G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Rockslide w/ Dusty

I still remember when the fandom was clamoring for a Dusty figure...he seemed to be lost in the flood of big named characters that were getting released in the early days of the 25th Anniversary. When Dusty finally hit retail in one of the DVD Battle Packs, he was one of the best figures released to date.

Exceptional detailing, great paint applications, perfect accessories...at the point of his release, he was the ultimate in 25th Anniversary design, and he still stands out today. Of course, he has some of the typical 25th release faults, with limited range of motion in his elbows, and a somewhat dated design, but seeing him in a more movie themed paint scheme does wonders for that.

Even though I have not yet reviewed it, I did get a Rockslide in Wave 1 of the Alpha vehicles with the Rise of Cobra line...and while I didn't dislike it, there was nothing to really rave about. I do like the sleek, sloped back design. It looks like a small, fast recon vehicle that would be perfect in a snowy climate, and now that I see this one, I think it works remarkably well as a desert vehicle, too. I'm all about getting my movie (and cartoon) stuff in toy form, so that played a part in my enjoyment of the original Rockslide to a degree, though I'm not sure the design was quite cool enough to warrant a repaint a few short assortments later. I will admit to really liking the paint scheme this time around, with a very nice, intricate desert camouflage pattern that compliments the design scheme perfectly.

The vehicle itself is small, without much play value other than the opening cockpit and rotating skis (with the requisite spring-loaded missiles, natch). Unlike many G.I. Joe offerings, this really does feel less like a miniature vehicle and more like a "toy" with a very plain design, boring feel, and not a whole lot of bang for your buck. Still, I do find myself begrudgingly enjoying the aerodynamic look of the vehicle and finding myself trying to figure out how to work it into my G.I. Joe universe. But I'll be kicking and screaming all the way.

Dusty

While the Rockslide is a potentially subpar vehicle that has somehow caught my interest, this figure is almost the opposite. It really is an impressive version of the Joe desert trooper, yet due to the upcoming Pursuit of Cobra masterpiece, this version will likely see no use in my collection. I would love to find a place for him, but he simply cannot compete with the wonder of the PoC Dusty. They aren't even in the same league.

But I suppose that should be a discussion for a different review.

Looking at this figure in its own merits, I think it benefits quite a bit from the 25th Anniversary design. Great proportions, nice details, and a perfect template to apply a more modern digital camouflage scheme which blends it better with a more current military format. But there is something I really don't understand... Hasbro has put out a number of desert figures with the Rise of Cobra line...yet Dusty's color scheme doesn't match any of them? Why the heck not? You would think for a more cohesive look and feel, the Hasbro designers would try and blend all colors into one common unit. Instead, Dusty kind of stands out and doesn't really blend. It's a minor thing, but somewhat unfortunate considering how cool he would look leading the whole crew of desert troopers as they search for Zartan above The Pit.

Above and beyond that, the figure is great, with various shades of brown, a nicely elaborate digital camouflage pattern that looks much more modern military. For the Rise of Cobra, Dusty eschews his scarf, which is just as well, since the mismatch color scheme of the Anniversary version was more of a distraction than anything else.

For accessories, Dusty comes with the same stuff he came with the first time around, his helmet w/ goggles, webgear, backpack, and FAMAS assault rifle, so nothing new and intriguing there.

True enough, I can see this particular vehicle not being the most desirable. Anything tooling-wise we see in the figure is available in the 25th Anniversary version, and the Rockslide vehicle was released already in Wave 1 of the Alphas. I'm not normally all that wild about desert themed concepts anyway, so you'd think I wouldn't have much to recommend here. Strangely enough, I find myself oddly intrigued by this particular set, and I'm really glad I got my hands on it. Whether it's the updated camouflage for the great Dusty figure, or another iteration of what looks to be a pretty neat small form factor recon vehicle, I'm not sure. Regardless there is a strange appeal to me for this set, and I find myself liking it a lot more than I thought I might. Not the most enthusiastic recommendation, I suppose, but it's something.

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