Review – Tyco BattleTech Hunchback

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After our look at the small 1994 BattleTech Infiltrator toy from Tyco (review here) it’s time we see what one of the boxed BattleTech toys of the era looks like. Limited articulation, hollow parts, missiles, stickers . . . welcome to 1994!

Packaging

While the graphic design is similar to that of the BattleTech Infiltrator blister (review here) this box — larger and completely enclosed — leaves more room for the computer-rendered cover artwork which really helps drive home the nineties. The back, again, shows other toys in the line . . . I wish all toys remembered that showing us several other toys on the box excited many of us and left us searching for more. Showing one or two other action figures or vehicles isn’t enough: wow us!!!

Two Green Missiles

The Tyco BattleTech Hunchback has shoulder-mounted missiles and as with many spring-loaded weapons of the nineties the strength of the weapons is decent but not spectacular. Each missile is fired separately by green buttons on the top of the mech’s shoulders — see the pics! — and I suspect part of the reason the missiles don’t fire far is that fat, domed head. Spear-like toy missiles always seem to fire a much greater distance while these blunter missiles just aren’t aerodynamic enough to get any significant range.

Cheap Plastic

Just like the BattleTech Infiltrator toy from Tyco (review here), this larger Hunchback toy doesn’t have the best quality plastic known to man. It’s not a terrible quality — the toy isn’t likely to simply snap without warning — but the plastic does feel a little thin and isn’t as nice as I would have liked.

7.75-Inches Tall and Articulated

Towering over the BattleTech Infiltrator (review here), the Hunchback has swivel shoulders and hips (but the left leg is special, keep reading) and the cockpit opens. The green blasters on the left arm also swivel, but that is it when it comes to articulation. I’m not sure why I was expecting elbow joints, but there aren’t any at all so you can forget any visions of the toy outstretching its arms or dropping its hands to its sides.

Battle Damage Feature

The large blue button on the front of the mech is a trigger: press the button and the left leg pops off at the hip. So while there is a little swivel in that left leg, it’s not enough to be true articulation since the toy pretty much simply stands there and poseability is limited to raising or lowering the arms. The battle damage feature works a little too well since an accidental bump can send the toy falling to its side. But if you’re going to fire missiles at toys there should be a chance to cause some “damage” so I’m not bothered at all by this feature.

Pytor

As with the BattleTech Infiltrator (review here), the Hunchback comes with a 2.5-inch tall action figure/pilot. Pytor has the exact same articulation as Adam Steiner — the classic Kenner five points — and a weapon, but he does not come with a helmet. I guess Tyco’s budget didn’t leave room for Pytor to get the neural helmet that’s important to piloting mechs in the BattleTech lore. I’m sure he’ll live.

Closing Thoughts

The BattleTech Hunchback is a much better toy than the BattleTech Infiltrator (review here), but that’s only because it is so much larger and looks so very much cooler. At its heart the two toys are near-identical, not surprising since they’re both from the first wave of the 1994 BattleTech toys. And while the battle damage feature and spring-loaded missiles are neat, the lower quality plastic — combined with minimal paint apps — makes the toy far less cooler than any BattleTech toy ever should be.

Someone out there needs to take another chance on BattleTech toys, because these are fun from a nostalgia point of view, but I am certain that modern BattleTech toys would blow these away.