Courtesy of Hellscream, today's subject is the
Generation 2 figure,
Sizzle. Sizzle is an excellent example of one of the more groundbreaking achievements that came about during the days of Generation 2...no, not the
interesting choice of color schemes - I'm talking about the inclusion of the ball joint. As many of you know, many G1 figures are lovingly described as "bricks" by some fans due to the lack of "poseability" - I'm looking at you,
Throttlebots. Towards the end of G1, Hasbro released the
Action Masters, Transformers that didn't transform but were more poseable than earlier figures, which didn't really go over all that well with the fans. With Generation 2, Hasbro was able to not only maintain the classic look that many of us were used to seeing at the time, but by dropping the traditional basic swivel joints, they were able to add another dimension of playability to the toy. You could put the toys in any number of dynamic poses, plus if a limb popped off, no big deal - just pop it right back on. And, they transformed! The
Laser Rods, of which Sizzle is a member, the
Cyberjets, and the
Laser Cycles all made excellent use of the ball joint as they were highly poseable and very fun toys. Thankfully, Hasbro dropped the wacky color schemes and kept the ball joint, which really took off during
Beast Wars, and has become a staple of nearly every line released since.
