bad situations. But this is in the name of victory.

Victory for Sideswipe is not just the first solution, but the ONLY one. If he has to put his spark in danger to ensure victory, he will. If cheating is required, he'll cheat. This makes him something of a mechanical jock, but he does also have a humourous side, attaining the title of the Ark's resident prankster.

VEHICLE:





The vehicle modes of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe have got to be the most streaklined and slickest of all the Universe line, hands down. Both seem to be a combination of a Meclerin M1 and a Lamborgini (their original modes), with the generic sports-car additives thrown in for good measure. Both figures possess dual-vent turbo chargers on their roofs, and have their own custom license plates.

While Sideswipe's plate simply reads "SWIPE", Sunstreaker's is a tad more interesting, saying "WE R 84" (a nod to the fact that they are both G1 characters obviously)



One final note about both figures is that there is no kibble. Yes, I said it; NO KIBBLE. If it wasn't for the fact that Sunstreaker has a huge ass Autobot symbol on his roof, and both came in Transformers Universe packagaing, you would honestly have a hard time believing these figures are Transformers. That in itself is a major note to take into consideration.

Vehicle: 24/25


ROBOT:



As you can tell, like their G1 counterparts, the Universe releases of the twins are relatively the same mold. The main differences are the head sculpt, the body and the paint scheme. Both look extremely nice side by side, and are designed to give their G1 selves a major makeover. The head sculpts are quite well done, with Sunstreaker having his signature fins and Sideswipe possessing light piping. (finally I get a crystal clear picture of something!)



For transformation, the two start off about the same, turning into what is seen in the first photo below...



This is about where the similarities end. For Sideswipe, you must rotate the entire body 180 degrees on his waist joint. You then perform one of the best head reveals of all the Universe line. By turning the entire roof section 180 degrees, the head raises up from the body section by means of a gear system. This is epic; serious props go to Hasbro for this gimmick. One thing to note about Sunstreaker is that - as an early Universe figure - his plastic is different from Sideswipe and wears out easy with frequent "play". (My figure's feet, shoulders and head are a lot looser than Sideswipe's).


ARTICULATION:
Head: Ball jointed
Shoulders: ball jointed, ~270 degree rotation (due to transformation)
Elbows: 360 degree rotation, 180 degree pivot (two places)
Hands: 360 degree rotation
Waist: 360 degree rotation
Thighs: Ball jointed
Knees: 360 degree rotation, 90 degree pivot back
Feet: Ball jointed
Other: The knee guards are on ball joints

Both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are quite posable, although you have to watch Sunstreaker as his joints tend to become slightly looser as you transform and play with him.

Articulation: 24/25


GIMMICK:

This is the one thing that these two figures seem to lack, and sadly will hurt their overall score greatly. Both figures only have two gimmicks, and unfortunately, both are quite weak depending on what you consider a "good gimmick". First off is their head reveals. Okay, I did say before that these head reveals are epic, but it isn't that strong of a gimmick compared to some of the others out there. The other gimmick is the shoulder-mount for the laser cannon. There is a small hole one either side of both figures' heads, and it takes a bit to get them inserted.



Gimmick: 16/25


FUN FACTOR:

On their own, both figures are quite a treat to play with. Both figures do take a bit of force to pull apart and a bit more time to transform, but not much in the grand scheme. The vehicle modes of both figures are quite well made however, and the robot modes are very articulate, which gives kids many options for poses. Finally, the turbo-charges can be considered as jet packs. Why this would add to the fun, who knows; only Sideswipe had a "jet pack" anyway. But still, these figures are quite fun, ignoring the hard transformation.

Fun Factor: 19.5/25


OVERVIEW:

Universe Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are very intriguing figures in that both were made from the same mold, and yet are unique. Not many remolded figures can say that, which means that the G1 Brothers are in a league of their own. The overall lack of gimmicks does hurt the figures' score, but the epic head reveal, the great articulation and the vehicle modes do compensate slightly for this weak score.

My score for Universe Sunstreaker and Sideswipe: 83.5/100

When I saw Sideswipe in the stores, I initially skipped over him due to the fact that I hated Sunstreaker as a figure and felt I didn't want something that was a remold. But then I finally bought him and now I love both figures equally; equally good that it. If anything, get Sideswipe, as his plastic is a lot better quality and he has the light-piping. But if you are a completist, you still may have a chance to purchase Sunstreaker at your local retailer. (or check eBay as well).