Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Hardhead
Posted in2016 - Titans Return

Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Hardhead

Of all the Headmasters, Hardhead is one that's really been hurting for an update for a good while.  There was a repaint of the old SWAT truck Onslaught that looks nothing like Hardhead.  Not much else other than the original toy.  Part of the travesty of his lack of an update is that Hardhead was a major player during the early runs of IDW's Transformers comics, back during the time they were on Earth.  He was one of the core handful of Autobots on earth, though he wasn't a headmaster in that storyline.  That was back before Hasbro constantly made…
Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Skullcruncher (Skullsmasher)
Posted in2016 - Titans Return

Review – Transformers – Titans Return – Skullcruncher (Skullsmasher)

For the titans Returns line, Hasbro has opted to revisit the Headmasters gimmick of G1.  There are some other nods to the Target Masters and Power Masters, but the actual gimmick is heads that come off and turn into smaller robots that interact with the larger vehicles.  In the original run of Headmasters, there were 7 original toys, Skullcruncher, Mindwipe, Weirdwolf, Chromedome, Hardhead, Highbrow and Brainstorm.  Thankfully, for the updated designs, they dove right in nd gave us all 7, across the first two haves (one figure being a store exclusive).  There are also some other characters who were not…
Review – Transformers – Movie – Jazz
Posted in2007 - Transformers (Movie)

Review – Transformers – Movie – Jazz

There have been a lot of rehashed Transformers characters since G1.  Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Ironhide, Mirage, Prowl, they all top a list of popular G1 characters that have seen their share of remakes over the years.  Some of these made sense such as pretty much any of the Starscreams.  Others were kind of odd such as Energon’s formula car Prowl.  Still, there are those characters that were both popular and important to the show that haven’t had such a treatment.  Soundwave comes to mind.  He was Megatron’s right hand man.  He’s gotten what?  That Cybertron stealth bomber?  Then there’s one…
Review – Transformers – Cybertron – Soundwave
Posted in2005 - Cybertron

Review – Transformers – Cybertron – Soundwave

Ah yes, Soundwave. One of the few G1 transformers that has been hardly ever remade but really probably deserved to be. We've had a ton of Megatron's and Starscreams but Soundwave has had what, that Beast Wars bat that turned into an Alligator? I've always thought Soundwave was cooler than Starscream personally, and who is more deserving of a remake than Megatron's right hand man? Of course the original Soundwave was a cassette deck. So how do you remake him? Cd Player? MP3 Player? Stereo system maybe? The newer lines haven't really used the idea of mass displacement. It's really…
Review – Transformers – Cybertron – Crosswise and Smokescreen
Posted in2005 - Cybertron

Review – Transformers – Cybertron – Crosswise and Smokescreen

It seems to me that Hasbro was strongly considering the upcoming classics line near the end of Cybertron. We got Blurr, we got Breakdown GTS, and we got Smokescreen, right at the tail end. It's actually fairly rare for Hasbro to release a G1 homage recolor and actually get the name correct. We're lucky that Smokescreen wasn't named Ironhide or Silverstreak really. But no, this color scheme belongs undisputedly to G1 Smokescreen, and the appropriate name was assigned. Still, that's only one hurdle for Hasbro to overcome. The other is mold. This deco could have easily been applied to a…