I just CANNOT watch Headmasters. Regardless of how the characters look, they are NOT the G1 crew we know and love. They are very much 80’s anime characters, complete with all cliches and tropes of the era, “cosplaying” as the TFers. Exactly NOBODY acts like they should. It’s just an instant turn-off for me.
Edit: Things got better at least, when the G1 Season 3 guys got pushed into the background about 11 episodes in, and Fortress Maximus and the Headmaster crew took over completely. As they were barely in the G1 show and thus could do their own thing more.
I enjoyed Masterforce a lot more. Partly because i’ve always loved the concept of Pretenders and, also because we never saw those guys in the U.S G1 show. So i they had no established personality and thus could go nuts with the “80’s Anime character TF cosplay” as much as they wanted, and i wouldn’t notice.
And “Victory” was just okay. I liked how they were trying something different back in the day, with all new leaders and such at least.
WTF? Thought these were the G1 Headmasters at first. Turns out they are just a re-release of the 2017 Titan Master figures. Which i have all of. Those G1-styled boxes do look sweet as hell at least.
Trying to think of other smaller bots I’d like to see get this enhanced larger treatment like Cliffjumper and Huffer. . . Powerglide, Beach Comber, and Windcharger (with mask face damn it!).
I didn’t realize they secretly ditched the mask / shovel face design of Windcharger at some point, but damn it - that little red sports car with the cool shovel face was my jam! Alternately, they could go the comic book / third party figure route and include alternate faces with figures. Not that I want to encourage more kibble on the toys. . .
Found out a bit more about the wonky Hasbro assimilation of the Go-Bots, and that kind of sucks. If they licensed the toy rights instead of just grabbing the names and continuity, I could absolutely see Cy-kill as a right hand man to Megatron. Plus I loved that dorky little scooter-bot.
Maybe I ate lead paint as a kid?
That’s the excuse I’ve got for liking Wheelie and that scooter Go-Bot!
My collecting practice in a nutshell to keep things sane: I ONLY buy (1) figure per character that i’m happy with, and stick with that. There will ALWAYS be endlessly “improved” re-releases but, i refuse to be caught up in that cycle. Also the existence of better renditions later on, doesn’t change what that particular figure got right. Example: Titans Return Kup & Blurr were pretty great as is (plus neat Headmaster gimmick). So i’ll pass on the Studio releases.
The exceptions i make to the (1) figure rule, is occasionally acquiring the G1 version. Example: G1 Headmaster SkullCruncher. Even though i have the recent 2017 Titans Return release, i still loved G1 Skullcruncher back in the day. When i spotted one of those really nice bootlegs, complete with G1 accurate replica box? I had to get it.
The other exception is memorable “Powered-Up” versions of a character. Example: Pretender Bumblebee and Power-Master Optimus Prime.
Take Prime himself. Right now in my collection i have G1 Optimus Prime, Titans Return PowerMaster Prime, and the recent 35th Anniversary Cel-shaded repaint of Siege Prime. That’s it! I AM DONE on Primes. Not buying anymore. FINISHED.
As for which characters i go for? I’m a Generation 1 fanboy, nothing really exists to me outside of that. But even so, it’s NOT enough for a character to be prominent in G1. It has to be a character i really like and memorable to me personally also. Example: Wheelie. Yes, i LOVE that 1986 movie to peices, yes he had a memorable spot in it but, was never really feeling Wheelie. So i own no versions of him and have no plans to get any.
And i’ll only spring for figures i have no memorable connection to if they are Exceptionally cool. For example, the Weaponizers. I’ve passed on all of them so far EXCEPT Six-Gun. Because his figure turned out really badass. Another figure is Generations Selects Tigertrack. I already had Siege Sideswipe and Red alert but, i’m a sucker for that sporty Yellow colorscheme.
Also i keep all the boxes to everything. In my opinion, the original box or card is just as important to the figure’s “completeness” as any accessory the figure came with. The Artwork and various logos on packaging is too damned cool to part with also. Although i refuse to let my collection get unwieldly, and have recently devised clever ways to preserve the original boxes & cards in-tact while also GREATLY saving on SPACE. Like they say, “do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you?”. I LOVE Transformers but refuse to be owned by them, so to speak.
Lucked out yesterday. ATM near my house wasn’t working, so I had to hit up my bank in a suburban neck of the woods. On the way there is a Walgreens, and my hands are absolutely ravaged from constant hand washing at work and the wretched winter weather. So I needed to stop off and get some lotion. . .
While there I hopped over to the toy aisle to see if anything had changed since I was there in late October.
Scored a Blue Streak for my buddy and the Silver Centurion Iron Man for another buddy. I’m just happy I get to pay it forward to some good friends.
I’ve got the Titan’s Return Voyager Galvatron released in 2017, and he’s pretty awesome. The figure does have problems but, those were easily fixed with 3rd-party attachments (Helmet+cannon adapter for arm). So i’m not really anticipating a new one.
Spotted Earthrise Soundwave in near-mint Box at Wal-mart today!!! He was $40. Suk it, scalpers!!
So now i’ve got Reissue G1 Soundwave and now Earthrise Soundwave. I am now DONE on SWs. Not buying another one! I don’t care how many times they release a Newer, “G1’ier” version down the line.
Edit: They gave Earthrise Soundwave Red eyes this time, and the same AWESOME light-piping as Siege Soundwave/Soundblaster!!
I’m hoping to snag one from Walmart.com when they stock. Managed to snag a Prime that way.
Target cancelled my Thrust pre-order. I assumed I could just not respond to their “action required” for the pre-order, well you know what happens when you assume.
I’d still like to snag it, but as a grown ass-manchild; I need to stop being a dummy with money.
