General Information
Release Date: July 2024
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Swords/Wings x 2, Shield/Blade Weapon, Cyber Key
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com:
- TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Celebrate the anniversary of the Transformers: Cybertron animated series that debuted 20 years ago with this Transformers Deluxe Class action figure
- SIDEWAYS ACTION FIGURE: This 5.5-inch (14 cm) Sideways action figure toy features deco and detail inspiration from the Transformers: Cybertron animated series
- 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TOY: Transformers action figure converts from robot toy to jet toy in 21 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: This Sideways Transformers figure comes with swords, shield, and Cyber Planet Key accessories. The action figure toy makes a great collectible figure gift for any Transformers fan!
- ARTICULATED FOR PLAY AND DISPLAY: Transformers figures feature articulated heads, arms, and legs for action poses
- SIDEWAYS: Sideways is a descendent of The Thirteen Liege Maximo Prime
- AGE OF THE PRIMES: The Thirteen Primes are the very first bots in Transformers mythology. Every battle, bot, and power in the Transformers universe can be traced back to them
- Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Class Transformers: Cybertron Sideways 5.5” Action Figure, 8+, Only At Walmart
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Transformers: Cybertron animated series with the Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Class Sideways action figure! This 5.5-inch Sideways action figure converts between robot and jet modes in 21 steps and includes attachable accessories. The Sideways figure is inspired by the character from the Transformers universe and features articulated head, arms, and legs for awesome action poses. Transformers: Age of the Primes opens up the world of the Primes, the very first bots in Transformers mythology, a pantheon of Thirteen beings, each with a unique ability and personality. Every battle, every bot, and every power in the Transformers universe can be traced back to one of The Thirteen. Collect and combine different characters to create your ideal Age of the Primes lineup. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. © 2024 Hasbro. Includes figure, 4 pieces, and instructions. Figure scale: 5.5 inches. Ages 8 and up. Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. © 2025 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured under license from TOMY Company, Ltd.
Background:
In 2005 Hasbro launched a new toy line called Cybertron. This was the third part of what is known as the "Unicron Trilogy" made up of Armada, Energon and Cybertron. In each series Unicron's presence is felt either directly or through the consequences of his actions in the previous show. One of the characters on the show was Sideways, ostensibly the same character we met in Armada but this Sideways was a survivor of the destruction of Planet X after its war with Gigantion. The character is not really an Autobot or Decepticon but fights on whatever side benefits him the most. Ultimately his loyalty is to Planet X and anyone left from that doomed world.
Packaging:
Unlike the unique packaging design of Legacy, the Age of the Primes packaging is more aligned with the look of the Studio Series line. The boxes are now rectangular with a flap on top to hang on pegs. The background color is a flat black. The front features a new series of icons giving information about the figure. This is set to the left and is colored gold featuring a faction logo, calling out how many steps are in the transformation (21 in this case) and the age recommendation (8+ on this box). To the right is artwork featuring Sideways holding his shield/blade accessory. Beneath him is artwork of his vehicle mode. In between is the figure with a window cut away with the return of a plastic window! These had been removed the last few years but Hasbro heard the fan outcry (and probably got sick of figures getting damaged in box by vandals) so they're back and I'm really glad about that. Below the artwork is the "Transformers" logo now set horizontally for the first time in about a decade. Under that is the "Age of the Primes" line looking a lot less stylized than the Legacy logos of years past. The bottom features Alchemist Prime's name, symbol and the Hasbro logo to the right.
The back of the box features the figure in both modes calling out the 21 step transformation. A small window focuses on his Cyber Key feature. The bottom half features legal information in multiple languages and an "Authentic Transformers" logo. The box is definitely going for a premium appearance and it aligns the look more with Studio Series but it definitely does not feel as special or unique compared to previous years.
Accessories:
Sideways includes accessories all inspired by the original Cybertron toy:
- Swords/Wings: Sideways' main weapons are two swords which also double as his wings. Like the original Cybertron figure's swords, these feature a very angular design with an angled "hook" at the top and a point sticking out around the hilt. There is a rough, raised design on one side of each blade and symbols that look like lines on a circuit board (or maybe writing) on the other. Each sword features a 5mm peg handle and another on the bottom of the wings. Each one is made of black plastic with silver paint on the raised section.
- Cyber Key: The Cyber Key included with this figure is not intended to activate any features. It is purely decorative. The Key has hints of the Decepticon symbol in its design, especially with the crest at the top and points sticking up. The sides have spikes sticking out to the sides with a Decepticon symbol in the middle. The Key is made of black plastic and painted silver on the edges with orange in the middle. The Key can fit into the slot on the back of the shield, but it does not activate anything (it looks great though).
- Shield/Blade Weapon: The Shield/Blade weapon is not what you'd expect. It's not a disc or an oval etc. Instead, it looks more like a cannon with blades sticking out the sides. On the original Sideways figure this piece was attached to the arm of the figure but some fans wished it could detach (partly to facilitate the transformation). This time out it is a totally different piece. The accessory is made of black and orange plastic with silver and green paint details. The blades can be manually deployed and there is a 5mm peg on the bottom that swings out to attach it to Sideways. There is a slot in the back for the Cyber Key, but it doesn't activate anything. Instead, there is an opening featuring either an Autobot or Decepticon symbol. To switch between the two there is a tab on the bottom you can use to slide one symbol or the other into place.
Robot Mode:
Much like Excellion, this Sideways figure is basically a sized down version of the original Cybertron figure with less action features. Honestly, if I just flashed this in front of you really quick you'd swear it was the actual Cybertron figure. Like that figure this one features a design full of angles. The head has "horns" on it like the Decepticon symbol. His chest comes to a point in the front while his lower legs feature pointed knee armor and designs that look almost like blades sticking out at the ankles. A lot of the details from the original figure also carry over here including line designs on the chest, the honeycomb pattern on the chest, the raised designs on the shoulders and some angled lines on the feet. The sculpt looks amazing and I really appreciate the dedication to replicating the original figure's details.
This figure is made of black and orange plastic. Paint colors include silver, gold and orange. for the most part, the layout of the colors match the original Cybertron figure. I do wish there was translucent orange plastic on the head and chest (like the original) but those parts are painted orange so I'm fine with how they look.
There are twenty four points of articulation on this figure. This includes five in each arm and six on each leg. I am not counting the vehicle mode parts on his back but you can swing them up to move them out of the way for poses involving turning the waist. There are eight 5mm ports in this mode. Six of them are "regular" 5mm ports including the ones in his fists, the forearms and the sides of his lower legs. The other two are actually the attachment points for the Swords in vehicle mode on the back, but you could in theory use them as weapon storage.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the back pieces up.
- Turn the robot head around.
- Swing the top of the chest panel forward.
- Swing the robot head down and tuck it into the slot in the chest.
- Swing the chest panel back into place.
- Swing the lower body forward.
- Turn each arm around under the shoulder so the insides of the fists face outward.
- Swing each arm back, then in. Rotate the fists so the back of the fists face up.
- Connect the forearms together.
- Swing the lower body back into place.
- Point the front half of each foot down.
- Swing the legs up to the sides.
- Rotate the legs around at the hip joint.
- Swing the lower legs forward, attaching the slot on the bottom of each foot to the tabs on the sides near the cockpit section. The tabs on the sides of the lower legs attach to the slots on the bottom of the back pieces from the robot mode.
- Attach the swords/wings to the sides of the back pieces from the robot mode.
- On the shield, push the "blades" and the peg on the bottom in.
- Attach the shield piece to the top of the vehicle. It does not hold very firmly so you're going to have to press a bit to get it to stay in place.
Vehicle Mode:
Sideways' vehicle mode is a Cybertronian (or if you prefer "Planet X") spaceship. Like the original it features a rounded front end with the "horns" from the robot mode sticking out and then a sort of oval shape with the swords/wings sticking out the sides towards the back. The angled bits from the lower legs and feet stick out the sides and back, giving him a very dramatic appearance. The "windows" on the front of the vehicle almost look like narrowed eyes, giving the vehicle mode an almost sinister appearance. There are very few Transformers with this design and it looks spectacular.
This mode shows off all the same colors as the robot mode, but we get a lot more silver and gold showing thanks to the front end and the back pieces. A bit of green in the front of the shield/blade piece looks like a cannon charging up. Many of these details match up nicely with the ones on the original Cybertron figure so I appreciate the nice nod to the past.
Unlike the Cybertron version of Sideways, the shield/blade weapon cannot raise up to deploy the blades in vehicle mode. It is also important to note that the shield does not hold on very tightly. Yes, you can attach it, flip the vehicle upside down and it stays. However, start whooshing it around or fiddling with it and the shield has a tendency to pop off. This is the biggest weakness of this figure overall.
The bottom of the vehicle features two 5mm ports on the legs. This allows you to attach additional accessories. You can also attach the Cyber Key into the back of the shield piece but again it is more for show than anything else.
Final Thoughts:
Given its visual accuracy to the original Cybertron Sideways it would be very easy to want to make a comparison between this and the original figure and pick one as "better", but really they're both great toys. The real question is what your priority is. If articulation and attaching accessories is our priority, this is the figure for you. If you want spring loaded functions and a slightly larger figure than the original is the one you want. What I will say is that this figure is a very faithful visual interpretation of the original with good articulation and fun play value all its own. If you want someone to face off against your Excellion then his figure is definitely for you! Recommended.
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt that is very faithful to the original Cybertron version.
- Good deco.
- Excellent articulation.
- A good number of attachment points for accessories.
- Some fun features (even if they are manually operated).
Cons:
- No "spring loaded" features. Everything is manual. To me this is fine, but some fans will feel something is "missing" if they have/had the original figure.
- The shield not attaching to the vehicle mode very tightly is an issue but not a deal breaker.
