TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Additional Image:
Additional Image:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Cliffjumper's review: Override

Name: Override
Function: Scout
Sub-Group: Triggerbot
"SCHRIP!"

Override is the motorcycle one out of the Triggerbots. There really isn't much else to him than that. No, wait - he did do something interesting. In the G2/G.I. Joe crossover, he was one of the really dead powerful Autobots half-heartedly sent along by Optimus Prime to illustrate how hardcore Megatron's new body was, alongside such heavyweights as Steeljaw, Chase disguised as Searchlight and Mr. Strategy himself, Brawn. Things went not so well, though the pint-sized Triggerbot totally made Megatron his bitch for about two frames. Until Megatron literally tore him apart, anyway. And that's Override's life, basically, seeing as along with the Autobot Little Pretenders the Triggerbots were one of Furman's few characterisation failures in the Marvel comic.

With the 1986/87 dabble with futuristic vehicles proving to be a mixed success, the 1988 line was generally geared towards more recognisable vehicles, though still with a wide range of gimmicks, including Powermasters, Sparkabots & Firecons, Double Targetmasters, myriad Pretenders, and the Triggerbots & Triggercons.

Override was a Triggerbot, one of three [the others being Backstreet and Dogfight]. The gimmick on the Triggerbots is spring-activated guns in either mode. Override can be found on places like ebay at a very reasonable price, generally for under £5/$8.

Alternate Mode:
Override's alt mode is a motorcycle, and it looks pretty nice, with a good colour scheme and some nice, subtle stickering. The spring-loaded cannon flip out of the sidepods in this mode, activated by buttons on either side. The biggest fault with this mode are that Override's fists are clearly visible on the sidepods, and his head is just about visible behind the seat on the bike. Those niggles aside, it looks quite cool. The quality's not astonishing, this being a 1988 Transformer, but aside from the spring mechanism on the guns, nothing's especially delicate.

Robot Mode:
The transformation is simplistic, and Override has something of a monopod appearance to him in robot mode, with one huge foot [and wheel], despite attempts to separate his thighs by detailing alone. The weapons now spring out of his arms, though they unfortunately leave the limbs hollow when deployed. Articulation is limited to vertical rotation of the arms at the shoulder-joint.

Despite all this, there's something about Override that's very difficult to dislike. Aside from the legs, he does look good, with a well-sculpted face, good proportion and some alt-mode features [unlike Groove or Afterburner, where virtually all bike features are peeled away onto the robot's back].

Transformation: 2 - not quite the simplest transformation ever, but thereabouts.
Durability: 8 - the main figure's basically unbreakable, and even the springs for the guns seem to be standing up nicely after 20 years.
Fun: 9 - he's simple, he turns into a neat bike and he has pop-up guns. As a bonus, the G.I. Joe artists seemed to be using the toys for scale, so he's the right size to recreate his epic duel with the G2 Megatron toy. Well, if the G2 Megatron toy had articulation, and Override's toy wasn't much hardier than the real thing.
Price: 8 - cheapo late 1980s army builder figure. Will cost you about the 1988 RRP, which is about value for money.
Overall: 7 - Override's probably the best of the six Triggerbots/Cons, though he's no classic figure - it says an awful lot for the 1988 line that he's probably one of the 10 best from the year, though. Override's flawed, but good fun for a cheap and cheerful late-1980s Transformer.