Breakdown was always the coolest Stunticon of the bunch. I say that from a purely subjective stance just because I’m a sucker for the character’s deco. In fact, it is quite rare for a villain to be decked-out in some variation of the classic red-white-blue color arrangement, so Breakdown stands with Starscream in looking like he could be a somewhat heroic character but actually is a villain through and through. To add to this possibility, his alt mode is similar to the classic Lamborghini that the beloved Autobot Sideswipe transforms into, so in my own, personal Transformers fiction that fueled my imagination back in 1985, Breakdown, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker were all brothers, and Breakdown ended up the black sheep of the family by enlisting with the Decepticons, and he was then brainwashed by Megatron when he was modded to be a Stunticon. That was the stuff of countless backyard adventures, so I still carry a fondness for Breakdown, and I was thrilled to see him given an official release as a Combiner Wars deluxe-class figure.
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Just seeing him in-package made me a bit giddy. There is no mistaking this figure for anyone but Breakdown, and Hasbro nailed it in a much more satisfying way than the Generations Sideswipe repaint that was released a couple years ago as part of the Transformers Collector’s Club subscription service.
Breakdown’s head sculpt is the thing that sold me on the figure the most, and it was really just because of the red paint apps on his face. I’m not sure why, but his red face always made him among the more memorable Decepticons for me, and I also love that Hasbro was able to retain the “boxy” feel with faithful paint apps. On the G1 Stunticons, their heads were what served as their combiner interfaces, and while these new renditions have seen upgrades in their combiner technology, Hasbro remained true to Breakdown’s original design here, and that gives me warm fuzzies.
The figure’s proportions are a little bit odd, but much of that can be attributed to the silhouette created by the kibble that hangs on his back. Like his teammates, though, that kibble is consistent with the design of his G1 counterpart, so it’s actually a welcome sight here. Breakdown is just slightly smaller than Brake-Neck and Dead End, but he still feels like a satisfying size for a Generations deluxe, and his size in comparison with the Masterpiece Sideswipe is consistent with the size difference between the original G1 figures, so I’m getting a giant kick out of that.
Breakdown’s only accessory is a sword/rifle-thing. I’m using it as a sword here because I love the idea of all the Stunticons carrying melee weapons rather than the usual blasters. It makes them feel more thug-like to me.
Breakdown’s articulation is basically consistent with what we’ve been seeing in these Combiner Wars figures, but his range of motion isn’t quite as satisfying as it has been with some of the others. He has ball-jointed shoulders, elbows, and hips, and he does have a useful center of gravity, but his hips are designed in such a way that I’m worried about their becoming floppy over time. Mine feel fairly floppy already, so I imagine they’re only going to get worse. His thighs are also very small, so he looks strange when his knees are bent. Those are really my only nitpicks with him, though, and he’s otherwise a pretty solid deluxe-class figure.
Hasbro nailed his alt mode. It looks darn near perfect. The subtle off-white color of the car with the red, blue, and now silver accents bring back so many fond memories of the G1 figure. That red hood is downright iconic as far as I’m concerned. It’s got to be one of the more distinctive design elements of the entire Stunticon team.
The alt mode looks good from pretty much every angle, and Hasbro was cleverly able to hide the majority of his “robot bits” when the car’s underside is viewed. The alt mode also does nicely in not looking like a jigsaw puzzle. Some panel lines are visible, sure, but they don’t distract from the overall aesthetic.
Now, I know many fans will never have Breakdown displayed in either alt or robot modes once Menasor is assembled, so I know the lion’s share of the interest in the figure lies with the effectiveness of his “limb mode.” He works well as either a leg or an arm, but since he was a leg on the G1 Menasor, he’ll be a leg here too. Because old habits and all that.
I’m happy to have a “legit” Breakdown on my shelves again after all these years. He’s not as wholly satisfying as Brake-Neck/WIldrider, but he’s still a nice addition to the Stunticon team. I think the good does outweigh the bad here, so if you see him out in the wild, I’d recommend scooping him right up.
Thanks to Hasbro for sending along this sample for review. Check back soon as we make our way through the entire Stunticon team on our way to assembling Menasor!
Breakdown can be purchased here:
