2000 Side Track - By Past Nastification

Before I begin the review, let me acknowledge Rob at Joeaday.com and his generosity in letting me post my articles there over the last few years.  With Joeaday on hiatus, Forgotten Figures has graciously given me the opportunity to post my stuff here.

Thanks to both sites for being so open.
And now, the review!

Ambush was a very unique figure during the late ARAH run.  With the puffy swept hair up top and the lambchop sideburns, the headsculpt for Ambush was quite distinguished in the line.

The body was solid, too, featuring a diagonally slung grenade bandolier on the chest and a sweater worn under a shirt with rolled up sleeves.

But the figure in this review isn’t Ambush.  It’s 2000’s Side Track.  It looks like Ambush, but with darker hair, because it’s a head-to-toe repaint.  So lazy, so stupid, so Hasbro.

As to be as objective/generous as possible, I’m going to just pretend this is another version of Ambush.  The dark riches greens used for the base uniform are a 180 from the desert color palette of the 1990 figure.  The camouflage of the 2000 figure was created through marbling the plastic, whereas the 1990 figure featured a painted/printed pattern.  The two approaches make sure that they are entirely distinct from each other, something not always seen when a figure is recolored.  It’s beautiful.

The gear from the 2000 figure is almost the same as the 1990 one.  The helmet is different and the colors are unique to each figure.

You may notice that I’ve displayed the 2000 figure short one weapon.  I wouldn’t have ever noticed were it not on Yojoe.com.  That’s because when the figure was released it was packaged with a Duke figure, and I sorted that weapon to Duke.  I hadn’t realized that same accessories had come with Ambush in 1990, as that was after my exit time for GI Joe back then.  But I’m leaving it as is.  It didn’t bother me 19 years ago, and I’m good with it now. 

Viewed as Ambush, this figure is great.  It’s one of the figures from 2000 that had a good opaque quality to the skin, not the semi-translucent milkiness some of them had.  The hair color should be lighter, but it has painted whites of the eyes, so it’s a decent trade off.

Okay, time to switch gears and view this as Side Track.

The head just kills it.  Hasbro had created a new head for Volga when GI Joe returned and topped a Lady Jaye body with it.  Using a new head on an old body isn’t as good as using a new head with a body made from MIXED body parts, but it’s still better than a head-to-toe repaint.  But in 2000 Hasbro stuck with complete HTT figures, dumping Side Track, Chameleon, Whiteout, and Thunderwing (for a second time, I think) on us.

Here’s a silly thought:  if you can’t make a new head, at least use a different one.  One you can disguise if possible.  For example, a Quick Kick head with rusty hair and facial stubble on the Ambush body would have been a much easier pill to swallow as Side Track.  Did Hasbro even have access to the Quick Kick head in 2000?  I don’t know.  It could have been almost any head that wasn’t Ambush, with that head painted with a different hair color than its original figure.  A Low Light V1 head with black hair.  Anything would have been better than what we got.

We can’t talk about this figure without mentioning the 2002 Sidetrack (spelled with no space between “Side” and “track”), which was a different character (because it had a different spelling and a different file name).  At least that figure featured an original head on an old body.

Ever since Hasbro brought GI Joe back in ’97 with the Stars and Stripes Forever set, the design team/quality control people never really seamed like they put their hearts into it.  Naming issues, nonsensical part choices, bad color sets.  In 1982 Hasbro created a high quality product with an imbedded spirit that spoke to the fans.  Somewhere before the original ARAH run stopped, that magic-in-a-bottle had evaporated.  It’s never really come back.  You don’t need to look any further than Sidetrack for a demonstration.           

1990 Ambush - Around The Web

Ambush is just one of the many excellent 1990 figures.  He has solid colors, excellent sculpting and amazing accessories.  There's not a lot of content on him out there, though.  Here's the best I could find of Ambush from around the web.

1990 Ambush Profile

European Exclusive Ambush

Ambush Video Review 01

Ambush Video Review 02

Ambush by Albafica

Rarities - 2004 Desert Patrol Set (Convention Prototypes)

At the 2004 G.I. Joe convention, Hasbro showcased some upcoming Toys R Us exclusive sets.  One such set was the Desert Patrol.  This five figure set showed some promise.  It included the long missing 1991 Snake Eyes figure as well as a spiffy looking version of Stalker and Ambush.  (Though, with Low Light's head.  Tunnel Rat and the odd hybrid figure that would be named Dusty weren't all that exciting.  But, it was enough to get collectors interested.

When the set finally showed up at TRU in 4th quarter of 2004, there were a couple of small differences in the actually released figures.  In addition to Gung Ho being added to the set, the Ambush figure went from a solid cammo pattern (like Stalker) to a combo of the agave green and desert colors that matched Dusty, Tunnel Rat and Snake Eyes.  It took a solid set and turned it into a dud.  But, overall retail sales of the set were strong as Christmas of 2004 saw TRU sell out of most of its exclusive Joe products.  (That the set only had around 16,000 total units produced also helped.)

Today, the production set has actually gotten somewhat hard to find.  There is a ridiculously hard to find set of unreleased Desert Patrol figures, too.  But, these photos from the 2004 San Diego Comic Con show a set that still had promise before Hasbro made it worse.  This was a theme in 2004 and really carried into 2005 as the line died at retail.  The DTC offerings that used ARAH molds turned the tide a little bit.  But, it was too late.

You'll note that the photos below have a combo of what appears to be production figures as well as hand painted samples.  I am not aware of any full cammo Ambush figures actually making their way into the collecting world.  The version below could be hand painted or it could be production.  I can't tell from the old photos.  But, it is a massive upgrade over the figure that was actually released.  With the "final" Joe convention occurring this weekend, it's kind of sad to look back at a time when a convention meant seeing lots of cool, new stuff.

Rarities - European Exclusive Firing Weapons Figures

Everyone is familiar with the European exclusive Action Force G.I. Joe repaints, the 6 European Tiger Force exclusive figures and even the more obscure European variants of Mutt and Spirit.  But, there were actually many more European exclusive figures.  Some are just minor color differences.  Some are date stamp discrepancies.  And, some are exclusive accessory variants.  It is the last category that is the focus of today's profile.  In the 1990's in Europe, Hasbro released 15 figures who featured exclusive accessories.  They are defined by the fact that the most identifiable characteristic is that most included spring loaded, firing weapons.  But, these are a lot of interesting tidbits hidden within these figures that we'll look at below.

The 15 figures are all 1990 and 1991 figure molds.  It should be noted that most, if not all of these figures were also released in Europe with their American accessories.  But, these altered releases were exclusive to the continent.  I'll start with my favorite of the bunch, the Rock Viper.

As you can see in the photo above, the Rock Viper now includes gear from the 1991 Snake Eyes figure.  The backpack is in an exclusive dark maroon color.  But, the thing that I really like is the neon green gun and missile.  The green is a nice color offset for the Rock Viper and I don't mind neon accessories in some cases.  But, this colored missile and gun are exclusive to this European version of the Rock Viper.

Next up is the Night Creeper you see below.

The main reason I like this version is because I like the Night Creeper in general.  This version, though, includes the backpack and launcher from the 1991 Mercer figure in a dark purple to match the Night Creeper figure.  He also includes an exclusive silver missile.

Next up is Ambush.

The obvious difference in Ambush is his accessories.  He now includes the backpack and missile launcher from the 1991 Snow Serpent in an exclusive light tan color.  He also have the Snow Serpent missile in red.  But, if you look closely, the figure itself is different.  Instead of dark brown cammo on his body, this Ambush features a brighter, lighter brown that has an orange-ish hue.  It is definitely a variant to Ambush.  Though, I'm not 100% certain that this cammo variance was exclusive to Europe or was also available elsewhere.  This European figure also features exclusive card artwork.

The 1991 jet pack General Hawk stands out because he does not include a spring loaded weapon.

As you see above, Hawk includes the launchers and missiles from the 1991 Crimson Guard Immortal figure.  They appear to be in the same color as the CGI weapons.

Next, we have Bullhorn.

Bullhorn is still the same great figure.  But, this version includes the 1991 Snow Serpent missile launcher in an exclusive maroon color.  He also has a neon green missile.

The most famous figure from this crop of missile launching figures is the 1991 Dusty.  This is because Dusty was also released in Asia with the same accessory configuration.  (There were some other figures in this series that also saw Asian releases with the alternate gear including Range Viper, Laser Viper and Desert Scorpion.)

You see Dusty includes the 1991 Red Star AK-47 and missile launcher.  The figure also features unique card artwork that showcases his alternate inclusions.

The 1991 Low Light follows the Dusty.

Low Light also includes the 1991 Red Star launcher and missile.

Up next is the Laser Viper.

This Laser Viper variant includes the missile launcher and missile from the 1991 Sci Fi figure.

Pathfinder shares a detail with Laser Viper:

Pathfinder also features the 1991 Sci Fi missile launcher.  These accessories appear to be unchanged from the American Sci Fi figure release.

Captain Grid Iron makes the Sci Fi launcher reuse a trifecta.

Captain Grid Iron, though, also features exclusive card artwork to help make him a little more interesting than just the reused launcher.

Metal Head brings us back to exclusive gear.

Metal Head includes a golden launcher from the 1991 Cobra Commander figure.  He also includes the standard 1991 Cobra Commander gun.

The final four figures are all Cobra army builders.

Range Viper:

The Range Viper also features Red Star's AK-47 and missile launcher.  He includes an exclusive golden missile, though.

SAW Viper:

The SAW Viper includes the gear from the 1991 Incinerator figure.  He also features exclusive card artwork that showcases his different accessories.

Desert Scorpion:

The Desert Scorpion includes the backpack and missile from the 1991 Mercer figure.  The only exclusive part of the figure is the card artwork that shows an oddball configuration for the new gear.

Undertow:

The Undertow figure also uses the gear from the 1991 Snake Eyes figure.  But, it's in an exclusive red color meant to mimic the Undertow's colors.  He also features an exclusive grey missile.

As accessory variants don't tend to command great attention as opposed to figure variants, these European figures remain very obscure.  But, they are generally hard to find and carded figures can command a premium in the right setting.  I'd love to track down a few of them as the offbeat colors are right up my collecting alley.  But, the general rarity of them makes them another fun subset in foreign Joe collecting.  One final picture is from a European catalog that showcases several of the figures in their alternate accessory configurations.

Rarities - Alternate 2004 Desert Patrol Figures

In late 2004, Toys R Us released the exclusive 6 figure Desert Patrol Squad set.  Featuring Stalker, Snake Eyes, Dusty, Ambush, Gung Ho and Tunnel Rat, the set was fairly well received and pretty much disappeared from retail during the Christmas shopping rush.  The set had some great figures, some boring figures and some terrible figures.  But, with under 17,000 units produced, it didn't languish at retail like the 2005 sets would.  Like most of the Toys R Us sets of that era, though, the Desert Patrol Squad had a set of variants.  The most famous, of course, is the Caucasian Stalker figure.  But, the rest of the set had equally difficult variants, even if they were not as pronounced.

The first figure is the race changing Stalker figure.  I've covered it in depth a few years ago.  Note the blonde hair.  The other change is the leather-brown highlights.  This will repeat itself on future figures.

Next up is Ambush.  At the 2004 G.I. Joe convention, this Ambush figure was shown in full body desert cammo where his upper body matched his lower.  This was, likely, a hand painted sample as full production versions of the figure will the full body brown and tan has not been seen.  But, the figure below does have differences from the production version.  Basically, it's just the leather colored bandolier and belt.  Not overly exciting, but still unique.  I think it gives the figure more depth.  But, the figure generally sucks, so even this small improvement does little to help it.

Next up is Snake Eyes.  Again, the unproduced figure features the leather colored highlights.  With more surface area changed by the leather, the Snake Eyes does appear substantially different than the production version.  He also sports different colored goggles.  In the case of Snake Eyes, I'm not sure which version I actually prefer.  The production version is fairly strong and fits in with the desert motif.  The unreleased version, though, has a richer color palette that gives the figure a bit more texture.  Really, I'd have liked either version were it released and would not have minded both variants having made their way into production.

The final figure is Tunnel Rat.  Here, you see a slightly brighter green grenade on his chest and the richer browns on his straps, belt and holster.  For Tunnel Rat, I actually prefer the brown on the unreleased figure to the released version.  But, the figure is generally not all that good, so it's kind of a moot point.

We know that the Gung Ho figure had a production tattoo size variant.  But, like these other four figures, there is also a version in the leather brown.  The same goes for Dusty.  I lost the photos of them many years ago.  But, the entire set has the subtle differences.  As the color changes, aside from Stalker's race, were slight, they were lost in the more flashy changes to the Anti Venom, Urban Strike, Night Force and Wal Mart figures.  But, these variants are out there, waiting for the enterprising collector to track them down.

Edit: found some more pics:

1993 Dino Hunters Ambush

Years ago, I briefly profiled the Dino Hunter Low Light figure.  Really, that review was posted as a novelty to showcase a rare figure that was heavily a product of its time.  That Low Light had a set-mate, though, that was also included with the playset: Ambush.  Ambush is a bit more low profile than Low Light in terms of characterization and collector popularity.  But, the figure released with the Dino Hunters set is almost excellent.  There is one glaring flaw, though, that is the same one that afflicted Low Light: a glaring use of bright, neon paint.  That alone renders the figure nearly useless and something most collectors will only seek for completion.

If you look at this figure, the base colors are very strong.  An olive green shirt with black sleeves and tan pants all add up to a pretty good start.  The tan helmet and dark green weapons are nice complements to the figure.  Most of the details, though, are left relatively unpainted as was the Hasbro norm at the time.  The real issue, though, is the neon orange bandoleers, grenades and belt.  The orange is just too much of a contrast with the rest of the figure.  As such, that's really the only impression that's left: the figure is bright.  Even though the reality of the figure is a solid base, the offending neon negates it and renders the figure largely useless.

The existence of the Dino Hunters set is really just a testament to how popular Jurassic Park had become in 1993.  At the time of the movies release, I was in the UK, France and Spain.  By the time I returned to the United States, the fad had largely passed by.  But, the cultural mark of the franchise had been felt across multiple platforms and Joe was no exception.  The set was hastily thrown together as a Toys R Us exclusive with Low-Light, Ambush, a cheap, plastic dinosaur and a repained Desert Fox that featured a retooled gun that would shoot a net to catch the dinosaur.  Done in better colors, the jeep and figures might have been a fun addition to the Joe line.  Who wouldn't want a net that would shoot out and catch Cobras?  But, the late release date, cheesy concept and poor colors really doomed the set to obscurity.

This figure really has no role in my collection. Occasionally, I pop him into the HQ as a new take on Ambush. But, that's fairly rare since his colors really clash with the classics from the '80s. The orange does give the figure some visual panache. It doesn't make him useable, but the figure does stand out in a display. However, I can't really find any other niche that fits this Ambush figure. He's a rarity and an oddity that will catch someone's eye when they peruse a collection. But trying to use him can be tough.

The Ambush mold has had a good life.  After it's use in 1990 and 1993, Hasbro dusted it off and produced the quality Sidetrack figure in 2001.  From there, the mold went over to India where the head was used on the amazing Funskool Big Brawler.  After that, the mold was returned to Hasbro where parts of it were used for various ARAH style figure releases until the line's demise.  It would have been nice to see Ambush repainted into maybe and Arctic theme or in a woodsy cammo pattern.  But, the original figure and Sidetrack are pretty good figures that leave the mold's legacy intact.

Dino Hunters figures are hard to find and expensive.  While not the $50 figures they were a few years ago, mint and complete versions still run in the $30 range.  That's a lot to pay for a neon rendition of a mold that is readily available with better accessories and much better colors for less than 1/3 the price.  But, as a novelty, the figure has some merit.  The neon is very '90's and the Dinosaur aspect is so 1993 specific that the figure retains some camp value.  The figure does have decent base colors, though, and can be forgiven more easily than many other 1993 repaints.  If not for the completist aspect, I would not have this figure.  But, it's still something different that will catch someone's eye since you don't see him all that often.  So, there is additional value in the figure for that reason alone.

1990 Ambush

There are great Joe characters and great Joe figures. In rare cases, the two intertwine. But, more commonly, the best characters have figures that are perceived to be flawed. (Though this is likely due to increased scrutiny of those popular molds.) It is the minor characters, though, where the modern collector can find the true gems of the vintage line. The line is full of high quality molds painted in realistic colors that included great accessories but are characters about whom no one cares. Ambush is one such figure. He has a distinctive look, original accessories and colors that allow him to blend with figures from all years. Yet, he remains an unsung member of the Joe ranks.

When you really dig into it, had the 1990 figure lineup been swapped with the 1985 figure releases, they would easily be considered the pinnacle of the Joe line. While the Cobra figures aren't as strong, the 1990 Joes feature a remarkable blend of specialties, realistic paint applications and awesome accessory complements. In fact, the figures surpass the mighty '85 line in many of those respects. Where 1990 falters, though, is the strength of its characters. The '85 characters had the benefit of Joe being at the height of its popularity: including a daily cartoon in a era when such a thing was culturally significant as well as a top selling comic book. The 1990 characters lacked this media exposure. And, as such, suffer in terms of popularity for it. However, in a figure by figure comparison with characterization taken out of consideration, 1990 is probably a stronger toy lineup than the juggernaut of 1985.

Unfortunately for the 1990 figures, though, Joe is largely about the characters. This has left the 1990 figures behind in many respects. Many collectors do appreciate the 1990 figures for what they are. But, they do not hold them in anywhere near the same regard as they do characters from 1984-1987. This is unfortunate since high quality figures like Ambush are unheralded at best. But, it is also beneficial for the modern collector since this leaves many of the 1990 figures relatively low in price and highly available. Granted, it's still easier to find a mint, complete 1985 figure than it is Ambush. But, you'll pay a lot less for an Ambush and get a figure of equal quality to any of the figures from the line's early years. To me, this is the long standing value of the Joe line. If you only collect vintage Star Wars figures, you have a little over 100 total figures to track down. After that, you're off to the modern stuff. With Joe, though, you have 13 years of vintage figures to add to a collection. And, there are many great figures hidden in the '90's years.

As a figure, I've always wanted to use Ambush more than I have. For a while, he was an unaffiliated bounty hunter who used his nets to trap fugitives. That grew tiresome, though, and the figure morphed back into his intended specialty. I now use him as a bush infantryman who supports long patrols or covers less skilled soldiers. With his muttonchops, I've always pictured Ambush as having and English accent and mixing phrases like "Right-O!" and "Yes, yes, carry on." into his vernacular. From that, I kind of viewed Ambush as a more erudite grunt: a guy who had the book smarts to know what do to, but wasn't always able to apply those to practical situations. But, that's an aspect of the character I have yet to fully develop. Maybe that will give me a chance to use the figure more often. But, even if it doesn't, I still find value in Ambush as great fodder for background filler in dioramas and photos.

The highlight of all 1990 figures is the accessories and Ambush is no exception. Aside from the standard helmet and rifle, Ambush also includes 2 nets, a backpack that can hold the nets once they're rolled up, a pistol and a collapsible frame that can be used a tent or camouflage once a net is strung over it. This frame also folds up and can be carried on Ambush's pack. It is a neat little set up and one that is unique to the Ambush figure. His rifle has become less distinctive in modern times due to Hasbro's overuse of it with modern figures. But, it is still a highly distinctive weapon that perfectly fits the figure.
the Ambush figure also features a variant in the color and thickness of his cammo striping on the figure. Some are thin and faint brown while others are darker brown and thicker. It is a subtle difference and most people don't even recognize it. Neither version seems harder to find than the other and the difference is probably due to different production runs or a change in production facility.

The Ambush mold was only used by Hasbro through vintage times. After this original figure, it was highlighted in neon orange and released in the Dino Hunters set in 1993. In 2000, it was dusted off and used to make Sidetrack. After that, the head appeared in India in early 2003 on the Funksool Big Brawler figure. Then, in 2004, the body mold reappeared in the US where it was used to create the Ambush figure from the Desert Patrol set. (It seems that the head was separated from the body mold, though, as this figure featured Low Light's head.) Originally, this Ambush figure would have been a full body of desert cammo and was a figure that would have been well received. But, prior to production, the paint scheme was changed and the resulting figure was less than stellar. As such, I could still enjoy another Ambush repaint. The mold has the detail to take on additional color schemes and it hasn't been used to the point where collectors are sick of it. I'd say it's unlikely that will happen in the future, but another Ambush, well done, would be a figure I could enjoy.

If you want an Ambush figure, they aren't too tough to find. But, complete figures can be somewhat problematic and you will likey pay $8-$10 for a figure that is complete with both nets. As a figure, though, Ambush is quite good and does fit into a collection that is comprised of figures from many years. He's just another of the background Joes who gives a collection depth without offering much beyond that. Really, I don't use the figure much even though he is well done. And, that is Ambush's fate in a microcosm. But, he's still a figure I'd look to add to my collection were he not already a part of it and a figure that the modern collector can enjoy without spending a small fortune.