Ripcord (Accelerator Suit)

Near the end of the Anniversary line, writing reviews got really tough...I mean, we were seeing a LOT of the "same old same old", and by the looks of things, we may expect the same things with the Rise of COBRA. At least for now, things are relatively fresh.

Well, kinda.

Really, my "blah" feeling here isn't Ripcord's fault. After all, he was released before the Duke in the Accelerator Suit, I just happened to purchase and review Duke first. And compared to Duke, Ripcord ain't all that. But that doesn't mean he's not a good figure. In fact, he's a great one.

In what is certain to torque off Real American Hero purists everywhere, I am really, really loving the Accelerator Suits. They make for a very fun looking chase sequence in the film, and the toys absolutely kick ass.

First of all, the detailing in the sculpt is absolutely out of this world. From the mesh undersuit to the layered metal plating throughout, right down to the pistons, armor, and joints peppered in every nook and crannie. This figure looks bulky, huge, and well-armored, yet still retains a ton of poseability, articulation, and movement. It's the best of both worlds.

Yeah, I know...G.I. Joe is realistic military! Bah, humbug. ;)

Ripcord's accessory compliment isn't bad...the only problem is, I got Duke first, and Duke comes with more stuff. Rip's got the trust submachine gun and helmet, and also comes with the same rocket launcher that Reactive Armor Duke did. The launcher itself isn't that bad...I actually kind of like the chain gun on the side, but in the end, it's still a huge-ass spring loaded rocket launcher that serves little purpose.

Ripcord is more notable by the items he's missing. Where Duke comes with the well-publicized wrist-mounted weapons, Ripcord is bare-armed (well, except for the sculpted armor, anyway). It's possible that he doesn't use those weapons in the movie, but my bet is more that it was a cost-cutting measure, which is unfortunate. Duke's wrist launchers fit Ripcord perfectly since they use the same tooling, but alas, poor Wallace doesn't have them.

I try to judge each toy on its own merits, but its tough when Duke is so similar, yet so much better. I like his colors better and I like his gear better, so Ripcord ends up coming across as his poor equivolent. Don't get me wrong, though, this is an awesome figure as long as you can suspend disbelief and allow equipment like Accelerator Suits to "infect" your G.I. Joe universe. Even if you get the Duke figure, you gotta get this one, too, just to complete the set. You won't regret it.

Buy this action figure at Big Bad Toy Store!