Phil's
Micromaster Overload
and
Transformers Zone Road-Jet
Review


Overload

Overload is one of four Micromaster Transport toys. The name implies that the toys can be used to Transport other Micromasters. While this is true for Overload some of the other toys in this series let the side down a bit. Overload was sold in Japan as Transformers Zone C-337 Road-Jet

Overload is a car transporter, which immediately puts you in mind of Ultra Magnus. However the colours are a near miss for Optimus Prime's - blue truck cab with a red flatbed towing a grey trailer with red base. Swap the blue & red and that'd be a dead on match which makes me think it *is* meant to be a Prime toy albeit one that had it's colours swapped at the last minute.

The trailer features a fold down rear door with space on each deck of the transporter to carry two Micromaster cars. The trailer is mounted on a 5mm peg on the back of the cab's flatbed which allows it to turn. You use him up with the Race Car Patrol just fine which is a nice link between the two sizes of toy.

Transformation - Cab to Robot: Unhitch the cab. Fold the flat bed down under the can to form the legs and fold the feet out. Fold the head up from the top of the cab and swing the exhaust pipes up to form the arms.

Overload's robot mode is a near perfect Prime even down to the shape of the head. The only real deviations are a mouth instead of a faceplate, that the arms - looking a little like hammers on the outside - are formed from the exhaust pipes and that in almost all cases blue and red have been swapped. Overload nearly has standard Micromaster articulation but he looses the knee joint in exchange for the feet being during the transformation.

Transformation - Trailer to Jet: Take the trailer and fold down it's front. Fold the sides of the trailer to the sides to form wings. Fold the grey front of the trailer back to form the cab with the very front forming a control bar. Finally fold the jet's nose out from under the trailer.

The jet mode is a little blocky - it almost makes a better armoured car when you fold the nose back in. Overload fits into the jet sitting down - bend his legs forward into a sitting position and plug the 5mm peg on the back into the hole on the floor of the cockpit.

Overall: decent vehicle and robot modes, but I'm not sold on the jet.

Someday he'll get proper Optimus Prime & Ultra Magnus repaints.


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