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.

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.