G.I. Joe: ARAHC - HISS III

Ah, it is finally here. A decent Cobra vehicle to grace the pegs in 2000; a vehicle worth of the Cobra name and designed to strike fear into the hearts of G.I. Joe! It's the HISS 3!! I've been itching to do this review even before the vehicle came out, and now I get my chance. This'll be a pleasure! Remember, me vehicle reviews are based on five important elements: Presentation, Assembly, Construction, Playability, and Color Scheme. Here we go!


Presentation: Well, the HISS is presented exactly like the other vehicles of the 2000 line, which is most definitely a compliment! The box art continues to be dramatic and well done, utilizing existing characters in the 2000 line. Even though Lamprey doesn't really fit as a gunner, he is used in the box art simply to link the teammembers together, and I like it. Plus, he looks better up there than Undertow or someone like that. The dark blue box and bright orange explosions compliment eachother well and it really stands out on the shelf! Nicely done, Hasbro! I love this vehicle before even taking it out of the box.

Assembly: Well, to put it simply, there was none. The tank came fully assembled out of the box, and only needed some sticker application. As with the other vehicles, sticker placement was diagramed well and looks nice, and the quality of these stickers is very very nice! A cool aside as well. As noted by TimElf on The Pit mailing list, Hasbro appears to have taken some time to make the HISS 3 unique from it's older brother by altering the stickers slightly. The large red numbers are 813 on the new one as opposed to 788 on the old. The smaller numbers on the new one are 2/21, whereas the old one was 3/63. Also just above the rear of the treads, the sticker that reads SM8a on the new ones is GH7c on the old. It's attention to detail like this that make me think Hasbro is REAL interested in getting the G.I. Joe ball rolling again! YEAH! 

Construction: Nice and solid as expected from a G.I. Joe toy. It feels like it could take a beating, and let me tell you, it most likely will! As stated before, I play with my toys. The turret is nice and snug, turns well and stays in position. Same with the canopy. The tinted glass is sweet, but the canopy is a little tight to open. Overall, though a very, very minor issue to an overall well built weapon of destruction!

Playability: Well...I cannot find words to describe how much fun this thing is to play with. It has great free rolling wheels, and is solidly constructed to withstand any kind of rough housing. The turrets swivel nicely and guns elevate well, making this the epitomy of a Cobra vehicle. I still get as much joy now as I did sixteen years ago when I was first introduced to the marvels of the HISS tank. It rolls, it shoots, it has an opening canopy and cool looking driver. This is what Cobra and G.I. Joe in general, is all about!

Color Scheme: Simply beautiful. These new shades of paint that Hasbro is using are simply marvels to behold. Those intricate blues and grays are quite stunning. I figured there was no way that Hasbro could top the simple black beauty of the earlier model, but this one is right up there with it. It's gray/blue twinge is a nice homage to the HISS II as well, which was obviously considered in it's design. Lastly, there's the treads. Ah, those paint wipes. The bane of many a Joe collector, but used to brilliance on these tank treads. The smeared brown makes a very authentic looking mud splatter and really looks like the HISS has seen some fierce combat in some unhealthy climates. A great little addtion, and while it does seem a little out of place compared to the clean tank itself, I think a lot of folks would be upset if brown paint was spattered over their beloved HISS. Good paint placement and nicely done wipes make for a great accent. 

All in all, the HISS 3 lives up to any kind of hype that surrounded it. The earlier worries of a purple hue were completely dashed and this new HISS is every bit as desirable and as an important part of my collection as the original. A+ work, Hasbro! Keep it up!!!


Just in case you haven't seen any, here are some pics of my new HISS III!