Horri-Bull w/ Kreb [Age of the Primes/Target Exclusive 4-Pack]

Horri-Bull’s eyes opened. In front of him stood his partner, Kreb.

“What’s today?”

“EH?” returned the Nebulon, with all his might of spite. 

“What’s today, asshole?” said Horri-Bull.

“Today…” replied Kreb. “…it’s Christmas.”

“It’s Christmas Day!” said Horri-Bull to himself. “I haven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. But so can I… HEAD ON!”

He had no further interaction with Spirits, but lived upon the ways of the Decepticon regardless, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him that he knew how to stop Christmas, if any bot alive possessed the knowledge. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, Take cover, everyone!

One thing I’ve grown to really appreciate about these Target Exclusive 4-Packs is the Headmasters created for the sets. Almost each time, there’s an updated classic Headmaster character creatively made from a Titans Return toy mold. This time we’ve got Horri-Bull, made from Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skullcruncher in a very clever remold. Actually, all of these Headmasters in the 4-Packs have been very clever remolds, and I’m thinking a look at ones I haven’t covered here on the site is in order.

Horri-Bull is known as Bullhorn in Masterforce, so if you’d rather use him as Bullhorn… go right ahead. I’m forever delighted by pun-based names, so I’ll stick with Horri-Bull. I don’t believe I covered Skullsmasher/Skullcruncher here on the site, which is another thing I should probably go back and do. I’ve also been considering an in-depth look at the Titan Masters from Titans Return, but for now, let’s look at our grumpy star of the season.

Horri-Bull is a pleasantly articulated toy that’s wonderfully blocky and chonky in the vein of classic G1 Transformers. Skullsmasher was a great base to use, as his basic silhouette isn’t all that different from Horri-Bull’s to begin with. Really, it’s his head, colors, and beast mode kibble that make the visual difference. This was seemingly easy (or as easy as new parts are probably still an undertaking) to accomplish, with the bull monster head and claws being new parts and Skullsmasher’s alligator tail being removed.

Also remolded is his chest, which you might think is missing a cover for the Headmaster technical data, but this is true to his original toy. Considering Titans Return toys were originally released almost a decade ago, the mold has held up pretty well, though his arms did feel a little loose. I’m guessing the mold got a bit of refurbishing with this update, but time still seems to be catching up. With his cool late-G1 colors, he looks great. I’ve always been a sucker for those post-movie Decepticon palettes.

He’s got both his Concussion Blaster and the beast mode tail, which becomes a double-barreled flamethrower. The two guns can be combined or held separately.

In beast mode, Horri-Bull is a cross between a bull and the Terror Dogs from Ghostbusters. So really, he’s a robotic incarnation of the Hodag in wonderful colors. Transformation is pretty easy: remove Kreb and fold the beast head into place. Arms and legs become the monster’s legs, and the robot mode feet fold around the upper thighs, becoming the beast’s rear end. As mentioned above, the two guns combine to form a tail.

Beast mode is simple but effective. The legs can move, most notably the front ones, and the jaws on his head can open for a little chomping action. Speaking of that head, the horns will need to be moved around a bit for the proper look in both robot and beast modes. They’re separate pieces that need to be clipped from sprues out of the package. The horns are also painted, so there will always be a small spot left from clipping unless you touch it up with paint.

Of course, Kreb can pilot Horri-Bull in this form via a cockpit on his back. I’ve always really liked that feature on Headmasters. Kreb himself is a remold of Grax (Skullsmasher’s Titan Master). I do wonder why they didn’t use the individual Titan Master Terri-Bull for this project. Maybe the mold wasn’t available? Weird.

Regardless, the whole package is another well-done Headmaster update pulled off in these 4-Packs. They’re really the highlight of each set for me, and I’ve always been especially fond of the Headmasters from Masterforce. All in all, this year’s set has been a really good one, and as always, I’m ecstatic to have it.

Primus bless us, everyone...RUN!

Nemesis Prime [Age of the Primes/Target Exclusive 4-Pack]

"I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?"

A solemn Phantom, dark and hooded, came like a mist along the ground toward him. The grumpy one bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved, it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.

It was shrouded in deep black armor that concealed its form and left nothing visible save one outstretched axe. But for this, it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.

He glanced toward the Phantom.

"Lead on. The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Nemesis."

One reason I like things such as store-exclusive repaints is the deep dives they tend to take. Sure, to those not in the know, they’ll get the standard complaint: “another lazy repaint by Hasblow.” However, for those of us in the know, they’re pretty cool homages that aren’t always obvious. Today we’re looking at Nemesis Prime from this year’s Target Exclusive 4-Pack — the Voyager Class figure of the set, taking the Legacy Animated Optimus Prime mold and giving us an update of a previously very hard-to-get figure from the past.

Like I said in the Ultra Magnus post earlier this week, Optimus Prime toys tend to look good in any color. A black repaint is practically guaranteed with most Optimus toys. It’s another color scheme I always like as well, just like with Magnus. Normally these repaints are called Black Convoy in Japan — pretty straightforward. But here in the United States, they’re usually either named Scourge or Nemesis Prime.

Since this is a repaint of a toy I’ve covered previously, I’m going to focus on this version’s differences and what makes it special. I’ve linked to that post and its other repaint in case you’re not up to date on it. Also, I like the toy and want to show it off. Like a mama otter holding out her baby. Except I’m a grown-ass man and this is a robot toy. So instead of adorable, it’s kinda unsettling and you wish I’d stop.

Earlier I mentioned this was an update of a harder-to-get toy and then said black Optimus repaints happen fairly often. Both of those statements are true. Often the black repaint is an exclusive of some sort, and in the case of Optimus Prime Black Ver. (after the 2007 movie, Convoy was often called Optimus Prime in Japan), it was exclusive to the Transformers Museum event at the Seibu department store in 2010. If that didn’t already make it tricky to get, the release was limited to 300 pieces. There are probably a few hundred thousand of this new update available, so it’s a nice alternative.

Obviously Nemesis Prime is mostly black as opposed to Optimus’s red and blue. There’s also some nice metallic teal used for accents that contrasts really well against the dark body. His windshield and eyes are a dark red that looks menacing and fits perfectly. In robot mode, he has an alternate head with a mouth plate instead of Animated Optimus’s open-faced design. It’s a darker gray that pairs well with the rest of the deco, giving him a more threatening look.

Nemesis comes with the same axe weapon Optimus had. The blade is that same dark red used for the windows, and the whole package looks forbidden — like the outlook isn’t too good when this guy shows up.

The colors transfer nicely in truck mode, and Optimus’s lightbar makes a return as well. It plugs into the top of the cab. I guess you can technically use it as a weapon. A weird weapon, sure, but getting hit with one would still hurt. Nemesis Prime looks threatening in truck mode too thanks to the colors. I wouldn’t want to see him behind me in traffic… or in general.

The look of Animated Optimus Prime is stylized already, but it looks really sharp in these colors. Without the red, it’d be more slick than scary. Funny how much difference just one color can make, huh?

I’ve liked each instance of this mold, so it’s probably no surprise I like this toy as well. Frankly, it’s hard not to like something like this when you’re into this sort of thing. It hits all the right points and has more depth to it than a simple repaint normally offers. As a fan, I like that — and as a fan since the beginning, I remember seeing the original on the news sites. This one has a slightly different color scheme, which is fine. But still, it’s nice to finally have a version of this toy after all this time.

Weird… time seems to be a recurring subject this Christmas season.

Ultra Magnus [Age of the Primes/Target Exclusive 4-Pack]

"Come in! Come in, and know me better, mech!"

The grumpy one entered timidly and hung his head before this Spirit. He was not the dogged grumpy mech he had been; and though its eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," said the Spirit. "We have matters to deal with now."

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again: Ultra Magnus’s cab mode looks spectacular. There’s just something about that classic Convoy design that looks great in any color. White though—white looks super nice.

This toy comes packaged in the currently available Transformers Age of the Primes Target Exclusive 4-Pack. The set doesn’t have a themed name like some have had in the past, or much of a specific theme either. It’s just a neat multi-pack, and I’ve been a big fan of these over the years. It’s one of the things I look forward to each year: Walmart’s exclusive capsule line and Target’s exclusive multi-pack. Well… Walmart kinda crapped their pants with the capsule this year, but Target’s set is another strong one. As with Bumper, whom we talked about last week, Ultra Magnus is another deluxe-class toy from the set. He’s a straight recolor of the Legacy G1 Optimus Prime toy I raved about earlier this year. Since it’s a straight recolor, I’m going to focus on what makes this version different.

One thing I really loved about that Optimus toy was how it remade the original figure with modern engineering, similar to a Masters of the Universe Origins release. It’s such a neat idea; I’d be all for it as the mainstream Transformers line. I know Missing Link is doing that, but I mean as the line available at general retail. It’d be so cool to see recreations of classic toys—considering Generations is mostly updates of those designs anyway, I think it’d be super popular. I’d like to think so, anyway.

Matching his G1 toy’s original deco, Magnus is mostly white with gray and silver parts. Bits of light blue are used throughout, giving him a slightly icy look. Just right for Christmas time. Ultra Magnus has the two different variations of G1 Optimus’s rifle that the base mold came with, now in white. I’ve always preferred the fatter version of the gun and think it looks much better—especially in white. Magnus also has a blue version of the Energon Axe, which is very similar to the Masterpiece MP-2 toy. It matches nicely with the various blue accents on his deco. Also like MP-2, there’s a silver version of the Matrix of Autobot Leadership that fits in his chest. It’s not unheard of for an Ultra Magnus toy to come with the Matrix since they’re often redecos of Optimus, but the silver Origin Matrix works well here. In this context, I like to think it represents the brief time Ultra Magnus carried the Matrix in the 1986 movie.

In truck mode, Magnus is once again a white version of the classic Convoy semi truck—missing his trailer in this release, of course. Like the Optimus toy, his tires are rubber, a nice throwback to the original G1 toy. I know there are issues with rubber tires popping off or dry-rotting with age, but I’ll be damned if they don’t feel nice and give the toy a higher-quality feel. Also like Optimus, Cybertronian Radial 275/80 R22 is molded into the tires. That’s a reference to the fictional tire brand from Transformers Alternators.

It’s been over 20 years and I’m still blown away by Alternators. They may not have been the most fun toys to transform, but they looked amazing. I have nothing bad to say about this toy. I love the idea of it, and I never get tired of cab-mode Ultra Magnus. It’s a great way to enjoy what came before in present-day design, and a solid part of a great 4-pack.

Autobot Bumper [Age of the Primes / Target Exclusive 4-Pack]

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

The grumpy one then made bold to inquire what business brought him there. “Your spark!” said the Ghost. The grumpy one expressed himself much obliged, but couldn’t help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately: “Your reclamation, then. Take heed! For the seeds of the future lie buried in the past."

Bumper is an oddball Transformers who’s been around since the beginning but has only really been a character for about the past 20 years. As has been said more times than necessary, the bulk of the original Transformers toys from 1984/1985 came from Diaclone and Microman molds. Bumblebee and Cliffjumper specifically came from the Microman Micro Change line. They shared engineering — essentially the same toy skeleton with different car parts and robot heads.

Another robot from that Micro Change series was MC-04 Mini CAR Robo 02 Familia 1500XG. Same engineering again, but transforming into a Mazda Familia 1500XG as the name suggests. All of these toys came in multiple colors, but it’s common to see this one in yellow. When the molds were used for Transformers, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were released in their familiar yellow and red. Though, as many know, reversed-color versions also slipped out. During that weird early era, the Mazda mold ended up released in Cliffjumper packaging in yellow. Rumors persist that it also came in Bumblebee packaging, but no packaged sample has ever surfaced, while Cliffjumper-labeled ones are plentiful.

Plenty of speculation says Hasbro may have intended the Mazda toy to be its own character and that’s what caused the weird release — but nobody knows for sure now. It’s just one of those oddities from the strange early years of Transformers. Multiple toy lines mashed together to create a single brand. It’s been 41 years and we’re still discovering things from that time. The toy was widely known as “Bumblejumper” in the fandom for years, eventually shortened to Bumper by some. During the Dreamwave comics era, he was made an official character and officially named Bumper. Twenty years after being released seemingly by mistake, he finally became part of the team!

Bumper has always been special to me. Not just because getting one back in the day meant a lot, but also because I once had a cat named Bumper. I remember bringing that kitten home from the store, watching him roam around the living room while I tried to think of a name. I wanted a Transformers name… let’s see… Eject… Swerve… BONK! He walked head-first into the wall. Bumper. And that was that. All these years later, Bumper finally gets an official toy actually named Bumper — only his second ever. Imagine how slighted he must feel.

The figure itself is a remold/repaint of Studio Series 86 Bumblebee. I talked about that figure in a prior post, so most of the ins and outs are there, but let’s look at what makes Bumper different. Obviously he has a new head sculpt faithful to the original Micro Change toy. It’s hard to notice without comparing them directly, but he’s a different shade of yellow. Headlights are colored a little differently. His Autobot symbol has a silver border, making it look more like the stickers from the original toys — a nice touch I really appreciate, probably thanks to my early-2000s Mini-Bot obsession. It wasn’t uncommon to see one in my messenger bag back then. These days a Legion/Legend Class Bumblebee lives in my sling bag. Guess some things never change.

When Studio Series Bumblebee released, a lot of fans scoffed at his very angular car mode. Robot mode was perfect, but the car was off-model from the classic VW Bug. As Bumper though, it works so much better. Not exactly a Mazda Familia… but close enough. I really like this toy, and that carries over here. Guess I just like these guys. Bumper has the same gun as Bumblebee, now molded in a gunmetal color. It can store on his backside in car mode. It’s probably no surprise that I like this toy — the base mold is one I already loved, and the old-school fan in me appreciates the new Bumper figure even more. I spent more time looking at the past than the present with this one, but a toy like Bumper is the type that makes you look back.

Autobot Devcon [Legacy/Deluxe Class]

Back in the day, Devcon was a name that came up pretty often. Like other show only characters, he built up quite a fan base appearing in tons of fanart and fanfic. Despite all that, he's only gotten 2 toys. A BotCon exclusive and today's subject. Originally released a few years ago in Legacy, this Devcon toy was recently re-released as a Target exclusive. I was both thankful for the second chance to get him and for my wife picking him up for me while out.

Using the Studio Series 86 Blurr as a base with some heavy remolding, we've got a pretty screen accurate Devcon! You know, it's funny how Blurr can look so unique... yet his toys end up getting made into so many other characters. Devcon is looking pretty good here with his bright blues and reds. Like the base mold, he has a decent amount of articulation giving his far out looks plenty of range for expressiveness. He's got a blaster which can be held or plugged into his forearm (like in the show). There's also two boosters from alt mode that can plug into the blaster for some extra firepower.

Transformation is pretty easy, like Blurr. Evey thing just folds up into place and out of the way. Those little boosters plug into the rear and the blaster right under the nosecone. Alt mode is a non-de script Cybertronian aircraft. The Gambler was a season 2 episode that took place in space, but his design could easily fit into season 3's space opera setting. It's pretty cool looking and a little different. Originally this toy was near impossible to locate, but thankfully with the re-release many will finally get a chance to own one. It's nice to finally own a toy of Devcon, who despite being around so long and being so favored by so many, has hardly gotten any toys. Though I guess it's only fitting that his only toys have been harder to get. Thankfully this is  a good toy and a solid representation of him as he appeared in the cartoon. Who knows if they'll be another?

Tarantulas [Legacy United 4-Pack/Deluxe Class]

If you would have told me I'd end up with a Tarantulas in his original prototype colors a few years ago, I probably would have scoffed. If anything it'd be a convention exclusive or something. However thanks to the Target Exclusive Legacy United 4 Pack... here it is. A recolor of the Kingdom Tarantulas figure with a new head makes for a good base to finally give this version life. I quite liked the Kingdom Tarantulas, so it's probably to no surprise that I like this version. I'm mostly in awe of it's existence. I'd expect a toy based on his Fox Kids deco before this, but I'm not complaining.

I'm really happy with his orange colors. Partially because it makes me think of one of those plastic spider rings at Halloween, but also because it's kinda freaky. Gives a mutated vibe to him... which leads us to his new head. The original Beast Wars toys often had a regular head and a Mutant Head gimmick. The idea was the character's head would change for battle and often which head was the regular or mutant would be swapped for new characters made from repainting a toy mold. Blackarachnia was a repaint of Tarantulas that used his Mutant Head for a main head. Mainframe took some creative liberties with that to create the Blackarachnia we all know today. This new take on the original Mutant Head looks the part, though is painted with more colors than the original prototype featured. That prototype had a gray head, while this is in more classic Tarantulas colors. He actually matches up with the Tarantulas released under the 10th Anniversary Beast Wars line. I wonder if that's intentional or just a neat coincidence.

Aside from the head and colors, Tarantulas is the same toy as his Kingdom release. Nothing seemed loose on mine, so I think the mold has held up well. I liked the figure then and I like it now. Part of me wonders if that prototype could have became a Japanese BotCon Exclusive like Double Punch and Barbearian. Another part of me is considering if the orange colors were inspired by Creepy Crawlies as they were popular at the time. As someone who loves Beast Wars, I'm obviously happy with this toy. It's cool to have a little bit of random history put out in toy form after almost 30 years. Not to mention, Tarantulas is such an established character... seeing him in a different set of colors is neat. With the Mutant Head I almost want to make Monster Gobot comparisons. He seemed like the perfect figure to start a new year at Zone Base off with. Hello 2025!

Cliffjumper [Legacy United 4-Pack/Deluxe Class]

I thought a good way to end out the year and start the new one would be taking a look at the Target Exclusive Legacy United 4-Pack released this past summer. I got one as soon as they were available on the Target app as these exclusive sets of theirs are usually pretty great. While this one didn't get a catchy name, it sure does have a great set of toys inside. I also figured with Christmas being this week, somebody red would be a good choice to cover. This Cliffjumper toy is a representation of how he appeared in the Transformers Prime cartoon. Like the other characters from Prime in Legacy, he ditches some of the signature style from that series to blend in with a more traditional Transformers aesthetic. It works out pretty well for Cliffjumper who looks a lot like a his on screen counter part. So much so that it's hard to believe he's a repaint and retool of a prior toy.

Cliffjumper used the Chase mold as a base that works pretty well. New to the mold is the bull like robot head that Prime Cliffjumper had as well as a pair of bullhorns attached to his car mode hood. Chase's light bar is removed, but that's to be expected. Cliffjumper was initially voiced by the Rock and they really worked The Brahma Bull into his design. It looks great and natural on a muscle car. I can see some Texan driving this in a Cannonball Run movie. Like with Chase, the transformation is easy, albeit a little involved. In robot mode the figure looks great as Cliffjumper, I really like the red. There's plenty of articulation and he retains Chase's weapons that are now in a pleasant translucent black. I liked Chase quite a bit, so it's probably to no surprise that like this Cliffjumper. I say on the site a lot that nice things are nice. Seeing as I'm posting this on Christmas Eve, nice things tend to be favored by another guy in red. This Cliffjumper definitely isn't getting any coal in his stocking.

Megatron/D-16 [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

Rounding out the Target exclusive Iacon Race 3-Pack is Megatron/D-16. Like the others, Megatron is a retool/repaint of a prior existing One Step Changer from Cyberverse that got a bit of use. The grays are darker, but most noticeably are the new parts for his tank mode. Like Optimus, just a few changed parts easily make the toy look like his new movie counterpart. Pretty neat and the tank honestly looks cool. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mold in Cyberverse after skipping over the first version and getting the Cybertronian tank remold later when I couldn't find Megatron X. The toy was fine, just I had gotten the second One Step Changer Megatron and liked that toy a lot more. So the other one was a little underwhelming personally. A few years later with some cool updates and I'm a bigger fan of it now. I guess the new tank mode really improves it.

As a One Step Changer, Megatron auto-transforms by pushing the purple fin/button on his tank cannon. These are simpler toys where the gimmick is more so the toy than the figure itself. If you can get past that, you're going to enjoy this. If not, then you've already dismissed it. Megatron has simple articulation like the others in this assortment and that just is what it is. Like the others, I enjoy the old school flavor of the toy (outside of the gimmick), so I look past it without a second thought. The chonkiness of this toy is really satisfying and made me want to compare it to various older robot toys. Dorvack maybe. I do wish he had a sword or something, that would top it off nicely. A design element from the Cyberverse toy that I didn't like unfortunately returns here. In robot mode, the tank back end forms a backpack. That in itself isn't bad, but it's pretty loose and moves around much easier than I'd like. If only it would lock into place. It's not only a cosmetic issue, the stability of the robot mode comes into play as it's a part of the spring loaded transformation. Aside from that gripe, the toy is a neat little figure. The tank looks really cool and there's a super robot look to the whole thing. Neat.

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

The Iacon Race continues with our look at Optimus Prime/Orion Pax. This toy is a repaint and retool of a Cyberverse Optimus Prime Turbo Changer that I never got, so it's my first time experiencing the mold. It's mostly the same with a different robot mode chest and vehicle mode front end from what I can tell. This is of course to make him more accurate to his appearance in Transformers One which is a Cybertronian based design. Being that Optimus toys are pretty similar, it clearly didn't take too much to make it work neatly enough. Being a One Step Changer toy, he obviously has a simple spring loaded transformation and very basic articulation. Only his shoulders can move and that's ok. These are meant to be inexpensive toys based around a gimmick. Optimus has his energon axe in place of a left hand and that's neat. Not all of these get weapons.

I like the look of the truck quite a bit. It's big, bulky, and neat looking thanks to the Cybertronian design. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but not everything has to be. Honestly, there's nothing really extra to say about it. This is an Optimus Prime toy and not much more. I do think in a more interesting set of colors it would look a lot better. Like the 2007 movie Optimus flame pattern would really pop. For some reason I can see Machine Wars Soundwave's colors on it, probably because of the blockiness of the truck. I'd like to think something like that would make for a cool promotional item. Ultimately it's the least interesting of the 3 pack, but I don't mean that in a negative way what so ever. It's a perfectly serviceable Optimus Prime and that's all it's trying to be.

That red does not like having it's picture took.

Autobot Mirage [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

One Step Changers/Turbo Changers are a fun little aside in Transformers toys that I enjoy quite a bit. They're very basic and inexpensive toys that remind of various older toys and are fun to collect. Almost a side quest to the main story of my fandom. This neat Iacon Race 3-Pack exclusive to Target stores features Optimus Prime and Megatron with a Mirage figure. These are remolds and recolors of prior releases that are pretty neat. Since the movie revolves around Optimus and Megatron, it's obvious they'll be dominating much of the merchandise. The inclusion of Mirage in this pack is a fun one that we'll be starting our look at the set with. Mirage uses the Blurr mold from the Robots in Disguise 2015 One-Step Changers line. This was a really likable figure and one of the better One-Step toys of it's time.

It's reuse here works very well. Mirage was given a new, more 'G1' head sculpt and is painted in a deco similar to his classic toy. It looks great in robot mode and outstanding in vehicle mode. That's one sharp car! Transformation is in one step (obviously) as the car opens up into Mirage. It's pretty pleasant. As I've mentioned before, these often remind me of older Transformers figures. Mirage strongly feels like a late Euro G1 or G2 toy. The Machine Wars/RID/Robot Masters race car mold also comes to mind as well (albeit with more articulation) as it began life as a unused G2 mold which is from that same early 90's era. Blurr has limited articulation like some of these older toys too. I know that turns off some people, but in cases like this, it doesn't bother me at all. I do wish Mirage had some sort of weapon. A solid white rifle would just round him out a lot. He's a cool simple little figure that really stands out in the early Transformers One figures I've picked up. He feels like a more special exclusive item that would be available at an event.

Megatron/D-16 [Transformers One/Race Changers]

Included in the Race Changers 2-Pack with Optimus is Megatron, whom also a retooling of an older Bot Shots toy. This time around the tank mode had some extra fire power added on. Megatron is also in a more 'G1'  grey as opposed to the variety of colors on the original Bot Shots toy. As a Bot Shots fan, another version is more than welcome. Like the Optimus Prime he's packed with, Megatron's dice gimmick from Bot Shots has been removed and replaced with a Decepticon symbol. I loved the toys, but never played the game. So this isn't a big deal to me personally. 

I do wonder if there was dedicated players who is pissed off by this? Megatron also comes with a version of the new launcher Optimus comes with. It doesn't work very well either. Like I said with Optimus, I do wish they would have skipped over these in favor of another figure. Part of me wonders if the launchers were intended for Bot Shots in it's run or left overs from some other line. It's hard to imagine a completely brand new part like this being tooled and molded for a one shot store exclusive pack. Though it does give me hope of more Bot Shots making a return in the future. Megatron is a fun little toy and I'm happy to have these little bots back even in such a limited way.

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax [Transformers One/Race Changers]

The Transformers One toy line has some interesting reprints of older toy molds as store exclusives. Fortunately these happen to be toys I've enjoyed with some remolding done to keep them fresh. One such exclusive is the Race Changers 2-Pack exclusive to Target stores here in the states. Race Changers are a rebranding of Bot Shots with a name that makes me wonder if Trademark offices should have a mandatory 10 minute clip of that guy from Ted asking if you're sure about that before finalizing a name.

For the record, I loved Bot Shots and am very happy to see them making a come back, even if it's with an awkward name. Shinkalion is also doing something with Bot Shots, which leads me to wonder if more similar toys are on the horizon. I seriously love these things. Optimus Prime is a retooling of the standard Optimus Prime Bot Shots figure with a new truck grill and spoiler. The former dice style gimmick from the Bot Shots game has been removed and replaced with a standard Autobot symbol. Optimus has a brand new launcher as opposed to the ones that came with older toys which is surprising. Part of me wonders if it was an unreleased launcher from the original line. The launcher mechanism doesn't lock into place very well either. Frankly, I wish they would have skipped the launchers in favor of another figure in the set. You can either launch the toy in vehicle mode or push it into something to trigger the spring loaded transformation. In robot mode, Optimus is cute and squat. Bot Shots were charming and similar to Choro-Q toys of the past... which is part of the reason I liked them to begin with. It'd be great to see more of these again, but I do hope they'd give the line a better name.

The camera refused to focus on his face.

Target Optimus Prime w/ Autobot Bullseye [Target Exclusive/Leader Class]

As someone who shops regularly at Target, this was something I couldn't pass up. Optimus Prime as a Target truck is a fun and cool idea for a toy exclusive that looks great in the finished product. Adding in Bullseye, Target's mascot who transforms into a bubble mailer! This is a neat set of toys overall, though like most exclusives, is made of prior existing molds. Let's start with Bullseye. Despite being a dog, the toy uses the Siege Ravage mold. Now many an old school Transformer fan has heard someone mistaken Ravage for a dog, so I guess it's about time a Ravage toy IS a dog. This is just coincidence as the Siege Ravage isn't terrible feline looking, so it can pass as a dog just as well. The deco on the cassette mode is some well done creativity that makes him really look like a package and not a tape. 

Bullseye can still work with Soundwave or Blaster if you're curious. I wasn't fond of this mold for Ravage... but I've came around to it for Bullseye. Either it just works better for him or I changed my mind. It happens.

Optimus is made from the Legacy Laser Optimus Prime cab with the Earthrise Optimus Prime trailer. Considering this would be the 4th version of the Laser Optimus Prime toy in 2 years, the different trailer breaks it up some and makes things feel fresh. I have all the other versions of the mold and love them individually... but it would be an odd choice for a tanker trailer. So why not just use the Earthrise Optimus as well? Because the flat nosed truck isn't very modern and by combining the two parts... you get something you'd see driving down the highway. I actually like the Laser Optimus mold quite a lot, so I have no complaints. Optimus transforms fairly easily into a long nosed semi and looks fabulous in the Target colors.

Despite the colors gracing various Optimus toys before, it looks really unique here. Optmus's chest opens up to reveal a removable Matrix of Leadership and his shoulder launchers open as well. There's a series of missile pods located in them to keeps any Decepticons at bay. The trailer is a standard 'G1' style Optimus trailer. It opens up to become a battle platform and features the classic inner robot. The robot features articulated arms and can be removed. You can then put the robot wherever or fold it up to form a weapon that Optimus can hold. It's worth nothing Optimus can also hold Bullseye in mailer mode. Overall this is a really neat set. The box art shows Optimus using one of those giant red balls in front of Target stores to play with Bullseye. Sadly one isn't included, but I think I may stick a red Bakugan in there to serve the purpose. The whole thing is meant to be fun and it really is.

Skywasp (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

Down the hall is a scary scene, a familiar foe whose familiarity is seldom seen. Déjà vu and a triple threat.

The main event of the Creatures Collide box set is here! Skywasp is one doozy of an homage heavy toy. Skywasp is a Predacon, whose roots go all the way back to the unreleased Halloween Horrorcons I've spoken about in the past. Not just looking back to that sadly unreleased set, he's also a homage to the 2015 BotCon exclusive Waruder figure Parasite. Parasite was also made in these colors as a homage (unreleased toys was a theme that year) and later found life as Skywasp (BotCon toys often represent more than one character). So we're looking at a Predacon OR a Waruder depending on your preferences. Seeing that this toy is officially Skywasp the Predacon on the box... that's what I'm going with. Because seriously, what's with making this so dang confusing? Skywasp, like other insects in this set, comes with his extra mold sprue head (that was used on Buzzsaw). If you're in the mood for making a Waruder from this toy, that's a perfect one to use. I always liked the more robotic head from the original toy because it had those classic G1 looks.

Skywasp is a straight repaint of Legacy Waspinator. I've talked about him here before and 3 different versions of this mold later, I still really like it. It really looks great in these colors and considering the Halloween Horrorcon origins kinda makes for a decent scary fly toy. If anything a Creepy Crawlers or Mad Scientist creation that got co-opted into your families decorations. In robot mode he's decently articulated and carries over some bug kibble from insect mode. That's just a part of some beast era designs that persist even in today's engineering. Alt mode kibble is part of Transformers that you either deal with or don't. It's not too bad on the Waspinator mold in my opinion, just impossible to ignore. Transformation is reasonably easy, though you'll have to get some things just right. I think that's just something that's coming with the current design team. I don't know if the engineering is done with CAD models or sculpted by hand like the old days. Not sure if that accounts for any of that, but it's an observation I've been making for awhile now. Skywasp is pretty great and finishes out a really cool set. Creatures Collide was something I really wanted and bought on site... and waited a year to talk about.

Ransack (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

The ravenous sounds of the locust signify wrath and misery. Perhaps it is him who stripped the house of all the life it once held.

I've mentioned my admiration for the Beetras molds here before, as well as my overall fandom for insect based robots in general. The Creatures Collide box set from last year provided me with plenty of really cool new creepy crawler insect bots. Ransack here is another solid bit of coolness from the set. Originally, Ransack was one of the Deluxe Insecticons made from the Beeteras toys while the standard Insecticons were made from Diaclone toys. This new Legacy Ransack, somehow is a repaint of an update of one of those Diaclone Insecticons (Kickback) and delivers a pretty good homage to the old Beetras toy. Surprisingly so as it's literally just a recolor using an alternate head. The toy does come with the Kickback head as well in case you'd prefer it to be one of his clones.

Ransack transforms into a mechanical locust or a grasshopper depending if you assemble his locust abdomen from the energon blades. This was a pretty creative way to get a locust out of the mold without the need for new parts. I've had the Kickback for some time before getting Ransack and never noticed that it could be done. Neat. Ransack has a descent amount of articulation and transforms fairly easily. Considering the mold was originally a "G1 with knees" update to Kickback, it should. Despite being so simple... it feels right, like just the right amount of work is needed to be done. His gun is a straightforward reissue of Kickback's in black plastic. Thanks to the similarity between the two, it makes for a decent version of his High-Intensity Concussion Blaster. A little different looking, but close enough. The energon blades can be held or form a shield. I prefer to place them on his arms for bight robot pokey bits. 

Scorponok (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

Down the hall contained a fright, a once thought dead scorpion who's bark is definitely not worse than it's bite.

Listen, I'm going to give it to you straight. I love Beast Wars Scorponok. So when I saw that his Kingdom toy (that I love) was getting released in the Creatures Collide box set (that I already wanted) in original toy colors... I was sold. I mean, I was already sold... but like extra sold. In addition to the colors, Scorponok also comes with his extra head, you know the one Sandstorm uses. This is a throwback to the Mutant heads of original Beast Wars. So really, this is a pretty great update of that original beast Scorponok. I made my thoughts pretty clear on my Kingdom Scorponok post... I like this toy. I like Beast Wars Scorponok in general. I have Sandstorm too, though I haven't talked bout him here just yet. 

I remember playing the old Beast Wars video game online. There was a PS1 and PC version... I ended up with both somehow. It wasn't the best game ever made, but I had fun playing it. The PC version could be played online in death matches and I'd usually play Scorponok. I almost always got beaten, but had fun. The gaming hub had little chat rooms and for a while it was a pretty decent place to talk Transformers. I usually don't get nostalgic with Transformers, they're something that's never went away for me. An ongoing thing, you know. However, I guess something like this Scorponok toy makes me a little nostalgic for an older, forgotten time. It's funny how Transformers fandom has changed over the years. It's a million light years from what it was in the beast era... but still good.

Goldbug (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

It was then that Goldbug found himself all alone. The only Autobot in the old house. The only living one, that is.

It's been awhile since I've talked about a Bumblebee toy here and a damn fine time to talk about another one. Or Goldbug, who is another identify Bumblebee has went by over the years. Quite honestly, one that needs more attention. I always like Goldbug. Something about that blue helmet. Goldbug is a repaint of the Earthrise/Netflix Siege Bumblebee mold with a new head. I've got a few different versions of the mold and I've covered at least one of them here before. It's a good toy with plenty of articulation and a great representation of Goldbug.

Goldbug transforms fairly easily into the classic VW Beetle we all know. It's a fairly easy transformation that's just specific enough in some places. You don't have to get everything just right, but they've still got to be right. The trunk of the car can either become a shield in robot mode, or attach to his back for a more classic look. Like all other (I think) instances of this mold, Goldbug comes with 2 blasters that can combine to form a larger rifle. This of course is mostly for the Cliffjumper version of the toy, but I don't see why Goldbug wouldn't have use for a bigger gun on occasion. Considering his adventure in the Creatures Collide 4 pack, a bigger gun would come in handy. This 4 pack was exclusive to Target stores as part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line in 2022. A big priority for me to get and an instant pick up. It's really hard for me to say anything bad about this figure and Goldbug so far might just be my favorite version of the toy mold.

Bios: Clocker

Before the war for the AllSpark began, Clocker was a professional racer on Cybertron. His speed and skill dazzled millions of fans, and for a while, he seemed unbeatable. He was on top of the world. Then war came, and there were suddenly no more races to run. He turned his skills to finding the AllSpark, stopping the Decepticons, and bringing peace to Cybertron. He dreams of the day the war ends, and he can race again alongside his Autobot friends with no limits on how far or fast he can go.

Strength: 5  Intelligence: 6 Speed: 10  Endurance: 5
Rank: 3 Courage: 9 Fireblast: 6  Skill: 8

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Tow-Line (Buzzworthy Bumblebee/Deluxe Class)

Robots in Disguise/Car Robots has always been a bright spot for me in my Transformers fandom. It was the gateway from my beloved beast era back to vehicular bots. As much as I loved beast era, it was time for a change and RID was just right. It still had beast warriors, but the overall direction was back to cars and jets. It didn't hurt that the designs were super slick and the cartoon was entertaining as hell. There was a lot of repaints in the line and the original Tow-Line was just that, a repaint of the Machine Wars Hubcap/Hoist mold. A really solid toy that didn't get a lot of attention like most of Machine Wars at the time. 

In the show, Tow-Line was a charming character who lived out the role of his tow truck alt mode of a little too much. His infamous "No parking means no parking" catchphrase was forever cemented in fans minds. Later he got an 'evil' repaint in Robot Masters that has on and off been one of my user pics ever since. I was really surprised when Tow-Line got an update in Legacy: Evolution under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee banner. What's now referred to by Hasbro as Robots in Disguise 2001 doesn't get a lot of love unfairly and of all the bots, Tow-Line isn't the one you'd think would get a new toy. Like his original toy, Tow-Line is a repaint of an existing mold. This time of Scraphook from Legacy: Evolution, a toy I've not yet found, so this was my first experience with the mold.

Tow-Line turns into a Mad Max sort of tow truck. This is in line with all the other new Junkions in Legacy: Evolution and a direction I quite like. However it is odd on Tow-Line as he's normally just a regular old tow truck. It makes me REALLY wish for a repaint based on his Robot Masters toy though. The spiky, post apocalyptic design plays oddly well with Tow-Line's trademark bright colors. It just works somehow as does the new faithful recreation of the classic toy head. They did a really good job with a toy that's a mix old old and new.

These new Junkions can separate into parts and connect to other bots similar to the Weaponizers from Siege. For once giving the Evo-Fusion blurb an actually good example. Unlike the Weaponizers though, the toys doesn't part form as transformation doesn't require disassembly. You might find yourself pulling off a piece by accident like I did though. Various parts can be attached or held as weapons. This leads to blasters from parts of his hood that resemble the original toys gun and a spiky spare tire that could work as the Boost Hammer from the Robot Masters toy. Maybe. I really like this toy, it's fairly articulated and transforms pleasantly. Mine has a bit of loose joints. Not sure if that's the mold or I just got a random floppy one. Stop laughing. Either way, it's hard not to love a Tow-Line update. Especially when it's a good one.

Cheetor (Jungle Mission 3 pack)

Cheetor is the reason I wanted the Jungle Mission 3 pack to begin with. Fortunately the entire set was pretty great. As of this writing, I haven't seen the movie yet (but will have by the time you read this). I know enough going in that this toy is not based on his character design from the movie. A few of Cheetor's toys were made from an earlier working design that's closer to his original Beast Wars character. This is giving us some variety in cool cats, but probably confusing a few folks. To be fair, this has happened with prior movies (and even a few regular line) toys. While I enjoy his movie design, the BW fan in me is overjoyed. There's a fair amount of tech detailing that really adds a cool twist on the classic design.

Of course Cheetor turns into a cheetah, and while the robot mode was classic BW, this has a Transmetal vibe. I dig it. For the record, I do not have a bad thing to say about this toy. Cheetor is one of my favorite Transformers characters and I love getting new toys of him. The more mechanical parts in his beast mode break up the main yellow of the cheetah body with some brown in the hind legs. This is an odd color choice that I wouldn't have made on my own. However I do think it looks good. While it's a different big cat, the colors make me mentally think Tiger Force from GIJOE. I love how these toys are making me come up with all these mental comparisons. The metallic blue Maximal symbol is also a nice touch. It contrasts really nicely against the yellow. I've always like blue and yellow together.

Cheetor transforms fairly easily and everything goes where you'd expect it too. I did find myself struggling here as it is a slight bit different from prior Cheetah toys and my fingers went into full muscle memory from the Kingdom mold. I guess with the multiple different versions of that toy, my mind just assumed it was another one. A lot of people have mistaken this for a remold of the Kingdom one and to be fair... it'd be easy to do so from pictures alone. However it is a much different toy in hand. Things work and joints move differently. Just as visually, engineering is a different take on a similar design.

Cheetor has a variation of some of his classic weapons. A laser gun stores from his abdomen similar to the classic toy's 'gut gun' and the beast mode tail once again becomes a melee weapon. This time a sword similar to the original Beast Machines toy. It's really neat how this toy is as much of an update of prior ideas as is a new take. I really like it. Score one for this cool cat... I'll never not say that.