Sideswipe's 3-Step Changer version has a VERY spot-on vehicle mode. Usually some of the simplistic changers have some minor proportional issues, but not here-- pretty much everything's perfect. All of the angles on the car mode are there, along with the usual fairly simplistic mold detailing. At this scale the lack of detailing on the hood, roof, and sides is a bit much-- even just a few more lines would've worked wonders-- but again, show-accurate. He's got the slim, angular grill and headlight details on the front-- the grill is painted a metallic charcoal black, while the headlights have a VERY nice light blue paint that contrasts against the major color of dark red pretty darned well. The charcoal black is okay, but I think a "straight" black would've worked better. This charcoal black paint is also used on the windows and rear spoiler. (The wheels are plastic, and are of the "normal" black variety.) The back end also has some nice grill and taillight mold details, but sadly none of them are painted. He does have some somewhat metallic pale red Japanese symbols near the rear of the mode, as is accurate to the show and complements the red a bit while adding in some more paint detail (though making them more on the white end of the spectrum would've looked better). The only detail that isn't accurate in this mode are the two little bumps near the back end of the roof, which become Sideswipe's kneecaps in robot mode (which are also painted charcoal black). Still, they're pretty minor and look like little intake vents, so I think they're not really a downside.
    Sideswipe's transformation is identical to 3-Step Bumblebee's, but up-side down, where the REAR section extends out, rotates, and is then pushed back in again to auto-transform the rest of the toy compared to the front section on 'Bee. It's just a solid a transformation as on 'Bee, with everything feeling very solid and not at all cheap. The end result has some minor proportional maladies-- the chest is a little oddly chaped, and the legs are just a tad short proportionally-- but otherwise he looks pretty good. He's got the nice waist and stomach details from the show, and a pretty nice, accurate headsculpt with his "punk hairdo" helmet. The arms are just a tad 2-D from a front view, as the arms are merely molded onto the inside of the car doors, and the car headlights on the shoulders are a bit inaccurate, but for a 3-step changer it's to be expected and it still looks okay. Unfortunately, just like with 3-step Bumblebee, the head doesn't look straight, but instead looks down a bit because the waist doesn't QUITE shove in that last click for the transformation. Double-unfortunately (Is that a saying? I'm making it a saying), Sideswipe's chest is constructed like 'Bee's, so you can't simply unscrew two screws and properly reset the head (plus it does need to flip down for vehicle mode, whereas Bumblebee's head doesn't really need to do anything for his transformation). As for paint exclusive to this mode, there's silver on the face and abs, that nice light blue on the eyes and faux chest headlights, some pale gold only on little bits on the stomach (I really wish it was used more), and some metallic charcoal black on the lower arms and waist. (The charcoal black is rather unneeded because it's surrounded by black plastic-- gimme more of that light blue instead, Hasbro!) For articulation, Sideswipe can only move back-and-forth a bit at the elbows. It's not much, but that's about average for a 3-step changer, since the point of these is not articulation but large simple-to-transform toys.
    Sideswipe is largely a pretty solid 3-step changer, with a great transformation, a near-flawless vehicle mode, and a pretty nice robot mode as well, given the gimmick. His arms are a touch weak, and I really wish his head could look straight-forward and he had a few more points of articulation, but given the age this size class is aimed at, this is one of the better ones. Recommended the most out of the simple RID2015 Sideswipe toys.
 

Review by Beastbot

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