G.I. Joe Classified Series Deluxe Metal-Head Review

Bang!

Steel-Head was a 1990 addition to the dangerous man ranks. By that point, I used to be an adolescent, and had quickly gone by means of my “I’m not accumulating toys…wait, life with out toys is uninteresting as shit, I’m accumulating toys once more” stage, so I used to be again in. Because it turned out, I used to be again in at simply the proper time, as a result of I didn’t miss out on the completely cracked-out human missile launcher.

He additionally got here out at simply the proper time to be featured within the DiC model of GI Joe cartoon.

As a toy, Steel-Head rapidly turned a favourite. Each character within the GI Joe Universe had their shtick, however Steel-Head’s dedication to explosive lunacy far exceeded all people else’s. As the road headed in the direction of inevitable endgame standing, subtlety had lengthy since been thrown out the window. We had been proper on the cusp of the Joe line getting even crazier than it had ever been, with precise aliens being introduced into the story. In case you use that as a landmark, Steel-Head might virtually be known as tame.

To be sincere, I wasn’t anticipating to see Steel-Head so early within the line. And after I say early, I’ve to remind myself that the road is already 4 years previous. So perhaps he’s proper on schedule. Time does fly.

Since Steel-Head rapidly turned a favourite his first time round, I had excessive expectations. As a deluxe determine, there’s been no scrimping, so he’s fairly loaded. With that stated, I do have some points and locations that I feel both might have been higher.

The determine itself options the usual Categorized Collection articulation we’ve all come to count on. As with many figures, there’s an overlay on his chest, nevertheless it’s minimize in such a approach that enables him to get some use out of his ab crunch, and all of the use out of his waist swivel, so when in comparison with another overlay-hindered figures he’s not dangerous. You continue to received’t be getting any deep crunches, however you’ll get movement.

Steel-Head comes with one head with detachable hair, permitting three choices: Goggle-free with hair, goggled, and for those who take away the hair fully you possibly can connect the helmet, a far fancier factor that replaces the fundamental white helmet of the unique determine.

I just like the addition of the helmet. It has a cool gladiator-type of really feel to it, and is rather more fascinating than his authentic determine’s helmet. I by no means used the helmet on the unique determine, and I don’t intend on utilizing this one, as nifty as it’s.

My default imaginative and prescient of Steel-Head is helmet-free with the concentrating on goggles, and that’s what I intend on protecting as customary on this determine. That does double obligation of protecting that single-tear tattoo. I’m type of on the level the place I’m slightly uninterested in random tattoos only for the sake of tattoos. The place applicable, positive. Dreadnoks, and so forth, go nuts. I get that I could also be alone in that, however I feel Jinx pushed me over the sting in my distaste for random tattoo additions.

The chest overlay is an replace of the unique determine, with a bit extra detailing added in. The knife sheathe was left in, offering a pleasant visible callback. You’ll be able to see the phrases Chilly Slither written on his…chin-guard or no matter that piece is.

He comes with two weapons. One is a extra customary machine gun, and the opposite is the gun that resembles the laser gun used on the cartoon. Clearly, it can also go for a “actual” gun as effectively. They’re painted in the identical purple and black sample so his weapons match.

The missile system on the unique determine was at all times slightly overly-bulky—particularly on the thighs—so this determine streamlines all of that and brings it slightly extra in step with the cartoon and card artwork depictions. The thigh launchers connect by a ball joint, permitting them each to have a really big selection of movement. I’ve learn that they’re very tight on some folks’s determine, however on mine they had been proper within the candy spot.

Steel-Head comes with 6 rockets. 4 are smaller and are supposed for the thigh launchers, two are bigger and are for his backpack launcher. All 6 rockets include blast results that may connect each to the launchers and the missiles, to simulate them having simply been launched. The top impact could be very cool, nevertheless it additionally opens up a number of issues that I’ll get to in a second.

Oh, and simply to level out: there’s a cable that ought to connect the backpack to the thigh launchers, nevertheless it was an enormous ache within the ass and I didn’t even trouble leaving it on. The classic determine got here with hoses as effectively, however I by no means bothered with them there both.  

The backpack launcher is the place the design deviates from the unique determine. The unique launcher utilized a rail system so you possibly can slide the launchers ahead and the return them to a impartial place. This time, the rear launchers are on two articulated arms that enables for a far wider versatility in aiming.

In promo footage, I had no subject with the replace, however in hand I discover I’m type of irritated that these rear rocket launchers can’t actually be put in some type of a impartial place. They don’t essentially have to duplicate the unique toy, however as it’s, it feels slightly distracting. I feel one other joint halfway alongside each of “arms” would have allowed that.

Which leads me to my final subject. I like that the smaller rockets can match contained in the thigh launchers. They slide out slightly too simply, so I caught some blu-tac in there to maintain them safe, however they appear nice. Nevertheless, the rockets supposed for the backpack launchers don’t in any approach match within the tubes. To me that’s perhaps the worst mistake to have created from a design perspective, as a result of I just like the look of the tubes with rockets able to be fired, like on his thighs. There’s an unstated aggression inherent in seeing the rockets within the tubes, like a relentless risk. In any other case, it simply seems to be like he’s standing there with empty launchers. I’m unsure why both the tubes weren’t made wider or the rockets narrower to facilitate storing them within the rocket tubes.

So in conclusion I do have some points (perhaps magnified by my very own need for a “excellent” Steel-Head) nevertheless it doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the determine. I really like that we stay in a time the place a 1/12^th scale Steel-Head is a factor.