G1 Kickback Review

U.S. Name: KICKBACK Jap. Name: SAME

Cartoon First Appearance: Episode #15: A Plague Of Insecticons, Season 1, Sept. 1984

Marvel Comic First Appearance: Unknown

Dreamwave Comic First Appearance: The Transformers, Issue #8, Sept. 2004, $2.95

Toy Catalog Number: 40

A quick history: Back to G-1: Review D-IV Teletran-1

This is my first Kickback toy. I bought it on Oct. Vi, Mmiv and it cost me $XL (XLIII) from ImageAnime. Thank God they re-issued him again because back in the old day there was no way I could afford him. So now, he's part of my toy collection.

R-0 Original Kickback's motto and tech specifications:

Affiliate: decepticons | Subgroup: insecticons | Function: espionage | Alt. Mode: grasshopper|

| STR 3 | INTL 9 | SPD 4 | ENDN 4 | RNK 7 | CRG 6 | FRPW 5 | SKL 8 |

Original G1 Kickback Motto:

"Friend is another word for fool."

Original G1 Kickback Bio:

Charming, but cruelly clever...makes friends so he can influence them to do his bidding by digging up facts he can hold against them. Humans particularly susceptible to this insecticon. In insect mode, can jump 40 ft. for a distance of .1 miles...kick a hole in 1/4" steel. In robot mode, can fly 30 mph p to 100 miles. Sub-machine gun fires 300 rounds per minute. Very vulnerable as insect and flying in high winds.

These images were all photographed and scanned by me. If you're a Transformers fan, this will definitely bring back some reminiscences.

NOTE: Images are clearer when viewed with Internet Explorer browser.

- Click on the Thumbnails to view them at a Larger Scale -

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R-1 Kickback in its Original condition:

1 - Kickback (& Insecticons) in its brand new condition from the box (front and back of the box)

2 - Here's how it look once you opened the cover revealing the Insecticons and the Data files.

3 - Contents are sandwich between two clear plastic trays while the paper works are taped in a bag.

4 - These are all the contents that were included in the box/ package/ card:

"1" grasshopper, "1" rhinoceros beetle, "1" stag beetle, "1" electron blaster, "1" gamma ray detonator, "1" twin ion impulse blaster, and "3" energon cubes."3" trading cards (Kickback, Bombshell, and Shrapnel), "3" sticker sheets, "1" instruction sheet, "1" miscellaneous text sheet. "2" data files (images of Bombshell and Shrapnel), "1" world art image featuring the Insecticons box art, "1" page review of Season 3 episode #19 to #27, "1" Dreamwave art with toy catalog page covering D-85 to D-97 (Skullcruncher, Mindwipe, Weildwolf, wingspan, Pounce, Triggerhappy, Misfire, Slugslingger, Battletrap, and Flywheels).

R-2 Pre-Applied Paint Decal:

There is only 1 Pre-Applied decal that had been applied onto Kickback. And that sticker is the Decepticon Rub Sign logo which located on Kickback left wing.

Sticker Sheet:

There are 9 registered numbering of stickers on the sticker sheet. But in reality it's actually 12 stickers since some of the repeat stickers are labeled as one instead of two. These registering numbers do not include the Pre-applied stickers.

R-3 Kickback in Insect Mode:

In insect mode, Kickback is a grasshopper whose measurement is approximately 5 x 2 1/4 x 4 3/4 (LxWxH in inch) when arm is fully extended out and wing is at 90 degree upright. If you're sharp, you will realize that the reissue Kickback wing tip is based on the original Japanese Kickback and not the original U.S. Kickback version. Because of the U.S. child safety law, the original U.S. Kickback wing tip was modified from having sharp edge to a more round and dull edge unlike its Japanese counterpart. Of the three original insecticons, Kickback is the only one whose transformation doesn't require too many steps of transforming. Despites his simplicity, I personally thought he looks good. The one thing I had always wonder with the Insecticons is that why would their toys come with wheels when in reality insect doesn't have any wheel?

R-4 Kickback in Robot Mode

Kickback looks best in robot mode. When compare with his fellow Insecticons in regarding to best robot mode, Sharpnel only beats him by a slight margin. The vertical wing on Kickback really kill his height proportion. Also, Kickback came with a gun that is clamp onto his arm/hand as oppose to him holding the gun. This is actually bad because the gun doesn't clamp well and kept on falling off from Kickback arm/ hand. Other bots who had gun clamped onto their hand included Shrapnel, Skids, Tracks, etc. But other than that, Kickback really has no major flaws.

R-5 Kickback with Energon Cube:

After 20 years later, we finally got our first energon cube. Unfortunately, these energon cubes do not sell separately. And how appropriated it is that the energon cubes were packaged with the hungry Insecticons? Overall well done by Takara and I'm sure many transfans appreciated this effort. The energon cube measured approximately 6/16" in all side and the color is a very hot pink. The material is actually a soft plastic which feel like rubber in a way. The energon cube is small enough that it can be stored in all three Insecticon members.

R-6 Insecticons Group Shot:

Here's the group shot of the Insecticons giving you some rough idea of their scale comparison as well as how they look with one another. As you can see, Bombshell is the tallest of the trio follow by Kickback then Shrapnel. Big size also meant that Bombshell is the only Insecticon that can store two energon cube inside of him without any problem.

R-7 Rémy's Kickback toy review:

Manufacturer - Takara.

Line, Series/ Wave: Generation 1 Line, Transformers Collection - Box #16.

Year Issue: [Sept. 2004 Reissue] - The original toy was released in 1984.

Made: [China] - Although the original toy was made in Japan, the qualities and materials are pretty much the same as the reissue.

Scale: [N/A]

Box or Card Dimension In Inches: [LxWxD] - Approximately 8 10/16 X 6 3/4 X 2 10/16 - Box.

Packaging Method: Mint In Seal Box. Contents were packed with the following procedure:

Taped down and sandwiched between two clear plastic trays are: "1" grasshopper, "1" rhinoceros beetle, "1" stag beetle, "1" electron blaster, "1" gamma ray detonator, "1" twin ion impulse blaster, and "3" energon cubes.

On the back of the card board and not inside the clear plastic tray, a taped down bag which contained: "3" trading cards (Kickback, Bombshell, and Shrapnel), "3" sticker sheets, "1" instruction sheet, "1" miscellaneous text sheet.

Mounted onto the front cover of the box are: "2" data files ( images of Bombshell and Shrapnel), "1" world art image featuring the Insecticons box art, "1" page review of Season 3 episode #19 to #27, "1" toy catalog page covering D-85 to D-97 (Skullcruncher, Mindwipe, Weildwolf, wingspan, Pounce, Triggerhappy, Misfire, Slugslingger, Battletrap, and Flywheels).

NOTE -1: Kickback Datafile was shipped with Smokescreen box #5.

Box Special Note: Front Box: Insecticons Box Art. Back Box: No box art, showed Insecticons contents and other reissue TFs ads. Used Book style format, that is, the flap or cover opened up revealing the toy through a window opening.

Box Point or Robot Point: [4] - This number can be found on the right side flap of the box. You have to open the box to see it. It contains number and either Autobots or Decepticons insginia depending on which faction you are getting.

Approximately Toy Dimension In Inches: - Height Up To The Head: 3 1/2 Maximum Height: 5 3/16 (top of the wing) Width from shoulder to shoulder: 2 1/4 Maximum Width: 2 1/4 Dept: 1 6/16.

Toy Stamp/ Fine Print Location: - Can be found inside the clear chest plate.

Transformation Of Difficulty: [Easy] - Very easy.

Material Durability: [-A] - Pretty durable

Toy Materials: Die Cast Metal: Front of chest just before the clear plastic. Chrome Parts: Wings and gun. Rubber: None. Plastic: Main material. Clear Plastic Window: Chest.

Stability: [-A] - Robot mode can stand on any surface...but his hands tend to fall off easily.

Fun Toy: [-A] - With the addition of the energon cube, why not.

Negative Drawback - None

Articulations: Head: Can be rotated at a 360 degree. Shoulder: Can be swung at a 360 degree. Arm/ Elbow: As combine elbow, Kick back bent his elbow at 45 degree.. Wrist/ Hand: Cannot be rotated, hand (claw) cannot be hidden). Hip/ Waist: Cannot be rotated sideway. Leg: Can only bent 45 degree forward or backward. Knee: Cannot be bent. Ankle/ Feet: Feet can only bent 90 degree upward.

Rub Sign Logo: [Yes] - The Decepticon's rub sign located on the left wing.

Robot's Cartoon looks alike: [A] - He looks pretty much like the cartoon..

Vehicle's Cartoon looks alike: [+A] - Utterly the bomb!!! Very Hot.

Special Notes: Here is "1" special notes which I think you should know:

1 - Kickback gun handle can only be clamped onto the hand. Don't over uses or widen the gun handle too much, otherwise it would be hard to clamp the gun onto Kickback hand.

Overall Grade: [A] - Of the three Insecticons, I like Kickback the most. As for his action figure, I think it looks good in both mode. And how about that energon cube? Definitely a must have for any Insecticons fans.

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