[Acquisitions] True Heroes L.A.S.E.R. Rockslide

When my wife and I went to Hong Kong last 2010 for our honeymoon, I was able to spot and acquire some World Peacekeepers (WPK) toys from one of the Toys "R" Us branches there. World Peacekeepers are 1:18-scaled, military-themed toys which are pretty much like our beloved Joes in the sense that both brands have various playsets and vehicles that help provide kids of all ages an expanded and more enjoyable playing universe. Yes, the WPK action figures may look terrible but their playsets and vehicles can definitely go toe-to-toe with their G.I. Joe counterparts. They're not locally available here in the Philippines (even up to now) and that's the reason why I was so excited to fill my shopping cart up with WPK stuff back when we were in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, I had to pass up on some cool items then and make do with a Black Hawk chopper, a tent, two jeeps, and three sets of bunk beds and lockers because of baggage space limitations but still, it was a great haul.

  

Fast forward to 2012. Several weeks before flying to Singapore, I decided to do a little bit of research and asked some of my fellow collectors who had been to the Lion City before about the availability of WPK products there. Their responses were mostly positive and I was really excited to know that I would be getting another opportunity to snag some goodies which were not released locally, or so I thought.  After touring four Toys "R" Us branches and more than a dozen other toy stores, I didn't even see a single WPK stuff for sale. Luckily, I didn't come home empty-handed because I stumbled upon a couple of True Heroes toys and we're taking a look at one of them today! So, without further ado, I present to you, the Land-Air-Sea-Elite-Rangers (L.A.S.E.R.) Rockslide!

The Rockslide is a futuristic military vehicle. In fact, the entire L.A.S.E.R. sub-line of the True Heroes toyline is all about advanced/futuristic warfare. The packaging does not state what kind of a vehicle the Rockslide really is but by closely inspecting the damn thing, I think it's safe to say that it's a troop/equipment transport vehicle. Come on, let's check this bad boy out!

The Rockslide looks like one mean machine, thanks to its armored windshield that is probably more suited for a mobile battering ram. It has six rolling wheels and a ton of sculpted elements like chains, shovels, panels, and even a winch.

It comes with two action figures that are destined to be given away to less-fortunate kids. The figs look neat but having only five points of articulation is simply unforgivable.

The Rockslide has a pair of giant guns/laser cannons on top that can actually rotate a full 360 degrees. There are light and sound effects that can be activated with a push of a button.

There's a slot for the gunner at the rear end of the vehicle. There's a circular platform underneath the slot for the gunner figure to step on. There are also two control sticks that can be held by the gunner.

The windshield can be pulled open to reveal the vehicle's driver's seat. The winshield doesn't have tabs to lock it in place when it is closed but it actually stays in place quite well.

One modern G.I. Joe figure can fit inside the driver's area with plenty of room to spare. There are two control sticks inside but they're a bit far and short for the figure to grasp properly.

The mid-section of the vehicle is very spacious, it has room for about four to five figures on each side. That's a total of eight to ten figures and if that's not enough...

There's also one exterior handle bar on each side of the vehicle. Each handle bar can be utilized by up to three figures.

And we're not done yet! There's an open window at the rear of the Rockslide that can accomodate two additional figures. There's enough space to keep one leg of each figure inside the vehicle without causing any  trouble to the gunner. How's that for capacity?

So, there you have it. The Rockslide, a Joe-compatible troop-carrier. Now, let's hope that it gets released locally because seriously, I need a few more for my ever-growing army.