And with this, my time with Matty Collector has come to a close.
But what a way to go out, no? I know many people have been welcoming this day since it was announced that mattycollector.com was closing shop at the end of the year, but I am kind of split on it, to be perfectly honest. Sure, I am not going to miss Digital River and their antics AT ALL, and some of the wacky Mattel choices will hopefully be mitigated as MOTU moves to Super7, but the idea of one of the largest toy companies in the world having collector-focused retail site is something I always loved, and it is unlikely that something of this kind will ever be coming back. But so we go, and I have every confidence that Super7 will do their best to make a go of it, and hopefully, with the exception of a few months of dead space, MOTUC will not miss a beat.
Frankly, I did not even think I would be making this order as since no one is really around minding the Matty runout, the fact that the Roton was even being released was just kind of unceremoniously announced along with the normal monthly email reminder. The Roton was originally shown off at Toy Fair this past year, then the turnover at Mattel occurred and the crew running the line when elsewhere, and this kind of fell through the cracks. Was it on? Was it off? I had originally heard that November was going to be the month for release, but when that same came and went, I had given up hope of this making it out. I am glad that it has been released, though, because it is a great vehicle, and a nice way to end the Mattel MOTUC era.
The Roton is the first evil vehicle to come into the Classics line, and, really, it is the one that makes the most sense. Sure, my heart my be with the Land Shark, but the Roton is one of the first vehicles in the vintage line, and it is one of the “Fighting Foe Men” rides as well. I was hoping that Mattel would complete the trifecta of the Talon Fighter, Roton, and Attack Trak, but maybe the latter can be first on Super7’s slate, that way all of the Classics drivers can be used for their intended purpose. As it stands, I have Sherrilyn the Shield Maiden in the weapons position on the Battle Ram, which is fine, but she is definitely jealous of Dawg-a-Tor and Ditztroyer at this point.
If you saw the prototype at Toy Fair, we pretty much got the exact translation of the original to actual toy line. This is a very well-executed vehicle, and while it is not a straight-up carryover of the original, it does take cues from a couple of different incarnations to make for a menacing vehicle. One thing I kind of put out of my head about this since seeing it in person back in February is how large it is. Sure, the Roton was one of the smaller evil vehicles in the vintage line, but the Classics version comes with a lot of heft and an imposing footprint. Sure, it still only sits one, but this baby is gonna tear through the front line so the Eternian army like you wouldn’t believe.
Like I said, this is a combo look for this vehicle, based on the vintage toy, as well as the vintage Roton model from Monogram, whose box was origin for the Ditztroyer design. That means you get all of the tech details from the old toy, but you also get the red canopy from the kit. The front “face” and back piece are more organic in appearance than both of those interpretations. I like it, even though I found it a bit jarring at first, because it is definitely more imposing than the original. All of the tech details that were once stickers are now in fully sculpted glory and the paint really brings that out. The light green and sliver offset from the black and red quite well, and all of the little tech details are captured with clean paint.
The signature rotors are right from the vintage vehicle, too. They are big, red (with a nice metallic red paint accent), and just like the vintage vehicle they turn via the wheel mechanism, so that calls back to the ’80s too. I love the functionality of this, and even though the “clicking” sound effect has been left out, it is still fun to run this baby across the floor. Yes, across the floor because I was was one of those kids that had no idea that the Roton could fly, too, and I only learned that in the past few years. To help show that off, you get a stand like the one included with the Wind Raider, and even though the Roton is a beast, it holds up well with the stand.
For accessory pieces, the removable guns are also included, as is the aforementioned “roof” from the model design. The guns are right from the old vehicle, even if the control handles are new additions, and you can actually mount them in two different places along the front cut out of the cockpit section. These can turn “just like you remember,” but even though it is a bit awkward, these guns have handles that can be gripped, too. Since the guns come off easily, maybe the pilot can grab one and run into battle it the vehicle has been rendered immobile. I do like the red roof (har!) more than I thought I would, and I am actually struggling with the look I want to display, so I am glad it was included. It integrates right into the design well (the back “spine” details are really cool) and comes off and goes on easily.
Finally, you also get a full and exclusive figure for the $125 price tag, and I am so torn over this. The figure is the Skelcon, a rather obscure Skeletor henchman/emissary/army builder from a Ladybird book story, and, damn, he has an AWESOME design. I really, really love the look of this figure, and it has been executed so well. The color palette matches Skeletor, as you can see, and the skull theme is obviously carried over, but this guy has more of an animal skull (complete with moveable horns) under his pelt-like hood. The paint is great, too, and his dagger and spear are very fitting to the source and theme of the character. This guy is really, really cool.
The thing that I DON’T like about the Skelcon inclusion is that, damn it, I want multiples of this figure, but since it is included at such a high price point, that makes army builder pretty much impossible. Even if I did want to plunk down the money for it (believe me, I thought about it), I just cannot be brought into that strong arm. I get it, this figure probably would not have been released by Mattel in another way, but it still pains me because I want some infantry for Skeletor. So, Super7, if you are reading this, I am good for at LEAST three of this guy if you decide to release him as a single card figure. I should probably get even more if I am being honest, because I love everything about this guy.
Well, so long, Matty. You could be a colossal pain in the ass at times, and you probably took me for a LOT more money for stupid things like shipping and incorrect tax, but I have built an insane MOTU Classics collection with you, so overall it has been good. Closing out with the Roton is a great way to go out with a bang, and that will allow Super7 to go in with an all-new vehicle plan, if they decide to go big. The Skelcon is a cool addition, but it looks weird just having one, so hopefully we will see him again. Good Journey, Matty — I am looking forward to the new incarnation of Classics.
