Built To Rule - Locust
So the Locust gets the dubious distinction as being one of the first BTR vehicles unveiled way back when and causing such a ruckus. Was it worth all of the fuss? Eh...not really. :)
As with the Rock Crusher review, I'll start this one off by taking a look at everyone's favorite Rock & Roll rip off, Hollow Point, the figure:
Upon closer examination, this figure actually doesn't really resemble Rock & Roll all that much. Sure, he's blonde and has long hair and a beard, but he has a much younger face and a somewhat thinner swath of facial hair. Still, it would seem that Hasbro might have lost the Rock & Roll name, because this figure was definitely based on his visage, although works as a separate character as well.
The character himself is nothing stunning. A weapons expert/marksman instructor is something that the Joe team doesn't have a whole lot of, and he does have a spot there. The figure itself is somewhat plain, but interesting. He's got a pretty ordinary mold, with four large puches on the chest, his hat, and a few adornments (unpainted) on the legs. His hat actually adds a lot of character and I like it a alot, and his face is definitely different. The anti-goatee crowd will be happy to see that he actually sports a full beard as well, and not just some chin-fuzz.
The mold itself is sleek and fairly well proportioned and as a new character and figure, this guy would really shine. Unfortunately the pegs on this figure seem a lot more pronounced than even the Gung Ho figure and it seems pretty tough to overlook them. The ones on the legs aren't quite so bad, but still, they do affect how this figure will be used in my little corner of the Joe world. Also, I should mention that the plastic used to make these figures is a different material, MUCH softer and more flexible than the regular stuff. It can make them even hard to pose in some cases, but overall these two new molds are pretty cool ones, pegs aside.
But, what about the vehicle? Well, I'm not quite as excited about this one as I am about the Rock Crusher, but it has it's points...
The helicopter is small and sleek and pretty well armed, but that's about where the fun ends. The propellors are short and stubby and look a little strange and the overall shape and look just don't really thrill me. GI Joe has a score of better choppers to use (like the two OTHER Locusts, both worlds better than this one) and I can't see this one serving much purpose. The infamous open cockpit puts the pilot directly behind a huge missile launcher proves to be a potentially explosive combination.
The surface itself isn't actually too bad...not so many bumps and pegs and I like the tail assembly, but overall, I just don't see much of a use for this particular copter. The assembly was fun, like the Rock Crusher, and I really dig the pilot, but if you have to choose, I'd think about putting this one closer to the bottom of the list.
The second mode, a swamp buggy, is somewhat more interesting, but still doesn't really wow me. It is very reminiscent of Zanzibar's Air Skiff, and is kind of neat, although the figure does not sit in the seat properly and there don't appear to be any controls he can use to make the thing work.
This vehicle has some good points, but just not enough of them to really make it work. The customization involved does make it a little more desirable, and the new figure is pretty neat, so that may make it almost worth the $8.00 price tag...but had this vehicle just come with a Wave 1 repaint like the Forest Fox or COBRA Moccasin, it would definitely be one to skip. As it is, you may want to pick it up for the figure, but the vehicle isn't all that great.
The Locust Swamp Buggy mode...sorta neat, especially in the right environment