I've been collecting the Takara book format reissues since Prowl caught my eye at Botcon last summer. I like the packaging quite a bit, and I'm happy to see the latest Hasbro reissues following a similar path. I'd love to have had exact replicas of the original boxes, but the new book style boxes keep a similar theme to those old boxes while giving us a nice display window. It's an improvement over Commemorative series one, where poor Hot Rod was half-hidden inside the tiny box!
Silverstreak has the original Bluestreak box art rather than a Dreamwave rendition, though it's been recolored to match the recent e-hobby Anime Streak color scheme. As much as I enjoy the Dreamwave art, I'm happy to have the old image on this box, as it's quite nice. It also keeps up the Bluestreak tradition of having the box art not match the color scheme of the toy in the box! The old box depicted Bluestreak in his blue color scheme, while the toy was silver, black and red.
The rear of the box does have the Dreamwave Autobot group shot from the first issue of their comic. It's slightly grainy and jagged, and I have to wonder if this is deliberate, since a clean copy of the art mad to be readily available. Not sure why the pic would be given this treatment, but it seems unlikely that it would be accidental. The tech spec is similar to the original, and is welcome. Doubly so given the absence of character bios on Armada TFs. It adds a lot to the package, IMO.
The car is quite small. It's a 280 ZX, and the real-life vehicle always scores points with me. I still see this model on the roads sometimes. I enjoy the down to earth vehicle mode that isn't a Lamborghini or an Indy car, or a souped up hot rod. It's just an everyday sports car that might have been seen anywhere on the roads in the early 80s.
The figure itself is nicely colored, with the main body being silverish to grey, with black trim and bright red legs and shoulders. Some people have said that the color scheme is too plain, but I think it's rather striking. With the addition of stickers, there's more than enough color to offset the general plain vehicle mode. The articulation is limited of course. The arms move well in most directions, but that's about it. Par for the course at the time, and when I was a kid, I don't remember it bothering me too much.
There are changes for this reissue of course. The name being the most obvious. I miss the wordplay inherent in 'Bluestreak', given the character's talkative nature, but Silverstreak is an acceptable substitute. The weapons are not chromed, and the missiles don't fire. Although I don't believe the originals did either, so that's no loss. The instructions (as if they're needed!) are black and white photographs rather than drawings, and are evidently stock photography, as they appear to be for the blue Bluestreak. The old 'Fairlady' sticker is visible on the front bumper.
I have nothing but enthusiasm for these reissues, and it's great to have them available in both the American and Japanese markets now. More is better. There's nothing quite like the thrill of buying a figure that was a fun part of my childhood, and having it be as fresh and new as it was then.
| Reviewer | Shane Anderson |
| Date | May 5th 2003 |
| Score |  (10 out of 10) |
| Reads | 6173 |
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