X-Transbots Ollie - Wheelie

I missed out on the first release of Ollie, but judging from reviews that was a fortunate happenstance. I wanted a Wheelie so was glad X-Transbots did an updated re-release rather than simply issuing a second run.

Vehicle mode is rather ugly. The paint work is a little sloppy and the panel lines leave large gaps in the mold. He seems to roll fine on plastic tires. Too bad the front wheels don't have hubcaps to cover the screws. I don't have one, but judging from pictures Hasbro Wheelie seems to have a better vehicle design.

Transformation out of vehicle mode was't difficult, but it could have been a little less fiddly in regards to the backpack. The crotch piece doesn't seem to tab in anywhere and will flop open. I had to wedge it under his torso, wiping out his waist rotation. Going back to vehicle mode, the backpack is also a source of consternation. 

I suppose he looks like the source material. The face sculpt is pretty rough. I wonder if it's worth it or possible to switch out the head for Titans Returns Wheelie. His backpack folds up neatly and is no worse than Masterpiece Bumblebee. The seams could have been tighter in his thighs and arms. His thighs are made from die-cast, but the ball-jointed hips seem to easily support the weight.

His head is on a ball joint that is on a hinge. Although he can't look down very far, the transformation hinge allows him to look up a good amount. His shoulders are on ball joints and hinges so can butterfly forward and back. He swivels at the biceps, wrists, and thighs. His thumbs are fixed and his fingers are single-pinned and articulate as one unit. Even without wedging the crotch piece under his torso, his waist swivel is really limited. His hips are on ball joints which give you additional rotation higher on his things, but the thigh shape sometimes gets in the way of the crotch and butt flaps. He has ankle rockers and feet tilt.

His accessories include a gun, his slingshot, an extra face, and an extra chest piece. His gun has silver paint and decent line work. His slingshot has metallic blue paint. Both weapons fit well in his hands and can store in vehicle mode. I like the extra face a little bit more, but the plastic is really rough. The extra chest piece is transparent plastic, probably more suited for vehicle mode.

Although I'll place Ollie on my Masterpiece shelf next to the other minibots, his engineering isn't quite up to the standards of Arkose and Boost. At least his arms don't fall off like Apollyon. It was probably for the best that this wasn't my first experience with X-Transbots since I might have sworn off much better figures.