Sharkon

Sharkon is one of my favorite DX web nights from Takara’s Web Diver Line.

The main idea of Web Diver is that Gradion, the train robot, is also a video game. You can plug him in to a TV set to get 16-bit videogame fun.

The video game is pretty rudimentary. In train mode, you drive a train through a slalom course that reminds me of Zaxxon. In robot mode, you fight an enemy from across a chasm. There are also a few puzzle games and assorted screens.

But wait, there’s more! You can attach other DX Web Knights to the front of Gradion, and they become power-ups. The infra-red sensor on Gradion’s chest detects the other toy, and then it materializes on screen.

Sharkon gets points for just being a robot with a giant shark head. I mean, who doesn’t love that? They really nailed the look of this one. One thing that gets me about the Web Diver line is that the designs are so hit-and-miss.

In robot mode, Sharkon is small, maybe 4″ tall. He is pretty articulated though, and comes with 2 launching missiles, and a shield. A button activates the LED in his head. The jaw is articulated.

In vehicle mode, Sharkon is a hovercraft. The shield becomes a platform to roll the vehicle around. I was amazed as to how cheap the shield felt. You can also convert Sharkon to become a set of shoulder mounted cannons for Gradion.

I like Sharkon a lot, purely for the robot mode. If you only get a few Web Diver toys, this is one to get.