Figma The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Link

The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most popular and long running franchises.  For thirty years gamers have been guiding the series protagonist, Link, through dungeons, solving puzzles and fighting monsters to save the day. At the time of writing, there have been eighteen games in the series. The nineteenth game, Breath of the Wild, is due for release in 2017.

While the appearance and general traits of Link are pretty much consistent across the series not all games feature the same Link. If you're curious about the timeline you can read about it here. The Link featured in this review is the star of the sixteenth game and the first Link chronologically.

Link was the first Figma I bought. My first exposure to these kinds of figures. And I know I was not the only one. This figure has been rereleased twice since it first came out in 2013.

More expensive than a 6" Star Wars or Marvel toy by Hasbro but you do get your moneys worth. The sculpted detail - even on a relatively simple design like Link - is spot on. The paintwork is clean and used mostly for small details. As far as I can tell parts were cast in the appropriate colors as much as possible which reduces the chances of paint rubbing off with play.

There are a few little 'breaks' in the sculpt to allow for articulation. Even then these are blended as well as can be. Link is very well articulated for a figure of his size. From top to bottom - these a swivel in his hat, double jointed neck, universal shoulders, hinge and limited swivel elbows, hinge and swivel wrists, ball jointed torso, ball jointed hips, hinge and swivel knees, hinge and swivel ankles and a toe hinge.

To take advantage of all that articulation Link comes with a decent number of parts and accessories. There are 5 sets of hands - fists, relaxed, splayed, and gripping hands in two different positions - as well as a yelling face and an alternate hair piece. For accessories he has the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, as well as an effect part for the sword. There is also an included display stand if you want to display Link in more dynamic poses.

Like link the Master Sword is beautifully sculpted and painted. The hilt is painted a nice dark blue with some lighter blue and gold detailing. The Triforce symbol is present on the ricasso. The majority of the blade has a slight metallic blue tinge to the paint with the edges picked out in a brighter silver.

The pommel is removable to allow you to slide the grip into Link's hand. The grip is very thin and I have heard of people breaking it so be careful with it. Once in hand it is very secure and there is no risk of it falling out.

The Master Sword can be stored in the included scabbard. It is nicely sculpted and painted in gold and blue.The scabbard pegs into Link's back and the sword slides easily into it. Depending on the angle it can clash with Link's hat or the display stand.

Link's articulation means you can get him into a wide variety of dynamic poses. He can reach over his shoulder to draw his sword from its scabbard or grip it in two hands. Making use of the different gripping hands you can have him posed mid-swing, thrusting or parrying very convincingly.

Link's other accessory is the Hylian Shield. As with everything else on this figure the detail and paintwork are superb.

The shield breaks down into four pieces. The shield itself, the grip and the strap. The grip can be connected in three different ways depending on how you want to display Link with the shield.

Like the sword the grip on the shield comes apart so you can slide it into Link's hand. It can then be connected to a pair of vertical holes on either side of the shield depending on whether you want Link to wear the shield on his left or right arm. I've got it on his left as Skyward Sword Link is right handed (as far as I know he's the only right handed Link). The strap then plugs in to the central holes to hold the shield securely on Link's arm.

Alternately you can attach the grip horizontally around the scabbard. This allows Link to carry all his gear on his back. The strap has no where to store in this configuration.

The way that the shield connects to Link's arm means he looks natural holding it. It moves with his arm as a shield would in real life. Paired with his sword it makes Link an impressive looking figure.

By throwing the yelling face and the effect part into the mix you can get Link into some great attacking poses. In particular the effect part really helps sell the spin attack that is featured in many of The Legend of Zelda games.

One of the aspects of The Legend of Zelda games is the wide variety of tools Link acquires to complete his quest. While the Master Sword and Hylian Shield are his most famous pieces of equipment it is a shame that he didn't come with some of the other items from the game. The Link from A Link Between Worlds which was released within the last week was made available both as a regular and deluxe release, the deluxe coming with extra accessories. It cost a little more but was available for those who wanted them. It's a shame something similar wasn't offered with this Link.

If you're a fan of The Legend of Zelda you're probably already well aware of this figure. If not and you're looking for a Link toy I don't think you can go wrong with this one. Despite the lack of extra accessories this is still a fantastic toy. It was last rereleased in 2015 so, at the time of writing, it shouldn't be too hard to come by. 

Transformers Legends LG22 Skullcruncher

While Titans Return is it's own line (sort of... it's a sequel to Combiner Wars and still part of Generations in essence) around much of the world, Takara has chosen to incorporate those figures into its ongoing Legends line. The line is intended to be in the same universe as The Transformers from the '80s. Newer bodies for the original characters. Their toys generally have decos that closely follow the cartoon. In Legends the figures are not Titanmasters but Headmasters. And when it comes to the original Headmasters characters - such as Skullcruncher - the figures has been remolded to better match the source material.

In the Japanese version of Headmasters the smaller components were not binary-bonded allies but the true Transformers. They each has a transtector they could pilot or combine with the form a larger robot. That said no one can stop you choosing to view this toy as either version of Skullcruncher, or an entirely new version.

Headmaster:

Depending on which version of the Headmasters you prefer this is either Grax or Skullcruncher himself. The little guy is your standard Titanmaster/modern Headmaster - balljointed neck and shoulders, hinged hips and knees. There's a tab on the back of the legs and holes on his feet to allow him to interact with any of the new Titans Return molds.

The paint on the face here is quite impressive. The face is gold and the tiny eyes are picked out in red. The face in this mode is actually cleaner than that for robot mode.

The molding on the Headmaster is evocative of the original toys Headmaster component. Interestingly enough the plastic colors are reversed. This is to the new Headmaster's benefit as it avoids the two-tone look a lot of the original Headmasters had.

Beast mode:

Skullcruncher's beast mode is a crocodile. A green and pink crocodile. Got to love those late '80s colors! As you can see in the above picture the crocodile mode is well detailed. All the little scales and plates molded into the body of the crocodile are sharp and angular so that, while it's very recognizably a crocodile, it still has a very mechanical feel.

The crocodile mode has some decent articulation. The rear of the croc is limited. There's a single point at the base of the tail that doesn't have much range. The rear legs have ball joints in the hips. They're molded in a squatting position which means you can't get a lot out of them either. The front legs are another matter entirely. Swivels at the shoulder, an elbow joint, swivel forelegs and hinged claws mean there's a lot of poseability.

One of the things this mold has been receiving praise for is the expressiveness of the crocodile modes head. There is just a single ball joint but it works so well. The head has a good range in all directions.

The teeth and tongue are molded in soft plastic. The Takara release has an advantage over the Hasbro toy here in that these pieces were cast in a semi-translucent red plastic. The teeth are painted but the the tongue and roof of the mouth get an almost organic look from the plastic used.

There's a hatch on the back of the crocodile that opens to reveal a cockpit for a Headmaster/Titanmaster. Inside is a seat and a little control panel molded in there. To me this adds weight to the Takara p.o.v. that the little robots are the real Cybertronians and the larger compenents are lifeless piloted robots. But that's just my personal preference.

Side by side with the G1 toy and you can see a lot of similarities here. It's a good update to the original figure. Legends Skullcruncher hits the right balance between familiar and new, and I'm happy overall with how his beast mode has turned out.

Transformation:

Start by untabbing the tail and removing the Headmaster/Titanmaster from the cockpit. Fold the rear of the croc around and split in half to form the legs. The lower legs will snap into the knees keeping everything secure. The croc rear legs will fit snugly into gaps at the rear of the leg. The feet flip out from the front of the leg.

Take the croc head and fold it back. You can use the ball joint in the neck to get this as flush with Skullcruncher's back as suits you. The crocs front legs will swing down to become the robots arms. Use the swivels at the shoulder and forearm to straighten everything out. The claws fold back and snap onto the forearms and the hands flip out from inside. And now the headless robot is complete.

Robot mode:

As an updated Headmaster one thing is obviously missing from the larger figure. The transformation of the Headmaster/Titanmaster figures is simple. Fold them into a ball. Then plug the head in. Every Headmaster/Titanmaster in the new line is the same size and they all work with each other figure.

Skullcruncher's robot mode is very nice. There's some white plastic now visible breaking up the green and pink of the beast mode. The robot design is fairly simple. The broad shoulders and chunky arms and legs make Skullcruncher look powerful and intimidating. As a Decepticon should.

The articulation in this mode is decent. The head is on a ball joint with an ok range. The shoulders are on ball joints and can also use the hinges from the transformation. Swivels at the upper and forearms combined with the 90 degree elbows give a lot of range of movement in the arms.

The hips are on ball joints which are sadly a little loose on mine. This has been a problem with a lot of Skullcrunchers and Skullsmashers. There's a thigh swivel and a 90 degree knee. Untabbing the knee from the lower leg can give Skullcruncher a double jointed knee.

The main reason I went for the Takara version over the Hasbro was the face sculpt. I really like the head on the Takara version. The boxy black helmet, gold face and red visor were all much more to my taste than the Hasbro head design. As you can see in the picture above a little of the red paint ended up on Skullcruncher's nose but it's not a big deal.

The color layout in robot mode very clearly matches the original toy. Like the beast mode there's enough here homaging the original toy but also enough new engineering and style that Skullcruncher falls in that sweet spot of being a great update to a classic character.

Accessories:

Like most Transformers toys Skullcruncher comes with weapons to help him wage war on his enemies. The first of these is a gun molded to resemble that used by his G1 self. It's pretty standard fair for a Transformers figure.

Skullcruncher's crocodile mode tail also becomes a weapon. He's no longer able to hold it like a club as the original did. There are two pegs, one on either side, that leave him holding the tail like a gun. I prefer the inner peg which makes the tail look like an extension of his arm.

The tail and gun can plug together. Skullcruncher can wield his weapons this way but it is intended to be used as a manned weapon by a Headmaster/Titanmaster. There's some molded detailing of a set behind where the gun plugs in.

The tab on the back of a Headmaster/Titanmaster's legs holds them in securely. There are a few places this can plug into Skullcruncher - shoulders in robot mode, tail in beast mode - but it is intended to be used with the Leader-class or Titan-class figures as a weapons placement.

Skullcruncher also comes with a recolored version of the dinosaur drone from Crashbash. See Crashbash's review for details.

The drone uses the standard pegs found on most Transformers now-a-days. As such it can be combined with the crocodile tail to make a BFG if one is so inclined. It looks a bit goofy but it's possible.

Final Thoughts:

Skullcruncher is my first Titans Return mold outside of the Titanmasters. He does everything I'd expect from a Deluxe-class figure homaging a classic character. While I can't say I have any desire to go completionist on this line I do have his fellow Headmasters Weirdwolf and Mindwipe pre-ordered. This is a standard modern HasTak figure. If you've bought any Deluxe-class toys recently you should know exactly what you're in for. If you like what you see you're likely to enjoy this toy.

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.