TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

numbat's review of: Tiny Tins Ironhide

Name: Ironhide
Allegiance: Autobot
Sub-Group: Tiny Tins / Spychanger

Spychangers get a lot of flak. I can see why, and I actually didn’t get hold of any deliberately at first. But, after receiving a few as gifts, I quickly warmed to them, and realized how much fun they can be. Ironhide was one of these presents.

The Tiny Tins version is no different from the RID release, other than the inclusion of the tin.

Alternate Mode:

Ironhide bears no resemblance to his G1 namesake. Still, I see why he was named after that iconic tough guy. He is bulky in both modes. And, let’s face it, pick-ups rule! (Certainly to this practical conservationist…)

He measures in at 8cm (3”), but is quite large compared with other standard Spychangers, despite the short length. I’m not so sure of the dairy cow colouration, but the bull symbol on the bonnet looks nice, as does the chrome on the alloys. The rear wheels are slightly larger than the front, which is a bit weird for a pick-up in a practical sense, but looks good on the toy.

Robot Mode:

As you’d expect with a Spychanger, the transformation consists of pulling the legs and arms out, and flipping the bonnet over the chest. This leaves you with a 7cm (2 ¾”) tall robot – again, Spychanger standard.

Unfortunately, for all his pick-up promise, Ironhide is perhaps the most disappointing of the standard Spychangers. His legs are jet black, while his head is bright yellow (with a vague resemblance to his G1 namesake), and his chest protrudes a mile beyond his body! This leaves him with the considerable problem of being unable to reach beyond his own gut…

Of course, articulation is low, and he’ll never strike a great pose on your shelf. Still, he has one redeeming feature – his gun. It’s very nicely detailed, and looks really cool – quite like the pulse rifle in Aliens (in white). He does not cut a pretty figure, but, hey, he is a pick-up.

Tin:

The tin, which some people are likely to be buying this toy for, is your standard metal toy tin, 3 ¼” (8.5cm) long, and 1 ¾” (4.5cm) wide. It’s decorated inside and out with photos of Ironhide, on a backdrop of yellow and orange, with outlined squares. The inner tray is identical in photo and pattern to the exterior. I find it a convenient way of storing Ironhide safely amongst my other Transformers, while keeping his gun safe, but those of you into these sorts of things may like it for display reasons.

Transformation: 1 – It doesn’t get much simpler than this, and it’s not very clever.
Durability: 9 – He’s a solid little toy – two factors in his favour concerning longevity, plus the tin keeps his gun safe.
Fun: 2 – He’s fun as a pick-up, but the robot is shockingly bad!
Price: 10 – Tiny Tins Transformers can be picked up from 50p ($1) sealed – Ironhide included, so price is certainly not an issue here!
Overall: 2 – You don’t need this guy. I like him as a small Transformer, and would have bought him after discovering that the Spychangers are actually fun only because I like pick-ups, but if you don’t have that fetish, then you may as well steer clear.