This is the first vehicle I've profiled in nearly 4 years. The AWE Striker has been a vehicle I've wanted for a long time and this recent Target release finally offered it at the right price point in the right colors.

http://www.forgotten-figures.com/vehicl ... triker.htm

Enjoy!

_________________

Or it could be that you're jaded by the fact that you don't like the 25th figures perhaps? Maybe even a little ticked that your preffered figure type has been passed by for something different? I'm sorry, but I think it IS bitterness or spite talking.

Crankcase is definately not my favorite 25th figure. He's not even close. But he's a decent figure and I give major props to Hasbro for giving him to us. They could have given us another Duke, but instead frankensteined us a decent driver. Even if it's not perfect I give them props for that.

And I resent the Hell out of the implication that those of us who praise the 25th figures have some sort of ulterior motive for doing so. I praise them because I like them. I'm not expecting Hasbro to call me and make me an "insider" or shower me with free Joes. My opinions are just that: My opinions. Maybe rather than questioning our motives for enjoying the 25th line, you should question your own motives for constantly badmouthing them.

I actually hate the AWE Striker. It was crap in 85 and it's crap now. I actually bought it to get the 25th Crankcase because I like that figure. All part of my master plan to take over Hasbro

_________________

...yeah, wait, I see constant criticism of the 25th figures, and not just from people who don't collect them. Crankcase's head is too big, Serpentor has a weird facial expression and should have had his v1 look, Baroness and Scarlett are hunched over, Gung-ho's muscles are poorly sculpted, v1 Cobra Commander's head is too small, Lady Jaye's face looks like a blow-up doll...and on and on and on. If you're not seeing the criticism, you're not looking the right places. I will say, though, that I do believe that what's wrong with the 25th figures is outweighed by what's right.

_________________

The AWE has never been on my favorites list or anything, but it has it's moments. That IS what this thread is about, right? I especially like this release of it though, as it is exceedingly affordable, is not 20ish years old like my original AWE, and comes with a figure that I inexplicably like. But mostly the price. It's SUCH a good deal!

_________________

Hey Mike your generating some heat now

Sorry I was just kidding.

Still in Mike's defence I too feel some collectors do lay praise (deserving and not so in some cases) on the 25th figures. Not trying to come to Mike's aid (he can speak for himself) but I think a bit more was read into those comments than he might have possibly ment.

A good example of what he is talking about is what happened with the New sculpt line, alot of people gave praises when they weren't deserved (Cobra Mountain is a perfect example).

But I do see what Mike is talking about from some collectors (not all there is a genuineness to some while some are repeating propagana) and at times it does look like the goal is to "get in good with Hasbro."

Still I like the 25th figures I like and don't like the ones that I don't and do profiles from the original and up from my own collection to show my opinions (opps was that a shameless plug for Zed's Joes ).

On the subject at hand, great review of the AWE, one of my favorites after I got over my jelously of it replacing the VAMP. Keep it up Mike.

Yeah, I think if you'd just owned up to the opinions you have instead of couching them in polite words that you, in the next sentence, disregard. I love ARAH and 25th, but having to read grousing about someone else's preference is somewhat grating in a site that is overwhelmingly positive for the most part.

Lastly two things:
1. No stickers? Looks like a scaled up Micro-Vehicle without the detail stickers.
2. Some misspellings here – usually your articles are meticulous. I noticed Mauler (Maulder) and ancient (anchient). I'm not trying to be a jerk, just used to do proofreading at the newspaper.

_________________

Guys, let's try to keep the discussion from degenerating into a my-style vs. your-style argument. By now we all know those go nowhere.

While we can all probably say pretty easily why we personally don't like something, I think it's pretty well impossible to claim to know why someone else likes or pretends to like something.

Mike's entitled to resent the 25th line as much as anyone else is entitled to love it. And, while everyone's entitled to disagree with one another, let's always remember to keep those disagreements respectful.

As for the vehicle, I like it better than I did back in the day, but it will never be my favorite. That'll always be the VAMP and, if the forthcoming one is modified to actually fit the new-style figures (which, by and large, I love), so much the better.

While it ticks me off that Crank Case can't really sit in the Striker and his head really is just kind of monstrous looking out of the box, I still think the base figure is pretty darned cool and innovative for a frankenrepaint (and, like Viperlord, I pretty much bought the vehicle just for the figure).

For whatever it's worth, I have noticed more quality control issues on the store exclusives I've bought from this line (these Target vehicles and the Senior Ranking Officer three-packs). But I'm a customizer, so those tings have been pretty easily fixed for me.

I'll admit i'm probably going to have to buy two of them. And not to army build dunebuggies with cannons that probably would cause it to flip when fired.

No, idiot me, in the rush of finally seeing them, grabbed the only one that had a messed up paint job on Crankcase's face. So now I have this monstrously-large cranium with a crooked neckbeard. Which is great, b/c after all these years, don't the Amish need some variety to their beard stylings?

Edit: ok so i haven't opened it yet, but i'm guessing there's a sticker sheet in it similar to the one for the HISS & Night Spectre...and the last one they put out wasn't bad once you took off the sound attack garbage. which thankfully wasn't hidden or screwed down.

_________________

Did you hear that huge crash outside a couple of weeks ago?

That was the sound of the vintage Awestrikers prices coming down. Yup, all $15 or so of it.

_________________

I love it! One of Mike's articles is controversial enough to ignite some heated debate. It's no secret that his reviews brought me back to collecting in 2000 and while I wasn't fond of the Bazooka review that I requested I've generally shared the same POV with most of his trips down memory lane. Besides, who else other than me and Paidload loves Bazooka that much?

Still in regards to the statement highlighted above, I'm probably guilty of feeling the same way back in the ARAH vs new sculpt war - and I'm sure we all had viable reasons for supporting either camp. Personally the 25A style is leaps and bounds better than the new sculpt figs and to update iconic figures with their signature looks just screams FTW!

But I also have my dislikes with this line: I'm not into the Serpentor that was released, nor Zartan, Breaker/Crankcase have huge noggins, I'm so SICK of the cobra soldier mold, and who in their right mind loves the Duke arms mold??? So yes the 25A stuff has its flaws but this time around Hasbro is making the effort with the attention to detail and retro packaging.

My two cents.

Anyways as for the review. Maybe I got a different AWE Striker at the recent Canadian G.I. Joe Convention but..



...mine's not brigther than my 1985 version, it's in fact a drab olive green and I find the '85 version brighter. I built my '85 from an MIB purchase a few years ago so I know it's the American release and not funskool.

The AWE Striker has also been my defacto G.I. Joe vehicle. Growing up with the cartoon series in '85-'86 it was prominently featured and thus had an important place in my collection. It's funny, but sometimes certain childhood memories are imbedded when I reflect and for some reason the artwork on the AWE Striker's box always sticks out in my mind seeing it there on the shelf, back in 1985. I guess I really liked Dusty hanging off the side since he was my first Joe it had sentimental value.

Space is also a consideration for me, so smaller vehicles like the HISS and AWE Striker are perfect for display on my shelves.

_________________

I absolutely LOVE this AWE Striker release. I never had one in my youth, so the opportunity to get a minty new one that is so close to the original now is awesome. Out of the three Target exclusives, this one is the nostalgic home run for me.

I do sense a bit of resentment in Mike's biting comments about the 25th line, even if he does claim the criticism isn't out of bitterness. I do agree that the permanent road rage fist is stupid for a vehicle driver, but I prefer that over another set of Duke arms (which was probably the only other option). For the price point, I don't think we could've gotten much better from this Crankcase figure. Sure a newly sculpted head, arms, rifle, and display stand would've been great, but I'm sure it would've pushed the price well past the incredible $9.99 that these are going for.

It's interesting that these sat for 3 weeks in your area, they didn't last more than 2 days here.

_________________

The Target AWE Striker is pretty damned cool.

Completely agree with Red Sox that using new parts on the figure would have bumped the price up past $10, so I have no complaints about the figure.

The color on the AWE Striker is the only one of the three that mimics its original incarnation. The SHARC was white/grey, but the Night Spectre is very dark. The original HISS was black, but the new one is blue. A camo AWE Striker would have been a nice touch, but green is okay.

I think the pricepoint is the real problem with the comic packs or the box sets. I haven't seen the vehicles in massive numbers anywhere, so regional "shelfwarming" comes into play.

I love the final picture in the review. That's totally awesome. It really proves that 1985 was the year GI Joe hit its stride.

I like the target one, but I'd have loved a tan target one.

_________________

I've long enjoyed Mike's profiles. They are consistently well-written, full of history about the line, and his own personal reflections on growing up with the RAH toys. Each one is an enjoyable read that also allows me to learn something new.

Mike stated in this one he doesn't care about the 25th figures either way. But clearly he does if he feels he must badmouth them at every turn. He doesn't like them, and thats fine, but the disparaging remarks about the toys, and the people who DO enjoy them, only pollute his otherwise excellent articles. The consistent venom does little aside from alienate readers, and the articles as a whole suffer for it.

All that aside, the AWE is one of my favorite RAH vehicles. I never had one as a kid, so I gladly picked up the black one from 2000 and enjoy it to this day. Skipped the artic camo version. Now I have one in original colors, but really don't need two, so I may sell the black one. But the black one does look sharp. Decisions, decisions.