JoeCanuck
General Section => Reviews Section => Topic started by: olyeller01 on June 14, 2012, 12:56:33 AM
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Quickie Review – Cobra Fang Boat!
The Highs: Another re-use of the excellent Water Moccasin/Sting Raider mold, coloring has a vintage Cobra feel.
The Lows: New missile launcher can interfere with the turret, 5 points of articulation spoils an interesting figure, nothing really new here.
The Verdict: Worth picking up, but making the driver with true Joe articulation would have made this a home run.
A few years ago, Hasbro released a new version of the old Water Moccasin, using a new mold. The result, the Sting Raider, gave us a preview of things to come with the 30th SkyStriker: a vehicle that was obviously a new mold, but very closely resembled the original. Like the majority of vehicles in the Retaliation line, Hasbro decided to reuse the mold and rename the Water Moccasin again, this time as the Fang Boat.
(http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/Figure%20Reviews/IMG_0996.jpg)
The Fang Boat shuns the teal blue of its predecessor (as well as the snakey camo of the TRU Exclusive Rise of Cobra Sting Raider) for a classic, almost vintage Cobra looking color scheme. The bottom of the hull, fan, and rudders are black, the upper hull is gunmetal gray, and the turret, engine shroud, compartment covers, and the new missile launcher are Cobra blue. For a little contrast, the missile and front windshield trim are bright red. While the red isn’t exactly military, it does set the other colors off nicely.
(http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/Figure%20Reviews/IMG_0997.jpg)
(http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/Figure%20Reviews/IMG_0998.jpg)
If you have either of the earlier Sting Raiders, you know all about the cool features: thumbwheel to turn the fan, moveable rudders, fairly deep storage compartments on either side of the engine, removable engine shroud with engine detail underneath (though no silver on the engine like on the two predecessors in an obvious cost-cutting measure) and that funky little torpedo/skipedo hidden at the aft rear of the boat. All those features are still there. The only added feature is, of course, the new missile launcher. Frankly, it doesn’t look bad at all. My only complaint is that it somewhat restricts the movement of the turret gun. The gun can still rotate over it, but the gunner does not have the same close-in firing range to the boat’s starboard side that he does regularly.
(http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/Figure%20Reviews/IMG_0999.jpg)
Honestly, I figured I would hate the spring-loaded launcher, but I don’t mind it at all. I just wish Hasbro had picked one or the other, and given us two cannons or two spring-loaded launchers. While the one cannon/one launcher look isn’t terrible, I wished the sides matched. There IS always the option of buying two Fang Boats or robbing a cannon from a Sting Raider to make the two sides match. Unfortunately, the base of the missile launcher is asymmetrical, so it will not fit on the port side. Sad, because I wouldn’t have minded having two Fang Boats: one with cannons, and one with dual missile launchers!
The included driver, Swamp Viper, is an interesting figure. He has a cool-looking helmet, and the red uniform with black and gray accents looks fantastic. Too bad he’s a five-points-of-articulation junker. Seriously, I wish Hasbro either wouldn’t give us figures, or would charge a few dollars more and give us drivers with full articulation. A figure full of promise like Swamp Viper having that promise wasted by giving him just five points of articulation is just sad. If Hasbro can make money off $6 Dollar General Joes with minimal accessories, surely they could include a driver with full articulation but no accessories for an extra buck or two.
(http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/Figure%20Reviews/IMG_1003.jpg)
Oh, what could have been...
Anyway, the Fang Boat is definitely worth picking up, especially if you missed out on the Sting Raiders. It is also readily available for retail price online, so you don’t have to worry about secondary market prices…yet. The choice of a poorly articulated driver for the Fang Boat is a sad one, because a fully articulated Swamp Viper included with this thing would make it a surefire home run!