Intro:
I
have to admit, although the Car Robots/ Robots in Disguise series was first
broadcasted in 2001, I haven’t watched it before. Still, I do recognize the
characters from the series, and some of them are also on my hit list such as
Gigatron, Fire Convoy and Ultra Magnus, just to name a few.
But
one particular set that I had never intended to get was the Buildmasters. The
Buildmasters is a special team of engineers and architects tasked to build the
Global Space Bridge. Unlike most special teams ever since G1, the Buildmasters
were never meant to be warriors and fighters, thus making them quite unreliable
in battles.
The
members of the Buildmasters are also capable of combining to form a super robot
called Build King, or Landfill in the Robots in Disguise (RiD) series, which we
will be reviewing in Part 5 of this series of reviews.
It
was pure coincidence that I managed to find this group, and with a proper nudge
from my pal Big Daddy V, I finally relented to what I already wanted to do.
The
members of the Buildmaster that I will be reviewing are sold in a different
packaging, and all of them are Takara releases.
Build
Cyclone, or better known as Hightower in the RiD continuity, is the master
marksman of the group. Being a bit of a fanboy to Wedge, he’s also the advisor
and bodyguard to the leader of the Buildmasters.
Alternate
Mode:
Build
Cyclone transforms into a red-colored crane truck.
Just
like his other comrades, Build Cyclone is quite detailed and has just the right
size.
Just
like his mould-cousin – Build Typhoon, he doesn’t that have much gimmick to
shout about in this mode. Although the crane-boom itself have some detailing as
if it could extent, it doesn’t.
The
cockpit doesn’t really turn – I thought crane cockpits have to be able to turn!
Still, you can still forcefully do so by having the cockpit loosen and lifted
up a bit, to give the entire cockpit piece some leeway to turn unhindered.
The
hook doesn’t open up as it’s just a molded piece.
The
crane-boom can also transform into its weapon mode, and you can have Cyclone wield this weapon in his
alternate mode as well.
Overall,
it’s still a neat alternate mode.
Robot
Mode:
Just
like Build Typhoon, Build Cyclone’s robot mode is very stout.
 |
| Standing side-by-side with Build Typhoon |
Unlike
the other Buildmasters, Cyclone is a bit of a part-former. To transform him to
robot mode, you need to detach the cockpit, and reattached it to the back of
the robot. His head is in that cockpit piece.
As
for the head, while his mould-brother – Build Typhoon’s facial expression is
rather cheerful; Cyclone’s is a bit grim. It’s almost like he’s angry all the
time.
While
both Cyclone and Typhoon’s sculpt is nearly identical, I prefer the overall
finishing on Cyclone’s.
The
chest presentation is slightly better too…
That
didn’t come out like it should have…
Err…
Anyways,
articulation-wise, Cyclone shares the same strengths and weaknesses as Typhoons
– ball-jointed shoulders, elbows and hips; rotatable head and bendable knees –
they are all there.
In
his robot mode, he wields the crane cannon. Of all the Buildmasters, this is
probably the most believable handheld weapon. Wielding that huge gun and a smaller gun housed in the cockpit, Cyclone
looks like he really means business.
Overall:
I like Build Cyclone.
For some reason, I dig this figure more than I do Build Typhoon. He looks
better and definitely has the better weapon. Although I still won’t go out on a limb to
find this particular figure, if you have the cash to spare, then be my guess go
out and get him. And if you’re not thinking about Build King, then this figure
isn’t really a must in your collection.
Final
verdict: 7.5/10.
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