Blog #1245: Toy Review: Transformers: Generations: Titans Return Leader Sky Shadow & Ominus

Transformers: Generations: Titans Return Leader Sky Shadow & Ominus

There are a few things I need to say about the Titans Return line.

First off, the trading cards.  Hasbro made a big deal that they were doing real trading cards and not just a picture with no meaningful back.  I guess they tried, but in the then end, they failed miserably.  The cards suck.  There are only four ratings instead of the eight that nearly all other tech specs have had for 30 years (when we’ve actually had tech specs).  There is no quote or function, and the only bio is a couple lines on the back of the package, they didn’t even bother to put it on the card.  Hasbro fails again.  What else is new?

Secondly, what the fuck is it with Hasbro that they need to focus on only one theme at a time?  Why are we getting Targetmasters and Powermasters as Headmasters?  It makes no sense.  Worse yet, the two Targetmaster converts, Blurr and Scourge, both have awful paint jobs (or I should say, barely any paint jobs at all).  They put all the work into the real Headmasters and just mailed it in on the Targetmasters that they shouldn’t have been doing in the first place.  As usual, they half ass everything, just like with Combiner Wars, where they ended the line without doing Terrorcons, Predacons, Seacons, Monster Pretenders, G2 Protectobots, and G2 Constructicons (in both colors).  I mean, they still could do those as box sets next year, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Thirdly, the Titan Masters.  Why can’t they be consistent?  Apeface, Brawn, Nightbeat, and Terri-Bull are named for the actual characters they are the heads for instead of the actual heads they represent.  Clobber and Skytread could theoretically be the Headmasters for Grimlock and Flywheels.  This makes no sense.  Pick one way of doing it.  It would make far more sense to name them for the Headmaster and not the character they partner with, as we are only getting the Headmaster.  Related to that, it really sucks that we aren’t going to get any real versions of the Headmaster Juniors or Headmaster Horrorcons.

Finally, the Headmasters are freaking tiny.  G1 Headmasters were way better than these, and had the ratings meter on the chest gimmick that they didn’t even try to reproduce.  Another thing that sucks is that the heads of the Headmasters are articulated.  This makes it so that the larger robot heads are articulated, but also makes it hard when plugging them in to Titan Masters vehicles.  G1 Headmasters were so much better, but that’s true of most G1 toys.

Anyway, on to the review.

Ominus

Titan Master: I really like the name Ominus.  Sky Shadow’s face sculpt is fine, but let’s not kid our selves.  The only thing that matters about this toy is that he is being remolded into Overlord, so it’s hard to get really excited with anything about this toy.

Sky Shadow

Vehicle Modes: Sky Shadow turns into two vehicles, a tank and a jet.  I love the color scheme, but I think he could have used a little more red, silver, and gold.  The vehicle designs are great, though the tank could have been a little larger.  I am not crazy about how the wings peg into the back of his robot arms.  It mostly stays, but it doesn’t really peg in snugly.  This isn’t a major issue.  The tank can attach to the bottom of the jet.  The base mode is fine, but I really am tired of these base modes.  I would rather see them do more with the vehicle modes.

Robot Mode: Sky Shadow is awesome in robot mode.  He can stand straight as he does not have the silly diagonal feet that so many toys have now.  His joints are nice and tight.  One minor issue.  The gun’s on his shoulders are meant to point off at an angle.  They can move side to side for transformation, but it is not ratcheted, it moves farther out to the side than it should making it very hard to get the two guns lined up at the same angle.  While very annoying, Sky Shadow has far fewer design flaws than a lot of Titans Return toys.

Overall: If you only want one of this mold, wait for Overlord.  I really like Sky Shadow, and recommend him, but Overlord will be better.  One other note.  It has been speculated that we will be getting more box sets.  I’m hoping one of them includes this toy remolded into Energon Megatron.  It is the perfect toy for an Energon Megatron homage.

Thanks for reading!