Eco Striker (1992)
The second iteration of the now overused AWE Striker was the lone vehicle of the Eco Warrior Joes. It would have been nice to see a more enclosed vehicle, like the APC or the Warthog, but the Joes don’t care about getting sprayed with toxic goo on the battlefield. Ultimately, this version of the venerable Striker mold functions well as a combination fast attack/party buggy.
I’m know I’m not alone in wishing that the AWE Striker mold would go away. It’s been released how many times since debuting in the 80’s? Maybe Hasbro can ship it off to South America. The mold could end up lost in a condor’s nest in the Andes mountains along with the ’86 Viper’s legs and I wouldn’t care.
The Eco Striker, though part of a largely unloved Joe subgroup, at least presents the vehicle in a refreshing color. Blue and yellow are so much more interesting than varying shades of black, green and tan. The water squirting cannon is a necessity, considering the sub-line prominently featured color change paint. The cannon itself, which is surprisingly not hugely oversized,was even thoughtfully decorated with color change paint, just in case you’d forgotten the gimmick. It’s fortunate that the cannon was the only bit of the vehicle to get the deco, as the pink slime splashes would have detracted from the electric blue of the Striker’s body.
The only element I don’t really care for is the fact that the stickers are paper. Paper stickers were an unwelcome change in the 90’s. Most of them were blocky, uninspired and at times too cutesy, but I like most of the Eco Striker’s designs. I particularly dig the team logo proudly displayed on the hood. I suppose that’s in case they forget which one is theirs among all the AWEs in the Joe motor pool. Though a lot of the earlier plastic stickers didn’t fare well over the years in terms of wear and tear, these cheaper successors present even more frustration for collectors. Be careful cleaning off a 90’s vehicle like this one, because just a bit of water will do irreparable damage. You wouldn’t want your Eco Striker to lose its “Don’t Litter” bumper sticker.
I have to admit, while it’s gotten a little overplayed in the recent years, giving the Eco Warriors their own version of the AWE Striker was a nice touch. Up until that point, it hadn’t been released ad infinitum (and ad nauseum) so it’s kind of a kick to see it in this particular form. I don’t know if I’d quite go as far as wishing it ill in a South American tree, but I’ll admit, the Striker has gotten a little overused recently,
I also agree, an enclosed vehicle for the Eco Warrior would’ve been nice, especially since they were squaring off some pretty heavy firepower from the Cobra H.I.S.S. variant known as the Septic Tank. I’m just not sure a souped up dune buggy with an anti-sludge blaster would fare well against a sludge blasting, bright orange and yellow tank. 😉
And you’re right, gotta love that “Don’t Litter” bumper sticker…
The way I see vehicles like this, I classify them into the roles of the only one of their kind, as prototypes the Joe team brings out for only the direst of situations. This also applies to stuff like the Motorized Action Packs or the 1992 Patriot, etc. etc.
Is that whole bit about the ’86 Viper leg molds true???
There’s something hypnotic about that electric blue, though. And who did the planning giving a water-shooting toy paper stickers?
I agree, great colors for an happy party on the beach!
Paper stickers + vehicle that shoots water = bone-headed planning.
I like the Awe-Strikers, even this one. I hate that the rear suspensions seem to give out over time.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-it’s all your fault!
I actually wish the colour-change slime would have been applied to the chassis as well. I’ve always been rather fond of the electric-blue-and-hot-pink colour combination, which for me is inextricably linked to the memory of getting a toothbrush in that scheme along with the Storm Eagle jet fighter and DEF Shockwave, waaaay back in ’92.
It’s surprising this vehicle isn’t as hated as the Septic Tank when it seems to have so much of what people hate about that and the Eco-Warriors. It does strongly looked like it’s geared for a much younger audience.
The headlights and bumper make it look like a cartoony face on the vehicle, like it’s some kind of Ghost Buggy or other personified cartoon car.