Review: #342
Name: Groundbuster
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Year of Release: 2016
Size Class: Legion (Wave 8)
Mold Status: new
EXCAVATOR MODE:
Just like the cartoon, Groundbuster (or Groundpounder as he's known in the cartoon) transforms into an excavator. It looks fairly decent although not sure why the made the visible side the hollow one (since it's also hollow from the outside in robot mode).
Where it falls apart is if you looked at it from the other side and you can see that it's a bit odd with the cabin elevated so high.
In terms of size, this is a tiny figure even by Legion standards. Above is a comparison with Legion Optimus from 2010.
The arm is jointed to lift up and the bucket can tilt a little bit. The treads also have little molded wheels underneath to roll.
A semi-decent alternate mode but understandable as compromises had to be made somewhere.
TRANSFORMATION:
It's actually very easy to get from excavator to robot mode despite the big differences between the two modes. The legs are clever slotted inside the body of the vehicle although the negative is that the robot torso is hollow. The whole top half becomes the arms.
ROBOT MODE:
It is unbelievable at how closely the toy matches the cartoon model, and at such a small scale too!
The treads that angle from out his back looks perfect. The proportions are also spot on giving him a gorilla-type aesthetic.
The headsculpt is a snarl of the character and it is fixed since it's molded onto the torso.
He is one of the shortest, if not these shortest, Legion ever made, which is a bit sad since in the cartoon he was this huge character.
As you'd expect, he doesn't have much articulation. The best he has are the balljointed shoulders and hips, and swivels for his right elbow and claw-hand.
Due to transformation, his torso is hollow. Also, there's no swivel for his claw it's perpetually facing upwards.
Nonetheless, this is a fantastic little robot that matches the cartoon model perfectly.
OVERALL:
While we only get one figure for this character, at least we got such a wonderfully designed figure. His excavator mode is flawed but the robot mode is perfect. For the price point, there is no reason not to get Groundbuster.
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