Since the name of this site is HISS Tank, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t review the new HISS Tank V5! One of the 1st bravo vehicles from the GI Joe Pursuit Of Cobra line, the V5 is the latest version of the venerable HISS Tank; a vehicle vital to the Cobra arsenal. Over the years there have been quite a few versions of the HISS Tank. Is this newest one from Pursuit Of Cobra worthy of bearing the name?
Hit the discuss button to find out!
Shin Densetsu says
The iconic HISS Tank is a venerable ground assault vehicle for Cobra. Over the nearly 30 years that 3.75" GI Joe has been around, the HISS Tank has had a few different incarnations. The V5 is one of the more unique designs, and something I don't think anyone was expecting.
While some versions of the HISS Tank have been hit or miss in the past, most of them were decent with one IMHO, being stellar. With that said, expectations are high for one of Cobra's most important vehicles. Does the HISS Tank V5 live up to those said expectations? Read on...
Shin Densetsu says
The HISS Driver from GI Joe Pursuit Of Cobra is a neat update to the original design. I've added a comparison shot with the 25th Anniversary HISS Driver. What this figure does is pay homage to the original, this time with a detachable vest(from Resolute Pilot Destro).
For a franken-cobra, Hasbro did a good job. On its own it looks cool, and collectors can tell immediately, who this pays homage to. Another cool thing is that unlike some of the other vehicle drivers from before, Hasbro packed in some accessories with this guy:
- Pistol
- Cobra staff(the one that the leaked mail away Cobra Commander came with)
- Backpack
The joints are tight, no looseness, and the Armored Cobra Commander parts suit this figure well. In fact, I like this figure more than it's Modern Era predecessor.Shin Densetsu says
The HISS Tank V5 is a departure from the HISS Tanks that came before it. Its styalization is more futuristic, and it has one thing that NONE of the others have; working rubber treads! Yet there are more than meets the eye...
The HISS Tank V5 is a vehicle that you have to assemble once it's unpacked. This accomplished 2 things:
- Saves shelf space for retailers
- Brings back that feeling of nostalgia
Now the former is the more likely reason why the vehicle is disassembled in box, and the latter is the inadvertent result. Assembly does not take long. I chose to sticker it up before putting all of the parts together, so it took longer than it would have had I done it the other way around.Assembly is smooth, but be careful when attaching the main body to the chassis, as the bending "legs"(as well as the spring on the main twisting joint) somewhat work against you, and you have to align the tabs of the main body correctly with the hole on the chassis.
The big guns peg into the modular weapons ports rather easily. There are 6 total:
- Towards the back on top x 2
- Same area but underneath x 2
- Sides down the middle of the main body
The chin gun fits into place easily too. The ammo belt on the cannon fits snugly. The only parts that might fall off easily are the 2 cables on the chassis. They fit well but have come loose while extending the body. This doesn't happen often but it happened enough that I thought it should be mentioned.The rubber treads are a great addition, and from here on out, I think ALL future HISS Tanks ought to have rubber treads.
Shin Densetsu says
The attack mode is basically when the HISS Tank V5 main body is elevated from the chassis. So you might be thinking, "okay, so it elevates, so did the canopy on the 2002 HISS". Yet the attack mode of the V5 gains the capability to...
...attack in ANY direction! Yep, in standard mode, the HISS Tank can only aim it's cannons. In attack mode, the entire main body can aim any direction you want. So you can have the V5 cruising alongside some Snow Cats, with some other GI Joe vehicles behind it, and the HISS Tank can aim at ANY of them. You can have the cockpit facing the opposite direction while the 2 rear guns shoot anything to the sides.
That's pretty cool in my opinion, and the attack mode boosts playability. In this respect you can use it as a mini playset with Joes and Cobras duking it out on the chassis and treads. This is the 1st HISS Tank to have the ability for the entire main body to swivel in any direction. I never liked the 2002 HISS but I think this POC version blows it away.
While I do prefer the look of the standard(unelevated) mode, because it's more in line with what I am used to seeing, the elevated attack mode is more fun to play with. The only thing that disappointed me with this mode is that it's too easy to activate. You have to press a button on the top, aft of the canopy, to activate attack mode. Unfortunately, during my photoshoot, and handling of the V5, the attack mode would elevate when I wouldn't press the button.
This hasn't happened often but it was enough to be noticeable. Hopefully whenever Hasbro releases the inevitable repaint and/or retools this thing, the tab on the main body is made thicker or more secure.
Shin Densetsu says
The HISS Tank V5 has a good amount of panel lines molded, and enough detail that results in a more modernized look that makes the original HISS Tank look dated(see below). The rubber treads have good sculpted details. The cannon(not the missle launcher one) spins with exposed barrels.
The detailing reminds me of the A Real American Hero vehicles, where high detail evoking a sense of realism was the gimmick. The only place this falls short is in the gunner's cockpit. The interior is bland, with just a sticker to add detail. Not to mention, the cockpit just seems empty; as if more thought went into everything else but that. You can put a figure in there(I shoved a Neo Viper inside), just make sure to bend the knees a bit so it has enough clearance to fit.
Sure some can say "yea it looks bland but it's not like your going to have it open a lot and you can't see the figure inside anyways", but it's noticeable enough to me. I wish more thought went into designing that part. A more secure way of fitting the gunner within would be cool too, the only thing that does is some handle bar.
Speaking of details, one aspect Hasbro did not overlook was the sticker sheet. It comes with a lot of stickers to detail and personalize your HISS Tank V5. I opted to have different numbers. There are between 2-3 sets each per letter and numbers 0-9. I bet kids will have fun figuring out which words to use for display on their HISS Tank V5's. Hopefully Hasbro will include more sticker sheets like this on their upcoming vehicles.
A big thing I noticed about the stickers, is that they would look better on an all black HISS Tank V5. The reds in the stickers would really pop out that way. I'm not saying this just because the original was black; some original paint schemes don't look good on modern toys, just as some G1 paint schemes don't look good on movie Transformers. I'm saying this because the stickers on a black HISS Tank V5 would look sinister and pretty damn cool. Not to mention, those are colors Cobra uses a lot.
Shin Densetsu says
Up for comparison with the new HISS Tank V5 are:
- DTC HISS Tank
- 25th Anniversary Target Exclusive HISS Tank(retooled V1)
The 2 aforementioned HISS Tanks are shown here because they are ones I have in good condition(my HISS II is busted from childhood). Also, the DTC HISS is a personal favorite of mine(but not THEE favorite HISS Tank), and looks like a modernized V1.So how does the V5 stack up? 1st off, the V5 wins points for having functional, real rubber treads. The fact that the entire body can elevate and swivel 360 degrees is another added bonus. However it does fall short in some respects.
The V5 has an interlinked cannon swinging gimmick. A switch between the top modular weapon ports can be slid left or right. However the cannons do not swivel all the way with this gimmick, just to the left about 45 degrees. I am not sure if this is on everyone's V5 or just unique to mine. You are better off swiveling the cannons manually(they can be swiveled 360 degrees manually instead of using the switch).
The DTC HISS can accomodate troops, not just a gunner. It can seat at least 5 troopers or more in it's cabin. It is also a very solid and very sturdy/durable vehicle.
The main thing that the 25th Target HISS has going for it are it's cannons. The DTC HISS lacks cannons like that, meanwhile the V5 has cannons but for a modern tank, they look small. In the future, when Hasbro considers releasing a retool/repaint of the HISS V5, I hope it has bigger cannons included.
Personally, my favorite HISS of all time is the HISS II. It could carry troops AND had big cannons too. It was a great follow up to the 1st HISS, and with bigger guns, the V5 could somewhat follow in its footsteps.
A cool thing about the HISS Tank V5 that some of you may not have been expecting, is that it absolutely dwarfs previous HISS Tanks. That to me, adds more cool factor. What the V5 has over the DTC HISS and V1 are size(and in due to that, shelf presence), and playability. You can simply do more with the HISS Tank V5 and it's a more dangerous addition to the Cobra arsenal due to what it can do over the DTC HISS/V1.
Shin Densetsu says
In conclusion, the HISS Tank V5 is worth getting. The versatility and playability brought about by the extended attack mode surprised me. It adds more fun to an already cool looking vehicle. Could it be better? Sure. Add a more secure locking mechanism for standard mode, so that the main body doesn't elevate unintentionally, and bigger guns would be cool too. I can live without the interconnected gun swiveling gimmick. A repaint in black would bring out the vibrant stickers much more too. Not to mention, that would be a surefire hit with collectors due to nostalgia(and IMHO would just look better, nostalgia aside).
Is it the best HISS Tank ever? No, I think that distinction still belongs to the HISS II, but the HISS Tank V5 is one hell of a re-imagined design. I wouldn't mind seeing this again, retooled as an offscreen GI Joe Renegades vehicle. It's cool and I think has long legs and much potential. Hopefully Hasbro will make more use of the modular ports, as more weapons would make this HISS even better than it already is.
This isn't a HISS Tank with a highly compromised design and other aspects that make it fall short of it's predecessors. It's a new HISS that while it isn't the best, it certainly comes close and I think kids and collectors alike will be happy with it. I've seen other re-imagined GI Joe vehicles that fared off much worse and were compromised much more. The 2002 HISS Tank is evidence of this.
GI Joe Pursuit Of Cobra is off to a good start, this vehicle did a great job of kicking things off. I got the Wolfhound too, and had more fun playing with the new HISS. In conclusion, I give this an8/10.
Zefram says
Badass, I'm looking forward to adding one of these to my shelf.
A.V.A.C. says
great review and pics. can't wait to get my hands and dremel on this.
TTT says
Nice to have something all new but this design has no appeal to me.
I would take the Wolf Hound over this just for the fact that you can cram that thing with figures.
Keep reading: GI Joe Pursuit Of Cobra HISS Tank V5 With HISS Driver Review - Page 2
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