Transformers Titans Return Apeface

Apeface was one half of the Horrorcons, a pair of Decepticon triple-changer Headmasters. Both he and Snapdragon had a beast-mode, a jet-mode and their robot-mode. Their Headmaster partners were also unique in that they formed the heads of both the robot- and beast-modes.

Titans Return Apeface is a tiny re-imagining of that toy. All of the original modes are present even if the way he achieves them is different from his G1 self.

Head mode:

Apeface's head mode is very nice. The silver paint on his faceplate stands out against the dark purple making up the nest of his head. The eyes are black which is a little unusual - I'm used to Decepticons having red eyes for the most part - which some people have said make it look dead.

Apeface's head mode is very faithful to his original self. The new head is more detailed but as you can see in the above picture the original Apeface's head design was very basic. Hasbro/Takara hit the right balance between staying true to the original design but at the same time making it fit with the look of the modern toys.

Robot mode:

Cast in purple and black plastic Apeface is entirely reliant on the sculpted details in robot mode. There's no paint detailing at all. I really wish they'd picked out his face like they did on Terri-Bull and Crashbash.

Articulation is standard for a Titanmaster. Neck and shoulders are ball-jointed but the shoulders are limited by their shape. The hips and knees are hinged but the legs do not move independently. Apeface can interact with his companion fine but is by no means super poseable.

Apeface's robot mode design makes it clear he's supposed to be Apeface and not Spasma. The head design on the Titanmaster is the same as the head he transforms into. As far as I can tell none of the detailing on Spasma is carried over to the new Apeface.

Beast mode:

I'm not sure if the vehicle/beasts that come with the Titanmasters are a part of them or more akin to the transformable companions that came the the old Action Masters. Either way Apeface comes with a small robotic gorilla reminiscent of his original toys beast mode. The visor eye and chest are painted. Otherwise all detailing is done through the sculpt and plastic colors. The arms are on swivels but there is no other articulation.

Apeface (or any Titanmaster) is able to ride the gorilla. There are small pegs on the back that plug into the holes in a Titanmaster's feet. As mentioned before only the arms are articulated so there's not a whole lot you can do with it.

A lot of the details of the original toys gorilla mode are present on the Titans Return version. The paint and plastic colors don't match up with the originals colors perfectly but there's enough there to make it clear what their inspiration was. The posture on the Titans Return version is more accurate to a real world gorilla than the original toy.

Vehicle mode:

The integrated mode for Apeface is a tiny jet. The front of the jet is painted to mimic the details of the original toy. Apeface's robot mode blends into the jet well making it look like an entire vehicle.

This jet mode is chunky as many Transformers jets are. It's a much better looking jet than the vehicle that came with Terri-Bull. The gorilla mode is in no way hidden on the bottom of the jet. Otherwise it is a decent looking vehicle mode.

While stubbier in proportions the jet mode is clearly the same as that of the original Apeface toy. Much like the gorilla mode the paint on the Titans Return version is limited. All the key details of the original are present even if the colors don't match up perfectly.

Weapon mode:

Like the other Titanmaster figures I've looked at the weapon mode is not very convincing. I'd say this is on par with Crashbash's weapon mode. It's there if you want to use it but the other modes are much more fun.

Final Thoughts:

I love the 1987 Decepticon Headmasters. Getting a new Apeface, even in this tiny scale, is a great thing. Apart from the weapon mode this figure does a good job of homaging the original toy. I think it's a shame Terri-Bull and Crashbash didn't do the same in replicating their original alt-modes given how well it's worked for Apeface.

Apeface is a fun little package. So far I've felt all of the Titanmasters I've played with have been worthy additions to my collection. If you see him in store I'd recommend you pick him up.

Transformers Titans Return Crashbash

Crashbash (also known as Squeezeplay) is the second of the 1988 Decepticon Headmasters to be reimagined as a Titanmaster. It's always nice to get some of the lesser known characters updated with new toys instead of just rehashing the main players over and over again. Hopefully a Fangry will be part of a later wave to complete the '88 trio.

Crashbash is a fitting name for a Decepticon who was characterized as a reckless force of destruction on the battlefield. He's no longer some sort of crab monster. Unlike Terri-Bull his companion piece has beast modes rather than vehicle modes.

Head mode:

What a head sculpt. That evil smirk is the perfect expression for a Decepticon Titanmaster. The silver painted face and red eyes stand out nicely against the pink (depending on the light it can look purple) plastic the rest of the head is cast from. Like Terri-Bull the head is very nicely detailed. No complaints here from me.

Robot mode:

Like his head mode Crashbash's robot mode is mostly pink. There is a little silver paint on his face and some grey plastic on the torso to break things up a little but that's it. I am impressed by how cleanly the robot's face has been painted given how tiny it is.

Crashbash has the same articulation as it seems all Titanmasters have. Ball neck and shoulders and hinged hips and knees. It's not much but still impressive given the size of these figures.

Beast mode 1:

Crashbash's companion is a small pink and grey dragon. Depending on your definition this may actually be a wyvern. Or maybe I'm the only person to get hung up on minor irrelevant details.

Most of the detailing in this mode is molded. There's a little paint for the eyes and the neck and that's about it. The neck is on a hinge as is the tail. The wings and legs are ball jointed. It's not super poseable but neither is it a static piece.

There are pegs on the tail that plug into the holes on a Titanmasters feet. Crashbash plugs in perfectly allowing him to ride his dragon. When I swapped in Terri-Bull I found the molding of his feet was different enough that he didn't fit as securely. So it looks like some Titanmasters will fit better than others.

Beast mode 2:

The integrated alt-mode is this adorable little dinosaur. A Titanmaster fits in upside down with their arms becoming the dinosaur arms and their legs the dinosaur's lower jaw. In this mode you get ball jointed arms and legs although both are limited. If you don't plug the Titanmasters legs in you can also get some mouth articulation.

Weapon mode:

The weapon mode fairs better than Terri-Bull's but that's not saying much. The dino/dragon legs plug into the sides and the dragon head flips into the body. This gives the blaster a triple-barreled look. It does a better job of looking like a gun from some angles but looks like a dinosaur lying on its back from others. It's there if you want it but I think there are better modes to play with.

Final Thoughts:

The dinosaur mode alone has made Crashbash my favorite of the Titanmasters I own. Like Terri-Bull I'd just as soon forget the gun mode exists. But the other modes are all solid. Crashbash is a lot of fun for such a little figure. If you see him and have a bit of money to spare I'd highly recommend you pick him up.

Transformers Titans Return Terri-Bull

Following on from Combiner Wars we have Titans Return, Hasbro's next Transformers toyline to feature a line wide gimmick. Titans Return revolves around Titanmasters (essentially Headmasters) and all the figures in the line have been designed with some level of interactivity with them. Each Titanmaster can become the head of any deluxe-, voyager- or leader-class figure.

Most of the initial waves are made up of updated characters who had originally been Headmasters. The focus of today's review, Terri-Bull, is an new take on the 1988 Headmaster Horri-Bull. While the Titanmasters on the larger figures seem to be considered separate characters to their bodies - Skullsmasher is paired with Grax like his G1 self - the single packed Titanmasters appear to be named for the main figure that inspired them. Hence this is Terri-Bull, who is Horri-Bull not Kreb.

Head mode:

Terri-Bull's head mode is very nice. While mostly cast in blue plastic the face is picked out in tan and the eyes in red. The paint applications are very clean. The sculpting here is nice and very evocative of Horri-Bull's head. Which is, of course, to be expected.

Robot mode:

Transforming to robot mode is as simple as unfolding Terri-Bull's legs to straighten out his body. These guys use the same transformation scheme as the G1 toys that inspired them.

There's very little paint in robot mode. Terri-Bull's face is picked out in yellow and that's it. Some grey plastic helps break things up a little bit. But the figure really relies on the sculpted detailing in this mode. Luckily these are very tidily done and keep this tiny robot visually interesting.

There is some articulation present in this mode. Terri-Bull has a ball jointed neck and limited ball jointed shoulders. The hips and knees are hinged but the legs move together. There's enough here for Terri-Bull to interact with his vehicle or with the play features on the larger figures in the line but nothing else.

Vehicle mode 1:

Terri-Bull's vehicle is a small blue and tan tank. Like Terri-Bull himself it's cleanly painted and nicely sculpted. The two pairs of barrels move up and down independently of each other. Otherwise it's a static piece.

There are two small pegs inside the turret that connect to peg holes on Terri-Bulls feet. He plugs in securely and is able to man the turret on the tank. This is where this figure shines. It's a simple thing, but having this tiny robot able to drive around this equally tiny tank is both adorable and awesome. I can really see the appeal of having these little guys defending the bases the leader-class toys become.

Vehicle mode 2:

Being a Transformer Terri-Bull's accessory also transforms. To do so you flip the tank over, flip out the cockpit from what was the bottom of the tank and fold down the sides of the treads. Into the hollow space insert Terri-Bull with the head mode face down. The tab on the back of his legs will tab into the rear of the vehicle.

Terri-Bull's other vehicle mode is a jet. This mode tries to integrate a Titanmaster into it and does so with only moderate success. I can see what they were going for but I think the tank mode unashamedly having Terri-Bull ride atop it is the better of the two.

That said it's not a bad jet mode. Not by Transformers standards. I've seen far weaker jet modes on figures that only become jets. It's rather chunky, and there's no hiding the turret on the underside, but the painted cockpit does go a long way to making this mode more convincing.

Weapon mode:

This is by far Terri-Bull's weakest mode. Close the plane wings and flip out the 5mm plug and you've apparently got a gun. Which looks like an upside down tank with a plane cockpit stuck on it. Because it is a tank with a plane cockpit stuck on. I'll be ignoring this mode from now on.

Final Thoughts:

I like Terri-Bull. He's a cheap, fun little toy. Even without any larger Titans Return figures to take advantage of his head mode his interactivity with his tank/jet is worth the asking price. I think the value of this figure will increase if you own other toys in the line. And I can certainly see people having a Pokémon-like reaction to these little guys to fully man the bases made from the larger figures in the line.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-25L Loudpedal

Loudpedal is an 'exclusive' figure from the 2016 Tokyo Toy Show. I say 'exclusive' because it seems like he was readily available at the major online retailers soon after he was announced. That was how I got my copy of the toy.

He is an homage to an oddity of pre-Transformers toys. There is a rare Finnish Diaclone figure which the wider Transformers/Diaclone collecting community were largely unaware of until the early 2000s. Check out this article on tf-1.com for the full story. This sort of obscure reference is the perfect thing to release as an exclusive.

Loudpedal's bio says he's a very gifted sonic engineer. He's able to use sound blasts offensively or use a sort of echolocation to track enemies. Despite these skills he's fairly weak and timid for a Decepticon and only Exhaust is aware of everything he's capable of.

Vehicle mode:

Loudpedal's vehicle mode is a Corvette Stingray. It is unchanged from Tracks or Road Rage apart from the color scheme. The glossy black plastic and dark purple windows work very well with this alt-mode. The flame decal on the hood is done with metallic paints and is very cleanly done.

Like the two previous releases the hood opens. The engine is painted in silver and all the details are nicely sculpted. I have no idea if this is an accurate Stingray engine but it looks nice none-the-less.

Flight mode:

Loudpedal's flight mode adds a little more color to the mix. When I first got the figure I thought the green was a really odd choice. Having seen a few pictures of the Finnish toy Loudpedal homages I now know it's accurate. But it still seems weird.

The flight mode is unchanged from the previous releases. It's silly in a fun way. Loudpedal includes a clear purple version of the display stand included with Tracks. You could have him flying on your shelf if you wished.

Transformation:

Loudpedal's transformation is unchanged from Tracks and Road Rage. Refer to their review. 

Robot mode:

Loudpedal's robot mode is identical to Tracks apart from the head. He's mostly black and dark silver/grey with a few spots of color to break things up. As I said above some of the color (the green in particular) seemed like an odd choice when I first got the toy. But the original was just as colorful with it's stickers applied.

While most of the joints on Loudpedal are as solid as Tracks and Road Rage my copy of the toy's faction symbol panel is loose. It will sit flat in either position. But the slightest bump will cause the panel to flip back about half way. Not a big deal, and chances are it's not a widespread issue.

Where Tracks got a cartoon accurate head sculpt Loudpedal's matches the original toy. I think Takara made the right choice giving this head design to a Decepticon. It has a very sinister look to it in my opinion.

Loudpedal's posability is standard for a Masterpiece figure. His forearms are fairly long but he's otherwise well proportioned. The wings and backpack don't impede his movement. You shouldn't have any real issues getting him into action poses.

Accessories:

Loudpedal's main accessory is his gun. This is the same gun that was included with Road Rage. He can be posed well holding it in two hands and it's more impressive than the pistol Tracks came with. Like Road Rage his hand doesn't grip the gun particularly well but there's a small tab that plugs into a slot near his wrist (see the first robot mode picture) that makes a solid connection.

There are four stickers included to complete the homage to the Finnish Diaclone toy. The CS sticker is in two parts that go on the hood covering the Decepticon symbol. You transform Loudpedal with the chest symbol flipped around so the car mode does not need to be factionless. The other two stickers get placed on the wings. I have no intention of using them.

The Raoul figure from Tracks comes repainted to match his appearance in the G1 episode Auto-Bop. Like the original release I'm not really a fan of this accessory. That said it doesn't take anything away from the figure so there is no harm in Takara including it.

Finally Loudpedal comes with a boombox. The colors homage the pre-Transformers colors of the toy that would become Blaster/Twincast. This can be stored in Loudpedal's vehicle mode behind his windscreen.

Final thoughts:

I really like Loudpedal. To me he's exactly what an 'exclusive' release should be. An obscure character or homage that will appeal to a small group. It seems like a waste when major characters are made exclusives and large portions of the fandom aren't able to get the toy cheaply or readily.

Loudpedal's exclusive status does make him slightly more expensive than Tracks or Road Rage. Not significantly so but if you're only getting one version of the mold that might be enough to put you off. If you were to only get one figure and you're on the fence about which version to get I'd say go with Tracks. He's the best value for your money. But I'm sure Loudpedal will be very much appreciated by those who are fans of black repaints, Decepticons, Diaclone or just think he looks cool.