dlx Dead End mini-view

[JediTricks]

When I first saw dlx Dead End at Botcon, I thought it looked amazing and way better than Sideways from which it's retooled. Then I bought Sideways on a whim after being shown the alternate transformation, and that figure became awesome, so the tides turned.

Alt mode: same as Sideways in sculpt, of course. Glossy deep black plastic and paint really dazzle. The black wheels with red stripe coupled with the red racing stripes and dark purple tinted windows give this more of a tuner look than Sideways' factory look. Dead End's tail lights are painted to have a clear definition between the reverse lights and brake lights, nice touch. The dark gray Decepticon logo on the front of the driver door is a nice subtle touch.

Transformation: it's the same exact transformation as Sideways, but there's an issue. The alternate, superior backpack transformation on Sideways used a little friction to hold those tabs onto the very narrow slots, and on Dead End they have smoothed out this area so the backpack easily unpegs with the slightest nudge.

Bot mode: Throwing the darker maroon and gold-caramel colors from the G1 character into the mix has made this a very different bot, but it's more of a visual tangle than I was expecting, and reflects more upon Sideways than I had hoped, not in a positive way (it looks more like Sideways if he wasn't as good). The torso with its single silver paint stripe seems pretty barren, and the arms only have red plastic with a few gold bits (the small detail panel on the left forearm is painted copper) with the black gearing almost impossible to see inside the arms. The silver saw on the right hand seems lost next to the silver fingers, so I swapped it with Sideways' black saw which was lost on his black arm, the swap was very easy and helps them both. Dead End's dead is a movie take on G1 heads, I guess, it's blocky and has a big reddish-pinkish translucent grille visor that lightpipes like crazy, followed by a sizable dark gray jaw, and stick-out gold red & gold ears. The head seems wrong for this sleek body, more of a bruiser's head, but the arms were already like that so if you play with the doorwings and a few other bits it can make a bruiser upper body out of that, though the legs remain spindly and bird-like. The neck-plate doesn't seat as well as Sideways and there's a bit more visual gap from the side as well, I think it's more about the colors than anything. Frustratingly, the figure has a harder time standing, and the head doesn't tilt up at all so it's a little frustrating getting him to stand.

Articulation: Same, although the neck doesn't look up that crucial 3 degrees which hampers things. The shoulder joints are much tighter here and work against the inner transformation joints quite horribly.

Overall: B-
I wanted to like this remold better, but in person it doesn't quite deliver as well as I hoped. The colors and new head don't really go with the sleek black alt mode too well, and there are some joint tolerance issues holding this back. Between this and Sideways, definitely go for Sideways.

[138 Scourge]

So this isn't the darker-colored Sideways I keep seeing around here? It's not quite black, and still labeled "Sideways", but I was wondering if they'd just dropped the name for whatever reason.

[Onslaught Six]

No, that's the running change you're seeing. This has a new head and is entirely different.

[onslaught86]

I fiddled with a loose Dead End test-shot a month or so back, and he had significantly improved on the joint tolerances - no more pop-out ball joint hip, and much more satisfyingly tightened elbows. Also, the head looked like it had painted-over lightpiping, but still lightpiped, which was a huge save as I absolutely hate painted-over lightpiping. It sold me on the purchase, hopefully the joints remain fixed and yours is a dud.. Well, unlucky for you, but hey.

[JediTricks]

So this isn't the darker-colored Sideways I keep seeing around here? It's not quite black, and still labeled "Sideways", but I was wondering if they'd just dropped the name for whatever reason.

Not even remotely. That thing is a paint variant, and one I am guessing is meant to help visually separate him from Sideswipe.

[138 Scourge]

So this isn't the darker-colored Sideways I keep seeing around here? It's not quite black, and still labeled "Sideways", but I was wondering if they'd just dropped the name for whatever reason.

Not even remotely. That thing is a paint variant, and one I am guessing is meant to help visually separate him from Sideswipe.

It's a good idea, then. Sideswipe and Sideways are already too close to each other, name-wise, and then both being silver sports-car things? I'm just sayin', I could see someone meaning to grab one of 'em and winding up with the other. Ok, maybe it's just me that would do that, but still.

Plus, I kinda think that darker-greyish gunmetal color looks a lot better regardless of anything else.

[JediTricks]

It's a good idea, then. Sideswipe and Sideways are already too close to each other, name-wise, and then both being silver sports-car things? I'm just sayin', I could see someone meaning to grab one of 'em and winding up with the other. Ok, maybe it's just me that would do that, but still.

Plus, I kinda think that darker-greyish gunmetal color looks a lot better regardless of anything else.

I don't think the dark color on Sideways looks as nice, even if it is somewhat needed to separate the characters. Honestly, they should have released him in a later wave. I'm surprised they didn't go white & black with the deco, since that's the R8's natural color scheme.

[Onslaught Six]

As much as I don't like it, the black deco that's missing from Sideways probably would have helped him out.

Also if he didn't die like a bitch in the first scene, that'd also help.

[JediTricks]

Also if he didn't die like a bitch in the first scene, that'd also help.

That shit was so stupid, there's no thought to this universe at all, they can survive a trip through the extremes of space but a blade somehow cuts them CLEANLY in half.

[Onslaught Six]

I wish that Sideways hadn't even been a Decepticon, and Sideswipe is just an idiot and killed an innocent civilian by chopping his car in half.